Sermons on Lows:

Faith-Based Initiative

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Mar 19, 2023

Is God pleased with our work if we run out of money in the middle of it? Is God pleased with our ministry if it doesn't seem to be successful? How can we know if we are investing our time and talents in ways that God will approve of?

I don’t know if the tough decisions our leadership has been wrestling with have trickled all the way down through the congregation yet - though it would surprise me if you haven’t noticed that attendance at worship is down. Well, one of the challenges that goes along with a drop in attendance is a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Samuel 23:7-18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A New You For A New Year

Contributed by Christopher Arch on Dec 31, 2022

This is a message preached on New Year's Day, 2023

Title: “A New You in 2023” Scripture: II Cor. 5:17 Type: Special Occasion Where: GNBC 1-1-23 Intro: Today is New Year’s Day 2023. I am glad that you were all very sensible and went to bed at a reasonable hour so you could be here this morning! This is from Barna research from about 10 years ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Mighty Saving Works Of God's Gentle Servant Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Jul 17, 2022

Christ will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax. None of his believers are disposable, none are useless to him. Be sure that when you go to Christ with your troubles, He will help. Be sure that when you repent and bring your sins to him, He will be gentle.

The book of Isaiah is sometimes called ‘the fifth gospel.’ In the New Testament we have four gospels, of course: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These tell the story of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. Well, you could say that Isaiah does the same thing, because his book is such a great ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-12

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

12th Sunday After Pentecost. August 31st, 2025. Series

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 22, 2022

Year C, Proper 17.

Jeremiah 2:4-13, Psalm 81:1, Psalm 81:10-16, Proverbs 25:6-7, Psalm 112, Hebrews 13:1-8, Hebrews 13:15-16, Luke 14:1, Luke 14:7-14 A). A PLEADING. Jeremiah 2:4-13. In this passage the LORD yet again makes His complaint against the whole house of Israel (Jeremiah 2:4). As we read it, we ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 2:4-13, Psalm 81:1, Psalm 81:10-16, Proverbs 25:6-7, Hebrews 13:1-8, Hebrews 13:15-16, Luke 14:1, Luke 14:7-14  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Introducing The World-Changing Servant Of The Lord Series

Contributed by Reuben Bredenhof on Sep 4, 2022

God sends his Servant, and what does He do? In short, Christ rebuilds the covenant. He reconciles enemies. He restores the earth. He sets the prisoners free. He shepherds his flock in peace and goodness. And He does one more thing: He builds roads!

Time and again Isaiah brings Genesis to our minds—Genesis, that amazing book of beginnings. Like in Isaiah 44, where God calls himself, ‘The First and the Last,’ for God is the one who existed before all things and who called everything into being. Or chapter 40, where God recalls the story of how ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 49:1-13

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Way To Glory Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jul 8, 2021

To find the way to glory, humble yourself before God and one another, harden yourself against the devil, and by God’s grace, keep your hope in God.

Chan Gailey, who at various times coached for the Pittsburg Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Kansas City Chiefs told a story some time ago about the time he was head coach of Alabama’s Troy State and they were playing for the National Championship. The week before the big game, he was headed ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5-11

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Joseph-Dreams Can Come True Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 10, 2021

A dream can be an escape from reality, but it can also be an alternative to a present inadequate reality. A dream can provide an ideal toward which we strive and thereby change reality for the better.

Vanna White, the glamorous star who shows the letters on Wheel of Fortune, was a leader in her church youth group in North Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. Her pastor wrote about how he asked her, when she was a senior, what she was going to do after graduation. She responded that her dream was to ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:2-20

Ordinary People Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

Everybody in this book is ordinary. Obed, the baby who gives the book a happy ending, does not grow up to do anything of significance that we know of. There are no great battles, no miracles, and no profound theological statements in this book. Not one person in this book was above ordinary.

What woman do you know who has had a thousand men propose to her from fisherman to millionaires; from the penniless on the bowry to the prince of a royal European family? And who was still getting regular proposals after she was 70 years old? There was such a woman, and her name was Evangeline ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-18

The Successful Failure Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 6, 2021

Peter was the greatest failure in his abusive power. And yet we see that he not only survives, but he does so quite successfully. He is able to stay on top as the leader of the 12. He does everything wrong, and still comes out a winner.

Apollo 13 was one of the biggest flops in the history of our space program, and yet it was also one of the most celebrated. Can a catastrophic failure also be a colossal success? Just ask the three astronauts of that ill fated flight. It was 1970, and they were on their way to the moon when an ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-26

Lazarus And The Rich Man PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 28, 2025

True faith is shown by compassion for others; ignoring those in need hardens our hearts and distances us from God’s grace and eternal hope.

Friends, welcome. Some stories slip past our defenses and sit down in the living room of our hearts. Jesus tells one of those stories today. It hums with hope and honesty. It whispers to our comfort and calls to our conscience. It lifts our chin so we can see the person at the gate and the God who ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Topics: Hell

Do You See Me? PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 29, 2025

God’s approval, not others’ opinions, defines our worth; even when those closest doubt us, Jesus understands and affirms our value through the cross.

Some of the hardest headwinds we face often blow from our own back porch. It’s funny how life works: strangers may applaud you, acquaintances may admire you, but the folks who know your middle name and saw your backyard mistakes can struggle to see God’s handiwork in you. They remember the messy ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:4

Topics: Prophet, Honor

Forgiveness And Love PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 7, 2025

God’s grace is a free gift we cannot earn or buy; it transforms our hearts from striving and bitterness to rest, faith, and love.

If you’ve ever tried to buy a birthday gift for someone who already has everything, you know the head-scratching feeling it brings. What do you give the person who lacks nothing? Now lift your eyes a little higher and imagine bringing your best to the God who has never needed a thing. We sometimes ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:20-23

Topics: Bitterness, Sin

Forever Thankful PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 9, 2025

The sermon emphasizes that faith and obedience invite God’s mercy, and gratitude transforms healing into wholeness, calling us to thankful, faithful living each day.

Some of us came in today carrying silent stories. The kind that follow you into the pew and sit beside you. A late-night worry that won’t let you sleep. A relationship that seems stuck in the storm. A diagnosis that rewrites your calendar. If you’ve ever felt on the fringe, if you’ve ever whispered ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Topics: Thankfulness, Gratitude, Jesus

Any Questions? PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 12, 2025

Jesus invites us to bring our deepest, honest desires to Him in prayer, trusting His compassion and power to transform our lives.

If you could hear Jesus ask you one question today—face to face, heart to heart—what would you hope He’d ask? And if He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” what would rise to your lips before you could filter it—before fear, pride, or past disappointments edited your answer? Some of us ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:41

Topics: Transformation, Jesus' Questions

A Pharisee And Tax Collector Pray Together PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 13, 2025

True acceptance with God comes not from self-righteousness or comparison, but from humble confession and receiving the mercy and love found in Jesus Christ.

Some of us walked in today with a smile on our face and a scoreboard in our heart. You know the scoreboard I mean—the quiet tally of how we’re doing compared to others, the inner itch to be seen as enough, the nervous need to be noticed and approved. We measure our worth by the week we had, the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Topics: Humility, Exaltation, Self-Righteousness