Sermons on Commonality:

Weeds In My Garden

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 8, 2003

The arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane shows us what sin is like: it is ordinary, it is out of place, it is pervasive. Jesus is the master gardener who can eradicate our "weeds".

No gardener wants weeds in his garden. But every gardener has them. Weeds are inevitable. Weeds cannot be avoided. So the question is, what will the gardener do to rid his garden of the weeds? I love to walk around other people’s gardens. In other people’s gardens I don’t feel guilty about ...read more

Scripture: John 18:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

God's Presence And Compassion Series

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Oct 18, 2000

God is a God who rescues his people, who continues to love them and forgive despite their repeated rebellion, and who chooses to come and dwell among them.

One of the questions we’re faced with more and more at the end of the 20th century, as we interact with other people, in this multi-faith, multicultural society of ours, is, ’how is our understanding of spiritual things different from that of others?’ More particularly how is our understanding of ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

Improving Your Serve Series

Contributed by Ray Ellis on Oct 7, 2002

Playing Tennis is compared to practicing the fundatmentals found in Proverbs 3:5-6 to find God’s purpose and plan for your life.

Improving Your Serve -Find God’s Plan for Your Life- Proverbs 3:5-6 Playing tennis has a lot in common with finding God’s plan for your life. I first started playing tennis in High School. I enjoyed getting out and hitting the ball as hard as I could with a wood racquet. I would try spinning ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Denomination: Free Methodist

Humility: The Key To A Like-Minded Church Series

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Aug 4, 2003

I know God has great plans and great purpose for this church. It could be threatened by disharmony. From people not being likeminded. We need to pray and use these incentives to claim like-mindedness for the sake and cause of Jesus Christ.

Introduction There was a young man who was a candidate for the ministry. He was about to preach his very first sermon. As he went up to preach he new he was well prepared and he had confidence in his abilities. Before he started to preach the veteran pastor who saw him approach the pulpit with an ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

The Reformation Angel Still Flutters Its Wings Series

Contributed by Peter Schmidt on Nov 13, 2003

Martin Luther was an angel in the wide sense of the word: a messenger. God sends faithful messengers to his church of every age. The Reformation continues!

Reformation Sunday Revelation 14:6-7 Complete strangers have come up to us in the mall or at the supermarket, taken a look at our baby daughter Alethia, and have said something like, “Oooh, isn’t she just an angel!” What do they mean when they say that? In what ways is she like an angel? I guess ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 14:6-7

Denomination: Lutheran

The Resurrection Of Hope

Contributed by W Pittendreigh on Sep 9, 2005

We need hope -- and especially when we have none.

When I was in high school, our football team was the worst in the state. Game after game, year after year, we lost. In my Freshman year, I would go to the football games and see signs that read, "Destroy Anderson High." And we would lose the game. In my Sophomore year, I would go to the ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Flexible Christians

Contributed by Jonathan Mcleod on Sep 12, 2005

Paul gives us three guidelines for effective evangelism.

Jim had a passion for God, a love for people, and a burden to communicate the gospel. But he wrestled with the question of how to bring the message of Christ into a setting that seemed so far from him. How could he help people see and embrace the truth when they had so little biblical ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Denomination: Baptist

God Wants Us To Obey Series

Contributed by Bob Marcaurelle on Oct 10, 2005

God’s three priorities are love, obedience and trust; and this sermons shows us the areas of obedience.

The ChristianLife Week 2 Bob Marcaurelle A. Goals (Continued) b. Obedience GOD WANTS US TO OBEY “If anyone loves me he will obey my teachings.” (Jesus in John 14:23) “If someone says he knows Him (God) and does not obey ...read more

Scripture: John 14:23

Denomination: Baptist

Thanksgiving: 3 Ways To Look At It

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Nov 16, 2005

An INWARD look, an OUTWARD look, and an UPWARD look will help us gain a new understanding of true Thankfulness. Link included to formatted text and PowerPoint Presentation.

Thanksgiving: Three Ways to Look at It Psalm 95:1-11 PowerPoint for this and all our sermons available at http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons.html ----- Introduction Rudyard Kipling, author of “The Jungle Book”, at one time was so popular that his writings were getting ten shillings per word. [about ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 95:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity (Part 2) Series

Contributed by Jeff Cheadle on Nov 18, 2005

A summary of the "Christian Behavior" section of C. S. Lewis’ classic Mere Christianity

The Life and Legacy of C. S. Lewis #3 “Mere Christianity (part 2)” Philippians 2.1-13 C. S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity is important not only because of the way it articulates what Christians believe (and why) but how we are to behave (and why). In fact twelve chapters of the book are devoted to ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

These Necessary Things - Life Change Series

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Jul 20, 2005

Salvation...Cause and Effect...The chicken and the egg. This is about how we are saved and how we should live as a result of being saved. Link included to formatted text, Powerpoint, and handout.

These Necessary Things Acts 15:28 In our last message from ch. 15 it was settled once and for all by Christ’s disciples in council: salvation is by grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone…plus nothing, minus nothing…and good works have no part in our receiving of salvation. v. 11 Only 1 ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:28

Denomination: Baptist

What The Church Needs Now, Part Ii Series

Contributed by William Noel on Jul 31, 2005

In-depth look at the prayer life of the church

“What The Church Needs Now” Luke 18:1-8 In Luke 18:1-8, we read “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

800-Pound Gorilla? Or The First Pope?

Contributed by William Mouser on Aug 23, 2005

In Matthew 16, Jesus confers on Peter (and, later the other Apostles) authority to rule the Church, founded on the truth of Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah.

Matthew 16:13-20 800-Pound Gorilla? Or the First Pope? There’s a phrase that’s popular in modern discussions of any number of topics, and that phrase is this: “an 800 pound gorilla in the room.” An example would be this line which I plucked from a blog entry on the international economy as it ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Thou Shalt Call His Name

Contributed by Kevin Higgins on Dec 27, 2005

A look at some of Christ’s names in Luke 1 and 2.

Luke 1:31 Thou Shalt Call His Name… Woodlawn Baptist Church December 25, 2005 Introduction It is with great joy that we gather this morning on the day we celebrate the birth of Christ. While multitudes of people today will meet with friends and family to open presents and spend time together, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Holy Innocents

Contributed by William Mouser on Jan 10, 2006

This jarring episode is just as much a part of the Christmas season as the manger scene. Though grim, the fate of the Innocents shows us how and why we share the hope they had in Christ’s second advent

Psalm 124, Jeremiah 3:15-17, Revelation 21:1-7, Matthew 2:13-18 The Holy Innocents The Gospel lesson that is read today is actually from the lectionary for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, which in the liturgical calendar is celebrated on December 28 – four days ago. The Book of Common Prayer ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-18

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican