Sermons on Jim Croce:

Grace Is Greater-Life Is Hard-God Is Good

Contributed by Jim Caswell on Feb 7, 2018

Our pain draws us closer to Jesus and makes us more like Him

Title: Life is hard-God is good. Place: BLCC Date: 2/11/18 Text: Romans 8.28 CT: Our pain draws us closer to Jesus and makes us more like Him [Screen 1] Doctors make a lot of recommendations for their patients. But do they incorporate these suggestions into their own lives? An article in The ...read more

Denomination: Christian Church

Four Ways To Better Love Those Away From God

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 16, 2018

Starting with Jesus hanging between two criminals, this sermon focuses on how Jesus was a "friend of sinners" and offers four ways we can improve in that endeavor.

WHICH IMAGE FITS BETTER: Black tuxedo or orange jumpsuit? - Mark 15:27. - Here we have the stark image of Jesus hanging between two criminals. These are orange jumpsuit kind of people. - On the other hand, we have the respectable crowd, perhaps wearing a black tuxedo to show their classiness. - ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:24-27

Denomination: Baptist

The Advice That Can Divert You From God’s Will

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 23, 2018

Looking at those who shouted at Christ while He was on the cross, this sermon explores how their demands would have led Christ directly away from doing God's will. How often does the advice the world gives us every day do the same thing?

ADVICE FROM THE CROWD: “Good advice” from the world can divert you from God’s will for your life. - Mark 15:29-32. - While Jesus is on the cross, the crowd throws several suggestions His way. When you dig into them a little, it’s interesting to see how deeply counterproductive they are. There ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:25-32

Denomination: Baptist

The Four Miracles Surrounding Jesus’ Death

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 28, 2018

A look at the four miracles that happened at the death of Jesus (darkness, veil, earthquake, and the resurrected saints) and what the spiritual significance of each was.

- We often preach about the amazing things that accompanied Jesus’ resurrection from the death. The scene on Easter morning certainly deserves attention from us. - It’s not just the resurrection of Jesus that had miracles though. The death of Jesus also was accompanied by miracles as well. - ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Did God The Father ‘turn His Back’ On Jesus?

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Mar 6, 2018

This sermon looks at Jesus' "forsaken" cry from the cross. It examines two arguments: one that the Father did turn His back on Jesus at that moment; the other that the Bible does not teach that.

A CROSS QUESTIONS: DID GOD THE FATHER "TURN HIS BACK" ON JESUS WHEN HE WAS ON THE CROSS? - Mark 15:34. - The phrase “turn His back” does not appear anywhere in Scripture, but it’s come into our popular religious vocabulary. Commenting on the passage we just read, we often say that when Jesus ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:33-34

Denomination: Baptist

Faith That Steps Out

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Mar 20, 2018

A look at Joseph of Arimathea and his decision after the death of Jesus to go public with his faith. What holds us back from being public with our faith?

- Who is Joseph? - Joseph of Arimathea is the main person we’re going to look at here. The gospel of John tells us that Nicodemus accompanied him, but we’re going to focus on Joseph. Some details about him: a. He was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council (Mark ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:42-47

Denomination: Baptist

Loneliness

Contributed by Jim Caswell on Mar 30, 2018

A true follower of Jesus will defeat loneliness because he will love and have other followers at his side.

Title: Loneliness Place: BLCC Date: 2/18/18 Text: Genesis 2.18; 1 Samuel 23.16-17 Middle-Aged Men, Biggest Threat: [Screen 1] Loneliness Dr. Richard S. Schwartz, a Cambridge psychiatrist who has studied the problem of loneliness in America, notes that over four decades of studies have shown ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 23:16-17

Denomination: Christian Church

Why Are So Many Uninterested In The Gospel? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 2, 2018

Paul tells us the world is blind to the gospel. What is the key to help them see?

- Earlier, use this for the Children’s Sermon. Have a box with one side open and that open side up against the wall. Let the kids guess what might be in the box. Then have helper pick up the box and hold it front of their face, causing a light to shine on their face from the flashlight in the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Denomination: Baptist

How Can God Do Great Things Through Someone Like Me? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 6, 2018

A look at why it's ok that we are merely "jars of clay."

A Picture Of Us And God: We are the plain pot; Christ is the magnificent flower. - 2 Corinthians 4:7. Living This Truth Out: 1. It’s ok to admit your shortcomings. - 2 Corinthians 4:7 – “jars of clay.” 2. Accept that you’re the plain pot and Christ is the magnificent flower. - 2 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7

Denomination: Baptist

How God Grows Us Through Struggles Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 7, 2018

This difficult passage points us toward who we are in Christ and how He grows us.

HOW GOD GROWS US THROUGH STRUGGLES: 1. AN EASY LIFE? God does not take away our struggles, though He does ensure they don’t overwhelm us. - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9. - In verses 8-9, Paul shares four statements that we’d rather not hear. They speak clearly to an uncomfortable truth: God’s goal is ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:8-11

Denomination: Baptist

What Our Faith Produces Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 9, 2018

A look at having a "spirit of faith" and three of the things that brings into our lives.

OUR ACTION: We speak (and live) with a spirit of faith. - 2 Corinthians 4:13. - Paul quotes Psalm 116. In that Psalm the writer cried out for mercy and God came through for him. This sentence drawn from that speaks to the writer’s faith in God. “I believed” – he had faith in God to come ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15

Denomination: Baptist

Hope When Obstacles Discourage Us Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 15, 2018

Encouragement on how to not lose heart. How does God use struggles to move us forward spiritually?

WHY DO WE GET DISCOURAGED? Obstacles weigh us down. - 2 Corinthians 4:16a. - In one sense, it’s good news that the first part of v. 16 is in there. It’s a reminder to us that God knows that we get discouraged and need a little hope. These verses are in here to give us that hope. Hopefully ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Denomination: Baptist

For What Purpose Did God Make Us? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 18, 2018

Paul details the purpose God created us for and the importance of the new body that Christians will experience.

A BETTER BODY: Our current body is like a leaky tent; our resurrection body is like a solid building. - 2 Corinthians 5:1-2, 4, 8. - Verse 1 compares our earthly body to a tent. If you’ve been camping you know that most tents can be leaky, drafty, decidedly rough. But we have a second body to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Getting Ready To Meet Jesus Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 20, 2018

We all will meet Jesus someday. What's your plan for that moment?

DO YOU BELIEVE IN JUSTICE? One that’s required if you want justice is judgment. - There resides with almost all of us a desire for justice. It hurts us to watch the end of a trial and see in the verdict that someone got away with it. It’s just not right. And that bothers us. - There seems to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:10

Denomination: Baptist

What Does It Mean That ‘all Died’ At The Cross? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 28, 2018

A look at the idea of substitutionary atonement and what it means for who we are in Christ.

HOW MANY DIED AT THE CROSS? What does it mean that “all died” at the cross? - 2 Corinthians 5:14. WHAT DOES "SUBSTITUTION ATONEMENT" LOOK LIKE? Christ died as a “substitution” for me. - 2 Corinthians 5:14. [Put these in the outline. Maybe put some of the Scriptures on the screen.] WHAT ARE ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Denomination: Baptist