Sermons on Chinese Food:

Rules Are Rules Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jun 1, 2014

The Pharisees of Jesus' day died long ago. But their spirit lives on in congregations across the land. How can we recognize if we have become like the Pharisees, and what did Jesus teach us about what we need to know to avoid becoming like those men?

(Before reading the text I noted that the stories in this section of Mark detailed the conflict between Jesus and a religious group known as the Pharisees… and I emphasized the word "Pharisees" as I read through the text) OPEN: Back in the 1980’s, the Minnesota Twins had this ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Looking For Leftovers Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jun 29, 2014

Can God supply all your needs? The Disciples struggled with that idea... and so do many of us. Why do we have such a hard time trusting God in this and how can we learn to believe Him more?

OPEN: I once read the true story of a family that was sitting down at the dinner table for their evening meal. But one of the girls wasn’t happy because they were having leftovers, and she complained about it. The dad was not happy about that and spent a few moments explaining to her ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:1-21

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Led By The Star Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 24, 2017

What was the star that led the Wisemen to Jesus and what difference does that make to us today?

OPEN: Years ago I wrote a song about the Wise Men. The first verse went this way “Out in the fields, watching the sky. Looking to heaven, searching on high. Troubled by things I’d seen on this earth, I knew that my answer lay with a child’s birth. For the prophecy said that a star in the sky, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Gift Of A New Heart Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 18, 2016

God has promised to give us a "new heart".But why not fix the old heart.... and what would a baby born in a manger have to do with this gift?

OPEN: A 4 year old girl was brought to the ER with a severe cough. But as little girls sometimes do… she talked and talked and talked which made it difficult for the nurse to listen to the sounds in her lung. Finally, the nurse said, "Shhh, I have to see if Barney is in there." The ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:1-7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Servant In The Barn Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 8, 2013

What can the story of a baby born in a manger tell us about being a servant like Jesus would want us to be?

OPEN: There’s a story about church whose Sunday School decided to allow the children to stage their own impromptu Christmas pageant. The teachers read the story and provided some props; then they just stood off to the side and let the kids dramatize it on their own. One girl grabbed the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:20-28

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Most Overlooked Key To Church Growth Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Feb 11, 2018

Acts 6 tells us that after the church met the needs of its widows, the "disciples multiplied greatly". What caused this dramatic explosion of growth and what can we learn from that?

Back in the 17th Century, there was a German preacher named August Francke. He had seen the homeless children in his city and was so moved by their living conditions that he decided to found an orphanage for them. But as is often the case with such ministries, money was always tight, and he ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Born To Be A Priest Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 25, 2021

Hebrews spends a lot of time focusing on Jesus as our High Priest. But what does that mean to us, and what difference can it make in our lives?

Philip Yancey , in his book “The Jesus I Never Knew” (Zondervan, 2002, p. 25) told of a Jesuit missionary - Matteo Ricci who went to China in 16th century. The missionary took along samples of religious art to illustrate the Christian story for people who had never heard it. He was pleased that ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:14-17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

This World Is Not My Home Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 29, 2023

God warns us the love this world would make us His enemy? Why would He tell us that?

A father told of taking his 5-year-old to Disneyland. It was all the little boy could talk about for weeks and now they finally there and the boy loved the idea that he’d get to see Goofy and Mickey and Minnie and the gang. He was hyped. They parked the car and could see the castle and the rides ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Wild Life Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 25, 2013

Jesus saved us to live a wild and adventurous life. But how can we do that? We're not apostles like Peter and John were. We don't have their courage and experience. We're just common ordinary folks... or are we?

OPEN: When we first started this series, I sang the chorus to “Born To Be Wild” (by Steppenwolf). This morning I want to sing for you the 1st phrase of the first verse of that song: “Get your motor runnin' - Head out on the highway. Lookin' for adventure and whatever comes our ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-22

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Am The Bread Of Life – All You Ever Need In This World And The Next - Part 2 Series

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 31, 2022

Why have we descended into this spiritual mess? Why? It is because we have lost our appetite for the Bread of Life and prefer rather, the onions, cucumbers, leeks and garlic of Egypt. We have dishonoured the Lord of the churches, and despised the Bread of Life.

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE – ALL YOU EVER NEED IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT - PART 2 This is PART 2 of the Message “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE” one of the magnificent truths spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ when on earth. We ended the first PART looking at The Bread for Christian Sustenance, and were ...read more

Scripture: John 6:14, John 6:22-27, John 6:32-34, John 6:35, John 6:36-40, Numbers 11:5-6, Numbers 11:31-33, Haggai 1:10, Exodus 16:2-3, Exodus 16:11-12, John 6:58, John 6:47-51  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Walking Billboard Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Apr 9, 2017

Why would Jesus show up 4 days late for the funeral of one of His best friends? What was Jesus trying to teach and what can we learn from this miracle/"sign"?

OPEN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3lp0z981iM (Mark Lowry time stamp: 15:32-16:47) When the dead sit up… the funeral’s over. (That’s the last sentence in Mark Lowry’s segment on YouTube) In Jesus’ ministry He raised only 3 people from the dead. 1. The son of the widow from Nain. 2. The ...read more

Scripture: John 11:17-53

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Does Your Money Own You? Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 6, 2013

No man can serve two masters. And the allure of wealth has destroyed the faith of many. So, how can I make sure that my money doesn’t own me? That it doesn’t become my "god"?

OPEN: In 1347, the Black Plague was raging through Europe and thousands of people died. Many people saw it as judgment of God. And so, hoping to appease God’s wrath, the citizens of Lubeck, Germany surrounded the churches and monasteries of their city and offered them enormous amounts of money and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-12

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Glory Of Israel Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 9, 2012

The Bible tells us that the Gospel was preached first to the Jews. Why would they get first crack at salvation? And what can this mean to us?

OPEN BY READING from Luke 2:8-15 "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:25-32

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Suit Up Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 30, 2020

We're fighting an enemy we can't see... but then we can't see Covid either. World rulers have geared up to fight Covid and will not be satisfied until that enemy is defeated. Are we as committed to defeating our enemy?

OPEN: It was an early morning in Los Angeles, CA several years ago. A motorcycle policeman named Bob Vernon saw a red pickup truck speeding through a stop sign, and he turned on his siren and gave chase. When the pickup pulled over, and Vernon approached the driver’s side door to ask for ID. But ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Be My Guest Series

Contributed by Victor Yap on Jul 27, 2003

Parables of Eternal Life, Part 3 of 9

BE MY GUEST (LK. 14:15-24) A wedding, Western- or Chinese- style, is an expensive affair. American weddings cost the father of the bride an arm and a leg! According to Bride’s Magazine, the average cost for a wedding is $18,874 in 2000. The breakdown of the figure includes $100 for the groom’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:15-24

Denomination: Independent/Bible