Sermons on C Proper 16:

Shortcut, Short Circuit (October 16, 2022)

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Oct 13, 2022

Shortcuts lead to short circuits in our spiritual lives. Today we will talk about repentance, confessing faith and persecution.

SHORTCUT, SHORT CIRCUIT Text: John 10:1 -2 and Matthew 5:10-12 John 10:1 "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. Matthew 5:10-12 ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-2, Matthew 5:10-12

Denomination: United Methodist

God Chose David (1 Samuel 16)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Apr 11, 2025

Why does God choose one and not another? Let's look in 1 Samuel 16.

Did God choose the least likely son of Jesse according to human reasoning? Are those God chooses often deemed unlikely by the world? Do we judge by outward appearance, or the heart? Let’s look at 1 Samuel 16. How did God assign Samuel to anoint a replacement for Saul? Does wisdom often mean ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Five Bad Kings (1 Kings 16)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 3, 2025

What can we learn from five bad kings of Israel? Let's look at 1 Kings 16.

What characteristic was common to the kings of Israel that made them bad? What can we learn from this? Let’s look at five kings of Israel in 1 Kings 16. What was God’s message to King Baasha king of Israel by the prophet Jehu? Now the word of Yahweh came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Hybrid Pagan Worship (2 Kings 16)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 28, 2025

Have we mixed in pagan worship? Let's look at 2 Kings 16.

Have we mixed the worship of the Lord with foreign religions? Let’s look at 2 Kings 16. Was Ahaz, 12th king of Judah, bad? Did he engage in child sacrifice and similar Canaanite abominations? In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, began to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Building My Church. Matthew 16:18

Contributed by David Cramer on Nov 28, 2025

Learning about who really owns and builds the Church we may attend.

Good Morning Grab your Bible and say this with me: This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught more of the Word of God. I boldly confess: My mind is alert, My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Come Let Us Return Unto The Lord.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Mar 26, 2023

Pressing on to know the LORD.

COME LET US RETURN TO THE LORD. Hosea 5:15, Hosea 6:1-6. HOSEA 5:15. This verse contains the words of the LORD. He is withdrawing from His wayward people until such time as they will acknowledge their sin, and seek His face. HOSEA 6:1a. The appeal of Hosea is, “Come, and let us return to the ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 5:15, Hosea 6:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Elders' "P.l.a.c.e." In The Body Series

Contributed by Pat Damiani on Feb 13, 2012

The role of the elders is to protect, lead, admonish, care for and equip the local church.

Since we have people here at TFC who have come from all kinds of different church backgrounds, we have all been exposed to different models of church leadership and structure. So as we address that topic here for several weeks, this is going to be an area where many of us may struggle with trying ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:28-35

Denomination: Baptist

Drawn Into The Family Of God

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Dec 26, 2013

What it means to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.

DRAWN INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD. Romans 8:12-17. 1. The mortification of sin (Romans 8:12-14). Paul has just commented that “if Christ is in you the body is dead on account of sin” (Romans 8:10). And that “the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead will also quicken (revivify, make ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:12-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bread Of Heaven.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 24, 2023

That ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.

BREAD OF HEAVEN. Exodus 16:2-15. In this passage, we join the children of Israel just six weeks into their wilderness journey. The ten plagues, the first Passover, the deliverance out of Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea all lay behind them. Yet now, here in the wilderness new fears and ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 16:2-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Davidic Shepherd.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Sep 25, 2023

A prince from the house of David.

THE DAVIDIC SHEPHERD. Ezekiel 34:11-16, Ezekiel 34:20-24. 1. The Good Shepherd (Ezekiel 34:11-16). First, we see the Good Shepherd as the one who seeks out the lost sheep, Ezekiel 34:11. ‘If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,’ teaches Jesus, ‘does he not go to the ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 34:11-16, Ezekiel 34:20-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Prayer Of David.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Apr 11, 2023

The LORD is a very present help in time of need.

A PRAYER OF DAVID. Psalm 86:1-10, Psalm 86:16-17. PSALM 86:1. Whatever troubles the Psalmist was facing, he recognises two things: the greatness of the LORD (YHWH), and his own smallness. Such is his humility when he asks the LORD to “Bow down (His) ear” to such a one as is “poor and needy.” The ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 86:1-10, Psalm 86:16-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Provoking Thoughts From 1 John (6 Of 16)

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Mar 10, 2022

John gives us seven tests to take to see if we KNOW the Lord. Today we come to the FIFTH test.

So far we have taken FOUR tests: I. The Attitude Test II. The Action Test III. The Affection Test IV. The Actuality Test Today we want to look at this FIFTH test. V. THE ADULTERY TEST WHAT KIND OF TEST IS THIS? This is a test that deals with our relationship with the world. That ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Denomination: Baptist

The Problem Of Indwelling Sin.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 1, 2023

Sin uses the law against us; but our victory lies not in ourselves but in the risen Lord Jesus.

THE PROBLEM OF INDWELLING SIN. Romans 7:15-25a. In the first half of Romans 7:14, Paul speaks in the second person plural: ‘For WE know that the law is spiritual.’ Then, from the second half of the verse, Paul changes to the first person singular, ‘I’ – ‘but I am carnal, sold under (or a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 7:15-25

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Trial Of Contradictory Prophesies.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Apr 27, 2023

A showdown in the Temple, between a true and a false prophet.

A TRIAL OF CONTRADICTORY PROPHECIES. Jeremiah 28:5-9. One of the false prophets, Hananiah, prophesied that the exile would only last two years (cf. Jeremiah 28:1-4). This was a lie of the devil (cf. Jeremiah 28:15). Somewhat ironically, Hananiah’s name means, ‘the grace of the LORD.’ ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 28:5-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Reactions

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 25, 2020

How to overcome evil with good.

CHRISTIAN REACTIONS. Romans 12:14-21. Romans 12:14. The positive imperative is to “bless” those who persecute us. This is similar to the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27-28). The supreme example is that of Jesus Himself (1 Peter 2:21-23). This partly involved Jesus praying for His ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:14-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational