Sermons on Optimize:

Motivation To Serve God

Contributed by Nate Herbst on Dec 28, 2008

Staying motivated while serving God can be difficult but God has given us keys for maintaining motivation in the Great Commission He’s called us to - these keys will help you stay focussed and energized towards the goal.

Merriam-Webster’s Definition: Motivation is something, as a need or desire, that causes a person to act. Russ Akins – “Motivation is the measure of what it takes to overcome initial inertia and become activated towards some sort of accomplishment.” Introduction: One second before you die, if you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sincerely Yours – Victory Series

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Oct 6, 2009

Sincere love is a possibility for Christians. Evil cannot overcome us in our pursuit of genuine, sincere love.

Sincerely Yours – Victory September 6, 2009 Putting it into practice • Act in a loving way even when the emotion is not there. • Initiate love rather than simply responding to love. Seek not to be loved, but to be love. • Identify the evil in your life and dispose of it knowing that it is the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:12-21

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What In The World Are We Doing?

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Sep 1, 2009

Designed as a short, punchy talk to challenge Christians about mission.

What in the world are we doing? Sometimes I catch the start of the Ray Hadley show on 2GB. He usually begins by summing up the major news of the day. Last Thursday (28 August, 2009) wasn’t a good day. A family tragically killed on the F3 after a large semi-trailer ploughs into the back of the car. ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Love The Commercialism Of Christmas--No Joke!

Contributed by Don Hawks on Dec 9, 2007

I don’t think any of us are really ready to give up the traditions of this holiday season. So why not think about what we love about this time of the year? (Based on an article by Rev. Thomas Shepherd) ________________________________________

How do you like this time of the year? Shopping center parking lots clogged with car headlights like a starry night sky in the country. Mindless, but welcoming music drifting over hordes of harried, hopeful, hesitantly happy holiday hunters. Shop ’til you’re top-heavy, arms full of packages, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10

Denomination: Methodist

Getting To Know Him 2 Series

Contributed by Dan Cormie on Nov 24, 2010

Paul is asking God to give us spiritual eyes to understand the hope we have been called to. What is the hope we have been called to? Is it Sunday morning Church attendance and trying to be good people?

Dakota Community Church November 7, 2010 Getting to Know Him - 2 Ephesians 1:15-23 15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

Denomination: Mennonite

The Roadmap To Peace Series

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 2, 2008

Peace...“The condition that exists when nations or other groups are not fighting.”

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). The Roadmap to Peace George W. Bush and I were in Israel earlier this month … not together. But I did see his airplane ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In The End God Wins

Contributed by Alvan Lewis on Oct 16, 2018

An overview of the Book of Revelation that underlines the fact that God will triumph in the end. If our life in linked to God's then we too shall win.

Some years ago, on a two-hour flight from Winnipeg to Calgary I ended up seated next to a young woman in her late twenties. As we made our way over the seemingly endless grain fields I asked the inevitable question: So, what do you do for a living? I'm a palm reader; a fortuneteller was her ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

Witness: Praises #5 Series

Contributed by Robert Butler on Oct 24, 2019

When you have met the risen Christ you are so grateful you immediately get to work sharing the message .

For those who are new, we began this conversation a number of weeks ago about what gives us meaning in this life and I suggested that the question is actually a mute point for those who call themselves Christian because if we believe that Christ came, died and rose again then we must also live out ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-22

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Failure Of Human Leadership Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Nov 20, 2019

Can human political systems save us? We elect national leaders, and are quickly disappointed. Let’s learn that only God’s government can truly bless humanity. Let’s contrast human governments and Christ’s government in Luke 23:33-43.

Can human political systems save us? We elect national leaders, and are quickly disappointed. Let’s learn that only God’s government can truly bless humanity. Let’s contrast human governments and Christ’s government in Luke 23:33-43. Forgive Them Luke 23:33-34 And when they had come to the place ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:33-43

Denomination: Baptist

John's Baptism

Contributed by William R. Nabaza on Oct 22, 2013

To show GOD's for us and not against us.

I. EXORDIUM: Do you have Heaven on your side? II. AUDIENCE PROFILE: Believers III. OBJECTIVES: To show GOD's for us and not against us. IV. TEXT: Mark 11:30 (The Message) 11:30 About the baptism of John—who authorized it: heaven or humans? Tell me." V. THESIS: GOD is backing us ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:30

Denomination: Pentecostal

Walking In Unity [graces Of Unity]

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on May 9, 2013

Even more than reading our tracts, the world is watching our tracks.

Walking in Unity Ephesians 4:1-3 http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/130512pm.mp3 I want to know how rich you are. Do you know why? Is it for tithing purposes? No. It’s for your sake. I mean true riches. Add up everything you have that money can’t buy and death can’t take away, and that’s how ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

Says The Teacher Everything Is Meaningless

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 13, 2014

A sermon introducing a series on Ecclesiastes (Outline and material adapted from Eugene Peterson's book, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work, chapter 4 The Pastoral Work of Nay-Saying)

HoHum: There’s a guy who's looking for the meaning of life, and he goes to India to finds a guru, and he climbs the mountain, and there on the top in his cave, sitting cross-legged, is the guru, and the man says, "I've come from America to ask you the meaning of life." The guru says, "Ah yes, ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hope For The Hopeless

Contributed by Don Schultz on Feb 25, 2013

You only live 3 times. No such thing as YOLO, since Jesus has risen.

John 20:19-31 HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS - the resurrection 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Denomination: Lutheran

Air Pudding

Contributed by Ron Kelly on Mar 22, 2012

AIR PUDDING NEVER FILLS YOU UP. YOU CAN EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT – BUT YOU’LL NEVER BE SATISFIED. WHY? BECAUSE AIR PUDDING IS JUST AN ILLUSION.

Isaiah 29:8, “It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, and, behold, he eats; but he awakens, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreams, and, behold, he drinks; but he awakens, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 29:8

Denomination: Christian Church

Hope For Even Me Series

Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 4, 2012

Our dependence on God is the source of our hope. Biblical hope is more than desire. It is a focus on the realities of our God.

1. Self-Sufficiency A couple of years ago in the Rocky Mountains a bighorn ram approached the home of a man named Ed Bailey while he was watching football on television. The bighorn stopped suddenly, seeing its reflection in a plate glass window. Thinking it was another ram, the bighorn bowed its ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 146:5, Psalm 146:1-10

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