Sermons on Not Too Far:

A Prayer For Spirit Enlightenment (Ephesians 1:15-23) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on Sep 3, 2025

Enlightenment about God's cosmic plan is something God will give, if we ask. God's plan is far bigger-- cosmic-- than we often realize, and we have been empowered, potentially, more than we think.

Let's start today by reading part of last week's passage. I'll read from my translation, but feel free to follow along however you'd like. Let's turn to Ephesians 1:7, and we'll read through verse 10: (7) In him (=Jesus) we have the freedom/release through his blood-- ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

Jesus Teaching At The Temple Series

Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Jul 9, 2016

Jesus is not asking the Jews to become expert judges of one another– far from it. He is instructing them (and us) to know who it is we should worship; and when we worship, to do so properly without our own views inserted.

Jesus Teaching at the Temple John 7:1-24 Introduction - The gospel of John screams of the faith that we should have in Christ -- It is the clearest example of living life FOR the one who redeemed you and I - Today we will see two different stories played out before us: -- The first deals ...read more

Scripture: John 7:1-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Strengthen What Remains

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Oct 29, 2022

Jesus calls us to live the life we have now. Too often, we are so busy lamenting the past or reaching for the future that we miss what He wants us to do presently.

Strengthening What Remains I. OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Resilience is the ability and the process of overcoming life-challenging and threatening experiences and events. Bouncing back does not happen overnight. The ability to live with what is left after trauma is something that not everyone possesses ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:1-4

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Harvest Is Plentiful

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Mar 12, 2025

Jesus modeled how we should be sensitive to the needs of others, be moved with compassion, and see people as ready for the harvest. Rather than praying for others to do the job, we should be engaged too.

Allow me to open our message with an illustration. In his book entitled The Kingdom Focused Church, Gene Mims shares the following account: “After Marco Polo returned from the magnificent imperial court of Kublai Khan in 1926, he wrote that the mighty Khan asked him to request that the Pope send ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38

Denomination: Baptist

Three Things Series

Contributed by Ken Henson on Aug 30, 2012

How do we introduce people? In this passage, we see John, the baptist and Jesus introduced in such graceful ways. May our words of introduction too be words of blessing, words of power, peace and grace!

Three Things: Matthew 3:1-17 ILLUSTRATION There was a young student who had just graduated with his M.Th, fresh with his knowledge of New Testament and Greek. He was asked to introduce a colleague who had come to visit from Germany. This colleague was a pastor there. He knew what the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-17

Denomination: *other

Sermon # 15 - Stay Humble Series

Contributed by Andrew Dixon on May 9, 2024

God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. As we study the life of King Uzziah we too will learn some important lessons on how we can stay humble, and acknowledge God in everything.

We read in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.” (GNB) As we continue our study based on this verse we realized that God is indeed able to meet all of our needs, and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:8, 2 Chronicles 16:1, 2 Chronicles 26:8, Psalm 27:1, 2 Chronicles 26:4-5, 2 Kings 5:13, 2 Chronicles 26:7, 2 Chronicles 26:9, 2 Chronicles 26:11, 2 Chronicles 26:15-16, 2 Chronicles 26:18-19, Psalm 18:29, Psalm 8:3-4  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Other

Return To The Lord

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Jun 20, 2019

We are right to emphasize that God loves us, but we too easily forget that because he loves us he wants us to be the best we can be and calls us to a deep repentance.

Return to the Lord Isaiah 1:12-20 Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Rev. Stephen Aram We live in a time when the church really emphasizes the mercy and grace of God. How many times have you heard it said that God loves us just the way we are and that he will be there any time we call? And ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:12-20

The Sacrament Of Holy Communion

Contributed by Joseph Neil Adams on Jan 18, 2008

Too many people in Church have never understood that HC is such a powerful mission event. In this celebration we don’t just proclaim Jesus we meet Him so the rail is the safest place on earth

The Sacrament of Communion 1 Corinthians 11:17-29 I have talked about many times how we encounter God in all things but also in specific things. Our experience of love isn’t of love in general, but rather it is specific; like the affection & love of a child or parent or partner for instance. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:17-29

Denomination: Methodist

Prisoners In Paradise - Exodus From Egypt Series

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Apr 16, 2008

Sin will take you farther than you want to go. Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay. Sin will cost you far more than you want to pay. Link inc. to formatted text, audio & video, and PowerPoint.

Prisoners in Paradise Exodus 1:1-14 http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/PrisonersParadise.html Sin is a place. It’s a place you can go. It’s not just an action or an occurrence, it is a conscious journey you make and it doesn’t take long to arrive at the place of sin. It often becomes a place of ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 1:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Harassed For Jesus Series

Contributed by Fred Sigle on May 20, 2024

A study of the Beatitudes. Jesus begins His sermon on the mount answering the question: "What will it take to make you happy?" His answer, however, is far different from the way most people will answer. In fact, his answers appear to bring sorrow, not happiness.

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS: HARASSED FOR JESUS ILLUSTRATION: In His book, Lords of the Earth, Don Richardson, author of PEACE CHILD, tells the story of Stanley Dale, a MISSIONARY to the Yali Tribe deep in the Irian Jaya JUNGLE of Indonesia in 1968. The Yali, being HEADHUNTERS and CANNIBALS, were ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:10-12

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Status Or Substance? Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 1, 2004

We cannot go far in the Kingdom of God until we get the lust for status under control. This is true in the material realm, as we shall see in a message planned for next week, and it is true in the religious realm as well, as we shall see this week.

Status or Substance? (Matt. 6:1-15) Note: here is my bulletin insert I wrote up along with the sermon. Sermon follows. Giving, Prayer, and Fasting (notes for Matt. 6:1-15) Since modern Judaism no longer has the Temple (in the Biblical sense) many Rabbis teach that charity, prayer, and fasting ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-15

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Circumstantial Evidence Series

Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Jun 23, 2004

So far in our series we have taken a hard look at the evidence surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. We have seen the biblical, medical and historical evidence. We have heard from the eyewitnesses and seen the very fingerprints of the Christ left all a

CSI: Easter 4 of 5 in series The Circumstantial Evidence INTRODUCTION No witnesses watched Timothy McVeigh load two tons of fertilizer-based explosives into a Ryder rental truck. Nobody saw him drive the vehicle to the front of the federal building in Oklahoma City and detonate the bomb, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13-21

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Almost Christian

Contributed by John Wesley on Apr 4, 2006

"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Acts 26:28 AND many there are who go thus far: ever since the Christian religion was in the world, there have been many in every age and nation who were almost persuaded to be Christians. But seeing it av

I.) 1. Now, in the being almost a Christian is implied, First, heathen honesty. No one, I suppose, will make any question of this; especially, since by heathen honesty here, I mean, not that which is recommended in the writings of their philosophers only, but such as the common heathens expected ...read more

Scripture: Acts 26:28-30

Denomination: Methodist

Lord, Teach Me To Pray

Contributed by Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid on May 23, 2014

Prayer the centerfold on every table of faith leads us to a far greater understanding than commonly known of our faith and convictions. We abide in the power, love and sound mind of Christ Jesus who revolutionized God's love in a radical movement of faith

LORD, Teach Me To Pray by Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (May 23, 2014) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, King James Version, KJV [A charge to Timothy]) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-18

Denomination: Friends

Prioritizing Your Relationship With God

Contributed by Delishia Davis on Mar 30, 2016

Regardless of how difficult opposition may rise, remember that Almighty God has a purpose and plan to far exceed anything of the world and its leverages. When you stand firm in the relationship with God, he gives you power to overcome, excel and exceed

“Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.” Psalm 16:8 King David records his most intimate thoughts in the writings of the Psalms. He begins Psalm 16 with a declaration that the Almighty God is in control of his life, and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:6-8

Denomination: United Methodist