Sermons on Jonathan:

Preparing For Easter: They Came To See Jesus

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 22, 2023

Some Greeks came to Jerusalem to observe Passover. These men met Philip and asked him to introduce them to Jesus. The Lord's reply has a lesson for us even today.

(Full disclosure: Sermon Central already has a message of mine based on this text called “Seven Sundays to Easter: ‘Sir, We Would See Jesus’”. This is a different message, based on a sermon preached at First Baptist Church of Chamois, MO on March 19. 2023. This message is not an exact ...read more

Scripture: John 12:20-26

Denomination: Baptist

Preparing For Easter-An Outline For 'i Am The Resurrection And The Life'

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 29, 2023

Jesus had received a message that a friend, Lazarus, was sick. He died, but Jesus raised him from the dead. This proved Jesus was "the Resurrection and the Life"!

Introduction: Jesus had raised at least two people from the dead before this event, apparently just a short time before He died on Calvary. Here He proved the reality of resurrection when He raised Lazarus from the dead. The Message Jesus Received (verses 1-16) --Jesus and the disciples weren’t ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-44

Denomination: Baptist

Preparing For Easter: Judas Iscariot, The Traitor

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 7, 2023

Traitors have been a problem for many years. Judas wasn't the first, but he was one of the worst, because he betrayed the Son of God, Jesus, to His enemies.

(Based on a message preached at First Baptist Church, Chamois, MO on April 2, 2023; this is not an exact transcription. ) Full disclosure: Sermon Central added a sermon of mine based on this topic called “Judas: The Tale of a Traitor” back in January 2020. That message was based on a sermon I ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Preparing For Easter: An Outline For An Easter Sunday Message

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 7, 2023

There was no doubt Jesus Christ was dead. But there was also no doubt Jesus was alive again, after He had been crucified and buried. He is risen, hallelujah!

Introduction: Easter Sunday. This is one of the best days ever! This is when we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead. Because He died, we may have life, because He lives, we too can life forever! But for those living on that first Easter Sunday, they may not have shared those same ...read more

Scripture: John 19:18, John 20:1-9, Matthew 27:62-66, Mark 16:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Preparing For Easter: An E-A-S-T-E-R Message

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 11, 2023

This message is based on an acrostic, each letter of Easter as a point of the message. May we never forget what Easter is all about--our Lord Jesus dying but coming back! The Lord is risen and risen indeed!

(This is based on a message preached Easter Sunday, April 09, 2023 at First Baptist Church of Chamois, MO but is not an exact transcription.) Introduction: It’s Easter Sunday today, and I’m grateful for everyone who’s here. This is the day we celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ rising from the dead in ...read more

Scripture: John 19:16-30

Denomination: Baptist

Preparing For Easter: An Outline For "Preparing For Easter: The Journey To Emmaus”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 18, 2023

Two disciples left Jerusalem, sad, but met a Special Person as they walked towards Emmaus, about seven miles away. This Special Person was the Risen Lord, Jesus Himself!

(Full disclosure, Sermon Central has accepted and posted a message of mine on this text called “After Easter: On the Road to Emmaus” but this is a different message, not merely a copy and paste of the original message.) Introduction: After Jesus was crucified, He rose from the dead on Resurrection ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Denomination: Baptist

Preparing For Easter: An Outline For A Message From The Song, "Where He Leads Me”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 22, 2023

Great hymns can be a source of inspiration for sermons. The song, "Where He Leads Me", is appropriate not only as an invitation song but also as a guide through the Easter season. To the best of my knowledge, the song is in the public domain and has no current copyright.

Introduction: The song, “Where He Leads Me”, is often sung as an invitation song. Take a closer look at the lyrics, though, and every verse could be an illustration or picture of the Easter season! Here are the verses for “Where He Leads Me” with outline material to follow: 1 I can hear my Savior ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-47

Denomination: Baptist

Go Thy Way: When Jesus Healed A Samaritan Leper Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 20, 2020

One of the last miracles our Lord performed was healing a group of ten lepers. Jesus healed all of them, but how many were grateful for this gift?

