Sermons on Ken Idleman:

"the Gentile Pentecost"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Jun 7, 2022

What does it mean that God does not show favoritism?

“The Gentile Pentecost” Acts 10:1-11:4 Last week we celebrated Pentecost. It was the Promised Day when God sent the Holy Spirit to come and reside in the hearts of believers. It was the beginning of the Christian Church. But, on the day of Pentecost the only people on whom the Spirit ...read more

Scripture: Acts 10:1-48

Denomination: United Methodist

"perfect Grace"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on May 10, 2023

A sermon about God's grace that makes all things new.

“Perfect Grace” Revelation 21:1-7, 9-10, 22-23; 22:1-5 The Bible is the story of a God Who seeks us out. It’s a story about a God Who initiates the whole deal. It’s God’s idea to create us. It’s God Who went searching for Adam and Eve as they hid naked in the Garden of Eden. It’s God Who ...read more

Denomination: United Methodist

"can I Get A Witness?"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on May 16, 2023

A sermon for Ascension of the Lord Sunday.

“Can I Get a Witness?” Acts 1:1-11 The two men dressed in white asked a strange question: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?” Think about it, if you saw Jesus rising into the clouds, wouldn’t you look up? And then they added, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11

Denomination: United Methodist

"united For A Purpose"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on May 23, 2023

Pentecost sums up the gospel with simplicity and audacity: Jesus Christ offers salvation to all, and the church exists to proclaim it.

“United for a Purpose” Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost. What is Pentecost? I’ve had many long-time church members over the years who weren’t familiar with what this day is about, and it is an incredibly significant day in the life of the church. It ranks up there close to Christmas and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

Denomination: United Methodist

"the Spirit Of Sharing"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on May 31, 2023

Acts Chapter 2 gives us a glimpse of what the Holy Spirit can do.

“The Spirit of Sharing” Acts 2:42-47 A headline caught my eye last week. It read, “31 Billionaires are Worth More than the US Treasury has in Cash.” At the close of business on May 25th, the Treasury of the United States had just $38.8 billion dollars. For context, 31 of our billionaires ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Denomination: United Methodist

"a Call To Healing"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Jun 8, 2023

A sermon about how, in God's eyes, everyone matters.

“A Call to Healing” Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 In a 2016 interview in The New York Times, award-winning actor Ben Affleck reflected on the pressure to hide our broken areas. When he watches other movies that strain to make their heroes entirely likable and valiant, Affleck said, “I find that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:13-26

Denomination: United Methodist

"on The Go With Jesus"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Jun 13, 2023

A sermon about choosing faith over fear.

“On the Go with Jesus” Mark 4:35-41 A child wakes up in the middle of the night, terrified at some dream that has upset him, frightened of some monster hiding in the bedroom closet. His mother rushes into the bedroom and scoops the little child into her arms and sits in a chair. She wipes ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Denomination: United Methodist

"this Is Extremely Difficult"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Jun 20, 2023

A sermon about discipleship,

“This is Extremely Difficult” Luke 6:27-36 A colleague of mine told me about a time a certain person in the church came to his office and told him: “I don’t like you.” Months later, she came up to him and said, “I get the feeling you don’t like me.” His response was, “Honestly, you make it ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Denomination: United Methodist

"thank God For The Fleas"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Jun 24, 2023

A sermon of hope when facing difficulties.

“Thank God for the Fleas” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 1st Thessalonians is believed to be the earliest existing letter in the Bible that is written by the Apostle Paul. It was written to a young church that was undergoing tremendous persecution, and they were mourning the loss of a number of their ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Denomination: United Methodist

"pushing Up The Shades"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Aug 23, 2022

A sermon about being aware of those on the margins.

Luke 14:1, 7-14 “Pushing up the Shades” Retired author and pastor Tony Campolo tells of an experience he had at dinner in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, some years ago. He was checking on mission programs that his organization carried out day in and day out in Haiti. He wanted to see how the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:1-14

Denomination: United Methodist

"getting Too Friendly With Sinners"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Aug 31, 2022

Jesus' two parables in Luke 15:1-10 are about the character of God.

“Getting too Friendly with Sinners” Luke 15:1-10 Imagine living in Jesus’ world and imagine being labeled a “sinner” in that world. Now, I think we stumble over that term in this context because according to Christian doctrine we are all sinners, right? But this wasn’t necessarily the way ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Denomination: United Methodist

"don't Miss It"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Sep 12, 2022

A sermon about the opportunity to be blessed by God by blessing others.

This sermon is based in large part on a sermon by Rev. Tom Long given in 2016 called "The Open Window" “Don’t Miss It” Luke 16:19-31 What are we to make of this parable? What do you think Jesus wants us to get out of it? The word “parable” is kind of hard to define. It means a lot ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Denomination: United Methodist

"are Your Prayers In The Dead-Letter Department?" Updated Version

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Sep 20, 2022

A sermon about persistent prayer and the justice of God.

“Are Your Prayers in the Dead-Letter Department?” Luke 18:1-8 Have you ever heard about the Postal Service’s “Dead Letter Department?” That’s the place where mail goes when it’s not clearly addressed or doesn’t have enough postage and the sender’s identity can’t be figured out. There the letter ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Denomination: United Methodist

"a Meal To Share Around The World"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Sep 27, 2022

A sermon for World Communion Sunday.

Luke 22:14-20 “A Meal to Share Around the World” On the first Sunday in October, many Christian Churches across the world celebrate what is called “World Communion Sunday.” And so, this year, that is today. World Communion Sunday is set apart to try and demonstrate how all Christian Churches, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:14-20

Denomination: United Methodist

"we Are Not Alone"

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Oct 12, 2022

A sermon about overcoming fear with faith.

"We are Not Alone" Mark 4:35-41 In our Gospel Lesson for this morning Jesus and the disciples are hit with a storm. No doubt, when they got into the boat, after a long day of Jesus preaching to the crowds, the surface of the water was glassy and the sky was not dark. Jesus, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Denomination: United Methodist