Sermons on Pastoral Leadership:

Self Control Series

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 2, 2008

The struggle for self-control goes on entirely inside an individual, but the results of self-control, or lack of it, show up entirely on the outside of a person.

“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) It’s probably fitting that “self-control” is the last fruit of the Spirit in our nine week study. It may be the most ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Integrity

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 2, 2008

Integrity is an interesting word. Everybody wants it. A lot of folks claim to have it. And a lot of folks that claim to have it, turns out, don’t really have so much of it as they led us to believe.

Integrity is an interesting word. Everybody wants it. A lot of folks claim to have it. And a lot of folks that claim to have it, turns out, don’t really have so much of it as they led us to believe. All you’ve got to do is watch the evening news. Preachers, politicians, business leaders; all folks ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:52-54

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Money Series

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 2, 2008

“The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.” (Proverbs 10:15 NLT)

Money Ooh boy. We could spend a while on this one. We will, as a matter of fact. We’ll be on this for a few weeks. Money isn’t a comfortable subject for Christians. Privately, we don’t have much of a problem with it at all. Who doesn’t like money? But publicly, we traverse the subject like we’re ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:31-34

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Money Series

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 2, 2008

“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor and believe me, rich is better.” My dad told me that.

“I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor and believe me, rich is better.” My dad told me that. I’ve mentioned it before. He was just kidding around when he said it and he sure wasn’t rich, but the saying stuck with me. Funny how some things stick, isn’t it? Everybody’s got an opinion about money. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:48

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Prophecy Conference

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 2, 2008

This was a prophecy conference. At prophecy conferences people talk about what hasn’t happened yet, but what they believe will happen based on what they think the Bible says about what will happen, held up to the light of what’s happening now.

Elaine and I were out all of last week at an “equipping the saints” conference. It wasn’t really named “equipping the saints,” but you know what I mean. It was a conference for Christians by Christians, with subject matter focused on a particular facet of the faith. This one was about “prophecy.” ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:3

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Money Series

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 2, 2008

A “talent” is a measurement of weight.

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.” (Matthew 25: 14–15) Remember the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Courage Series

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 5, 2008

Fear is a part of life. I don’t believe people who say they’re not afraid of anything. Everybody’s afraid of something.

Fear is a part of life. I don’t believe people who say they’re not afraid of anything. Everybody’s afraid of something. I used to be afraid of eighth graders. They terrified me, bullied me, threatened me and laughed at me. Of course, I was a seventh grader at the time. I’ve gotten over that ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Courage Series

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 5, 2008

What Makes a Hero?

What Makes a Hero? Remember last week? Gideon fought the bad guys, the Midianites, and won. He was a Judge, remember? There was another Judge in old Israel, a few Judges down from Gideon; his name was Samson. In the eyes of most folks Samson was a hero; the kind of stuff Sunday school stories are ...read more

Scripture: Judges 16:30

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Courage Series

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 5, 2008

“We have met the enemy, and he is us” - Pogo

“In those days Israel had no king; every one did as he saw fit.” (Judges 17:6) “We have met the enemy, and he is us” - Pogo We’re going to hang with the Judges for one more week. From last week’s letter you could tell that things were beginning to go astray in Samson’s time, but after he died life ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:13-16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Timing

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 7, 2008

I heard someone say once that the definition of “luck” was “preparation meeting opportunity.”

I heard someone say once that the definition of “luck” was “preparation meeting opportunity.” The point the speaker was making was that those people we consider “lucky,” having fallen into some overnight success, are really people who quietly and diligently prepared for an opportunity they ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 6:24-26

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Road Not Taken

Contributed by Steven Spillman on May 12, 2008

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27) Hate my father and mother? Brothers and sisters? Sounds a bit harsh doesn’t it? Not much of a Mothers Days weekend topic, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:39

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

New Lighting

Contributed by Jason Winters on Dec 8, 2007

Sermon on 3 lights we need in our life

New Lighting Anyone? 3 Sources of light 1. God is light He was light in the beginning - He is light now - and He will be the only light we will need in heaven. As I was studying from Adam Clark commentary. He said: Light is the purest most subtle, most useful and most diffusive (wide ...read more

Scripture: John 1:5-7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Warning Against False Teachers

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Dec 13, 2007

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears what them to hear. They will turn their ways away from the tru

The Warning against False Teachers – 2Peter 2:1-9 INTRODUCTION- If the world ever needed a warning, it needs to be warned against false teachers. Why? Because false teachers lead a person to doom himself quicker than any other single thing. Too many people are to quick to believe a lie. Why? So ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

Bringing Out The Best In People Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jul 2, 2013

We bring out the best in people not with harsh words of criticism, but with words of grace and peace seasoned with salt.

An efficiency expert concluded a lecture with a note of caution: “You don't want to try these techniques at home.” “Why not?” asked someone from the back of the audience. “I watched my wife's routine at breakfast for years,” the expert explained. “She ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:38-50

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Who's The Greatest?

Contributed by George Durham on Dec 25, 2012

Want to be great? Here's the unusual formula from Jesus

The Greatest of the Kingdom Mark 9:30-37 As they walk along, Jesus tells the disciples what to expect in the coming days. He says, "The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, & they will kill him; & when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again" (Mark 9:31). Now, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:37-41

Denomination: United Methodist