Sermons on Optimistic Outlook:

Parables Concerning The Kingdom, Part 2 (Matthew 13:24-58)

Contributed by Donald Whitchard on Apr 18, 2025

The Lord Jesus continues to teach the people through the means of stories, or parables. Each parable presents a description of the coming kingdom and judgment.

Matthew 13 contains a series of parables that are heard by the crowds, but only a few would take the effort to really hear, understand, and apply what the Lord Jesus was teaching. He has presented stories about good and bad soils that represent how people receive and apply the Word of God to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-53, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:20-21

Denomination: Baptist

Doing Those Things That Please God, Part 1 (Matthew 6:1-15)

Contributed by Donald Whitchard on Dec 13, 2024

Our look at the Sermon on the Mount continues as we read about Jesus' teachings on good works, the importance of authentic prayer, and the futility of worry.

Matthew 6 teaches about the life of faith that should characterize a true follower of God. In this chapter, Jesus stresses the importance of proper motives about giving, prayer, and fasting; three common and legitimate ways to practice righteousness which can become easily compromised due to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-34, Luke 6:20-49, Luke 11:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

Doing Those Things That Please God, Part 2 (Matthew 6:18-34)

Contributed by Donald Whitchard on Dec 18, 2024

This is a continuation of the teachings of the Lord Jesus gives in His "Sermon on the Mount" as written in Matthew 5-7.

After the Lord Jesus presented the "model prayer" (vv.9-15) as an aide in helping us talk to God the Father in love, devotion, and faith, He turned His attention to the issue of fasting or abstaining from food or a particular activity for a period of time as an act of worship and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 26:4, Isaiah 26:3, Jeremiah 17:7, Matthew 6:18-34  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Be Happy Part 2 Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 17, 2001

The church of Jesus Christ needs to be filled with therapists who dispense laughter and happiness to all they come in contact with especially at Easter.

Be Happy- part 2 Thesis: The church of Jesus Christ needs to be filled with therapists who dispense laughter and happiness to all they come in contact with especially at Easter. Introduction: Today is Easter! It’s resurrection Sunday! It’s a time to rejoice and Be Happy! Why you ask! Because we ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:4, Philippians 1:1-30

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Free Indeed Series

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Jan 8, 2001

Three kinds of freedom from sin God gives us through the good news.

"Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty we’re free at last." It’s been 37 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the steps of the Washington Monument and uttered those words in his famous "I have a dream" speech. Next Monday we’ll be celebrating Dr. King’s birthday, and the birth ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-11, Romans 8:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Resurrection In The Present Tense Series

Contributed by Michael Hollinger on Nov 10, 2005

Part II in a series of "Dumb Questions" Jesus’ opponents asked in Matt 22. Dumb not becuase of the information, but becuase they revealed the false assumptions about Jesus in the questioner’s minds...

Title: Resurrection in the Present Tense FCF: The power of the Resurrection, revealed b the Scripture, is power for living now. I. Intro: What question would you ask Jesus? a. My name is a question mark (Mi – ca – el) b. Sitting in the Starbucks talking with Jesus c. (May want to address, “why no ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:23-32

Denomination: Baptist

Beware Of Inconsistency Series

Contributed by Manny Salva Cruz on Jan 9, 2017

Inconsistency is a habit we need to break if we want to prosper this New Year.

BEWARE OF INCONSISTENCY INTRODUCTION: We will continue our series on the Book of 1 Samuel. We are now in the second half of chapter 14. We will be focusing our lessons on the inconsistencies displayed by the decisions of King Saul. His inconsistencies as the King brought about harmful consequences ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 14:24-46

Denomination: Nazarene

Marks Of A Healthy Church

Contributed by Gary Davenport on May 14, 2002

If we hope to make a difference in our churches, we need to know what a healthy church looks like. More important, we need to know how sick churches can be made well. bgv

A study of ‘Marks of a Spiritually Healthy Church’ of Christ #1 Marks of a Healthy Church What We Expect and What We Should Know Play a word game with me. What comes to your mind when you read the word church? Do you picture a steepled building, dark wooden pews, crosses, offering plates? Do you ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

He's Alive! Tell Someone!

Contributed by Daniel Habben on Apr 5, 2005

He’s Alive! Tell Someone!1) This news has changed your life 2) This news can change someone else’s life

As temperatures rise so does the urge to get out and enjoy the beauty of spring. Some will head out on backcountry trails in the mountains but they will do so at their own risk, for this is avalanche season. It’s especially at this time of year that we hear reports of skiers and snowmobilers ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:14-32

Denomination: Lutheran

Carpe Diem!

Contributed by Wann Fanwar on Oct 20, 2004

This sermon is a reflection on the enjoyment of life as depicted by Solomon in Ecclesiastes. It tells us that we should learn to recognise the things that inhibit life and to live above life’s inhibitions.

CARPE DIEM Eccl 11 Qoheleth, the Preacher, had made a thorough investigation of life. He had looked at life as seen by those who live without hope in God. He had confronted the pessimism and futility of life. He had experienced the emptiness and meaninglessness of life. Ultimately, questions that ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1-10

Denomination: Adventist

Something Borrowed To Make You New

Contributed by Royce Hendry on Dec 18, 2000

Three fulfilled prophecies, at Christmas, that reassure us we have a God who loves us.

Luke 1:26-33; 2:1-7; 23:53 Something Borrowed to Make You New INTRO: The place was Dallas, TX; the year, 1987; there are at least 500 people standing behind police barricades trying to catch a glimpse of what is happening. Paul Tavilla holds the world record for grape catching. He catches grapes in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-33, Luke 2:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Paul's Philippian Prayer List Series

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Mar 12, 2009

Paul teaches us how to pray

PAUL’S PHILIPPIAN PRAYER LIST Philippians 1:9-12 Prayer is both the easiest and hardest discipline of the Christian life. It is the easiest in that the youngest child and the newest Christian can learn to pray. But prayer is also the hardest discipline because it is the most difficult to maintain ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:9-12

New Year's Resolutions

Contributed by J John on Dec 20, 2007

With the morning of 1st January comes not only a new year but for many of us a hope of a new ME. The trouble is, more years than not, we quickly realise it might be a new year but it’s the same old me.

What a difference we hope one evening will make. The sun sets on 31st December and when it has risen the next morning a new year has begun. All that was of the year past has gone and the New Year is here. New possibilities, new hopes, new ideas and dreams. Making New Year’s resolutions takes the ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:9

Denomination: *other

Abc's Of Faith

Contributed by James Powell on Dec 30, 2006

Basics of Faith

The A – B- C’s, of Faith John Hamby - True faith is confident obedience to God’s word in spite of circumstances or consequences. Faith is described in a two-fold way. It is the “substance of things hoped for,” and “the evidence of things not seen.” Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1

Denomination: Holiness

Mission Impossible ?

Contributed by Bob Soulliere on Feb 3, 2007

We sometimes give up before we even start. We look and say we can’t win or even make a difference. The world is to tuff to overcome. But I wonder is it we can’t or is it we really just don’t have the confidence to take on the task?

Mission Impossible ? Start with Video of Wholehearted We sometimes give up before we even start. We look and say we can’t win or even make a difference. The world is to tuff to overcome. But I wonder is it we can’t or is it we really just don’t have the confidence to take on the task? The ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