Sermons on Empty Seat:

Darkness To Light Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Oct 21, 2023

If you want to move from darkness into light, just walk in the light of the cross, walk in the light of Christ, and walk in the light of His commands.

Several years ago (1995), a middle-aged man robbed two Pittsburgh banks in broad daylight. He didn’t wear a mask or any sort of disguise. And he smiled at surveillance cameras before walking out of each bank. Later that night, police arrested a surprised McArthur Wheeler. When they showed him the ...read more

Scripture: John 12:27-50, Isaiah 6:1-3, Isaiah 6:10, Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical Free

What The Holy Spirit Does Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on Nov 20, 2023

The Spirit inside you is better than Jesus beside you.

What the Holy Spirit Does John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15 Rev. Brian Bill November 18-19, 2023 One of the action steps from the message last weekend was to look for and listen to the nudges of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit prompts us and pushes us, we were challenged to practice immediate ...read more

Scripture: John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:7-15

Denomination: Baptist

A Sermon The Apostle Paul Would Preach (A Sermon On Encouragement)

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Nov 22, 2023

A retired carpenter had a very large workshop full of tools. He thought to himself what he was going to do with these tools.

He decided to have an auction. He hired a auctioneer to come into his shop to take an inventory of all his valuable tools. He told the auctioneer everything is up for auction except one tool. He walked over to his work table and picked up a hammer he had since he was a young man. He said ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:21-42

Denomination: Baptist

On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Jul 10, 2024

Today I want to preach a sermon about hope.

Illus: Makes me think of an elderly man lay dying in his bed, close to his last breathe...but suddenly he smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies floating up the stairs. He gathered all his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit Series

Contributed by Dustin Boden on Jul 26, 2024

The Beatitudes teach us how to embody the qualities that Jesus values, such as humility, mercy, and purity of heart.

Today, we are starting a new series called “Becoming.” In this series, we will explore Jesus' most famous sermon, “The Sermon on the Mount,” which spans Matthew chapters 5 through 7. (Turn there) For those who think my sermons are long, they might not have enjoyed Jesus' sermons, as this ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:3

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Zechariah (The Practical Prophet) Part 1(Nasb)

Contributed by Steven W. Satterfield on May 30, 2025

notes from Marilyn Hickey Ministries, footnotes by biblegateway.com; based in Jerusalem, from 520-518 BC, a month after the Temple foundation was completed

A Call to Repentance (myrtle trees and 4 horns/craftsmen) 1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo saying, 2 “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. :( 3 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the ...read more

Denomination: Vineyard

Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea Series

Contributed by Jefferson Williams on Jun 9, 2025

The Israelites were trapped with the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army coming up behind them fast. It was time for a miracle.

The Story of Moses : Exodus 13-14 Time to Go! Pastor Jefferson M. Williams Chenoa Baptist Church 06-08–2025 The Great Emancipator On Jan 1st, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation paved the way for the eventual abolition of slavery through ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Three Parables, One Heart: The Father's Love

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Jun 16, 2025

This exposition of Luke chapter 15 begins with a very personal story, highlighting how God even uses human frailty as a means to His grace.

Once upon a time, in the summertime, there was a 16-year-old young man struggling to find his way. His father held a particular secular and materialistic philosophy about life and making meaning in the world—something the young man had tried to embrace, but it ultimately left him feeling empty. ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 6:6, Micah 6:6-8, Luke 15:1-32

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No! Not That! (Habakkuk) Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jun 19, 2025

When God baffles you, trust Him, Fear Him, and Praise Him.

Jill Briscoe, a pastor’s wife and author, talks about babysitting one of their three, 3-year-old grandchildren several years ago. In their family, they had twins and a single birth all within 24 hours. They called them Search, Destroy, and Demolition. She was babysitting Demolition. As Jill waved ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 1:1-17, Habakkuk 2:1-20, Habakkuk 3:1-19, 1 Peter 2:23

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Great Reasons Why We Should Labor For The Lord Series

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Nov 11, 2022

1. Jesus will reward us richly (Matt 19:27-29). 2. Jesus was faithful to find us (Matt 19:30-20:7). 3. Jesus is generous with His grace (Matt 19:29, 20:8-10). 4. Jesus is constantly correct (Matt 20:8-16).

Great Reasons Why We Should Labor for the Lord The Gospel of Matthew Matthew 19:27-30; Matthew 20:1-16 Sermon by Rick Crandall (Prepared November 11, 2022) BACKGROUND: *Please open your Bibles to Matthew 19:27. Most of you know that by this time, Jesus was only about 3 months away from the cross. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:27-30, Matthew 20:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

Magnify The Cross Of Jesus Christ! Series

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Nov 28, 2022

Magnify the cross of Jesus Christ... 1. Because it was God's perfect plan. 2. Because it confirms God's prophecies. 3. Because it is the greatest proof of God's love. 4. Because it is the source of our greatest peace.

Magnify the Cross of Jesus Christ! The Gospel of Matthew Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34 Sermon by Rick Crandall (Prepared November 28, 2022) BACKGROUND: *Please open your Bibles to Matthew 20:17. In this verse of Scripture, Jesus has started His trip to Jerusalem to die on the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:17-19, Mark 10:32-34, Luke 18:31-34

Denomination: Baptist

Joseph Shows Us God's Way To Cope With A Crisis Series

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Dec 5, 2022

What should we do when a crisis comes? 1. Keep pursuing God's plan for our lives (vs. 18, 24-25). 2. Keep growing in God's goodness (vs. 18-20). 3. Keep trusting God to guide us (vs. 20-23). 4. Keep trusting God to take care of us (vs. 21-23).

Joseph Shows Us God's Way to Cope with a Crisis The Gospel of Matthew Matthew 1:18-25 Sermon by Rick Crandall (New version prepared December 4, 2022) MESSAGE: *One of Dave Berry's favorite childhood Christmas memories was the annual Children's Christmas Program at his church in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Denomination: Baptist

Seek Wisdom Series

Contributed by Jefferson Williams on Oct 28, 2024

James contrasts two kinds of wisdom - earthy wisdom and wisdom from above.

James: Practical Faith  James 3:13-18 Pastor Jefferson M. Williams Chenoa Baptist Church  10-27–2024 Unwise In 1912, a French tailor, Franz Reichelt, climbed 200 feet up the Eiffel Tower. He was going to prove his invention worked. His friends thought this was unwise and begged him ...read more

Scripture: James 3:14-18

Denomination: Baptist

Being Properly Dressed PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 25, 2025

Relying on God’s strength and prayer, not our own efforts, equips us to stand firm and face life’s battles with confidence and peace.

Friends, you made it here today—some with a spring in your step, some with a sigh in your chest, and some just barely holding it together. That’s okay. God loves honest hearts. Maybe you’ve been standing in a storm: the phone call you didn’t expect, the bill you can’t pay, the diagnosis you don’t ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Topics: Armor, God

Lord, Draw Me Closer PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 2, 2025

True peace and purpose come from drawing near to God, letting go of distractions, and seeking His presence above all else in our daily lives.

Friends, some weeks feel like a treadmill stuck on high speed. Our calendars crowd us, our phones buzz at us, and our souls sigh within us. We try to keep up appearances while our insides ache for an anchor. Have you felt that slow leak of peace, that subtle drift of the heart when worries and ...read more

Scripture: James 4:8, Matthew 6:33

Topics: Focus, Distraction