Sermons on Billy Joel:

Character Trait: Fellowship: Cultivating Life In Common Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Jan 20, 2013

Fellowship with believers is not an option. It is in real relationships and connection with other believers that we are built up, encouraged, enriched to grow in relationship to fellows believers and representing Jesus Christ.

Intro: In Paul’s and Peter’s letters we are called living stones and a Holy Tabernacle where the Holy Spirit lives. If you remember from last week the proper and stable construction of that place for the Holy Spirit to live doesn’t happen by accident. Jesus desired then and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:41-42

Denomination: Baptist

Character Trait: Devotion To Prayer Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Jan 28, 2013

God has offered to us intense intimacy and amazing power through prayer. The key to our churches being kingdom minded and eternally effective is are we willing? Are you willing to invest in the most the chruch can do.

Intro: Remember that the church is not built strong and healthy by accident. It is also no accident that there are so many churches that are not strong or healthy in the 21 century. I believe there is one major reason that the church in the west is so weak and unstable. It is a lack of prayer. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:41-42

Denomination: Baptist

Character Trait: Humility Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Feb 3, 2013

Humility goes hand in had with a healthy church. A church that makes little of themselves can make much of God. What is humilty and how can we practically be humble?

Intro: On Christmas afternoon, the Pastor’s wife dropped into an easy chair saying, "Boy! Am I ever tried." Her husband looked over at her & said, "I had to conduct two special services last night, three today, & give a total of five sermons. Why are you so tired?" "Dearest," she replied, "I had ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:41-42

Denomination: Baptist

Character Trait: Seeing And Living The Supernatural Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Feb 22, 2013

The supernatural is not always spectacular. Sometimes God works supernaturally in the natural. Some examples are marriages restored, addictions undone, attitudes remade. Character and conduct are conformed to Jesus.

Intro: The supernatural is not always spectacular. Sometimes God works supernaturally in the natural. Some examples are marriages restored, addictions undone, attitudes remade. There is something that is very dangerous today. The supernatural has become twisted to be vampires, zombies, and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:41-43

Denomination: Baptist

Character Trait: Unity Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Feb 26, 2013

One accord does not mean the early church was traveling in a Honda. They were moving together as one because they were moved by the same Spirit. Unity in the body of Christ is serious business. Because unity in the church springs from the heart of God

Intro: One accord does not mean the early church was traveling in a Honda. They were moving together as one because they were moved by the same Spirit. Acts 2:44 “Now all the believers were together and held all things in common.” Remember 1 Corinthians 1:10 “I have a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:41-46

Denomination: Baptist

The Resurrection Isn’t Just For Easter Sunday

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Apr 24, 2011

The resurrection happened so that acts 2 could happen. Not just forgiven people but transformed people. We are forgiven so that we can have with God in Jesus Christ and be remade in Jesus’ image.f

Intro: Someone asked me are we having anything special today? I said no. I have thought about that all week. We are having something special today we are celebrating the resurrection of our savior, Lord, Master, King, friend, and God. Jesus Christ. We do not have to have pageants or special ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-47

Denomination: Baptist

Faith Of A Mother In The Face Of A Struggle

Contributed by Billy Ricks on May 7, 2011

The family today is in desperate need for parents with faith that can face the struggles of uncertainty, unkindness, and ungodlyness. In Hannah we get a glowing example of a mother that faced her struggles with faith.

Intro: Bill Most of the scholars that you read will look over Hannah and move straight to the last judge of Israel. His name is Samuel in Hebrew means heard of God or God hears. But you cannot bypass one of the most important reasons that Samuel had the relationship with God that he had. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Centrality Of Christ Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Feb 7, 2014

Second week of the Ephesians Series. God designed the Church to Be Christ centered. If we are Christ centered we will speak well of God and fulfill our purpose.

Intro: We said last week that the culture is opposed to the person and principle of Jesus Christ. We must remember that we are chosen in Christ to please and praise God. We are continuing to clear our thoughts about the church with this powerful theology that encourages us to keep our lives ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-5

Denomination: Baptist

Knowing God Personally Living For God Powerfully Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Feb 7, 2014

Fourth week of this series. God offers a personal relationship that leads to a powerful life for His glory.

Intro: Andy Stanley tells the story of when he was 13 and learning the meaning of the phrase, "Actions speak louder than words." His dad was the Associate Pastor of First Baptist in Atlanta when the senior pastor was asked to resign. Charles Stanley was asked to preach on Sundays until a suitable ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-19

Denomination: Baptist

Profiles And Pictures Of The Anti-Christ Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on May 31, 2015

We see pictures and profiles of the anti-Christ in the kings Alexander the Great and Antochus IV Ephianes. Alexander the power and Antiochus the pure evil picture of anti-Christ. We can live in faith and not fear as we look to the rock Jesus.

Intro: Remember as we look at Daniel eight we have already established that Heaven rules. God is in control. Because God is in control we can trust Him and live pure and holy lives that honor Him. God has the answers to all our questions if we will look and ask. The book of Daniel answers many ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 8:1-27

Denomination: Baptist

God's Grace For Prisoners And Jailers

Contributed by Billy Ricks on May 31, 2015

A sermon shared with prisoners of the England AR Jail. The pain and suffering of Paul and Silas were used to reach the prisoners and Jailer. If they had not be thrown into the Jail the prisoners and Jailer would not have heard the Gospel.

Intro: In 1993, Charles Colson received the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. The $1 million prize is the largest prize for achievement in any field. It is ranked higher than the Nobel prizes in such fields as science and literature, in the belief that religion is more important. Colson, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:16-34

Denomination: Baptist

Vbs Training Outline

Contributed by Billy Ricks on May 31, 2015

Outline that gives the ABCs for adults to share Jesus with children during Vacation Bible School and Beyond

Why was VBS Started? Unofficially, it's possible to trace the roots of VBS as far back as the 1870s, when the Methodist Episcopal Church offered summer Sunday school institutes to the general public near Lake Chautauqua, New York. In 1873, Bishop John H. Vincent proposed the movement should ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: Baptist

A Glimpse Of God In The Goodness Of Our Mothers

Contributed by Billy Ricks on May 31, 2015

There are generations of children that need to be rescued from wrong ideas and attitudes toward motherhood and womanhood. That begins by recognizing that God has the right to rule and have the last word on every issue

Intro: Have you ever read some of the crazy warning labels there are out there today? Let’s take a look at a couple. This one says danger do not hold the wrong end of a chainsaw. The next one says of an Iron on application, “Do not iron while wearing shirt.” The last one says, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:18-25

Denomination: Baptist

Remember

Contributed by Billy Ricks on May 31, 2015

Why do we have the memorials of the Lord's Supper and Baptism? Because we have a tendency to forget.

Intro: Two middle-aged couples were enjoying friendly conversation when one of the men asked the other, "Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to last month?" "Outstanding," Fred replied. "They taught us all the latest psychological techniques, such as visualization, association and so on. It ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Profiles And Pictures Of The Antichrist Part 2 Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Jun 7, 2015

Antichrist can mean against for in place of. Looking at Alexander and Antiochus we see examples of how Satan wants to replace God with himself. We also learn that anything raised above Christ is Antichrist or in place of.

Intro: Our world is fast becoming a madhouse and the inmates are trying to run the asylum. It is a strange time when the patients are writing the prescriptions, the students are threatening to run the schools, the children to manage the homes, and church members not the Holy Spirit to direct the ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 8:1-27

Denomination: Baptist