Sermons on Beyond Expectations:

Tending Your Garden Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 16, 2012

God created man and planted a garden for him in Eden. What lessons can I learn about what God expects of me from what God did for Adam?

Someone once wrote a poem about their garden: "Our radishes are puny things; Our peas and beans are dying; And as for the potatoes, well, those things aren't even trying And that's the way our garden grows - I tell myself, "Who needs it?" But down inside, it hurts to have it bite the hand... ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:4-15

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Destructive Critics

Contributed by Ervin Kimrey on Jan 18, 2010

Recognize that when you step out on faith, follow God, and try to make a difference, you will be criticized. Expect it and deal with it through prayer, keeping the proper perspective, and being persistent.

DISTRUCTIVE CRITICS Nehemiah 4:1-23 Introduction: In a Charlie Brown comic, Linus is seated with a troubled look on his face, his security blanket over his shoulder, his thumb in his mouth. Turning to Lucy, he asks, “Why are you always so anxious to criticize me?” Her response: “I just think I ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 4:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

Look Like Light, Taste Like Salt

Contributed by Troy Borst on Mar 20, 2017

In explaining life following Jesus (discipleship), Jesus uses two elements from everyday life to explain His expectations and the results of being a disciple. The first is salt. The second is light.

Look like Light, Taste Like Salt MATTHEW 5:13-16 #discipleship READ MATTHEW 5:13-16 [congregation reads along aloud] "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God's Definition Of Marriage Series

Contributed by David Dykes on Jan 28, 2018

America doesn't have a homosexual problem; we have a human sexual problem. If you consider yourself a Christian, God expects all of us to practice sexual purity.

INTRODUCTION Today I’m going to talk about “God’s Definition of Marriage.” This is the most popular trending topic today since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states. However, I’m not just speaking today in reaction to this ruling. Most of you know I teach ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

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

Disciples Of Jesus Are Devoted To Jesus Series

Contributed by David Owens on Nov 30, 2020

Disciples of Jesus are all about following Jesus and helping others follow Jesus. Therefore it is important for disciples to know and teach the truth about who Jesus is and what Jesus expects.

Introduction: A. One Sunday after coming home from worship, a mother asked her young son, “So, who was your Bible class teacher today?” 1. The little boy replied, “I don’t know her name but she must have been Jesus’ grandmother - all she did was talk about Jesus.” 2. I love that – don’t you? And ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:10-13, John 1:1-5, Hebrews 1:1-3, Hebrews 2:14-18, 1 Corinthians 8:5-6, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Ephesians 2:4-10, 1 John 2:22-23  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

After Easter: On The Road To Emmaus

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 8, 2021

A pair of discouraged disciples left Jerusalem for their home in Emmaus. While going there, they met a Stranger Who walked with them and gave them something they weren't expecting!

Introduction: On Resurrection Day, the first day of the week, the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Mary Magdalene had seen and spoken with the Lord, and had shared this news with the other believers (John 20). As the day went on, a pair of disciples decided they would go back to their home at ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Denomination: Baptist

Interracial Marriage Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 17, 2021

Only the believer can see race from within the kingdom of God, and through the mind of Christ. We cannot expect that non-Christians will share this view. It is an exclusive Christian view.

A boy in Harvard College, many years back, got his father in Maine to come to Cambridge and see the football game between Yale and Harvard. As they sat down, the boy slapped his father on the back and said, "Dad, for three dollars you are going to see more fight than you ever ...read more

Go Thy Way, Daniel: When Your Questions Aren’t Answered Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 1, 2020

Daniel was known for his wisdom and abilities to make things known. But when he asked a certain question of the Lord, he didn't get the answer he was expecting!

Introduction The Book of Daniel is a favorite book for many people. The story of how he stood for God in a pagan land is familiar to most believers. Some of my relatives used to read from “The Bible Story” collection stories about Daniel and his friends, many times over. I’ve never forgotten those ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Recommissioned By A Merciful God Series

Contributed by Allan Quak on Mar 6, 2020

In God’s economy failure is never a defining outcome because God never gives up on anybody – therefore we should always expect the miracle of transformation to take place.

Message Jonah 3:1-10 Recommissioned By A Merciful God. Do you remember the first time you tried to ride a bike? It’s such a tranquil and joyful occasion isn’t it. But that is only after a lot of other things have happened. Eventually your bike riding efforts look like this. But usually ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 3:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Tempering Our Understanding Of Miracles

Contributed by Michael Koplitz on Mar 21, 2023

Miracles do happen. However, not all the time. Faith can be shattered by the expectations of miracles occurring. Not all prayers can be answered. Tough lesson I learned early on.

Tempering our Understanding of Miracles John 11:1-45 Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz John 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-45

Denomination: United Methodist

When God Crosses His Hands

Contributed by Wayne Lawson on Jan 17, 2024

One commentator writes about God’s crossed hands of blessing -- sometimes God chooses to bless that which we don’t expect Him to bless in our lives.

TITLE: WHEN GOD CROSSES HIS HANDS SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 48:14 As we look at our text we read here where Joseph is presenting his two sons Ephraim and Manessah before his father JACOB/ISRAEL who by now can hardly see because of his advanced age. He is presented these two boys in whom he is going to ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 48:14

Denomination: Baptist

No One Will Take My Place

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on Feb 28, 2025

God has a divine assignment for each of us, and He expects us to fulfil it. However, when people fail in their calling, God can replace them with someone else.

NO ONE WILL TAKE MY PLACE By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text: 1 Samuel 16:1 "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1, Revelation 3:11, Matthew 25:28, Acts 1:20, Esther 4:14  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Why Are We To Teach Our Children To Obey God?

Contributed by Chris Swanson on Sep 27, 2023

To enable every age to learn how to obey God and to set their expectations in him, God directed that his laws and acts be instructed to children and that they ought to be passed from age to age.

Monotheism is the faith in only one God. It was an unmistakable component of the Hebrew religion. Numerous old religions trusted in a large number of divine beings. However, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of the entire earth, the only genuine God. This was a significant knowledge ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-25

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Good News In An Unexpected Place Series

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Jul 17, 2021

In this message, we will see how the birth announcement of the King of Kings wasn’t delivered to the rich or royal, but it was instead delivered in the least expected place. It was delivered to some lowly shepherds.

When people send out baby shower invitations, they primarily mail them to family and friends. I once saw a really funny movie, a comedy, where a couple sent out fake shower announcements when they weren’t really going to have a baby. They were in debt and needed some money to pay off their bills, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Denomination: Baptist