Sermons on Discussion:

Get It Right...again! Series

Contributed by Paul Decker on May 8, 2002

Get the gospel right.

GETTING IT RIGHT…AGAIN Galatians 2:11-14 S: Maintaining the Truth of the Gospel Th: “Grace-Full Living” Pr: Get the gospel right. ?: What? What keeps us from getting it right? KW: Obstructions TS: We will find in our study of Galatians 2:11-14, three obstructions that keep us from getting the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:11-14

Denomination: Baptist

Equality In God's Kingdom

Contributed by Martin Wiles on May 10, 2002

God takes the initiative in salvation, and when we enter his kingdom, there is work to be done.

INTRODUCTION After graduating from college and before serving at my first full-time church, I worked for a few months at Velux in Greenwood, a plant that manufactures sky lights. As I began to look for a job in Greenwood after returning from Florida, I found circumstances quite different from the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

The Prayer Of Jabez

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 8, 2001

Jabez prayed a model prayer that God would bless him, increase his territory, place his hand upon him and keep him from evil.

“Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ‘Because I bore him in pain.’ And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, ‘Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Denomination: Methodist

The Cost Of Following Jesus

Contributed by Howard Harden on Jan 13, 2001

Luke shared three encounters from Jesus’ life to teach us the cost of following Jesus.

The Cost of Following Jesus Luke 9:57-62 I recently was moved by an encounter I had with a little girl. We were in line at the small town store where I live. She was small and dirty. Her clothes were unwashed, her feet barefoot. Dirt was upon her face, but she did not notice. She ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

Denomination: Baptist

Opposition Leads To Church Growth Series

Contributed by Bob Briggs on Jan 16, 2001

Revisit what caused growth in the early church and apply it to what will bring growth to your church today.

One thing which has characterized the church over history is opposition, and that opposition, rather than driving the church away, has provided for church growth. When your convictions come under fire, when they are tested, you will come to embrace them or reject them. When Christianity is ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:5-11

Denomination: Pentecostal

In Search Of A Relationship With God

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 22, 2001

There are four essentials to a relationship with God: Genuine confession, repentance, faith and obedience.

In a collection of cartoons by Bill Watterson, entitled The Essential Calvin and Hobbes, ornery little Calvin is talking to Hobbes, his friend the stuffed tiger, about what he has done to little Susie. Calvin says, “I feel bad that I called Susie names and hurt her feelings. I’m sorry I ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:10-15

Denomination: Methodist

Is Your Faith Alive Or Dead? Series

Contributed by Andy Atkins on Jan 27, 2001

How can you know for sure if you are a Christian? James has a pretty good idea . . .

Is Your Faith Alive or Dead? James 2:14-26 Suppose I were to stand before you today and hold up this object (in this case, a piece of chewing gum) and tell you that it is a piece of gum. How would you know that what I am saying is true? You could assume that I am telling the truth because you ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Denomination: Baptist

Trials And Temptations

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Mar 4, 2001

We have to endure trials, resist temptations and take responsibility for our own lives.

Oscar Wilde, the Irish born writer, liked to say, “I can resist anything … except temptation!” Wilde also believed: “The best way to deal with temptation is to yield to it!” All of us deal with temptation. If a person is not a Christian they just give in to temptation. But temptation is ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-15

Denomination: Methodist

The Choice For Life

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Mar 5, 2001

Jesus urges his listeners to the Sermon on the Mount to make The Choice for Life in entering the Kingdom of God, in terms of Two Gates, Two Ways, Two Destinations and Two Crowds.

Jesus was a wonderful teacher. He had the knack of making His teaching on the Kingdom of God interesting and easily understood by the use of graphic pictures. There’s a good example of this in two verses in our reading from Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount: "Enter through the narrow ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Denomination: Baptist

Not Pleasing Ourselves

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Mar 9, 2001

An exhortation to the "stronger" brothers.

Not Pleasing Ourselves "Take care of number one!" "You deserve a break today" "Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?" "Where do you want to go today?" "If it feels good, do it!" There is a tremendous amount of emphasis on self today and it ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

The Jad Syndrome

Contributed by Dan Dunn on Aug 15, 2001

Joyously Amazed Disbelief describes the too-good-to-be-true experiences of God’s grace that are critical for us to recognize, because in recognizing them we are empowered to share the good news of Christ’s love with others: CLAIM AND PROCLAIM.

Thursday I was down in Albany helping lead a workshop with some folks from the Albany First Methodist Church, and there was a young woman in the group who had a glow on her face the entire day. She was simply beaming. I later discovered that she’s going to be married next month. Observing the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:36-49

Denomination: Methodist

The Apostle Paul's Cross-Cultural Contextualizing Ministry - I Cor. 9:16-23

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Aug 21, 2001

The Apostle Paul’s Cross-Cultural Contextualizing Ministry - I Cor. 9:16-23

The Apostle Paul’s Cross-Cultural Contextualizing Ministry - I Cor. 9:16-23 Paul believed in the POWER of the gospel to transform lives. Yet he also appreciated the COMPLEXITY of this process. He resisted any attempts to submit to the indoctrination process of Pharisaicalism. He combined an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jonah

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 10, 2001

What has happened to our missionary zeal?

Sermon for 10/13/96 Jonah Introduction: A. In Teaching to Change Lives, Howard Hendricks tells about an 83-year old Michigan woman he met at a Sunday school convention in Chicago. "In a church with a Sunday school of only 65 people, she taught a class of 13 junior high boys. She had traveled by ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Thy Kingdom Come: Still Blind And Mute Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 10, 2001

Praying for the Kingdom to come is an awesome responsibility, for some of us remain blind and mute despite Jesus’ healing, criticizing those who are different and causing divisions.

Our backyard is heavily populated. It is home to birds and bugs, to snails and occasional snakes, and most of all, our backyard is populated with moles. The turf is home to those burrowing creatures, moles. I have the twisted ankle to prove it, thanks to sinking in one of the burrows. Our ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:22-32

Denomination: Baptist

Finding Security In An Unsafe World

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Sep 13, 2001

The truths we need to have planted in our lives are: Our security is: 1. In God, not the things of this world. 2. In our faith, not our safety. 3. In eternity, not our present circumstances. 4. The fact that even though life is dangerous, life is good.

When the events of this week began to unfold, we were all in shock. We didn’t know what to think. Was this an accident, or was it something planned? But when the second plane slammed into the World Trade Center building there was little doubt that terrorism was involved. Then when the Pentagon ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-11

Denomination: Methodist