Sermons on Heart Of Ministry:

Ezekiel And The Valley Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on May 24, 2021

Revival is needed today. For many of us, spiritual awakening is nothing more than a distant memory. When our eyes scan the American horizon, the skies for biblical Christianity look dark in many respects. The tide of God’s grace is out to sea. We need heavenly rain.

Introduction Over the course of this fall sermon series, we are witnessing a series of encounters between ordinary people and extraordinary God. These encounters are called visitations and they are almost always following a crisis of some kind. This is a series devoted to get you thinking and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

We Believe In God Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on May 24, 2021

Beliefs fundamentally alter the shape of our lives Beliefs in and around churches go by various names such as doctrine or articles of faith. No matter the name, beliefs fundamentally alter the shape of our lives.

Series Overview Today, I begin a series of messages entitled Creed: 9 Essentials to the Christian Faith. Why Is This Series Relevant? The reason for this series is that beliefs matter. Beliefs fundamentally alter the shape of our lives Beliefs in and around churches go by various names such as ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:17

Denomination: Baptist

What Does Jesus Say About Death? Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 3, 2021

Jesus speaks of Himself here. Jesus’ death is the grain of wheat that had to die. Jesus is the grain of wheat that had to be multiplied. Jesus’ death generates a huge harvest. The path to glory is HIS death; again, the roadway to Jesus’ glory is His death.

Good morning to our both NRHBC and Cross Church family who are joining us online. A special welcome to those of you who are guests joining us as well. Please also know you can call one of our pastors for prayer at the numbers you see. Many of you are watching us on Facebook and we invite you ...read more

Scripture: John 12:20-26

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus Predicts His Return Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 3, 2021

Jesus is coming again. I’m more sure of this that water being wet and dirt being dry. Jesus is coming again. Stay alert. Stay awake.

This a three-month long study of just one week in the life of Jesus. The power of this week lies in all that happened. And it deserves both retelling and a careful scrutiny. Bracketed by Palm Sunday on one end and Easter Sunday on the other, this is the most important week in history. On Friday, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:5-38

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus Is Raised Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 3, 2021

But what would happen if we applied alternative history to Easter? What if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead? What would happened if Easter was Erased?

Many of you watch annually It’s A Wonderful Life. George Bailey, the movie’s main character, has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. Bailey loses $8,000 through no fault of his own and fears he will be sent to jail and his company will collapse. Thinking of his ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, 1 Corinthians 15:30-32

Denomination: Baptist

Conformity To The Cross Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 4, 2021

The Corinthians Christians had become arrogant, crowing like a rooster. To use a Texas idiom, they had become “all hat and no cattle.” In the words of Glenn Campbell, “A Rhinestone Cowboy.”

It’s a message from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians and it represents a journey of sorts. A journey to an another land – and older land – where the goals of Christianity were not set by marketers in order to make it more palatable. Instead, the agenda was set by prophets who sought holy, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21

Denomination: Baptist

When Two Become One: The Permanency Of Marriage Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 4, 2021

In the 1970s, approximately 70% of first marriages remained intact for persons 25-60 years old. In 2000s, approximately 50-67% of first marriages remained intact for persons 25-60 years old, depending on your education.

Few who have experienced a divorce would disagree with Margaret Atwood: “A divorce is like an amputation: you survive it, but there’s less of you.” Few issues hit as close to home as a divorce. Most of you have been affected in some way by divorce. Baptists have the highest divorce rate of any ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:6-9

Denomination: Baptist

The Christian Life Series

Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Jun 4, 2021

Christians must grow in faithfulness through the virtues found in Scripture

INTRODUCTION • Today we begin a short series entitled Grow In Grace, a study of 2 Peter. › Big Idea of the Series: The body of Christ, the church, must be diligent in recognizing false teachers and doctrine while trusting the Scriptures and recognizing true ministers of the Word. • By learning ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:1-15

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Pleasing To God Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 23, 2021

It is impossible to please everyone, of course, and so Paul chose it as his master motive to please God.

Probably the most magnificent estate in the Western World is the California ranch of William Randolf Hearst. It is not a mere matter of film like the Ponderosa, but it is a matter of fact. It covers a quarter of a million acres of land, and stretches for 50 miles along the coast of the ocean. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 1:10

Fate Or Freedom Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 25, 2021

Every day the word comes to us, choose you this day whom you shall serve, and every day we choose either for Christ or for some lesser value.

One of the best known stories of the ancient Greeks is that of Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. The story is had an influence on both theology and psychology. Briefly the story is this: A child is born into a royal family, and the oracle brings bad news, for he says the child is destined to murder his ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-38

The Ideal And The Real Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 29, 2021

The real ideal is to always have two people married who are Christians. But the fact is, all through history you have to deal with the mixed marriage of the Christian and non-Christian.

Mary was branded as a backslider when she divorced her husband of 20 years. Her church asked her to resign from all her roles, and the outrage pastor demanded-how could you? Mary endured the pain of criticism as long as she could, and then she moved away. The pastor of her new church questioned ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:12-16

The Knowledge Of God Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 30, 2021

Let us never reduce God to our image, and our puny righteousness. We never will if we obey the words of Peter, and grow in the knowledge of God. This is the way to the mature, abundant, and powerful Christian life.

Columbus was on his fourth voyage in 1504. His ships were grounded in St. Ann's Bay in Jamaica, and the natives revolted and refused to supply the Spaniard with food. There seemed to be no way of escaping the agonies of starvation. Columbus was looking at the almanac, and he learned that a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:2

It Takes A Lamb - Good Friday Services Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 31, 2021

This is the text of a Good Friday service worked into a series. It featured an on-stage enactment of a Passover Seder, "narrated" by the speaker of the message, explaining the significance of Passover in light of the gospel.

Introduction: (Scripture read - offstage) Exodus 12:3-14 …This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance. Joke - Moses was sitting in the Egyptian ghettos. Things were terrible. Pharaoh wouldn't even ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:3-14

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Beginning Of The End Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 2, 2021

The first lesson we learn from this last book of the Bible is from the author. We learn that every year of our lives should be a year of labor for the Lord, and a year of expectation that He will use us for His purpose. The rest of life can be the best of life is to be our motto at any age.

The Apostle John is the patron saint of everybody, for he is the hero of young and old alike. Jesus called him to be His disciple when he was likely in his late teens. He was the youngest of the 12, and is an example of the faith that Christ had in young people. John also lived the longest of the ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:1-2

How To Know God"s Will Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

God's will falls into these three categories: The commanded, the permitted, and the forbidden. Because of the fall and man's sin, there are now many more prohibitions, but God's will still falls into these three categories.

There was a day when it was not considered out of order to challenge a preacher from the congregation, even in the middle of his sermon. In that day there was a preacher who spoke in favor of shoeing horses, and a mule skinner stood up and took issue by saying, "If God almighty had thought ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2