Sermons on C Proper 11:

An Increasing Faith And A Growing Love.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 10, 2022

Congratulations and compliments to men are here wrapped up in the praise of God.

AN INCREASING FAITH AND A GROWING LOVE. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. INTRODUCTION (2 Thessalonians 1-2). 1. Pauline Authorship (2 Thessalonians 1:1). 2. In/ from/ according to “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When Israel Went Out Of Egypt.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Feb 15, 2023

A defiant celebration of God's sovereign power.

WHEN ISRAEL WENT OUT OF EGYPT. Psalm 114:1-8. The exuberance of this Psalm is immediately evident. It is a recollection of Israel’s redemption story, beginning from when the descendants of Jacob made their exodus from Egypt. It is the prelude to the founding of what Stephen, the first Christian ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 114:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Awakening To Worship.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 2, 2022

Blessing the LORD for all His gracious benefits.

AWAKENING TO WORSHIP. Psalm 103:1-8. Psalm 103:1. Sometimes we are sluggish about praising God, so we have to stir ourselves up, searching within ourselves whether there might be anything hindering us from the right worship of the LORD. Having awoken our “soul” to the task, we must delve ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seventy Sent Forth

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 5, 2016

We are warned not to delight so much in our gifts and victories as to rejoice in the fact that our names are written in heaven.

SEVENTY SENT FORTH. Luke 10:1-11; Luke 10:16-20. The first thing we might notice about the appointment of the seventy in this passage is that they were appointed by Jesus (Luke 10:1). It is hazardous for anybody to enter into ministry without the commissioning of Jesus (Romans 10:15). However, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-11, Luke 10:16-20

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Live As Exiles

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 25, 2019

Seek the peace of the place in which you find yourselves, for in its peace you shall have peace.

HOW TO LIVE AS EXILES. Jeremiah 29:1-7. For forty years Jeremiah had been warning Judah and Jerusalem to submit to the LORD by submitting to Babylon. The prophet had been accused of treason, threatened with death, and put in the stocks. Now the inevitable had begun to happen. In ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:1-7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Turning Point In The Ministry Of Jesus

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 2, 2016

When we set out with Jesus, we can hardly begin to understand what paths He might lead us down to get to our destination. It is not always what we think, but we must implicitly trust Him.

A TURNING POINT IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS. Luke 9:51-62. “When the days were being fulfilled for the receiving up of Jesus, He set his face like a flint to go to Jerusalem” (LUKE 9:51). There is a sense of divine destiny about this statement, yet what does it mean? At first we are reminded of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:51-62

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus The Lifeguard

Contributed by Ronald Harbaugh on Jul 22, 2006

A Sermon for Proper 11, series B

7th Sunday after Pentecost (Pr. 11) July 23, 2006 “Series B” Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, you sent your Son to reveal your will and grace, and to restore us to a meaningful relationship with you. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:30-56

Denomination: Lutheran

Is Not My Word Like As A Fire?

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jul 1, 2022

What is the chaff to the wheat, says the LORD.

IS NOT MY WORD LIKE AS A FIRE? Jeremiah 23:23-29. Speaking for the LORD, Jeremiah complained that his heart was ‘broken’ within him because of false prophets (Jeremiah 23:9-12). It is one thing to see such ‘folly’ among the Baal worshipers in Samaria. But even the prophets of Jerusalem ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 23:23-29

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Warning Against Complacency

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 8, 2019

Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria.

A WARNING AGAINST COMPLACENCY. Amos 6:1-7. Amos was a farmer from Tekoa, to the south of Jerusalem (Amos 1:1). The LORD called Amos to ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel’ (Amos 7:15). The prophet’s ministry was thereafter directed mainly to the ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel, ...read more

Scripture: Amos 6:1-7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Leper Healed.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 10, 2022

There is no true God in all the earth apart from the God of Israel.

A LEPER HEALED. 2 Kings 5:1-3, 2 Kings 5:7-15c. Naaman, as commander of the Syrian army, was a “great” man (2 Kings 5:1), expecting “great” things (2 Kings 5:13). The king of Syria held him in high esteem, because “through him the LORD had given deliverance to Syria.” It is good that, so early ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1-3, 2 Kings 5:7-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trust In The Lord.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 10, 2022

Faith cures fretting.

TRUST IN THE LORD. Psalm 37:1-9. PSALM 37:1. Somebody is in trouble, fretting because of the unfairness of life: but the pastor’s responsibility is not to burden the poor soul with a ‘snap out of it’ sort of approach, which often only leads to further despair; but rather to present positive ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:1-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

16 Pentecost C

Contributed by Roger Haugen on Sep 20, 2001

Jesus invites us to be shrewd in our efforts to spread the gospel, and extravagant in our praise of God.

16 Pentecost C Luke 16:1-13 23 September 2001 Have you ever been suckered by someone shrewd? So shrewd that you can only admire his shrewdness? I once attended a trade fair and entered a whole lot of the draws that are always there. The next week there was a knock at the door with a man ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:1-13

Denomination: Lutheran

2 Advent C

Contributed by Roger Haugen on Sep 20, 2001

John the Baptist declares, "It is time!"

This is a great text. The majesty of the writing -- what would Christmas be without the Christmas text from Luke? "In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus . . . ." All the names and dates. Historical details that make the story come alive. The event, marked in time and place -- in the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:1-6

Denomination: Lutheran

3 Advent C

Contributed by Roger Haugen on Sep 20, 2001

"You brood of Vipers!" and still they come.

What do we do with this John the Baptist? Here is the third Sunday in a row with him. Such a strange man. "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Heaping abuse on the people. And still they came in droves to be baptized. John had that charisma that attracted people ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Lutheran

4 Advent C

Contributed by Roger Haugen on Sep 20, 2001

"My Soul magnifies the Lord"

Here we are on the fourth Sunday of Advent. The morning of Christmas Eve. It’s hard not sliding right into Christmas. Snow, the excitement, the baby to be born, the manger, the Shepherds -- the whole nine yards. Christmas as we have come to know and love and expect. Gifts under the tree, a feast -- ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran