Sermons on Jim:

Looking At Our Mess And Hopelessness, Where Was Jesus? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jan 24, 2024

The phrase "in the middle" appears early in Genesis, late in John, and late in Revelation. The connection between the three speaks to an amazing title for the cross of Jesus.

“Looking at Our Mess and Hopelessness, Where Was Jesus?” Genesis 2:4-9 - [There is a verse that needs to be quoted in the outline.] SERIES SET-UP: There are significant parallels between the beginning of Genesis and the end of John. - Genesis 1:1; John 1:1. - Romans 8:19-22. - This is not ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:4-9, John 19:17-18, Revelation 22:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

What Does It Mean To "make Every Effort" To Enter The Kingdom? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Dec 10, 2025

This passage has two troubling phrases: "make every effort" and "try . . . and not be able." What are we to do with those? And do they mean that God is setting up difficult barriers to get into the Kingdom?

WHAT DOES "MAKE EVERY EFFORT" MEAN? It doesn’t mean that it’s nearly impossible but that you should focus your attention. - Luke 13:22-24a. - Jesus is asked an important question: “[A]re only a few people going to be saved?” (v. 23). - That's a great question. What is the nature of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:22-30

Denomination: Baptist

Five Fundamentals Of Jesus’ Relationship With Israel Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Dec 16, 2025

This passage closes out this section and gives us five insights into Jesus' troubled relationship with Israel.

- This passage provides a nice coda to the section that we have been working through. When taken as a whole, I think these few verses recenter us to the heart of who Jesus was and what He was doing. In particular, this passage highlights Jesus’ relationship with Israel. Of course, that is a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:31-35

Denomination: Baptist

A Most Unusual Parable Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Jan 13, 2026

Why does this parable sound more like a life hack than a parable?

- Some life hacks, according to people online (I haven’t tried these): - "For chores that I don't like to do (like washing a big pile of dishes), I set a timer for four minutes and tell myself I will do it for four minutes, and after the time goes off, I can stop if I want to. Just giving ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:7-11

Denomination: Baptist

How Can I Make God’s Name More Hallowed? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 23, 2025

A look at "hallowed be Your name" and what it means to make that a part of our prayer life.

NOT AS IT SHOULD BE: God’s name is not hallowed in this world as it should be. - Matthew 6:9. - “Hallowed” is not a word that we use a lot, so it’s probably worth taking a second to define it. - The definition of the Greek word for “hallowed” is “to separate from profane things and dedicate to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9

Denomination: Baptist

What Does It Mean That Jesus’ Kingdom Is On Its Way? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 23, 2025

This sermon focuses on "Your Kingdom come" in the Lord's Prayer. What does it mean to pray for that to come about?

“YOUR KINGDOM COME": Jesus is inaugurating a kingdom. - Matthew 6:10. - So there is an important and underused word here in this part of the Lord’s Prayer: kingdom. - Let’s set the stage as we have in previous sermons. This is the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus is teaching us how to pray. He is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-10

Denomination: Baptist

Why Are We Praying For God’s Will If It Always Happens Anyway? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 29, 2025

Many presume that everything that happens is God's will. That's not true. What does it look like to pray that God's will would start to be done here on earth as it is done in heaven?

WHY PRAY THIS? This is a prayer because it isn’t happening much now. - Matthew 6:10. - So in this fourth part of the sermon, Jesus calls us to pray for God’s will to be done. - But, wait, isn’t that already happening all the time? We hear people constantly speak that whatever happened was God’s ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-10

Denomination: Baptist

Can I Count On God For My Practical Needs? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 6, 2025

Some practical encouragement on how to see God provide for our "daily bread" needs.

ON MY OWN? Many Christians don’t count on God to come through but live as though they are on their own. - Matthew 6:11. - Most of us as Christians live as though it is up to us to provide for our lives, without any thought of divine help. - This is proven in a few different ways: a. Our paltry ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-11

Denomination: Baptist

The Son Of Man

Contributed by Jim Keegan on May 6, 2025

God isn't a remote, ethereal being, transcendent and unfathomable--because Jesus has made him known. He's the life-saving mediator between God and the human race, who knows and loves us, and through whom we can know and love God.

[Read Scripture text.] Many of you have probably seen the television series "Undercover Boss," in which the CEO of a corporation assumes a disguise and works alongside their employees on the shop floor or serving customers. In that role they come to a much deeper understanding and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:10-18, Hebrews 4:15-16

How To Ask God For Forgiveness As A Christian Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 13, 2025

Practical insight on asking God to forgive our sins as we walk daily with Christ.

NOT JUST WHEN WE'RE SAVED: Asking for forgiveness is supposed to be a regular part of my walk of faith. - Matthew 6:12a. - Let me start by saying that we are going to handle v. 12 in two parts. This week we will look at the first half of the verse; next week the second half. I am doing this ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-12

Denomination: Baptist

Do I Want God To Forgive Me As I Forgive Others? Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 20, 2025

Jesus puts forward challenging words in the second half of v. 12 - calling us to ask for forgiveness in the same way we have forgiven others. Verses 14-15 emphasize the expectation from God that we will forgive others as part of having been forgiven by Him. What happens when we live this out?

DOES THIS SCARE ME? Do I want God to forgive me as I forgive others? - Matthew 6:12b, 14-15. - I said last week as we unpacked the first half of v. 12 that we often don’t put a lot of thought into what that actually means. In that case it had to do with making confession of our sins a regular ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-12

Denomination: Baptist

Lessons In Sowing And Reaping

Contributed by Mike Hays on Feb 9, 2004

If you sow your wild oats you’re going to get exactly what you’ve planted. If you sow to please the Spirit of God then you will reap a full life, eternal life.

A Lesson In Reaping and Sowing Galatians 6:7-10 We live in a fantastic universe. Our planet, a tiny speck in this vast universe, is filled with illustration after illustration of the mind boggling order and design that God has written into every fiber of His creation. For example, have you ever ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-9

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God Has Spoken

Contributed by Mike Hays on Nov 16, 2000

Jesus is God's final word to the world -- the full expression and perfect reflection of God's heart.

God Has Spoken! Hebrews 1:1-4 Each week televisions across America tuned in to watch the contestants try and meet the challenge. They watched the men and women of Survivor jockey for position, take on the physical challenge, and try and win the immunity challenge so that they could guarantee their ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-4

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God With Us

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Dec 13, 2005

Jesus was Immanuel, God with us, but God has always been with His people and He is with us still.

God With Us Jesus, our Immanuel TCF Sermon December 11, 2005 I want to open this morning by reading a passage we usually don’t think of as part of a Christmas message. But bear with me – I think we’ll see the connection clearly as we move along. Romans 8:31 If God is for us, who can be against ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Cancer Cannot Do

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on May 24, 2004

There are things that cancer cannot do to the one who follows Christ.

What Cancer Cannot Do TCF Sermon March 28, 2004 On Saturday March 13, when our dear sister Nancy Reed was first hospitalized, I was driving to the hospital to visit, and I considered that, if this was, indeed, nearing Nancy’s appointed time to go to be with the Lord, we could not, on the Sunday ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:35-39, John 14:27

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational