Sermons on First Seal:

Letting Go To Move Forward: Trusting God's Way

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Apr 6, 2025

This is a message about overcoming the suffering and hardships of life by following God's path as we see in today's passage.

April 6, 2025 Sermon - “Letting Go to Move Forward: Trusting God's Way" - Isaiah 43:16-21 Today, we’re diving into this powerful passage from Isaiah 43:16-21 because, let’s face it, life can be challenging. The journey from captivity to freedom is never easy. We all experience seasons ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 77:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Preaching From The Pews

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Apr 24, 2025

Today I will be preaching about singing. • Perhaps you are wondering why I am preaching on this subject. • Why? Singing is a powerful weapon God has given us to living a victorious life as a Christian

How are we able to sing? Singing is pretty amazing when you think about it. Somehow, we humans are able to push air up our throats over some sort of flexible fleshy membranes that vibrate at different speeds, changing the pitch of the sound we’re producing, which we intuitively know how to do, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Unexpected Series

Contributed by Joel Gilbert on May 5, 2025

Jesus faced some things that we may see as unexpected as he dined with a Pharisee and welcomed a motley group of followers.

There are a variety of ways in which we set expectations. Sometimes cultural norms - like a handshake or a hug - set certain expectations. Sometimes we have expectations based on tradition - for example how to set a table or what you do on holidays. You may have performance expectations set by ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Promise Of A New Covenant PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 12, 2025

God’s grace transforms weary hearts, planting hope and new beginnings, as He writes His promises within us and remembers our sins no more.

If you came in today feeling weary, worried, or worn thin, you’re in good company. The God who counts your tears also carries your cares. He has a promise with your name on it—a promise that doesn’t pile on pressure, but pours in power. When we open Jeremiah 31, we find a picture of God kneeling in ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:27-34

Topics: Hope, Love, Prayer

A Life Of Worship PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 18, 2025

Worship is offering our whole, everyday lives to God, allowing His mercy to transform us so we bear fruit and reflect Christ in all we do.

Friends, welcome. I’m so glad you’re here. Some of you showed up with a smile, others with a sigh, and the Lord receives you just the same. He gathers us like a good Father gathers children at the table—hungry, hurried, hopeful. Grace has a way of finding us in the in-between: between loads of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1

Topics: Fruitfulness, Lifestyle

Generosity PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 20, 2025

God’s grace empowers joyful generosity, enabling believers to give willingly and abundantly, even in hardship, as an expression of trust and partnership in God’s work.

Friends, welcome. Some of us walked in today with a full heart and a thin wallet. Others with a strong budget and a weary soul. God sees both. And right in the middle of our ordinary lives—with bills to pay, kids to raise, parents to care for, and newsfeeds that rattle the nerves—God offers a grace ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-4

Topics: Generosity, Giving

God Is Not Done Yet PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 20, 2025

God sees our weariness, meets us in our weakness, and renews our strength as we trust and wait on Him, never forgotten or alone.

Friend, if you’ve ever stared at the ceiling at 2 a.m. and whispered, “Lord, did You see that? Do You know how tired I am?”—you are in good company today. If your heart feels heavy, your hands feel weak, and your hope feels thin, you are exactly where Isaiah 40 meets you. This passage is a warm ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:27-40

Topics: Identity, People

Hope In The Midst Of Suffering PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 30, 2025

God’s unfailing mercy meets us in our pain, inviting us to honest prayer, renewed hope, and quiet trust even in our hardest seasons.

Some days the weight shows up before the sun does. You wake with a knot in your stomach, a sigh on your lips, and questions that outnumber the quiet moments. You stand at the sink, stare at your reflection, and wonder, Is this ever going to change? Am I going to make it through this? If that’s you ...read more

Scripture: Lamentations 3:19-26

Topics: Despair, Hope

Be Imitators Of Jesus PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 6, 2025

The sermon urges believers to let go of bitterness and embrace kindness and forgiveness, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform hearts and relationships through Christlike love.

