Sermons on Orpah:

My Neighbor

Contributed by Hans Krause on Oct 19, 2018

Have you ever thought of what difference a word of compassion, encouragement, or affirmation can make in someone else's life? This sermon calls us to recognize others' needs and to show our love for them in the appropriate love language.

[Sermon preached on 26 August 2018, 14th Sunday after Pentecost / 3rd year, ELCF Lectionary] Somehow, widows have been on my mind this past week. Last Tuesday, I was contacted by a woman whose husband had just died. She asked me to arrange the funeral. That same day, I read the Bible readings for ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:8-18, Mark 12:41-44

Denomination: Lutheran

Making The Wrong Decisions

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Feb 4, 2015

How can we make decisions that are most glorifying to God and resulting in His blessing of our lives? When you surrender your decision-making process to God; God will guide and direct you in your decision-making process.

Opening illustration: Listen to this description of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in northern Ukraine (summary of the report): "There were two electrical engineers in the control room that night, and the best thing that could be said for what they were doing is they were 'playing around' with ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sermon # 42 - Time To Rise Up Series

Contributed by Andrew Dixon on Jan 17, 2025

Jonah was seated in the wrong place waiting for God to pour out His wrath on the city of Nineveh. There were many others in the Bible who were in the wrong place like Jonah. If we are in such a place, God reminds us to rise up and go, to fulfill His purposes for our lives.

We read in Jonah 4:5, “Jonah went out east of the city and sat down. He made a shelter for himself and sat in its shade, waiting to see what would happen to Nineveh.” (GNB) God sent the prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh with a message. When Jonah preached, the people of Nineveh received the ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:5, Genesis 19:1, Genesis 13:7, Genesis 13:9, Genesis 21:16, Genesis 16:13, Genesis 21:17, Genesis 37:25, Romans 8:28  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Other

The Day The Devil Took Off His Shoe

Contributed by John Gaston on Mar 21, 2025

The story of Naomi's redemption by Boaz the kinsman redeemer from the holder of former priority parallels Jesus' redemption of us from our prior master through sin -- Satan. Satan had to take off his shoe.

THE DAY THE DEVIL TOOK OFF HIS SHOE Ruth 4:7-8 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR 1. A man, down on his luck, went into a church which catered to the "uppity". Spotting the man's dirty clothes the pastor, worried about the churches image, went to the man and asked him if he needed help. The man ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 4:7-8

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Eternal Life Comes From Feeding On The Cross

Contributed by Mike Cleveland on Aug 25, 2008

Jesus made eternal life dependent upon what we eat!

Let’s open our Bibles to John chapter 6. One time there was a rich young man that came to Jesus and asked “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” In other words, “what must I do to live forever?” And I hope you agree that this is the most important question we could ever ask, too. I had ...read more

Scripture: John 6:52-71

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Going Back To Moab

Contributed by James May on Feb 11, 2004

The Book of Ruth gives us a picture of what could happen when a child of God turns back to the world of sin.

GOING BACK TO MOAB During a tour of a large manufacturing plant, a visitor noticed a man using a torch to cut through some sheets of steel. His pattern was carefully marked on the steel plate and he was very carefully following those lines so that his work would not be in vain. There was a ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-18

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Avoiding Dead-End Shortcuts Series

Contributed by David Asch on Nov 21, 2005

In our text today we see a family that took a shortcut, and it led to a dead-end - literally. Looking at their story, we discover how we can keep from taking shortcuts that lead to dead-ends.

AVOIDING DEAD-END SHORTCUTS Ruth 1:1-5 INTRO: Shortcuts that don’t turn out so well: The shortcut to Lake Success Some shortcuts aren’t just inconvenient, they are deadly. Shortcuts that lead to dead-ends: Jim Madsen on Yosemite’s El Capitan in 1968. A veteran and skilled climber, he rappelled ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Good Is Worship? Series

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jul 24, 2014

There's nothing quite like the anticipation of an upcoming college football season - unless of course it's the anticipation you feel as you prepare for worship each Sunday! Oh - it's not quite same. Why not?

“Soul Talk: What Good Is Worship” Ps. 63 There’s just nothing quite like it. Soon college football fans everywhere will be filled with excitement. The college teams will begin practice, which will prompt prognosticators to start their analysis and empower fans to dream that this ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 63:1-11

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

From Plain Jane To Remembering Her Name Series

Contributed by Kelly White on Nov 10, 2010

The Lord uses Plain Janes to do great things. Ruth & Naomi were Plain Janes who left alegacy for others to follow.

From Plain Jane to Remembering her Name Since we are in a study about Plain Jane’s, let me remind you of a few famous Jane’s. • Jane Addams-In 1931 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Organizations: Hull-House, settlement house movement, National Woman Suffrage Association, ...read more

Denomination: Foursquare

Shattered Dreams Series

Contributed by Glenn Durham on Jan 11, 2011

God shatters dreams which leave us short of full joy even if fully satisfied.

Scripture Introduction In literature, a tragedy ends with a negative or sad outcome, a comedy with a happy one. Macbeth is a tragedy; Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy. From a literary view, Ruth is a comedy – the characters pass through difficulty (even heartbreak) to end with joy and hope. The ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-5

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Jesus’ Cross-Driven Concerns-3 Series

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Apr 12, 2017

3 of 6. As Jesus hung on the cross, He voiced particularly important concerns. At the juncture of life & death, matters of greatest significance are prioritized. But What are these as evidenced from the Cross? A Cross-driven Concern of Jesus is Your...

JESUS’ CROSS-Driven CONCERNS-III Lk. 23:33-49; Jn. 19:17-30; Mat. 27:33-54; Mk. 15:21-39 OR--CONCERNS From The CROSS Attention: It’s Missing! Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson go on a camping trip, set up their tent, & fall asleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes his faithful friend. “Watson, look up ...read more

Scripture: John 19:26-27

Denomination: Baptist

The Book Of Ruth (2 Of 4)

Contributed by Dr. Odell Belger on Apr 14, 2022

The first sermon from the Book of Ruth showed us the effects of sin on a family that did not trust God for their DIRECTIONS or PROVISIONS.

Look at verse 1 again, we read, “Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.” Look at the words “Bethlehemjudah” and “Moab.” • Bethlehem ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22

Denomination: Baptist

Hold On, There’s Hope Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 7, 2016

Most couples when they walk down the isle think that it’s going to be Happily ever after because that’s what’s portrayed for us on the screen. But it can be a few days, months or even year, you begin to realize that marriage isn’t all happily evert after

“Hold on, There’s Hope!” 1 Cor. 13:1-7 Our Scripture today is Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth which was experiencing a lot of turmoil and infighting as a new body of Christ. Paul’s answer was simply one word: love. This was a prescription of how the body of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Denomination: Methodist

Moab Series

Contributed by John Lowe on May 13, 2022

Despite a scarcity of archaeological evidence, the existence of the Kingdom of Moab prior to the rise of the Israelite state has been deduced from a colossal statue erected at Luxor by Pharaoh Ramesses II, which lists Moab among a series of nations conquered during a campaign.

Moab Moab is the name of an ancient Levantine kingdom (a person who lives in or comes from the Levant) whose territory is today located in the modern state of Jordan. The land is mountainous and lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

It's Harvest Time

Contributed by Tommy Davis on Aug 6, 2001

This is a sermon that was delivered by Pastor Davis, as guest speaker for Homecoming Services at the Bethel #1 Missionary Baptist Church in Opelika, Alabama.

It’s Harvest Time Text: Ruth 1:19-22 19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:19-22

Denomination: Baptist