Sermons on Higher Ground:

Saved By Grace, Kept By Grace And Grow In Grace

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on May 17, 2024

The apostle Paul recognized that there are two kinds of Christians within the church:

• SPIRITUAL • UN-SPIRITUAL Every Christian fall into one of these two categories. HOW DO WE KNOW THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF CHRISTIANS IN THE CHURCH? Paul makes that distinction when he writes to the church in Galatia. Look at Galatians 6:1, we read, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7

Denomination: Baptist

Committing To Our Mission As The Church PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 3, 2025

Jesus seeks the lost and sends us to join His mission, turning everyday places into opportunities to share His love, freedom, and abundant life.

There’s a line that lingers in the soul like a song you can’t forget: Jesus came looking for people. Before we raised our hands, before we learned the words, before we found our seat on a Sunday—He was already searching. He crossed crowded roads, dusty villages, and social barriers, because that’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:10, Luke 4:18-19, John 10:10

Topics: Service, Purpose, Mission

Mustard Seed-Sized Faith 10/05/25 PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 26, 2025

Trusting Jesus with even the smallest faith leads to powerful results, as God values humble obedience over impressive displays of strength or ability.

If you’ve ever sat at a kitchen table with a bill you can’t pay, a diagnosis you can’t fix, or a relationship you can’t untangle, you’ve likely whispered the disciples’ prayer: "Lord, increase our faith." It’s a simple sentence with a grand ache. We know the feeling of being stretched thin, of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:5-10

Topics: Faith, Mustard Seed

Living Under God's Open Heaven PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 29, 2025

God’s generous presence and blessing are available to us through prayer, inviting us to trust, receive, and live confidently under His open heaven.

Some mornings feel like the sky sits low and gray, as if our prayers push against a ceiling of clouds. Bills stack, hearts ache, and strength thins out around the edges. And then we read a line of Scripture and it’s as if God opens a window and lets a fresh breeze run through the room. That’s what ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:16, Deuteronomy 28:12

Topics: Ownership, Inheritance

Stumbling Blocks And Stepping Stones PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 19, 2025

This sermon urges believers to choose love over judgment, removing obstacles for others and fostering a gentle, supportive community that reflects Christ’s kindness.

Friends, welcome. Take a breath. Let your shoulders drop a bit. I don’t know what you carried in today—opinions that feel heavy, tensions that won’t unwind, or that low ache that comes from wishing people saw things your way. Church can feel like a crowded dinner table where everyone brings a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:13

Topics: Situations, Good, Detriment

What Happens When You Get What You Ask Or Pray For? PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 30, 2025

True security is found in trusting God as our King, not in pursuing what others have or seeking control through earthly solutions.

Have you ever stood at the fence line of your life, looked at what others have, and felt that tug? If I just had their certainty. Their security. Their leader. Their plan. The human heart has a way of reaching for what is visible, tangible, and immediate. We want a king we can see. A system we can ...read more

Topics: Divine Will, Human Desire

When Should We Be Thankful? PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Nov 1, 2025

True gratitude is not dependent on circumstances but is a daily response to God’s faithfulness, shaping our hearts and sustaining us through every season.

Friends, some weeks feel like a kaleidoscope of errands and emotions—school drop-offs and late invoices, texts we forgot to answer, headlines we wish we hadn’t read. Yet right in the middle of muddy shoes by the door, burnt toast on the counter, and the ache we can’t name, there is a whisper from ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Topics: Thankfulness, Gratitude

How Should I Fight If The Battle Is The Lord's? PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Nov 4, 2025

Trust God to fight your battles; respond with prayer and praise, knowing His presence and power are greater than any fear or opposition you face.

Some mornings the alarm clock sounds like a starter pistol. We leap from bed straight into a race we didn’t sign up for—emails, meetings, bills, a stack of must-do’s. And then there are the battles no calendar can predict: the doctor’s report that makes your heart pound, the prodigal child who has ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:15, 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Topics: Spiritual Warfare, Divine Battle

Are You Plugged In To Study And Obey God's Word? Series

Contributed by David Dykes on Mar 31, 2003

Ezra is the story of the Jews’ return to Jerusalem after almost a century exile in Babylon. When they returned, all they found were ruins. There was no temple, so the people felt spiritually unplugged. Ezra is a story of how they got plugged in.

Are You Plugged In to Study and Obey God’s Word? Ezra 3:1-3 By Dr. David O. Dykes INTRODUCTION Over the next three weeks, I will be sharing from the book of Ezra about the importance of being plugged in to the best God has for you this year. Today I want to talk about the importance of being ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 3:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

How Can I Keep From Singing?

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 24, 2011

This sermon is based on the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and addresses the question of cleansing the church and cleansing our hearts as he comes to us.

"How Can I Keep From Singing?" Gospel Idea; A king who rides a donkey and conquers on a cross! Luke 19: 28 Gospel truth: My house shall be a House of Prayer.and a house of worship! Situation: King Jesus is coming to town...on a Donkey? Have you ever seen a coronation? The queen of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:28-48

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Parable Of The Wheat And The Tares Series

Contributed by Warren Lamb on Jun 23, 2007

We are to be loving, kind and accepting of the people God places in our lives, even though we are to be discerning and unaccepting of their sinful choices. Yet, even in this, we are to do so in love. For we do not know where that person stands with God or

The Kingdom Of Heaven Is Like… – Part 2 The Parable Of The Wheat And The Tares Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Before we begin today, let’s make sure we are all clear about what a parable is and what the difference is between a parable and an allegory. Anyone care to give me their understanding of what a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-43

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of Intercessory Prayer Series

Contributed by David Dykes on Oct 9, 2014

This message is all about the importance of praying for other people. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 teaches us an important lesson: Asking for prayer is not a sign of weakness. It's a mark of dependence.

INTRODUCTION A little girl asked her grandmother, “Grandmother, how old are you?” Her grandmother said, “Sweetheart, it’s not nice to ask a woman her age.” The next day the granddaughter said, “Grandmother, how much do you weigh?” The grandmother replied, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

Who Made You Judge? Series

Contributed by Thomas Swope on Feb 10, 2016

A study of the book of Job 8: 1 – 22

Job 8: 1 – 22 Who Made You Judge? 1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: 2 “How long will you speak these things, and the words of your mouth be like a strong wind? 3 Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice? 4 If your sons have sinned against Him, He has ...read more

Scripture: Job 8:1-22

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Focus

Contributed by Richard Tow on Feb 29, 2016

In this sermon, Pastor Richard illustrates the importance of maintaining focus. Victories have been lost because someone lost focus. Success in almost any endeavor requires focus. But what causes people to lose focus?

Focus 
 08-09-16 (www.LifeChurchSpringfield.org) In the 1996 Olympic Games in ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2

Denomination: Charismatic

Christmas Plan Series

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Dec 9, 2019

Even though we messed everything up God had a plan to save us.

CHRISTMAS PLAN Text: Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15-17; 3:1-7, 15 Introduction 1. Illustration: In the opening pages of his autobiography, An American Life, Ronald Reagan writes, I was raised to believe that God had a plan for everyone and that seemingly random twists of fate are all a part of His plan. My ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:25-28

Denomination: Methodist