Sermons on Contemplate:

Purpose Of Prayer Series

Contributed by Ken Henson on Sep 23, 2017

Paul promotes the purposes of prayer as Watchfulness, Thankfulness and Effectiveness.

42 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:1-6

Denomination: *other

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit As Applied To Prayer

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 23, 2017

Poverty of soul is a way of entering in prayer, especially at the outset of when we begin to pray.

Poverty of soul is a way of entering in prayer, especially at the outset. Poverty of soul cannot be sought as an item of self-knowledge. It retains always an unknown, elusive quality. It cannot be simply a thought of our unworthiness before God. Much less can it be a mood of despondency about ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Emotions In Prayer

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 23, 2017

There may be souls of spiritual depth who presume in themselves a meager capacity for prayer because they find interior silence unachievable.

“Clearly, then, the idea we have of God can make prayer difficult, if not impossible. We block our way to God by every wrong notion of God. That can happen if we dwell too much on God’s transcendent mystery, if we look upon him as distant and remote, as a God without eyes. A God unavailable to our ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

What Does God's Love Look Like Series

Contributed by John Gullick on Apr 3, 2017

Part of a series looking at God's love through Jeremiah

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Exodus 20:1-17 The first thing that we notice about the Ten Commandments is that they are the words of God (Exodus 20:1). Secondly we notice that the LORD is the God who has redeemed us (Exodus 20:2). It is not the keeping of the Ten Commandments which saves us: salvation is ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:1-5

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Victorious Faith

Contributed by Dr. Nichol Burris on Dec 10, 2023

May our lives be a testament to the transformative power of reflective faith, bringing glory to the One who overcame the world on our behalf.

Victorious Faith Introduction: Good morning/afternoon/evening, Beloved of the Most High. Today, I want to talk about the transformative power of faith – not just any faith, but a faith that is reflective and victorious. Our scripture today is found in 1 John 5:4; the Word of the Lord says: ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:4, Matthew 14:30, John 16:33

The Oak Tree Series

Contributed by Mary Erickson on Feb 22, 2024

The second in the Lenten series. This week's focus is on the promises of God

February 21, 2024 Hope Lutheran Church Series: If Trees Could Talk" Genesis 13:14-18; Isaiah 61:1-3 The Oak Tree Good evening, friendly humans. I was very honored when your pastor contacted me and asked if I would be a guest presenter during your Lenten midweek services. Thank you for ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 13:14-18, Isaiah 61:1-3

Denomination: Lutheran

The Patient Gardner

Contributed by Mary Erickson on Mar 21, 2022

A sermon for the third Sunday in Lent, Year C

March 20, 2022 Hope Lutheran Church Rev. Mary Erickson Luke 13:1-9; Joel 2:13 The Patient Gardner Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. So says the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9, Joel 2:13

Denomination: Lutheran

Infinite Love For Infinite Sadness Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 10, 2017

To enjoy infinite love curing our infinite sadness, we need to live by the moral code Jesus taught, the code of loving even our enemies.

Thursday of 2nd Week in Course 2017 Joy of the Gospel “Our infinite sadness can only be cured by an infinite love.” Those words of Pope Francis ended our reflection last Thursday on the encyclical Joy of the Gospel. Now God’s love is unconditional. He loves even jerks, even sinners like me and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:20-26

Denomination: Catholic

We Are A People Of God Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 16, 2017

"To be evangelizers of souls, we need to develop a spiritual taste for being close to people’s lives."

Thursday of 4th Week in Course 2017 Joy of the Gospel This is a solemnity, one of the three or four greatest saints festivals of the year, and it comes on the heels every year of the solemnities of Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart, and the birth of St. John the Baptist. Today we hear from St. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-19

Denomination: Catholic

How Much Must We Do? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 30, 2016

It’s ironic that when dealing with these positive commandments, we don’t ever come to a point when we can say, “I have fulfilled them.”

Thursday before Epiphany 2017 Joy of the Gospel St. John teaches us today in both Epistle and Gospel: “By this we know love, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:11-21

Denomination: Catholic

Fulfilling Our Commitments As Evangelization Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 14, 2016

Doing what we should do can bring us joy, but we must still do it even if it leaves us dry.

Thursday in Pentecost Week 2016 Joy of the Gospel There are still some pundits and preachers out in the hinterland who insist that Jesus was just a great man, a great philosopher of love, that fire and brimstone have no place in religion, and that everyone goes to heaven. I suppose they ripped ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:41-50

Denomination: Catholic

And It Was Night

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Mar 30, 2019

Metaphorically speaking, the clock is ticking away in the background. The countdown has begun. Gethsemane lies ahead: as does our Lord’s betrayal, trial and death.

AND IT WAS NIGHT. John 13:21-32. As the Lord’s ‘hour’ drew near that He should depart out of this world, He turned His attention more and more to ‘His own’ (John 13:1). After the foot-washing and the teaching which immediately followed it, Jesus “was troubled in spirit” (John 13:21). ...read more

Scripture: John 13:21-32

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Do You Hunger And Thirst For? Series

Contributed by Roshelle Brenneise on Oct 3, 2024

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of hunger and thirst but threw in an unexpected twist:

October 05, 2024 What images come to your mind when you hear the 2 words hunger and thirst? Are they pleasant images? Probably not. • Hunger, by definition, is a feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat. • Thirst, by definition, is a feeling ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:6, Psalm 42:1-2, Matthew 13:43-46, Luke 18:18-23

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Preparing The Way: The Dawn Of God's Tender Mercy Luke 1:76-78 Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Jun 2, 2024

Luke 1:76-78 is a prophecy given by Zechariah about his son, John the Baptist. This passage is rich with promises and truths that can transform our lives.

Preparing the Way: The Dawn of God's Tender Mercy Luke 1:76-78 Luke 1:76-78 (NLT): “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:76-78, Isaiah 40:3, Acts 13:38, Lamentations 3:22-23

Denomination: Pentecostal

Getting A Faith Check-Up

Contributed by Chris Swanson on Dec 22, 2022

Paul’s final warning to the Corinthians. If they do not turn from their sins, no one will be spared Christ’s punishment.

Paul’s final warning to the Corinthians is found in 2 Corinthians 13:1-10. Before he comes to see them, he tells them that they need to repent of their sins. If they do not turn from their sins, no one will be spared Christ’s punishment. When Paul carries out Christ’s potent discipline among them, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5

Denomination: Independent/Bible