Sermons on Exceeding Expectations:

The Unexpected Jesus

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Mar 25, 2013

What do you expect from Jesus? The people, disciples, and the religious leaders had some very specific expectations of Jesus on Palm Sunday. He shattered all of them, just as He shatters our expectations as well. And that's a good thing!

John 12:1-2, 9-19 Jesus performed an incredible miracle in raising Lazarus. It made huge waves. It wasn’t the first person Jesus raised, but it was the first who had been raised after the Jewish belief that the soul had left the body. According to the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:1-44

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

God Is Able

Contributed by Dennis Mcconnaughhay on Dec 28, 2002

God is not confined to the box of our imagination. God will not be defined and limited to our boundaries, our limits, and our parameters. God is bigger than our box.

God is Able Ephesians 3:20-21 (eg) Life in the box…confined, limited, seems safe, “normal”, seems the way it should be…But there is More… · But Life in the box is not where God is · God is bigger than our box. · God will not let us conveniently confine Him to our Limits, our Boundaries, to our ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20-21

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Move From Fear To Faith

Contributed by Paul Fritz on May 16, 2003

The Holy Spirit helps you overcome your fear of exceeding your gifts, your physical energies or your family’s ability to cope with extra attention. Moses struggled with such fears until the Lord spoke to him saying, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him

Illustration:After a preacher died and went to heaven, he noticed that a New York cabdriver had been given a higher place than he had. "I don’t understand," he complained to St. Peter. "I devoted my entire life to my congregation." "Our policy is to reward results," explained St. Peter. "Now ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 4:10-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ephesus

Contributed by Ken Gilmore on Jun 20, 2002

What God expects from a church is often different from what the Church thinks he expects. This was true at Ephesus and is true at many other churches.

Rev 2:1-7 Introduction: -Seven Golden Candlesticks are the seven churches. -Seven stars are their ministers -Why only seven of the churches – why not Troas, Miletus, Colosse, or Hieropolis? -These seven letters contain messages valuable to our church. Let us identify what God loves about these ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

A New Walk For A New Man

Contributed by Jerry Flury on May 19, 2010

God expects and insists that if you have experienced the new birth that you act like a new person. He expects a new walk for a new man.

A New Walk for A New Man Romans 8:1-6 Introduction: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” When you accept the grace of God by faith, trusting in the finished ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

When The Lord Makes You Wonder

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Apr 16, 2016

Sometimes the Lord is going to make us wonder, so... 1. Expect some mysteries. 2. Expect some miracles. 3. Exalt our Master.

When the Lord Makes You Wonder Mark 7:24-37 Sermon by Rick Crandall Grayson Baptist Church - April 10, 2016 *One of the most memorable things Jesus said on the cross is found in Matthew 27:46: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?'' Well, we know and Jesus knew that He was suffering and dying ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:24-37

Denomination: Baptist

Visitation Of The Lord

Contributed by Jeremias Fababier on Oct 24, 2016

Something great happen every time the Lord visits His people and we can expect great things but He also expect from us.

TOPIC: VISITATION OF THE LORD Text: Ruth 1:1-6 v. 6, “6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.” ESV Introduction: What would you do if a well known ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be The Gift!

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Dec 8, 2018

This Christmas season as we seek to meet our Christmas Expectations, how can we help others meet those expectations, by our being the gift.

Be the Gift! Matthew 2:1-12 December 9, 2018 In past years we’ve talked about the art of regifting. And it is an art. How do you tactfully give a gift which you’ve been given and remember who gave it to you, so that you don’t regift to the giver? That can be pretty exhausting in and of itself. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Encountering Jesus In The Most Unexpected Places And At The Most Unexpected Times. Series

Contributed by Mark Van Cuylenburg on May 11, 2020

Like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus we to can encounter Jesus when we least expect to and where we least expect to find Him.

If you had asked my parents what religion they were and how they had bought up their children they would have said, without hesitation, that they were Christians, and that we, my brothers Gary and Paul, and my sister Carol, and I, had been brought up in the Christian faith, except of course that my ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35, Revelation 20:11-15

Denomination: Baptist

The Unprofitable Servant

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on Jul 15, 2025

God is not unjust; He never expects from us what He hasn’t first given. However, He expects productivity, faithfulness, and stewardship.

THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text: Matthew 25:24-30 Supporting Texts: Luke 17:10, Matthew 7:19, John 15:2, Romans 12:11, Proverbs 18:9 INTRODUCTION: In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus presents a clear contrast between faithful and unfaithful ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:24-30

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Missing The Best While Looking For The Rest

Contributed by James May on Jul 25, 2010

What do we expect to find when we go to the House of the Lord? God has so much more in store for those who will reach out in expectation and receive what He wants to give.

Missing the Best While Looking for the Rest Sunday, July 25, 2010 AM By Pastor James May What did you come to church looking for this morning? You got up this morning, knowing that today would likely be a rainy day because of the remnants of a tropical storm that were coming into the area, yet ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:1-10

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Words: Consider The Source Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 31, 2021

Seriously, though, there is a difference. God’s Word has power to propel us through life in Godliness, the word of man has some power, and the word of agitators can have a good dose of negative power. When it comes to words, we need to consider the source.

Words: Consider the Source (Proverbs 29:18, 19, 21, 22) 1. None of us doubt the power of words. This story illustrates it. 2. A group of Frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other Frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:18-19, Proverbs 29:21-22

Denomination: Independent/Bible

When Your Government Is Ungodly - Part 1 Series

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Mar 26, 2017

1. Expect Christ's enemies to be energized (vs. 1-3). 2. Expect more souls to be saved (vs. 4). 3. Expect more help from Heaven (vs. 5-10). 4. Tell the truth about Jesus (vs. 7-12).

When Your Government Is Ungodly - Part 1 Acts 4:1-12 Sermon by Rick Crandall Grayson Baptist Church - July 14, 2013 *We still live in somewhat of a bubble here in the Bible Belt. Yes, over the years, much has gone downhill spiritually, but it’s still different here. One of the main reasons goes ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Bring Me Another Vessel

Contributed by Samuel M on Sep 24, 2024

God's oil was overflowing, but her expectations or limitations stopped the flow of oil. She did not prepare for a great miracle by gathering many vessels. She prepared by gathering vessels based on her expectation (or limitation) just expecting a (small) miracle.

So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:2-7

10 Commandments: How Should Christians Observe Them?

Contributed by Tommy Ellis on May 5, 2002

Compares Old Testament observance of the commandments with Jesus’ expectations.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS OBSERVE THEM? All of the great religions that proclaim belief in one God submit to the 10 Commandments. Yet, how do we, as Christians, understand and obey these so-called Jewish commandments? Please read Exodus 20:1-17 For the Christian, the 10 ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17

Denomination: Pentecostal