Sermons on Popular Piety:

Both Faith And Reason Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 21, 2012

Both our faith and our reason must inform our study and preaching of Scripture.

Monday of the 3rd Week of Easter Verbum Domini The breaking in of the Word of God into the closed-in Jewish culture of the first century was heavily resisted by the Jews. In fact, by one estimate, only a small minority of Palestinian Jews turned to Jesus as the Messiah and became members of the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:8-60

Denomination: Catholic

Three Crosses

Contributed by Patrick Nix on Jul 9, 2010

Often romanticized, bejeweled, and loved as beautiful – but symbol of the cross was nothing of the sort when Jesus met it two thousand years ago. It was the most hideous, damnable, obscene instrument of death one could imagine.

Often romanticized, bejeweled, and loved as beautiful – but symbol of the cross was nothing of the sort when Jesus met it two thousand years ago. It was the most hideous, damnable, obscene instrument of death one could imagine. The cross was man’s best attempt at a torturous hell on earth. No ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:32-43

Denomination: Baptist

Holy Praise Brings Victory

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jun 25, 2013

True praise does not need volume nor jumping energy. If it is holy, it is enough.

2 Chron 20:21-22 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. 22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:21-22

Denomination: Baptist

From Darkness To Light

Contributed by David Goering on Aug 12, 2018

A person is converted when he turns from the darkness of sin to Christ who is the light of the world.

SCRIPTURE: Acts 26:18 "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." INTRODUCTION: Repentance and faith are fundamental to ...read more

Scapegoats

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 28, 2019

Jesus turns that human sin on its head by becoming the scapegoat, by taking all sin onto His divine shoulders and letting the Romans and Jewish leaders nail His sacred Body to the cross.

Tuesday of 2nd Week in Easter The great literary critic and philosopher René Noël Théophile Girard, was baptized in France with names that speak of Christmas, his birthday, and the love of God. He gave us the idea that all our desires are borrowed from other people, and that all ...read more

Scripture: John 3:7-15, Acts 4:32-37

Denomination: Catholic

No Purse, No Bag, No Sandals Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 30, 2017

The reformers of every age have pointed to the words of Jesus to His first disciples: “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road,” as a call to poverty.

Thursday of 26th Week in Course 2017 Reformation and Revolution The rebuilding of the Temple of Jerusalem, which the prophet Haggai had commanded, was accompanied by a rebuilding of Jewish identity and worship in the community of returned exiles. We must never forget that God does not act ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-12

Denomination: Catholic

Are We There Yet?

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Oct 28, 2021

How far along on our trip to heaven are we?

Are We There Yet? – Mark 12: 28 - 34 Intro: Anyone who has traveled with children can attest to the fact that after about 15 minutes on the road you will hear the first of many questions. “Are we there yet?” On an especially long trip any parent will agree that ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Master Of Plot-Twists Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 21, 2023

God is a master at plot twists, isn’t He?

Solemnity of the Incarnation 2023 The prophet Isaiah was, in my opinion, a master of irony. Although King Ahaz, who was king over a territory about the size of a Texas county and thus a kind of rump king, had allied his little nation with the huge Assyrian empire, that big gang of thieves was ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 40:7-11, Hebrews 10:4-10, Luke 1:26-38, Isaiah 8:10

Denomination: Catholic

Thirty-Third Sunday In Ordinary Time, C: The Three Huge Apocalyptic Stones Of Jesus Christ

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 15, 2022

“THE STONE IS COMING! “THE STONE IS COMING!”

Wheeler Winston Dixon is the chair of the Film Studies Program at the University of Nebraska. In his book, “Disaster and Memory”, he writes, “People go to disaster movies to prove to themselves that they can go through the worst possible experience but somehow that they’re immortal.” (The Lure ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:5-19, Daniel 2:34-35, Luke 20:17-18, Matthew 28:2, 1 Corinthians 15:14, Luke 12:11  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Pharaoh's Attitude Towards Worship Series

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Feb 3, 2023

Worship is not a routine activity but a spiritual exercise to feed the soul and renew the relationship with one another and with God. Satan blocks the way. He justifies the attitude of indifferent to Worship.

Exodus 5:1, 8:25, 8:28, 10:8-11, 24 Pharaoh's attitude to Worship Pharaoh: This title to the kings of Egypt has come into effect from the 22nd Dynasty. We have references to the Pharaoh during Abraham, Pharaoh during Joseph, and Pharaoh during the Time of Moses and exodus, he was Amenhotep II ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 10:8-11

Denomination: Methodist

Being A Believer By Title And An Unbeliever By Action Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Jan 24, 2025

In this sermon, we'll explore few examples from the Bible that highlight the paradox of being a believer by title and an unbeliever by action.

As Christians, we often find ourselves caught in a paradox. We proclaim our faith in God and claim to be believers, but our actions often tell a different story. This dichotomy is not new, and the Bible is replete with examples of individuals who struggled with this same issue. In this sermon, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27, 2 Timothy 4:10

Hosea--Is He A Loser And Chump? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 24, 2025

He fell in love with a woman who found herself lovers, lots of them. She was frequently unfaithful. Despite her infidelity, Hosea took her back time after time.

Friday of the Third Week in Lent 2025 The prophet Hosea, if he lived in our modern culture, would be called a total loser, an inveterate chump. He was prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel and ministered during the reign of King Jeroboam II in the middle of the eighth century before Our Lord. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34, Psalm 81:6-11, Psalm 81:14, Hosea 14:2-9

Denomination: Catholic

Not Everyone Who Calls Lord, Lord, Will Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Apr 10, 2025

In this sermon, we'll explore few examples of individuals who, despite their claims of devotion, may not necessarily inherit the kingdom.

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus issues a serious warning: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." This passage serves as a sobering reminder that mere profession of faith is not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23, 2 Corinthians 13:5

The Principles & Ideas Of Deism

Contributed by Frederick Meekins on Nov 8, 2021

One of the perplexities of philosophical and religious research is that it can be easy to misconstrue the personalities and movements one is attempting to study through the prism of one's own respective worldview.

One of the perplexities of philosophical and religious research is that it can be easy to misconstrue the personalities and movements one is attempting to study through the prism of one's own respective worldview. This tendency, if one is not careful to adjust for it, can be compounded when ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Scrooges: Man’s Personal Power To Thwart God’s Plan Series

Contributed by Jack Perkins, D.min., Ladc, Csac, Cclc on Nov 25, 2020

The Star and Stars of Christmas is a series of messages for Advent. Using the idea of a play on a stage. Each message will look at different characters in the Christmas story. The introduction takes a critical look at how many in our society are portrayed as celebrities—bigger than life.

It is amazing how understanding a person and a historical event gives a different way of looking at history. I enjoy reality fiction, especially in movies. For example, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” appears to be a fantasy movie. It is reality fiction. The story tells how Charles Dickens ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational