Sermons on Pleasing Ministry:

Don't Put The Fire Out

Contributed by Alan Stokes on Mar 2, 2001

It is important for us to have a Christian life that is on fire for God and we must make sure we do not put out our own fire or the fire of Christian ministries outside our own tradition or the fire of the little ones.

Once upon a time I went camping. A few of us stayed up late and talked around the campfire. From time to time one of us would add some wood to the fire so the “fire wouldn’t go out” and the camp site would remain warm, secure, and lighted. If you haven’t noticed the camp fires of the Lord’s ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:38-49, 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Denomination: Holiness

How To Disciple Leaders In A New Church

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Aug 13, 2001

Some Christian researchers have said that at least 30% of new churches that start fail to grow qualitatively or quantitatively due to the ineffectiveness of leadership. Most of Christ’s three years of ministry were given to the training of His disciples.

How To Disciple Leaders in a New Church Learning Objectives 1. The students will explain why it is important to train, disciple, and equip leaders in a new church. 2. The students will write a short paper on how Christ discipled His followers so that the church would grow qualitatively and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:2-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus's Simple Plan For Evangelism And Church Planting Series

Contributed by James Smith on Nov 19, 2001

This is a sermon based on my testimony of how the Lord called me to start a church, and our biblical pattern for ministry & evangelism. Practical points are made on how we are called, how God fullfills that calling, and suggestions for church planting.

Introduction: It’s funny how the Lord has us in the palm of His hand. How he knows what we can do, and plans the future for us. Some times this even involves what seems like catastrophe. We were in the middle of a cell group barbecue at our friends the Grants. The children are playing, the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

0600 Ascension Series

Contributed by Mark Woolsey on Aug 16, 2005

This is in some sense the zenith of His ministry, the high point and culmination of all His work on earth. All that’s recorded in the gospels, His teaching, miracles, suffering, death, and resurrection are simply preparation, a means to an end, that lead

Sermon: Ascension Text: Luke 24:49-53, Acts 1:1-11 Occasion: Sunday after Ascension Who: Mark Woolsey Where: Arbor House When: Sunday, May 23, 2004 Where: TI, morning prayer When: Friday, May 13, 2005 Where: Providence REC When: Sunday, May 15, 2005 May the words of my mouth and the meditation ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:49-53

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Graduation Day Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Jun 11, 2007

There comes a time when you are ready to graduate, fly solo, go out and do a ministry apart from the nurturing Christian environment in which you grew. Joshua gives us some help on prospering and remaining faithful.

We had a very exciting and very emotion filled spring. My daughter Beth, my baby, graduated from college. I remember very well when she was about to start classes four years before. She openly wondered if she could actually do college level work. Well, she did indeed and now has a college diploma ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 22:1-34

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Grumblers Anonymous

Contributed by Ray Pritchard on Jul 3, 2007

I have done a lot of thinking about the problem of how to evaluate your own success in the ministry. We can say that we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. That’s true, but we do it anyway.

Grumblers Anonymous Matthew 20:1-16 (I preached this sermon at the Spring Bible Conference at New Brunswick Bible Institute, April 26-29, 2007. The conference ended with the graduation ceremonies. This message was part of my series on the parables of Jesus.) I want to make a few predictions ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Heads Or Tails

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 8, 2009

The old argument between Paul and James, faith or works, is really two sides of the same coin. Both are needed for a church’s life to be whole. Preached on a Sunday when members were asked to sign up for various ministries.

The funny thing about arguments is that two people can use all the same information and can come out on exactly the opposite ends of the argument. Two different people, just because they are different personalities, can read the same data, hear all the same pros and cons, examine all the same ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

The Busy Church Series

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Dec 12, 2005

How does busyness hurt our ability to witness for Jesus? How does ministry sometimes change our focus from loving the Messiah? Learn how to avoid the trap of busyness from Jesus’ critique of the Ephesian church.

I do some writing professionally. I haven’t had much published - but it’s a craft I care about and work on seriously. One of the best tools a writer has is not spell check - but gut check. By that I mean a critique group. A critique group reads what you’ve written - gives you some things they like ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

The Devil Comes To Church Too

Contributed by Thomas Bell on Feb 3, 2009

A message on the authority of Jesus cleansing unclean spirit in the synagogue which fits a pattern on ministry given by Dr. James MacDonald at a conference I attended in 2008, 5 points of pattern: communication, opposistion, perserverance, friut, glory.

Mark 1: 21-28 The Devil Comes to Church Too We have a whole lot of things going on in these verses. We have the deep desire to keep the Sabbath, the desire to be in synagogue, the desire to teach and preach, we have the desire of those who want to be taught and learn the truth as it is in Jesus ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:21-28

Denomination: Baptist

First Christmas Risk-Takers

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Dec 21, 2011

Risk taking at times needs to be bold and calculated. Other times require spontaneity. Risk taking is taking on something that causes fear and has the possibility of failure. Risk taking is an essential ingredient in ministry in the Kingdom of God. Most B

Opening illustration: Three pastors have been called Monday to report to prison in Shiraz, a city in southwestern Iran, within the next 30 days in what is estimated to be an act of religious persecution. The pastors were essentially being sentenced for having meetings at home, making the government ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:40-42

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thick Skinned And Tender-Hearted

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 21, 2011

This message from my youth ministry days was my attempt to explain the reasons some churches were unfriendly and some individuals were thoughtless with regards to the feelings of others in the church. The text is 1 Peter 3:8-18

Thick Skinned and Tender-hearted TEXT: I Peter 3:8-18 INTRODUCTION: “I was a stranger in the city. The church sign read, ‘Welcome‘, so I went in. I smiled at the Sunday school children as they rushed to their classes. Neither they nor their parents greeted me. After I sat ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:8-18

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Paul Of Arabia Series

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Oct 13, 2011

Our zeal and God's timing are often very different things. God knows when, where and how to make us ready for and get us started in our ministry so that we can experience our full potential.

Somewhat funny series of commercials that ask the same familiar question: ‘Do you wanna get away’. People find themselves in awkward or embarrassing situations and need to exit them as quickly as possible. Saul, soon to be Paul, was in just such a moment in his own life. One of the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 1:16-24

Skirmish With The Status Quo Series

Contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn on Feb 2, 2012

Jesus begins his ministry and immediately clashes with the understanding of the people and the forces of evil. Jesus confronts the status quo of our live seeking to free us from the chains that bind us and to enable us to experience true freedom.

Mark 1:21-28 “Skirmish with the Status Quo” INTRODUCTION The beginning of Mark’s gospel is in stark contrast to those of the other gospel writers. You do not find a boring list of Jesus’ ancestors, as you do in Matthew, nor the heartwarming story of Jesus’ birth ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:21-28

Denomination: Lutheran

Justified Fools For Christ-4 Series

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Jul 28, 2015

4 of 8. Paul admonished the Corinthian Church regarding his apostolic ministry. The church must regard apostles rightly...as those who are fools for Christ! But How/When are these Justified? Fools for Christ are justified thru their...

JUSTIFIED FOOLS For CHRIST-IV—1Corinthians 4:1-21 Attention: On Call— A husband & wife are on the 9th green when suddenly she collapses from a heart attack. "Help me dear," she groans to her husband. The husband calls 911 on his cell phone, talks for a few minutes, picks up his putter, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

Justified Fools For Christ-7 Series

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Sep 29, 2015

7 of 8. Paul admonished the Corinthian Church regarding his apostolic ministry. The church must regard apostles rightly...as those who are fools for Christ! But How/When are these Justified? Fools for Christ are justified thru their...

JUSTIFIED FOOLS For CHRIST-VII—1Corinthians 4:1-21 Attention: In the area of NC where I grew up, there seems to be at least one BBQ(pork) joint in every town(incorporated or not)! These are local ‘Mom & Pop’ businesses. These locals give every ounce of their energy to that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Denomination: Baptist