Sermons on Empty Ritual:

Because He Lives

Contributed by Larry Grant on Apr 8, 2023

God sent His Son. They called Him Jesus. He came to love, heal and forgive. He bled and died to buy my pardon. An empty grave is there to prove my savior lives! And because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, All fear is gone.

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (CSB) Theme: “I’ve Got The Victory” April 9, 2023 In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul teaches us about the purpose of the Resurrection! He paints a sobering portrait of how things would be if Jesus were still in the grave! He says, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Denomination: Baptist

No Satisfaction

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 10, 2025

Solomon’s relentless search for meaning—in wisdom, work, and wealth—ended in emptiness, proving that life “under the sun” cannot satisfy the human heart. Lasting joy and fulfillment come only from God through Jesus Christ, who alone turns life’s vanity into eternal victory.

Introduction When “More” Is Never Enough It was the six-year-old boy’s first day of school. His one life ambition? Have as much fun as humanly possible. He marched through the gate with the bold confidence that only a child possesses, ready to squeeze joy out of every moment. But at noon there ...read more

Scripture: James 1:17, Mark 8:36

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Triumphal Entry Series

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 19, 2016

1) The Faithful Arrival (Mark 11: 1– 7), 2) The Faithless Approval (Mark 11: 8– 10), 3) The Faithful Appraisal (Mark 11:11)

Carved into a towering cliff in central Afghanistan stood two gigantic statues. Hewn out of the living sandstone rock, they were figures of the Buddha, dominating the Bamiyan Valley which they overlook. The statues stood on the ancient Silk Road, the old trade route which stretched through ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11

Denomination: Other

Our God: The Patron Of Lost Causes

Contributed by Karl Eckhoff on Jun 6, 2002

It’s easy to identify others as "lost causes". It’s not nearly so easy for us to see ourselves this way. Nevertheless that’s exactly where we need to be, where we’ll want to be; for empty of all our righteousness we cling to Christ and find life.

Pentecost 3 A Matthew 9:9-13 Our God: The Patron of Lost Causes 06/09/02 Speaking of Lost Causes, take a listen to these stories. In New Orleans, a man broke into a home and stole, some jewelry and took the home owner’s season tickets to the New Orleans Saints. The police arrested him the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13

Denomination: Lutheran

When Saying "No” To People Is Saying "Yes” To God Series

Contributed by Rick Duncan on Apr 28, 2003

Exhausted. Empty. Enslaved. Do those words describe you? I believe that God never piles on more than we can handle. What to do when you are overbooked, overworked, and overstressed. I’ve simply got to learn to say “no” to some of what I’ve been sayi

Several years ago, Maryanne was out of town visiting her family in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I was here at home with Alan who was in school. He was about ten and I was trying to do things that were fun with him. One of those was skateboarding. We live on Wallings Road between Ridge and York in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:35-39

Denomination: Baptist

I Met Him When I Was Hopeless Series

Contributed by Gordon Pike on Mar 14, 2021

With every pound of the nail, the leprosy of our sins disappeared. With every drop of his blood our spirits became whiter and cleaner and brighter. When He walked away from the empty tomb we were spiritually new creations with hearts and souls as pure and clean as the day that we were born, amen?

Hello … my name is Joram. I was born and raised in the sleepy little Samaritan town of Shiloh. Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. It’s about a 100 miles south of nowhere. The only people who know about Shiloh are the people like me who live there or the occasional stranger who is lost or ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19, John 4:19-25

Denomination: United Methodist

Place, Peace, And Presence Matter

Contributed by David Zachrich on Apr 2, 2024

Let’s start at an obvious place for the week after Easter. The baskets are empty, the colored grass has been vacuumed up. Beautiful cards have been put away. Nice clothes are back in the closet. All that is left are a few jelly beans that no one wants to trust. Easter is over … or, is it?

Let’s start at an obvious place for the week after Easter. The baskets are empty, the colored grass has been vacuumed up. Beautiful cards have been put away. Nice clothes are back in the closet. All that is left are a few jelly beans that no one wants to trust. Easter is over … or, is it? On ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Denomination: Lutheran

Easter Changes Everything Youth Sermon

Contributed by Youth Sermons on Jan 30, 2024

The resurrection of Jesus Christ has the power to transform our lives in ways that are difficult to put into words. It's an experience that is better felt than explained. Just like the disciples who had to see the empty tomb for themselves, we too can experience the hope and transformation that comes from Jesus being alive.

Hey guys, Happy Easter! Today we're talking about something epic, something that changed the world forever - the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's like that moment when Michael Jordan made that insane shot in 1989, winning the game for the Chicago Bulls. It was a moment that defied gravity and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:1-12, Ephesians 3:16-19, Romans 1:16

Topics: Eternal Life, Spiritual Transformation, Resurrection Impact, Faith Renewal

Risen

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 31, 2018

The significance of the “Risen” Christ is clearly proclaimed in Luke 24:1-12 as seen by: 1) The Empty Tomb (Luke 24:1–3), 2) The Angelic Messengers (Luke 24:4–7), 3) The Witness of the Women (Luke 24:8–10), and 4) The Unbelieving Disciples (Luke 24:11–12)

The pyramids of Egypt are famous because they contain the mummified bodies of ancient Egyptian kings. Westminster Abbey in London is renowned, because in it rest the bodies of English nobles and notables. Mohammed’s tomb is noted for the stone coffin and the bones which it contains. Arlington ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:1-12

Denomination: Other

Going Beyond Human Sickness

Contributed by Derek Geldart on Jan 22, 2022

Where do you go when your mind is broken, you feel empty and without a sense of purpose, incapable of finding any joy in your life? You seek a cure from the Great Physician Jesus whose demand to deny self and follow Him is a yoke that is light in His sustaining grace and strength!

Going Beyond Human Sickness Matthew 11:28-30, 16:21-27 Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567 What do you do when you get sick? For many of us our first response is to look for an “over-the-counter” solution to see if we can find a cure for whatever ails us on our own! I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 16:21-27

Denomination: Baptist

He Is Risen!

Contributed by John Gaston on Mar 30, 2021

The resurrection of Jesus is much more than a resuscitation, it's the new creation beginning! Easter isn't just an event, it's a revelation: we need intimacy with Jesus to heal our emptiness. It will conquer our fears, remove our doubts, & forgive our failures.

HE IS RISEN! Lk. 24: 1-6; 36-39 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR 1. A Romanian woman fainted when she opened her front door and found her husband standing there. The Romanian weekly, Tinerama, says it all started when a man named Neagu choked on a fishbone, stopped breathing, and collapsed. 2. The ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:1-39

Denomination: Assembly Of God

A Big Victory From A Small Army (Part One)

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Oct 14, 2019

I want to address the fact that some people have left the church in the past year. You might be discouraged as you look around and see the empty chairs.Hopefully I can provide some encouragement for you. Let's see what God did through Gideon's army.

A BIG VICTORY BY A SMALL ARMY (part one) Judges 6-7 Today I want to address the elephant in the room-the fact that some people have left the church in the past year. You might be discouraged as you look around and see the empty chairs. You might be wondering if we're doing something wrong. You ...read more

Scripture: Judges 6:11-16, Judges 7:1-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Easter: Hope Come Find It! Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 19, 2019

Have you ever had your hope in something crushed – filled with disappointment when you bit into it? Discovered that what you put your faith or trust in was hollow and or empty hope? Jesus proved on Easter that He is a Living Hope! So, embrace Him today and find Hope and even joy in the journey!

Easter 2019: Hope come find it! Introduction: We challenged you today to come find hope and that is what we are talking about this morning – in the prayer time, in the worship time and in the testimony times – by the way there are more testimonies coming to show how people found a living hope ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-7, Hebrews 6:17-20, Psalm 62:5-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pleading For God's Mercy Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Oct 30, 2022

What is the only basis for your prayer for mercy? When you’ve been emptied of all pride, when you’ve given up trying to earn the LORD’s favour or to fix your life, then your only hope really is this: God has made you his own in Jesus Christ.

In our text Isaiah is praying. Praying is a normal thing for us, but let’s appreciate what the prophet is doing here. In this book of prophecy, there’s all kinds of different styles of writing. In Isaiah there are speeches, parables, lamentations, hymns of praise, predictions of the future, ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The 153 Fish Wake-Up Call Series

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Sep 26, 2025

As seasons shift, many of us need a reset with Jesus. John 21 shows the risen Christ meeting drifting disciples, filling empty nets, and inviting them to “come and have breakfast.” This isn’t box-checking; it’s returning to the One who seeks us, provides for us, and re-commissions us.

Can you feel it in the air? That subtle shift as summer fades into fall? Me either. But somehow every single store in all of existence seems to feel it as they’re already putting out Christmas decorations. I think by next year we’re going to see combo-fireworks stands selling candy canes and ...read more

Scripture: John 21:1-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational