Sermons on Ball:

Why A New Church?

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Oct 20, 2006

A message explaining why we decided to plant a church. This can be adapted to show why we need to change formats, names, etc.

An old fisherman used to amaze all the locals with how many fish he was able to catch. It didn’t matter what the weather was like, or how much other fishermen were able to catch, he always caught more than anyone else. The stories became legend, and soon reached the local game warden. He showed ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:20-21

Denomination: *other

Given To Testify

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Oct 23, 2006

A sermon that wraps up a morning of personal testimonies - giving biblical references on how to testify and why we must testify.

We all have a sphere of influence in our lives. That sphere is made up of those people in our lives that we have some influence over. And one of the strongest ways we can influence someone is through a personal testimony. That is when you tell someone else how something, or somebody, has ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Denomination: *other

Church - Vision Or Memories?

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Nov 1, 2006

To keep impacting those outside the church for Jesus, we must keep the vision we were given, and not replace that vision with the memories of yesterday. Nor can we replace our calling with our comfort.

I know that many of us are planning on helping out at the Leukemia Benefit right after church for 3-year old Christian Bentley, so I am going to offer a shorter message this morning so we can get up there on time. There are some who might not understand why we cut our sermons a little short for ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-18

Denomination: *other

Elders - Responsibility, Not Power

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Nov 6, 2006

This is a short ordination sermon used to install a man into the office of elder. It precedes C.L.A.S.S. 101.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you.” Did you know that we all have gifts? In the last two weeks, I have touched upon the parable of the wealthy landowner who gave his three servants talents before he left for a long trip. When he came back, he found that two ...read more

Denomination: *other

For His Abundance, We Offer Thanksgiving

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Nov 14, 2006

A thanksgiving sermon that focuses on the many blessings God has given to us, how we have received them, and about our getting it right.

We come together in the house of the Lord this morning to offer praise to our God. But to praise Him properly, we must be willing to sacrifice something very near and dear to us. What would that be? I think the one thing that would be a proper sacrifice for Him this morning, is if we would ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Denomination: *other

You Are Only Called To Believe

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 3, 2007

An Easter morning sermon that supports the truth and dispells the lies surrounding the Resurrection with unarguable facts . (Audio at www.sermonlist.com/2007.html)

Easter is the center point of the Christian faith. Without Easter, Christianity would be just like every other religion in the world. We are the only belief on the face of the earth that has a founder who is alive, and we are the only religion in history that meets our enemies with our prayers ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:1-8

Denomination: *other

The Promise Of Easter

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 6, 2007

The promise given to the disciples so many years ago is available to you this morning, too. And that is the Good News of all eternity. (audio at www.sermonlist.com/2007.html)

MATTHEW 28:1-10 [Read passage] All around the world this morning, Christians are proclaiming one message, and that message is; “HE HAS RISEN!” We have been raised in our world to believe that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Most of us have been taken in by “empty ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10, John 19:28

Denomination: *other

The Sin Behind Your Back

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 9, 2007

Explaining how many American Christians are like the church of Laodicea, unfocused and with the wrong motives and reasons. (Audio will be placed at www.sermonlist.com/2007.html)

Christians talk a lot about prayer, and whenever we hear that something bad has happened to someone we know, the first thing we do is go into prayer. But I sometimes wonder if we go before the throne of a holy God - with the right heart and attitude. In 1 THESSALONIANS, we are told to pray ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-21

Denomination: *other

The Burdens Are Heavy

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 10, 2007

"Self" is who we rely on in most storms, but "self" has no ability to help. It is "God" who must be depended on for He alone has the ability to help us in our valleys of despair. (Audio will be placed at www.sermonlist.com/2007.html)

A man was in the hospital for tests, and the doctor came in to see him. The doctor said he had some bad news and some really bad news for the man, and wanted to know which one he wanted to hear first. The patience said to tell him the bad news first. The doctor said the bad news was he only ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-3

Denomination: *other

About Spiritual Gifts

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 18, 2007

A teaching sermon on spiritual gifts; what they are, who has them, and what their purpose is. (audio will be placed at www.sermonlist.com/2007.html)

The drama we presented this morning about spiritual gifts was a comedy, but it served one very important purpose: Bringing the subject of those gifts to the forefront so we can study and understand who has them and what their purpose is. Unfortunately, the area of spiritual gifts is just one ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Denomination: *other

A Day Of Personal Testimony

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Feb 12, 2007

A sermon about the need for more personal testimonies, and the need for more involvement on behalf of Christians, both in and out of church, to tell others. This precedes our STEP 3 class, which will help us to understand our Spiritual Gift(s).

In JOHN 19:34 it tells us that, as Jesus hung on the cross, a guard pierced His side. In JOHN 19:35, it says that the one who loved him saw it personally and knows it is true. It says he testifies "SO THAT YOU ALSO MAY BELIEVE." Going over to ISAIAH 43:10, it tells us - ‘You are my witnesses, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-4

Denomination: *other

Genesis 15 - 21: Sibling Rivalry

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Feb 22, 2007

A sermon explaining the covenant of land to Isaac and his descendants, and how that caused a sibling rivalry that is responsible for the problems in the Middle East today.

We are continuing our trip through the book of GENESIS. We have previously covered from the creation of the world, on down to where a man named Abram obeyed God by stepping out into the unknown as God had requested – without knowing where he was going or what he was supposed to do when he got ...read more

Denomination: *other

Genesis 22: A Test For You

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Feb 27, 2007

A discussion on GENESIS 22, showing how the test of Abraham is also a test for us, and in that test, we are given a moment of personal testimony.

There is one constant in the kingdom of God. Every time God tests our faith, He also gives us something in return. That ‘something’ is a defining moment, and we refer to these as ‘personal testimonies’. They give witness to the fact that God is active and working in our lives. Two weeks ago, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14

Denomination: *other

Presenting: The Lord's House

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Mar 9, 2007

This sermon focuses the congregation on continued growth and health in the church ... and the absolute need to be in unity and not be divisive.

Audio at: www.sermonlist.com/Presenting.m3u What do you want this church to look like to outsiders? What do you want it to accomplish? As Christians, we should want this church to look inviting to outsiders; a place that is warm and friendly, not a place that is distant and cold. As far as ...read more

Scripture: James 3:6

Denomination: *other

Genesis 37-50: The Dreamer

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Mar 13, 2007

Last sermon in the GENESIS series. (Audio at www.sermonlist.com/2007.html)

Have you ever heard of people who became successful, even when everything around them pointed to failure? When all the circumstances around them say, “No way,” but they heard God saying, “No, this way!” There was a young boy in the 2nd grade whose teacher sent a note home with him to his ...read more

Denomination: *other