Sermons on First Appearance:

Putting Jesus First Isn't Easy. Series

Contributed by Michael Blitz on May 5, 2024

Martha's jealousy and anger drove her to the point where she was literally yelling at the Lord, and bossing him around. How did she get to this point? What is the point of service to God, family and church, and what can get in our way?

Good Morning. I got a fun story to start with as we dig into the story of Mary and Martha. It took place in 1956, and Tom Attridge was test piloting the brand new jet they wanted to use for the famous Blue Angels. Gunning it up to break the sound barrier, he was instructed to test fire his guns at ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Denomination: Anglican

The First Sunday Of Advent, Year C: Not Very Christmasy.

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Nov 12, 2024

The Church tells the Christmas Story backwards: the focus is to prepare for the coming of the Lord: at the end of the world, and when Christ comes for us at the end of our individual worlds, at death.

Our Gospel from St. Luke today is a little unsettling. Not very Christmasy. Unseasonal thoughts about the end of the world. Yet, the word Advent from the Latin, adventus, means “coming.” The Church tells the Christmas Story backwards: the focus is to prepare for the coming of the Lord: at the end ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:36

Denomination: Catholic

Balaam's First Prophecies (Numbers 23)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Nov 27, 2024

Can a crooked prophet be used by God? Let's look at Numbers 23.

Though he was hired to curse Israel, what was Balaam forced to do? Can even a bad prophet be used by God to tell the truth? Do we take God’s word at face value or look for excuses to change God’s mind? Let’s look at Numbers 23. What did Balaam request so that God would perhaps give him a ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Thirty-First Sunday In Ordinary Time, B: Shema

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 16, 2024

Prostrating oneself in prayer helps me to mean all the words of this creed, with all its intensity and wide scope.

This is the most Jewish and Catholic prayer possible, in our Gospel today, from Mark 12:29, which Jews call the Shema, which means “hear” in Hebrew-- we have the first line of the Shema in our Gospel today: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

Denomination: Catholic

She Keeps Her First Sabbath In Eighteen Years

Contributed by Mark A. Barber on Aug 11, 2022

The command to keep Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments. so how is it properly kept?

She Keeps her first Sabbath in Eighteen Years Luke 13:10-17 Notice that the LORD not only states keeping the Sabbath, but He also provides the rationale for keeping it. The LORD Himself rested from His work on the Seventh Day after creating the heavens and the earth. We don’t know exactly how He ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:10-17, Hebrews 4:9-11

Denomination: Independent/Bible

First Sunday Of Advent, Year B: Advent Hope

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Nov 5, 2023

Optimism is an assessment. Hope is an act.

A man named John Hakel says his three-year-old daughter looked at a calendar and asked him, "Daddy, how many BE GOOD days until Christmas?" 1 Advent is not a penitential season; it’s a period of devout and expectant delight, yet we intuitively understand that it is not possible ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:33-37

Denomination: Catholic

Jesus’s First Public Events, Part 2 Series

Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Oct 5, 2025

As Jesus confronted the "false religious" on-goings in the Temple, we must ask if we are willing to confront sin, cast it out, and live a life devoted to Him? Or, will we allow our own desires and emotions to lead us?

John, Part 9 Series: Jesus’s First Public Events, Part 2 John 2:12-22 - Welcome to Seasons – intro – we are so glad you’re here today; dismiss children -- Continuing series; REM: John less focused on chronology; purpose (redeem) - Read John 2:12-22 / Pray Point 1 – Confronting Sin ...read more

Scripture: John 2:12-22, Psalm 69:9, Revelation 3:15-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Supernatural Visitation

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on Apr 27, 2025

Supernatural visitation is a divine strategy to shift you from limitation to fulfilment, from delay to acceleration, and from affliction to restoration. God still visits His people today, and His desire is to visit you in a life-transforming way.

SUPERNATURAL VISITATION By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text: Genesis 18:1-10 "And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;" — Genesis 18:1 Supporting Texts: Luke 1:26-38; Exodus 3:2-10; Acts 9:3-6; John 5:1-9; Zechariah ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 18:1-10

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When Is Christmas?

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Dec 27, 2023

Solomon built a temple for the Lord to dwell in a special way, and God appeared. How did God appear at Christmas?

12.31.23 1 Kings 8:6–13 (EHV) 6 The priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim, 7 for the cherubim were spreading their wings over the place for the ark, so that the cherubim ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 8:6-13

Denomination: Lutheran

The Church Of The New Testament - Part 3 Series

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Feb 8, 2018

Part 3 of the series - The Church of the New Testament. This part addresses the question, "What is the Church." There are many conceptual variations on what the church is and what its principal purpose is. But what did Jesus intend to build?

This 13-part series of classes has been many years in the making. About 25 years ago I began in earnest to examine the features, character and characteristics of the church as it existed in its earliest years. As I sometimes do, I kept my notes all along the way, and this series of classes is to a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-19, 2 Samuel 22:32, 1 Timothy 3:15, Hebrews 12:22-23, Romans 16:16, 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Philemon 1:2, Ephesians 5:23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 5:25-30, Colossians 1:24, Ephesians 1:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:17, Psalm 18:31, Ephesians 2:19-20, 1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Peter 2:4-9, Revelation 1:18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54, Daniel 2:44, Acts 20:29-30, Matthew 13:10-11, John 14:14, Hebrews 12:25-29, Revelation 21:27, Acts 9:31  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Offering The Sacrifice Of Praise

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Dec 9, 2014

Seems as if evrything drains us, but God has a plan that we learn to love praise. Praise is a debt we owe the mighty God we serve.

SHALL A ROCK CRY OUT FOR YOU? THE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com LEACHES, LEACHES... EVERYBODY WANTS MORE THAN I CAN GIVE... I hear so much about ENOUGH... HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH... What can I do when nothing I do is ENOUGH... Everybody is sucking the very power of ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 17:26

Denomination: Assembly Of God

"transfomed" Series

Contributed by David Henderson on Mar 25, 2022

This was the first. This was when His ministry is launched into the public eye and this miracle changed the course of His ministry and nothing would ever be the same again

“Transformed!” John 2:1-11 So, it’s good when you start, to start at the beginning. The miracle we just observed is the famous miracle at the wedding of Cana. The changing of the water to wine. John tells us this was the first time Jesus revealed His glory. So we arrive at the belief that this ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Why Worry?

Contributed by Eric Carroll on Apr 3, 2014

Why should we seek God, His Kingdom, His righteousness, and His provision? We seek God through His Word, Prayer, Fellowship, and Worship. We seek God first, for He being our Father, is our ever-present loving provider who knows all your needs.

You know, people fall in love, have children, celebrate birthdays, take trips and sit on the porch on summer evenings, while listening to crickets. But inevitably, and to everyone, problems do come. Relationships flounder, jobs are lost, money gets tight, kids rebel, and through it all, even in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34, 2 Chronicles 7:14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Commissioned With The Power Of Jesus Resurrected

Contributed by Howard Gunter on Apr 8, 2018

The resurrected Jesus appears to His disciples

Mid-week Message/Devotion April 8, 2018 Commissioned with the Power of Jesus Resurrected John 20:19-31 We begin reading today’s gospel message and immediately get a very vivid picture of fear and confusion. The disciples are gathered together behind locked doors. They are very afraid that ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:5-6, John 20:19-31

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It Happened Once Series

Contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn on Dec 16, 2008

John proclaims the incarnation in the first chapter of his gospel. In the middle of his proclamation John appears as a man, sent, to witness, so that all might believe. We pick up that ministry today.

John 1: 6-8, 19-28 “It Happened Once” INTRODUCTION There are many perspectives of life. • One group of people sees all of life as happenstance. Things happen for no particular reason, and if there is a god, that god is not actively involved in the everyday situations of life. • Another ...read more

Scripture: John 1:6-28

Denomination: Lutheran