Sermons on No Sour Grapes:

Community, Gathering Of The Bunch

Contributed by Stephen Funderburk on May 13, 2007

community isn’t an individual effort but a corporate plan

Ill) squeeze a bag of marbles together, and squeeze a bunch of grapes–talk about the different results. As community, we are the bunch of grapes. We learn these valuable lessons from this illustration. We are not a community by ourselves. We must be soft, tender, available, to be valuable in the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Father, Son, & Disciple

Contributed by Martin Ellgar on Dec 19, 2014

A perspective on John 15: 1-8. What fruit will the true vine and its branches produce? The fruit that Jesus, the true vine produces is distinctive like no other and is difficult to find in our world.

John 15: 1-8 Father, Son, & Disciple. The wild grape vine with its trailing branches is one of the lowest bushes and yet its fruit is highly prized, and was the favoured fruit of kings for thousand of years. The wild unattended vine is easily damaged producing very little and poor quality fruit. ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Denomination: Lutheran

Why The Cup? Lesson 5 Series

Contributed by Elmer Towns on Nov 9, 2016

What spiritual meaning can we get from the cup?

“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you . . . drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:25-26). A. Why Grapes Are a Symbol of His Death 1. Symbols of fruitfulness. “This is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:25-26

Denomination: Baptist

How, And Why, Do We Abide In Jesus? (John 15:1-17) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on Mar 28, 2022

Abiding in Christ is not about spiritual disciplines. It's about obeying Jesus, above all else by loving his church.

Today, we have the privilege of working through John 15:1-17. Some of you will be familiar with these verses. And if that's you, as we start reading, you will maybe find yourself thinking that you already understand this passage. You won't expect to learn anything, or be challenged. ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-17

The Harvest

Contributed by John Kapteyn on Oct 18, 2000

1. We have seen how the beast and the false prophet have established Satan’s apparent rule on earth.

1. We have seen how the beast and the false prophet have established Satan’s apparent rule on earth. But then we saw that all this time the Lamb has been standing on Zion. In fact He is the one who is ruling. 2. Today we see that Christ is actually going to take complete rule. For He comes to us ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

5 Easter B

Contributed by Roger Haugen on May 14, 2003

Pruning is essential in gardening and in life. We are created to love and a pruned connection to the true vine results in the fruit of love.

5 Easter B John 15:1-8 18 May 2003 Rev. Roger Haugen I don’t know a lot about vines and grapes. I have a brother who helps out in a vineyard near Victoria where he is learning about the wine business. He tells me that in the fall they prune the vine aggressively, down to just a main vine and ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Denomination: Lutheran

Leafy Growth

Contributed by Jon Lipka on May 6, 2012

As branches of the vine, it is our purpose to produce much fruit, not simply to serve ourselves by producing leafy growth.

God told Abram, “All people on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:3). He was not pointing to Isaac. Nor to Jacob, the first Israel; even though he brought blessing where he went, he was not the perfection of the promise—of God’s covenant. Similarly the sons of Jacob ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Denomination: Anglican

The Tree Of Goodness Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 12, 2006

The Bible tells us that we should strive for goodness in our lives... but Jesus said no one was good except God. How can we be asked to do something that only God can accomplish?

Open with audience reciting the following verse: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...” Galatians 5:22-23a OPEN: A preacher once spoke of the fact that some of the people in his congregation had gotten in the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How To Remain Effective Series

Contributed by Glenn Durham on May 3, 2010

God rewards his people with effective works for abiding in the Son.

Scripture Introduction It seems that anywhere you walked in Jerusalem you saw grape vines. We know from inscriptions and eyewitnesses that vines grew up and along the great wall of the city, and it is likely that many families grew grapes in their own yards. In addition to the abundance of ...read more

Scripture: John 15:3-6

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

When The Party Is Over (1 Of 2)

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Feb 2, 2022

Belshazzar, the king, threw one of the grandest parties that had ever been given up to that time.

It is significant for three reasons. (1) It is noted for WHO GAVE IT. Look at verse 1. We read, “Belshazzar the king made a great feast...” (2) It is noted for THE LARGE ATTENDANCE. Look at verse 1 again. We read, “Belshazzar the king made a great feast to A THOUSAND OF HIS ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 5:1-30

Denomination: Baptist

It Matters- The Crucifixion. Series

Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Mar 11, 2016

In the 24 hours from the betrayal to the burial of Jesus, Jesus fulfilled 29 prophecies in that short amount of time! Tjhe crucifixion matters!

INTRODUCTION • SLIDE #1 • As we have been closing in on Resurrection Sunday, we have been taking a journey together in the series, It Matters. As Christians we have to be careful not to miss the details of our faith lest we end up not having a basis for why we believe what we ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 22:16

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Preserved, Not Pickled

Contributed by Ed Wood on May 24, 2007

All too often we see so many pickle-faced people in church.

PRESERVED, NOT PICKLED Psalm 121:1-8 INTRO: As a little boy, I remember my mother putting up jar after jar of food for the winter. My question was mostly the same: “What’s that?” She would patiently point out the various items of vegetables. Then she said, “This jar is preserves and these jars ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 121:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Grow Up In Our Salvation Series

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Jun 3, 2013

WE are to be alive and producing godly fruit.

Let us continue our worship of our Lord Jesus Christ by hearing what He has to say through the Apostle Peter. Open your bibles to the 2nd chapter of 1 Peter… What is the first word we see in 1 Peter 2?? And what do we ask ourselves when we see the word “therefore” in the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Four Steps To Bearing Fruit

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Mar 6, 2022

John chapter 15 speaks of bearing fruit, which we often interpret as winning lost souls to Christ. However, winning people to Christ is only one meaning of the word fruit. Fruit symbolized the best result or sweetest prize in life.

One time on the farm I was sitting on my porch admiring the rose bushes that were in bloom. A couple of weeks prior they had appeared to be dead. They hadn’t been pruned in over two years since my mom passed away. Each bush was a huge mass of dead branches. My wife asked me about them, and I ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

The Parable Of The Tenants Series

Contributed by Gilbert Sefaranga on Mar 30, 2019

Biblical parables reveal hidden truths concerning the Kingdom of God. Judgment, behavior, and/or Biblical principles. An interesting thing about the Parables that Christ taught is the fact that what He often seeks to reveal is hidden.

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 20:9-19, Matthew 21:33-46