Sermons on High Expectations:

Preaching Is Risky

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Jan 27, 2004

A sermon for the 4th Sunday after Epiphany

4th Sunday after the Epiphany Luke 4:21-30 Preaching is Risky   21 And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22 And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph’s son?" 23 ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:21-30

Denomination: Lutheran

How You Finish Matters!

Contributed by Anitha Jabastion on Sep 3, 2020

It is easy to make a good start. Finishing well is important! Many today decide to quit smoking/alcohol. They do without for few days. But then, they start all over again. Starting with a weight-loss diet program is exciting, but we can get our expected results only if we hang into it for long.

Paul, in his letter to Timothy, exhorts him to keep running well. Paul was nearing his death. Paul could look into his past and confidently say that he had fought the good fight and had kept the faith till the end. 2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7, 1 Kings 15:9-24, 2 Chronicles 14:2

Go! And Wait On The Lord - Psalm 27:14 Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Sep 12, 2025

Waiting is one of the hardest lessons in life. We live in a world of instant answers and quick results. We microwave our meals, we stream movies instantly, we send a message and expect a reply within seconds. Yet God often calls us into a season where His answer is not immediate.

Go! And Wait on the Lord - Psalm 27:14 Introduction: The Tension of Waiting Waiting is one of the hardest lessons in life. We live in a world of instant answers and quick results. We microwave our meals, we stream movies instantly, we send a message and expect a reply within seconds. Yet God ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 27:14, Isaiah 40:31, Joshua 1:9, Galatians 4:4-5, Romans 5:6, Acts 3:19, 2 Thessalonians 3:16  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

There Is Power In Jesus

Contributed by Daren Mitchell on Apr 22, 2014

God is a giver. God gives to you all the time. God gives you grace. Mercy. Forgiveness. He has given you Jesus. His Holy Spirit. He provides for you. Now, His Holy expectation is that you will use what you've been given to bless others.

Paul concludes Romans 12 with this statement, "Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good" Has evil conquered you? During a day you will fight many battles. How many battles will you fight in a lifetime? The same author of Romans, also wrote this in Ephesians, "For we are ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:6-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A King Forgotten And Foretold Series

Contributed by Chris Appleby on May 17, 2013

God is the Holy One who expects his people to be holy just as he is holy, but at the same time he’s the God of irresistible grace who forgives us and promises to defend us and protect us from all the attacks of the evil one. But we have to remain faithful

A King Forgotten It’s a tragic story isn’t it? A nation chosen, indeed created, by God to be his special possession. A nation nurtured and helped along at every point. Rescued from captivity in Egypt, given the law to direct their daily lives, given priests and kings to guide them; and ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:1-7

Denomination: Anglican

Entering A New Season

Contributed by Scott Kircher on Sep 2, 2012

As time goes by, we continue to face new seasons of life. These new seasons can be scary for us as we have to deal with things that are different than before. What can we expect as we enter these new seasons of life and how can we persevere through them

A New Season Entering a New Season means accepting Changes Entering a New Season Brings Challenges Entering a New Season Births Champions Slide 1 Man, does time seem to go by fast! As you know, last week I celebrated 23 years of marriage to Laura. I can’t believe it has been that long or ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Remember O Lord, Your Great Mercy (November 28, 2021)

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Dec 10, 2021

Isn’t Advent a time of expectation and preparation? Doesn’t Advent challenge us to make changes in our lives? ... Didn’t David write this Psalm expressing remorse as well as the hunger for righteousness that only God could give him? Do we have that yearning in common with David?

Remember O Lord, Your Great Mercy Text: Psalm 25 Psalm 25:1-10  Of David. To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.  (2)  O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.  (3)  Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 25:1-10

Denomination: United Methodist

Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage & Singleness Series

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Jul 14, 2003

Message 7 of 17 from 1 Corinthians. Marriage is God’s gift to humankind. It is intended to meet our innermost needs – physically; emotionally; and spiritually. What God intends is not always what people experience. When we live as children of the ligh

Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage, & Singleness Marriage is God’s gift to humankind. It is intended to meet our innermost needs – physically; emotionally; and spiritually. What God intends is not always what people experience. When we live as children of the light it impacts the sacred covenant of ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sacrificing 2000 Pigs

Contributed by Sang Kwon on May 12, 2002

How God loves us amazingly...

I am a basketball maniac. When I was working as a youth pastor at Philadelphia Church near this area, I made a basketball team and we went into five different Korean Basketball tournament. Guess what, we won four out of five tournaments in a row. I really like basketball and I love playing and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:1-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

How To Run To Win

Contributed by Jason Jones on May 23, 2011

Exposition of 1 Corinthians 9 regarding do you run to win? Are you in the Christian life to spectate? Is your Christian life just flailing along in laziness, flabbiness, outta shape, and without clear purpose?

Text: 1 Cor 9:23-27, Title: Olympic Glory, Date/Place: NRBC, 5/15/11, AM Opening illustration: Tell a story or two about Camp Jubilee, maybe Erika and the suit of armor, and some others, but finish with the story of Aaron climbing the mountain with his prosthetics. Background to passage: On the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Denomination: Baptist

You Are A Citizen Of His Kingdom/The Wall Comes Tumbling Down

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jul 22, 2018

The second message in the series highlights what you were before Christ came. It highlights the hostility and conflicts between Jew and Gentile, but how that has changed (and what it means for you) since Christ has come.

Author Rita Snowden tells this famous story from World War I. On the Western Front in France, there was a group of soldiers who brought the body of a dead comrade to a French cemetery to have him buried. The priest came out to them, and said gently that He is required to ask if their fallen ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22

Denomination: Lutheran

God's Law, Property Rights Series

Contributed by Bruce Landry on Dec 28, 2002

Let’s walk with Israel as God gives HIS vision of proper property laws. God will show what is expected in negligence, rights against theft and rights against harming the property of others or when your property is harmed. Needless to say it is a far cry

God’s Law, Property Rights Property damaged by negligence Property rights against theft Property rights against bringing harm Exodus 21:33-22:15 DBF, Sunday Sermon, 12/29/02 In today’s society we do hear a lot bantered about regarding rights. Of course properly stated most of the arguments are ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Revival And The 'normal Christian Life'

Contributed by Ewen Huffman on Mar 19, 2004

If God were to offer you a blank cheque/(check)- what would you write on it? Revival? What should we be expecting for and asking God for? (written after a ’word’ was given to our city that was almost like a ’blank cheque’ from God.)

“Revival and the ‘Normal Christian Life’”. Acts 2:32-47 WBC 21/3/4am INTRODUCTION: “measuring you for blessing” I guess there are 23 main reasons for me tackling this subject, this morning: 1) My introduction back to faith in 1982 - lots of us came to faith at the same time in B/S - 40 of us ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Mephibosheth-Surprised By Grace Series

Contributed by Peter Amerman on Jun 3, 2005

Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, had every reason to expect that the wrath and judgment of King David would fall upon him. He was the grandson of King Saul, and the nephew of Ishbosheth, both David’s enemies. Instead, he received grace from the king- he

Mephibosheth- Surprised by Grace 1 John 3:1- “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” Continuing our series on Unknown Faces from the Bible, remember that there are unknown characters in the Bible whose names and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 9:1-11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fire Upon The Earth

Contributed by Michael Hollinger on Aug 5, 2006

NOTE: THIS IS NOT MY SERMON I DON’T EXPECT IT TO BE APPROVED (Just maintaining my calendar). It was written by Karl Barth - but its definately worth reading (and I’ve got a decent responsive reading to go with it...) MP: Fire produces coals and a

Title: Fire Upon the Earth “I am come to kindle fire upon the earth and what would I desire more than that it should already burn!” (Luke 12:49). What shall I say about the fire which Jesus came to kindle? Above all, that this fire does not yet burn upon the earth, as little today as then when he ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:49-50

Denomination: Baptist