Sermons on Journal:

The Mystery Of The Incarnation Made Real

Contributed by Michael Hopkins on Jan 4, 2013

A short sermon contrasting a new born baby with the depth of the wonder of God's nature.

As some of you know, my wife and I had our first baby in August - Joanna. She’s such a little thing: defenceless, can’t move very far on her own, can’t feed, drink or clothe herself, can’t talk, and doesn’t know the Christmas story. But she has got out attention, not ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The True Summit Of Our Vocation As Human Beings Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 7, 2011

Music must be in harmony with Logos, not an offbeat and disordered hymn to individualism.

Monday of 3rd Week of Easter Spirit of the Liturgy The Spirit that inflamed deacon Stephen is always at work in the Church. This spirit, the Holy Spirit of God, fills those who respond to the gift of faith, and makes us hungry for the Word of God, the Sacrament of the altar, and service to those ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:8-15

Denomination: Catholic

Heralding The Fullness

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Nov 25, 2018

The ripeness of the times for the coming of Jesus into our hearts.

HERALDING THE FULLNESS. Luke 3:1-6. The Apostle Paul speaks of a 'fullness of time’ (Galatians 4:4). Well, if ever there was a time that was ripe for revival, perhaps it is now? ‘So much drunkenness, cursing and swearing (even from the mouths of little children),’ wrote John Wesley ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Explanation Of Peter

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Apr 27, 2019

Who was I that I could withstand God?

PETER’S EXPLANATION. Acts 11:1-18. The turning point in Luke’s Gospel was when Jesus ‘steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem’ (Luke 9:51). The turning point of Luke’s second volume, the Book of Acts, is found in the breaking down of objections to the inclusion of Gentiles in the church, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:1-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Internal Dialogue Of The Prodigal Son

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Mar 6, 2019

Lent 4C

There are a couple dialogical excerpts from the Prodigal Son story that deals with our conscious awareness, which is to “think about one’s thinking” or to consciously know what one knows, and to explicitly use this cognitive process in our spiritual life. 1. The first is when the passage states, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32

Denomination: Catholic

Pee Wee Paul's Big Adventure Series

Contributed by Donald Mcculley on Mar 19, 2019

How can you follow Jesus and not be on an adventure? Let’s consider some things here.

PEE WEE PAUL’S BIG ADVENTURE! I CORINTHIANS 9:24-27 INTRODUCTION: For some of you who don’t know this is a take-off on Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure. Out west where the back roads can get pretty muddy and they dry up to be pretty “rutty” (is that a word?) there’s a posted sign that reads ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Denomination: Baptist

Little Chunks Of Doubt

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 17, 2022

Often what we perceive as doubt is not really that severe. We experience times in which faith in Christ seems overwhelmingly demanding.

We may cluck our tongues and roll our eyes at Thomas in this snippet from John’s Gospel. “How can the unanimous testimony,” we wonder, “of those who saw Jesus that Easter evening still leave Thomas, absent without leave then, in doubt of the Resurrection?” At first glance he just looks irreparably ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31, Revelation 1:9-19, Acts 5:12-15, Matthew 28:16-18, Matthew 24:12-13  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Do Holy Things And Become Holy Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 13, 2021

Do you ever get really fed up and frustrated with anyone?

Monday of the 6th Week in Course 2021 The adversaries of Jesus in the Jewish community, the Pharisees, vexed Him continuously. But why was that? The Pharisees vexed Jesus because they “majored in minors.” For whatever reason they used the Law of Moses, Torah, to beat less rigorous people rather ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:11-13, Genesis 4:1-15

Denomination: Catholic

Palm Sunday Of The Lord’s Passion

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Feb 17, 2024

At the end of the story, only one trust remains: the trust of the one who handed over himself—literally and sacramentally- for us

In the book Regarding the Pain of Others, the author, Susan Sontag, concludes that seeing news articles and images of war and suffering is necessary so we know what is happening, but it puts us in a position as either "spectator" or "coward," and that both positions are ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Palm Sunday Of The Lord's Passion: Cry Of Dereliction, And Salvation And Healing

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Mar 13, 2025

In marriage, husbands, and wives fulfill your vows in your interpersonal communication. Abandonment prevails in small and large ways. The healing is to deliver the intimacy in your marriage out of what Jesus did for you.

Brennan Manning was an author who later was ordained as a Franciscan priest and who served in the Korean War. He tells the story of how he and his best friend, Ray, enlisted together and served in the same Marine platoon. One night a grenade landed in the foxhole where Brennan and Ray were. Ray ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

The First Sunday Of Advent, Year C: Not Very Christmasy.

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Nov 12, 2024

The Church tells the Christmas Story backwards: the focus is to prepare for the coming of the Lord: at the end of the world, and when Christ comes for us at the end of our individual worlds, at death.

Our Gospel from St. Luke today is a little unsettling. Not very Christmasy. Unseasonal thoughts about the end of the world. Yet, the word Advent from the Latin, adventus, means “coming.” The Church tells the Christmas Story backwards: the focus is to prepare for the coming of the Lord: at the end ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:36

Denomination: Catholic

The Folly Of Human Utopias: Lessons From Noah And Babel Series

Contributed by Timothy Bruneau on May 17, 2025

In a world torn between nationalism and globalism, where leaders promise perfection through purging "bad actors" or uniting under one system, the ancient stories of Noah’s Ark and the Tower of Babel speak with startling relevance.

The Folly of Human Utopias: Lessons from Noah and Babel Introduction Have you ever found yourself thinking, "If only we could remove all the bad people from the world, everything would be perfect"? Perhaps you've watched the news—stories of corruption, violence, and greed—and ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:9, Genesis 11:4, Acts 17:26, John 3:16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Guilty As Sin Series

Contributed by Jefferson Williams on Jul 30, 2020

This first beatitude is the foundation for the other eight. Once we learn that we can not hop high enough for God’s holiness, we can never be good enough, then the fact that God has extended us grace and mercy become reasons for worship and thankfulness.

The Jesus Manifesto: Guilty as Sin? Matthew 5:4, Psalm 51 Rev. Jefferson M. Williams Chenoa Baptist Church 07-08-18 Do You Know How Fast You Were Going? I was cruising along on Route 17 and was about a mile from Dwight when I saw him. But as you know, if you have seen them, they’ve already ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:4

Denomination: Baptist

Retribution & Relief Series

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 13, 2005

II Thess Series #1: When trouble comes, it does NOT mean God is giving you RETRIBUTION. We may deserve RETRIBUTION --- but God offers RELIEF.

Retribution & Relief II Thessalonians 1 SCRIPTURE READING: II Thessalonians 1:1-7 INTRODUCTION: Have you ever seen one of those commercials for a cell phone where cellular static causes some confusion? I remember one where the wife asks her husband to “Bring home a movie; something old.” The ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Body Life Series

Contributed by Paul Fredericks on Apr 6, 2003

When the saints go marching in, they will be armed with a towel.

Key Priorities of a healthy church Part four: Acts 11:27-30 6 April 2003 INTRODUCTION: Over the past three weeks we have brushed off the dust from God’s journal on the early church. It has been an exciting adventure to see from the Antioch Church what we have called: Key Priorities of a Healthy ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:27-30, Galatians 6:1-10

Denomination: Baptist