Sermons on Criticizing:

Breaking Down Barriers Series

Contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn on May 3, 2010

The Spirit descends upon Gentile believers before Peter is ale to finish her sermon. When Peter shares what happened with the church leaders they realize that the kingdom of God is open to more people than they had first imagined.

INTRODUCTION In the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit moves in a mighty, miraculous way. On the day of Pentecost, which is the birth of the Christian church, over 3,000 people responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ and became Christians. A man who had been lame from birth was healed and began to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:1-18, Acts 10:24-38

Denomination: Lutheran

A Peculiar Person

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on May 27, 2010

There was ano doubt that John the Baptist was a peculiar man in more ways than one. But those who follow is his proclamatorial footprints will be peculiar too.

Passage: Matthew 11:7-19 Intro: It’s easy to develop a low view of ourselves as we live in the world. 1. when the response of the world is to despise us, ridicule our faith, reject the One we love, not unusual for us to wonder if we are who we are portrayed to be. 2. but tucked here in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:7-19

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Get Fat: Teachable Series

Contributed by Kelly Fellows on Jun 9, 2010

Do you have a humble attitude that says I can learn from this person or situation? Or do you have the prideful attitude that says, it's got to go my way?

INTRO MESSAGE GET FAT - Teachable QUICK REVIEW ➢ We are in a series of teachings on the characteristics that lead us to experience promotion and become the person God has created us to be. ➢ For the past 2 weeks we have been GETTING FAT – because God wants to use FAT ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 1:5

Denomination: Foursquare

Accusation Or Conviction Series

Contributed by Bruce Rzengota on Dec 31, 2010

TO DEAL WITH THE NASTY THREE LETTER WORD IN OUR LIVES WE MUST DECIDE IF WE WILL EMBRACE ACCUSATION OR CONVICTION

Sin: That Nasty Three Letter Word Accusation or Conviction INTRODUCTION Construction worker Patrick Lawler thought he had a toothache. For almost a week, he tried painkillers and ice packs to reduce the swelling. When nothing he did brought relief, he finally went to the dental office where his ...read more

Scripture: John 16:7-8

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Upward Call Of God Series

Contributed by Gary Stebbins on Jan 7, 2011

2011 is the beginning of a new day, a new year, and a new season. A look at our mission as believers and as a church? How do we live our lives with a sense of God’s eternal purpose in everything that we do?

The Upward Call of God Pt 1 Introduction To Know, To Live, To Give Pt 1 Mat 16:13-14 If- asked- man on the street who Jesus was- you would get a variety of answers as we see in this verse. They had heard about Jesus, knew something about Him, but they did not personally know Him. Mat ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-14

Denomination: Charismatic

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind?

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Jan 12, 2011

Message for the International Day for the Persecuted Church. This was delivered a week after the actual Day of Prayer, since I was out of town on November 14.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Hebrews 13:3 November 21, 2010 Me: This is probably going to be a shorter message today, because I want us to spend a bit of time actually praying today. Last week was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. I delayed our participation in it until ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:3

Denomination: Wesleyan

The End Of The World As We Know It Series

Contributed by Dan Cormie on Jan 23, 2011

New life in Christ means the end of conforming to the patterns of this world.

Dakota Community Church January 23, 2011 The End of the World Ephesians 2:1-10 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Denomination: Mennonite

Be Authentic / You Are The Salt Of The Earth

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 12, 2011

When Jesus says:"You are the salt of the earth." Jesus is saying "Be Authentic." Be the Real Deal! Beloved, an inconsistent lifestyle repels people from the church. So, how authentic is your walk? We may be the only Bible that our neighbor may ever see.

Our Gospel reading this morning from Matthew is near the beginning of Jesus most famous sermon, The Sermon on the Mount. In this message, Jesus called his followers to the highest standards of conduct. (Pause) He challenged us to "turn the other cheek." He commanded us to love our enemy, to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:25-28, Matthew 5:13-20

Denomination: Anglican

Kingdom Values

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Sep 9, 2010

The values of the kingdom of Heaven are really different from the values of the world. And the greatest value of God's kingdom is really counter-culture, even though the culture gives lip service to it.

Passage: Matthew 18:1-9 Intro: Growing up in the 1960’s, we learned the meaning of “counter-culture” 1. whole group of people called hippies who marched to a new set of values. 2. they called it “the new morality”, which Christians said was just “the old ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-9

Denomination: Evangelical Free

What Changed Zaccheus?

Contributed by Sajeev Painunkal, Sj on Oct 30, 2010

Jesus doesn't preach to Zaccheus. No moralising, no ridiculing. Just unconditional acceptance. That's all it took change him radically.

A popular story recounts a meeting that may have taken place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago in 1923. There is debate whether the meeting in fact occurred, but what is not in question is the actual rise and fall of the men featured in the story, who were nine of the richest men in the world ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

Denomination: Catholic

God’s Purpose For The Law

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Jul 27, 2010

There are two very different ways of looking at the Law. Here is the one that Jesus taught.

Passage: Matthew 12:1-14 Intro: It’s hard for us to imagine the kind of conflict that trailed Jesus wherever He went. 1. hard for us, as non-Jewish people, to really understand the incredible grip that the OT Law had on people, and the radical departure from that view that Jesus brought. 2. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:1-14

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Lessons In Apologetics #3: Experientialism & Evidentialism

Contributed by Frederick Meekins on Aug 2, 2010

Lessons In Apologetics #3: Experientialism & Evidentialism

The next methodology is experientialism. Though fideism strives to make faith alone the justification for religious knowledge or belief, Geisler observes that this faith is ultimately justified in terms of an experience had by the individual (65). To the experientialist, God or the Ultimate is ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:1

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Going Deeper

Contributed by Jon Mackinney on Aug 17, 2010

It is our tendency to be satisfied with shallow answers to rather complex questions. We pop a pill instead of finding the root cause. But Jesus takes us deeper.

Passage: Matthew 16:5-12 Intro: It is very common for us to be satisfied with shallow answers to deep questions. 1. got a headache, take an aspirin. 2. can’t sleep, take a pill. 3. this is especially true of God’s revelation to us. 4. because it is spiritual in nature, something ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:5-12

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Celebrate Reason?

Contributed by Gary Stebbins on Dec 8, 2010

When atheist and others attack Christmas, should Christians be intimidated? Is believing in God a crutch for weak minded people? (part of this sermon was adapted from a sermon by Craig Groeschel entitled What Child is This)

Albert Schweitzer, accepting the Nobel Pease Prize- Humanism, in all its simplicity, is the only genuine spirituality. Christmas is a time of celebration for many, but it has increasingly become a source of controversy. David Silverman, president, American Humanist, said- The invisible man in the ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 23:19

Denomination: Charismatic

A Prodigal People And A Pleading God Series

Contributed by Donald Mcculley on Dec 21, 2010

Prodigal people are prodigal because of a broken commitment which leads to a brazen contempt and a blinding confusion.

A PRODIGAL PEOPLE AND A PLEADING GOD JEREMIAH 11-13 INTRODUCTION: Jeremiah has gone from his own shelter to the square; from the square to the sanctuary; from the sanctuary now to the streets (11:16). He lived in a day where there was no love for God, no loyalty to God and, therefore, no light ...read more

Denomination: Baptist