Sermons on Popular Culture:

The Pain That Produces Peace: God’s Loving Discipline In The Life Of A Disciple Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Feb 19, 2026

We live in a comfort-driven culture. Everything in the 21st century whispers, “Avoid pain. Escape discomfort. Protect your preferences.” Yet Scripture speaks a very different language. The Bible tells us that pain, in the hands of a loving Father, is not pointless—it is productive.

The Pain That Produces Peace: God’s Loving Discipline in the Life of a Disciple Introduction: When It Hurts Let me begin with a simple, honest truth: following Jesus is glorious—but it is not always easy. We live in a comfort-driven culture. Everything in the 21st century whispers, “Avoid pain. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:11, Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 12:6, Proverbs 3:11-12, James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5, John 15:1-2, Psalm 119:67, Romans 8:1  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

"Show Me The Way”: Learning To Follow God’s Path Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Mar 5, 2026

The world offers thousands of voices telling us which direction to take. Social media, self-help philosophies, political ideologies, and cultural trends all claim to know the way. But Scripture teaches something profoundly different. The way is not found in the world. The way is found in God.

“Show Me the Way”: Learning to Follow God’s Path Introduction: The Cry of a Disciple Brothers and sisters, one of the great questions of the human heart is this: “Which way should I go?” We ask it in moments of crisis. We ask it when facing decisions. We ask it when life becomes ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 143:8, Lamentations 3:22-23, Proverbs 3:5-6, John 14:6, Romans 12:1, Luke 9:23, Romans 3:23, Romans 10:13  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Serving The Lord

Contributed by Michael Koplitz on May 27, 2025

What does Luke 10:17-24 mean? It cannot be taken literally. Understanding the metaphors and culture of Jesus' day explains everything. Going out to spread the Gospel is a major part of discipleship. When one is doing this Christ is with the person through the Holy Spirit

Serving the Lord Luke 10:17-24 Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz Luke 10:17 Now the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!” 18 And He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19 “Behold, I have given you authority to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:17-24

Denomination: United Methodist

Navigating Our Beliefs Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Jul 11, 2023

Navigating Our Beliefs Series: The Deconstruction Zone: Navigating Doubts and Difficulties Brad Bailey - June 25, 2023

Navigating Our Beliefs Series: The Deconstruction Zone: Navigating Doubts and Difficulties Brad Bailey - June 25, 2023 Intro In the late ’90s, Joshua Harris burst on to the Christian scene with a book titled I Kissed Dating Goodbye, a treatise on dating and courtship. The book sold millions and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:52, Matthew 28:16-17, Hebrews 12:1-2

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Can I Believe In God? Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Apr 18, 2018

How Can I Believe in God? Series: How Can I Believe? Brad Bailey – April 15, 2018

How Can I Believe in God? Series: How Can I Believe? Brad Bailey – April 15, 2018 Main point: To help engage some of the reasonable basis for believing in God….while recognizing that it is a relationship between ourselves as finite and God as infinite which cannot reduced merely to our ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Opposing The Opposition

Contributed by Mark Aarssen on Sep 21, 2015

These are hard times for the churches across North America. We have the greatest message the world could ever hope to hear but people shut their ears and hearts to it. So what are we to do?

Opposing the opposition - Jeremiah 11:18-20 This week I was drawn to the book of Jeremiah. God called him to a difficult task at a difficult time. Jeremiah was calling out to the people of God but they wanted none of it. In fact they had enough of Jeremiah and planned to kill him because he ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 11:18-20, 1 Peter 4:16-19

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Search For Success

Contributed by Micah Fries on Feb 18, 2003

As we live our lives in culture that is dramatically opposed to God we must be careful to live lives that honor Him. Our church has unfortunately lost it’s impact as a result of the decline of holiness among its people. This sermon will help us to learn h

“Search for Success” Joshua 14:6-15 I.) Directed by a passion for God (6-8) a. Conviction (7) [in my heart!] “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the Land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Holding Our Ground In The Faith,

Contributed by William Yates on Mar 24, 2004

We in America and in the church are in the midst of a great cultural war. How do we respond when we hear of gay marriages and gay pastors being ordained? We can learn from 1 Chronicles 11 that we need to not retreat, but rather hold the high ground.

Holding Our Ground in the Faith Note: I am a United Methodist pastor who wrote this sermon in response to a recent ruling to allow a gay pastor to retain her ministry in the church. Though this message exhorts United Methodists to take a stand against a few radical elements within our fold, I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 11:12-14

Who Needs Revival?

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Apr 30, 2006

If our church is to grow numerically and spiritually, if our church is to have any impact on the culture around us, if our church is to please God – we must have revival within the church! What does God see as He looks at our church? Who needs revival?

Disclaimer: Source material for this sermon has been gleaned from many different sources. I have attempted to acknowledge these sources whenever possible. Please feel free to use this message as God’s Holy Spirit directs your heart. WHO IS IN NEED OF REVIVAL? Psalms 85:6 Will You not revive us ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 85:6

Denomination: Baptist

Fear No One Bearing Gifts

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 6, 2003

Solomon built the Temple using foreign gifts and foreign artists. Each of us brings to today’s church the limitations of his own culture, and must learn to ask for and trust the gifts others can give. Working together we learn to savor God’s greatness.

The Latin poet Virgil, in his epic poem, The Aeneid, has one of the Trojan warriors murmur, when a giant wooden horse was offered as a gift by the Greek armies outside the city walls, “I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts.” “I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts.” That is a statement of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 2:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

How Will God Find You?

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Sep 18, 2011

Many times we as Christians live our lives in the dark. We think we are reasonably good people trying our best. But our past, our associations, the flesh, and the culture around us, conspire to blind us to many things that are not like the Lord going on i

The church today is in trouble. Two recent surveys show that church attendance, even among professing Christians, is way down. Many people today also feel that while they acknowledge faith in Jesus, also want a Burger King style religion—the “have it your way” mentality of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Saved From Hell

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Aug 6, 2009

Many pastors do not want to preach on HELL fearing they’ll not appear relevant. It’s pressure from the culture to not speak anything negative. Apparently we have begun to deny hell. There’s an assumption that everybody’s going to make it to heaven somehow

Opening illustration: Video of ‘HELL’ from center of the earth. Introduction: Many pastors do shy away from the topic of everlasting damnation. "It’s out of fear they’ll not appear relevant. It’s pressure from the culture to not speak anything negative. I believe we’ve begun to deny hell. There’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Makes A Church Ugly? Ephesus Pt 5 Series

Contributed by Kent Kessler on Oct 14, 2010

The problem with Ephesus is they were doing so much inside the walls they never went out. They were a “come-and-get-it” church and not a “go-and-get-them” church. This church saw their culture as something you stay away from.

“What Makes a Church Ugly?” Ephesus. Revelation 2:1-7 The world tries to get it right, but in all of its wisdom it can never measure up to the truth of God—it is all foolishness. LOVE is not a feeling to be lost—but it can be forsaken. LOVE causes us some great and full ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7

Denomination: Methodist

Series: Recovering Stolen Identity & Reclaiming Misplaced Destiny: Part 5: The Moses Story: "what Are You Doing In The Backside Of The Desert?"

Contributed by Jeremiah Menyongai on Mar 10, 2020

Moses is in a condition of waste - Example of Stolen Identity & Misplaced Destiny. He's gone from highest to lowest; from cultured prince to rustic shepherd. He appeared content, but is depressed. God will find you in the backside of the desert and put you back on destiny.

SERIES: RECOVERING STOLEN IDENTITY & RECLAIMING MISPLACED DESTINY: PART 5: THE MOSES STORY: WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE BACKSIDE OF THE DESERT? 1. Exodus 2:11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:11-25, Exodus 3:1-5

Denomination: Charismatic

Core 52 Week 11 - The Good Shepherd Series

Contributed by Lanny Smith on Mar 19, 2020

How we handle threats? People tend toward two very different responses to a threat. Our current cultural focus is on the threat of COVID-19. Some want to completely downplay it and ignore it and others are running around with their hair on fire. What is the Christian response to this current event?

You can hear the sermon on my podcast https://pastorlanny.buzzsprout.com/ Intro: • How we handle threats - rather like my paternal grandfather contrasted to my mother during thunderstorms. o Growing up in SW Oklahoma - “tornado alley” in the 60’s. No early warning, no radar on phones. Sirens went ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