Sermons on Pilgrim:

Prayer-Works Series

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Feb 16, 2008

Why ‘work’ instead of ‘activity’ of prayer or ‘picnic’ of prayer? Why does ‘prayer concert’, or ‘prayer vigil’ sound so gray and bland? The answer is obvious. Prayer is hard work! It is rewarding; it is life-changing; but it is hard.

We continue today on our topic, “Learning to serve in a Service-less Age”, more specifically looking at “The refurbished Life”. God refurbishes our lives, in part, through “The Habit of Prayer”. I confess my struggle with this topic. It is complex yet simple. So complex that we will not even begin ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-11

Denomination: Salvation Army

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Mar 2, 2008

The cry of the inner child remains the same. We desperately want someone to love us. Love me for me. Charles Spurgeon (English preacher of the 19th century) said, “God chose me before I was born; for he never would have chosen me afterwards!”

The childish art of love – pulling the petals from a flower and reciting, “(s)he loves me, (s)he loves me not” – left love to chance. Even rigged it because if you start a certain way you end up where you want to – “(s)he love me!” Prance off feeling hopeful that love has a chance! The cry of the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:38-39

Denomination: Salvation Army

Diving In

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Aug 12, 2008

The alternative to inexhaustible purpose is to stay in the RUT of the familiar and common-place...“The only difference between a rut and a grave is one of dimension.” (anon)

LIFE GOALS VIDEO CLIP... Jesus gives us an invitation to go diving! He invites us to plunge into the deep waters of his inexhaustible purpose! I warn you. Diving has its risks. It is not without dangerous possibilities. That’s why many people choose to play it safe. SAFE is familiar and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-27

Denomination: Salvation Army

When The Odds Are Stacked Against You

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Aug 27, 2008

The Gold in life’s marathon is pleasing God. Too often we burden ourselves with a different focus which asks, "What’s in it for me?¨ Sometimes it’s not even about that but focuses on what everyone else expects or how he or she believes I should perfor

“When the odds are stacked against you” Scripture reading/text: Hebrews 12:1-3 VIDEO CLIP - ALIEN Last week Glenys spoke on “Clearing the Hurdles” - Perdita Felician: “I won’t quit until the final hour.” - Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs medalist raised by a single mom (two Olympians in this story) We learned ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Denomination: Salvation Army

Family - Yours To Discover!

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Sep 16, 2008

Families are not always fun. We tend to be quite dysfunctional! But families are God’s design and we need to value it, work at it, and celebrate families!

FAMILY – YOURS TO DISCOVER! Scripture reading: Ephesians 1:3-6 (New Living Translation) - Festival – an event that focuses on a specific aspect of a community - Types – Jazz Fest, Film Fests, Food Rodeo, Strawberry! - This weekend – Family Fest – an event that focuses on the specific aspect of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-6

Denomination: Salvation Army

What Is Your Name

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Oct 2, 2008

Discovering your name sometimes requires experiences of dark nights and aloneness. God must test our behaviour. He pushes us to see things that are not good for us, things that must change. He loves us far to much to leave us to our destructive behaviour

The unknown author of the following story captures the value of a name. “After the American Civil War the managers of the infamous Louisiana Lottery approached Robert E. Lee and asked if he’d let them use his name in their scheme. They promised that if he did he would become rich. Astounded, Lee ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 32:22-32

Denomination: Salvation Army

What Is That In Your Hand?

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Oct 21, 2008

It was only with a shepherd’s staff that Moses parted the waters of a great sea, that he commanded natural disasters and demanded water from a rock. It was in the great lesson of a simple stick that when anything is given to God it wields mighty power!

“What is that in Your Hand?” Exodus 3:16-4:2a It happened several times a week, almost without fail. Whether they lined up against the wall of the gymnasium, the local ice rink or the snow bank for the back-roads hockey, it was always the same. The leaders picked him last. Last for basketball ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army

Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Oct 27, 2008

The biggest enemy we have in the church is not the Bible...It is fumbling, insensitive extremists who wave judgmental fingers and presume themselves to be the conscious of God for the world.

Between a rock and a hard place Meaning: To be forced to make a decision between two undesired options or as an another source puts it, “stuck between two opposing forces” (www.goenglish.com) Origin Gary Martin, author of Meanings and Origins provides us with the US origin of the phrase. He traced ...read more

Scripture: Romans 7:7-25

Denomination: Salvation Army

Friends And Fountains

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Oct 28, 2008

Death, through our eyes, is ‘the end’. Death is not the grand finale called “THE END”. It is the 2nd DVD to the story!

FRIENDS & FOUNTAINS St. John 11 (Selected verses) It is wonderful to have friends. I hope you all have at least one good friend and wish that for you. We can share our hearts with friends and they understand us like no one else can. Jesus had three such friends. He travelled a lot and didn’t own ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25-26

Denomination: Salvation Army

No Regrets

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on May 22, 2009

If we do not have support systems we risk losing strength and stability. Everyone needs support systems. How do you draw strength for the journey? If you don’t have a close spiritual advisor, mentor, friend, you may want to look for one.

I read a great little story this week. “In 1904 William Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from a Chicago high school a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. Traveling through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gave Borden a burden for the world’s hurting people. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7

Denomination: Salvation Army

God In Your Jungle

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jun 11, 2009

Life is a jungle and you’re up to your throat in quicksand...Before we can get on solid ground, we need to face the things that are pulling us under.

Survivor – reality T.V. show. Contestants are dropped in a jungle zone where two teams compete for money and prizes. Teams vote on the performance of other tribe members and through the process eliminates other contestants. It finally comes down to one person who wins the prize and stakes claim to ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 45:1-15

Denomination: Salvation Army

Come Clean

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jun 20, 2009

Do you long to reflect a life that doesn’t feel dirty and make you feel like a tramp? Do you want to approach God every day and offer him your life, pouring it out every day like fresh, pure water for God to enjoy? Our King deserves the best!

Let’s go back in time. Back to the days when a chip was something you ate, not a computer component. The days when spam was luncheon meat. We’re going back to the days you wished you could have the newest gadget. It was the cell phone Construction crews used which weighted 10 pounds and you ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:9-16

Denomination: Salvation Army

Blueprints For Life: Building On The Foundation Of Christ (Father's Day)

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jun 21, 2009

We need to get the family back on track and to do that fathers have to rise up to the challenge to be the men of God they need to be for their families, communities and churches

When I say, “It’s time to build” you automatically have a picture in your mind of what that means. Some people thought of construction and things along the lines of assembling materials and putting up a structure. Others probably thought about strengthening our church. Some may have moved to the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Denomination: Salvation Army

Bridging The Distance

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 13, 2008

What people want is a key to purposeful life. They want answers to where they are. They want to grasp something higher and bigger than themselves. They reach for a deeper connection beyond the boring routine of where they live and what they do.

“Bridging the Distance” Sermon Topic: Being in relationship with God Psalm 84 Airport terminals are entertaining venues to hang out if you cannot afford the movies! The most interesting storylines involve watching people arriving or leaving. The couple huddled – more like a locked embrace – as she ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 84:1-12, Acts 2:42-47

Denomination: Salvation Army

Come And Have Breakfast

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 22, 2008

The invitation to breakfast intends to take us beyond the surface picture of an hour at a fireside having fishcakes and tea.

From time to time, Glenys says something to me that is sweet to hear and extremely powerful. These words arrest me and make me sit and up and listen. Ladies, if you have a man that does not pay attention, you need this sentence because you will get the undivided attention you so desperately desire. ...read more

Scripture: John 21:1-12

Denomination: Salvation Army