Sermons on Outward Focus:

Angels Among Us St. Michael And All Angels

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Sep 25, 2024

Angels are popular in our culture. Books and movies abound but focus on angels and people can slip into false worship. Angels are servants of God, messengers of God, protectors of believers.

In Jesus Holy Name September 29, 2024 Text: Luke 1:26-38 St Michael & All Angels Redeemer “Angels Among Us” St. Michael and All Angels In 1993 The Country Western Music group, Alabama, released a song entitled “Angels Among Us.” “I was walking home from school on a ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-13, Revelation 22:9-10

Denomination: Lutheran

Attending Your Own Funeral Conclusion Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 1, 2004

It’s A War! Christians should not take sin lightly, but need to focus on developing their relationship to God as the best way to win the battles. Paul offers several arguments to convince us of this. There are other motivations besides merit and fea

Please note: this is part two; part one is simply called, "Attending Your Own Funeral." In part two, I summarized material I covered in part one and added some new material. Attending Your Own Funeral Conclusion (Romans 6:1-23 concluded) 1. The War in Iraq keeps dragging on. 2. We hear both ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:1-23

Denomination: Independent/Bible

"Breaking Out - Unconventionally"

Contributed by Pastor Gbenga Shadare on May 4, 2010

The sermon seeks to challenge believers to break out of their shells by becoming more Christ-centred and focus on the Kingdom. It is an attempt to try to correct the imbalance in seeking God's kingdom benefits only without wanting to do the right things.

When there is a need for expansion (enlargement, explosion, increment, prosperity, moving to the next level, promotion, advancement, progress, uplifting, success, magnification, addition, augmentation, amplification, elevation and excellence) but constriction is a challenge, then its time to break ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13-14

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Earthen Vessel, Feet Of Clay

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 29, 2009

Ordination of Troy L. Dixon, Nov. 1989: We pursue the trappings of religion instead of what is truly value. As a common clay vessel, be wary of power games, know that your foundation can crumble, focus on the treasure of the Gospel.

Somehow in men’s minds the paraphernalia of religion get to be more important than the faith itself. It is one of the enduring problems of religious life, how it is that we get far more caught up and invested in the trappings of religion than in the faith itself. In your average church, you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5-18

Denomination: Baptist

The Cure For Conflict (Pt. 1) Series

Contributed by David Owens on Aug 23, 2021

James begins chapter four with a question about what causes fights among us. He spends 12 verses discussing the causes and cures for conflict. In this sermon, we will focus on the first 6 verses that address the causes of conflict.

Introduction: A. A boy once asked his dad, “Dad, how do wars begin?” 1. “Well,” said his father, “Take the First World War, it got started when Germany invaded Belgium.” 2. Immediately the boy’s mother interrupted, “Honey, tell the boy the truth. It began because somebody was ...read more

Scripture: James 4:1-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God's Rx For Discouragement

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 1, 2001

Discouragement comes when we focus on the problem rather than God, on the wonders of God rather than the Word of God, on our inadequacies rather than God’s resources.

We find ourselves at an interesting time of history. Perhaps, more than any other time, we find ourselves polarized as a people. During the world wars the country seemed to come together in patriotic unity, but with the absence of war, and the influx of prosperity, we seemed to have lost ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-15

Denomination: Methodist

What Time Is It?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 9, 2001

Funeral message for Mr. Jeremiah Reese, a businessman to whom one of our members had witnessed in his closing weeks, and who requested that his funeral focus on Ecclesiastes 3.

The other night, as all too often happens, I fell asleep in front of the television set, watching who-knows-what and who-knows-why. It’s just one of the more disturbing realities about getting a little older – that if I sit still for more than about twenty minutes, I’ll get sleepy. I’ll try to ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Been There, Done That, Got The T-Shirt

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 9, 2001

This sermon was done while peeling off T-shirts, one by one. The focus is that the presence of the Lord in our lives, as an active participant, drives out cynicism and preserves our joy.

I wish I had bought stock in the T-shirt industry. Of the making of souvenir T-shirts there is no end. People are using T-shirts to send all sorts of messages. Some T-shirts advertise products. Some T-shirts identify the work places. Some focus on the club memberships. And then some T-shirts ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Growth Through Suffering

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 9, 2001

God often teaches us through suffering. Why? Because in good times, we have a tendency to forget God. But adversity helps focus us on what is most important.

You may be familiar with a story that’s been in the news recently [Bobby Knight allegedly choking one of his players]. My purpose this morning is not to take a position on whether or not he should be fired. What interests me is how some of the very people that this man supposedly abused are ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

A Light In The Darkness

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Sep 30, 2002

Peter stressed that we "pay attention" to the words of the prophets. But why? What did Peter think was so important about Scripture that we needed to give it such a focus of our attention?

OPEN: I have a quiz for you this morning. I’m going to give you 10 different quotes and then ask you if the phrase if from the Bible or not 1. "To the victor go the spoils." (False—This was written by William Learned Marcy in his Life of Jackson.) 2. "Can a leopard change his spots?" (True—See ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:16

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Preparing For Patience Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on May 30, 2003

Since patience means “slow to get angry,” we’ll focus on some of those things that cause us to burn with anger so that we can learn the discipline of waiting

Preparing for Patience Rev. Brian Bill July 1, 2001 A truck driver sat down to eat at an all-night restaurant. The waitress had just served him his meal when three guys riding Harley’s showed up and swaggered into the diner. One grabbed the man’s hamburger; another took a fistful of his French ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:11

Denomination: Baptist

Look!

Contributed by Chris Talton on Jun 3, 2003

When we focus on Jesus, it changes how we see every other part of our lives - ourselves, our future, our past, our attitudes and our relationships.

June 1, 2003 Colossians 3:4-11 “Look!” INTRODUCTION Once we get our focus on Jesus and heavenly things – that’s the “Look up” part, it changes our perspective on every part of our lives. It’s time we took a second look at parts of our lives that we thought we had seen accurately ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

Facing Your Giants: Take Goliath Down Series

Contributed by Max Lucado on Nov 1, 2006

These sermons served as the foundation for Max’s newest book, Facing Your Giants. Our Goliath is always stalking us. We need to focus on God, not on our giant problem.

“TAKE GOLIATH DOWN” 2 Samuel 21:15-22 These sermons served as the foundation for Max’s newest book, Facing Your Giants. THEME: Our Goliath is always stalking us. We need to focus on God, not on our giant problem. Introduction: He vies for the bedside position, hoping to be the first voice ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 21:15-22

Denomination: Christian Church

There Is No Other Besides Him

Contributed by Charles Scott on Nov 20, 2006

In this world that offers so many choices, it is difficult to focus on the one ultimate in life, our God, beside whom there is no other; loving God first is our life, our duty.

(Proper 26B) There is no other besides him Devotion to the only One Deuteronomy 6:1-9 Moses said to the people, “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

Denomination: Anglican

Hope For Healing Series

Contributed by Chip Monck on Aug 9, 2005

This is the launch sermon in a five part series on healing and miracles. The series will focus on the spiritual deliverance, physical healing, and relational restoration that God can miraculously do in our lives today.

(The Story of Nick from Joel Olsteen’s, Your Best Life Now, pages 72 & 73) Our thoughts are very powerful things. They can fill us with a spirit of victory, or defeat. A spirit of hope, or helplessness. A spirit of promise, or pain. They can cause us to quote with great confidence, “I can do ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:37-42

Denomination: Wesleyan