Sermons on Holding Pen:

The Dream Maker And The Dreamer

Contributed by Engleburg Toney on Jan 18, 2010

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Dream was a gift from God to save his people from despair and provide hope to a whole nation divided by racism.

Giving all praises and glory to God, our Father, honor to the honorable Mayor of Rowlett Dr. John Harper and other members of city council, peace to my brethren of the ecclesiastical authority of Rowlett and members of the “Pray” Rowlett Pastor’s Fellowship, love, peace, and grace be unto you the ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 2:27-28

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Get Up Or Give Up?

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Oct 21, 2009

When we articulate our past, we are getting ready for a repeat performance. The choice is ours ~ rehearse the past failures OR the past victories. David chose not to continue living in the past. Will you also take that step?

Opening illustration: A young gentleman walked into the church that we were attending and ministering at in Massachusetts. He had decided to finish his life that night. His life had been in the fast lane, nothing had come out of it. He had been in numerous relations and being a lorry driver he had ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:13-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grace Made Flesh

Contributed by Chris Surber on Nov 19, 2009

The incarnation must be experienced personally to be fully known!

Grace Made Flesh, Isaiah 7:14, Mathew 1:23 Introduction “I tell you Jesus Christ is a myth,” shouted an atheistic lecturer as he concluded his talk in which he ridiculed the Bible and denied the existence of God. A miner, who had come to the meeting in his grimy clothes, stood up and said, “I am ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:23

Denomination: Christian Church

Going Deeper

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Aug 31, 2010

Christ calls us to go deeper with Him where greater riches and service lie and stop wading in the shallows. Why don’t Christians want to go deeper? How can they go deeper? What are the benefits of going deeper?

Going Deeper Hebrews 5:12 – 6:1 Introduction: Paul scolded the Hebrew Christians for remaining shallow believers and not growing deeper in their Christian experience. They remained superficial believers. He challenges them to go on to maturity. Christ called Peter to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Our Year In Review

Contributed by Daniel Austin on Sep 9, 2010

Jeremiah exhorted Israel to self-examination: Lamentations 3:40-41

Our Year In Review 12/06/09 AM Text: 2 Corinthians 13:5 INTRODUCTION This past Tuesday, December 1st, I received an email from an online search company informing me that they had just made available their “Annual Year in Review: 2009.” And it took my brain a minute to register that we ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Automatic Door Openers

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Feb 19, 2010

For deacon ordination: God has provided the wide door through which all may come, but also the narrow gate that calls for discipline and setting boundaries.

We seem to be fast coming to the place where we will scarcely have to deal with people at all. We can just deal with computer-driven machines to get what we want. I frankly cannot remember when I have dealt with a bank teller. I just roll up to an Automatic Teller Machine, punch in a few numbers, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-14

Denomination: Baptist

Hallmarks Of Love 1 Series

Contributed by Jason Jones on Mar 1, 2010

Exposition of 1 Cor 13:4 regarding biblical love

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:4, Title: The Hallmarks of Love 1, Date/Place: NRBC, 2/21/10, AM A. Opening illustration: the lady who wanted to divorce her husband in the most painful way possible. The suggestion was to go and act like you love him for 2 months, and make him believe it, then drop the bomb ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4

Denomination: Baptist

Our Faithful God

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jun 27, 2009

In the midst of hardship, remember to call to mind the goodness and faithfulness of God. Ponder what God has done for you and can do for you. He has not changed. Trust Him.

Jeremiah penned down his grief after his nation and city Jerusalem fell to Babylon in 586 BC. • He expresses his sorrows over 5 laments in this book. The people suffered because they have sinned against God and rejected Him. • God is faithful. If the people would learn their lesson, repent and ...read more

Scripture: Lamentations 3:19-26

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Building Blocks Of Love

Contributed by C M Mackinnon on Sep 14, 2010

Paul gives Timothy three building blocks we need to truly love one another with agape love.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:1-5

Denomination: Pentecostal

"We Are Not A Christian Nation" Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Apr 12, 2009

Should the church dissolve since our president has declared that we are not a Christian nation? The numbers of people claiming to be Christians has dropped dramatically. The question is, is the cross still relevant in this post-Christian world?

President Barak Obama visited Turkey this week. In a press conference he stated “we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.” Newsweek reporter Jon Meacham wrote the cover story for his magazine entitled “The Decline and Fall of Christian America.” The 2009 American Religious Identification ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Part 2: Connecting The Dots With God's Family Series

Contributed by Jerry Blaxton on Aug 1, 2008

God ultimately wants us to become a part of His group—His family—the church.

Introduction Remember last week how I mentioned the “Connect the Dots” Activity, where you draw a line from dot #1 to dot #2, then to #3, and so on. And when you’re done, a picture is revealed. And then. I shared how, through our lives, we get “dots” of spiritual information about God, but we ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:5

Denomination: Baptist

What To Do When You're Tired Of Serving The Lord

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jun 7, 2013

A look at why we get tired of serving God and His reactions to the "pity parties" that we throw ourselves.

[This is a long outline with a lot of points and is therefore probably more suited to a Wednesday evening study.] "I DON'T WANNA!": There are times in the Christian journey when we get tired of serving the Lord and we throw a pity party. - Jeremiah 20:14-18. - We whine and complain and fuss and ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 20:7-18

Denomination: Baptist

Why Not You Since You Are Chosen By God Series

Contributed by Preacher Fo Real on Jul 20, 2013

As the men and women chosen by God, we stay the tests of turbulent times because we understand Roman 8:31 simply guarantees that when it is our time to return to the fight, Our God Has Us Completely Covered.

The content of the mentioned Scripture often send us wondering about the permissive will of God. This chapter of the bible reveals that Job was suffering from his illness and apparently as with some issues of life today, his suffering not only damaged his physical body, it changed the way people ...read more

Scripture: Job 2:9-10

Denomination: *other

Encouraged To Encourage

Contributed by Mark A. Barber on Nov 22, 2013

God encourages us so that we could encourage one another

Encouraged to Encourage 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 The story seems so modern. A man who seems to be in a rut in his job gets a call from his boss about a terrific new opportunity overseas. Things had not been going so well where he was. Everything he tried to do was a dead end. So this opportunity was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Towel That Wipes Away Grudges Series

Contributed by Rick Burdette on Dec 31, 2015

Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Real Life Christianity

THE TOWEL – The Towel That Wipes Away Grudges Matthew 18:15-22 November 6, 2022 Introduction: There’s the story of two men who appeared before a judge on charges of assault and disturbing the peace... After the judge had listened to both sides and surmised that both men claimed to be ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-22

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