Sermons on divine irony: showing 3,751-3,765 of 43,790

Esther - Unlikely Heroine

Contributed by Ken Sowers on Dec 10, 2003

Story of Esther

August 18 Esther - unlikely Heroine Thank people for reading Esther, ahead of the game. Next week Job 1,2 & 46 Story line - 1. Vashti disses King Xerxes 2. Esther wins beauty pageant 3. Uncle Mordecai foils assassination plot. 4. Haman has issues - buys off king for Holocaust heyday, 5. ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He Is Calling You By Name

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Oct 13, 2013

The call of God is what makes all the difference in our lives. We do not have to be on our death bed - or dying on a cross next to the Cross of Jesus - in order to hear His word of mercy.

HE IS CALLING YOU BY NAME. 1 Samuel 3:1-10. The days of the Saviour-Judges were drawing to a close and, as in our own days, “the word of the LORD was rare” (1 Samuel 3:1). There was a dearth in the land, but not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of God ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Standing In The Freedom Of The Gospel: By Faith From Beginning To End

Contributed by David Taylor on Jan 23, 2014

Standing in the Freedom of the Gospel: By Faith from Beginning to End

Standing in the Freedom of the Gospel: By Faith from Beginning to End Galatians 3:1-5 Paul moves from sharing about his confronting Peter to addressing the reason those in Galatia are straying from the gospel – they have been deceived, having come under a spell. They started the Christian ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:1-5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lukewarm Living Series

Contributed by Allen James on Sep 29, 2011

Part 7 of 7 in our summer series exploring the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3. Today's final message in the series examines the letter to the Church at Laodicea.

OPENING: Approach text with humility bc parts of our text VERY familiar. Pray today is that familiarity will not lead us to contentment. BC I believe God has a WORD for each of us today! READ REVELATION 3:14-22. BACKGROUND: Laodicea was located in the Lycus River Valley. Really was a ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Denomination: Baptist

A Sabbath For The Hungry, Healing For The Withered

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Feb 8, 2015

Is it lawful to good on the sabbath days?

A SABBATH FOR THE HUNGRY, HEALING FOR THE WITHERED. Mark 2:23-3:6. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled’ (Matthew 5:6). The hunger and thirst which He spoke of in that Beatitude is evidently spiritual, but it is amply illustrated in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:23-28, Mark 3:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Outline Of Acts 4:1-22

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 4, 2021

Peter and John were arrested after they healed a man born lame, as recorded in Acts 3. Now they're on trial, the next day, before a group of Israel's leaders. What happened next? (This is another outline from a miniseries on Acts I preached several years ago.)

Introduction: In Acts 3, Luke records how Peter and John were on their way to the Temple to observe and take part in the afternoon time of prayer. While on the way there, they saw and then healed a man who had been lame from his birth. Peter preached another message to the crowd who had gathered in ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-22

Denomination: Baptist

We Have No King But Caesar

Contributed by Geoffrey Foot on Mar 20, 2018

The passion narrative of Jesus, His last 2 weeks is full of detail with theology mixed up with history and politics - indeed a third of each gospel is devoted to the passion of Jesus. Every time you read or hear the account something new hits you.

We have no king but Caesar John 19:15 Today is Passion Sunday, the 1st day of a period of 2 weeks when we focus our thoughts on the arrest, trial, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we know this is a very significant period in the life of Jesus, the climax of His ministry which ...read more

A Hard Calling

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 12, 2018

It is hard preaching to hard heads and hard hearts.

A HARD CALLING. Ezekiel 2:1-5. In times gone by, and in certain places and professions still, it was taken for granted that children would follow in the trade of their fathers. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, would have known from an early age that they were going to be fishermen. ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 2:1-5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Glory! Series

Contributed by Ken Henson on Sep 7, 2018

Attention deserved (or not deserved) seems to be in our mind when we think of glory today. The Hebrew word for glory has a different history, however. It originally meant weight, heaviness.

Revelation Chapter 15 TRANSLATION v 5 and after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony was opened in heaven v 6 and seven angels came out of the temple having the seven plagues, clothed in clean linen, light and wearing around their chests golden sashes. v 7 and one ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 5:5-8

Denomination: *other

When Israel Went Out Of Egypt.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Feb 15, 2023

A defiant celebration of God's sovereign power.

WHEN ISRAEL WENT OUT OF EGYPT. Psalm 114:1-8. The exuberance of this Psalm is immediately evident. It is a recollection of Israel’s redemption story, beginning from when the descendants of Jacob made their exodus from Egypt. It is the prelude to the founding of what Stephen, the first Christian ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 114:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

David Lets His Guard Down.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Apr 23, 2024

A downward spiral with inevitable consequences.

DAVID LETS HIS GUARD DOWN. 2 Samuel 11:1-15. “At the time when kings go forth” (to battle), “David tarried still at Jerusalem.” (2 SAMUEL 11:1). Sending his nephew Joab may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but this constituted a dereliction of duty which put David in the wrong place at ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

From The Flight Into Egypt To The Massacre Of The Innocents.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Dec 28, 2024

A time to stand still, and a time to move forward.

FROM THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT TO THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS. Matthew 2:13-18. MATTHEW 2:13. Joseph was called into exile. It is important that we do not linger in the place where we have been, but continue to follow the leading of God in our spiritual walk. After all, wherever God places us we ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Last Hours Of Jesus' Life - Free From Passivity

Contributed by Joanne Chan on May 18, 2018

In this sermon, we look at how the people mocked Jesus as he walked toward the hill of Golgotha, and contrast that with his encounter with Simon from Cyrene to see what it really means to carry the cross for Jesus.

Central theme: Jesus denied himself and took the punishment for us with total dedication. We should take up the cross and follow Jesus, which means denying our old self (our comfort, your desires) and live for God because God is leading us to an even better place. Opening: Think of a place ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:15-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus Is Coming: To Bring Hope For The Future Series

Contributed by Daniel Richter on Oct 10, 2006

Christmas Series

Jesus is Coming: To Provide a Future Sunday, December 28th, 2003 Luke 2:21-35 INTRODUCTION: Well, the waiting is over. Christmas has come and gone for another year. Sometimes I think waiting for Christmas is as much fun or more fun than actually waking up on Christmas morning. There is such a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:21-35

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Where Was God?

Contributed by W Pittendreigh on Sep 13, 2001

Addresses the Attack on America, September 11, 2001

Introduction to Scripture Reading… A few weeks ago we started a series of sermons on Colossians. Today we were to begin to move into the second chapter of that book. But this week we have experienced a tragedy that eclipses anything we could have imagined. Among professors who teach seminary ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-9

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed