Sermons on Expectation:

First Things First

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Feb 18, 2009

Half our miseries are caused by fancying things that we think are coming upon us: half the things that we expect to come upon us never come at all. Where is our faith? “Do not be worried about tomorrow” that is the commandment of Christ, and it is the way

Opening illustration: A seminar leader wanted to make an important point, so he took a wide mouth jar and filled it with rocks. “Is the jar full?” he asked. “Yes,” came a reply. “Oh, really?” he said. Then poured smaller pebbles into the jar to fill the spaces between the rocks. “Is it full now?” ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Book Of The Law In The House Of The Lord

Contributed by Bruce Allen on Jun 18, 2004

Just as Josiah discovered God’s Word and demanded to know what it said in order to follow it. So too, today, are we as a church of God expected to discover God’s Word in this house and make it the only Rule of our Faith and Practice.

2 Chronicles 34:14-15, 18-21a (2 Chronicles 34:1-33 and 2 Kings 22:1-20) The Book of the Law in the House of the LORD Now when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law given by Moses. Then Hilkiah answered and said to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 34:14-21

Denomination: Baptist

Christ Is Born!

Contributed by Daniel Haas on Dec 24, 2008

Why did they have to lay this poor child in a manger? It’s not said that they were too poor to afford a decent place, but there simply was no place in the inn. Come on: They knew she was pregnant. Traveling with an expecting woman you make reservations, d

Sermon on Christmas Eve 2008: Christ is born Birth: Luke 2:1-7 * Down-to-earth story * Political context * Not a cute family scene, but privacy issues * The powers of the time: Roman Emperor and Governor, Oppressors * Joseph and Mary humbled themselves and followed the order to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Congregational

How To Grow A Church

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Nov 29, 2010

God wants His church to be fruitful. He wants and expects growth, both spiritual growth and numerical growth. If we are to be obedient to our commission from Christ we must grow. Let’s look at what it takes to grow a church.

toHow to Grow a Church Matthew 16:13-19 Introduction: God wants His church to be fruitful. He wants and expects growth, both spiritual growth and numerical growth. But the sad reality is that that according to one survey 81% of America’s churches reported stagnant or declining membership. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-19

Denomination: Baptist

God’s Grace Toward People You Can’t Stand

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Dec 18, 2013

We want God's grace given to us but we're not as happy when God's grace is extended to the person who hurt us. This message looks at Jonah's anger and what God expects of us toward those who've hurt us.

WHAT GOD BELIEVES: We want God’s actions to line up with our pre-existing beliefs. - We want God to work within the confines of our pre-existing beliefs and values. We don’t want to have to go through the hard work of changing what we think and believe. - We want to love God and be a ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

Profitable For The Ministry

Contributed by John Gaston on Aug 5, 2018

All God’s servants are entrusted with gifts and talents by God. God expects us to produce a spiritual profit. At His return He will reward those who increase His investment and punish those who fail to. John Mark was profitable.

PROFITABLE FOR THE MINISTRY 2 Tim. 4:11 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR (Pastor’s humor about inconsistent members) 1. In Minnesota three pastors got together. They discovered that all three of their churches had infestations of bats. They decided to compare notes of how they had dealt with the problem. ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

One Way We Accidentally Trip Up New Believers Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Dec 14, 2018

The Christian life is challenging and one way we trip up new believers is by giving them false expectations about what the journey will be like. This passage details the difficulties Paul encountered and serves as a good summary of the struggles any believer may encounter.

HOW WOULD THEIR MINISTRY BE DISCREDITED? If their children in the faith didn’t continue the race. - 2 Corinthians 6:3b – “. . . so that our ministry will not be discredited.” - Paul talks elsewhere about his children in the faith being his joy. And certainly they were. Here we see another truth ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:3-10

Denomination: Baptist

Spiritual Leadership In The Church And In The Home Series

Contributed by David Owens on Jul 15, 2019

God has created men and women with equal status and value, but with different roles. God has given the primary role of spiritual leadership in the church and in the home to men. God has very high expectations for the kind of leadership men employ in the home and in the church.

