Sermons on Close Relationship:

Don't Excuse Yourself From God's Banquet Of Salvation

Contributed by Michael Otterstatter on Nov 19, 2003

In the parable of the great banquet Jesus gives us a graphic warning about excusing ourselves from God’s feast of salvation in time and in eternity.

“Are you looking for just the right excuse for a certain situation? Ask your pastor he has heard them all.” Although more of joke than advice there is some truth to it. Pastors do hear a lot of excuses. But I think it would be more correct to say that only God has truly heard all the excuses ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:16-24

Denomination: Lutheran

I Am

Contributed by Bill Butsko on May 7, 2006

Jesus was not committing the sin of pride when he said "I am."

Scripture Reading: John 10:1-18 Message: “I AM” Text: Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Have you ever used the words “I am?” I must admit that I have used those words. I remember a boxer who said, “I am the greatest”. We ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18

Denomination: Christian Church

A Little Strength Goes A Long Way Series

Contributed by Jim Drake on Sep 2, 2008

How can you be a faithful church like Philadelphia was?

Turn with me to Revelation 3 REVELATION 3:7-13 Out of all seven of these churches we’ve been looking at in Revelation 1-3, there were only two that were getting it right. There were only two that faithfully looked to Jesus as their Head in all things. They were the persecuted church of Smyrna ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13

Denomination: Baptist

Picking Up Your Christ Series

Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Feb 4, 2013

This sermon deals with 3 things we must do to be a disciple according to Jesus's invitation to come follow Him.

Picking Up Your Cross Glenville 2/3/2013 Esther 4:1-16 Mark 8:34-38 We are in week 5 of our Insanity For Christ series. We have looked at Who Is God--Why Jesus, Who Am I-- Why Am I Here, What’s The Cost, Fanatic or Fair Weather Fan and today we look at Picking Up Your ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Serving God Series

Contributed by John Oscar on Nov 16, 2021

Taken from the Sermon Central Series and heavily edited, Pastor John teaches us on the blessing and peace we can have by simply serving God.

Serving God Established - Week 4: Scripture: John 13:1- Over the last few weeks we have been in a series called, Established. We're talking about what it means to have a relationship with God. What it means to build this close relationship, not just knowing things about God, but actually ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Community Busters

Contributed by Dean Rhine on May 8, 2008

Genesis 3-5

Community Busters - Genesis 3-11 We are in the beginning of a great journey, looking at the lives of those who have gone before us. We want to look at their highs and lows, their steps of faith and their pitfalls into sin. We are traveling through the record of their lives that is found in the ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Prayer For The Church

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Jan 21, 2015

The church and our nation don't seem to be in a good spot and need much prayer. The church in Ephesus was in a similar spot and Paul knew that they needed prayer desperately. Have we been focusing on praying for the church in our nation?

Opening illustration: A friend told me about a neighbor who years ago spent most of his spare time planting trees. The man seldom watered the young trees because he thought that too much watering spoiled them. (He came from the “no pain, no gain” school of plant care.) Pampered trees, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-19

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Just Like Us (Part One) Series

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Feb 11, 2019

Have you ever made a mistake? You may be thinking, 'is this a trick question'. Knowing the answer is a resounding, 'yes', why is it so hard to admit that we make them? Everyone makes mistakes, even those in the bible. They were just like us.

JUST LIKE US (part one) Have you ever made a mistake? You may be thinking, 'is this a trick question'. Knowing the answer is a resounding, 'yes', often times it's hard to admit when we've made a mistake. Remember the show, 'Happy Days'? There was an episode where ...read more

Scripture: Acts 14:8-15, James 5:16-18, John 14:12, Genesis 3:1-7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sermon On The Mount - Part 6 Series

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Jun 20, 2019

Part 6 in a 14-part series of studies I call “The Christian Character” as described by Jesus to a crowd as he delivered what is more familiarly known as the “Sermon on the Mount.” This part examines the beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Part 6 - Beatitudes – peacemakers Sermon on the Mount The Christian Character Matthew 5:3 - 7:27 (Cf. Luke 6:20-49) This is Part 6 in a 14-part series of studies I call “The Christian Character” as described by Jesus to a crowd of people on a Galilean hillside as he delivered what is more ...read more

Scripture: James 4:1-3, Ephesians 6:11-12, Matthew 5:40, 1 John 3:1-3, Colossians 1:19-20, Romans 12:18, Matthew 10:34-36, James 3:13-18  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Blindness In Misinterpreting God’s Way-6

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Sep 2, 2025

6 of 6. YHWH God answered the frustrations experienced by His prophet Habakkuk, when he misinterpreted God’s way. Spiritual blindness results from misinterpreting God’s way. But, ?What characterizes that blindness? Misinterpreting God’s way, blinds you to...

The BLINDNESS In MISINTERPRETING GOD’s WAY--VI —Habakkuk 1:10-11(:5-11) Attention: A girl asked a her boyfriend if he thought she was pretty. He said... ‘No.’ She asked him if he would want to be with her forever ... & he said ‘No.’ She then asked him if she were to leave would he cry, ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 1:10-11, Habakkuk 1:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

Abraham: Making Covenants

Contributed by Dean Rhine on Jan 11, 2005

Looking at covenants in the life of Abraham

Intro: How do you like telephone telemarketers? They are one of my least favorite occupation of people I deal with. What I especially hate is their low level of integrity. First, I wonder how they can always catch me sitting down at a meal. It never seems they call at a time when you say, “Oh, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 15:1-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Come To The Banquet

Contributed by Allan Quak on Dec 5, 2005

There are many excuses we can offer for not accepting the invitation to come to the banquet which God has prepared, but none of our excuses are valid because Jesus deals with them all.

Friends in the Lord, One thing you can guarantee when you have Jesus over to your place for dinner is that the table conversation will always be very interesting. Which is exactly what is happening in our text. But the teachings of Jesus aren’t recorded just because they are “interesting”. The ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:15-24

Denomination: Baptist

Dad's Faith

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jun 19, 2008

A responsible earthly father exhibits the characteristics and traits of fatherhood as set forth in the Word of the Heavenly Father.

Text: “Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives” (Exodus 20:12). There are only two people I know about who did not have an earthly father and mother. Those people were Adam and Eve. Each one of us was brought into this world through the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Denomination: Christian Church

Family Devotion Series

Contributed by Daniel Richter on Jun 11, 2008

Family Devotion: What We Should Be Doing Together

Family Devotion: What We Should Be Doing Together We’ve spent the last month looking at the early church that’s found in the book of Acts. For 3 of those four weeks, we looked at the idea of community, of becoming a family in this church like we see in that church in Acts. I’ve been very ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Patience: Overcoming The Frenzied Life Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Feb 5, 2023

By a show of hands, are you by nature a patient person? If you were to assign a percentage to your level of patience, what would it be? Is anyone at 100% on the patience level? Let me encourage you today by saying this no one is born patient. For patience is a work of the Holy Spirit.

When you see a patient person, you’ve seen something rare. For it takes supernatural power to be patient. We live in a world obsessed with speed. We become angry if the video doesn’t download immediately or the fast food lines take too long. And who likes waiting in a doctor’s office, or waiting ...read more

Scripture: James 5:1-11, Colossians 1:11, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 2:7, 1 Corinthians 13:4, Luke 18:7, Romans 8:28, Romans 12:19-21  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist