Sermons on labour persecutions:

Smyrna: Riches Within Poverty

Contributed by Christopher Benfield on Jan 12, 2020

The second church Jesus instructed John to pen a letter was the church in Smyrna. It was situated within a city of great wealth and affluence, and yet many believers lived in poverty. They were not rich by the world's standards, but they were rich in grace.

Smyrna: Riches within Poverty Revelation 2: 8-11 Today we come to Smyrna, the second church within the series of letters John was instructed to write in the Revelation. It is interesting to note, that of the seven churches, only two received all praise and encouragement from the Lord, with no ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:8-11

Denomination: Baptist

What Is A Christian?

Contributed by Grant Adams on Feb 2, 2020

I remember hearing a story of a young boy asking his father what is a Christian? After the father explained, the young boy asked, “Dad have I ever seen a Christian?”

The word Christian is a very loose term; at least we use it very loosely, and it has become, in America, a meaningless term. To some, it means anybody living in the United States, and is not Jewish. The term Christian has been so abused and diluted that it has very little meaning to most of us ...read more

Scripture: Acts 26:28, 1 Peter 4:16, Acts 11:26

Denomination: Baptist

Two Sides To Hall Of Faith

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Feb 12, 2020

Are you ready to be a Stephen or a Demas?

Hebrews 11:35b ... others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:35-40

Denomination: Baptist

Expect Opposition Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on Feb 17, 2020

Don't be surprised when people push back.

Expect Opposition Acts 6:8-15 Rev. Brian Bill February 15-16, 2020 Play Clip from “Bible Project” That clip comes from “The Bible Project.” If you’d like to watch the entire video covering the first twelve chapters of Acts, you can find it on Sermon Extras on our app. Have you ever been ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:8-15, Matthew 5:17

Denomination: Baptist

Trust In God's Strength Series

Contributed by Jonathan Kruschel on Feb 24, 2020

An Old Testament lesson of what Jesus teaches in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:1-12.

They stared into the flames. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego watched as the soldiers who had brought them to this place fell over dead due to the overwhelming heat. Can you imagine what must have gone through these three men’s minds as they heard the crackling of the fire, felt the intense heat, ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 3:13-30, Matthew 5:1-12

Denomination: Lutheran

Fighting God

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 15, 2020

When you read prophecy we may be trying to stop what God has planned for our time thus all of our angst may be in vain.

Acts 5:38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. KJV As I watch the various postings fly back and forth ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:38-39

Denomination: Baptist

Take A Stand For The Cause Of Christ! Series

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Apr 28, 2018

How can we do take a stand for the cause of Christ? 1. Defend each other (Acts 16:35-39). 2. Develop each other (Acts 16:40). 3. Depart to serve the Lord (Acts 16:40-17:1). 4. Deliver the Good News (Acts 17:1-9).

Take a Stand for the Cause of Christ! The Book of Acts - Part 56 Acts 16:35-17:9 Sermon by Rick Crandall Grayson Baptist Church - August 31, 2014 "Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory His army shall ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Giving It All Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on Nov 4, 2017

Jesus celebrates the sacrifice of the giver, not the size of the gift.

Beth and I had the joy of serving at the Fall Festival of Fun on Tuesday night. I’m thankful to Sheila Kuriscak and her team for creating this family-friendly outreach. Our job was to greet people as they came in and give kids bags for all their candy. I would estimate that more than 70% of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

Denomination: Baptist

The Wisdom Of God And The Witness Of Martyrs

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 1, 2018

The wisdom of every age considers the Catholic faith a folly. The only promise Christ made about this life is that we would be blessed through the agency of persecution.

Thursday of the 22nd Week in Course 2018 St. Donatian of Africa The wisdom of any secular age considers the Christian faith to be folly. The reason for this is that the wisdom of a given secular age is focused on how to attain pleasure, status or power. It is essentially centered on the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Denomination: Catholic

If Anyone Had Reason To Boast In The Flesh, It Would Have Been Paul

Contributed by John Lowe on Jun 9, 2019

Paul knew what it was like to be a Jew in the highest sense of the term, and had deliberately abandoned it all for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Date: 1/8/19 Lesson #22 Title: If Anyone Had Reason To Boast In The Flesh, It Would Have Been Paul (Phil. 3:4-6) • NIV Bible is used throughout unless noted otherwise. Scripture: Philippians 3:4-6 (NIV) 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:4-6

Denomination: Baptist

The High Cost Of Standing For Jesus Series

Contributed by Doug Fannon on Jan 28, 2019

Standing for Jesus may extract a high price, and sometimes it is not from the world, but from those those within the church.

Opening the eyes of the blind. Though this 9th chapter of John is about Jesus giving sight to a man born blind, but there is so much more here. The physical eyes being opening is not nearly as significant as the spiritual eyes. The blind man’s spiritual eyes where being opened and he was seeing ...read more

Scripture: John 9:13-34

Denomination: Baptist

The Gospel Of John: An Introduction Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on Dec 31, 2021

Arguably with no other book, is there a larger disconnect between academic, scholarly understanding, and the way the church reads it. The intro is designed to bridge part of that gap, and explain my own approach to John.

First of all, a note on my approach: This series uses a literary/narrative approach to John, along the lines proposed by scholars like Adele Berlin, Frank Kermode, Robert Alter, or Charles Talbert, to name just a few. I assume that the author/narrator of John-- who I call "AJ"-- had ...read more

Scripture: John 9:22, John 12:42-43, John 16:1, John 2:23, John 6:66  (view more)  (view less)

Defending The Faith Sermon I: God Needs No Defenders But Our Christian Faith Does Series

Contributed by Charles Cunningham on May 6, 2020

In times of upheaval when attacks against Christians by unbelievers and scoffers are ramped up, mature Christians persevere in their devotion to Christ and defend their Faith in a spirit of God's love and mercy.

IN TIMES LIKE THESE --- GOD NEEDS NO DEFENDERS BUT OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH DOES In a recent episode of the TV Program Family Feud the question put to 100 women was: “If you arrived in heaven and found that there were no men there, what would you say” . . . and the number one ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:1-4, Jude 1:20-25

1 Thessalonians 2 Series

Contributed by Robert Butler on Jun 8, 2022

To be an agent of Jesus in this life, we must be willing to faithful, gentle and sacrificial in our lives and expect people to take our actions for granted

This week we start the second oldest book in the New Testament as recorded in its publishing. We began with James on our year-long journey chronological study of the New Testament. Hence the reason we are calling this message series Chronos. It's a word that means “time.” We will be journeying ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6, 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

All In For Our Lord Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 21, 2020

Almost certainly in our lifetime we will also have to follow Christ to our own cross. Probably not a bloody martyrdom, but the culture hates the Church and all who follow Christ.

Monday of the 24th and Last Week in Course 2020 Bl. Miguel Agustin Pro Today, in the glaring light of our proclamation on Sunday that Jesus Christ is the King of the Universe, we are invited to consider the virtues of those who will be found worthy to live forever in that marvelous, unimaginably ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 9:4, Luke 21:1-4, Revelation 14:1-5

Denomination: Catholic