Sermons on Mountaintop Experience:

Why God Allows Suffering

Contributed by Douglas Swift on Feb 4, 2001

Suffering is a normal part of life that God allows us to experience. This outline examines five principles of why God allows suffering.

Five reasons why God allows suffering 1 1 Suffering comes with the freedom to chose what you want to do. God does not make us robots but allows us to make our own choices. Choices that can make us feel pain when we make the wrong choice. 2 The pain of suffering can warn us of when we are headed ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Denomination: Pentecostal

Spiritual Road Markers In Paul's Life

Contributed by Mark Atherton on Apr 25, 2001

Distinct experiences that the apostle had that got him to the point where he could say "I have fought the good fight..."

I want to be like Paul and get to the end of my life and can honestly make a staetment like he did in this passage. For Paul to reach this point in his life some very significant things must have happened along the way. There must have been some spiritual road markers that he could have looked ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7

Denomination: Holiness

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Altar Series

Contributed by Mary Lewis on May 29, 2001

Zechariah’s experience in the Temple: Religion can turn us away from God. (Preached during Advent, but not really seasonal)

Introduction In the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” Tevye, a man devoted to tradition, finds his thinking challenged when his oldest daughter wants to marry for love, instead of having her marriage arranged by her parents. It had never occurred to him that one would marry for love, and one night he ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:5-20

Denomination: Baptist

A Place Of Escape

Contributed by Kevin Taylor on Oct 28, 2001

By using David’s experience, we can learn how to trust God as we abide under His almighty hand!

I. The Cave of Adullam (Justice of the People) A. Text: I Samuel 22:1-2 (Verse 2) Every one that was 1) In Distress 2) In Debt 3) Discontented Adullam means ‘refuge.’ This was a city conquered by Joshua in Joshua chapter 12. It was fortified by Rehoboam in II Chronicles 11. It is referred to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 22:1-2

Steps To Intimacy Part 4 Series

Contributed by David Beirne on May 19, 2005

Part 4 of SPIRIT-led lifestyle. How can I get closer and really experience the relationship that I was created for?

The SPIRIT-led Lifestyle For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. Romans 8:14 Part 4: Steps To Intimacy John 17: 20-26 “In an effort to get the work of the Lord done we often lose contact with the Lord of the work.” A. W. Tozer Intimacy means connection from ...read more

Scripture: John 17:20-26

Denomination: Baptist

Bring Your Vessels Not A Few

Contributed by David Seeley on Jan 2, 2005

The only limit to how much of God we can experience in our lives is how much room we make for Him.

I. There was an urgent need. A. A death in the family. B. A debt that could not be paid. C. A future of slavery. D. Overall a very dire situation. II. There was a use of what was available. What do you have in the house? God wants to use what you have for His glory. One song writer said, “What’s ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1-7

Denomination: Holiness

Loving Each Other Through Small Groups Series

Contributed by Don Jaques on Jan 20, 2005

In small groups, every person can experience and give out the love for each other we’ve been commanded to show.

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing 2. Loving Each Other Through Small Groups January 15/16, 2005 Don Jaques MAIN POINT: In small groups, every person can experience and give out the love for each other we’ve been commanded to show. INTRO: A few years ago at a small groups conference they ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lessons Of Loneliness

Contributed by Rex S. Wignall on Oct 25, 2002

First in a series from J. Ellsworth Kalas’ book, IF EXPERIENCE IS SUCH A GOOD TEACHER, WHY DO I KEEP REPEATING THE COURSE?"

The Lessons of Loneliness By Rex S. Wignall, Chaplain, Valley Christian Home Genesis 2:8-9, 15-25; Matthew 27:45-46; Hebrews 12:1-3 Introduction to the Series: A few years ago, a teacher of preaching named Ellsworth Kalas wrote a book with a catchy title: If Experience Is Such A Good ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:8-25, Hebrews 12:1-3

Denomination: United Methodist

The Trials Of Jesus

Contributed by Timothy Finch on Mar 14, 2006

This is an outline form of the series of trials Jesus experience from the time of His arrest in the Garden until He was senctenced to death on the cross.

Legal Trials of Jesus Christ Violations of the Law 1. Criminal cases must be tried and completed during daylight hours. 2. Criminal cases could not be tried during the Passover season. 3. Only a verdict of “NOT GUILTY” could cause a case to be finished on the day it was begun. One night ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:57-67

Denomination: Baptist

An Invitation To Partnership

Contributed by Ron Hietsch on Apr 5, 2006

Paul felt a sense of joy and comfort with the Church in Philippi. We can experience that same joy and comfort by functioning as partners in ministry.

April 5, 2006 Text Phillipians 1:3-5 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first until now. Partnership ------ what a great concept ----- The very idea of a good partnership ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:3-5

Denomination: Lutheran

Where's Jesus?

Contributed by Joe Burke on Jan 17, 2007

Do we really want to "see Jesus" and experience His fire or are we going to settle for religious acts and pious practices.

WHERE’S JESUS? On Easter Sunday morning Mary Magdalene exclaimed: "The Lord has been taken away and I do not know where they have put Him" (John 20:13). I can relate to Mary Magdalene. I don’t know about you, but I don’t hear much talk about Jesus anymore. You can attend Church for weeks at a ...read more

Scripture: John 20:3

Denomination: Catholic

Convince Me

Contributed by Ron Hicks on Mar 22, 2007

Being able to convince someone of the validity of your experience in Christ is sometimes a challenge. (A challenge well worth taking of course)

CONVINCE ME Are you a skeptic? Or have you ever tried to convince a skeptic into believinng anything? Sometimes it takes more than words or print matter. Sometimes it takes just simply living the Christian life in front of them. I want you to listen to this sermon that Paul preached and see if it ...read more

Scripture: Acts 26:1-29

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Mature Faith

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Jul 11, 2006

Study with me the five purposes of the church – five experiences that can make us strong disciples, able to serve our Master.

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 (NRSVA) Spiritual ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Denomination: United Methodist

Getting The Lucky Breaks Series

Contributed by David Asch on Nov 21, 2005

In this message we discover how we can experience God’s favor in our lives, as we continue in the book of Ruth.

GETTING THE LUCKY BREAKS... Ruth 2:1-23 INTRO: Some people put a lot of stock in “luck.” That explains why I always get stuck in line paying for gas behind someone buying lottery tickets. Last week, the Kentucky Derby – “The most exciting two minutes in sports.” Trust me, the excitement has ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 2:1-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Lord's Table

Contributed by Gary Stebbins on Nov 29, 2005

To see the Lord’s Table as a life-giving experience and to understand the benefits made available to a believer through our Communion with the Lord.

Talk about- Communion, Lord’s Table, Lord’s Supper To benefit from Communion- must be seen as more than a ritual- it is a life-giving experience. Communion- fellowship, partnership, participation. Can also be seen as communication … He speaks, we listen, we speak, He listens. To understand ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:3-13

Denomination: Charismatic