Sermons on Absence Without Leave:

"Screen Door On A Submarine"

Contributed by David Washburn on Jan 13, 2002

"Faith without works is like a song you can’t sing, it’s about as useless as a screen door on a submarine."

You may have heard our music group sing the song, “Screen Door on a Submarine.” Part of it goes like this: Faith without works is like a song you can’t sing, it’s about as useless as a screen door on a submarine. Rich Mullins wrote that song with this morning’s scripture in mind, because James ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Denomination: Baptist

Bring It On? Series

Contributed by Steve Lawson on Jan 7, 2004

How do I make it through all of life’s struggles without killing myself, or someone else, in the process?

My brother-in-law is building a cabin in New Mexico. He decided to do the general contracting himself to save some money. What he’s finding out is that it’s not worth it. General contractors don’t make enough to compensate for the headaches they deal with. What David is experiencing is the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Little Light Of Mine Series

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Nov 8, 2003

Those without Christ are called ’darkness’. Christians are called ’light’. We are to shine in their darkness. (#5 in The Christian Victor series)

“And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:11-14

Denomination: Orthodox

Does God Work Part Time?

Contributed by J Bernard Taylor on Oct 19, 2008

Why is a recognition of the Trinity important? Without an understanding of the working of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God is reduced to part time work.

Does God Work Part Time? Does God work part time? This might seem to be a ridiculous question. You may say, “Of course God works full time. If God only works part time, I am in big trouble. I always believed that God was at work 24/7. God neither slumbers nor sleeps. God works all 3 shifts ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-21

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Accepting Your Personal Uniqueness

Contributed by Ronald Fair on Apr 4, 2001

Because I am the product of a unique creation, I can accept my personal uniqueness without either inferiority or superiority.

ACCEPTING YOUR PERSONAL UNIQUENESS Someone who are told not to be inferior swing from one extreme to another, from interior feelings to egotistical feelings. If man is not to feel inferior, neither is he to feel superior. Some people are possessed with illusions or grandeur, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:10

Denomination: Methodist

Break Up The Fallow Ground!

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Mar 16, 2021

Getting baptized on your head must have an impact on your heart. If you’ve been baptized, God calls you to put off the old nature and its sinfulness, and to put on the new. There’s no salvation without a change of life, no redemption without repentance.

There once was a book-burning in the palace of Judah’s king. A scroll-burning actually, but the idea is the same. For the LORD told Jeremiah to take a scroll, write on it everything He’d said—and then to have that scroll read before the king. So that’s what Jeremiah did. He wrote down God’s words, ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 3:1-25, Jeremiah 4:1-4

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Love Or Cosmetology? Series

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Sep 15, 2021

Valentine's Day: If church members do Christian things like feed the homeless or go on mission trips, and these acts are done without love, then people are just wasting their time. Without love, God doesn’t care what we do for Him.

Neil Postman writes in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, “that we have reached the point where cosmetics has replaced ideology [or “practice”] as [a] field of expertise.”(1) The verb “cosmeticize” means, “to make something unpleasant or ugly superficially attractive.”(2) It’s common for people ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

"Hope Offered By The Man In The Middle”

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Mar 26, 2024

Rev. John Stott in his book: “The Cross of Christ” writes: “We can not proclaim the cross without the resurrection nor the resurrection without the cross.” Either Jesus actually rose from the grave or he did not. (quotes from He Chose Nails).

In Jesus Holy Name March 31, 2024 Text: Matthew 28:1,5,6b Easter -Redeemer “Hope Offered by The Man in the Middle” Rev. John Stott in his book: “The Cross of Christ” writes: “We can not proclaim the cross without the resurrection nor the resurrection without the cross.” ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-6, John 19:17-37

Denomination: Lutheran

The Mission Statement Of The Church Series

Contributed by Denn Guptill on Jul 21, 2013

Why did Jesus leave the church behind. We can worship Him and learn about him in heaven but there is one thing we can't do in heaven.

For those of you who have kids and can remember leaving their children alone, whether it was for an hour, an evening or a day you understand that the most important thing that you wanted to them to remember were your last words. “I love you, remember your homework”, “I love you ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: Wesleyan

Envision: The Great Commission

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Apr 25, 2024

Jesus doesn’t send us into this world, lost world without any resources. He doesn’t expect us to accomplish this Great Commission in our own power.

Opening illustration: When Jesus spoke these words directly to His disciples, and indirectly to us, He was giving the church her marching orders. He was telling exactly what He expected us to do in His physical absence. The disciples took the Lord’s command seriously. They went into the world and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Need A Butt Kicker

Contributed by Steve Ely on Oct 1, 2008

5 Relationships You Can’t Live Without! Each of these relationships are crucial for you to live a healthy and successful life!

“5” Part 2 – You Need A Butt Kicker Carl Brashear, was born in 1931 to sharecroppers. He decided to join the Navy in an attempt to better himself. He was the first African American to attend and graduate from U.S. Navy Diving & Salvage School. Master Chief Brashear was the first African-American ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:1-14

Denomination: Pentecostal

Faith's Foundation Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Sep 4, 2007

Without Faith, it’s impossible to please God... but how did such a religious community as Nazareth misplace its faith?

OPEN: A man named Gregory P. Elder told of growing up on the Atlantic Coast. And what he loved to do as a child was to spend his time down at the beach. For hours each day, he’d sit on the sand and build castles and intricate cities. But one year his joy in these creations was threatened by ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:53-58

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Christian Mind Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

We need to be constantly asking ourselves how our thinking on any issue is uniquely Christian. We need to ask, can a good pagan without Christ, and without revelation think the same as I do? If so, what does Christianity have to say on the issue that is of any unique value?

The first fly said to the second fly, "Human beings are funny aren't they?" "Why do you say that," responded the second fly?" "Well," said the first, "they spend a pile of money building a beautiful ceiling, and then always walk on the floor." From ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2

What Our Victory Looks Like And Means Series

Contributed by Bobby Stults on Apr 28, 2012

What does it mean to be justified? Held blameless before God? To be without condemnation? Paul explains this in these v.12-17...

Sermon Brief Date Written: April 25, 2012 Date Preached: April 29, 2012 Where Preached: OPBC (AM) Sermon Details: Series Title: A Journey thru Romans Sermon Title: What Our Victory Looks like/means Sermon Text: Romans 8:12-17 [ESV] Introduction: 12Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:12-17

Denomination: Baptist

Reclaiming Your Passion Part 1 Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Jul 22, 2009

The challenge many of us find in maintaining passion in life… is that living by duty apart from desire… is like hearing individual notes without a melody.

MOVIE CLIP: MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS – PLAY WITH PASSION Storyline - When we’re young our dreams lie out in front of us, there for the taking, and our plans seem so clear. But like many of us, Glenn Holland never could have predicted the course his own life would take, when he reluctantly accepts a ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:10-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational