Sermons on First Children:

The Trumpet Judgments, Part I The First Four Judgments Series

Contributed by Pastor Jeff Hughes on Jan 22, 2014

Revelation 8 sermon on the first four trumpet judgments

The Trumpet Judgments, Part I The Seventh Seal When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Rev 8:1, NKJV J. Vernon McGee in his "Thru the Bible" commentary related this story: "Many years ago I was speaking at a conference to about three or four hundred ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 8:1-13

Denomination: Bible Church

How Do We Compare To Jesus First Disciples? Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Apr 1, 2016

When I think about the first disciples of Jesus there is one thing that I find really encouraging - they were very ordinary people, average people, people like you and me, people with faults and failings, imperfect people.

How do we compare to Jesus first Disciples? When I think about the first disciples of Jesus there is one thing that I find really encouraging - they were very ordinary people with very ordinary jobs - fishermen & a tax collector. If Jesus public ministry had begun here in Rayleigh and Jesus ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: Pentecostal

Jesus’ Chooses His First Team Members

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Feb 18, 2014

Are we willing to make his service the priority in our life? Are we proclaiming the gospel in the confidence that comes from knowing Jesus, who taught with authority, who cast out demons and healed people of incurable diseases?

Jesus begins his ministry with this clear announcement: “The time is fulfilled.” That is, it’s complete. Time’s up. We’re at the end of the line. Notice that John, the one who’s like Elijah, has finished his ministry. Mark wants to make it clear that the time of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:16-23

Denomination: Anglican

An Overlooked Key First Step Toward Spiritual Harvest

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Mar 6, 2014

A look at the evangelism prayer that Jesus told us to pray (but we don't) as well as five of the reasons we need this prayer.

THE SIMPLE, OBVIOUS, PATHETIC, MYSTIFYING TRUTH: We do not pray this prayer. - Matthew 9:38. - I do not have an explanation for this. - It’s not hard to do. It’s not hard to understand. It’s not controversial. Yet it’s rare that any of us pray this prayer at all. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:37-38

Denomination: Baptist

How Did We Get Here In The First Place Series

Contributed by Edward Hardee on Nov 13, 2014

First message in getting to the promised land. Deals with sin and overcoming it.

How did we get here in the first place? Series: Getting to the Promised Land Theme: What does it take to get to the promised land and how did we get where we are. Text: Jeremiah 29:11; Genesis 3 & 4 Introductions Study Review Thank you for being here tonight. Over the next few months we ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Denomination: Church Of God

First Sunday Of Christmas & Feast Of St John

Contributed by Ian Bullock on Dec 23, 2020

How St John can inspire us to share the good news of Christ

In the name of the Living God, Father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Today as we gather for the first Sunday after Christmas, we also take the time to celebrate St. John the apostle and evangelist. But before we talk about John, we should begin by breaking the stigma of what evangelist means, ...read more

Scripture: John 21:19-25

Denomination: Anglican

People Of The First Christmas-The Magi Or Wise Men Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 29, 2020

Even though the Magi or "wise men" have had a Christmas carol or two (or more) written about them, they're only mentioned in one paragraph of Matthew's Gospel. They came from a far distance, worshiped the Christ Child, and then went back home, never to be heard from again.

Introduction: the shepherds of Bethlehem were the only recorded visitors to go see Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus on the night He was born. Sometime later, Matthew recorded that “wise men (KJV)” or magi (several other translations) came to Jerusalem. The purpose of their visit was to worship the One ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-8, Micah 5:2

Denomination: Baptist

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

First Sunday Of Lent, Year A- The Tactics Of Temptation

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 21, 2023

C.S. Lewis made an astute observation in his masterful Screwtape Letters: the devil cannot manufacture real goods or pleasures; he’s stuck with the ones God has made and for which our natures have an inclination.

I saw this Cartoon of Satan tempting Jesus, saying: “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a medium rare ribeye steak with truffle butter.” [Jesus is thinking to himself, “He’s getting better at this.”] Note that Jesus did not say, “Man cannot live by coffee alone, but he will ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:7-9, Genesis 3:1-7

Denomination: Catholic

Saul's First Stage Of Battle- Oblivious Series

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Apr 16, 2022

This is the 6th Sermon in the Series "Israel's 1st King". This Series is about King Saul.

Series: Israel’s 1st King [#6] SAUL’S FIRST STAGE OF BATTLE- OBLIVIOUS 1 Samuel 14:1-15 Introduction: King Saul’s 1st defeat came because he ran ahead of the Lord. His 2nd defeat came because he hesitated and failed to act promptly when God was ready to give him a great victory. As you read ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 14:1-15

Denomination: Baptist

Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God- Part 3 Series

Contributed by Kiruba Stephen on May 12, 2022

We will examine, what it means to put God above all things in our lives and all the blessings that follow when we do.

Can you compare God giving a child to a childless woman at that age when she gave something to the Lord, when she sought Him first, put Him above everything? We cannot compare that. God gives much more! Yes, according to His riches, where we cannot. That’s where He comes and He compensates. God ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:33-47

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

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

Samson's First Wife (Judges 14)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 15, 2025

How important is it that a marriage have a common faith? Let's begin in Judges 14.

How foolish is choosing a life’s marriage partner solely because of their looks? How important is having the same faith values? Let’s begin in Judges 14. What happened when Samson traveled and saw a foreign woman? Samson traveled down to Timnah. While he was in Timnah, a Philistine woman caught ...read more

Denomination: Baptist