Sermons on Pivot Point:

An Empty Celebration - Easter

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Apr 13, 2006

Jesus made 3 ’Empty Promises’ which give more ful’fill’ment than anything else to mankind today. Link included to Formatted Text, handout, and PowerPoint Presentation.

An Empty Celebration Philippians 2:5-11 http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/EmptyCelebration.html Opening ill.--Jeremy was not a normal child. He had a terminal illness which affected both his body and his mind. Still, his parents had tried to give him as normal a life as possible and had sent him to a ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11, Philippians 2:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Married, But Not Best Friends, Pt. 2 Series

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Jan 20, 2006

Deals with conversation and communication. Biblical principles to help couples grow their friendship and relationship. Link included to entire series in formatted text, handouts, and PowerPoint Presentation. From ’Desperate Households’ Series.

Married, But Not Best Friends, pt. 2 Song of Solomon 5:16 The symbolism of Song of Solomon has to do w/ our relationship w/ Christ as His bride. Now, marriage is the highest level of relationship created by God…so, friendship ought to reach it’s very zenith in the context of the marriage ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 5:16

Denomination: Baptist

The Greatest Physician

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Feb 1, 2006

A balanced understanding of God’s healing power, and the different ways He has used it in the lives of His children thru the ages. Link included to formatted text, handout, and PowerPoint Template.

The Greatest Physician Psalm 103:3 Does God still heal? Is it always God’s will to heal a Christian? Why do Christians get sick? What about the faith healers? These are not simple questions to answer. This is not a simple subject…it’s complicated. It’s impossible to put into one basket all ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:3

Denomination: Baptist

10 Ways America Is Under Attack - Supreme Court - Commandments - Pledge

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Jun 29, 2005

Our courts are slowly banning the 10 Commandments. Do they know they are breaking the first one, and stomping on our Christian heritage? Link included to Formatted Text version, handout, and PowerPoint Presentation.

10 Ways America Is Under Attack Exodus 20:1-17 America was again attacked this week, and in grander scale than on 9/11. Our brave soldiers in the Middle East are attacked daily, and we need to hold them up in prayer, but this week, it happened again…on our own soil…and this time, it was not by ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

In Remembrance Of Me Series

Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Aug 12, 2004

The focal point of our worship is to partake of "The Lord’s Supper." We partake of this divinely instituted meal lest we forget the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf and the ramifications of that sacrifice.

INTRODUCTION Priscilla Larson, of Lexington, MA, tells of the time her brother in law (a preacher) had been away from home one afternoon donating his blood at the Red Cross. The preacher’s son was concerned when his father didn’t come home at his usual time so he asked his mother, “Is dad going ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:17-30

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"The Guided Missile"

Contributed by Ray Scott on Feb 5, 2004

This is a first-person, expository sermon, told from the point of view of Micaiah, the Prophet of God. Micaiah tells the story of King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat, and the desire (or lack thereof) to know the will of God.

“The Guided Missile” INTRODUCTION: Do you really want to know God’s will? A lot of people DON’T. WHY? BECAUSE … it might NOT be YOUR WILL. THEN … that becomes a problem. We have to choose between: o Doing what we KNOW is the will of God … BUT … what we DON’T REALLY WANT to do. o OR … ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 22:1-40

Denomination: Baptist

Where's The Love

Contributed by David Petticrew on Mar 16, 2004

Uses the Black Eyed Peas’ song Where’s the Love as an outline for looking at the Christian concept of love (points out a few errors in the Black Eyed Peas thinking from a Christian perspective).

Introduction There’s a song currently towards the top end of the music chart which I have listened to over the past month or so, on the radio as I drive back and forwards to Manchester each week and it causes me to think. You see initially the song appears to be quite Christian in its outlook and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-17, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Denomination: Holiness

Help, I've Misplaced My Love!

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Feb 9, 2005

7 Areas of Misplaced Love: Love of SELF, Love of MONEY, Love of PRAISE, Love of the WORLD, Love of PLEASURE, Love of DARKNESS, and Love LOST. Great scriptures for each. PowerPoints at website.

Help, I’ve Misplaced My Love! John 13:1 Powerpoint for this and hundreds more free sermons at our website: http://www.gbcdecatur.org/sermons/MisplacedLove.html Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1

Denomination: Baptist

Fellowship With God - Overcoming The World - (Part 4 Of 5)

Contributed by Dana Visneskie on Mar 30, 2004

To have increased fellowship with God we need to overcome the world in our lives. So how do all of us overcome the world? I give 3 points that will help the Christian in this process.

Title: Increased Fellowship With God - Overcoming The World Text: I John 2:15-17 Pray!!! Read Text!!! Introduction: Addressing a national seminar of Southern Baptist leaders, George Gallup said, "We find there is very little difference in ethical behavior between churchgoers and those who are ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Denomination: Pentecostal

Deleted Scenes From "The Passion Of The Christ"

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Apr 27, 2004

Your people saw the movie...it would be good for them to not the miss the tremendous truths found on the cutting room floor that will help bring it all together for them! Link included to PowerPoint.

Deleted Scenes from “The Passion” Matthew 27:45-54 http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/DeletedScenes.html Read the crucifixion story and you’ll find many incredible aspects which fell to the cutting room floor in film production of The Passion, not the least of which is the explanation of why Jesus did ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 27:45-54

Denomination: Baptist

God Wants You To Be Fat! Series

Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Jul 12, 2003

God loves a FAT Man! One who is FAITHFUL, ACCOUNTABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY. Main Points and Title for this sermon were inspired by a sermon from William Wilmore, Jr. God Loves a Fat Man.

God Wants You To Be FAT! The Parable of the Talents) Matthew 25:14–30 INTRODUCTION • The Players in the Parable: The Master represents Christ while the servants represent us (Christians). • When Jesus ascended into heaven, he was like a man traveling to another country. • He did not leave us ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The New Wine Of The Kingdom

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Nov 12, 2000

The miracle of Jesus changing water into wine at Cana is a sign pointing to the new wine of the Kingdom found only by obedience to Mary’s prophetic words to the servants "do whatever he tells you".

THE NEW WINE OF THE KINGDOM Have you ever wondered how the stories recorded in the Gospels came to be selected out of the many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of the events in the earthly life of Jesus? (John 20:30; 21:35). The evangelist John gives us the reason for their inclusion in Scripture: ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Low Jo Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 15, 2000

Our man Joe even in the midst of being at his lowest point in life grows into the man God desires him to be. Low Joe grows through adversity into a man on the go by God

Low Joe! Thesis: Our man Joe even in the midst of being at his lowest point in life grows into the man God desires him to be. Low Joe grows through adversity into a man on the go by God Introduction: Joseph’s life can teach us a great deal on how to deal with adversity in our lives. Crowder notes ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Is Your Life? Series

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Apr 24, 2001

The sermon gets to the point of what God intended life to really be and specifically what did Jesus mean when He said that He came that we may have life and have it to the fullest.

Personal Questions… This is Your Life? John 10:10 March 11, 2001 Intro: A. An associate pastor tells the story of Mac… Mac was a hard-driving, though businessman in his 70’s. He had been a church member for many years. But one Wednesday night as he heard the associate share his testimony, he ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Optimism

Contributed by Richard Tow on Nov 17, 2003

Using quotes from sailors who survived the sinking of USS Indianapolis this sermon demonstrates how perspecive and point of reference impact our state of happiness. Several reasons for Christian Optimism are discussed.

Christian Optimism II Tim. 1:12 6-23-02 On July 16, 1945 the USS Indianapolis left the San Francisco Bay carrying mysterious box to Tinian, a small island in the west Pacific. Nobody knew that in the box was the Atomic Bomb that the Enola Gay would soon drop on Hiroshima. After making the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 84:11-12, 2 Timothy 1:12

Denomination: Charismatic