Sermons on Eves:

Candle And Cradle, Curse And Cross

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 6, 2009

Every positive experience has its negative side. Jesus’ coming was threatening to many, and His birth foreshadows a cross. The light of Christ, however, will never be put out.

Dr. Seuss knew that every Christmas has a Grinch. Every positive experience, it would seem, has a dark side, a negative side. Every Christmas has a Grinch to steal away its joy. Maybe you are one of those people, and there are quite a few of them, who just get tired of the whole murky business ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Friend Of The Full Heart Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 23, 2009

Christmas is a time for full hearts: weary, guilty, anxious, sad -- past, present, and future. Mary felt the same things, but Christ comes to forgive our past, empower our present, and assure our future.

Christmas is an emotional time. All kinds of feelings are involved with the celebration of Christmas. If you don’t feel some tension, some excitement, or some pressure, something at this time of the year, you are either dead or you’ve been watching the Redskins, which is about the same thing. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Baptist

Light In The Darkness Series

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Aug 31, 2009

God sends Jesus to bring light to a world darkened by sin.

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined." Not many of us today have any real concept of darkness. We probably think of it as dark right now, but in fact we live in a world where even in the dead of night light ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7

Denomination: Anglican

The Spirit Of Christmas Leaders

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 23, 2009

If we follow the wisdom of Isaiah, we will be effective leaders for good.

Christmas Eve December 24 2009 From the stump of Jesse Isaiah 11:1-3 The short reading from Isaiah we just heard is part of a longer passage that ends in a familiar passage: the reign of the king prophesied here will by ideal and idyllic. “Uprightness will be the belt around his waist, and ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:1-6

Denomination: Catholic

The Lights Of Christmas Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 28, 2009

What if you missed the lights of Christmas? What would you miss? You would miss Jesus!

Christmas Eve Service: The lights of Christmas Texts: Isaiah 9:1-7 1Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Echoes That Will Not Die

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 3, 2009

In the song of the angels we hear echoes of our ancient problems -- meaning, sin, peace -- all of which are dealt with in the coming of Christ.

The drama of Christmas is focused on a starlit night at a manger, on a mother and a babe, on the small things of life. And yet it is also wide open to eternity, it is a window into past and present and future. The drama of Christmas seems to play on such ordinary things. Tax legislation; taxes, ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 14:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

The Gospel According To Isaiah

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Dec 17, 2009

Isaiah prophesied long ago that the Messiah, Jesus, was coming, and therefore, we must accept Him into our hearts today.

The Gospel According to Isaiah Text: Isaiah 9:1-7 Introduction 1. Illustration: Praise God for Christmas. Praise Him for the incarnation, for the word made flesh. I will not sing of shepherds watching flocks on frosty nights, or angel choristers. I will not sing of a stable bare in Bethlehem, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7

Denomination: Methodist

Journey From Galilee To Judea

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Dec 22, 2010

Joseph and Mary traveled from Galilee to Judea to be registered / taxed and to be at the right place at the right time to give birth to Jesus (vision).

Opening illustration: In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-7

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gift Worth Giving

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Dec 13, 2011

At times it’s the kind of person that we say, “Oh, my goodness we’ve got to get a gift because they gave me a gift. And I hope this is about the same cost.” Kind of a tit for a tat. And so when we think of God, we think of grace and we say, “There’s no wa

Opening illustration: Play the Jesus Gift video Introduction: Long before we took our first breath, our Creator showed Himself to be a great giver of everything a man or woman could ask for. Today, He still wants to give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37: 4). As the Father of heaven, He is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

First Christmas Risk-Takers

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Dec 21, 2011

Risk taking at times needs to be bold and calculated. Other times require spontaneity. Risk taking is taking on something that causes fear and has the possibility of failure. Risk taking is an essential ingredient in ministry in the Kingdom of God. Most B

Opening illustration: Three pastors have been called Monday to report to prison in Shiraz, a city in southwestern Iran, within the next 30 days in what is estimated to be an act of religious persecution. The pastors were essentially being sentenced for having meetings at home, making the government ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:40-42

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus, Born Of A Virgin Series

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Dec 23, 2011

In this lesson, I would like to review some objections to the virgin conception of Jesus.

Introduction Several years ago Larry King, the well-known CNN television talk-show host, was asked, “If you could interview anyone in all of history, who would that person be?” Do you know what he said? “Jesus Christ!” “And what would you like to ask him?” the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-21

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Real Meaning Of Christmas (Part 3) Series

Contributed by Denis O'callaghan Ph.d. ,th.d., D.d., D. Phil. on Dec 24, 2011

The Jews tried to keep Christ contained within their law, while the Greeks sought to turn Him into a philosophy; the Romans made of Him an empire; the Europeans reduced Him to a culture, and we Americans have made a business of Him. God may thunder His co

The "Real" meaning behind Christmas (Part 3) The seven sayings of Christ on the cross are seven windows from which we are able to look into the very heart and mind of God! Gentle Readers, The Third word that Christ spoke from the cross was The Word of Affection "Now there stood by the cross ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:28-29

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Splendor Of Christmas

Contributed by Cameron Bottema on May 28, 2012

The splendor and majesty of Jesus upon His birth.

THE SPLENDOR OF CHRISTMAS Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 2:1-12 We are probably wrong when we paint pictures, write poetry, compose music, and preach sermons depicting the Wise Men from the East bending over the crude feeding trough in a cattle stable. That was the unique experience of the Shepherds, as ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Friends

Repent

Contributed by Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid on Oct 23, 2015

To perish, Nineveh thought best not to, when repentance was the discipline to obedience needed to save their souls through forgiveness, to enter in to the salvation plan of God through Christ Jesus, unlike the Galileans and those sinners at Siloam.

REPENT by Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (October 23, 2015) “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here [“So the people of Nineveh ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-5

Denomination: Friends

Safe? Who Said Anything About Safe? Series

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Dec 24, 2012

Do you come regularly to church .... regularly once a year at Christmas? Perhaps you are more committed to God than you yourself think, and perhaps God has things in store for you that you don’t yet realise.

Before the mass begins, projected on the screen are the words: "Imagine God speaks to you tonight. What are you afraid he might ask you to do?" I refer to this question and leave it hanging as I welcome people ......... liturgy continues as normal for Midnight mass, until the ...read more

Denomination: Anglican