Sermons on Pauls Solemn Plea:

The Great Value Of Loneliness

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Jul 4, 2009

A message about Paul’s calling away from men to shape his soul.

THE GREAT VALUE OF LONELINESS TEXT: Acts 9:1-9; Galatians 1:15-18 Acts 9:1-9 -- And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-9

Denomination: Pentecostal

Be Encouraged! Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jul 5, 2009

Paul’s final theological words to the Romans hold a lot of weight. But in some ways Paul says to ’lighten up!’ when it comes to dealing with people who are different than us in the body of Christ.

We’ve been talking a lot about getting along in a hostile environment. That, to use an old adage, honey attracts more flies than vinegar. To be a compliant citizen of your nation, even when it doesn’t reflect the character of God very well, is a good thing because it allows the spotlight to be on ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-33

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Making Connections Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jul 13, 2009

For some, Paul’s greetings at the end of Romans might seem boring and not relevant. To the contrary, Paul’s connections with other believers offers us a rich tapestry of life and service in the 1st century church.

Paul’s letter to the Romans was not merely a theological treatise on God’s plan to rescue mankind from evil. He wrote it to people he had (mostly) never met, in a city where he had never been. The purpose of his letter was that of introduction. “Hi, I’m Paul, and this is what I believe.” In ...read more

Scripture: Romans 16:1-27

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Extraordinary Passion Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Jul 21, 2009

About the courage and passion of Paul.

My experience two weeks ago… car breaks down… towing… Michael… conversation about his life… filled the day with meaning. Then the next morning… Sandra’s experience… excited me…. But bumped into executive class with champagne hardly felt just…. Is she really God’s favorite? > Faced with issue… ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:12-26

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gripped By Grace Series

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jul 29, 2009

The supernatural work of God in changing Saul’s life tells us of God’s grace and hope for the lost.

In the last few chapters we saw 2 Spirit-filled deacons - Stephen and Philip who became pioneers in bringing the Gospel beyond Jerusalem. • In chapters 9 and 10, Luke tells us of 2 extraordinary conversions – Saul and Cornelius, which eventually set the mission going. Saul’s conversion marks ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-9

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Dealing With Disputes Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Sep 14, 2008

Whether your dispute is with another believer or with a whole church, there are vital lessons to handling conflict contained in Acts 15. Learn how to find God’s will, keep your integrity, and still be a family.

Raise your hand if you have ever had a dispute with another Christian. Hopefully we all raised our hands because if we have never had a dispute then we are not really actively plugged into the body life in Jesus. Disputes occur for a number of reasons, some good, some bad. Often disputes come from ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:1-41

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Hands Open Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 21, 2008

Hands open may be a handshake or a salute, signalling friendship or respect. Just as those gestures affirmed Saul, we also must approach others by leading them to safety and by affirming their potential.

f I come toward you with an open hand, what does that mean? If I approach you from across the room with either one hand or both hands open, how would you interpret that? Well, of course, it would mean different things for different kinds of open hands. There is more than one way to be ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-19

Denomination: Baptist

Back To School Series

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Aug 22, 2007

’Tis the season, and we can see 3 schools God took Saul thru before he graduated as ’Paul.’ The schools of Solitude, Suffering, & Seasoning. Link included to formatted text, audio, and PowerPoint Presentation w/ graphics and animations.

Back to School Acts 9:21-30 http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/BackToSchoolForSaul.html ILL.- Teacher to student, “What are you – animal, vegetable or mineral?” The boy replied, “Vegetable. I’M A HUMAN BEAN.” ILL.- It was the little girl’s first day at school and the teacher was making out her ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:21-30

Denomination: Baptist

Under Arrest Series

Contributed by Byron Harvey on Mar 30, 2009

Paul goes to Jerusalem and is arrested; is he doing the will of God?

“Under Arrest” Acts 21:17-36 July 13, 2008 Could Paul have been wrong? Certainly, as I’ve repeated, he was a man, a man of flesh-and-blood, and he was not above sin! There are two points in today’s passage at which different commentators believe that Paul made an error. There ...read more

Scripture: Acts 21:17-36

Denomination: Evangelical Free

A Question Of Identity Series

Contributed by Byron Harvey on Mar 30, 2009

Identity determines destiny.

“ A Question of Identity” Acts 21:37-22:21 July 20, 2008 Identity determines destiny. Now, hold onto that thought; I fully recognize that some folks will interpret that statement differently than others. Some of us have seen our share of televangelists who jettison the Word of God ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Maturing Is Hard To Do - But It's Worth It!

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Sep 26, 2011

Too often as Christians we take short cuts to maturity. In reality the only way to become complete is to let the Lord take you through difficulty and make you seem to "fail." In the process He builds life and a character in you that will lead you into His

We all have a decision to make. After we become a disciple of Jesus Christ the culture around us, our own brokenness, and an invisible enemy—will all try to mitigate the work that the Holy Spirit is doing inside of us: transforming us into a new character. The decision we have to make is how ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:1-13

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Don't Go Under The House! Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Oct 10, 2011

What do you rely on for how you behave? That might seem like a simple question but who and what influences you can mean the difference between relying on your own abilities or falling on the grace of Jesus. The answer is simple: die!

We start out so well. We come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and we’re filled with excitement and that “first love” feeling. Once the realities of the flesh with dwell with and the world we dwell in begin to sink in—we face a fork in the road of our Christian maturity. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:1-21

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Stand Firm!

Contributed by Daniel Habben on Oct 30, 2011

A first-person narrative based on the Apostle Paul’s final words of encouragement.

If you only had fifteen minutes to live, who would you want to speak to and what would you say? Would you, perhaps, call up your mom and tell her how much you love her for all that she did for you? Or would you sit down with the grandchildren and impress upon them again those things that are ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Denomination: Lutheran

Riding The Fence Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Nov 1, 2011

More times than we would probably like to admit, we slip into legalism. It can happen when God takes too long to answer a prayer, or answers in a way we don't expect. We take over the reigns, and it's a mistake!

To continue Paul’s arguments against legalism he turns again to a story in the Old Testament. This time it is the children that God promised to Abram. The issue is whether you let God fulfill His promise of righteousness in you, or whether you want to take the controls and do it yourself. ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

The War Within Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Nov 7, 2011

Being human we are born with certain default settings that drive us to think in certain ways. When we become a Christian a war starts between a new nature seeking to establish a beachhead and take over and the old regime that wants to stay in control.

The human mind is self-rationalizing. In other words, we will rationalize our thoughts and actions according to ourselves, rather than to some external source. Even when we read something or hear something and alter our behavior, it is because we choose to believe that thing we read or ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-18

Denomination: Calvary Chapel