Sermons on Focus On The Family:

When The Saints Go Marching In Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on May 24, 2021

Look at Isaiah 60 for what you’re seeing is a poem but it’s also a vision of a magnificent city – a transformed city. The city that Isaiah envisions is a magnetic place. It has drawing power.

Apple founder, Steve Jobs was asked to address the graduations of Stanford University just shortly before his death. He said these memorable words: “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” Yes, remembering I will be ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Two Ways To Live Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on May 27, 2021

Over the course of the next several weeks, we explore avenues where both our mind and emotions can be authentic with God. Where we recognize that nothing is hidden from His purvey and we can be real with Him.

Some things change. For example, for students are heading off to college this week and are scheduled to graduate in 2013, the following things have always been. 1. They have always been able to watch wars, police riots, and coups unfold on television. 2. The American health care system has ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Merciful And Majestic Goodness Of God

Contributed by Dr. Craig Nelson on Mar 18, 2021

Throughout the Bible, God is revealed as "good" and His "goodness" towards us is proclaimed

God is the source and perfection of all good (2 Thess 1:11; see (Psalm 23:6; 68:10; 73:1; 119:65; 145:9; Lam 3:25; Luke 6:35; Rom 2:4; 11:22; Eph 2:7; Titus 3:4)). His goodness is the foundation of Scripture and is praised in the Psalms (25:8; 34:8; 86:5; 100:5; 118:1; 136:1; 145:9). Jesus affirms ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:6, John 8:12, Genesis 1:3-4, Acts 17:27, James 1:16-18, Matthew 7:9-11  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

David's Death Series

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Mar 19, 2021

First Kings 2:1-11 teaches us to make our lives count.

Scripture Today we conclude our study of “The Life of David.” This is our 57th lesson on the life of David. David became God’s king of his kingdom on earth. He ruled well for a time but, sadly, fell into sin. His kingdom declined but God had promised that his kingdom would last forever (cf. 2 ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 2:1-11

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Spirituality And Speed Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 22, 2021

God said, "Quick, leave Jerusalem immediately." God is usually not in a hurry, but in His dealings with Paul in this chapter, the name of the game is speed.

Jamie Buckingham has written 20 of the best Christian book of the past decade. And in one of them called The Last Word he tells of how, even for a Christian sometimes, everything can go rapidly wrong. He lived in a quiet country home, but it was one with an unusual water system. He had a cut off ...read more

Dream Awareness Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 24, 2021

We want to look at the second dream of Jacob in which we see the dream as a source of insight and instruction.

Doctor Paul Tournier, the great Christian psychiatrist, tells of the child who once remarked to his mother, "Dreams are God's movies, arn't they?" Doctor Tournier believes they are often just that. The early Christians believed dreams were a tool God used to give guidance, but ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 31:1-13

A Perplexing Parable Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 26, 2021

Jesus is saying to His disciples that they can learn from non-Christian dedication, even the dedication of crooks. Look at the world and learn something from their commitment to their evil goals.

Have you ever heard or read of such a unique and perfectly planned crime that you said to yourself, "That was really clever"? For example, was it not amazing that that group of men in England could steal millions of dollars without firing a shot? We have to admit it was a bad thing well ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:1-15

How Holiness Theology Transformed My Understanding Of Christianity

Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Mar 27, 2021

Let me begin by saying that you should trust the scriptures over the words of any men. We must trust the scriptures much more than Luther, Calvin, Arminius, Wesley, Edwards, Whitefield or any Pope or bishop.

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” -1st Peter 1:14-16 ESV Let me begin by saying that you should trust the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:17-23, 1 Peter 1:14-16, Hebrews 10:26, 1 John 3:4-10

Denomination: Salvation Army

Paul's Self-Defense Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 30, 2021

For Paul conscience is the self-awareness that you are right or wrong in your attitudes and actions. If you are deceiving people and doing what you know is not the will of God, you will feel guilty.

Jonathan Edwards was born in 1703, and he became one of the greatest preachers in history. He lived in a day when pastors went to a church out of seminary and stayed there for the rest of their lives. His father was the pastor of The Congregational Church in the little village of East Windsor, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:12-17

The Go-Between Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 31, 2021

Jesus is our much needed intercessor to bring us near to the Father

Introduction: My family often enjoyed visits to the boyhood home of George Washington Carver, just 15 minutes outside of Joplin in Diamond, MO. There’s a beautiful national memorial park there, and Carrie and I had gone there one late afternoon for a visit. As it turned out, there was a special ...read more

Scripture: Job 9:32-35

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How To Test The Reality Of Your Religion Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 31, 2021

A Christianity that is not practical is not a real Christianity. If it does not control your conduct, and change your character, and make you more sensitive to the will of God and the world's need, then you better stop and ask some questions about the reality of your religion.

An anthropologist once visited a Bantu village in South Africa to study the customs of the very primitive people who lived there. When he returned to the U.S. he sent back a sun dial to those people to express his thanks for their cooperation. The natives were delighted with their gift, and they ...read more

Scripture: James 1:26-27

Discouraging Comfort Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

The book of Job makes clear that one of life's greatest tragedies is that believers do not comfort and encourage one another, but rather are often discouraging. That is what we see Job's friends being to him.

Emilie Lorning in her novel, Swift Waters, tells the story of a young single pastor who fell in love with a beautiful young woman in his congregation. She learned to play the chimes in the tower of the church, and when she learned the pastor's favorite hymn, she would play it frequently. ...read more

Jesus Stays On The Road To His Death

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Apr 4, 2021

Jesus didn’t sit on Death Row. Yet his life was always moving toward that certain and terrible end: He’d be killed on the cross. He knew this, because the Scriptures pointed to it. He knew this, and He predicted it himself more than once during his ministry.

In some prisons in America there is an area known as Death Row. It’s where those who have been sentenced to die go to wait for the time of their execution. Every day on Death Row is a day closer to death. So for a prisoner, after five or ten years, there might be only 30 days left. Then only 20. ...read more

Scripture: John 12:27-33

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Believing Without Seeing

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Apr 4, 2021

On the day of Jesus's return we will see him, in person, face to face. Until that great day, we are those who have not seen, yet believe. We are those who have not touched and seen and heard.

There are some things about us that we just have, naturally. Think about how children look. Every child receives some features from his or her parents, like red hair or brown eyes or a certain shape of nose or chin. And sometimes we think faith is like that too. We say, “I’m pretty sure I have ...read more

Scripture: John 20:28-29

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Excellence Excludes Excess Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 5, 2021

Paul says this is what Christian leaders are to be. They are not to be people who get captured by the culture, or by circumstances. They are to be people who are stable and consistent in their commitments regardless of changes in life.

As I read Barbara Shields book Winners-Women And The Nobel Prize, I was so impressed by the life and leadership of Agnes Gunxha, better known as Mother Teresa. As I read of her life and ministry I kept seeing her fulfilling the requirements that Paul lays down for one to be an elder, or leader, in ...read more

Scripture: Titus 1:5-9