Sermons on Not Too Far:

Father's Deep Love

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on May 25, 2024

In this story, Jesus leaves the ending open. There was still time for the self-righteous to repent as well. There is still time for you. Have you drifted far from God?

Opening illustration: Play the video “Daddy’s Love.” Introduction: On this ''Father's Day'' we will take an in-depth look at the genuine love of God, which is depicted in the love of the prodigal's earthly father. The sinfulness of the son was great, but the graciousness of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-24, Luke 15:30-32

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Proverbs Ideal Mother 2 Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

Every mother has her ideals pictured for her in Prov. 31. It is not an easy picture to examine because it makes the mothers feel that they have fallen so far short.

Harry Houdini as a young 20 year old performer, still years away from fame, met an 18 year old singer named Wilhalmina Rohnes. She sat in the front row of his performance and he spilled a glass of colored liquid that spotted her dress. To make amends he got her to give him her measurements. He ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31

'your God Will Be My God'

Contributed by Ian Lyall on Oct 28, 2005

Ruth chose to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem, declaring "Your God will be my God". That decision had results far beyonf what Ruth might have draemed possible

Ruth 2:1-20a In that reading from Ruth tonight, we actually had quite a big chunk of that book of four chapters, which has been described as of the most charming stories ever written. Certainly it sits here in the midst of the history books of the Old Testament, and it seems something very ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 2:1-20

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

God's Love Is Holy

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Sep 10, 2001

God loves us as we are, but He also loves us too much to leave us that way.

When you hear the phrase, "God loves you," what kind of picture does it conjure up in your mind? Specifically, what image of God do you envision when you hear someone say that God loves you? Perhaps you think of a kindly old grandfather, smiling down on you benevolently from heaven. Someone who’s ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:7-11

Denomination: Baptist

God Is A Promise-Making & Promise-Keeping God

Contributed by Charles Wall, Jr. on Dec 17, 2020

God is a promise-making & therefore a promise-keeping God - so rejoice for that is who you belong too!

The true story is told of a man who was a very qualified TV meteorologist but for some reason he did a terrible job when it came to actually forecasting the weather. In fact, he became something of a local joke when a newspaper began keeping a record of his repeated faulty predictions. They ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:15

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

No Ordinary God Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Oct 24, 2013

Don't be discouraged; instead, trust God to answer your prayers and accomplish His plan in ways far beyond what you or I could ever imagine.

No Ordinary God (Daniel 9:20-27) One of the best Super Bowl ads in recent years was a Volkswagen commercial in 2011 that featured a child dressed in a Darth Vader costume, attempting to use "the force" around the house. Take a look at it (show Vader Volkswagen Video). With the familiar Star ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 9:20-27

Denomination: Evangelical Free

God's Pruning

Contributed by Jim Miller on Nov 4, 2003

As Max Lucado says, God loves you just the way you are, but too much to leave you that way.

John 15:2; Hebrews 12:4-11. We’ve covered 17 verses I the last 2 weeks, think we’re going a little too fast! So I want to go back and pick up on some things we kind of hurried over. David and I were out examining our lemon tree the other day, lots of lemons, getting yellow, noticed there were ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:4-11, John 15:2

Denomination: Brethren

Woe Unto Them That Are At Ease In Zion

Contributed by Dr.w.samuel Legon on Oct 22, 2010

Too many turn away from God before he is finished giving them what they need to be of full service.

WOE UNTO THEM THAT ARE AT EASE IN ZION Cold dead services are the direct results of a self-satisfied religion that knows nothing about the mighty miracle working power and presence of the Holy Spirit in exalting the Lord Jesus Christ. Amos 6:1Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and ...read more

Scripture: Amos 6:1

Denomination: Baptist

More Than Hatch, Match, And Dispatch Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 13, 2000

The church is for far more than empty ceremony on occasions demanded by tradition; it is the steward of new life, with a rich and full experience that employs the diversity of gifts God has given it.

Last week you seemed to get a big charge out of my little story about going to a wedding rehearsal and wasting time waiting for a key person to arrive. When I said that I didn’t know what we’d do on Sunday afternoon if he didn’t show up, you let out a belly laugh. You assumed I was talking about ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

He Whom You Love Series

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Mar 16, 2009

God would have us learn a lesson, which reaches far beyond the instance at hand, & casts light on many dark places. God’s delays are delays of love.

JOHN 11: 1-10 HE WHOM YOU LOVE We learn from verse 17 of this chapter that Lazarus had been dead four days when Christ reached Bethany. The distance from Bethany to the place Christ probably resided when He received the message was about a day’s journey. If we added to the two days on which He ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Hell Series

Contributed by Brian Menear on Feb 23, 2007

Hell is a place that should be understood better so we can warn others before it’s too late.

Hell—the place of eternal torment USA Today 1998 “Is There A Hell?” 52% Certain there is 27% Might Be “What’s it like?” 48% Real place with suffering and torment 46% not a real place, but anguished state of existence 6% Not Sure Some Christians don’t believe in Hell/The Devil 1 Calling God a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Be Thankful?

Contributed by John Gaston on Nov 25, 2015

The Psalmist tells us of 5 things that he's thankful for and these are things we too should put at the top of our list!

Why Be Thankful? Ps 103:1-13 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR: NOT THANKFUL 1. Grandma was babysitting her four-year-old grandson, Sean, for the first time. At the supper table she asked Sean to “Thank God for our food.” Sean said, “No! I don’t want to!” 2. “Well, at ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-13

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The World In The Church Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 31, 2021

The church to whom the Epistles were written were already far from the ideal. The battle with the world in the church began immediately, and it was just this battle that was the cause for much of the New Testament to be written.

Theodore Reik tells of how an Austrian Jew was trying to find a refuge from Hitler. He went to a travel office to select a place to which he could flea, and with the help of the clerk he began to consider the possibilities. But each country had some difficulty connected with it. In one you needed ...read more

Scripture: James 4:1-2

Mysterious Mercy

Contributed by J Bernard Taylor on Jul 18, 2020

Have you wondered about the mysterious ways of God? Others have too. This sermon talks about it.

An old hymn I love says, “God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform He plants his footsteps on the sea and rides upon the storm.” I thought about that hymn as I looked at our text for today in Genesis 21. There is a mystery about this text, which is not easy to explain. In our ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 8:20

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Work In Progress Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 14, 2001

When the real Jesus is seen, he presents problems -- either he is too difficult for us to accept, or he is offensive to our sloppy ways of doing church, or we are just too tired of churchiness -- but his words of life revive our weariness.

I notice that they’ve revived one of the old-time television shows. We can once again see, “To Tell the Truth”. The idea of “To Tell the Truth” is that three people come out, and they all stand and give a name – the same name. Then someone reads a few sentences about the person who actually has ...read more

Scripture: John 6:60-69

Denomination: Baptist