Sermons on Considering The Poor:

Your Money Or Your Life?

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 25, 2023

Jesus asks us to hold ALL of God’s gifts lightly, to be ready to give them up, if necessary, to follow him. But it’s hard. And the more you have, the harder it is.

Do any of you remember the story of the poor fisherman and his wife, who caught a magic fish, who granted them 3 wishes? Or Aladdin and his wonderful lamp (not the Disney version)? Or all the other fairy tales involving magic and wishes and unexpected consequences? When I was young I used to spend ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Sermon On Wealth & Poverty

Contributed by William Meakin on Oct 5, 2020

The rich and the poor meet together. The Lord is the maker of them all

Plato, the Athenian philosopher, once stated: “Wealth and Poverty: The one is the parent of luxury and indolence, the other of meanness and viciousness and both of discontent. Proverbs 22.2 informs us: “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all.” Life is like the two ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:18, Proverbs 28:19

Living The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 3, 2016

The practical love we show to the poor is critical for our discipleship.

Thursday after Epiphany 2016 Joy of the Gospel As we celebrate this day after Epiphany, we continue the readings from St. John that ornament our Christmas-Epiphany season. We also continue our review of the Pope’s long letter, the Joy of the Gospel, and we do so in this Holy Year of mercy. ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Gather Up All Things In Christ Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 28, 2016

We generate history, not by politics and war, but by service to the poor and helpless.

Thursday of the 30th Week in Course 2016 Joy of the Gospel Every time we turn a page in the New Testament, we are–if we are sensitive–struck by how counter-intuitive the Christian message is. Consider St. Paul’s life. He was, by his own account, a super-Jew. He observed every ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:3-8

Denomination: Catholic

Matthew 6 – Part 6 - So Are You Saying God Wants Me To Be Poor? Series

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Feb 4, 2010

Now here’s a passage that many Christians use to say that we ought to live in poverty and give away everything we own to the poor. Or the watered down version says that we should never be rich, only just earn enough money to live.

Matthew 6 – Part 6 - SO ARE YOU SAYING GOD WANTS ME TO BE POOR? I’ve never had all that much money in my life. Still don’t. But I’ve never lived in poverty either. I remember being down to I think $10 in our account. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be rich, but mostly all I want is to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Chose To Live Mediocre Lives

Contributed by Samuel M on Aug 5, 2024

This generation's preachers live lavish lifestyles, and they help the needy and poor. Whereas the previous generation of preachers lived mediocre lives and supported the poor and needy. They chose to live mediocre lives because they could easily connect and relate to the poor and those in need.

This generation's preachers live lavish lifestyles and houses, and they help the needy and poor. Whereas the previous generation of preachers lived mediocre lives and supported the poor and needy. They chose to live mediocre lives because they could easily connect and relate to the poor and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:17-19

Harden Not Your Hearts Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 10, 2015

Not to share one's wealth with the poor is stealing from them.

Thursday in the First Week in Course 2015 Joy of the Gospel The two NT readings we have heard today are linked by a single notion expressed in the words “moved with pity.” Jesus looked on this poor leper and, in the Greek, became splagchnistheis. This is something we have all ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:40-45

Denomination: Catholic

Hey! That's Not Fair Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 3, 2020

How Is It fair to throw the poor guy out in the street?

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Course 2020 I encountered today’s Gospel for the first time when I was a teenager. I’m sure I’d heard it in Church before, but it was a Scripture course and I wanted to learn as much as I could. But when I read the punch line, right at the end where Jesus quotes this king ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 25:6-10, Philippians 4:12-20, Matthew 22:1-14

Denomination: Catholic

Letter To The Church In Smyrna

Contributed by Claude Alexander on May 20, 2020

The church poor by wordly standards but rich by heavenly standards.

Letter to the church in Smyrna Rev. 2: 8-11 The Book of Revelation is an example of apocalyptic literature, a type of Jewish-Christian writing that flourished especially between 250 BC and 150 AD. The chief example in the Old Testament is Daniel 7-12. This type of literature communicates about ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Way Of Beauty Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 19, 2015

There can be no tension between devoting ourselves to love of God and love of neighbor.

Thursday of 25th week in course 2015 Joy of the Gospel There is a very old argument in the Church that contrasts what we owe to God with what we owe to our neighbor. These days, it goes like this: we don’t need ornate churches with lots of stone and pipeorgans and marble altars and Italian ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 1:1-8

Denomination: Catholic

God Takes His Stand (Psalm 82)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 13, 2026

Pure Religion

Will God give justice to the poor and needy and teach the self-righteous wicked some humility? Let’s look at Psalm 82. A Psalm by Asaph. (WEB) Have we ever asked God why He allows the wicked to prosper so long, seemingly delaying judgment on them? God takes his stand in the divine assembly; ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Grace Giving Or Living Giving

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on May 11, 2020

Maybe it is time to go past the tithe and the concept of grace giving to giving till it hurts.

Luke 21:1-6 Proposition: You must give to it hurts! From time to time there arises a debate over giving a tithe or give as grace encourages you to give. I believe the tithe is the minimum so if by grace you can and want to give ninety percent like R. G. LeTourneau go right ahead, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:1-6, Acts 2:44-47, Exodus 35:4-5, Exodus 36:3-6, Luke 17:10, Proverbs 11:24, Proverbs 13:7  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

"The Hollow Life"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Sep 22, 2016

A sermon about the haves and the have not's.

“The Hollow Life” Luke 16:19-31 A famous rich person said the following at a college commencement: “A couple of years ago I found out what ‘you can’t take it with you’ means. I found out while I was lying in the ditch at the side of a country road, covered ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Denomination: United Methodist

Always More To Do Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 17, 2023

Take a fresh look at familiar Scriptures: we are all sinners in need of repentance and grace. If we want to be saints, there’s always more to do.

Fourth Sunday of Lent 2023 Laetare Sunday; Rejoice Sunday. We are about halfway through the season of Lent. So how do you know that there’s more work to do to become more like Christ before the Paschal celebration of Easter? Look at it with a sense of humor. You are on Greta Thunberg’s speed dial, ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-41, Ephesians 5:8-14, Psalm 23:1-6, 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Denomination: Catholic

Sermon On The Mount Series

Contributed by John Lowe on Jul 20, 2017

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, (Matthew 5:1-2)

Harmony of the Gospels -AD 28- Near Capernaum Title: Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:1-7:29, Luke 6:20-49 -Matthew- And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, (Matthew 5:1-2) “And seeing ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:20-49

Denomination: Baptist