Sermons on cultural pressure:

How To Keep Your Head When Others Lose Theirs

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

1. When most people are faced with pressure, adversity or hardships they tend to become angry or give into their fears ö not the apostles.

1. When most people are faced with pressure, adversity or hardships they tend to become angry or give into their fears ö not the apostles. The apostles were arrested and asked, "By what power or by whose authority have you done this?" (Acts 4:7) Instead of losing self-control, the apostles remained ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pay The Toll In Order To Reach The Goal

Contributed by Keith Shuler on Nov 3, 2002

What if Jesus had quit? What if Jesus had given in to the pressures of trying to please man instead of pleasing God.

Pay The Toll To Reach The Goal Matthew 26:36-46 My wife and I took a journey up north a few weeks ago, because we had decided to visit New York. As soon as we entered Richmond, we had to pay a toll fare. As soon as we reached D.C we had to pay a toll. From Maryland to New York we had to pay a toll ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Sing In The Power Of The Holy Spirit For A World In Desperate Need Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 8, 2021

The Holy Spirit should be our constant counselor and guide. We are under tremendous pressure in the Christian churches and schools these days.

Acts 16: 11-21 and John 15: 21-27 When we listen to the Gospel of Luke and the Acts, and to the Gospel of John as well, we get the impression that the Holy Spirit was more active in the early Church than today. Paul was forbidden by the Spirit–probably warned by a prophetic utterance–not to ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:16, Acts 16:11-15, John 15:26-27, John 16:1-4

Denomination: Catholic

Love Myths #2 Series

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on Jan 19, 2010

In our culture it is okay for love to be temporary, transitory, and to last as long as it seems to work.

Intro: On Friday, July 29, 2005, Fox News ran the following story: Some Seek Alternatives to 'Til Death Do Us Part' Friday, July 29, 2005 By Jennifer D'Angelo In some weddings, "'til death do us part" is going the way of "to honor and obey" — that is, out the window. Vows like "For as ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:36-39

Denomination: Baptist

The Danger Of Displacement Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 4, 2014

Because we want others to approve of us, we feel a pressure to displace some of God’s commands with peer group rules or trends.

The Danger of Displacement (Mark 7:1-13) 1. One of my favorite Jewish jokes (I have told before) is the following: 2. A Jewish congregation was arguing over whether one should stand or sit during the Shema Yisrael. Half of the congregation said one should sit, the other half insisted one should ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-13

Denomination: Independent/Bible

"Should We Really Be Afraid Of Death?”

Contributed by Paul Weidner on May 26, 2004

If we take the time to realistically examine our culture, especially our western culture, we will readily see that death is not something we think about very much.

For Christians, the season of Lent is the time of our church year like no other because our focus is drawn on a very unpopular topic, death. We are taken on a journey covering the last weeks of Jesus’ ministry, which ends with his horrible torture and death by crucifixion. But because we ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-2

Denomination: Methodist

Joanna: Wife Of Cuza Series

Contributed by Claude Alexander on Feb 8, 2021

The teaching of Jesus for today is a radical call to live and think and feel in a way that is counter-cultural; i.e., that radically contradicts the prevailing culture within which we live.

Joanna: wife of Cuza Luke 8:1-3. The teaching of Jesus for today is a radical call to live and think and feel in a way that is counter-cultural; i.e., that radically contradicts the prevailing culture within which we live. The lives we are to live are, however, a continuation of the spirit of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:1-3

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Dare To Bear Series

Contributed by Harley Jay Nickless on Dec 4, 2005

It is vitally important that we do not allow the pressures of this life to harden our hearts. Tall order wouldn’t you say? How do you do it? How do you prevent the problems and pressures of this life from hardening your heart? I think the secret is fo

Prescription For Pressure Part 2 “Dare To Bear” Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5 (NIV) Introduction Little Bobby had a habit of stretching the truth just a bit. One day while walking home from school he saw a large black dog run across the street in front ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Revive Us Again

Contributed by Brian Bill on Nov 7, 2023

Lord, since you revived others in the past, do it again right now, and let it begin with me.

Revive us Again Psalm 85:1-8 Rev. Brian Bill October 28-29, 2023 In the Massachusetts village of Northampton, a Congregational pastor knelt in prayer. He was burdened for the 1,100 souls of his little town who were in bondage to sin. In a few minutes he would be walking into the pulpit. Should ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 85:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Every Barrier Down: Mary Magdalene

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 6, 2010

Commitment to the living Christ will let Him break down circumstantial, cultural, and spiritual barriers to our success. Illustrated with the story of Marian Anderson.

I think it was John Lennon, one of the Beatles, who once observed, "Life is what happens while you are making other plans." That really is the issue, isn't it? Getting a fix on our lives. Getting hold of life. Being able to make it go the way you want it to go. And the trouble is that life just ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Denomination: Baptist

Attentive Relationship Series

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jul 1, 2008

God is giving the Hebrews a way to build and stay in relationship with Him. This two pronged approach from God, building a relationship and weeding out things that will hurt that relationship is effective for us today as well.

Have you ever lost your driver’s license? Isn’t it a traumatic event? I have lost my driver’s license several times over the years and each time it made my life difficult. For all practical purposes I lost my identity. I couldn’t write a check – stores will not take a check without proper ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 34:1-28

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Fight Of Our Lives

Contributed by Keith Foskey on Jul 30, 2014

We are living in a time when evil is being glorified as good, and good is vilified.

The Christian is in a daily battle with the three-fold enemy of the soul: Flesh, World, Devil. We also fight the same battle for our children. This passage tells us we are in a battle against dark, demonic forces all around us. We are living in a time when evil is being glorified as good, and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Universal Gift Series

Contributed by John Sears on Dec 3, 2013

In a culture where tolerance is the highest virtue and where sincere belief is the only thing important to faith, are Christians too exclusive in believing that Jesus is the only way to eternal life? What does that salvation look like?

Introduction I have a confession I need to make. I have owned my cell phone for a little more than a year now. In that time, I have lost my charging cord five times. Now don’t blame me. I think it’s possible that charging a phone soon causes the cord to fade into the netherworld ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-14

Denomination: Christian Church

Did Mary Consent

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Dec 21, 2019

Was Mary willing to receive Divine seed or was she assaulted by God?

Luke 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. It is very irritating when people who apparently do not know the Bible and may not have even read it come up with crazy stuff. It is more irritating when people who ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:38

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus Is Enough To Change A City - Acts 19 Intro To Colossians Series

Contributed by Darrell Stetler Ii on Nov 5, 2014

Today's cities are not so different from First Century cities as one might think. Jesus was enough to change Ephesus. He is enough to change your city!

I need to give you a background of the book of Ephesians, so you can see that it applies to our city. This way, you can get a feel for WHY Paul wrote what he did in the book. Ephesus was one of the premier city of the Roman Empire. It was situated on It benefitted from a great road system, ...read more

Denomination: Holiness