Sermons on Ideas:

Joy In Abandonment

Contributed by Todd Spires on Feb 3, 2021

To some Christianity can often feel like a list of do's and don'ts. And the idea of abandoning everything to follow Jesus doesn't exactly sound fun. There is, however, tremendous and lasting joy in abandonment

Introduction: • General Welcome • Today we will be in Mark 10:17-31 looking at the Rich Young Ruler • The title of the message is, “Joy in Abandonment” o Christianity often feels like a list of dos and don’ts o The idea of abandoning things doesn’t always sound “fun” o There is, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Denomination: Baptist

Reaping And Sowing In The Ruins Series

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jul 9, 2020

This sermon looks at the hope and promise of sowing God's Word. It deals with the failures, but also the joys that we can experience with this! It goes through Jesus' parable of the sower. A special thanks to Rev. Bob Holst for the inspiration and idea

Are you an optimist, or are you a pessimist? Are you a glass half-empty person, or are you a glass half-full person? Do you complain that rose bushes have thorns, or do you rejoice because thorns have roses? Do you see the storm clouds, or do you see the silver lining? There are various ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:10-13, Matthew 13:1-9, Matthew 13:18-23, Galatians 5:21-22

Denomination: Lutheran

Choices: A Teenage Dream Or A Greater Purpose Series

Contributed by Jack Perkins, D.min., Ladc, Csac, Cclc on Nov 25, 2020

The Star and Stars of Christmas is a series of messages for Advent. Using the idea of a play on a stage. Each message will look at different characters in the Christmas story. The introduction takes a critical look at how many in our society are portrayed as celebrities—bigger than life.

Many Americans are star struck, enamored with stardom. It is like we idolize celebrities, to include animated and fictional characters. Hollywood stars are put ahead of the heroes of faith, as mentioned in the book of Hebrews. Sport celebrities are stronger figures in our mind than people of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Creativity: Maintaining A Sensitivity To Transcendence Series

Contributed by Jack Perkins, D.min., Ladc, Csac, Cclc on Nov 25, 2020

The Star and Stars of Christmas is a series of messages for Advent. Using the idea of a play on a stage. Each message will look at different characters in the Christmas story. The introduction takes a critical look at how many in our society are portrayed as celebrities—bigger than life.

Often people are attracted to performances based upon the popularity of the performers, or the authors. (My wife’s father enjoyed David Baldacci, James Patterson, Danielle Steele, etc.). A good writer wants to remove his/her personality and have us to focus on the story. The Gospel according to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Scrooges: Man’s Personal Power To Thwart God’s Plan Series

Contributed by Jack Perkins, D.min., Ladc, Csac, Cclc on Nov 25, 2020

The Star and Stars of Christmas is a series of messages for Advent. Using the idea of a play on a stage. Each message will look at different characters in the Christmas story. The introduction takes a critical look at how many in our society are portrayed as celebrities—bigger than life.

It is amazing how understanding a person and a historical event gives a different way of looking at history. I enjoy reality fiction, especially in movies. For example, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” appears to be a fantasy movie. It is reality fiction. The story tells how Charles Dickens ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Inspiration: Seeing Life Through God’s Eyes Series

Contributed by Jack Perkins, D.min., Ladc, Csac, Cclc on Nov 25, 2020

The Star and Stars of Christmas is a series of messages for Advent. Using the idea of a play on a stage. Each message will look at different characters in the Christmas story. The introduction takes a critical look at how many in our society are portrayed as celebrities—bigger than life.

Cut! Cut! This story is missing something! The script is not going the way it was written. First, it was written with a God-given ability for all players in the script to always love the Lord, follow his precepts for godly living. Let’s review, the original script looked like this: • At first, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-18, Luke 2:1-20

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ascension (And Decension)

Contributed by Paul Andrew on May 7, 2022

I would like to talk about Ascending with Christ in our bodies by the Cross, which helps our minds and ideas. John Chrysostom said that the Cross establishes my thoughts, so that I may sing and glorify Thy saving Ascension.”

Christ descended to the lowest depths of humiliation, then raised up to the height of exaltation, Ephesians 4:8 says. The ascension life. “We can ascend with him in our hearts,” Saint Augustine said, “set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, … not on the things that are on ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:46-53

Denomination: Catholic

Brought To Life; Brought Together Spirit Filled Living: A Husband’ S Love Ephesians 5:25-27 Series

Contributed by David Taylor on Jan 21, 2025

Today we see that God calls husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church (5:25-27). My big idea is pretty simple, Christ’s love for his church is the pattern for a husband’s love for his wife.

