Sermons on Excluded:

The God Who Is Worth Suffering For - Matthew 5:10-12 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Jul 7, 2024

Usually when someone mistreats us because of our righteousness, we think we’re doing well if we simply endure it without getting angry or depressed. But Jesus calls us to far more than that. We are to rejoice greatly! This message will help you do that.

Matthew 5:1-12 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:10-12

What To Do When Your Culture Is Destroying Itself

Contributed by Michael Stark on Jan 10, 2024

Western culture cannot sustain itself if it continues as it has during the past several decades. How shall those who follow Christ respond when the culture in which we live moves inexorably toward self-destruction?

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

And We Hold Our Peace

Contributed by Michael Stark on Feb 4, 2023

What responsibility do we bear to our world as followers of Christ?

“There were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, ‘Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, “Let us enter the city,” the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 7:3-11

Denomination: Baptist

What To Do When Your Culture Is Destroying Itself [2nd Copy]

Contributed by Michael Stark on Apr 25, 2024

When this message was planned this past winter, services were cancelled due to a blizzard. This is a second effort that has been revised and brought up to date. How shall Christians respond as our contemporary culture self-destructs?

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A River Runs Through It

Contributed by Michael Stark on May 4, 2024

Paradise began with a river flowing from the Garden, and in Heaven a river flows from the throne of God. The message is a brief consideration of the role these rivers play in the economy of God.

“A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold” [GENESIS 2:10-11]. “The angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:10-11, Revelation 22:1-2

Denomination: Baptist

Why Do We Sin?

Contributed by Ivan Casteel on Apr 5, 2006

To point out what happens and why individuals sin.

DATE WHY DO WE SIN? Genesis 3:1-14. Ge 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Ge 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

"Man Fully Alive"

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Aug 7, 2004

"The glory of God is man fully alive" St Ireneaus

“…I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.” “The glory of God is man fully alive.” - Saint Irenaeus I had gone off to a quiet place to relax for a little while and read. I was sitting in the shade, a view of the mountains in front of me. It was not quite mid-morning ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Denomination: Orthodox

Dare To Discipline

Contributed by Dan Erickson on Nov 25, 2000

Church discipline is a very unpleasant thing - But because we love God, because we love His church, because we love the people who are a part of it, it is something we need to be willing to do

Fifteen years ago, next week, I was called to become the pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church, Wentworth, Wisconsin. As I began my first full-time ministry position, my rookie season, I found myself facing a couple of situations which were probably as difficult as any that I have dealt with the last ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Who Gets In?

Contributed by Dan Erickson on Nov 25, 2000

Making sure we are ready to enter heaven is probably as important as anything in life

A man was stranded in the desert. As he crawled across the burning sand, dying of thirst, he encountered a necktie salesman. "Can I interest you in a nice new tie?" the salesman asked. "Are you crazy?" the man gasped. "I'm dying of thirst and you want to sell me a necktie?" The salesman shrugged ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Denomination: Baptist

Why Should I Be A Wise Guy (Or Gal)? Series

Contributed by Pat Damiani on Feb 2, 2009

5th in a series from Ecclesiastes. wisdom has both advantages and limitations. So why should I pursue a life lived wisely?

We live in the most knowledgeable and technologically advanced society in the history of mankind. Most of us have more information on the hard drive of our computer than entire nations once possessed in their ancient libraries and access to an almost endless body of information through the ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:12-16

Denomination: Baptist

Freedom's Power Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Feb 5, 2009

This message warns us not to depend on a list of rules, which only makes things worse, but to depend on the Lord, who alone can change us from the inside out as He lives His life through us.

Freedom’s Power (Galatians 2:11-21) Several years ago, the Chicago Tribune, ran an article about the religious history of the Chicago area. It began with a paragraph about Zion, a small town north of the city: “Rev. John Alexander Dowie left little to chance a century ago, when the charismatic ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:11-21

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Lies We Believe About Ourselves Series

Contributed by Robert Higgins on Apr 17, 2008

A look at some lies we believe about ourselves.

Week 3: Lies We Believe About Ourselves 1. Video of a mother who learned to love. a. Last week we covered “Lies we believe about God.” b. If we believe things about God that aren’t true, we will believe things about everything else that aren’t true. Your building is only as good as the foundation ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-19

Denomination: Baptist

It's Gotta Be The Shoes Series

Contributed by Pat Damiani on Aug 10, 2008

60th in a series from Ephesians. Peace is the foundation that allows us to stand firm against the devil.

Opening: Clip of Nike commercial – “It’s gotta be the shoes.” This 1989 classic Nike commercial was intended to convince the buying public of the importance of having the right shoes. And, although shoes are often much more of a fashion statement than functional, there are still many times when ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:15

Denomination: Baptist

The Precedence Of Prayer-1

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Apr 18, 2012

1 of 3. Paul exhorted Timothy regarding the place of prayer in the Church. Prayer must take precedence in the Church. When is it obvious that it holds priority? Prayer takes precedence when...

The PRECEDENCE Of PRAYER—1Timothy 2:1-7 Attention: Janet’s four-year-old likes to say the blessing at mealtimes, usually repeating the same short prayer: "Thank you, God, for this gracious food. Amen." One evening, however, he thanked the Lord for the birds, the trees, each of his friends, & asked ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Too Good For God Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Nov 17, 2006

A look at King Uzziah and the way that success must be handled with care lest we allow it to replace our perceived need for God in our lives.

1. Title: Too Good for God 2. Text: 2 Chronicles 26 II Kings 15:1-7 3. Audience: Villa Heights Christian Church, AM crowd, 6-11-06, 4th in the series “The Kings and I” 4. Objectives: -for the people to understand the dangers of success, its typical cycle, and how to break the cycle -for the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 26:1-23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