Introduction: A. The story is told of two police officers who responded to a call from the dispatcher concerning a bad traffic accident. 1. When they arrived on the scene, they found a father, mother and two children who were all unconscious inside the wrecked car. 2. After the ambulances arrived ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:25-28, Matthew 23:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15, Ephesians 5:25-31, Colossians 3:19, 1 Peter 3:7, Hebrews 13:4, Deuteronomy 6:6-9  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Jesus Cleanses The Temple

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Mar 3, 2018

Why does Jesus cleanse the Temple rather than deal with the Roman occuppying force. In short, because the Priests were not living up to the standards God expected from them. The Temple's uses were being abused. God requires higher standards.

TSJ 04-03-2018 John 2: 13-25: Jesus clears the Temple This morning's Gospel reading blows a hole in our comfortable view of Jesus being "Gentle Jesus meek and mild.". He was anything else but meek and mild This morning we see Jesus clearing the money changers out of the Temple. We read in ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

Plateau? Accepting The Little?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Dec 9, 2015

I use a rubber band to illustrate how faith must stretch us... Will we keep doing things the same old way and expect a different outcome. Lot settled for less than what God had planned. Faith reaches beyond...

PLATEAU? CHOOSING TO LIVE IN ZOAR, THE PLACE OF LITTLE... By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Thanks Garry Brackett for the trail to this lesson... I USE RUBBER BANDS FOR THIS LESSON... The real value of a rubber band is when you STRETCH IT. Discuss how a rubber band must feel when ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 13:12

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Hold Him Up

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Feb 7, 2015

Like Moses, your pastor cannot and is not expected by God to do the work by himself. Like Moses pastors need others who will hold his arms high that they may be steadied and that he may be able to lead as God would have him do.

Hold Him Up Exodus 17:8-13 Under the leadership of Moses, God delivered Israel from Egypt and was led into the wilderness in route to the Promised Land. In their journeying, Israel came to Rephidim. There at Rephidim, the Amalekites, nomadic descendants of Esau, began to conduct assaults against ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 17:8-13

Denomination: Baptist

Trouble In Paradise Series

Contributed by Tim Diack on Jan 16, 2012

We begin our marriages with high hopes and great expectations and marriage is a wonderful gift from God. No marriage is perfect though and we experience "trouble in paradise." Our understanding of what God's word has to say about marriage and divorce wi

Trouble in Paradise - Matthew 5:31-32 - January 15, 2012 Series: Kingdom Life – A World Turned Upside Down #14 This April I will have been in full time pastoral ministry for some 10 years. In that time I’ve had the privilege of literally preaching several hundred messages. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:31-32

Denomination: *other

Since We Have This Ministry Series

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Feb 13, 2012

Did you know that you have a ministry calling? Paul is not writing to a group of pastors but to a church. Do you know what your ministry calling is as a member of the Body of Christ? Do you know what to expect as you go out to minister?

4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, Bernard L. Brown, Jr., president of the Kennestone Regional Health Care System in the state of Georgia once worked in a hospital where a patient knocked over a cup of water, which spilled on the floor beside the patient’s bed. The patient was ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Just Remember Who The Star Of The Show Is…..it’s You

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jan 31, 2013

Just how does God expect us Christians to live in such a dark and evil time that we live? Paul says in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Everything in prayer….I believe thankfulness motivates prayer and prayer in turn motivates than

Just remember who the star of the show is…..it’s You Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8

Denomination: Baptist

An Introduction To Romans

Contributed by Scott Spencer on Aug 22, 2013

When you open the Bible, do you expect God to speak to you personally? If you truly believe that the Bible is God's word then you should. You see, because God loves His people, He communicates His truth to them.

Romans An Introduction to Romans Romans 1:7a (Romans 1:7a) It is probably safe to say that there is no consensus in our society concerning God. Ideas concerning God are probably as numerous today as in any time in history. Various theories about God have always been in vogue. There is the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:7

Denomination: Calvary Chapel