Sermons on Focus:

Breaking Free From The Past Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on Apr 24, 2003

As we focus on those things that are eternal, and put on the new self, we will experience freedom from those things that have shackled us in the past.

Breaking Free from the Past In an old Candid Camera episode, an actor is on a busy sidewalk and begins looking at the ground. He walks around a bit and continues to look down. People are passing by him and a few give him strange looks. After a couple minutes, he decides to get down on his hands ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-11, Colossians 3:1

Denomination: Baptist

Three Plus One Equals Infinity Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 14, 2002

Dramatic monologue, done as if I were Daniel, reporting on his three friends in the fiery furnace. Focus on spiritual identity in a power-hungry world.

(Singing) “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, His grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee, He only designs thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.” Whew! Does it seem hot in here to you? Does it feel as though the very fires of hell are about ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 3:1-30

Denomination: Baptist

Night Visits

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 17, 2002

Sermon for Black History Month, incorporating the poetry of recently deceased African poet and statesman Leopold Senghor; focus on imprisonment, liberation, empowerment, and forgiveness.

It was night. Nothing else need be said. That short and simple phrase says it all. It was night. It was night when they visited my bedroom, when I was a child of six, to tell me that my mother would not be coming home for a long time. The stress of giving birth to my brother had been too much; ...read more

Scripture: Acts 12:1-11, Psalm 8:2-5

Denomination: Baptist

To Anticipate Jesus

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Jul 18, 2006

Taking Paul’s lead to change our focus from this world to the reward at the end of the race. How much would you need to change if ....

I was raised in a small town in southern Ohio. I remember the lazy days of summer when the air-raid sirens went off once per week and we would all look up to see if we could see enemy planes, or when all the boys would gather on the school playground to play baseball like the big kids did. I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-15

Denomination: *other

Your View Of God

Contributed by Danny Rogers on Sep 23, 2006

Your view of God is the most important view you have, and to the extent your view of God is distorted… to that extent your life is out of focus.

Intro: Before Beth and I married, I had to do my own laundry. My technique of washing clothes was just like almost every other single male in the history of the U.S. – Everything in one load if possible. Blue jeans were washed with dress shirts, white socks, underwear, and everything else. In fact, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

What Do You See?

Contributed by Mark Perryman on May 11, 2006

Proper perspective is a very important thing to have. Sometimes if we’re not careful we can lose focus of what’s truly important.

INTRO: What do you see? -Cone or a hole -Old man/young man -Frog/horse -Old woman/young woman -Faces/vase -Pelican/rabbit The following is a letter that was sent home by a daughter who was away at college: Dear Mom and Dad: I’m sorry to be so long in writing again, but all my writing paper was lost ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 45:1-7

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Did You See The Gorilla?

Contributed by Johann Neethling on Feb 20, 2006

The heart of this message is how very easy it is for us to miss some of the really BIG issues of the Christian life because our focus and attention is elsewhere.

DID YOU SEE THE GORILLA? Matthew 28:16-20 1. “Most people like to think of themselves as alert and aware. But under the right circumstances, even the most observant people can be blind to what’s going on around them.” • With those words CBS commenced a report entitled “What You See Depends on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Denomination: United Methodist

Purpose Of Prayer Series

Contributed by John Harvey on Feb 8, 2005

Prayer serves many purposes in our lives. The best purpose may be that prayer changes our focus, but prayer also changes our actions

The Purpose of Prayer 02/06/05 Intro: We are in week 2 of a 3 week series on prayer. Last week we looked at the priority of prayer and the need for a focus and worship of Christ as we approach him in prayer. I issued you a challenge of spending 15 minutes each morning focusing your mind and ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:9-14

Denomination: Baptist

Overcoming Our Obstacles Series

Contributed by Larry Thompson on Jan 31, 2007

Part three in the expository series from Joshua. The focus is crossing the Jordan and the example we should follow when facing the same barriers in life.

THE CANAAN CONQUEST – PART THREE OVERCOMING OUR OBSTACLES: FACING OUR JORDAN Joshua 3:1-6; 14-17 - ©Dr. Larry L. Thompson (2007) Introduction: Because of their unbelief, Israel was sentenced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Those years have now expired and the children of Israel are ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 3:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

When You Fast

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Nov 20, 2006

Fasting is a spiritual discipline of temporary self-denial in order to focus on and process matters of great concern. It’s about God, not about food.

“When You Fast” Matthew 6:16-18 -Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts With “Turkey Day” approaching, this is a difficult message to deliver…also because Saugus seems to be the restaurant capital of Massachusetts. With Kowloons, Prince, Hilltop and the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:16-18

Denomination: Congregational

A Fresh Start For A New Year Series

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jan 4, 2009

In Galatians 4:12-20, God shows: 1) The Godly Example. 2) The Godly Focus. 3) The Deadly Distraction. & 4) The Godly Objective

Dr. Yoel Abells in his article this week, Avoiding the failure trap of New Year’s resolutions wrote this: (A New Year) is an opportunity to reflect on days past and to consider the future. Typically at this time, each of us makes resolutions --commitments to change something (or multiple things) ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:12-20

Denomination: Other

Resolutions 2009--Part 2

Contributed by Blake Inscore on Oct 6, 2009

In this second part to our focus on challenges for the New Year we look at three more spiritual resolutions we need to make and keep in 2009.

Resolutions for 2009--Part II Proverbs 3:1-10 Introduction: Well, we are now a full week into 2009 and I’m guessing we have begun to settle in, and with the exception of writing the wrong date on our checks, 2009 seems much like 2008. Even so, I would like to continue with our study in Proverbs ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-10

Denomination: Baptist

God's Greatness

Contributed by Brien Sims on Jun 20, 2008

Let’s focus on just how BIG our God is and what He can do. There is joy in knowing He is bigger than us.

Each month at the men’s fellowship a topic has been assigned for the speaker to address. We have received what has to be the most absurdly large topic known to man. This subject has infinite boundaries which mankind has been trying to wrap its finite mind around for all time. No one has ever ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Show Me The Joy! Series

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Jun 25, 2008

Sermon #4 in the Nehemiah series from chapters 8-9 focus on how responding properly to the word of God brings us great joy.

#4 in the Nehemiah series: Nehemiah chapters 8-9 Show me the JOY! CHCC: May 25, 2008 INTRODUCTION: Nehemiah is not the best known book of the Bible by any means. One of the reasons we’re studying it right now is that it’s one of the parts of the Bible I never preached from in the 36 years ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Our All Sufficient Christ

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 30, 2008

Our all sufficient Christ is our security in the midst of life’s uncertainties. Sixteen key atttributes that are worthy of our worship, focus and exploration.

Our All Sufficient Christ for Our Insufficiencies (Col. 2:1-18) Everything that looks SPIRITUAL is not! You’ve probably heard the expression "red herring." This term was coined from a method of training hunting dogs to follow the scent of their prey. Once the dogs were following the proper ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational