Sermons on Maturity Growth:

Seeing With New Eyes

Contributed by John Vella on Jan 31, 2007

We need to constantly see God’s creation and all that is in it with new eyes.

Third Sunday of Lent - Year C March 11th, 2007 Readings: * Exod. 3:1-8a, 13-15 * 1 Cor. 10:1-6, 10-12 * Lk. 13:1-9 Seeing With New Eyes Repent In English, most of us understand the word "repent" in a very limited way. We often use this word as if it had only one small, restricted meaning. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9

Denomination: Catholic

Forgiving Words

Contributed by John Vella on Jan 31, 2007

Gossip has no place in our hearts or our mouths.

Fifth Sunday of Lent - Year C March 25th, 2007 Readings: * Is. 43:16-21 * Phil. 3:8-14 * Jn. 8:1-11 Forgiving Words Harriet and George Here’s a little story for you. In a small town, a person named Harriet loved to gossip and kept sticking her nose into other people’s business. One day she ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Denomination: Catholic

Living In Trust

Contributed by John Vella on Jan 31, 2007

As humans we need to live in trust -- there really is no other choice.

Second Sunday of Lent (B) March 12, 2006 Readings: ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:2-10

Denomination: Catholic

Escaping The Cross

Contributed by John Vella on Jan 31, 2007

Running away from the cross gets us nowhere -- literally!

Third Sunday of Lent (B) March 19, 2006 Readings: ...read more

Scripture: John 2:13-25

Denomination: Catholic

How To Win The Super Bowl

Contributed by Marvin Patterson on Feb 2, 2007

This sermon compares the Christian life with the Super Bowl.

How to win the Super Bowl! Text: Acts 1:8 This evening the world will watch the Chicago Bears beat the Indianapolis Colts (I mean play the Indianapolis Colts). I shouldn’t have made a prediction like that! How many Bears fans do we have here this morning? Great! How many Colts fans do we have ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

God Leads To Abundance

Contributed by Andy Grossman on Feb 3, 2007

1. God has a wonderful plan for your life. 2. He wants to free you from sin and self-destructive addictions 3. God wants to take you to the land of abundance right now.

“Entering the Promised land” July 10, 2005 “Two of the spies, Joshua (the son of Nun), and Caleb (the son of Jephunneh), … said to all the people, "It is a wonderful country ahead, and the Lord loves us. He will bring us safely into the land and give it to us. It is very fertile, a land ’flowing ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 14:6-9

Denomination: Holiness

Life In Abundance

Contributed by Stephen Funderburk on Feb 4, 2007

Jesus has come to give us an abundant life, but what does living abundantly really mean?

Intro: if you were to list the most memorized verses in the bible, John 3:16 probably would be one, Revelation 3:20 would be in the top ten, Romans 8:28 may make the list, and John 10:10 would probably be there. Why is John 10:10 so popular, it describes the desires of Satan to kill, steal and ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Evidence Of A Spirit Led Life Series

Contributed by A. David Hart on Feb 4, 2007

There is a story about Walter P. Chrysler. At the time he was a master mechanic on a railroad. He was 35 years old and he bought his first automobile with borrowed money. It was a $5,000.00, four-door Locomobile. The car was delivered to his hometown in I

THE EVIDENCE OF A SPIRIT LED LIFE Acts 8:26-40 There is a story about Walter P. Chrysler. At the time he was a master mechanic on a railroad. He was 35 years old and he bought his first automobile with borrowed money. It was a $5,000.00, four-door ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:26-40

Denomination: Baptist

Blind Spots

Contributed by John Vella on Feb 5, 2007

Most of us have blind spots, presumptions, ideas and perceptions that we don’t even think about changing. These blind spots are major roadblocks in our spiritual journey.

Seeds for Sowing, Vol. VI, Issue 2, No. 16 Fourth Sunday of Lent- Year A March 10, 2002 Readings: * 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 * Ephesians 5:8-14 * John 9:1-41 Blind Spots Helen Keller Someone once asked Helen Keller, who had been blind since the age of nineteen months, if blindness were the ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-41

Denomination: Catholic

An Open Ear

Contributed by John Vella on Feb 5, 2007

When, through our Baptism, we declared ourselves closely bound to Jesus Christ, we promised we would carefully listen to that same Jesus as we traveled on our life journey. Now, listening doesn’t just mean that we hear the words that someone else is speak

Seeds for Sowing, Vol. VI, Issue 2, No. 9 Second Sunday of Ordinary Time - Year A January 20, 2002 Readings: * Is. 49:3, 5-6 * 1 Cor.1:1-3 * Jn. 1:29-34 An Open Ear The Follower’s Task As we move out of the Christmas season, we are asked to reflect on what it means to be a follower of Jesus. ...read more

Scripture: John 1:29-34

Denomination: Catholic

Elements Of Renewal

Contributed by John Vella on Feb 5, 2007

Prayer leads to an awareness of where we need to change. This awareness then calls for a putting away of negative elements in our behaviour ( we call that fasting). This in turn calls forth a new way of relating to others which is concretely expressed i

Seeds for Sowing, Vol. IV, Issue 3, No. 16 First Sunday of Lent (Year B) March 12, 2000 Readings: * Genesis 9:8-15 * 1 Peter 3:18-22 * Mark 1:12-15 Elements of Renewal Mixed Feelings There are many things in life that call forth mixed feelings from ourselves. At the same time, we both want to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:12-15

Denomination: Catholic

A Changed Perspective

Contributed by John Vella on Feb 5, 2007

Life’s troubles have always been part of humanity and always will be. Believing in God doesn’t take away any of those problems nor does it make the emotional and physical pain disappear. But believing in God does make a significant difference in the bigge

Seeds for Sowing, Vol. IV - Issue 3, No. 17 Second Sunday of Lent (Year B) March 19, 2000 Readings: * Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18 * Romans 8:31-35, 37 * Mark 9:2-10 A Changed Perspective The Difficulties of Living Life is difficult. Not many people would deny that statement. It’s not easy to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:2-10

Denomination: Catholic

The Urge To Cling

Contributed by John Vella on Feb 5, 2007

We instinctively know that clinging behaviour in an adult is not a good thing. Jesus knew that very well. He knew that the urge to cling could even cause us to lose our life. We could end up not really alive. Instead of being free in Christ, our clinging

Seeds for Sowing, Vol. IV, Issue 3, No. 20 Fifth Sunday of Lent (Year B) April 9, 2000 Readings: * Jeremiah 31:31-34 * Hebrews 5:7-9 * John 12:20-33 The Urge to Cling Mother Attachment Have you ever seen a little boy clinging to his mother’s leg? He’s afraid that he’ll be left alone and he ...read more

Scripture: John 12:20-33

Denomination: Catholic

A Fair Balance

Contributed by John Vella on Feb 5, 2007

Today’s Gospel shows Jesus curing the woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years. Then he goes on to raise the young daughter of Jairus from the dead. And Jesus has given us those same powers. You and I can cure the sick and we can help peop

Seeds for Sowing - Vol. IV - Issue 4, No. 32 Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) July 2, 2000 Readings: * Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-25 * 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 * Mark 5:21-43 A Fair Balance The Power of Christ Imagine Jesus Christ appearing to you. He has decided that he needs to give ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:21-43

Denomination: Catholic

Familiarity And Faith

Contributed by John Vella on Feb 5, 2007

In today’s Gospel Jesus comes face to face with roadblocks. He has come to his hometown wanting to bring his extraordinary message of God’s love and forgiveness to his own former neighbours. But what happens? Roadblocks!

Seeds for Sowing - Vol. IV - Issue 5, No. 33 Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year (B) July 9, 2000 Readings: * Ezekiel 2:2-5 * 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 * Mark 6:1-6 Familiarity and Faith Roadblocks Have you ever come across a roadblock while driving your car? All of a sudden, the road is no ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:1-6

Denomination: Catholic