Sermons on louis armstrong:

Why Religion Doesn't Work

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Aug 3, 2009

The folly of false religions. Only fullness and freedom are found in Christ.

The setting is the front of a small church. The pastor says from the pulpit, ‘I’ve misplaced my sermon notes, so I’m just going to read from this devotional—if I can find it here. While I look, maybe the choir can lead us in a hymn’. He glances at the choir which has one person.   The choir ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:16-23

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

What In The World Are We Doing?

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Sep 1, 2009

Designed as a short, punchy talk to challenge Christians about mission.

What in the world are we doing? Sometimes I catch the start of the Ray Hadley show on 2GB. He usually begins by summing up the major news of the day. Last Thursday (28 August, 2009) wasn’t a good day. A family tragically killed on the F3 after a large semi-trailer ploughs into the back of the car. ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Particular Prophet Promised Personal Parish Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Jan 24, 2008

Jonah, called by God to preach for Him, chooses to runaway. His journey begins alright, but his ending is far different than his start

JONAH 1:1, 2 PARTICULAR PROPHET PROMISED PERSONAL PARISH I. PANORAMA: A. Parent. B. Potentate. C. Politics? II. POSITIVES: A. Person. B. Publication. C. Proof. II. PERSONAL: A. Privilege. B. Positive. C. Postscript. Jonah is one of those Bible characters that seems to have ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-2

Denomination: Methodist

Problem Prophet's Pitiful Plight Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Jan 31, 2008

Saying no to God was the start of a donward descent by the Prophet Jonah. God had called him for one specific place-but he said no and ran from God. He is typical of many who do likewise and as Jonah, all rebelious people pay a heavy price for their stubb

PROBLEM PROPHET’S PITIFUL PLIGHT I. PRONOUNCEMENT: A. Preach! B. Place. C. Portraiture. II. PROBLEMS: A. Particular. B. Perplexing. C. Painful. III. PERFORMANCE: A. Perceived. B. Postponed. C. Procured. God’s longsuffering is amazing. How many of us would have given up on Jonah ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-3

Denomination: Methodist

Contumacious Cleric Circumvents Clear Compliance Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Feb 7, 2008

Jonah refuses to follow God’s call and starts a steady downward trip away from the only One who could save him. He finds a city of escape; pays for his way of flight and winds up with the wrong crowd.

JONAH 1:3 CONTUMACIOUS CLERIC CIRCUMVENTS CLEAR COMPLIANCE I. CITY: A. Convenient. B. Cosmopolitan. C. Commercial. II. CRAFT: A. Costly. B. Construction. C. Connotation. III. CREDULITY: A. Company. B. Confident. C. Calamitous. If w one word could describe one person then Jonah ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-3

Denomination: Methodist

Crafty Clergyman Challenges Compassionate Creator Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Feb 15, 2008

Jonah 1:3 and 4 present quite a contrast. In Verse three it is all "man" man flees from God, man sails the ship, man has no place for God. In verse four, the table is turned and it is all God. God seeks man; He sends the storm; and, in the end-God wins.

JONAH 1:4 CRAFTY CLERGYMAN CHALLENGES COMPASSIONATE CREATOR I. CRAFT: A. Course. B. Confidence. C. Credibility. II. CONTRAST: A. Creator. B. Concern. C. Control. III. CONSEQUENCES: A. Caldron. B. Consternation. C. Carrier. Jonah is safely on board the ship and he feels enough ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:3-4

Denomination: Methodist

Limitless Love Lasts Longest Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Oct 9, 2007

From the restricted worship of the Old Covenant to the all encompassing love and universal saving grace of Jesus, the writer to the Hebrews shows why Jesus is able to offer Limitless Love to a lost and dying world.

HEBREWS 9:18-28 LIMITLESS LOVE LASTS LONGEST I. LIMITED ATONEMENT: Hebrews 9:18-23 A. Legalistic. B. Laborious. C. Labyrinthine. II. LATTER ATONEMENT: Hebrews 9:23-27 A. Luminary. B. Last. C. Locales. III. LIMITLESS ATONEMENT: Hebrews ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:18-28

Denomination: Methodist

Suffering Saints Shall Surely Survive Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Oct 16, 2007

We need to stop and remember that our forefathers suffered much for thier faith in Christ, yet they bore the affliction with grace and dignity and through their trials, they made it through to Glory Land. The record they left teaches us much.

