Sermons on Excellence At Work:

From Tranquility To Captivity

Contributed by Mark Holdcroft on May 4, 2003

Paul’s transition from a time of tranquility to captivity actually served to take his ministry to a new realm of effectiveness.

From Tranquility to Captivity. Acts 21:1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2:We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3:After sighting Cyprus and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 21:1-15, Acts 9:15-16

Denomination: Pentecostal

Baptism - Where We Have Been Forgetful Series

Contributed by Jeremy Houck on May 4, 2003

Last in my Baptism series. This sermon serves as a reminder of our baptisms.

I love the story about the older couple that had trouble remembering common, day-to-day things. They both decided that they would write down requests the other had, and so try to avoid forgetting. One evening the wife asked if the husband would like anything. He replied, “Yes. I’d like a large ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:8-14

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Faith Of A Desperate Single Mom

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 9, 2003

This single mom’s faith has great lessons for us as we celebrate Mother’s Day in 2003.

FAITH OF A DESPERATE SINGLE MOM I came across this (www.christianitytoday.com) and I thought I share it with you as we begin this morning’s message - “Faster than a speeding toddler, more powerful than a cocky teenager, able to leap roller blades and hockey sticks in a single bound! Look up on ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:7-24

Denomination: Evangelical Free

An Eunuch Experience

Contributed by Dawn Marie Turner on May 19, 2003

That we have to listen to where God wants us to go, so we can fully serve Him and be able witnesses for Him.

Isaiah 12 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD , the LORD , is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD , call on his name; make known ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:26-40

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Dry Bones, Hear The Word Of The Lord!

Contributed by Michael Otterstatter on May 23, 2003

Through a powerful vision the LORD showed Ezekiel the source of spiritual life for God’s people. Only the Word of the LORD can make spiritually dry bones live!

To those who study them bones tell stories. Anthropologists who study the history of animal life read stories in the bones they find. They may find evidence of some species that has long since become extinct and look at their bones for the story behind why they died out. Human bones may also ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Denomination: Lutheran

Rocky Iv - The Comeback Kid Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 25, 2003

Acts 4 presents Peter as a confident, powerful preacher of Christ... but not two months earlier he had been a cowering coward. What made the difference?

OPEN: In the 70’s there was runaway hit movie starring Sylvester Stallone, entitled "Rocky." Many people, including myself were unaware that the movie was based on a real life boxer named Chuck Werner - otherwise known as the Bayonne Bleeder (because he bled so easily and freely throughout his ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-31

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Are You Ready?

Contributed by Johanna Radelfinger on May 26, 2003

Are you ready? If you were to die right now would you go to Heaven? God wants you to know positively that you are saved or not.

Are You Ready? I dedicate this sermon first of all to God for showing me this wonderful truth. And to my friend, Keith who shouted to others this truth by his actions until the day he died. I know I will see him in Heaven. I went to Curacoa for my mission trip last ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:6-7, Romans 3:23-25

Denomination: Adventist

A Test Of Endurance

Contributed by Joey Nelson on Jun 2, 2003

Jesus has been very busy in ministry and opposition is becoming stronger against him. He needed to withdraw. Jesus is tired, away from home, among non-Jewish people, one of which was a woman who had very little to offer to Him, but who wouldn’t go away.

INTRODUCTION Opening Statement: Have you ever been frustrated by a test or an exam that was unclear or needlessly confusing? I have and I am reminded of a story that I read this week in this regard. A guy was taking a class in ornithology (ôr´nə-thŏlʹə-jē), the study of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

Falling Into Satan's Trap

Contributed by Rick Kallstrom on Jun 9, 2003

Paul’s time on earth was coming to an end. He had fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith. Soon, Paul would be a victim of Nero’s chopping block. Now one of his closest disciples, Demas, has left him.

This morning I want to talk to you about falling into Satan’s Trap. As we examine our scripture this morning, we find that the Apostle Paul is writing his final letter to Timothy, his son in the Lord. Paul is writing to Timothy from his jail cell in Rome. I suspect that it is wintertime when ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Blessed Is The Nation... Part 1

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Jun 17, 2003

We’ve gone a long ways away from our roots as Americans. So, one of my goals is to do a little bit of educating. People need to know this, & if they don’t hear it at church, where will they hear it?

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK (Much of this sermon and the following one, "Blessed Is the Nation...Part 2," came from books by David Barton, and excerpts from other sermons. At the time I prepared this sermon I was much more ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 33:12

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Sure Heritage

Contributed by Curtis Kittrell on Jun 21, 2003

On the eighteenth of July, A.D. 64, during the reign of that tyrannical emperor, Nero, the great fire of Rome took place in which three quarters of the city was consumed. It has been usually thought that Nero caused the fire and that while he watched from

A SURE HERITAGE SCRIPTURE: I Peter 1:1-5 INTRODUCTION On the eighteenth of July, A.D. 64, during the reign of that tyrannical emperor, Nero, the great fire of Rome took place in which three quarters of the city was consumed. It has been usually thought that Nero caused the fire and that while he ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1-5

Denomination: Pentecostal

Investments: A Good Thing?

Contributed by Denn Guptill on Jun 30, 2003

We take a look at bad investments, earthly ones, as compared to good investments, heavenly ones.

Have you been following the entire Martha Stewart thing? It was just a year ago that the allegations surfaced that the Queen of Gracious Living was involved in an insider trading scandal. The prosecutors are saying that Stewart sold 4000 shares of ImClone Systems after finding out that there was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-27

Denomination: Wesleyan

In Sorrow, We Go Forward

Contributed by Dawn Marie Turner on Jun 30, 2003

Even when bad things happen we need to look ahead to the cross of Christ.

Psalm 130 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; 2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 130:1-8, 2 Samuel 1:1-27

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Strength Of The Equilateral Triangle Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 9, 2003

Strength in families requires all three elements: faith, hope, and love. Illustrated with timbers handled to show that without all three the structure is unstable.

Some of the old-timers used to say that bad things come in threes. Did you ever hear that? There is a notion out there that you never have just one disaster, you always have three, closely grouped. If there is a plane crash in the Andes today, look out, there will be two more in the near ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 2 Timothy 1:3-7

Denomination: Baptist

No Better Than We Are Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 13, 2003

It is a dangerous illusion to excuse our selves by claiming that we are no worse than anyone else. We find faults in people who look too perfect or who don’t give us what we want when we want it. But help comes from Jesus, who IS better than we are.

When you get caught in some sort of blunder, how do you get out of it? How do you take care of your guilt when you are weighed in the balances and found wanting? Let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that you’ve shaded the truth. I will not suggest that you have lied; you have shaded the ...read more

Scripture: Job 22:1

Denomination: Baptist