Sermons on Raise The Bar:

Avoiding The Ditch

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Mar 2, 2021

We usually tend to think of stories having a good guy and a bad guy. The good guy is always the hero and the bad guy is always the villain. This story adds a third dimension that makes us uncomfortable which is the indifferent category. This sermon is about avoiding the pain of others.

AVOIDING THE DITCH (July 25, 2012) Text: Luke 10:30 -35 Luke 10:30-35  Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.  (31)  Now by chance a priest was going ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:30-35

Denomination: United Methodist

He Was Not The Only One

Contributed by Bala Samson on May 31, 2025

“ He was not the only one..” were the words that screamed out of the Bible this morning while I was reading Joshua chapter 22

He was not the only one….. Joshua 22:20 When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,[a] did not wrath come on the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’” I have split this sermon into the following sub headings so that you'll ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 22:20

Denomination: Pentecostal

Tenacious Love - 1 Peter 4:8 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Jan 26, 2025

No matter how deep your love, it can grow cold. We must make every effort to keep it growing.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:8

Sinner At A Booth Series

Contributed by Chris Kelly on Jul 31, 2010

What would it be like to sit down with Jesus one on one? Matthew does just that.

Sinner at a Booth Series: One on One with the Master February 14, 2010 READ Luke 5:27-39 (NIV) Well, so far we’ve talked about a Nic at Night, a woman at a well and last week a man on a mat…all people who had a one on one encounter with Jesus that changed their lives for eternity! ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-39

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Bless The Children

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Jun 28, 2005

Jesus blessed the children and so must we!

INTRO.- ILL.- A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that if any mischief occurred in their town their sons were probably involved. The boys’ mother heard that a preacher in town had been ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:13-16

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Escape-A-Sin Series

Contributed by Steven Dow on Jun 29, 2005

Number 2 in the series "What’s Holding You Back?" Learn how to Escape-a-Sin: Realize the seriousness of your situation. Evaluate your available options. Take decisive action.

ESCAPE-A-SIN What’s Holding You Back? – Part 2 Romans 6:12-23 July 3, 2005 Introduction: How do you escape from a date that has gone sour? For most of us here today dating is a distant memory, but most of us can probably remember those social experiments that went bad quickly. The kind where ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:12-23

Surprised By Times Of Refreshing Series

Contributed by Robert Warren on Jun 4, 2004

Peter’s sermon ’on the fly’ shows how those of us who are spiritually crippled can be refreshed like the crippled man was healed.

“Surprised by the Time of Refreshing” Acts 3:11:26 Robert Warren Westmoreland Church of Christ June 6th, 2004 1. It takes me a very long time to write a sermon. a. The actual writing can take a number of hours... b. But the time from beginning to end can be a number of days... i. I have to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:11-26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Serving Our Seniors

Contributed by Richard Pfeil on May 23, 2005

Part of an ongoing effort to get people involved in hands on ministry at the local level with this message focusing on elder care. (Note to Sermoncentral-This is part of the series but was a message from an out side speaker. I wanted to give you the whole

May 1, 2005 Serving Our Seniors By Lester Gallihue 1 John 1:9, John 10:1-10, Numbers 6:24-26 I truly appreciate the opportunity to be here. It’s really a wonderful spiritual experience and I can feel the vibes. It really helps me and I am sure it helps you. I want to read a passage which I ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-10

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Suffer The Little Children

Contributed by Tim Richards on Sep 23, 2004

A sermon on child abuse

Introduction: 1. Tara Cook spent the first part of her life being shifted from one house to another. When she was ten Tara went to live with her dad & his girl friend Rose. All went well for a short time and then Rose began to abuse her. After she had lived there for about 15 months Rose informed ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

The Fool And The Wise

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Sep 30, 2004

In this sermon I basically dissect many Proverbs on the difference between what Solomon describes as Wisdom and Foolishness.

October 3, 2004 Proverbs of Wisdom and Foolishness Put yourself in Solomon’s shoes some three thousand years ago. The LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Ki 3:5) This was no Monte Hall’s Let’s Make a Deal - having ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 9:10

Denomination: Lutheran

Is Jesus The Only Way To God?

Contributed by Bruce Ferris on Sep 1, 2005

A prayer request and Internet link to a video clip of the Oprah Winfrey talk show was recently forwarded to the Prayerneed Internet ministry of praise, prayer and encouragement. The sender requested prayer for Oprah Winfrey and the many people she influe

Is Jesus the Only Way to God? A prayer request and Internet link to a video clip of the Oprah Winfrey talk show was recently forwarded to the Prayerneed Internet ministry of praise, prayer and encouragement. The sender requested prayer for Oprah Winfrey and the many people she influences daily ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

The Spiritually Healthy Heart Series

Contributed by Rick Duncan on Sep 7, 2005

The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.

The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. That means that the heart of my problem is the problem of my heart. And the heart of your problem is the problem of your heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked…” Watch over your heart with all ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:4-8

Denomination: Baptist

There's A Reason For God's Answer To Your Question

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Sep 16, 2005

When we ask God "why" He doesn’t always give us a seemingly direct answer or any answer at all. Why does God do that? This text addresses the deep no answers of God.

September 18, 2006 Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:33-36

Denomination: Lutheran

The Beauty Of Grace Verses The Beast Of Sin Series

Contributed by Peter Bines on Sep 22, 2005

After all that’s happened so far – Jonah’s initial disobedience; God’s humbling of Jonah; Jonah’s going to Nineveh at the second time of asking; the Ninevites’ believing the message and being spared – surely you’d expect there to be a happy ending!

JONAH CHAPTER FOUR INTRODUCTION Most of us love happy endings! My girls when they were little loved Disney’s, ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ In the closing scenes the beast lies dying from a wound inflicted during combat with Gaston his enemy. Belle the beauty finally confesses her love for the beast ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Go Mentality #1 Series

Contributed by Brian Harrell on Oct 25, 2005

Instead of the Go mentality, Jonah had a no mentality. This sermon deals with the church’s stubborn resistance to go to those that are different then us. Featured as part of the message is Barna’s report on the state of the church. We must recover the "go

The Jonah Files #1 - The "GO" mentality Let me take you back 2800 years ago to a strip of land in the middle east. This was the Promised Land. This was the land given to God’s people to do God’s work. A very peculiar, once in the Bible kind of incident took place that speaks to us and where we are ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-3

Denomination: Church Of God