Sermons on Legality:

The Greater Righteousness - Matthew 5:20-21 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Aug 3, 2024

How can Jesus say anger is equivalent to murder? Killing a human being has such greater consequences and is so much more extreme. This message will show how the two sins have the same DNA and will expose how even our best efforts to obey God’s Word can degenerate into legalism.

Matthew 5:19-26 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:20-21

Ok God, What Do You Want From Me?

Contributed by Michael Blitz on Sep 20, 2025

Religion can sometimes be seen as a system of laws or rules designed to please God, but that is not what God wants. God wants a loving relationship with His Children, and that we follow His commands because we Love Him! Micah 6 and Galatians 5 help us to see the difference between Love and Legalism.

Good Morning. This morning, we have 2 excellent lessons intended to guide God’s people back on track from bad mindsets. Micah 6 begins in a heavenly courtroom. All of creation, the mountains and hills, are poetically called in as a jury to witnesses God’s case against His people. Israel has lost ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8, Galatians 5:16-24

Denomination: Anglican

Should We Change The Way We Do Church?

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jan 23, 2023

The decline in North American Christianity is prompting various efforts to revise the way we do church. Some of these efforts are clearly counterproductive. Acts 2:42-47 reveals eight practices that must be incorporated in any church model.

Should we change the way we do church? That question is being asked by a lot of people in America. Something is not working as it should. Almost everyone agrees on that. For the first time in U.S. history, church membership fell below the majority according to a Gallup poll conducted in 2020. This ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:20, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 28:18-20, Zechariah 4:6, 2 Chronicles 12:9-10, 2 Peter 2:17-21, Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 2:42-47  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Too Good! Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Apr 15, 2023

If you want to find real joy in the face of an uncertain future, renounce your own good and wise deeds; stop devising your own schemes. Instead, fear God and please Him through faith in His Son.

On March 19, 2003, the United States and its allies invaded Iraq to destroy Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and remove Saddam Hussein from power. A day later, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld held a news conference, where a reporter asked him “about the apparent failure to follow the war ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:15-29, Hebrews 11:6, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Deuteronomy 28:1, Deuteronomy 28:15, James 2:10  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Flames Of Righteousness

Contributed by Howard Strickland on Nov 4, 2012

Four question to asks. Christ died to sin in two senses:1) In regard to sin’s penalty- He met its legal demands upon the sinner. 2) In regard to sin’s power- forever breaking its power over those who belong to Him. Paul’s point is that believers have d

Flames Of Righteousness Romans 6:9-12NKJ Over a hundred years ago, a dignitary of France visited America. Upon his return home he wrote: “I sought for the greatness of America in her harbors and rivers and fertile fields, and her mines and commerce. It was not there. Not until I went ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:9-12

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Life That Really Matters

Contributed by John Lowe on Apr 23, 2014

These brethren from Jerusalem were strict legalists, which means they believed that the most important thing was to obey all the laws of God and to observe all the ceremonies and traditions of the Jewish church. And under grace, that’s their privilege.

5-15-04 Title: THE LIFE THAT REALLY MATTERS Text: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20). Bible ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:11-20

Denomination: Baptist

Spots And Stripes Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jan 20, 2021

If you want true success in life, don’t depend on your shrewd deals or your spent schemes. Instead, depend on the Lord.

Ted Engstrom and Edward Dayton, in a Christian Leadership Letter some time ago, talked about a young man who was appointed president of a bank. Intimidated by his new responsibilities, he nervously sought the advice of his gray-haired predecessor: “Sir, what has been the secret of your success?” ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 30:25-43, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:17, Galatians 3:3, 1 Peter 3:1-4, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 15:5  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Should A Christian Keep The Law? (Pt. 1) Series

Contributed by Richard Tow on Sep 1, 2021

Many Christians are confused as to why Christians keep part of the Old Testament commandments but don't keep others. This series of two messages helps them find answers to their questions.

Today we will tackle the question: Should a Christian Keep the Law? The answer to that question significantly affects the way we live our Christian lives. If I read the Bible with a legalistic mindset, I will live under the bondage of the law—a perpetual effort to measure up and always coming ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:1-2, 2 Peter 2:12-22, Romans 2:28-29, 1 Corinthians 7:19, James 2:1-18, 1 John 5:2, Galatians 5:1-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 13:9, John 1:17, Luke 5:36-39, 1 Timothy 4:13-16, John 8:34, Jude 1:4, Hebrews 8:1-13  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Do You Love Sinners? Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 9, 2021

Think of this: what if the first person to meet the younger brother was the older brother. Think of the anger that would poured out his mouth: “You have a lot of nerve showing up here.”

Today, we complete a three-week look at one of the most famous of all of Jesus’ teachings – The Parable of the Prodigal Son. This is a story that badly needs rescuing for many, if not most, stop the story when the younger son returns. But Jesus continues the story to an unfinished conclusion. This ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-31

Denomination: Baptist

Where The Bible Speaks... Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Apr 23, 2007

Does it matter if matter if we change Bible terminology? If we add to God’s thinking because we think we can "improve" upon His Word? Consider these thoughts.

OPEN: A man once told of purchasing his first pickup truck. And he also bought a book on gasoline engines because he was afraid of being ripped off at the service station. He wrote: “The first time I took the truck in for repairs, I smugly wrote down what the problem was and what needed to be ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 30:1-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Dream Of Freedom Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jul 4, 2010

What did Joseph’s dreams mean for him? For others? For Israel? And did God give our nation’s founders a similar dream for America?

OPEN: A lot of important things can happen to a person while they sleep. For example: 1. Genesis 2:21 tells of someone who had surgery performed on him while he slept. Who was that? (Adam) 2. Genesis 28:11-15 tells of a man who slept at Bethel and dreamed about angels. Who was that? ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hapy Are The Humble Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Aug 23, 2019

Do you want to be truly happy and blessed? Then be humble in your attitude towards yourself, your sin, others, and God.

Tim Keller, in his book The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, talks about his high school days when his mother kept telling him, “You know, honey, you ought to join the chess club.” He would say, “Mom, I hate chess.” “Yes, I know,” she would say, “but it will look so good on your college ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Pigheaded Pigpen Living

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Aug 13, 2018

God has given us spiritual teachers, but we don't always listen. When we go our own way, we are being pigheaded. Also a discussion of the legalistic pouty older brother.

Luke 15:18 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, For years I have mentored people in the faith. I have always taken joy in teaching others, even long before I was saved, so mentoring kind of came naturally to me. But ...read more

Denomination: Charismatic

Should You Fear God? Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 4, 2021

We think that grace means there’s nothing to fear in our behavior. And so the sanction of judgment has no place in our lives. But God is gracious and calls us back today to fear the behavior that leads to destruction.

I heard about a young boy that went off to one of these extremely expensive universities, and the bills were coming in monthly to these parents and they were struggling to keep their head above water. One day his mother received a letter from him and he said: “Dear Mom, I’m writing to inform you ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:17-21

Denomination: Baptist

The Merciful Series

Contributed by Richard Tow on Apr 4, 2023

Most people think we should be merciful to other people. But is their understanding of mercy biblical? This message expounds the 5th Beatitude: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

Intro Our text today is Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.”i Do you need mercy from God? Do you need a lot of mercy from the Lord? Do you need contined mercy from the Lord? Our answer to those questions alerts us to the importance of this text. Jesus is giving us a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, 1 Peter 1:3, Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 9:36, Acts 3:1-10, 1 John 3:17, Proverbs 19:17, Mark 10:47, Romans 10:10-14, Matthew 18:23-35, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 9:13, Micah 6:8  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic