Sermons on Pilgrims Progress:

Parting Words Series

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Apr 12, 2009

We commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection annually and claim to personally experience the resurrection of Christ in our own lives. If however there is hostility toward the church and organized religion, something about the resurrection of Christ

• I showed a comic slide to start, which asked the question, "Did anyone hear what the chairman of the board’s parting words were?" The point is how we can walk through an experience, meeting, etc., and totally miss what it was all about. The big question facing us this morning is that very ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:9-20

Denomination: Salvation Army

Overcome

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Apr 26, 2009

Prayer is a tough subject. The problem is our prayers are very superficial for the most part...We don’t often consider if the point of the glimpse into the Garden is to show us that the best human effort from the holiest Man who ever lived even tends towa

"Overcome" Romans 8:26-39 (The Message) Romans 8:37 - No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. _________________________________________________________ “Overcome” – at first glance one might feel this presentation promises to be boring. The word is ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:26-39

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

The Threatened King (Pastor Glenys) Series

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 5, 2009

When ‘bumped’ or jolted or walloped, the content of who we are is laid bare.

Introduction Every story has its bad ‘guy’ it seems. Whether its Cinderella’s evil stepmother, Snow White’s jealous queen or 101 Dalmatians ‘Cruella De Vil’, the evil one plays a part that amplifies the drama. However, as we have discovered, the trend in these classics seem to be a bad ‘gal’! ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: Salvation Army

Stock Market Jitters

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 5, 2009

Stock market jitters of RRSP/s, investments and savings don’t help the significant issues of holding on to jobs, providing for our children and health care. Where does the ripple effect end?

Intro - Perspectives on 2008 – a good year; couldn’t wait for it to end… - Stock market realities – Ben Steverman of Business week: “the panic of 2008”. He reported the stock index lost 22% points in seven days from October 2-9. Last catastrophic crash was 1929. There were at least 9 tag lines to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

Denomination: Salvation Army

Service - Pit Stops Along The Way

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 19, 2009

Giving without heart is nothing more than dutiful response in an effort to relieve us of guilt or convince ourselves we’re good people.

The American Memorial Day weekend automobile race known as the Indianapolis 500 (a.k.a. Indy 500) attracts 400,000 spectators every year! It is probably the largest single sporting event that draws such a large crowd. The race requires many pit-stops – tire changes, fuel, oil, or repairs when ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Perplexed Couple (Pastor Dale) Series

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Nov 30, 2008

Every parent has stories to tell – from drug and alcohol dependency, teen pregnancy, the call from the local police detachment and the runaway that hasn’t called home in five years...It’s tough being a parent regardless how old the child is.

Perplexed: adj. 1. Filled with confusion or bewilderment; puzzled. 2. Full of complications or difficulty; involved. Parenting (in using the words parenting or parents I also refer to caregivers or guardians or anyone having the responsibility of taking care of or having cared for children) is ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-35

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Joy-Filled Shepherds (Pastor Glenys) Series

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Dec 14, 2008

In a ‘slow motion moment’, black and white turns to living color! The boring brilliant! The mundane becomes magnificent!

O – ordinary R – routine D – dull I – inferior N – normal A – average R – repetitive Y – yawn These words, along with a few others of like kind, could be used to describe an evening with the shepherds. Nothing ‘too much’ happened out in the fields while the shepherds kept watch. There may ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-18

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Seeking Magi (Pastor Dale) Series

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Dec 14, 2008

Why are God’s people often not living counter-culturally or don’t seem to clash with culture? Maybe the problem has something to do with being intellectually or scientifically stimulated about Jesus and the mysterious cosmic phenomenon rather than experie

I read a fascinating article last week that invited me to watch a breath-taking phenomenon that only occurs once every 44 years. It is the aligning of Jupiter and Venus with the Moon. Added to this amazing spectacle, viewed best with binoculars because the evening light would make it hard to see ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-11

Denomination: Salvation Army

Junction Or Journey

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 29, 2007

We’re too often guilty of aiming and nothing and hitting it every time. “Visionaries can see life for what it is, can see God for who God is. They are people who can read the “signs of the times”, not the “signs of the future”.” (Leonard Sweet)

“Where there is no vision the people perish” (Hebrew Proverb) “Where there is only vision, people have nervous breakdowns.” (Postmodern Hebrew Proverb as quoted by Leonard Sweet) – having the vision and dreams but not doing (not able to do) anything about them. Larry of the Three Stooges caused ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:1-4

Denomination: Salvation Army

When You Can't Get Up

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Aug 11, 2007

There are too many people who become recluse when we can’t get up. Instead of getting surrounded with people to help us, most of us try to eat the problem away or starve the problem away and stay behind closed doors.

I was chatting with my younger sibling brother this week and I told him what I was preparing my sermon for Sunday. I gave him my subject, “When you can’t get up.” He said, “Sing I’m satisfied with Jesus here and stay in bed.” After we laughed that one out he asked what it was really about. When I ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Quest

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 4, 2008

I heard a slogan six years ago that I have tried to adopt as a personal slogan. NO BIBLE, NO BREAKFAST. It’s amazing what a man will do when he can’t eat!

We’re on the eve of a new year. It’s that time where we think about resolutions. Some of us hesitate to make resolutionssince the most important issues that come up involve things like weight loss programs and breaking bad habits. For me that will last as long as a cake doesn’t come into our home ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:12-21

Denomination: Salvation Army

Uncontainable Presence

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Feb 14, 2012

God wants his grace, truth and glory to spill out. He wants us to be the vessels that spill as we work, play and interact with people every day. It is called WORSHIP.

“Uncontainable Presence” Scripture: John 1:14 Intro If you could snap your fingers and in a moment command whatever you want, what would you command? Abby Small, in Return of Jafar, wished of the Genie Jafar that he would have the gold of a sunken treasure ship. The outcome could have ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Denomination: Salvation Army

Heaven - Why On Earth Does It Matter?

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Feb 15, 2012

Have you ever stopped to ponder that your going to work, helping the neighbour with a ride to the doctor’s office or stopping by your church to be involved in some type of ministry, are the ‘home chores’ of life that have a grander plan?

“Heaven – Why on Earth does it Matter?” Scripture / Text: Revelation 21:3-4 In my preteen years and well into late teens, my parents assigned work chores to my two brothers and me. From a posted house-cleaning checklist on the refrigerator, to loading the shed with firewood or ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:3-4

Denomination: Salvation Army

Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Mar 25, 2009

God’s first and last thought is the welfare of his children! The Provision of the Cross is an act of covenant. It is not a half-job effort to fix things. It is a plan that would never turn back!

At some point or another you may have used this familiar phrase - Blood is thicker than water. The context in which we use it is to describe the meaning that blood-related families are more important than anyone else. R’ Richard Pustelniak, congregational leader for the Jewish community called ...read more

Scripture: John 19:26-27

Denomination: Salvation Army