Friends, welcome. Pull up a chair in your heart and take a deep breath. Some of us walked in with a smile on our face and a storm in our soul. Honest hearts would admit it: bitterness can linger like smoke after a kitchen fire. Wrath can simmer, anger can echo, and harsh words can hang in the air ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32

Topics: Fruit Of The Spirit, New Creation

Did Not My Heart Go With You? PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 9, 2025

The sermon urges honest living before God, emphasizing that hidden actions are seen by Him and true healing comes through confession, integrity, and surrender.

Friends, grace to you. Set your heart at ease for a moment. Take a breath. You are seen by the God who knows every heartbeat and still calls you by name. There are days when our hands look clean, yet our hearts feel cluttered—weighted by worries, hurried choices, and half-kept promises. We all know ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 5:26

Topics: Elisha, Gehazi

Part 3: Silence As Spiritual Refinement Series

Contributed by Rev Emmanuel O. Adejugbe on Jan 21, 2026

Job sits in ashes demanding answers from God. But instead of anger, he declares: "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." This sermon unpacks what that means. God isn't punishing you in the silence. God is refining you.

The Shift from Lament to Hope Something shifts in Job 23:10. After pages and pages of complaint, after rounds of friends insisting, he must have sinned, after crying out into a silent heaven, Job suddenly changes direction. Picture him there. Sitting in ashes. Scraping his skin with a broken piece ...read more

Scripture: Job 23:10, Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 5:3-4, Hebrews 5:8, Isaiah 53:5  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Forgiven To Forgive PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 24, 2025

The sermon emphasizes embracing God’s forgiveness so deeply that it transforms us into people who freely extend mercy and forgiveness to others in everyday life.

Some of us walked in today with invisible suitcases—stuffed with memories we’d rather forget, words we wish we could unsay, and wounds we struggle to understand. We smile, we sing, we shake hands. Meanwhile, there are names that tighten our chest and moments that make our stomach drop. You’re not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:12-15

Topics: Forgiveness, Mercy

Praise Is What I Do PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 24, 2025

Gratitude and praise, even in ordinary or difficult moments, enrich life and draw us closer to God, making worship a daily, heartfelt practice.

Some mornings the world wakes humming. A sparrow announces the sun before it peeks over the rooftops. Coffee warms your hands while the quiet of the house rests on your shoulders like a soft shawl. On other mornings, the forecast in your heart feels gray. Bills, doctor visits, deadlines. The melody ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 104:33-34

Topics: Praise, Worship

Faith In The Storms - Lessons From Matthew 14 Series

Contributed by William Akehurst on Jun 8, 2025

Faith in the Storm. Jesus is sovereign over every need, fear, and circumstance. He alone satisfies, sustains, and saves. Jesus reveals His power and presence in the midst of life’s storms, calling us to walk by faith, not fear. Trust in God for His Grace, Provision, Compassion, and Healing.

2025.06.08. Sermon Notes. FAITH IN THE STORMS - Lessons from Matthew 14 William Akehurst, HSWC SCRIPTURES: MATTHEW 14:1-36, JOHN 16:33 BIG IDEA: Faith in the Storm. Jesus is sovereign over every need, fear, and circumstance. He alone satisfies, sustains, and saves. Jesus reveals His power and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:1-36, John 16:33

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Threat Of A Miracle Worker Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jul 17, 2025

If Lazarus were roaming the streets of North Dallas, some business-minded person would say, “We need to get this guy on Joe Rogan. And, let’s trademark ‘Texas Lazarus BBQ’ before someone else does.”

Murder in America is not new for our times. Because of the proliferation of so much crime, we are oftentimes given a behind-the-scenes view of those who committed murder. We see the crime from the point of view of the one who committed the crime in documentaries. Most of you do not know the name of ...read more

Scripture: John 11:43-53

Denomination: Baptist