Sermons on Negative Patterns:

"The Merry-Go-Round Of Time"

Contributed by Paul Ray on Jul 22, 2013

God's timing is sovereign, sufficient, seasonal, and surprising. God turns extreme calamity into extreme possibility in the pendulum swing from Good Friday to Easter morning. Change comes as an unfolding pattern rather than a mindless swing of events.

January 20, 2013 “The Merry-Go-Round of Time” Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. 2 He sets the time for birth and the time for death, the time for planting and the time for pulling up, 3 the time for killing and the time for ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Denomination: Congregational

Signs God Does Not Want You To Be With Someone Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Aug 12, 2024

In this sermon, we'll explore biblical signs that may indicate God does not want you to be with someone.

As Christians, we seek God's guidance in all aspects of life, including relationships. However, determining whether God wants us to be with someone can be challenging. In this sermon, we'll explore biblical signs that may indicate God does not want you to be with someone. Unequal Yoking ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, 1 John 2:3-6

What Are Some Temperamental Tendencies We Need To Guard Against?

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

We need to learn to be more controlled by the Spirit. Actively guard against specific temptations that may prove harmful – based on your individual faulty tendencies. Let us examine certain behavioral patterns that should be avoided by the four different

"To the weak I became weak, to the strong I became strong. I have become all things to all men so that by all means I might save some." (I Cor. 9:19-21) 1. Have you ever heard of the expression, "One man’s meat is another man’s poison?" What may be fuel for one person may turn out to be dangerous ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:5-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Selective Memory Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 27, 2003

We use selective memory either to remember only pleasant things (denial) or only negative things (pessimism). God’s memory is an occasion of grace, for which we can be grateful.

The longer we live, the more there is to remember. And yet the more we remember, the more we forget as well. Isn’t that ironic? The longer we live, the more there is to remember. And yet the more we remember, the more we forget as well. That could be due to several things. That could be ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 63:7-17

Denomination: Baptist

Go Tell It On Mt. Carmel Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Dec 20, 2003

We turn our successes into failures because we see only the negatives, and we need approval. But in the Incarnation God accepts our incompleteness and offers us His unconditional love.

All of us want success. All of us need success. If you don’t care about doing something well, you are in sad shape. You are in trouble if you don’t want to succeed at something. And yet the problem is that we are our own worst enemies. We defeat ourselves time and time again. We take ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-18

Denomination: Baptist

Where Has All The Magic Gone?

Contributed by Jay Winters on Feb 7, 2008

This Transfiguration sermon seeks to show God’s face, Jesus, for who He truly is using the Wizard from the Wizard of Oz as a negative example - our God is no man behind a curtain.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who… Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I didn’t see the Wizard of Oz until just two years ago. Before that I had gotten to know the characters as they had been presented to me in pop culture here and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

Denomination: Lutheran

It's The Best Of Times; It's The Worst Of Times

Contributed by Bart Leger on Jan 21, 2011

The internet and technology have given the church the greatest opportunity and means to reach the world for Christ. But it also has given rise to an unprecedented danger for us to be impacted negatively with great evil and perversion.

It’s the Best of Times; It’s the Worst of Times January 16, 2011 PM “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 101:3

Denomination: Independent/Bible

For Crimes That I Have Done Series

Contributed by Mark Haines on Mar 21, 2011

So many people are under the impression that there are simply no negative consequences for their sins. But our sins deserve judgment and punishment. Jesus took that punishment for us on the cross when he suffered and died.

Text: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (Amplified Bible) with my adaptations 13Behold, My Servant shall deal wisely and shall prosper; He shall be exalted and extolled and shall stand very high. 14[For many the Servant of God became an object of horror; many were astonished at Him.] His face and His whole ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Critical Spirit

Contributed by Donnie De Loney on Jan 13, 2010

A critical spirit is An obsessive attitude of criticism and fault-finding, which seeks to tear others down The person with a critical spirit usually dwells on the negative, seeks for flaws rather than good

The Critical Spirit Luke 6:37-6:42 Illustration: Guilty as sin! It happened just a few years ago. The banks in New Jersey had been robbed systematically, one after the other. What made the robber stand out was his politeness. He just gave the tellers a note which said, "Please place your money ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:37-42

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Our Face Set Toward Jerusalem Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 28, 2019

Athanasius taught that God became human so that humans could be made divine. But even the baptized struggle with the profound negative impacts of original sins in our physical, emotional and spiritual lives.

Tuesday of the 26th Week in Course 2019 St. Therese of Liseaux The connection between our two Scripture readings today is stark. The prophet Zechariah, writing a couple of hundred years before Christ, is in a society dominated by Hellenist culture, polytheism and utter contempt for Biblical faith ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:51-56, Zechariah 8:21-23

Denomination: Catholic

Excelling In Goodness And Mercy Series

Contributed by Jack Perkins, D.min., Ladc, Csac, Cclc on Aug 19, 2021

In the pursuit for godliness they will discover there are some negative characteristics that will block their ascendancy to excellency. Yet, disciples also learn lessons about how to experience a life characterized by goodness, mercy, grace, and joy

A major part of learning how to do something is learning the "do nots." To illustrate: One of my first lessons related to learning how to be a locomotive engineer involved learning certain things that I must not do—such as going to sleep. While pulling a train, you do not reach down ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:1-11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Good Out Of Evil Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

The key to being an optimist is having the patience to wait and see what God will do with your negative experience. We so often jump to the conclusion that bad stuff is just that, and that alone.

Luther Burbank, the world famous scientist, worked for years to try and develop a black-petaled lily. He had several thousand experimental lily plants in his laboratory. A sudden cloudburst let loose a flood of rain that they were all washed away. William Stidger tells of sympathizing with ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:12-26

Don't Waste Anything Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 31, 2021

James says to Christians who are struggling with life's adversities-don't waste anything in life-not even your negative experiences, for they contain great potential.

Marcus Bach in his book The Power of Perception tells of how great worth is found in waste. An old lead and zinc mine had been abandoned for years. It appeared a worthless worn out pit with all its value exhausted. But when man developed a new need, a need for Tungsten, the waste deposits from ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

The Prayer Of Thanksgiving Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

Paul demonstrated the power of a thankful heart to overcome enormous negative circumstances. Prayer is not the dark garment of despair. Prayer is a bright garment of praise that will dress up the soul even on the dreariest of days.

My earliest childhood memories of being in church are of the rope that I could ride. The thick rope hung down through the ceiling in the church entry way. I was so little that when the rope was pulled to ring the bell in the belfry, I could hang on to it and get a ride as it would pull me up off ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:3-6

Prescription For Happiness Sermon Viii: Be Happy Anyway! Series

Contributed by Charles Cunningham on Dec 23, 2019

It seems unthinkable but it is so that Christians are being attacked on many fronts but, despite the negatives, Jesus encourages His followers to persevere in doing what is right in God's sight.

PRESCRIPTION FOR HAPPINESS The Beatitudes – Matthew 5:1-12 Everybody I know wants to be happy. However, it appears to me that some folks may not understand what ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, Matthew 5:10