Sermons on Fresh Fire:

Turning The Other Cheek

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

The religious leaders of the world can quote their wise and holy men in ways that show they too have many of the values of the Sermon on the Mount. But they have nothing to match the teachings of Christ on the love of one's enemies.

Almost everybody agrees with the Sermon on the Mount in general, but almost nobody can agree to the specifics of the last part of chapter 5. Even Nikita Krushev, an atheist, when he was the leader of Russia, could say he agreed with the Sermon on the Mount, for even in Russia they do not consider ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48

Helpful And Harmful Hypocrisy

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 13, 2021

Man is the most clever creature when it comes to figuring out how to get his own way. Hypocrisy, or pretending something that isn't so, is one of his best methods.

Every able bodied man in Russia must serve in the army, but Abe managed to remain quietly on his farm year after year. One day his neighbor asked him, "Abe, how does a strong young man like you manage to get by without being drafted for the Red Army?" "That is what I am asking ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6

Pay Attention To Who You Follow

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Mar 15, 2021

Next in series on John. Examines why it's so great to follow a Shepherd Who knows what He's Doing

John 10 (2) Pay Attention to who you follow - Read John 10:1-21 In verse 4 we read, “And His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” His sheep follow Him. The writer John makes it clear in this Gospel, that the Shepherd in this passage is Jesus, and the sheep He is referring to are ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

The Greatest Sustainer Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 15, 2021

Jesus has the whole universe in His hands, and if He should let go and cease to sustain it, it would collapse into a massive heap of rubble, and then fade into extinction.

Anne Graham Lotz in her book Just Give Me Jesus tells of her father Billy Graham being given a watch by a friend, and after some time it stopped working. His wife took it to a jewelry store to get it fixed, but they could not do it. She took it to several and they all said it could not be fixed. ...read more

The Greatest Intercessor Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 16, 2021

Jesus prayed for all believers who would ever live in the future, and that is us. And now He ever lives to continue to intercede for all of us.

Abraham was the first great intercessor in the Bible. He had the audacity to plead with God to change His mind and not destroy the city of Sodom. It was the most successful prayer ever, for God agreed to his request 7 times as he talked God down from saving it for the sake of 50 righteous persons ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 7:24-25

Legalism Versus Love Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 17, 2021

We are in a world of great religious competition. We will all tend to follow one of these two strategies: The legalistic or the loving, the rule book power, or relationship power.

We live in a world where competition is a master motive. When the news reach Russia in 1945 that the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Stalin ordered secret scientists to find a way to catch up to the U.S. Andrei Sakharov was only 24 years old then, but his brilliant mind was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:20

Body Love Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 17, 2021

This body we dwell in is the first part of man that God made. Man was a body before he was anything else. As Paul says in verse 46, the natural comes first than the spiritual.

I don't care how widely traveled you are, I know you have never sailed among the Island of Langerhans, or drifted lazily down the Aqueduct of Sylvius. Nor have any of you ever strolled along the banks of Hunter's Canal, or watched the sun go down behind McBurney's Point. None of you ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:35-49

The Physiology Of Praise Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 18, 2021

Body involvement in worship is a subject we do not often think about, but the Bible is full of it.

It was before my time, but I remember my parents talking about going to see silent movies. The movies made no sound, but according to Sam Levinson in his book Everything But Money, the audience made plenty of sound. As the hero and the villain shot it out, each firing two thousand shots without ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 47:1-9

The Praise Of Laughter Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

The Bible links laughter to joy and to feasting, and these are both vast subjects in the Bible, making laughter a major aspect of the godly life.

Have you ever praised God for the enjoyment of laughter? Some of the greatest of God's people have. When Theodore Cuyler, the American preacher, visited the great London preacher, Charles Spurgeon, they told each other the crazy things that happened in their respective ministries. They ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 126:1-6

The Struggle With Stress Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 26, 2021

The fact that some stress is inevitable does not justify preventable stress. Paul said in Rom. 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all." The implication is clear: A peace maker can prevent a lot of stress in life if they really work at it.

Gipsy Smith was one of the great evangelists in England in the last half of the 19th century. He had the largest congregation in England outside of London. They met in a building that once housed the Imperial Circus. One Sunday night the pre-service prayer group was meeting in a side room used ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

When God Calls, Say, "Yes” Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 31, 2021

A look at the call of Moses, comparing to our own need to say "Yes" when God calls us to do...anything.

Intro: The following excuses are from a collection of excuses that have actually been turned in at school: • "Ralph was absent yesterday because he had a sore trout." • "Please excuse Joyce from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday she fell off a tree and misplaced her hip." ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Song And Dance Will Follow Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 31, 2021

The story of the Red Sea crossing compared to trusting God when we encounter scary times in life.

Intro – (Lyrical dance to “No Longer Slaves” will precede sermon) James 1:23-24 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. Do you see what it ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Free At Last…now What? Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 31, 2021

A consideration of how we are to handle our freedom in Christ

Intro: This morning, I want to begin by visiting the closing tag of the movie “Finding Nemo.” It features a number of aquarium creatures who have just escaped from the aquarium inside the dentist’s office. (Play clip from the end of the movie "Finding Nemo" - “OK. Now what do we ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Theology Of Problems Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

History began with a problem. Problems are more universal than sin, for Jesus had no sin but He had problems. Even before sin, Adam and Eve had a problem. Their problem was, should I obey God or not?

A woman who wanted her apartment painted while she was out of town was very fussy. She insisted that the ceiling be painted the exact shade of her ash tray. The painters after trying to mix this exact shade unsuccessfully finally hit upon a solution to their problem. They painted the ash ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-4

Post-Resurrection

Contributed by Rodney V Johnson on Apr 8, 2021

This message demonstrates the importance of understanding why Jesus died and rose from the dead and why our joy should not be limited to just one "Easter Sunday" celebration.

Post-Resurrection Scripture: Luke 24:44-53; Isaiah 53; Romans 10:17 The title of my message this morning is “Post-Resurrection.” If you are familiar with the word “post” you know that it has several meanings. It could refer to a piece of wood or metal fixed in the ground in an upright ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:44-53, Isaiah 53:1-12, Romans 10:17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational