Sermons on Contentious Spirit:

Life Is Not Fair Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 29, 2003

Life seems unfair to the disappointed, the cheated, the cynical. It was unfair to compel Simon to carry the cross -- injustice piled on. But God uses injustice to stir His people to action, to help us get beyond mere survival, to give us to one another.

Life is not fair. It just isn’t. The playwright MacLeish has his character “J.B.” scream out something we are all afraid to say, but it might be true: “If God is God, He is not good; if God is good, He is not God.” What an awesome thing to think, let alone speak! “If God is God, He is not ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:21-24

Denomination: Baptist

Church Growth - How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days Series

Contributed by Ken Kersten on Jun 3, 2003

The title of this message is “How to lose a guy in ten days". Unfortunately, most churches usually lose them in about 10 minutes. Let’s explore why that happens.

How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days Matthew 28:18-20 True story – Football team getting killed – guy fumbles and it rolls over by a teammate. The guy that fumbles yells, “pick it up” to which his teammate responds, “You pick it up. You dropped it.” Well, I’ll tell you what, God is looking for some ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, Psalm 122:1

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Down To Earth Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 4, 2003

Spiritual laziness comes from poor theology and from creating the illusion of activity, leading to burnout. The grace of Christ takes us beyond such posing.

My topic today is spiritual laziness. Spiritual laziness. Now we are all familiar with physical laziness. Physical laziness is like spring fever, when the warmth of the air and the sound of the birds is far more attractive than the piles of paper on your desk or the lectures in your classroom. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Denomination: Baptist

Up In The Air Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 4, 2003

Spiritual indecision leads to sickness and ultimately to death. We are scared of taking risks. Black history shows us, however, that without accepting risk there is no progress.

You should be a fly on the wall around our house on Friday evenings. You see, Friday evenings are our night for ourselves. We try not to take on church things on Fridays, and unless you are at the point of death, you can wait for your pastoral call until Saturday morning. The pastor and his ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Denomination: Baptist

Our God Will Make All Things New Series

Contributed by Timm Meyer on Jun 4, 2003

EASTER 5(C) - Our God will make everything new by providing believers with a heavenly home for eternal living.

OUR GOD WILL MAKE ALL THINGS NEW REVELATION 21:1—6 MAY 18, 2003 REVELATION 21:1-6 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-6

Denomination: Lutheran

In The Nick Of Time Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 8, 2003

Sermon illustrated by Chrismons: Jesus came at the right time, into a world of spiritual hungers, social unrest, devaluation of life. So He comes to our time, when ultimate questions are being asked, when much seduces us, when we are weak. He will be Lo

Infants, not yet born, seem to have a mind of their own. Infants, not yet born, pay very little attention to the doctor’s predictions, the mother’s preferences, or the father’s fears. When they want to arrive, they arrive; and if they don’t want to emerge into this cold, cruel world, they don’t, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

The Dtrums Of War

Contributed by Rick Kallstrom on Jun 9, 2003

The United States of America is on the verge of war. This country that we love so much is in the middle of a great conflict over whether or not we should go to war against Iraq. On the one side there are those who believe it would be immoral for us to g

As I stand before you this morning, the United States of America is on the verge of war. This country that we love so much is in the middle of a great conflict over whether or not we should go to war against Iraq. On the one side there are those who believe it would be immoral for us to go to ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Praying At Midnight

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Jun 10, 2003

We must pray as those who are desperate for bread.

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to call someone for help in the middle of the night, at a time when you knew they would be fast asleep in bed? Perhaps a medical emergency of some kind – your wife is going into labor, or your husband is having chest pains and you need to drive ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:5-13

Denomination: Baptist

A Strange Relationship

Contributed by Abraham Shanklin on Jun 11, 2003

Thesis: Our relationship with God should not be weighed by how we relate to the things of God, but how we relate to the person God. So let us stand fast in the relationship that God desires to draw us into.

A Strange Relationship: The Prophet and the Prostitute Scripture Reference: Hosea 1:2 – 7 Thesis: Our relationship with God should not be weighed by how we relate to the things of God, but how we relate to the person God. So let us stand fast in the relationship that God desires to draw us ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 1:2-7, Hosea 3:1-5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Building Up What Was Broken Down

Contributed by Chris Medina on Jun 11, 2003

The exiles who returned to Judah from captivity bgan the rebuilding process for the Temple. However it was their own hearts that needed restoring and it was God Himself who became the builder.

Ezra: Building Up What Was Broken Down” Ezra 3:1-13 Read Ezra 3:1-13 Last Monday morning, a young man named Sgt. Sean Peterson was in our home. Sgt. Peterson is a recruiter for the Army here in Merced and was telling Laurie and I about the arrangements for Kevina going up to Stockton to take the ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 3:1-13, Ezra 3:1-3, Ezra 3:1

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fellowship Of The Mat

Contributed by Ray Ellis on Jun 13, 2003

Four men formed a fellowship around a paralyzed man lying on a mat. Just as men were involved in a small caring community men are needed to care for their families and be spiritual leaders in the home.

Fellowship of the Mat (Outline Theme resource – “Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know them” by John Ortberg) Luke 5:17-26 TOP 10 Lame-brained, Foot-in-mouth Compliments from a Husband to His Wife 10. “You look great for a woman who has had four kids.” 9. “This is almost as good as mom used to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:17-26

Denomination: Free Methodist

Your Child Is Precious To God Series

Contributed by Robert Barnett on Oct 20, 2001

This sermon helps us see our childen as God sees our children. The result should be to treat our children with honor.

YOUR CHILD - - - PRECIOUS TO GOD Isaiah 43:4; Psalm 139: 13-17; Selected Successful parenting depends on attitude not aptitude. Nowhere in the Bible does God tell us that we need a certain educational level, or a certain IQ level, or even a certain income level to have and raise children ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:13-17, Isaiah 43:4, Matthew 19:14

Denomination: *other

Winning The Battle From The Beginning

Contributed by Terry Vaughan on Oct 23, 2001

No matter what you’re up against, the battle has already been won.

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN SERMON TITLE: WINNING FROM THE BEGINNING “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:2-11, 1 Samuel 17:11-50

Denomination: Baptist

The Prodigal Brother Series

Contributed by Craig Simonian on Oct 23, 2001

This sermon looks at how the older brother was unable to grab hold of his Father’s love and how we, like him, need to find our way back into the Father’s house.

The Prodigal Brother October 14, 2001 Last week we started our series on the Father Heart of God, focusing on what we’ve called Fatherless Living. - And what we said was that each and every one of us has been created, at our very core, with a fundamental need for the Father’s love. - Fatherless ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

The Measure Of Man Series

Contributed by Byron Harvey on Oct 29, 2001

This is installment 3 in my series "Anchor Points: Holding On to the Truth in a Post-Modern World."

<b>Anchor Points The Measure of Man</b> Genesis 1:26-31 February 13, 2000 Anchor Point #3: <b>God created Man in His Own Image</b> Thus far in our study we have traced some of the elements of modern culture which are serving to change the rules of how people perceive reality. We are ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31

Denomination: Evangelical Free