Sermons on James Nichols:

Mind Control Series

Contributed by James Hays on Apr 18, 2020

Last week we presented thoughts on making the most of our opportunities, redeeming the time because it is our purpose to be imitators of God in these uncertain times. Perhaps the greatest obstacle in redeeming our time for God is found in the realm of mind control. Who controls your mind?

Last week we presented thoughts on making the most of our opportunities, redeeming the time because it is our purpose to be imitators of God through these uncertain times. Perhaps the greatest obstacle in redeeming our time for God is found in the realm of mind control. Who controls your mind? ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-9

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Was Paul A Good Preacher?

Contributed by James Hays on Apr 21, 2020

Men tend to judge speakers according to a standard that Paul did not even desire to meet. Maybe our judgement needs a little realignment with scripture.

Was Paul A Good Preacher? Hmmm. I’ve often wondered how many churches would pass on hiring Paul for their pulpit minister. • Everyone is a TV evangelist right now. • Pick and choose what style you like, what subject matter you are interested in. • Almost like a competition on Facebook between ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Acts 14:12, 2 Corinthians 10:1

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Is A Disciple, Part 1 Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Apr 27, 2020

A disciple imitates the example of Jesus and follows the instructions of Jesus regardless of the interruptions from the world.

What is a disciple, Part One Mark 6:1-43 If nothing else, this has been a season where we’ve had to learn some new definitions. There are words and phrases that were absolutely meaningless two months ago, and now they are part of our everyday vocabulary. For example: social distancing. If you ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:1-43

Denomination: Baptist

When Plans Go Awry Series

Contributed by James Hays on Apr 28, 2020

we all have plans for life and a sense of direction lain out in our minds. Sometimes life laughs. We suffer loss.

This time has disrupted most –if not all – of our plans. The seniors had plans of finishing their senior year and graduating with celebrations, now what? Many had plans of getting married with parties and celebrations, now what? Many had plans of having jobs, income, and insurance, but now what? ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 20:24, Jeremiah 10:23-24, Hebrews 2:14-18

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Today, If You Hear His Voice . . . Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Feb 1, 2021

The possibility of falling away from Christ is greater than most of us think--no one is entirely immune from this awful outcome. It all begins with how we come to respond to God's voice, when we know He has spoken to us, and even in small things, choose to ignore Him.

One of the great challenges of the pastoral profession is discerning who to help among those who are in evident financial need, and when to help them, and then how much to help them. Despite our best and most sincere efforts, pastors young and old, sometimes fail. I remember well the story of a ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:32-34, 1 John 2:19, 1 Corinthians 5:2, Mark 13:13, Colossians 1:22-23, 2 Peter 1:10-11, Hebrews 3:12-19  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Bible Church

Habits Of Pruning, Part 1: Sabbath (Exodus 16) Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Feb 8, 2021

Sabbath reminds us that God's got this. And He's got us, too.

Good morning. Please open your Bibles to Exodus 16. We’re going to look at several scripture passages this morning, but the biggest chunk is going to come from Exodus 16, so you can go ahead and turn there. For the past several weeks we’ve been talking about developing spiritual disciplines. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 16:21-30, Hebrews 4:9-10

Denomination: Baptist

Habits Of Abiding, Part 2: Community And Accountability Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Feb 8, 2021

We don't often think of community as a spiritual discipline. But its one the body of Christ literally can't do without.

Good morning. Please turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 15. We are continuing our series on spiritual disciplines. When we started this, I introduced you to this illustration of building a trellis—a framework on which your spiritual life can grow. The trellis helps the plant grow in a healthy ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Training Vs. Trying Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Feb 8, 2021

We tend to overcomplicate "spiritual maturity." But really maturity just comes down to two things: Can you feed yourself, and are you reproducing?

Good morning. Please open your Bibles to Hebrews 5. We are starting a new series called “Next Steps.” Appropriate for the beginning of the year, isn’t it? The New Year is always a great time to try to begin a new program or routine or regimen. Nothing wrong with that. There is something about ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

How To Finish Well Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Feb 8, 2021

Stories abound of folks who began well in the Christian faith, and in ministry, but failed to finish well. What does the Word of God say about how we can be motivated to follow Jesus faithfully to the end?

