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

On The Verge Of A Miracle

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Nov 22, 2006

We are on the verge of receiving God’s blessings and miracles in our lives, but there is something we must do first.

Please turn to the fourth book of the New Testament, JOHN 5:1-9. That will be our main text for today. ‘Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is, in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate, a pool which in Aramaic is called Bethesda, and which is surrounded by five ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-9

Denomination: *other

Your Purpose & Value

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Nov 26, 2006

This sermon explains why God put us here, what our purpose is, and what value God puts on our lives.

Why are we here? Is there a reason we are sitting here this morning, in the house of God? What would be our purpose as a Christian? We have touched upon it before, and I think all of us have wondered at one time or another just what our purpose is. I think the two most asked questions about our ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:37, Matthew 22:37-39

Denomination: *other

To Anticipate Jesus

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Jul 18, 2006

Taking Paul’s lead to change our focus from this world to the reward at the end of the race. How much would you need to change if ....

I was raised in a small town in southern Ohio. I remember the lazy days of summer when the air-raid sirens went off once per week and we would all look up to see if we could see enemy planes, or when all the boys would gather on the school playground to play baseball like the big kids did. I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-15

Denomination: *other

There Will Be A Price

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Jul 25, 2006

Three things Christians cannot be - using various Scriptures and illustrations.

You have heard me say on many occasions that there is a difference between churchgoers and true bonafide Christians. The difference is not in how often they attend church or even how involved they get within the church. The difference is where their hearts are. The bonafide Christian’s heart ...read more

Scripture: James 4:17

Denomination: *other

From The Old To The New

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Aug 21, 2006

A sermon designed to lift the spirits of a church plant congregation after having been verbally attacked by their former church. Focuses on love and the new frontier of a job to be done!

The Israelites were kept as slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. Their oppressors mistreated them and there is no doubt they suffered mentally and spiritually, as well as physically. Those generations of Israelites must have felt a hurt that would have be unimaginable to us today. The Bible ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:37-38

Denomination: *other

The Exodus

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Mar 21, 2007

1st sermon in the EXODUS series. (Audio at www.sermonlist.com/2007.html)

Last Sunday, as we left the book of GENESIS, we talked about the faith of Joseph. How he kept focused on the Lord and the dreams he received, even in the face of great hardship. And, looking back, we can see how God blessed Joseph, by letting him become the second most powerful man in the world – ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:4-10

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