Sermons on Counter Cultural:

Slowing Down Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 28, 2008

Every moment is scheduled in our lives. The Bible tells us that all this hurrying has dramatic negative effects on us. So how can you slow down? The strategies I’m going to share with you today to slow down your life to a more rational, reasonable pace a

Slowing Down When You’re Running On Empty Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 John Ortberg tells the story of calling a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction not long after moving to Chicago. I described the pace of life in my current ministry. The church where I serve tends to move at a fast clip. I ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:4-8

Denomination: Methodist

Selfless Obedience (Mother's Day) Series

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on Jun 11, 2013

Selflessness is the key characteristic in Jesus' command to take up our crosses and follow him. The stories of Jochebed, Hannah, and Mary (Jesus' mother) illustrate selflessness.

One of the critical characteristics of a follower of Jesus is almost completely non-existent in our society. Now I say “almost”, because there are still times when we see and celebrate it, but those times are largely times of extremes. The prevailing “wisdom” is completely ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23-25

Denomination: Baptist

Science & Faith: Does God Exist? Series

Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Mar 20, 2021

Truth is under attack today. In fact it’s suggested that we live in a post-truth culture. But I don’t believe that’s true. Truth is by it’s very nature exclusive.

Truth is under attack today. In fact it’s suggested that we live in a post-truth culture. But I don’t believe that’s true. Truth is by it’s very nature exclusive. And that tracks with reality. Multiple contradictory truth claims can’t all be true. If 2+2=4, that is the only answer to that question. ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:19-20, Psalm 14:1

Denomination: Salvation Army

Holy War – Then And Now Series

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on Jul 23, 2002

struggling with the "complete destruction" of the residents of Canaan, especially in light of our culture and the prevalence of Holy War talk since Sept. 11

Holy War – Then and Now Joshua 10-11 - July 20/21, 2002 Intro: Plans were introduced this past week detailing various proposals for what to do with the site on which the World Trade Center towers stood until last September 11. The clean-up is completed, the search for human remains abandoned. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Authentic Love

Contributed by Scotty Killingsworth on Aug 6, 2002

A Christ Followers involvement in the world is to be salt and light. What happens to a culture when the light is dimmed and the salt looses its saltiness?

Authentic Christian love John 13:31-36 Beginning: The church is moment by moment becoming more and more like the world around it. Instead of changing the world we are being changed by the world. We have bought in to a deformed love that has a defective and inauthentic DNA. We have weakened our ...read more

Scripture: John 13:31-36

Denomination: Baptist

Let's Take Christ Out Of Xmas

Contributed by Scott Carmer on Dec 26, 2006

Instead of putting Christ into Christmas, maybe we should take him out of what Christmas has become in our culture.

Let’s Take Christ Out of Xmas” Luke 2:1-20 December 24, 2006 Christmas Eve I am going to go out of my way to be provocative tonight. You see, I believe that we should take Christ out of Christmas. I believe that there is no place for Christ in Christmas. We ought to put aside all the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Methodist

Safety First? Series

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Oct 29, 2007

In a safety and security conscience culture, does the narrow way of Jesus offer such a radical departure that we have missed the danger of the Kingdom?

Series on the Mount Safety First? Matthew 7:13-14 October 28, 2007 We live in a safety first culture. When I was a kid, we didn’t wear helmets when riding our bikes except on the BMX track. I turned out ok. Today we wear seatbelts, have car seats, and heaven forbid that the kids might actually ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Denomination: Church Of God

Spiritual Living In A Secular World

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 21, 2007

How do we live in, and respond to, the culture in which we live? The examples of: Jonah, Esther and Daniel.

How do Christians live in, and respond to, the culture in which they find themselves? About a half century ago, H. Richard Niebuhr attempted to answer that question in his book Christ and Culture. He offered five possible responses to the question. First, he said that some Christians have ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Denomination: Methodist

Why Was Jesus Jewish? Series

Contributed by David Owens on Sep 24, 2007

To really be able to understand and immitate Jesus we have to understand His Jewishness and the Jewish time and culture into which He was born.

Introduction: A. As you know, most religious groups have identifying characteristics. 1. A kindergarten teacher gave her class a "show and tell" assignment of bringing something to represent their religion. 2. The first boy got in front of the class and said, "My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:4-7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Spirit Of Truth

Contributed by Samuel Stone on Nov 15, 2007

Human beings of all culture and races throughout history tried to figure out how to know what we want to know.

John 16:12-15 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will ...read more

Scripture: John 16:12-15

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Who You Know, Determines Wher You'll Go!

Contributed by Andy Patterson on Mar 23, 2005

Many say in our culture that it is who you know that determines where you will go, it’s true in eternity as well!

Who you know, determines where you’ll go! 1 Chronicles 28:9 I. We can know that He is ALIVE just as He said! - Job 19:25 There are actually some who claim to be Christians today who say that they believe Jesus died, but do not believe in the Resurrection. However I believe we can know for sure ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 28:9

Denomination: Baptist

Palm Sunday

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Mar 8, 2006

Walk down the Hossanna Road with Jesus and experience the mindset and culture of that day. There is another Triumphal Entry that will just as certainly take place.

Palm Sunday 2002 Zechariah 9:9, 14:1-5, Revelation 19:11-16 2000 years ago, the Sadducees had a tradition in which the believed the Messiah would show up four days before Passover. They kept the gates of the Temple open so that He could walk right in to His rightful place. Because of this, ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Luke (Defender Of The Oppressed) Series

Contributed by Rick Thiessen on Jan 3, 2005

a look at Luke’s gospel and his emphasis on Jesus as a lover of outsiders, cultural, gender and moral outsiders, and his healing work

SE121204 GOSPEL TRUTH 2. Luke INTRO: LUKE UNDER THE GUN The holidays always seem to bring out the obligatory religious articles in news magazines. This week, Time has an article on the birth of Jesus*. The ironic thing about these articles, is that they sell a lot of magazines to Christians…. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-32

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be Different Series

Contributed by Matthew Doebler on Aug 13, 2003

God calls us to be different than the vile, unbelieving culture around us. He offers us power to do that.

Be different! Preached August 4, 2003 It’s not easy to be different, you know. You see a young lady with pink hair spiked up like a porcupine at Pizza Hut. Her clothes are black, her eyes are black, her fingernails are black. All is black except for the silver glint of her countless metal ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Denomination: Lutheran

The Importance Of Truth

Contributed by Rodney Kelley on Sep 15, 2008

The world cultures pretend to have something better to offer but the real truth can only be found in Jesus Christ and the Word of God

Introduction: Psalm 119:98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. Some commentaries believe that Daniel wrote Psalm 119. Being instructed by God, he was found to have more knowledge than any of the Chaldeans, and his wisdom soon appeared to ...read more

Scripture: 2 John 1:1-13

Denomination: Baptist