Sermons on Hawking:

Fulfill Your Divine Purpose

Contributed by Don Hawks on Oct 21, 2007

You were made to fulfill your divine purpose

For we are what God has made us….. Ephesians 2:10 INTRODUCTION: "We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works ...." • Our English word "poem" comes from this Greek word translated "workmanship." Think about it--there is no one in the world like you. We all compare ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-10

Denomination: Methodist

Complaint-Free World Reprised Series

Contributed by Don Hawks on Oct 28, 2007

Today is Celebration Sunday for the year 2007 here at Bridgewater United Methodist Church. This fall we’ve been talking about and studying guidelines to living a more abundant life.

INTRODUCTION: Review of guidelines to an abundant life: • I must tithe all that I receive to the person, place, or institution where I receive my spiritual food. • I must set clear-cut, tangible goals. • I must forgive everyone all the time, including myself. • I must seek, discover, and follow my ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Denomination: Methodist

Window Of The Soul

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jan 20, 2008

You can be more than you think in the present moment by opening your heart to the Spirit of Christ who has taken away the sin of the world.

Today I want you to hear this from the opening pages of the Scripture: Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness… So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Gn. 1:26, 27). According to an ...read more

Scripture: John 1:29-36

Denomination: Methodist

Prescription For A Meaningful Life

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jan 20, 2008

The Baptism of Jesus and his calling provides a model for responding to our calling through our baptism.

And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ – v .17 ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ (Lk. 3:11). The story of Jesus’ baptism raises questions meaningful to my own baptism: • "What ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

Denomination: Methodist

In Less Time Than The Blink Of An Eye

Contributed by Don Hawks on Feb 3, 2008

A sermon for Transfiguration Sunday about the transforming power of Christ’s Spirit

In today’s Gospel Lesson, on the Mount of Transfiguration, the awesome power and glory of God was mysteriously revealed in Jesus Christ. That scene is described in this way in The Message version of the event: Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

Denomination: Methodist

The Devil's Sunday

Contributed by Don Hawks on Feb 3, 2008

A sermon for the First Sunday of Lent about the temptation of Jesus and the implications for your life.

INTRODUCTION: WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS THE DEVIL’S SUNDAY? • The first Sunday of Lent for 19 centuries on the church calendar has focused on the temptation by the devil of Jesus. • Much of the symbolism of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness comes from the Hebrew Scripture story of the Exodus (vv. 1 ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Denomination: Methodist

Salvation Sunday

Contributed by Don Hawks on Feb 17, 2008

Salvation is more than words or concepts. Understanding salvation is a matter of experiencing it.

I. Today I have a new sermon, but I have an old message-- the message of salvation. Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus - where, he says to Nicodemus— "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." II. What do these words mean—how do you explain ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-17

Denomination: Methodist

Life Is For Living (Not Dying)

Contributed by Don Hawks on Nov 6, 2007

The issue of life after death touches all of us -- sometimes with enormous intensity. What are some Biblical passages that might address this issue?

SERMON OUTLINE AND NOTES Life Is for Living (Not Dying) Luke 20:27-38 V. 36 -- Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. If we humans die, will we live again? That’s my question. All through these difficult days I keep ...read more

Scripture: Luke 20:27-38

Denomination: Methodist

Words And Wisdom For Doomsday Believers

Contributed by Don Hawks on Nov 24, 2007

What about the end of time? When is the second coming? Are we seeing signs of it today with all the wars and troubles in the world?

“…for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.” V. 15 INTRODUCTION: Are we seeing signs today of the end of time with all the wars and other troubles in the world? MAKING SENSE OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING • Does this discussion of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:5-19

Denomination: Methodist

We Are Co-Creators With God

Contributed by Don Hawks on Apr 20, 2008

There is great Biblical emphasis on the reality that God often comes to us most clearly in the midst of our work.

INTRODUCTION: ATTITUDES ABOUT LIFE’S WORK • “Here lies Tammas Jones. Born a man. Died a grocer.”-- An epitaph on an old tombstone in Scotland. • “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” -- Henry David Thoreau • “Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-15

Denomination: Methodist

The Heart Of A Servant Series

Contributed by Don Hawks on Sep 12, 2007

Service is a critical tie that binds us to one another in love, and is one of the most vital ways that we can nurture greatness in both ourselves and our community. So how do we go about serving in the loving way that Jesus encouraged?

When you think about serving others—why do you do it? Because I have to is the common response. What if I told you today that you could serve because you want to not because you have to? Serving from the heart is the theme of the study that we are looking at during Sunday School for the next few ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:35-45

Denomination: Methodist

David And Goliath Series

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jun 22, 2007

With God’s help it is possible to take on all the giants of life that I face.

(Answers to Blanks at end of outline) INTRODUCTION: • The story of David and Goliath illustrates how to take on the giants in your life. • These favorite Bible stories we have been reading and discussing are more than just children’s stories; they have powerful messages for all of us in our ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:1-51

Denomination: Methodist

Jonah And The Whale Series

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jun 22, 2007

Despite his tendency to do all those human things—to run away, to try to avoid responsibility—eventually he gets a new life.

Read Jonah 1:1-17; 2:1, 9-10 from "The Message" God says GO! Jonah says NO! God sends a storm to remind Jonah who is in charge. Jonah is thrown overboard by the others on the ship. Jonah makes the choice to keep trying to run from God. And you know what happens when Jonah is thrown ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Steps To Living Life At Its Fullest Series

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jun 22, 2007

DOES GOD DESIRE THAT I HAVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE, THAT I LIVE LIFE AT ITS FULLEST?

Sermon Outline and Notes Bridgewater United Methodist Church October 15, 2006 John 10:9-11 …. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” DOES GOD DESIRE THAT I HAVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE, THAT I LIVE LIFE AT ITS ...read more

Scripture: John 10:9-11

Denomination: Methodist

How To Build A Complaint Free World

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jun 25, 2007

An invitation is presented to accept a 21 day challenge, and embark upon a complaint-free life and help build a complaint free church and a complaint free world—one person at a time.

I know how easy it is to complain, to find dissatisfaction with a situation or circumstance. In the 1970s, TV’s Saturday Night Live program, one of their skits involved "The Whiner Family." Anybody remember that skit? The family members spoke with a grating, irritating whine. When they engaged in a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Denomination: Methodist