Sermons on paradoxes:

Loving One Another

Contributed by Andrew Hamilton on Sep 29, 2002

What it means to love one another in the church

10.2.2002amlbc Extreme Love Phil 2:4-9, Mark 12:29-31 Monk Story There is a story told of an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times. It was once a great order, but as a result of waves of anti-monastic persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the rise of secularism in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:29-31, Philippians 2:4-9

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Finishing First

Contributed by Mike Kern on Jun 30, 2002

Striving for first place in God’s kingdom may mean coming in last in this kingdom.

Finishing First Mark 9:33-35; Matt 20:20-28 When the United States of America began the Apollo project to put a man on the moon, our motivations were not entirely scientific… In fact, the so-called space race was driven largely by the ego of the American public. The Soviet Union was the first to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:33-35, Matthew 20:20-28

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Un:fulfilled/Fulfilled Series

Contributed by Stephen Colaw on Dec 18, 2008

Part 4 of Christmas UN:Wrapped When I lay down my life and take up my cross…then, my life is fulfilled!

ME Good News/Bad News… Begin with Good News/Bad News joke about the two old men who loved baseball… “you’re pitching on Tuesday.” Often Good news comes with the bad… Especially if you’re a pastor… Good News/Bad News pastor jokes Good News: You baptized seven people today in the river. Bad ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:21-35

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Throne, The Scroll, And The Lamb Series

Contributed by Sean Harder on Sep 30, 2010

We humans strive to create an extravaganza that blows us away ie. Olympic opening ceremonies. Maybe we’re trying to create our own experience of heaven’s spectacle. But even Hollywood couldn’t recreate what we hear about in these chapters of Revelation, w

Probably the most spectacular sight I have ever seen was in Disney World this past winter, and it was a show called Fantasmic. Fire, music, water, lasers, holograms, lights, dragons, fireworks, battles. You couldn’t take your eyes off it, it was so spectacular. We humans strive to create an ...read more

Witnessing The Wilderness Series

Contributed by Merv Budd on Jul 12, 2011

Life never seems to be easy, there are always times that are harder than others. Today we examine what those “wilderness” times look like

In the summer of 1989 all across London England signs on billboards and bus shelters began to appear like this (This poster can be seen and used as a slide here: http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/exhibits/Posters/04item08.html ) asking the question “Can anyone make sense of ot?” for ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 2:6

Denomination: Baptist

The Trinity

Contributed by Joe Stanley on Jul 28, 2009

This sermon explains why we developed our belief in the trinity.

The Trinity This morning we have two closely related passages that we will start with. Both are found in the Book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is the fifth of the first five Books of Scripture. We call these first five books the Pentateuch, but our Jewish brethren call them the Ha Torah (The Law) or ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Obvious Choice

Contributed by Michael Hollinger on Aug 23, 2009

Text: Year A, 12th Sunday after Pentecost (Josh 24:14-18, John 6:58 – 69) FCF: We must focus on the grateful words of life or else will miss out on the obvious goodness of God. MP: The Gospel is an obvious choice, but there are things that prevent us

The Obvious Choice Text: Year A, 12th Sunday after Pentecost (Josh 24:14-18, John 6:58 – 69) FCF: We must focus on the grateful words of life or else will miss out on the obvious goodness of God. MP: The Gospel is an obvious choice, but there are things that prevent us from making it ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 24:15-18

Denomination: Baptist

God Bless America

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Jun 30, 2001

God has blessed America. Now it’s our turn.

GOD BLESS AMERICA I Tim. 2:1-6 INTRO.- Here is some of America’s craziness. ILL.- Someone wrote these interesting words entitled, “Only in America.” 1- Only in America can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance. 2- Only in America are there handicap parking places in front of a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-6, 1 Timothy 2:1-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God Bless America

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Jun 25, 2003

God has blessed America. Now it’s our turn.

GOD BLESS AMERICA I Tim. 2:1-6 INTRO.- Here is some of America’s craziness. ILL.- Someone wrote these interesting words entitled, "Only in America." 1- Only in America can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance. 2- Only in America are there handicap parking places in front of a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-6, 1 Timothy 2:1

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Forgive God, Others And Yourself

Contributed by James May on Nov 15, 2005

We must be careful not to allow anger to become a root of bitterness that will destroy our soul. Forgiveness for one another is a must.

Forgive God, Others and Yourself By Pastor Jim May If there would be one word that I could use to describe the attitude of many of the people that I meet every day, that word would be “bitter”. Every word that comes from their mouth is bitter. Anything that requires something of them draws out ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:14-15

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Ministry Methods Questioned

Contributed by Rich O' Toole on Oct 19, 2022

Jesus calls Matthew to follow Him and then eats with sinners

Ministry Methods Questioned (part 1) Mark 2:13-18 Good Morning, Dr. Kent Keith said in the paradoxical commandments, “People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:13-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Time To Stop Praying

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Feb 1, 2022

The people of Israel are facing the sea, and the Egyptians are coming in fury to take them hostage again. They are filled with fear and trembling, and want to cry out to God for his power to rescue them? God says do not stop to pray but get moving.

The people of Israel are facing the sea, and the Egyptians are coming in fury to take them hostage again. They are filled with fear and trembling, and what more appropriate time could their be to cry out to God for his power to rescue them? Nevertheless, God does not want them to be crying to him. ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 14:15

The Fruit Of Love

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 8, 2021

Love is the highest virtue man is capable of giving or receiving. You cannot give God or man any higher gift than the gift of love. The highest goal of life is to be like Christ. The only way to approach this goal is to be a person filled with love.

Howard Thurman in Disciplines Of The Spirit, tells of one of the most unusual jobs. A large General Hospital hired a high school girl to be there mice petter. Her sole occupation was to take white mice out of their cages several times a day and pet them. They had learned that when mice are made ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Acceptable Anger Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 27, 2021

Is it possible that we eliminate the vice of anger, but in so doing also eliminate the virtue of it? It is obviously not Christ like to be losing your temper and blasting people, and seeking revenge. But on the other hand, it is also not Christ like to never be angry at the forces of evil.

I had an awful temper as a child. When I was in first or second grade I broke a pool cue over the head of one of my brother's friends, and for years after I was reminded that I caused the scar on his forehead. My older brother came close to getting even worse. In one of our fights he picked ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:1-7

Paul's Self-Defense Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 30, 2021

For Paul conscience is the self-awareness that you are right or wrong in your attitudes and actions. If you are deceiving people and doing what you know is not the will of God, you will feel guilty.

Jonathan Edwards was born in 1703, and he became one of the greatest preachers in history. He lived in a day when pastors went to a church out of seminary and stayed there for the rest of their lives. His father was the pastor of The Congregational Church in the little village of East Windsor, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:12-17