Sermons on Jim Croce:

The False Security That Our Wealth Brings Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 12, 2020

God thunders His displeasure with the wealthy. How can we find our security in God instead of money?

A GATED COMMUNITY: Money can bring a false sense of security. - Amos 3:15. - Some aspects: a. We use it separate ourselves. - You see this physically in the way in most places neighborhoods are divided by income. We’ve reached a certain level and so we don’t have to hang out with those from ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:13-15

Denomination: Baptist

Worship That Displeases God Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 15, 2020

Israel was worshiping. They were even boasting about their worship. Yet it displeased God. What can we learn from them?

GOOD WORSHIP? Israel had lots of religious activity, but it was not pleasing to God. - Amos 4:4-5. - Religious activity is not always pleasing to God. - How can worship be bad? - It’s helpful to understand how evil works. Evil doesn’t usually come up with something altogether new. Instead, it ...read more

Scripture: Amos 4:4-5

Denomination: Baptist

God’s Goal In Bringing Hardship Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 20, 2020

It's shocking to many that God sometimes is the cause of hardship in our lives. When that happens, what is He hoping to accomplish?

“HE SAID WHAT?!”: Sometimes hardship is from God. - Amos 4:6-12. - This passage might have been shocking to you. “What do you mean God did all these things?” Today we sometimes think of Him exclusively as a kindly grandfather who would never say a cross word to anyone. That, however, is not ...read more

Scripture: Amos 4:6-13

Denomination: Baptist

Who Cares About The Poor? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 27, 2020

God slams Israel for their actions, primarily trashing their treatment of the poor. What do we learn about how to respond in our own lives?

A PERPETUAL TRUTH: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. - Amos 5: 7, 10, 11, 12. - It’s a cliché for a reason. It’s the way of the world. - The poor typically get trampled. - Let’s look briefly at the specific accusations levied by God against Israel. a. v. 7 – “You who turn ...read more

Scripture: Amos 5:4-17

Denomination: Baptist

The Problem With Wanting Jesus To Come Back Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 29, 2020

Israel cried out for the day of the Lord to come, but God warned them that they didn't really want that. Today many Christians say, "I just wish Jesus would come back!" but is that something we're actually ready for?

WHEN THE WORLD DEPRESSES US WITH ITS EVIL: “I just wish Jesus would come back!” - Amos 5:18-20. - The point of v. 19 is things going from bad to worse. - There are two illustrations. - In the first, a man runs from a lion. But then, exhausted, he runs right into a bear. - In the second, a man ...read more

Scripture: Amos 5:18-27

Denomination: Baptist

The Problem With Prosperity Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jun 3, 2020

The leaders of Israel were enjoying their prosperity. What does God have to say to them?

BLINDING: Money is not evil, but it is dangerous. - 1 Timothy 6:10. - The dangers of money are not a new problem. Here we are way back in the Old Testament and we see the same thing (although back then it was probably a lot smaller percentage of the population). - It’s a telling passage and it ...read more

Scripture: Amos 6:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

The Good News And The Bad News About God Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jun 9, 2020

We all like to make our own estimations of what we think God is like. This passage is a reminder to us that we must accept God for who He is, not who we wish He was.

- Opening image: the result explosion of Facebook avatars. They are cute and fun and I don’t have a problem with them. But if I may make a gentle observation: some of you don’t look like you think you look! - I’m sure some people intentionally upgraded their appearance, but there are others who ...read more

Scripture: Amos 7:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Being A Super Servant

Contributed by Jim Moynihan on Feb 1, 2021

A super servant is faithful, obedient and unwilling to give up on the mission God has called him or her to. As a result, a super servant will be richly rewarded by going deep with God throughout their lifetime of serving him.

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, once appeared on the cover of their annual report in a knee-length work apron holding a mop and a bucket. He said, “I got my M.B.A. long before my G.E.D. Here M.B.A. doesn’t mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude.” Dave got his ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 14:6-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Jesus’ Light Helps Us See Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 2, 2021

This passage is complicated and challenging. This sermon attempts to cut it down to the four interactions and what is going in each. What's the key to seeing Jesus' light?

- This is a very challenging passage. There is a lot going on here in general. There are questions and answers that don’t always flow from one another. There are a lot of theological statements that are not easily processed. - When you add it all up, there’s a lot to handle here. I struggled ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12-30

Denomination: Baptist

Experiencing The Freedom Christ Gives Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 3, 2021

This passage gives us a nice roadmap to moving from our spiritual slavery to the freedom that Christ offers.

- I’m going to take these verses in an order that allow me to make an argument from where we are to where we can be. There are a lot of important ideas in here. 1. WE ARE SLAVES TO SIN. - John 8:34. - We are all slaves to sin. We can’t overcome it. - Romans 6:6. - This, of course, is an ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-36

Denomination: Baptist

A Friend For Life

Contributed by Jim Keegan on Feb 3, 2021

God, who has given himself to us wholeheartedly in the person of Jesus Christ, is the most faithful, gracious, loving friend and heart’s companion we could ever desire.

John 15:9-15 As with so many of the great hymns of our faith, there’s an inspirational backstory to the popular gospel song, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” The author of these verses was an Irishman named Joseph Scriven, who found God’s deep, faithful friendship in the midst of intense ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17

The Test Of Whether God Is Your Father Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 5, 2021

The religious leaders were proud of their heritage as children of Abraham, but that kept them from receiving what Jesus was offering. This message looks at the test of whether God or Satan is our father as well as four danger signs that we are heading in the wrong direction.

THE TEST OF WHETHER GOD IS YOUR FATHER: The answer is found in what you do with Jesus. - John 8:42. - John 8:39b, 44. - Many focus on a generic God. - The teaching of the Kingdom is not a generic morality. - We each need to make a decision for or against Jesus. DANGER SIGNS: 1. Counting on ...read more

Scripture: John 8:37-47

Denomination: Baptist

If Only People Understood What Jesus Was Offering Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 9, 2021

The problem here is not so much that the religious leaders didn't understand Jesus. It's more that they actually do understand Him. What's He saying that is so provocative?

THE CLIMAX OF THE CONVERSATION: The more they understood Jesus, the more they thought He was crazy. - John 8:48, 52a, 55-57, 59. - This is the climax of a long conversation in John 8 that we’ve handled in several sermons because there is so much content there. The further the conversation went, ...read more

Scripture: John 8:48-59

Denomination: Baptist

When Your Theology Bumps Into The Facts Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 16, 2021

A lengthy story about a man born blind provides a clear picture of what happens when your theology bumps into inconvenient facts. Will you reach for God or cling to your predetermined ideas?

SEEING THE LIGHT: The man was blind but saw by believing and obeying Jesus. - John 9:1-7. a. We’ll get more into the confusion in a moment, but the disciples echo the prevailing theology of the time and presume that someone must have sinned for him to be blind. - vv. 1-2. - It was a theology ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-41

Denomination: Baptist

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

Contributed by Jim Keegan on Feb 18, 2021

“Mercy triumphs over judgment” is one of the most important declarations in all of scripture-- both for our own salvation, and in how we reflect God’s love for a fallen world.

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment James 2:13 (Read Mark 1:40-45) Spiros Zodhiates was a Greek scholar and Christian leader who told of once preaching on the love of God to a leprosy colony in India. Their members were so moved by his message that they came forward to embrace him afterwards. He said ...read more

Scripture: James 2:13, Mark 1:40-45