Background: This isn’t the first time Jesus healed a leper but it was probably the last. When this event took place, Jesus is heading towards Jerusalem, passing through Samaria and Galilee. The events in this passage happened just days before He was crucified and had risen from the dead. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Denomination: Baptist

What Is The Lord's Plan?

Contributed by Jonathan Kruschel on Mar 26, 2020

Plans are upended, dreams are derailed, life is scary and uncertain. How good it is to hear the Lord's still got a plan - a good plan to prosper us, provide hope and point us to the future he has prepared for us.

Which plan are you now on? Plan B, C, D, L, Q, Z? It feels like whenever I’ve made a plan during the last week, it needs to be changed every couple of hours. Last weekend we gathered in this place for worship with some precautionary modifications, and at the end of the service I said, “We’ll ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Denomination: Lutheran

Go Thy Way: When Jesus Healed A Nobleman’s Son Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 26, 2020

Jesus had come from Judea and had already passed through Samaria, and now was in Cana of Galilee, where He had performed His first miracle, as recorded in John 2. Now He’s again in Cana and He will encounter someone there who has a need that only Jesus Himself can fulfill.

Introduction During our Lord’s ministry on this earth, He must have had people asking Him many times if He would heal someone. Gracious as He was, He never turned anyone away. Whether the person was very poor, like the woman who had spent everything she had but never was cured, or a foreigner like ...read more

Scripture: John 4:46-54, Matthew 11:23

Denomination: Baptist

Go Thy Way: The Commission For Ananias Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 29, 2020

You know someone is coming, perhaps to arrest you for being a Christian. Then you hear the Lord telling you to minister to that person. This happened to Ananias of Damascus when he ministered to Saul of Tarsus.

Introduction: suppose you heard someone was coming to arrest you, or even worse. You also know this person is a recognized hater of your faith, and wants little if anything to do with you. With that in mind, now suppose a word comes from God Himself that this known persecutor has become a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:10-16

Denomination: Baptist

Go Thy Way: He Waited For A Convenient Season Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 31, 2020

In this last message for this "Go thy way" series, Felix a Roman governor, talked with Paul about the Christian faith several times. He listened but told Paul "go thy way and I'll talk to you about this when I have the time". Sadly, he never found the time.

Background: Paul has been arrested in Jerusalem, then taken to the Roman barracks (castle, KJV: Acts 21:34, 37, e.g.). Later Paul was sent to the seat of Roman government in Caesarea. He had been tried and accused of charges, serious at the time, but was declared neither guilty nor innocent. Paul ...read more

Scripture: Acts 24:22-27

Denomination: Baptist

Samson: The Message To His Parents Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 10, 2020

Samson was one of the heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11:32), born in a time of trouble, and lived through his share of troubles. The best way to begin the story of Samson is to begin with the story of his birth.

Samson. He was one of the heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11:32), but he was a failure in other ways. He was a miracle baby, one of a few born to women who were not able to have children except by God’s direct intervention. Samson had the chance to do so much but he didn’t accomplish as much as he ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:32

Denomination: Baptist

Samson: Trouble In Timnath Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 12, 2020

Samson may not have known it, but this first encounter, as recorded in Scripture, would lead to a lifetime of problems, heartache, and a lot more. He was about to enter trouble in Timnath.

Introduction: Samson was one of several “miracle” babies, born to women who could not conceive a child except by God’s power. Other women facing that situation included Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah, Rachel, Elisabeth, and the Shunammite woman mentioned in 2 Kings 4. The virgin Mary is of course a ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Following Jesus: My Decision To Follow Him Series

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 11, 2022

Simon Peter made one of the greatest decisions of his life when he decided to leave everything and follow Jesus.

Foreword: Every person who follows Jesus as Lord and Savior has at least one thing in common with every believer: he or she made a decision to follow Him. The Gospels have several incidents where someone did just that. One of my favorites took place in Luke 5, and it was in a very unusual ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Denomination: Baptist