Sermons on Pagan Ritual:

Religious Play-Acting

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 10, 2025

Jesus frees us from religion’s stage—calling us from performance to presence, from spotlight to sunlight, to live unmasked before the Father.

Religious Play-Acting The Sermon on the Mount opens with blessing and ends with a choice: sand or rock, appearance or obedience. Between those two poles, Matthew 6 sits like a quiet heart—Jesus’ exposition of motive. Here the Lord shifts from what disciples do to why they do it. He moves from ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 18:9-14, Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 23:27, John 4:23  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Five Principles Of Art And Architecture Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 26, 2011

From the iconoclast controversy we can derive the five principles that should inform our church art

Monday of 3rd Week in Lent 28 March 2011 Spirit of the Liturgy The onset of a dreaded disease is one of the most stressful events of any life. Today, cancer is the most dreaded, but in the time of the prophets, when no one knew about viruses and few people lived to an advanced age, it was a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:24-30

Denomination: Catholic

Taking Sin Seriously Within The Church

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Sep 13, 2005

This message deals with the four biggest questions about the lost discipline of church discipline.

Taking Sin Seriously Within The Church - Answering Four Key Questions: 1. What? “The church must discipline serious sin.” - v. 3. - Many have given into the idea that we are to be completely non-judgmental, but “Judge not” is not all Jesus said on the subject. - Matthew 7:1 vs. John 7:24. - ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Loving All The Way Until It Hurts Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 14, 2025

Remember that the letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus Himself was made perfect through suffering. If we, too, want to share in His glory, we must also be prepared to suffer, perhaps a lot. And loving can involve suffering too, can't it?

Fifth Sunday of Easter 2025 Pope St. John Paul II looked at Our Lord Jesus as the fulfillment of what we might call “human potential.” He was and is the man that Adam was created to become. Lamentably, Adam and Eve tried the Satanic shortcut, attempting to become divine by disobeying a direct ...read more

Scripture: Acts 14:21-27, Psalm 145:8-13, Revelation 21:1-5, John 13:31-33, John 13:34-35, Hebrews 2:10  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Eating Blood (Leviticus 17)

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Oct 16, 2024

Was forbidding blood a law long before Sinai? Is it still relevant? Let's look at Leviticus 17.

Why did God require all sacrifices be made at the tent of meeting? Was it partly to discourage pagan offerings? Why did God forbid eating blood? Is it a toxic health risk? Does it still apply? Let’s consider Leviticus 17. Where were the Israelites required to make any sacrifices? And the Lord ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Faith Exceeds Obstacles

Contributed by Carlos Kleber Maia on Apr 27, 2019

I want believers to have humble faith, to seek and accept God's plan for their lives, overcoming obstacles.

FAITH EXCEEDS OBSTACLES Text: Mt 15: 21-28 Purpose: I want believers to have humble faith, to seek and accept God's plan for their lives, overcoming obstacles. Introduction Jesus went to the region of Tire and Sidon (Phenicia, part of Syria). It was a land of Gentiles, pagans, worshipers ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

Denomination: Assembly Of God

A Pig's Tale

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Jun 18, 2022

No one is beyond the power of Christ Jesus to drive out our demons.

A Pig’s Tale – Luke 8: 27 - 39 Intro: This is the longest demon possession story in the New Testament. It is considered to be a “healing” story because Jesus heals the man from his possession by many demons. This is not exactly what we expect to read in a “healing ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:27-39

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

When We Pray In The Name Of Jesus Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 1, 2021

Do we really get everything we ask for in prayer?

Feast of Ss Philip and James 1 Cor 15; John 14 We are confident in the almighty power of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord, because His Blessed Resurrection is the guarantee of that power, and of His saving will for all people. And of His sacred words, too, right? But is there anything in the Gospels ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6-14, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Denomination: Catholic

Christmas Is For Helping The Poor Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 17, 2016

After all, what is important about Christmas?

Thursday of Fourth Week in Advent 2016 Joy of the Gospel The prayer we just heard in the Gospel is one of the most beloved in Catholic history. It is likely that it was part of the public and private prayer of Christians from the very beginning of the Church. We still pray it every day at Vespers. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:46-49

Denomination: Catholic

Divine Presence, Divine Inspiration Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 4, 2012

It is the enduring presence of God in His Church, His sacraments and His Scriptures that gives our life meaning and purpose.

Monday of 5th Week in Course St. Paul Miki & Companions Verbum Domini One of the critical teachings of both the Old and New Testaments is that the presence of God is not like the presence of the pagan gods. The latter came and went with their whims, and their arrival was usually bad news for ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:53-56

Denomination: Catholic

Our Responsibility To Non-Believers Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 16, 2016

We Christians need to find more and more effective ways to communicate the Gospel message.

Thursday in Fourth Week of Easter 2016 Joy of the Gospel St. Paul is best known for his three missionary journeys and his journey to Rome. He was the evangelizer paradigm. Nobody did it better than he. His protocol developed early. He believed that his mission was first to his Jewish brothers ...read more

Scripture: Acts 13:13-25

Denomination: Catholic

Queen Corinth And Her Court Series

Contributed by Donald Mcculley on Mar 19, 2019

? It concerns division in the church with regards to litigation. Jesus said the world will know we are His disciples by love not lawsuits! Here’s yet another problem Paul encounters.

QUEEN CORINTH AND HER COURT I CORINTHIANS 6:1-11 INTRODUCTION: This passage really has nothing to do with a beauty pageant. If it did you would be wondering how such “ugly” got to the throne! Then what’s it all about? It concerns division in the church with regards to litigation. Jesus said ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Sinners At Church

Contributed by John White on Nov 23, 2006

Two sinners attend church, but clearly for two different reasons and the leave church walking in diametrically opposed directions. What happened at church to make this difference?

Sinners At Church Luke 18:9-14 "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Baptist

Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness Series

Contributed by David Dykes on Oct 11, 2006

God’s desire is that we be holy and pure. Soap is good for cleansing the outside of the body, but doesn’t get below the skin into the heart.

INTRODUCTION This message is the first in a series I’m calling “No, that’s NOT in the Bible.” There are dozens of popular sayings floating around that people think are from the Bible and they’re not. There is a great deal of biblical illiteracy in the pews of our churches. Here is a top ten list ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:25-26

Denomination: Baptist

Completion Of The Way

Contributed by J.d. Tutell on Jul 18, 2011

When Paul testifies before Festus and Agrippa he not only shares his testimony he shows the flaw being judgmental and the difference between religion and relationship.

A man was having difficulty communicating with his wife and concluded that she was becoming hard of hearing. So he decided to conduct a test without her knowing about it. One evening he sat in a chair on the far side of the room. Her back was to him and she could not see him. Very quietly he ...read more

Scripture: Acts 26:4-15

Denomination: Baptist