HEBREWS 10:32-39 SUFFERING SAINTS SHALL SURELY SURVIVE I. SUFFERINGS: Hebrews 10:32-34 A. Severity. B. Solidifying. C. Spoliation. II. SELFLESSNESS: Hebrews 10:34-37 A. Succor. B. Steadfastness. C. Surety. III. SUMMATION: ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:32-39

Denomination: Methodist

Earnest Endeavors Encourage Exalted Expectations Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Oct 26, 2007

The writer to the Hebrews explains faith in a very unique manner by first going back to the first book of the Bible and then moving forward from there. Along the way, he gives good support to the fact that the, "Just shall live by faith."

HEBREWS 11:1-16 EARNEST ENDEAVORS ENCOURAGE EXALTED EXPECTATIONS I. FAITH EXPLAINED: Hebrews 11:1-6 A. Elucidated. B. Essential. C. Elementary. II. FAITH EXEMPLIFIED: Hebrews 11:7-14 A. Entrusted. B. Enacted. C. Exalted. III. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-16

Denomination: Methodist

Former Failures Fortifies Future Faith Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Nov 1, 2007

WE Christians can learn a great deal about our coming "Better Resurrection" as is stated in Hebrews by studying about those who once lived died and were resurrected back to this temporal life.

HEBREWS 11:21-39 FORMER FAILURES FORTIFIES FUTURE FAITH I. FORERUNNERS: A. Frailty. B. Foretelling. C. Future. II. FREEDOM: A. Feebleness. B. Failure. C. Fear. III. FACT: A. Fellowship. B. Fulfilling. C. Fragrant. A Better Resurrection is the promise given here by the writer ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:21-39

Denomination: Methodist

Pious People Procure Perfected Promises Series

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Nov 4, 2007

The writer to the Hebrews tried to give confort to the Early Christians that the new converts to the faith were on an equal basis with those of the Old Testament and for the millions to come to Jesus.

HEBREWS 11:40 PIOUS PEOPLE PROCURE PERFECTED PROMISES I. THE PANORAMA: A. Past. B. Present. C. Promise. II. THE PATTERN: A. Person. B. Pardon. C. Partnership. III. THE PERFECTION: A. Plan. B. Provisional. C. Permanent. The writer now brings this part of his writing to a close ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:40

Denomination: Methodist

Fortunate Foreigner Finds Future Fulfillment

Contributed by Mack Armstrong on Aug 3, 2010

Ruth Finds happiness by working and obeying God

RUTH 2:1-3 FORTUNATE FOREIGNER FINDS FUTURE FULFILLMENT I. FAMILY: RUTH 2:1 A. Fortune. B. Famous. C. Forlorn. II. FOREIGNER: RUTH 2:2 A. Fervor. B. Fearless. C. Favor. III. ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 2:1-3

Denomination: Methodist

Trinity And Controversy Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Aug 10, 2010

A sample of trinitarian controversy in church history and its application to Jehovah’s Witnesses and the book "The Shack".

I remember a less than flattering incident when I was young. My sister and I wanted to watch different programs on TV. I think she wanted to watch ‘The Patty Duke Show’ and I wanted to watch ‘Lost in Space’. This was before the days of remote controls. So we sat in front of the TV for a whole hour ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Trinity In Salvation Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Aug 10, 2010

The persons of the Trinity working for our salvation.

On Saturday May 15, 2010, Jessica Watson arrived in Sydney after sailing around the world. It was a wonderfully inspiring effort. I once got sea sick sitting on a surf ski waiting for waves off Warriewood Beach. So you can imagine how I feel even thinking about sailing through huge seas on a yacht ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Trinity In Worship Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Aug 10, 2010

After considering some reasons why the Trinity is not always central in our tradition, discussing how the Trinity shapes liturgical substance.

‘Glory be to God the Father’, sings the church, ‘glory be to God the Son, glory be to God the Spirit, great Jehovah, Three in One’. What is this? we ask—praise to three gods? No, praise to one God in three persons. This is the God whom Christians worship—God in three persons. At the heart of  the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-26

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed