Sermons on Contemplate:

Just Like Jesus And Mary Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 28, 2014

We need to understand what it means for the Word to become flesh, and dwell among us.

Seventh Day in the Christmas Octave (December 31) Thirteen Days of Christmas Every so often you’ll find a columnist or author complaining or inferring that God has no sense of humor, or that the Church is too serious. Today’s readings, on this last day of the year, prove that to be ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Denomination: Catholic

The Lure Of "Spiritual Worldliness" Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 11, 2015

Although the Christian life brings conflict, we cannot flee from a personal and committed relationship with God which still commits us to serving others.

Thursday of 2nd Week of Easter 2015 Joy of the Gospel If you have ever wondered why the Season of Easter is the longest one in the liturgical year, consider this: after the Resurrection of our Lord, we are living in an Easter season that will last until the Lord comes again! All our lives are a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:27-33

Denomination: Catholic

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

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

Deficiencies That Need Healing By The Gospel Of Joy Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 21, 2015

Both Christian and secular cultures will benefit by understanding the Joy of the Gospel, but the Church must approach different cultures with respect.

Thursday of the First Week in Lent Joy of the Gospel Today we hear from Jesus a restatement of the Golden Rule: “whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” And this is Torah, this is the prophetic message. We want people to treat ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-12

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

Sermon On The Plain

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 12, 2019

Have you noticed that Jesus often says the exact opposite of popular ideas? Christianity is for thinking people. Jesus did not establish a Church where people just check their brains at the entry door and blindly follow men. We worship God also with our minds. Jesus challenges us to think.

Have you noticed that Jesus often says the exact opposite of popular ideas? Christianity is for thinking people. Jesus did not establish a Church where people just check their brains at the entry door and blindly follow men. We worship God also with our minds. Jesus challenges us to think. Perhaps ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:17-26

Denomination: Baptist

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

The Love Of The Trinity Shown In The Compassion Of Christ Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 4, 2020

In our lives, love takes form as self-giving. In this, we imitate Our Lord, who humbled Himself and gave Himself for our salvation.

Tuesday after the Epiphany 2020 In these four short verses penned two thousand years ago by St. John, there are nine repetitions of some form of the noun or verb “to love.” What is love? St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that Love is the proper name of the Holy Spirit. Just as the Logos, the Son who is ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-10, Mark 6:34-44, Matthew 9:36-38

Denomination: Catholic

"overcoming The Season Of Droughts"

Contributed by Rev. Mark Orwa on May 7, 2020

Denomination : Presbyterian

DATE: 07/05/2020 TITLE "overcoming the season of droughts" TEXT: 1 Kings 19:1-18 Denomination: Presbyterian. Intro. The Covid-19 challenged every aspect of human life. It has brought the season of drought that reminds humanity that Life is full of ups and downs irrespective of any ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

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

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

Knowing And Following God's Will Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 3, 2023

Jesus Grew in Wisdom and Knowledge, and how did that happen?

Saturday of 2nd Week of Christmas 2023 Many of us, when we lay out our plans for the day or week or year, like New Year’s resolutions, add the tag line, “God willing.” That may be an ancient holdover from paganism, whereby a petitioner at a shrine would make his sacrifice or offering and then say ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:14-21, 1 Timothy 2:4, John 2:1-11, Matthew 18:15-17

Denomination: Catholic