Sermons on Espiritual Ward:

Deliver Us From Evil

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Oct 18, 2010

How addiction is very closely related to possession, and how Jesus can set us free.

Some of you may know I have not been a faithfully worshipping churchgoer all my life. Not counting a brief flirtation with the Russian Orthodox Church, I was not part of any Christian community between the ages of 18 and 38. If you had asked me what my religious beliefs were, I would have probably ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:26-39

Denomination: Anglican

Another Chance

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Oct 18, 2010

How second chances can change lives, and what is wrong with harsher sentencing of criminals.

The most positive person I have ever met is Billy Graham, and I am not talking about the famous evangelist. This Billy Graham grew up in Naenae. Back in the 1950s, the young Billy was something of a reprobate. He got up to horrendous mischief, often targeting Hoppy Hodges, the local cop. Once Billy ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:7-14

Denomination: Anglican

Every Day Will Be Christmas

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Dec 5, 2009

Miracles do happen when we hold onto the true meaning of Christmas.

It was 1914. The war to end all wars would not be over by Christmas as had been so optimistically predicted. On the western front, it had ground down to a barbarous war of attrition fought from muddy, waterlogged, vermin-infested trenches, where one had to be constantly wary of artillery and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Anglican

Setting Ourselves Free

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Dec 5, 2009

When we forgive others, we are also setting ourselves free.

Whether we love it or hate it, we all will be familiar with Coronation Street, UK’s longest running soap opera. I am not much of a television watcher, but I do have a soft spot for the street. One reason is that the characters are like real people. They have flaws and blemishes, they do not wake ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Denomination: Anglican

Neither Confused Nor Divided

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Dec 5, 2009

Sermon for Trinity Sunday on the Holy Trinity and the unity of the Church.

During the time of Oliver Cromwell, thousands of stained glass windows in English churches were destroyed, because the English puritans objected to objects of veneration, which they called ’abused images’. Of those stained glass windows that did survive, few were undamaged, and there was an ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19

Denomination: Anglican

The Grateful Samaritan

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Dec 6, 2009

The importance of gratitude and humility.

We all know about the good Samaritan, but how many of us have heard of the grateful Samaritan? We are going to meet him today, but firstly I want to tell you about my friend Allen. Allen was quite different from most people. To have called him unconventional would have been an understatement, and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Denomination: Anglican

Under The Influence

Contributed by David Ward on Apr 1, 2010

"More filling--relate great!" When we have more filling of the Holy Spirit, we can relate great in our marriages, families, and workplaces.

INTRODUCTION: Tim Sanders—former chief solutions officer at Yahoo! and author of Love Is the Killer App—shares the following thought about establishing priorities: Take your life and all the things that you think are important, and put them in one of three categories. These three ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No More Goodbyes

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Dec 5, 2012

Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem when he knew he was facing certain death.

One family event I will never forget is my father’s 73rd birthday. My mother, my brother, his family and I gathered round Dad, sang happy birthday and gave him a cake to cut. We did our best to make it a happy occasion for him, and I think we succeeded. Given the circumstances though, none of us ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

Denomination: Anglican

The Church And Excluded Fathers

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Dec 5, 2012

A Christian response to fathers being excluded from their children’s lives.

Today is fathers’ day. While I would prefer it was celebrated on the Feast of St. Joseph, the patron saint of fathers, I am grateful Amanda and Maria are making today memorable for me. To mark fathers’ day, I will be speaking about the Church and pastoral care for men, specifically those whom I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:23-24

Denomination: Anglican

The Day Of The Lord

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Dec 5, 2012

Sermon about the Second Coming and popular misconceptions about what this means.

When I was in my early teens, I went to a film evening put on by our local branch of Youth for Christ and watched A Thief in the Night and A Distant Thunder. These were the first two of a series of ‘end times’ films that dealt with the second coming of the Christ, the rapture and the great ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:24-37

Denomination: Anglican

Stop The Senseless Killings

Contributed by Darryl Ward on Dec 5, 2012

Sermon about alcohol fuelled killings of youth in Kapiti.

Like the rest of our community, I was shocked by the recent violent deaths near local popular drinking spots of two of our young citizens: Izak Millanta and Sean Strongman-Lintern. As well as mourning its loss, our community is, quite rightly, asking questions. Asking what caused these tragedies. ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

Listen

Contributed by David Ward on Feb 26, 2013

An exposition of Samuel's call from God, and an exhortation to listen for God's voice

INTRODUCTION: In the early 1900s, back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What We Learn From Fishing

Contributed by Michael Ward on May 4, 2013

Successful fisherman are properly prepared and dedicated to their craft; called to be "fishers of men," Christians must also be dedicated to our calling.

Introduction A. Matthew 4:18-22. B. Think for a moment of the positive results of fishing. 1. Fishing is a healthy, fresh-air activity, very relaxing (for the most part). 2. Fishing provides a perfect setting for fun and togetherness with family and friends. 3. Fishing is a good way to make new ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:18-22

Gospel Without Walls Series

Contributed by David Ward on Aug 15, 2012

BIG IDEA: Following Jesus involves walking through walls with the gospel.

“Gospel Without Walls” John 4 INTRODUCTION: “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” is an action movie starring Tom Cruise. Early in the film, Tom and an IMF teammate must sneak into the Kremlin and steal something out of the vault. How in the world will they attempt that? ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Writing On The Wall Series

Contributed by David Ward on Mar 8, 2014

Big Idea: Our days are numbered--how much will they weigh?

“The Writing on the Wall” Daniel 5 INTRODUCTION You might not want to listen to this message today. I’m serious—you might not want to know what I’m going to tell you. You may be happier not knowing, because once you know, then you are responsible for what you know. What the Scripture has to ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 5:1-31

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational