Sermons on False Expectations:

Expect The Unexpected

Contributed by Paul Robinson on Sep 27, 2022

Life is full of unexpected moments—it would be boring without them. But what happens when that unexpected moment is huge? It affects you personally, and it’s something that seems unbearable. It causes you to doubt. That’s what we find in Luke 7 with John the Baptist.

Has something unexpected ever happened to you? —you find a 20 dollar bill in between the cushions on your couch —you bump into someone at the store that you haven’t seen in 5 years —the forecast says it’ll be sunny, but it pours —the dog decides to bring you a gift from the outside world, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:19-20

Denomination: Baptist

Exceeding Expectations Series

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Jun 16, 2023

Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. This means that He wants us to exceed the spiritual expectations prescribed by the Law; as we are to strive for excellence in our walk with God.

I have entitled our message, “Exceeding Expectations,” and I want to begin by sharing a true story. A contractor in Mexico was hired to build a Catholic Church, but he used cheap materials in order to make more money. He reasoned that the quality of the materials did not matter, so long as the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-22

Denomination: Baptist

Great Expectations

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 23, 2023

John the Baptist's followers struggle with changing their allegiance to Jesus.

Zach was tired. He had been coming down to Tiberias every week for almost two months, bringing news and food to John in prison, and it looked like he’d probably be doing it for the rest of the year. Nothing had changed. After Herod arrested John for publicly accusing him of incest and adultery, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:2-11

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Easter Expectations

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Mar 14, 2023

This is a message I preached along with our Easter program, I wanted to build the excitement of Easter, relating how the first Easter brought this expectation.

INTRODUCTION: Happy Easter to you! We are so glad you came to worship with us today. Please turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke. As we read about the disciples and what they expected on that first Easter morning, we should ask ourselves, “What are our Easter expectations?” Text: Luke ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Expecting Miracles

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Apr 8, 2023

We are not unsuspecting people who came to Jerusalem and walked into a miracle. We are already part of an ongoing miracle - and don’t want to miss a minute of it!

Three times a year, every Jewish man was supposed to come to Jerusalem to give thanks. Their Thanksgiving, like ours, was in the fall. They called it the Feast of Tabernacles, or Booths, though, because people built temporary shelters out in the fields to sleep in overnight, that is if they slept ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21, Ezekiel 37:10

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Asking With Expectation Series

Contributed by Christopher Benfield on Mar 9, 2022

Prayer is the greatest tool the Christian has. It is through prayer that we make our petitions known unto God. We will never be any stronger spiritually than our prayer life allows.

Asking with Expectation Matthew 7: 7-11 We have come to a very familiar and favorite portion of the Sermon on the Mount. We have considered the importance of prayer in previous studies, and yet once again, Jesus emphasizes its importance in these verses. Our Lord understood the importance of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-11

Denomination: Baptist

Reasonable Expectations

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Mar 25, 2022

Life has become very frustrating for many professing Christians, primarily because their EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT REASONABLE.

Illus: Reaching the end of a job interview, the Technical Recruiter asked a young Engineer fresh out of college, "And what starting salary were you looking for?" The Engineer said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package." The recruiter ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:19-20

Denomination: Baptist

Your Expectation

Contributed by Mike Rickman on May 8, 2020

Your understanding of God's nature will influence your expectation of Him

May 9, 2020 Title: Your Expectation I have been retired for over two years now. This “Pandemic” that we have all fallen victim to is changing the landscape of our faith and our church experience. I saw a recent report on the Internet that said there is a “Pandemic” Revival taking place around the ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-17

Denomination: Assembly Of God

An Exhortation Of Expectation Series

Contributed by Christopher Benfield on Dec 16, 2020

Having shared his heart and burden for the church, Paul now shifts his focus to the lives expected of believers. They were no longer their own, and were expected to live in a way that honored and glorified the Lord.

An Exhortation of Expectation 1 Thessalonians 4: 1-8 In the previous chapter Paul devoted a substantial portion of this letter revealing his heart and desire for ministry. In case there was any doubt, Paul assured them of his love and devotion for the Lord and His church. He presented a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Christmas Expectations Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 8, 2021

There is no other holiday like Christmas, where expectation is so much a part of it's celebration. We look forward to Christmas, longer, and with greater anticipation, then all other holidays combined.

Henry McCushy, of the Texas Employment Commission, said they had a hard time getting men to be department store Santa Clauses, one year. The reason was, the high percentage of children who were kicking Santa in the shins for not coming through the year before. They expected Santa to live up to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-32

Expect The Unexpected Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 25, 2021

There is no such thing as a hopeless case. The lease likely people in this world can become children of God, and can become leaders in the kingdom, as did this Samaritan sinner.

The unexpected is the source of so much of the joy of life. Our three year old granddaughter, Jennifer, was praying at the table a couple of weeks ago. I noticed she was going faster than usual, and she came to the end saying, "In Jesus name, amen." Then she shouted, "I win." ...read more

Great Expectations Series

Contributed by Troy Borst on Jun 15, 2016

We will discover expectations we have of God. We will discover expectations God has of us.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS 1 JOHN 2:1-6 #expectations INTRODUCTION… Expectations An expectation is a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future. An expectation is a belief that someone will or should achieve something. We can have expectations about An expectation is ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:1-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Be Expectant Of Jesus

Contributed by Richard Papafio on Apr 30, 2018

Without expectations you would receive nothing here on earth

May the peace of the Lord be with you. Topic: BE EXPECTANT OF JESUS Acts 3:5-7 King James Version (KJV) 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:5-7

Denomination: Charismatic

Expectation In The Spirit Series

Contributed by Mike Rickman on Dec 29, 2017

What are your spiritual expectations for the new year?

December 21, 2017 Morning Worship Text: Acts 4:30 Subject: Revive Us Part 1 Title: Expectation in the Spirit I trust everyone had a blessed Christmas… Isn’t great to be able to get together with family and celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus? And at the same time it is always good to get back ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Christmas Expectation

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Dec 25, 2016

A 10-15-minute Christmas Eve devotional

Christmas Expectation A 10-15-minute Christmas Eve Devotional Chuck Sligh December 25, 2016 TEXT: Turn in your Bibles to Luke 2 Illus. – Do you remember the anticipation you had as a child when you went to bed on Christmas Eve? (ELABORATE) Clement Clarke Moore captured that sense of anticipation ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:25-32

Denomination: Baptist