Sermons on Empty Ritual:

Just Do It!

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Jan 5, 2023

As God's chosen child, we are to answer the call of God with humble obedience.

Just Do It – Matthew 3: 13 - 17 Intro: Timmy had a loose tooth. He asked his dad to help him get rid of the lose tooth. His father tied a 3-foot length of waxed dental floss to the tooth and then tied the other end to a 5-pound weight from his exercise equipment. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Life As A Stunted Plan Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on May 2, 2005

Do you feel a lack of growth? It could be that you are experiencing the effects of bad doctrine or that you need to re-connect to the root - Jesus Christ.

The Colossians were Christians - they knew Jesus as their Savior. But what threatened them in the proto-Gnostic heresy was a lack of maturity. They were like plants - plants that hadn’t grown up and were stunted in their maturity. As Christians if we do not grow in our discipleship in Christ ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-23

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Listen...jesus Is Praying

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Dec 22, 2008

This is an expositional study on the passage commonly known as the "High Priestly Prayer." If you tke the time to read through this it will truly touch you. I pray that God will use this study to change your heart in many different ways.

The passage of chapter 17 verses 1-26 in the book of John is widely known as the “High Priestly Prayer.” Within these verses Jesus is praying to the Father. “Though this prayer, unlike the one found in Matthew, was not spoken deliberately for the purpose of giving instruction in this spiritual ...read more

Scripture: John 17:1-26

Denomination: Baptist

The Scarlet Thread

Contributed by David Dykes on Aug 31, 2011

Hebrews 9:22 says, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." That's the driving principle that runs throughout the entire Bible.

INTRODUCTION We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus every Lord’s Day, but on Easter Sunday we ramp up our celebration. Back in the 1960s, Nikita Khrushchev was the Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In one infamous speech he declared the superiority of communism over ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:22

Denomination: Baptist

Light And Darkness

Contributed by Brian Bill on Mar 25, 2024

As followers of Christ, we must love like Christ, so we light up the world.

Light and Darkness Ephesians 5:1-14 Rev. Brian Bill March 23-24, 2024 According to a new book by Sarah McCammon called The Exvangelicals, younger generations of evangelicals are drifting away from the church and pushing it into a major identity crisis. She herself has turned her back on the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Listen, Do You Want To Know A Secret Series

Contributed by Thomas Swope on Jan 17, 2013

A study of the book of Isaiah chapter 45 verses 1 through 25

Isaiah 45: 1 – 25 Listen, Do You Want To Know A Secret “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: 2 ‘I will ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 45:1-25

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Preparing The Way Series

Contributed by Charles Mallory on Dec 11, 2001

Preparing our hearts for the Savior through genuine repentance.

TRUE REPENTANCE HATES THE SIN, AND NOT MERELY THE PENALTY; AND IT HATES THE SIN MOST OF ALL BECAUSE IT HAS DISCOVERED AND FELT GOD’S LOVE. BILLY GRAHAM, WHO HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY SOME TO BE PLAYING THE 20TH CENTURY ROLE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, HAD THESE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SINFUL DISEASE RUNNING ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:1-8

Denomination: Free Methodist

An Offer Too Good To Refuse Series

Contributed by David Asch on Oct 12, 2004

Int his text Jesus says come to me for compassion, forgiveness, and hope. Jesus says bring me your pain, your unhelathiness, and I will cleanse you. Come to me with your sins and I will forgive you.

AN OFFER TOO GOOD TO REFUSE Mark 1:40-2:17 INTRO: I’m a sucker for offers “you can’t refuse.” Examples: Bad tie, knife sharpeners, Bamix, Golf swing video, pocket PC (it should have been no surprise).. I’ve had to learn not to believe such offers. Even churches make such offers... Prev: Today, ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What God Most Desires

Contributed by Mary Erickson on Jun 12, 2023

A Sermon for the Season of Pentecost, Year A, Lectionary 10

June 11, 2023 Rev. Mary Erickson Hope Lutheran Church Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 What God Most Desires Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. Mercy: The story is told of a mother who approached the powerful ruler ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-26

Denomination: Lutheran

The Week That Changed The World: The Day Jesus Silenced The Skeptics Series

Contributed by Donald Whitchard on Jul 3, 2021

Shortly after throwing the Pharisees and their cohorts for a loop over the issue of paying taxes to Caesar, the Lord Jesus confronted and rebuked the erroneous Scriptural teachings of the Sadducees, the skeptics of His day. The Scriptures are the best weapon in the arsenal of believers.

There were two main bodies of religious teachers who operated during the time of Jesus until the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. They each had their respective spheres of influence in Jewish society and beliefs. Scripture gives more attention to the Pharisees, and not in a good light as they ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27, Luke 20:27-40

Denomination: Baptist

God's New Thing

Contributed by David Mcnally on Feb 20, 2013

The Law was a good thing, it had its place in God's plans, but no one (except Christ) could observe it in its entirety. We are no longer under the Law, thank God that He did the new thing that He promised to Isaiah and Jeremiah, and which was accomplished

Isaiah 43: 16-19 God promises to do a new thing Each and every book in the Old Testament records time and time again how God’s chosen people just could not keep God’s Law; why; for the same reason that any and every other tribe on the face of the earth could not, because as it says ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-19

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spirtitual Maturity

Contributed by Andy Payne on Aug 30, 2009

How many people have professed Jesus and never grown? They professed Jesus years ago and have remained spiritual babes for years. They never discern fully right from wrong.

Heb 5:12-14 (13) INTRO: Peter Pan Syndrome 1. A person becomes immature because he refuses to grow up spiritually The Hebrew believers refused to move beyond the first principles of God’s Word. "First principles" (stoicheia tēs archēs) means the basic principles of God’s Word, the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:11-14

Denomination: Baptist

Worship In Continuity With The Synagogue Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 11, 2010

In form and spirit, there is good continuity between the building and worship of the Jewish synagogue and the Christian assembly and Eucharist

December 13, 2010 Santa Lucia The Spirit of the Liturgy You just have to sympathize with Baalam the prophet. He was called by King Balak to come and curse this upstart band of nomads invading his country. He was called because he was rumored to be a prophet of the same “god” the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:23-27

Denomination: Catholic

Growing Pains Series

Contributed by Jonathan Russell on Mar 13, 2011

The early church’s response to an internal problem teaches the contemporary church some valuable lessons.

* The dramatic growth of the early church: last count (4:4) around 5,000 men (probably around 20,000 total) * Such growth led to a “good” problem: many more needed to be ministered to than there were people to minister * The 12 did not have the ability to both effectively deliver the Word and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

A Feast, And A Question Of Fasting.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Sep 3, 2022

A warning against mixing things that differ.

A FEAST, AND A QUESTION OF FASTING. Luke 5:27-39. I. The Call of Levi, and the feast at his house (Luke 5:27-32). Wherever we live, under whatever regime, tax collectors are unpopular. It was no different in first century Israel, where Levi’s trade involved collaboration with the Romans, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-39

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational