Sermons on Open Hand:

Speak Life / Taming The Tongue

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Sep 7, 2015

Abraham Lincoln said, "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." Beloved, you can speak life or death. Tame the tongue...and speak life.

One of the winter events.... that I often did as a Youth Group leader .....at Saint Andrew ....in Mentor Ohio ....was a snowball toss . You would pick a partner ....and start ....about 3 feet apart. You would throw... or toss the snowball ....to your partner. If they caught the snowball ...read more

Scripture: Romans 10:9-10, James 3:1-12

Denomination: Anglican

(Resurrection) Life Is Full Of Surprises

Contributed by Michael Pahls on May 19, 2001

Peter’s explanation of the events leading to the conversion of Cornelius (a Roman soldier and Gentile) bears witness to the surprising and yet familiar ways of God and points us to the new possibilities for surprise that the Resurrection message opens in in our lives.

Fifth Sunday of Easter - Year C May 13, 2001 Acts 11:1-18 1st CENTURY PALESTINE: A WORLD WITHOUT SURPRISES This passage is all about the surprising works of God but to get the surprise you must have the back story. Hang in there, the payoff in this passage for your life is worth the extended ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:1-18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Call Series

Contributed by Eddie Snipes on Jan 13, 2001

This begins with the historical evidence from the ancient kingdom of Ebla that validates the life of Abraham and then I will look at God’s call. How He used Abram’s humanity, weakness and faith to open the door of God’s purpose.

God’s Call Genesis 11 ends with the genealogy leading up to Abram (later Abraham). Terah took his son Abram and his wife Saria, and grandson Lot and headed toward Canaan. They did not get to Canaan, but dwelled in the city of Haran (which is probably named after Abram’s brother who died after he ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-10, James 2:20-24

Denomination: Baptist

The Divine Wind

Contributed by Larry Elder on Aug 1, 2007

The book of Acts opens with a dramatic presentation of three symbols that would characterize the ministry of the Holy Spirit throughout the age of the church. These three symbols are very prominent all through the book of Acts. Mighty rushing wind Tong

The Divine Wind Acts 8:25-26 Acts 8:25-26… After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News to them, too. As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:25-26

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Christmas - We Must Not Forget!

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Dec 25, 2018

Christmas! More than at any other time of the year we open our hearts, our lives, even our wallets, & give freely & generously of ourselves. No wonder our memories are so precious!

MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK TEXT: Luke 2:8-20 Listen to these words from the Gospel of Luke, chap. 2, beginning with vs. 8. (Luke 28-18, 20) And there were shepherds ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"Paul's Final Thoughts." 1 Cor. Pt 17 Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 26, 2008

Paul was a man who had experienced Grace and he always referred to its power in the opening of his letters and in the closing of his letters because it changed his life. Grace changed a murderer of the church to a martyr of the church.

“Paul’s - Final Thoughts” Opening Illustration: On the lighter side of life Scripture Texts: I Cor. 16:21-24: 21I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. 22If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! 23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24My love to all of you in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:21-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Nailing Down Patience Series

Contributed by Ken Alford on Nov 8, 2001

Patience remembers the ownership of God on the project at hand, and digs deep to please the Lord in whatever is undertaken for Him. If it is His work, it has His results and His guarantee, but it requires our faithful patience to continue when logic, conv

September 17, 2000 -- AM NAILING DOWN PATIENCE (Habakkuk 2: 1-3). INTRODUCTION: (1) In the book of Habakkuk we are looking at seven stakes of stability. We are nailing down the loose ends at Family Baptist Fellowship. Last week we placed the stake of holiness as it related to understanding the ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 2:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

The Fruit Of Patience Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 8, 2021

George Horne says, "Patience strengthens the spirit, sweetens the temper, stifles anger, extinguishes envy, subdues pride, bridles the tongue, restrains the hand, and tramples on temptation." In other words, it is the key to being like Jesus.

A young boy, who had reached the age where having a watch made life worth living, was bugging his parents to get him one. He was told he would have to wait until he was older. But he continued to beg for one until his whole family was sick of it. His father finally laid down the law and told him ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Class: Introduction To Prophetic Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 3, 2022

The prophetic ministry is needed more than ever today in the secular culture we live in – the decline away from Biblical truth, the web of deception and the loss of moral values opens the door for God to speak into the hearts of people.

PP#1: Pursue Kingdom Ministry - Class: Prophetic PP#2: My personal journey in the gift or prophecy and prophetic ministry: What Outreach taught me about the gift – Pentecostal View - speaking words in church services “How it happened” My own encounters with prophets in these days: • The first ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 11:29, 1 Corinthians 14:1, 1 Corinthians 14:31-33, Acts 2:16-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jabbok A Place Of Total Surrender

Contributed by Gregory Mc Donald on Feb 10, 2010

There is a great spiritual lesson in this because God wants us to seek our safety in complete surrender to His power and love. It is when we reach one hand to Him, while we keep holding on to the things of the world with the other, that we are in danger.

JABBOK A PLACE OF TOTAL SURRENDER GENESIS 32:22 30 Last night I was sitting on my porch, on my new porch swing, and I was watching several birds sitting on the wire that carries the electrical power to my house. They were perched there without a care in the world. But I knew that if I would ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 32:22-30

The Absence Of God

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 3, 2010

January 1985: The psalmist experiences the absence of God, even to the point of denigrating himself as a "worm." But when he takes inventory, he does see evidence of God's presence, opens up his heart, and dares to hope.

Today I am going to take a somewhat different approach to the reading of the Scripture and the way I will be preaching on it. And in fact I hope this will make it come alive for you and will enable you to follow the thought of the Scripture writer as well as my own thought. What I plan to do today ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 22:1-24

Denomination: Baptist

The Prayer Of Faith ! Series

Contributed by John Wright on Feb 2, 2010

James teaches that when the sick call for the elders that the elders are to pray "the prayer of faith", which was prayed by elders that had had the apostles to lay their hands upon them and they would be praying with miraculous power, which is not possibl

INTRODUCTION #35 1. Please open your bibles to James 5:15. 2. In a previous lesson, from James 5:14, we discussed three different instructions that James gave to those who were sick and living during the days of miraculous healing of the sick. Those three instructions were first to be applied ...read more

Scripture: James 5:15

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When I Kneel Before The Father

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Feb 3, 2008

What God is saying about prayer and praying in this text. 1- Prayer is a membership-matter 2- Prayer is a power-producer 3- Prayer is an eye-opener 4- Prayer is a filler-upper 5- Prayer is a glory-getter

INTRO.- ILL.- Someone said: A friend of mine took his small son with him to town one day to run some errands. When lunch time arrived, the two of them went to a familiar diner for a sandwich. The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Leaving Religion Entering Kingdom

Contributed by Melvin Maughmer, Jr. on Sep 5, 2021

Jesus always talked about Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom is at Hand, my Kingdom is not of this world. Today when we hear the word kingdom, immediately many different ideas, concepts, and pictures come to mind.

Leaving Religion Entering Kingdom By Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr. OPENING: When you are traveling down the road regardless of where you are going you will pass a sign that says Leaving (Michigan) so and so and Entering (Ohio) so and so. I am leaving one destination and I am entering into ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:18, James 1:27, Matthew 23:5

Denomination: Apostolic

Palms In The Garden [palm Sunday]

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Apr 4, 2006

The only palms that really mattered eternally during passion week were Jesus’ palms. A study of all His hands touched and accomplished, and what they were about to do! Link included to formatted text and PowerPoint Template.

Palms in the Garden Matthew 26:36-56 http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/PalmsInGarden.html See all our Easter sermons, PowerPoints, and much more at: http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/Special.html ----- Just outside Jerusalem was a little garden…the garden of Gethsemane. Jerusalem has always been a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-56

Denomination: Baptist