Sermons on Better:

You’re Alive! Act Like It - Ecclesiastes 9:2-10:1 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Mar 26, 2025

It’s better to be alive in a painful life than to be dead. This passage explains why and teaches us how to seize the day and enjoy life through relationships and work.

9:1 Indeed, I took all this to heart and explained it all: the righteous, the wise, and their works are in God's hands. People don't know whether to expect love or hate. Everything lies ahead of them. 2 Everything is the same for everyone: there is one fate for the righteous and the wicked, ...read more

Making The New Year Shine: Simple Steps For Improvement SermonCentral

Contributed by SermonCentral on Sep 8, 2023

Here’s some straightforward advice for making the new year better. 1- The new year - Be careful 2- The new year - Be thoughtful 3- The new year - Be thankful

Introduction: At a New Year’s party, Pete asks his friend Ken for a cigarette, despite having made a resolution to quit smoking. Pete jokes that he is in the process of quitting and is currently in phase one, which involves not buying cigarettes. This humorous anecdote highlights how many people ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-20

Topics: New Year's Day, Self-Improvement

Prune Premium Sermon

Contributed by PRO Premium on Oct 9, 2023

The sermon discusses the concept of pruning in a Christian's life, where God removes unhealthy aspects to promote spiritual growth, likening it to a gardener pruning a plant for better health and growth.

Take the potted plant you’ve been using throughout the series, hopefully it’s still alive, and get a good pair of garden clippers/snips. To introduce the sermon, which is about pruning, cut off part of the plant. Talk through the process, try to bring the illustration to life by talking about how ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-5

Topics: Spiritual Growth, Divine Gardening, Pruning Process

Sermon Series: Rooted

Are We Ready To Meet God?

Contributed by David Hirschfeld on Dec 23, 2001

A lesson on the fragility of life with reference to the attacks of September 11th. Asks how we can be better prepared to meet eternity. Includes lyrics from "Meet Me in the Stairwell."

ARE WE READY TO MEET GOD? ARE WE READY FOR ETERNITY? I. Read lyrics from popular song: Meet Me in the Stairwell You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news, September 11, 2001. Neither will I. I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Do You Play Favorites? (Pt. 1)

Contributed by Chris Talton on Jan 29, 2002

In our treatment of people, we must see all people as equally valuable rather than treating some better than others because of how they might benefit us.

James 2:1-13 “Do you play favorites?” June 27, 1999 Everybody has favorites. [Ask different people in the congregation what their favorite items are in these categories: food, ice cream, car, color, time of year, holiday]. When I was growing up, my mom had it pretty easy whenever she was getting ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Who Will Guide Me?

Contributed by David Lansdown on Jul 9, 2002

How can we know which way to go? Who will guide us in the choices in life? The good or bad choices? The good or better choices? That’s the theme of this message.

WHO WILL GUIDE ME? PSALM 32:1-11 INTRODUCTION Truth! What is truth? Have you ever asked that question? Pilate did – you can read about that in John 18. You know, it seems to me that a lot of people are asking Pilate’s question today. I was speaking to a woman from Port Melbourne this week, who, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Looking For Work?

Contributed by Ron Hicks on Sep 8, 2005

Unemployment isn’t only high in the secular world, the harvest fields are suffering from lack of laborers. Need a job? Name your position. Opportunities couldn’t be better.

LOOKING FOR WORK? James 2:14-18 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-18

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Standin' In The Need Of Grace

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Sep 20, 2005

It’s easy for us to focus on ourselves and our alleged abilities. It’s far better to realize that we are constantly in need of the sustaining presence of God’s grace.

Passage: Judges 6:25-32 Intro: There is an old spiritual that we all know. Very simple. 1. “It’s me, it’s me oh Lord, standin’ in the need of prayer” 2. this is not a song celebrating selfishness, but the recognition of need 3. its amazing how easily pride worms into our hearts, how we begin ...read more

Scripture: Judges 6:25-32

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Easter Is Dangerous!

Contributed by Bramwell Hayes on Apr 13, 2006

Easter from the viewpoint of Caiaphas, demonstrating that it would be better for obstinant rebels if Christ had not been raised from the dead. The fact of Easter requires us to repent and turn to Christ

Matthew 28:11-15 This is all most inconvenient, not to mention dangerous! I don’t know what the Romans will make of all this. They only put me in power as High Priest to keep the country in order and to stop things like this happening. If that Jesus had kept to carpentry none of this would have ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:11-15

Denomination: Salvation Army

Discovering Your Dream Series

Contributed by Mark Perryman on May 11, 2006

When God created you, he needed something done on earth that nobody else could do, so he designed you to do it better than anyone else.

INTRO: Tommy Barnett, pastor of Phoenix First Assembly of God, tells a story about a lady in their city. He writes: Not long ago a woman in our city who was known as a "bag lady" died. Everybody thought she was flat broke, but when people retrieved her body at her home, they found trash cans full ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Do You Work For Your Father? Series

Contributed by Pat Cook on Oct 6, 2004

#5 in Romans 8 - What a Way to Live! series. Paul says that we can be better than just God’s servants - we can be God’s children.

Romans 8:15-17 – Do You Work for Your Father? I’m going to give you 2 scenarios that sound almost alike but very different. This is scenario #1. Jimmy, an orphan, from a foster home, is fishing by himself on the end of a wharf. As many curious ten-year-olds would, he leans over the edge to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:15-17

Denomination: Baptist

A Wonderful Lord Series

Contributed by Kevin Higgins on Jan 1, 2003

In Ephesians 1:7-14 at least three important facts are given about God which, properly understood, can lead one on the journey to "A Better Life in Christ."

Ephesians 1:7-14 A Wonderful Lord Introduction In the last message, it was said that there are three facts about believers that must be understood. Believers are saints, they have been chosen by God, and God chooses them for a purpose. A clear understanding of the beauty of these truths is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:7-14

Denomination: Baptist

Temptation Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Mar 26, 2007

The basics of temptation have never changed. By looking at Satan’s original temptation of Eve in the Garden, we can recognize temptation when it comes and be better equipped to resist it.

1. What is the source of temptation? a. Satan not God b. Our willingness to give an audience (foothold) 2. What is the appearance of temptation? a. Close to the truth b. Good, pleasant, desirable 3. What is the result of temptation? a. Succumbing i. Putting our desires ahead of God’s ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Flood Assurance (Revised)

Contributed by Michael Hollinger on Dec 7, 2005

The question is not, "Why do bad things happen." The better question is, "Why were we spared." And the answer? Because we have a God who loves us!

Title: Flood Assurance Text: Luke 13:1-5, but it only makes sense in the context of Luke 12:54-57,1-9. FCF: We are all judged and worthy of death, but God be praised we have an advocate who pleads to give us more time. SO: I want my congregation to feel sympathy for the people of New Orleans, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Going Fishing

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Feb 8, 2006

We can fish for fun, or we can fish for dinner. When we fish for dinner, we take it much more seriously and consequently have much better results.

What would you say is the one thing that hurts our society more than anything else? I would say it is us; the people. We are seeing more and more violence in the streets of America, and we are building more and more jails to put the criminals in, but the violence just keeps growing. And to make ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: *other