Sermons on Church Enrichment:

The Member-Run Church Series

Contributed by Bob Hostetler on Jul 11, 2001

Casting the vision for a member-run church, promoting the identity of every believer as a priest and minister of our God

The Catalytic Church: The Member-Run Church Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:1-6a Maybe you’ve heard about the two women who stood side by side on the sidewalk in the middle of the night watching the only church in the neighborhood burn to the ground. And as they stood there, one woman ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is Our Church "Apostolic"? Series

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Jul 16, 2001

Five characteristics of an apostolic congregation.

For the last one thousand, seven hundred years, Christians across the world have recited the Nicene Creed in their worship. Part of the Nicene Creed says, "We believe in one holy, catholic, apostolic church." What does that really mean? We know what "one" means, that it refers to the oneness of the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:14-33

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Becoming A Church Of Greatness Series

Contributed by Adam Cruse on Jul 23, 2001

What does a great church look like and how can we have one?

Leadership Magazine carried a story about 4 young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there stood this bedraggled-looking old man. His eyes were kind of marbleized, & he had a silvery stub of ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Rules Of A Pentcostal Church

Contributed by Rick Macdonald on Aug 8, 2001

As we look at spiritual gifts, we need to first look as love.

Title: The Rules of a Pentecostal Church Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 Date: November 5, 1995 By: Pastor Rick MacDonald Introduction: Life is governed by rules. Without rules - absolutes - we become people who have no boundaries and therefore are controlled only by our urges. As a result we live ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Church God Favors Series

Contributed by Brian Atwood on Aug 9, 2001

This is the second sermon in the series "Becoming A Contagious Congregation, A Study of the Church at Antioch".

There was something special about the church at Antioch. We’ve already seen (in the first sermon in this series) that God’s hand was on them because they were a praying, Spirit-filled congregation. Notice what Luke says about the way Barnabas perceived the church at Antioch. In Acts 11:23 it ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:19-30

Denomination: Baptist

Hindrances To The Growth Of The Church

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Aug 13, 2001

Hindrances to the Growth of the Church

Hindrances to the Growth of the Church Learning Objective The students will be able to explain some of the major hindrances to the qualitative and quantitative growth of the church. Introduction - When a child is not growing we look for causes. The child may not be growing because he is not ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Qualifications Of A Church Planter

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Aug 13, 2001

Qualifications of a Church Planter

Qualifications of a Church Planter I. Spiritual Characteristics A. Committed to Christ, the Church, and to the great commission of Matthew 28:19,20. B. Possessing the gifts, callings, and leading to plant and grow a church. C. Filled by the Spirit of God to love people who may not be ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Prevailing Church: Binding Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 21, 2002

The guesses of the people about Jesus’ identity give us clues about their perception of His character. Jesus used their grasp of His similarity to John the Baptist, Elijah, and Jeremiah to focus on the authority to bind and loose. They, and He, bound rel

Have you ever needed to find out what somebody else really thought of you? Do you know what it is like to ask someone what their opinion is of you – and then you wait for what seems like an eternity for the answer, and when it comes, you are still not sure if it is good or bad? Do you ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20

Denomination: Baptist

Tunnel Vision In The Church

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 28, 2002

The church must reach beyond it’s walls, to a lost and dying world.

TUNNEL VISION By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com TEXT: Matthew 9:37 Then saith He unto His disciples, the Harvest is truly plenteous, But the labourers are few: 33. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His Harvest. Matthew 28:19 GO YE ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:33-37, Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Church...built On A Rock

Contributed by Maurice Schaus on Apr 30, 2002

In a world where "sticks and stones" can hurt and tear people down, we are called to be "living stones," builting up one another with Chtist’s own love.

The Church…Built on a Rock “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” This refrain has been used by many a generation of children to ward off the attacks of teasing peers. The image of children throwing rocks at one another has taken on new meaning of late, as our news ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-10, Acts 7:55-60

Denomination: Lutheran

A God-Blessed Church

Contributed by Gary Shockley on May 1, 2002

What are the qualities and characteristics of a church God is searching for and blesses

The Church God Blesses- Part One Cornerstone Church Rev. Gary A. Shockley, Pastor March 10, 2002 I believe that God communicates with us in many different ways—but the primary way God speaks to us is through His written word—the Bible. One morning this week as I was reading from the Bible I came ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Chronicles 16:9

Denomination: Methodist

Marks Of A Healthy Church

Contributed by Gary Davenport on May 14, 2002

If we hope to make a difference in our churches, we need to know what a healthy church looks like. More important, we need to know how sick churches can be made well. bgv

A study of ‘Marks of a Spiritually Healthy Church’ of Christ #1 Marks of a Healthy Church What We Expect and What We Should Know Play a word game with me. What comes to your mind when you read the word church? Do you picture a steepled building, dark wooden pews, crosses, offering plates? Do you ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Church Of The Open Door

Contributed by Jerry Falwell on May 15, 2002

The greatest thing that God gives to His church is a vision, an open door, an opportunity to be a church to change the world.

THE CHURCH OF THE OPEN DOOR By Jerry Falwell “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:7-11

Denomination: Baptist

The Holy Spirit And The Church/

Contributed by John Gullick on May 18, 2002

A sermon that looks at the need for the Holy Spirit using material from David Watson and considers the call for the Christian to ask for the spirit

There is a Snoopy cartoon where charlie Browns baseball game is rained off - the frames show him going to the telephone and having a chat. When he comes outside his friend Schroeder says - "The rain has stopped Charlie Brown . What did you do, call the weatherman?" His answer No, dial a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-20

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Prevailing Church: Loosing Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 20, 2002

A prevailing church is one which lives like those persons others thought Jesus might be -- like John the Baptist, loosing himself from tradition; like Elijah, living out of grace; like Jeremiah, let loose in the world.

I walked into the Baptist Student Center at the University of Kentucky, about to take over as chaplain. My predecessor was still on the scene, filling up garbage cans with files. In those pre-Watergate days, nobody had thought of shredders, I guess. He was throwing away every record, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist