Sermons on Army Chaplain:

What To Say When You Don't Know What To Say

Contributed by Erick Riddle on Sep 3, 2004

Practical suggestions for helping people in grief

INTRODUCTION I’m a liar. A big fat liar. Well, maybe not big fat lies, but at least little deceiving lies. The big fat part is that I keep telling the lie. So many people have been so kind since my mom died on April 19, the day before Easter. With genuine concern and a desire to help, you have ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Help Wanted - Man Of God

Contributed by Ralf Bergmann on Sep 14, 2004

Today, we have the threat of cross-contamination between the ways of God and the ways of the world, just as it was threatening the church where Timothy was Paul’s chosen leader.

Sermon Title: Help Wanted – Man of God Text: 1 Timothy 3 Date: August 24, 2003 Context of Scripture: It only stands to reason that since we dealt with the issue of women in the ministry last times we looked at Paul’s letter to Pastor Timothy, we should look at what is required of the men. When ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-16

Denomination: *other

Risking It All – Lessons From Esther

Contributed by Jim Twamley on Mar 25, 2003

There are 4 major lessons we learn from the book of Esther: 1. God has a plan for your life. 2. Satan has a plan for your life. 3. You have a choice. 4. God has the answer.

All I need to know I learned from Noah’s Ark, and it is quite amazing. One, don’t miss the boat. Two, remember that we are all in the same boat. Three, plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark. Four, stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really ...read more

Scripture: Esther 3:1-15, Esther 5:9-22

Denomination: Pentecostal

Nailprints Don't Lie

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 19, 2003

Thomas dealt with his loss by postponing his choices and by absenting himself from the community. We do the same; but the nailprints of our shame and our guilt tell the truth about us.

 We respond to loss in a variety of ways. There is no predicting how people will act when they lose something they cherish. I have seen everything from screaming and wailing to solid stoicism to outright laughter. I have conducted funerals where people have wept openly, and others ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-29

Denomination: Baptist

But Nails Hurt! Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 24, 2003

Nails were distributed to the congregation, so that they could test: if you wish to endure, you have to endure some pounding. Holes may be punched in you, too. But if you persist, ultimately you will be built up.

If you really want to grow, it’s going to cost you. If you truly expect to be built up, there will be some pain involved. No growth ever takes place without pain. That’s a law of life. That’s not negotiable. No pain, no gain. No hurt, no growth. No rough edges, no building up. If you truly ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Christian Optimism

Contributed by Richard Tow on Nov 17, 2003

Using quotes from sailors who survived the sinking of USS Indianapolis this sermon demonstrates how perspecive and point of reference impact our state of happiness. Several reasons for Christian Optimism are discussed.

Christian Optimism II Tim. 1:12 6-23-02 On July 16, 1945 the USS Indianapolis left the San Francisco Bay carrying mysterious box to Tinian, a small island in the west Pacific. Nobody knew that in the box was the Atomic Bomb that the Enola Gay would soon drop on Hiroshima. After making the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 84:11-12, 2 Timothy 1:12

Denomination: Charismatic

Christian Optimism

Contributed by Richard Tow on Nov 17, 2003

Using quotes from sailors who survived the sinking of USS Indianapolis this sermon demonstrates how perspecive and point of reference impacts our state of happiness. Several reasons for Christian Optimism are discussed.

Christian Optimism II Tim. 1:12 6-23-02 On July 16, 1945 the USS Indianapolis left the San Francisco Bay carrying mysterious box to Tinian, a small island in the west Pacific. Nobody knew that in the box was the Atomic Bomb that the Enola Gay would soon drop on Hiroshima. After making the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 84:11-12, 2 Timothy 1:12

Denomination: Charismatic

Joys False Or Complete Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 10, 2004

For Epiphany: As Richard Foster wrote about "Money, Sex, and Power", is it possible the Wise Men’s gifts are warnings to Jesus and His family about these things? Complete joy comes from what Jesus did with these issues.

Who we are and what we have are two entirely different things, but we confuse them. We insist on identifying who we are by what we have. Who we are and what we have are not the same thing. We are more by far than the material goods we possess. And yet everywhere we are identified by our stuff. ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 2:11-12

Denomination: Baptist

No More Night

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 28, 2003

We are promised "no more night": no more blind thrashing about, unable to see where our lives are going; no more mistrust; no more incompleteness. Sermon for Remembrance Day, when we celebrate members who have passed away in the previous year.

Several Saturday nights ago I just was not satisfied with my preaching preparation. Somehow the message had not quite gelled, and I knew there were many improvements I needed to make before Sunday morning. But by then it was late, after a busy weekend, and I decided, hey, so what, it’ll be all ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 22:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

God's Design Our Dreams

Contributed by Steven Chapman on Jun 17, 2005

This message helps us to restore God’s design and our shattered dreams by looking at the restoration story with Peter.

God’s Design - Our Dreams John 21:1-25 I want to begin this message with a word from Scripture and a line from a song. One of the most thoughtful and most perceptive folk groups of the 60’s and 70’s was the group Peter, Paul and Mary. This group disbanded in the early 70’s, only to regroup at the ...read more

Scripture: John 21:1-25

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Excellence In Integrity, Part 3 Series

Contributed by Joey Nelson on Oct 14, 2003

On the surface of life, we demonstrate integrity. We return money that’s not ours. We pay our bills on time. We work hard at our jobs. We volunteer at church. But if someone were to write a story about your life, would we really want him or her to write e

INTRODUCTION Opening Statement: In the book Strengthening Your Grip, Charles Swindoll tells the following story about integrity. “Some time ago, I heard about a fellow in Long Beach who went into a fried chicken franchise to get some chicken for himself and the young lady with him. She waited in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:1-22

God's Purpose After Easter

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on May 15, 2004

God has a purpose for us after Easter.

INTRO.- DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS? It did it again. It was number one again! What’s that? The movie THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST was the number one box office hit at the movies this last Easter weekend with an income of $17 million. The second on the list was some crazy movie called HELLBOY. (I’m ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:5-7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Personal Integrity - Life Of David, Part 3 Series

Contributed by Joey Nelson on May 5, 2006

On the surface of life, we demonstrate integrity. We return money that’s not ours. We pay our bills on time. We work hard at our jobs. We volunteer at church. But if someone were to write a story about your life, would we really want him or her to write e

INTRODUCTION Opening Statement: In the book Strengthening Your Grip, Charles Swindoll tells the following story about integrity. “Some time ago, I heard about a fellow in Long Beach who went into a fried chicken franchise to get some chicken for himself and the young lady with him. She waited in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:1-24

Commitment To The Truth

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Nov 23, 2005

Commitment to the truth of the gospel is needed in this messed up world.

INTRO.- ILL.- Two elderly women were out driving in a large car and both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red but they just went on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself "I must be losing it, I ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:27

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A New Kind Of Righteousness Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 30, 2005

Jesus’ new kind of righteousness is based on: 1. Internals rather than externals. 2. Transformation rather than avoiding transgressions. 3. A relationship rather than rules.

Perhaps you have seen it. It is a bumper sticker which displays the slogan: “Christians Aren’t Perfect, Just Forgiven.” It is a catchy phrase, the only problem is that it misrepresents the Christian life. Is that all we are, “just forgiven”? Is there no more to it than that? Do we, in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-20

Denomination: Methodist