I was listening to one of our secular news and talk radio stations one morning this past week. And there was an innocent joke, of all things, about our subject this morning. A married couple was having a debate about who should get out of bed in the mornings to brew the coffee. Finally, the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 3:14, Colossians 3:16-17

Denomination: Bible Church

Habits Of Pruning, Part 2: Fasting (Matthew 6:16-18) Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Feb 13, 2021

Fasting is probably the least understood of the spiritual disciplines. But it has the potential to be one of the most rewarding.

[I am very grateful to SermonCentral contributor Jim Luthy for his sermon "To Fast or Not to Fast." His opening illustration and structure formed the backbone of this sermon.] Good morning. Please open your Bibles to Matthew 6. How many of you are tea drinkers? I know we are in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:16-18, Jeremiah 14:10-11, Isaiah 58:3-5

Denomination: Baptist

How To Deal With An Impossible Situation Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Feb 15, 2021

Jesus and His disciples faced an absolutely impossible situation--10,000 people to feed in a deserted place, little food and too little money. How should we respond when we face the same kind of situation?

“Life is difficult.” So says the first three words of a best-selling book by Dr. M. Scott Peck, an author and Psychiatrist, who wrote “The Road Less Traveled.” And He goes on to say that the key to dealing with the difficulty of life is just simply realizing and accepting the fact that life is ...read more

Scripture: John 6:1-15, Proverbs 17:3, 1 Peter 5:12, Deuteronomy 34:10-12, Deuteronomy 18:15-18  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Bible Church

Accept No Substitutes Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Feb 15, 2021

Various pseudo-Christian spin offs claim to provide exclusively the priesthood that allows its worshipers to be made right with God. However, Hebrews 5 presents the truth that there is only one priest we will ever need--the Great High Priest Jesus Christ.

In the summer of my 19th year I was excited to take a summer job in Yellowstone National Park working as a dishwasher in Canyon Village. I say I was excited, because I had longed dreamed of the great trout fishing amid all the natural beauty that Yellowstone is famed for. But what I didn’t count ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5-6, Psalm 2:7

Denomination: Bible Church

Habits Of Pruning, Part 3: Withness (Luke 7:36-50) Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Feb 19, 2021

Withness is the art of making the person in front of you feel like they are the most important person in the world to you. How are you with that?

We are coming to the close of our series on cultivating spiritual disciplines. We’ve got two more disciplines to talk about, and next week I will wrap up with what this all means in terms of a life of holiness. So let me just remind you where we’ve been. We are looking at eight habits we can ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:7-10, Luke 7:36-50

Denomination: Baptist

No Turning Back Series

Contributed by James Wallace on Feb 22, 2021

One of the most sobering warnings in all of Scripture is found in Hebrews 6. There is a great, even awful danger of making an irreversible and eternally destructive choice to abandon Christ. This passage stresses why you don't want to go there.

This past year I faced a bit of a dilemma. My high school class, the class of 1970, was planning to celebrate its 50-year class reunion. I was invited. Would I go? That wasn’t the real dilemma. The real dilemma was that my spiritual father was on the organizing committee—yes, the fellow who ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 6:1-8, 2 Peter 3:9, John 10:27-30, John 6:37, 1 John 2:19, Romans 8:35, Hebrews 3:14  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Bible Church

The Last Habit: That All May See Your Progress (1 Tim. 4:10-16) Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Mar 1, 2021

Concluding our series on spiritual disciplines, we look at the discipline of decision making, and why it matters to live a life of visible holiness.

The Last Habit: That All May See Your Progress (1 Timothy 4:10-16) Good morning. Please open your Bibles to 1 Timothy 4 Today we are wrapping up our series on developing spiritual disciplines. Next week, Cody will be preaching as part of our DNow weekend, and after that, we will be starting ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:10-16

Denomination: Baptist