Sermons on Brightness:

Among The Lampstands Series

Contributed by Gordon Pike on Jan 4, 2021

The Jesus that we’re about to encounter is the Lion of Judah! The Eternal, Almighty, Self-Existent God of the Universe who has eyes that burn and pierce into your very soul … the judge before whom all of us will one day have to stand.

Jesus … What do you picture when I say that blessed and beautiful name? Do you picture the classic portraits and descriptions of “Jesus, Meek and Mild”? Maybe you picture a deified Mr. Rogers with a beard? Do you picture a carpenter from Nazareth? A rabbi wandering around the Galilean ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:9-18

Denomination: United Methodist

Home Sweet Home

Contributed by Michael Brown on Jan 30, 2025

I do ministry in nursing homes & sometimes the residents have the mentality level of toddlers. Colton's simple childlike description of what our Home Sweet Home will be like in Heaven is for Real for Kids will be encouraging to them.

Who here has been on a vacation or trip somewhere? After being on the journey for a while where did you want to be? Where did you want to go? As the saying goes, there’s no place like home! Why is that? Why do we feel drawn to go home? For most of us, one reason is that home is a place where ...read more

Scripture: John 14:2

Denomination: Baptist

Beautiful Things For Jesus

Contributed by Ken Durham on Aug 1, 2005

Let’s be open to the heart of Jesus that He may reveal to us the beautiful things He has planned for us to do.

1. Introduction: You know Jesus has some very strange friends! We are told that this dinner was held in the home of Simon the Leper from the details recorded both in Matthew 26:6 and Mark 14:3. I don’t think His friends would be considered “Cool” do you? After all, we can be sure that no ...read more

Scripture: John 12:1-7

What Do We Need?

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Feb 7, 2005

This is on the Transfiguration.

What are our greatest needs? Food? Clothing? Shelter? Those things certainly are important, but is there a greater need? Set the stage: in Matthew 16, Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ. Jesus then went on to tell his disciples that he would soon be rejected and put to death. Jesus then ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Light Of Christmas

Contributed by Jason Zahn on Dec 27, 2001

Light and Christmas are a powerful combination that can only be fully acheived and enjoyed in the glow of the world’s One, True, Light, Jesus Christ.

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack frost nipping at your nose, Yuletide songs being sung by a choir, and folks dressed up like Eskimos. Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe, help to make the season bright. Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow will find it hard to sleep tonight.” I ...read more

Scripture: John 12:44-46

Denomination: Lutheran

Star Trek [christmas]

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Dec 11, 2005

The Wise Men were the true originals. This focuses on the real STAR of Christmas, Jesus, and how we can reflect that light to others this season and always. Link included to formatted text version and PowerPoint Template.

Star Trek Matthew 2:1-2, 9-10 PowerPoint for this and all our sermons available at http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons.html “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Called To Be Shinny Series

Contributed by Chad Bolfa on Nov 24, 2008

When Jesus says that we are the light of the world, it means God has deposited His nature inside of us, and we are to let it out. It’s in there! It just needs to be allowed to shine forth. Today from this passage of scripture we will learn much like salt

Jesus, Sermon on the Mount Part 3 Called to be Shinny Matthew 5:14-16 Introduction Light, much like salt, is a miracle. Last time we saw how salt is comprised of 2 poisons that kill, but mixed together they are ordinary salt. And so the Christian life is a miracle as we were poisoned w/ sin and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Denomination: Baptist

Divine Light Series

Contributed by Keith Bowman on Jun 5, 2007

This is the third sermon for the Lenten series The Signs of John. In this sermon we focus on the healing of the man born blind.

Divine Light I. Introduction A. with our sign this evening being the healing of the man born blind I thought about turning out all the lights in the building so that we can experience the darkness of being blind. But no I thought why repeat old tricks. B. Instead tonight I’d rather focus on ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-7

Denomination: Lutheran

How God Works

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Mar 28, 2012

Here is a very famous story, but we have to get passed the "wow!" response. It is a model of how God works, and how He uses His servants to accomplish His purposes.

Passage: Daniel 6:1-28 Intro: There are not a lot of songs written about people of the Bible other than Jesus. 1. can’t think of one about Paul, or Peter, or John. 2. but I grew up singing one about Daniel. “Standing on a purpose firm, heeding God’s command. Honor them the ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 6:1-28

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Come See The Everlasting Light

Contributed by Mark Aarssen on Feb 4, 2016

On New Year’s Day more than a billion people were looking to a light that was falling instead of rising and nearly all of these people were Gentiles who were looking in the wrong place for their hope and their joy.

Message: Isaiah 60:1-6 Light figures prominently in New Years and at Christmas. Maybe you stayed up on New Year’s Eve to watch the “Ball Drop” from New York City. It’s a tradition that goes back to December 31, 1907. Ever since that first “Ball Drop” people ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Star Quality

Contributed by Samuel Fulkerson on Sep 8, 2013

Paul speaking of his Christian brethren said, “They shine like STARS”. Star Qualities: First and foremost they are created by God. They are consistent, constant. They are beautiful, for they reflect God’s glory. Lastly, they shine!

Quotes: "Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground." - Theodore Roosevelt "God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars" -. Martin Luther "I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:14-15

Denomination: Pentecostal

How To Enjoy Life More

Contributed by Matthew Sickling on Apr 3, 2007

This sermon examines how we can enjoy life more.

Introduction: Psalm 122:1 says, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” KJV How many of you can honestly say that you are glad to be in the house of the Lord this morning, as opposed to the finest hospital in America? Let me ask you another question this ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Denomination: Baptist

Good Learning Series

Contributed by D Marion Clark on Jul 13, 2012

Those who succeed, i.e. succeed in living life wisely, are those who have learned to listen well under all manner of instruction – pleasant instruction and that not so pleasing.

Introduction When I became the principal of a small high school, I thought about the question of what links the different academic classes together? What common discipline is being taught in English, Science, History, and Mathematics? Besides covering very different fields of knowledge, they ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 15:30-33

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

When The Kingdom Seems Unimpressive Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 19, 2025

The parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast point us to a truth that's uncomfortable at first: the Kingdom might not look that impressive the first time you look at it.

UNIMPRESSIVE: Jesus acknowledges that many will initially see the Kingdom as insignificantly small. - Luke 13:18-21. - Matthew 13:31-33; Mark 4:30-32. - I guess you could say that sometimes we hype up Jesus and His Kingdom too much. - “Who wouldn’t want this?” - “It’s so obviously true and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:18-21

Denomination: Baptist

Walking In The Light Series

Contributed by Michael Stover on Feb 27, 2001

If we would be called God’s children, we must walk in the light as He is in the light.

WALKING IN THE LIGHT 1 John 1:5-10 I. Theological Foundation – Verse 5 “God is Light” A. Purity 1. Light-Darkness / Good-Evil 2. In Scripture, sin, disobedience, immorality and evil are all characterized as darkness B. Truth 1. Light exposes truth and error 2. John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:5-10

Denomination: Baptist