Sermons on Inward Examination:

Get Right With Someone Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 31, 2021

A look into relationships - what hinders them, why we must work at them while we have the opportunity

The item I want to encourage you to add to your bucket list this morning can be a real tough one for people. In fact, I’ll bet there are some here today who would rather include bungee jumping, sky diving, and swimming with sharks and alligators on their list ahead of this item. But it’s really ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:23-24, Matthew 18:15-17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Discouraging Comfort Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

The book of Job makes clear that one of life's greatest tragedies is that believers do not comfort and encourage one another, but rather are often discouraging. That is what we see Job's friends being to him.

Emilie Lorning in her novel, Swift Waters, tells the story of a young single pastor who fell in love with a beautiful young woman in his congregation. She learned to play the chimes in the tower of the church, and when she learned the pastor's favorite hymn, she would play it frequently. ...read more

Why? Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

Job does not offend God with his whys. Instead, he makes God proud of him, because of his patience and persistence in spite of having no answer to his whys.

Paul Aurandt shares this true story of James Macie. He was an illegitimate child, which is really a foolish idea, for it is the parents that are illegitimate, and not the child, but as is so often the case, the stigma of this followed him for life. The laws of England, in the 18th century, denied ...read more

Joyful Saints Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

A saint is not determined by what they are, but by where they are. If they are in Christ, that is the bottom line. The degree of holiness varies tremendously, but all who are in Christ are equally saints.

Roger Fredricksen, a well-known pastor in my hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, wrote a book titled God Loves The Dandelions. In it he tells of how he and his wife Ruth were at a small cabin on the lake in Minnesota. They had just finished reading the book of Philippians with all its powerful ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:1-11

Courageous For Christ Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

It is the awareness that we are in warfare that will bring out the courage of the Christian. It is because we sense no urgency, as those in battle, that we get complacent and indifferent, and feel no call to be bold for Christ.

Max Lucado in his book In The Eye Of The Storm tells the true story of poor Chippie. Chippie was a pet bird just peacefully perched in his cage when all of the sudden life was changed into a living nightmare. It all began when Chippie's owner decided to clean his cage with a vacuum cleaner. ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:19-26

The Prayer Of Thanksgiving Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

Paul demonstrated the power of a thankful heart to overcome enormous negative circumstances. Prayer is not the dark garment of despair. Prayer is a bright garment of praise that will dress up the soul even on the dreariest of days.

My earliest childhood memories of being in church are of the rope that I could ride. The thick rope hung down through the ceiling in the church entry way. I was so little that when the rope was pulled to ring the bell in the belfry, I could hang on to it and get a ride as it would pull me up off ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:3-6

The Complexities Of Life Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 4, 2021

The happy ending of the story of Ruth, and the happy ending for millions of stories, are due to the reality of the complexity of life.

Not far from the scene where Ruth proposed to Boaz in the middle of the night, Musa Alami made a proposal of his own. This Arab boy was educated at Cambridge, and he went back to Palestine where he became very successful. But political turmoil came and he lost everything. He went out into the ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 4:1-6

Christian Education Of Women Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 5, 2021

love is not how you feel or dream, but it is what you do. Love chooses, and love acts, and the loving choices in acts can be learned. The trained Christian is one who can ask in any situation in life, "What is the loving thing to do in this situation?"

Janette George played the role of Corrie Ten Boom in the movie The Hiding Place. She wrote an interesting book called Travel Tips For The Reluctant Traveler. In it she tells of her 35th birthday. That was the year she finally accepted the fact that she would never play Peter Pan. But she expected ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:1-8

The Successful Failure Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 6, 2021

Peter was the greatest failure in his abusive power. And yet we see that he not only survives, but he does so quite successfully. He is able to stay on top as the leader of the 12. He does everything wrong, and still comes out a winner.

Apollo 13 was one of the biggest flops in the history of our space program, and yet it was also one of the most celebrated. Can a catastrophic failure also be a colossal success? Just ask the three astronauts of that ill fated flight. It was 1970, and they were on their way to the moon when an ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-26

The Battle For Success Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 6, 2021

Paul is convinced that failures can become successes. He knew this for he was one of the most successful failures in history. One of the great themes of literature and the Bible is this theme of success out of failure.

In the 35 years following the Civil War 3 success writers towered high above all others, and they became successful by writing about success. All 3 were ordained men. One of them was Russell Conwell who was the pastor of the Baptist Temple of Philadelphia. He delivered his famous lecture over ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-15

Taking Laughter Seriously Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 6, 2021

Drain your life of humor, and it is like draining your car of oil. You will not get far before you lose power and lock up the engine. Laughter keeps the engine of life running smooth. It allows us to keep making progress down the road to God's goals.

Tom Mullen begins his book, Laughing Out Loud and Other Religious Experiences with this story. An engineer, a psychologist, and a theologian were hunting in the wilds of Northern Canada. They came across a isolated cabin, and decided to check it out. When no one answered their knocks, they tried ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Those Feelings Of Pride Series

Contributed by David Owens on Apr 12, 2021

God has given us the ability to feel the emotion of pride so that we can benefit from good pride and avoid the destructive nature of bad pride. It is important to know the difference between the two kinds of pride.

A. Once there was a guy named Zeke who had so much pride he could never admit he was wrong. 1. One day Zeke wandered into the blacksmith shop with sawdust all over the floor. 2. A few minutes before Zeke arrived, the blacksmith had been working on an uncooperative horseshoe, and had beat on it ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5-7, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 3:34

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Under The Shadow Of His Wings (Part 1)

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Apr 16, 2021

This message was written in June 2020 to address the Corona Virus pandemic. This passage from Psalm speaks of how God will deliver us from the snares of the enemy and from the pestilence.

We have endured some crazy events in America during the first six months of 2020, with the impeachment trial and political drama; the Corona Virus pandemic; and now racial and civil unrest, accompanied with looting, rioting and terrible violence. During the quarantine period, the Lord laid a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 91:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

God Loves A Cheerful Giver

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Apr 18, 2021

The “tithe” is not our money; it’s God’s. When we refuse to trust the church in handling the tithe, and feel that we know the best use for it, then this is contempt for God and His Spirit, and we are treading on dangerous ground!

I remember when my wife and I first got married that she would tell me stories about the Christian camp she attended as a child, because camp meant so much to her growing up. One of the songs they sang at camp was called, “God Loves a Cheerful Giver,” which was about Ananias and Sapphira; and I ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Crazy Little Thing Called Love Series

Contributed by David Owens on Apr 19, 2021

The emotion of love and living a life of love can be very complicated. How do we navigate through all the confusing and emotionally charged stuff involved in love? By knowing God and walking in God's ways.

A. One day two men named Bill and Steve were discussing the possibility of love. “I thought I was in love three times,” said Bill. 1. Steve asked, “Thought you were in love, what do you mean?” 2. The man explained, “Three years ago, I cared very deeply for a woman who wanted nothing to do with me, ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-12, Romans 5:5, Matthew 22:37, John 13:34, Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 John 2:15  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