Sermons on Endurance With Joy:

When "Over There" Looks Better Than "Over Here"

Contributed by Michael Stark on May 5, 2018

Meditations on Christian living as I near the end of days. Looking to what is coming enables me to weather the storms of life and to draw renewed strength from the Risen Son of God.

“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Denomination: Baptist

Turning Religious Reluctance-9

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Oct 2, 2018

9 of ? Jesus bore witness of His Messianic identity to a reluctant but religious woman. God’s people bear witness of Jesus’ identity to reluctant religious people. What does it take to turn that religious reluctancy around? Turning religious reluctance to God requires...

TURNING RELIGIOUS RELUCTANCE-IX—John 4:1-26+(:1-42) Turning the Religious Lost Attention: Picture A Train. The train is dedicated/committed to a specific set of tracks. However, that specific set of tracks leads to an abandoned attempt at bridging a deep canyon in order to make a shorter way to ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Denomination: Baptist

Positional Sanctification Series

Contributed by John Lowe on Oct 5, 2018

His position is his standing in Christ.

(20) Introduction to Chapter 6 “In Christ unto God.” Verses 1-11. Being a Christian is a matter of life or death. Persons who do not understand the grace of God argue, “If God is gracious, then we should sin more so we receive more grace.” Those who trust Christ are identified with Him by the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

All Hope Was Lost

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Oct 14, 2018

To establish that during our lives, while serving Christ, perilous times and raging trials will press upon our faith. It will be then that we need to remember the promised reassurances of God in time of need and then wait for His providential rescue.

INTRODUCTION Outline. 1. Paul’s Witness: “Amidst Perilous Raging” 2. Paul’s Witness: “After Promised Reassurance” 3. Paul’s Witness: “After Providential Rescue” Introductory Remarks. 1. Today's lesson will discuss the theme “All Hope was Lost!” As some might know, it is easy to witness Christ ...read more

Scripture: Acts 27:20-26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Elijah Part 1 Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 31, 2018

His story reminds us of how adversity drives us deeper into God and develops us into the man or women God wants us to be.

Elijah Opening Video Illustration: “I love Sunday’s video!” Bank Robbery Reference the door in the corner! We need to enter the battle – the fight for the souls of others by inviting people back to church- it starts by going to peoples doors – the doors of their hearts – to introduce them to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 16:29-33, 1 Kings 17:1-24, 1 Kings 18:1

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Motivational Atrocity-1

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Mar 9, 2019

1 of ? Amos declared God’s wrath to be justified/warranted due to nationally motivated atrocities. Why/When/How do nationally motivated atrocities move God to anger & retribution? National atrocity motivates God’s retribution when that nation endorses...

MOTIVATIONAL ATROCITY-I—Amos 1:3--2:5 OR--Indefensible National Atrocities/Pride Attention: The Pastor’s Cat… A pastor had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his yard & then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

There Is No Sin In The Cemetery [*]

Contributed by Michael Stark on Mar 20, 2019

Baptism pictures the transformation that has taken place in the life of the child of God. How can we, then, continue to live as thought we were dead? To live as the world lives is to attempt to dig up the corpse we buried!

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

Without A Prayer

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 25, 2016

An apologetic for the effectiveness of prayer, based on all the Scriptures where it is evident that prayer made a difference. Inductive in nature.

Have you noticed this morning that, so far, we haven’t prayed much. We prayed once. One prayer. ____ seconds long. I wonder how many of you here this morning, (except for being in SS), realized at that point that you hadn’t prayed yet today. Has that ever happened to you? Have ...read more

Scripture: Job 42:7-10

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God Is Good… All The Time! Reconnecting With The Father’s Unfailing Love

Contributed by Sebastien Richard on Jul 28, 2021

How can we get believers to believe the depth of the love of God? Is it even possible? Yes, it is! But we need a love overhaul in our understanding first...

By Sebastien Richard, Author and Bible teacher, Thriving on Purpose Ministries: https://www.thrivingonpurpose.com/ In his epistle to the Romans, Paul admonishes us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:18-19, Matthew 7:9-11, Jeremiah 29:11, James 1:13, 1 Corinthians 1:20, Romans 8:28, Romans 12:2, Luke 13:4-5, Matthew 17:14-18  (view more)  (view less)

The Prayer God Will Always Answer

Contributed by Michael Stark on Sep 10, 2021

Praying with confidence requires us to know God and to know what He has promised. Then, when we present the requests prompted by God's promise, we must defer to Him so that He is honoured in us.

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 9:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

Fire Danger: High - James 3:2-10 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Sep 23, 2021

We rarely have adequate conscious awareness of how dangerous our speech really is and the degree of damage that can be done by the forest fires our tongues can start. This message may be a hard one to listen to, but it is full of many crucial warnings. I urge you to give it a listen.

James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large ...read more

Scripture: James 3:2-10

Qualifications For Elders Series

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Oct 1, 2021

Church leaders are to have an 1) Unblemished public reputation (Titus 1:6a) and must qualify in the specific areas of: 2) Sexual morality (Titus 1:6b), 3) Family leadership (Titus1:6c), and finally 4) General character (Titus 1:7–9).

For the greater part of this century, evangelical Christianity has been deeply committed to the battle for doctrinal purity. But in many circles in recent years it has not been as committed to moral purity, even among its leaders. Inevitably the church has experienced erosion of its integrity and ...read more

Scripture: Titus 1:5-9

Denomination: Other

Commentary 1 John, Ch. 4 Series

Contributed by John Lowe on Jun 7, 2021

The mention of faith in 1John 3:23 had reminded the Apostle John of the danger of intellectual and moral error. After the last paragraph, the mention of God’s Spirit gave him a form to clothe the discussion of truth and falsehood in its human manifestations.

TRIUMPHAL ENTRY COMMENTARY 1 JOHN, CH. 4 Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. King James Bible Testing the Spirits 1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

Godly Submission Series

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Apr 23, 2021

1) The Command (1 Peter 2:13a), 2) Motive (1 Peter 2:13b), 3) Extent (1 Peter 2:13c-14), 4) Reason (1 Peter 2:15), 5) Attitude (1 Peter 2:16), and 6) The Application of Submission (1 Peter 2:17).

1 Peter 2:13-17 [13] Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, [14] or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good [15] For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:13-17

Denomination: Other

Slavery Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Oct 3, 2020

Christians are obligated by God's character to free those enmeshed in slavery. Among the enslaved in North America are those participating in the scourge of pornography and prostitution, which Christians must avoid and resist.

“During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:23-25

Denomination: Baptist