Sermons on Present Focus:

The Napkin Is Still Folded - Easter

Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Apr 4, 2006

The significance of the folded napkin in the Jewish culture makes some powerful points in considering the resurrection. Link included to formatted text and PowerPoint Presentation.

THE NAPKIN IS STILL FOLDED JOHN 20:1-7 http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/NapkinFolded.html [Please see link above for more info. on this matter. Concept for this sermon originally preached by Dr. Clyde Box. I receive many questions as to the historicity of the "Napkin Legend"...Dr. Box reportedly ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Real, Old-Fashioned Church Series

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on Mar 7, 2003

Paul says four things need to be present for the building up of the church. The two we generally ignore are the ones where we listen to God directly.

Real, Old-Fashioned Church: Becoming A Festival pt. 5 March 1/2, 2003 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 Intro: We have spent the past four weeks talking about worship, and about our vision for worship depicted by the idea of a festival. I¡¦ve been excited to see the Spirit of God moving in our midst, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

Denomination: Baptist

Be Filled With The Holy Spirit... Submitting To One Another (Ephesians 5:15-24) Series

Contributed by Garrett Tyson on Oct 1, 2025

Focus is on being filled, and on what it means to "submit to one another"-- we all "put ourselves under" one another.

Today's verses build directly off last weeks, so I'm going to go ahead and start reading from 5:3. Hopefully, as I read them, you'll find yourself thinking, "Hey, I understand these verses." (3) Now, sexual immorality and all uncleanness or greediness must not even be ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-24

Should We Celebrate Christmas? Series

Contributed by Michael Stark on Dec 17, 2011

We are responsible to maintain our focus on Him Whom we call "Lord." At no time has this become more critical than during the Christmas Season.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

X. Christian Holiness And Entire Sanctification Series

Contributed by John Stackhouse on Aug 5, 2016

This is an explanation of the tenth article of faith of the Church of the Nazarene. This article is the most central to the Nazarene denomination, since it was the focus that set us apart from other denominations.

This morning, we are going to move to our tenth Article of Faith, which is: X. Christian Holiness and Entire Sanctification Here is the description of this 10th tenet of our faith: We believe that sanctification is the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ. It is ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:19-20

Denomination: Nazarene

Don't Allow Your Past Rob Your Joy Series

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Feb 13, 2007

Philippians is commonly called the "Book of Joy". But Paul presents several thieves that try to rob us of our joy. The third thief: "Your Past."

DON’T ALLOW YOUR PAST TO ROB YOUR JOY A. I Timothy 1:12-16 (READ and COMMENT) ILLUSTRATION: In 1955, the New York Yankees chose 22 year-old John Malangone as the probable REPLACEMENT for VETERAN catcher Yogi Berra. Though he could THROW a BALL from HOME PLATE and HIT the left field FENCE 368 ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:12-14

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Lord, Let Me Imitate Isaac's Trust

Contributed by Charles Wall, Jr. on Jan 6, 2021

I am drawn to the trust & submission of Isaac to his father & the challenge it presents of whether I trust God to that same extent!

Last month was the Academy Awards – which, just so you know – I did not watch nor cared to watch. But each year at this ceremony they give out awards for all sort of things related to movies & movie making. I guess the top or most important or most anticipated awards are the “Best Actor,” ...read more

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Ghostbusters

Contributed by Steve Steve on Mar 8, 2002

I used this at new year to remind us of our ever present comforter, as we began this new year. Some very good material dealing with the Holy Spirit.

Ghostbusters How many of you have seen the movie Ghostbusters? The premise of the movie is that there are these four guys. They are a mixture of a smart person, a witty person, the muscle-person, and the comic-person. If you’ve seen the movie then you cannot forget Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-99

Denomination: Church Of God

Being Renewed (Graduation Sunday) Series

Contributed by Amiri Hooker on Jun 5, 2021

We think home is a place of renewal. We think we can go home and rest. And we can, but only if our focus is right. Home won’t renew us, won’t build us up, unless the focus of our home is on the One who raises us into a new kingdom, a new reality.

Main: If you’re looking for snapshots of well-adjusted and happy parent-child relationships from the ancient world, the Bible probably shouldn’t be on your short list of sources. Consider even Jesus’ family, for example. The New Testament preserves evidence suggesting that Jesus’ relationship with ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:21

Denomination: United Methodist

Shaken, Not Stirred PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Sep 26, 2023

Even in our personal storms, God is present with us, and through humility and being open to being shaken, we can experience profound growth and transformation.

Good morning, family! Today, we’re going to be looking into a passage in the First Book of Kings. In this passage, we see the prophet Elijah experiencing God's presence in a powerful and transformative way. He's not in a comfortable place, but in the midst of a storm - both literally and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:11

Topics: God's Shaking

Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up Series

Contributed by Rick Thiessen on Aug 4, 2005

The Da Vinci Code and the Jesus seminar present radically different visions of who the real Jesus was. What is their evidence and how trustworthy is it?

SE032804 MY OWN PERSONAL JESUS 2. Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up Last week, we said that when people consider WHO Jesus REALLY WAS, there is the New Testament answer to that question, and then there’s every other answer. - the New Testament answer is that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, that ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:1-4

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Celebrate Recovery Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jan 18, 2022

If you’re going to recover and rebuild after a terrible loss, trust God to give you hope for the future, help in the present, and healing for the past.

When the television star of MASH, Alan Alda, was 8 years old, his dog died. As they were burying the dog, Alan’s father tried to stop him from crying. So he said, “Maybe we should have him stuffed.” And that’s exactly what they did. They kept the stuffed dog on the porch, and deliverymen were ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 9:1-17, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 46:1, 2 Corinthians 5:19

Denomination: Evangelical Free

In The Enemies' Court

Contributed by Michael Stark on Jun 15, 2018

The first chapter of Daniel establishes that God is the focus of the Book. God reigns over the nation and over the individual. His sovereignty is central to every event that is recorded.

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 1:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

Looking For A Perfect Christmas

Contributed by Dr. Madana Kumar, Phd on Feb 26, 2018

We cannot try to make Christmas Perfect with our own efforts. There is one thing that is perfect in Christmas. We got to be able to focus on that perfect thing in Christmas.

We are into yet another Christmas Season. And immaterial of the number of times we have done Christmas before, and have failed, we still want to do things right. We want to make all possible efforts to make things as perfect as possible. We buy the perfect clothes, we look for the perfect gifts for ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25, Romans 13:11-14, Isaiah 30:9-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Trouble, Trouble.

Contributed by Howard Strickland on Mar 21, 2022

A large or small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it close to your eye, and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at proper viewing distance...

How To Trouble, Trouble. Job 1:1-3NLT A large or small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it close to your eye, and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at proper viewing distance, and it can be examined and properly classified. Throw it ...read more

Scripture: Job 1:1-3, Isaiah 37:14-20

Denomination: Pentecostal