We are continuing our series in Ephesians, Brought to Life; Brought Together. We are in chapter five, where Paul discusses marriage. So far, we have looked at God’s vision for marriage to display Christ’s relationship with his church (5:31-32). Then we saw that God calls wives to respect and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-27, Matthew 16:24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Tripping On Jesus (Luke 7:17-35) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on Mar 7, 2024

In one key way, Jesus isn't the Messiah people (including John) expected. Are we ok that this piece is missing, or does it make us trip on the idea that Jesus is Messiah, and thus trip on God? A narrative/literary approach to Luke.

Today, I'm going to try to tackle a few interconnected episodes. It's kind of a lot, but this whole section teaches one main thing, and if we want to hear that one thing, we need to grab it all at once. The simplest onramp to today's verses is to begin, simply, by rereading last ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 7:11-35

Jesus' Mission

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Mar 25, 2024

Today, I thought I would start from the beginning of Jesus's ministry. Just what was His mission? Of course, we know what that mission was for us today. But in that day, the people had no idea what was about to happen.

5 weeks from today it will be Easter. So, I thought that I would use the month of March to talk in detail about our Lord Jesus—my favorite subject. Today, I thought I would start from the beginning of Jesus's ministry. Just what was His mission? Of course, we know what that mission was for ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:2-8, Luke 4:14-21

Denomination: Baptist

Sermon # 2 - Don't Miss Out On God's Presence Series

Contributed by Andrew Dixon on Aug 23, 2024

As Jonah fled from the presence of God, he had no idea as to the consequences he would face. We as a church too must be cautious in many ways so that we do no lose out on the awesome presence of God and His Holy Spirit.

We read in Jonah 1:3, “But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. And he went down to Joppa. And he found a ship going to Tarshish. And he paid its fare, and went down into it, in order to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.” (AFV) As we continue ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:3, Jonah 1:1, John 10:35, Exodus 7:1, Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 3:5, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 11:4, John 1:12, Matthew 28:19-20, John 3:30, Exodus 23:8, James 4:11, Genesis 3:8, Genesis 11:8, Genesis 4:16  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Other

Playing Favorites Youth Sermon

Contributed by Youth Sermons on Sep 9, 2024

Main Idea: Favoritism goes against God's heart for His creation. We are challenged to see people as God sees them and to live out our faith through acts of love and service, especially towards those society often overlooks.

Hey guys, today we're going to talk about something we all see around us - favoritism. You know, when someone gets special treatment because of how they look, what they wear, or who they know. It's not cool, right? Well, guess what? God thinks so too. Let's dive into James 2:1-17. James, who was ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-17

Topics: Divine Love, God's Favor, Spiritual Favoritism, Unconditional Love

Glory In The Shame!

Contributed by Paul Tuck on Jan 12, 2002

Perhaps we don’t understand that ancient mentality of hostility towards the preaching of the cross but the Apostle Paul did. And though he KNEW that people regarded the idea of God on a cross as vile and shameful, not only did he preach it, but he glor

GLORY IN THE SHAME! Galatians 6:14 Today, at least in Western society, the cross is a perfectly acceptable symbol, a rather harmless token of the Christian faith. Most people, except perhaps some of the trouble-making sort, take no offense at all to the sight of a cross. In fact, many people ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:14

Denomination: Baptist

What's With The Crackers And Juice? Series

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Nov 25, 2002

Forth of Five in series on Why Do We Do What We Do? So what is the idea with a little bit of bread and a tiny cup of grape juice? Is it really the body and blood of Jesus and if it is why is this a sacred thing for Christians. What is the purpose? Who

So what is the idea with a little bit of bread and a tiny cup of grape juice? Is it really the body and blood of Jesus and if it is why is this a sacred thing for Christians. What is the purpose? Who is it for? What is it about? The Last Supper Most people are familiar with Leonardo Devinci’s ...read more

Scripture: John 6:48-51, Colossians 1:19-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Great Commish Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 5, 2003

MAIN IDEA: The Great Commission is the Church’s marching orders, direction from our Commander in Chief, the center of God’s will for a church’s ministry. The Church is about glorifying God, and one main way to do so is by participating in the Great Com

Here is the bulletin insert, followed by the sermon (after the ****’s) The Great Commission Dissected The clearest and fullest presentation of the “Great Commission” is found in Matt. 28:19-20. These words were spoken about four weeks after the Resurrection. The 11 Apostles met Jesus in a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Denomination: Independent/Bible