Sermons on Censure:

God And The Wicked

Contributed by Michael Stark on Mar 23, 2025

God’s judgements compel the inhabitants of the world to learn righteousness! For the redeemed, His judgements encourage us while giving evidence of His love. For the wicked, His judgements cannot be understood, even when seen.

“The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 26:7-11

Denomination: Baptist

Prepared For Burial Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Mar 9, 2013

Mary worshipped Jesus as the Lamb of God through extravagant surrender of all that she possessed.

“When Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste? For this could have been sold ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:6-13

Denomination: Baptist

Sealing The Threat Of Apostasy

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Nov 30, 2010

The writer to the Hebrews was not satisfied with apostasy’s threat to his audience. & thus tried to circumvent that threat. The threat of apostasy is unacceptable & preventable. But what seals this threat? 3 factors sealing the threat of apostasy are

SEALING the THREAT of APOSTASY—Hebrews 6:1-12 Attention: Need: How can someone preach or teach the word of God year after year & then walk away from it forever? If ‘once saved always saved’ is true, then how can that be? Can I be lost forever? Can I be saved forever? The ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 6:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

What To Do About Cranks

Contributed by Michael Stark on Oct 17, 2010

Divisive people, like divisive doctrine, harms the people of God. Failure to address divisive people ensures that the church is hindered in her labours.

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” Harry Ironsides was quoted as saying, “The brightest light draws the most moths.” He was referring to cranks, ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:10-11

Denomination: Baptist

Going Out For The Sake Of The Name Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Mar 21, 2010

Understanding our mission dictates embracing missions. Failure to understand the first leads to failure to fulfil the latter.

3 JOHN 5 8 GOING OUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE NAME “Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:5-8

Denomination: Baptist

The Younger Women

Contributed by Michael Stark on May 11, 2013

Not women only, but all who are placed in the congregation of the Lord, are called to consider how to live so as to honour God.

“As for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

Where Are You? Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Oct 6, 2012

God calls us. Jesus has taught us, "Many are called, but few are chosen." However, the first time man was called by God, what was the purpose of His calling? The message explores that call and refocuses the divine call to our generation.

The LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” [1] G reat questions are not meant to reveal information to the interlocutor; great questions are meant to compel the one questioned to discover what should have been obvious. All of us have a tendency to wear masks. In fact, the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:9

Denomination: Baptist

What Is Truth? Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Nov 18, 2012

We may either adopt the cynicism of this dying world, dismissing truth when it stands before us, or we may embrace the Son of God who is truth.

“Pilate said to Jesus, ‘What is truth?’” [1] Cynicism best describes the governor’s demeanor when the True Light stood before him. Arraigned before Pilate’s judgement seat was Jesus of Nazareth who testified of Himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” [JOHN 14:6]. Someone has ...read more

Scripture: John 18:38

Denomination: Baptist

Jeremiah's Performance Review Series

Contributed by Jim Martin on Nov 20, 2012

In Jeremiah 19 there is the climactic scene where Jeremiah is instructed to smash at the gate of the city in front of the leaders of Jerusalem. The clash of worldviews and the significant emotional cargo of this passage seemed difficult to render to a mod

Jeremiah’s Performance Review by Jim Martin The River Church Community Sunday, November 18th, 2007 The River Church Community ACT I Scene 1 The intro has to set up that the book of Jeremiah and this story arc in the OT are all about God trying to warn his people that if they ...read more

Denomination: *other

What Must I Do To Be Saved? Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Dec 15, 2012

A holy life lived to the glory of God attracts outsiders to ask, "What must I do to be saved?"

“What must I do to be saved?” [1] I fear many vital, even essential words are disappearing from common usage today. Society as a whole is becoming linguistically impoverished. Some words have been misappropriated; they will never be returned to their proper place in English vocabulary. “Gay,” ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:30

Denomination: Baptist

What Do You Have That You Did Not Receive? Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Dec 23, 2012

We are far more prone to think too highly of ourselves than to think too poorly of ourselves. Such thinking tends to divide the people of God.

“What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” [1] Our contemporaries, and likely we ourselves, esteem the rugged individual. We imagine that we are distinct from everyone else. We are taught in elementary school that there ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:7

Denomination: Baptist

Neither Male Nor Female

Contributed by Michael Stark on Jul 28, 2012

A study of gender and the role of pastor of the congregation.

“In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:26-29

Denomination: Baptist

Against The Tide: Pushing Back Against The Moral Climate

Contributed by Michael Stark on Aug 18, 2012

Christians are called to be holy. However, we are not always certain what it means to be holy or how to achieve that status.

1 PETER 1:13-25 AGAINST THE TIDE (PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE MORAL CLIMATE) “Preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-25

Denomination: Baptist

Preaching To The Choir Series

Contributed by Thomas Swope on Jul 18, 2016

A study of the book of Job 22: 1 – 14

Job 22: 1 – 14 Preaching To The Choir 1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: 2 “Can a man be profitable to God, though he who is wise may be profitable to himself. 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways ...read more

Scripture: Job 22:1-14

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Battles To The Very End Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Aug 14, 2016

Though believers in the Lord are engaged in battles to the end of earthly days, they are assured of victory in Christ.

“Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Denomination: Baptist