Sermons on Proper 8:

Getting Your Joy Back - Psalm 51:8-19 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Jun 19, 2025

How do you get joy back after a major failure?

Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:8-19

The Praise Psalm Of David

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jun 7, 2014

The LORD preserves all who love Him. This is the flip side of our own perseverance.

DAVID’S PSALM OF PRAISE. Psalm 145:8-9; Psalm 145:14-21. Psalm 145:8. Proclamation. “The LORD is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and merciful” (Psalm 145:8). This is similar to the self-revelation of the LORD to Moses (Exodus 34:6). It is an integral part of Israel’s understanding of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 145:14-21, Psalm 145:8-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Feeding Five Thousand And Walking On Water

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 22, 2018

Hunger in the wilderness and wind at sea BOTH can kill: but the Rescuer comes.

A. THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000. John 6:1-15. It was now nearly a year since Jesus had cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem, and Passover was fast approaching (John 6:4). Jesus and His disciples had tried to withdraw from the throng in Galilee, and sought some rest and relaxation in the Golan Heights: ...read more

Scripture: John 6:1-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Great Throng Of Returning Exiles.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Oct 11, 2021

I will lead them.

A GREAT THRONG OF RETURNING EXILES. Jeremiah 31:7-9. This song calls us to gladness for Jacob (Jeremiah 31:7). Jacob is referred to as the chief - or foremost - of the nations (Jeremiah 31:7). This did not square with the present experience of either Ephraim or Judah - scattered and in exile - ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:7-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Model Of Intercessory Prayer.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 4, 2022

The power of the Cross.

A MODEL OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER. Exodus 32:7-14. Even as Moses finished his business with the LORD in the mount, the LORD disowned His covenant people, telling Moses to get down “for your people which you brought up out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves” (Exodus 32:7). The ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:7-14

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unity In Diversity - Complete.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jun 10, 2022

The church is an ongoing mutually upbuilding and up-growing work.

UNITY IN DIVERSITY. Ephesians 4:1-16. 1. Our unity is based in the unity of all three Persons of the Godhead (Ephesians 4:1-6). EPHESIANS 4:1. We are asked to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” How do we do that? EPHESIANS 4:2. “With all lowliness” = humility. Like the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Inclusiveness Of The Church Age

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Apr 20, 2020

ALL who are in Christ Jesus are accepted by God. We have no right to refuse any whom God has received.

THE INCLUSIVENESS OF THE CHURCH AGE. Isaiah 56:1, Isaiah 56:6-8. The idea here seems to be that the community of God’s people should “preserve justice and do righteousness” (Isaiah 56:1). The reason is not far to seek: “for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed”. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 56:1, Isaiah 56:6-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love Overcoming Evil.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jul 29, 2023

Fervent Christian service.

LOVE OVERCOMING EVIL. Romans 12:9-21. I). GENUINE LOVE. Romans 12:9-13. In Greek, the first clause of Romans 12:9 has no verb, so could literally be rendered “love without hypocrisy” or “love unfeigned”. From this, I have taken ‘Genuine Love’ as a title for this section. The second clause ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Letters Of Recommendation

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Dec 27, 2013

Ministers are just postmen, delivering a message of instruction from God... What kind of letters of Christ are we?

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. 2 Corinthians 3:1-6. Amongst the many difficulties which the Apostle Paul faced in relation to the church which he had founded in Corinth was the existence of self-styled super-apostles who were nothing but peddlers, “making gain by corrupting the word of God” (2 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Things Planned Long Ago

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on May 31, 2020

The ultimate triumph of the gospel.

THINGS PLANNED LONG AGO. Isaiah 25:1-9. This passage begins in song (Isaiah 25:1), and ends in song (Isaiah 25:9), with a feast in between (Isaiah 25:6-8). The first song is a solo, “You are my God” (Isaiah 25:1) and begins with praise to the LORD for “the wonderful things” that He has ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 25:1-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Mind For Service

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 19, 2020

Gifts given for the benefit of the Church.

A MIND FOR SERVICE. Romans 12:3-8. Romans 12:3. “For” connects with the immediately preceding two verses, in which it has been made clear that, as an act of gratitude for God's mercy (outlined in the whole of the preceding 11 chapters), we should submit our bodies to Him as a ‘living ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Passion For God's Ancient People. Abridged.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jun 18, 2023

Eight prerogatives of Israel: “The adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came" (Romans 9:4-5).

A PASSION FOR GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE. Romans 9:1-5. From the dizzy heights of Romans 8, the Apostle Paul seems to suddenly hit an unprecedented low in Romans 9:1-5. The crescendo of the previous glorious chapter meets the jarring note of Paul’s passion for his own people - God’s ancient ...read more

Scripture: Romans 9:1-5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Behold The Days Are Coming.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 23, 2022

The restoration of post-exilic Israel, and the new covenant in Christ.

BEHOLD THE DAYS ARE COMING. Jeremiah 31:27-34. “Behold, the Days are Coming.” This is a recurring motif in Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 23:5; Jeremiah 30:3; Jeremiah 31:27; Jeremiah 31:31; Jeremiah 33:14-15). There is a certainty about it because it is a declaration of the LORD. The time of ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:27-34

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Words Which Your Eyes Have Seen.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 20, 2021

A whole life commitment.

THE WORDS WHICH YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN. Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Deuteronomy 4:6-9. The Greek title of this book, ‘Deuteronomy’ is translated as ‘the second giving of the law’. Israel has had a great history with their God, being ‘brought forth out of the furnace of Egypt to be unto HIM a ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Deuteronomy 4:6-9

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Against Hypocrisy

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jul 12, 2019

A court case - with the people of God in the dock.

AGAINST HYPOCRISY. Psalm 50:1-8; Psalm 50:16-23. “A Psalm of Asaph,” reads the superscription. Asaph was a chief musician contemporary with King David (1 Chronicles 16:4-7). Asaph is also referred to as a ‘seer’ (2 Chronicles 29:30). Taken as a whole, the content of this Psalm appears ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 50:1-8, Psalm 50:16-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational