Sermons on Ray Vander Laan:

"What You Talkin' About, Jesus?"

Contributed by Paul Ray on Aug 10, 2009

Throughout the Gospel of John you will find Jesus using simple, yet clever, analogies about wind, water, bread, wine, doors, shepherds, light, – etc. Each instance was a teaching moment - created by misunderstandings among His audience.

August 2, 2009 “What You Talkin’ About, Jesus?” John 4:7-15 / John 3:1-9 A few years ago there was a situation comedy, Diff’rent Strokes, where two cute young black boys were living, as adopted brothers, in an upperclass white family, and invariably there would come a time in each ...read more

Scripture: John 4:7-15

Denomination: Congregational

Show Love, Don't Grumble

Contributed by Ray Ellis on Sep 7, 2009

Biblical basis for having a ministry of encouragement.

-Show Love, Don’t Grumble- Philippians 4:6-8 Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer.” I Peter 4:8-9, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.” ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:8-14

Denomination: Free Methodist

Evolution - Truth Or Con?

Contributed by Ray Geide on Apr 9, 2012

Is evolution a fact supported by science or is it a con popularized by atheistic scientists?

A popular biologist, Ernst Mayr, wrote, "No educated person any longer questions the validity of evolution, which we now know to be a simple fact." (Scientific American, July 2000). It is an interesting statement which mainstream society accepts, but is it true? The first part of ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

What The Bible Really Says About Divorce

Contributed by Ray Geide on May 11, 2012

Divorce is an unpardonable sin in the church. When a person gets a divorce, he becomes a second-rate Christian in the eyes of the church for the rest of his life. All other sins are forgiven but divorce is not. The stigma of divorce is so great that

Divorce is an unpardonable sin in the church. When a person gets a divorce, he becomes a second-rate Christian in the eyes of the church for the rest of his life. All other sins are forgiven but divorce is not. The stigma of divorce is so great that some have preferred to murder their spouse ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-31

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Jesus Illustrates "Called" And "Chosen"

Contributed by Ray Geide on Feb 12, 2013

What do the words, called and chosen, mean? Jesus illustrated it twice.

Jesus Illustrates "Called" and "Chosen" There are two Bible words that are pivotal to the Calvinist view: "called" and "chosen". Calvinism says that before time began God went through the people who would live on the earth and picked out certain ones to be saved. These are the chosen ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Wolves In The Doctrine Henhouse

Contributed by Ray Geide on Feb 25, 2013

Could it be that wolves have been in the doctrine henhouse of our churches and we haven't realized it? Could it be that even the strongest Bible believers miss the key doctrines? What doctrines should we hold to?

Wolves in the Doctrine Henhouse Could it be that wolves have been in the doctrine henhouse of our churches and we haven't realized it? Could it be that even the strongest Bible believers miss the key doctrines? What doctrines should we hold to? Jude, the brother of Jesus, addressed ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:3-4

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Wake Up. Serve. Repeat.

Contributed by Ray Navarro on Jul 1, 2016

A brief sermon intended for a communion service (about an 8-9 minute talk).

The entire life of Jesus can be summed up in this short slogan: “Wake up. Serve. Repeat.” If Jesus were to have T-shirts printed for all His disciples, like I do for my earliteens for campmeeting [I direct the 13-15 year-old program at our annual 9-day family campmeeting at Camp ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1-4

Denomination: Adventist

When All You See Is Dry Bones

Contributed by Ray Swift on Jul 6, 2016

Sometimes our valleys can represent the absent of life, hope and justice. This message gives the Christian and the church an assurance that God will be with us and the Spirit of God will lead us. This message was shared with a patriotic musical.

FBL July 03, 2016 Sunday AM When All You See Is Dry Bones Ezekiel 37: 1-14 Intro.: The message was to be a bright message of hope, a new beginning for a new nation. Yet as the people began to look around and look to the future, there really seemed to be no hope and no future. The disdain for ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Witnesses Together

Contributed by Ray Mckendry on Apr 15, 2015

Encouragement from the first witnesses to the risen Christ to witness together to those around us.

Preached: Sunday 12th April 2015 Sermon: 'Witnesses Together' Acts 4:32 "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common." Some people, theologians, philosophers and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:32-37

Denomination: Baptist

The Order Of The Virtuous Women

Contributed by Ray Napier on Aug 30, 2013

12 Qualifications of a Virtuous woman..

This message is Dedicated to Sister Lilly Sargeant. In The Bible we find The order of the Melchezidec Priests. There is even a Levitical Priesthood. There is an order of the Nazarene Priests. God did not leave out the Women.. We find in Proverbs 31 the story of a Virtuous Woman. Thoughout History ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31

Denomination: Pentecostal

Joseph's Precarious Path To 'providence'

Contributed by Paul Ray on Jul 22, 2013

please enter a brief summary Is there a once cherished dream that comes to mind? Between the dream dreampt, and the dream realized, life happens. Like Joseph, during the in-between time, we have the choice to be faithful or write the dream off.

September 16, 2012 “Joseph’s Precarious Path to ‘Providence’ ” Genesis 37:1-28; & 50:15-21 Joseph was born to Rachel, the true love - favorite wife of Jacob, but only after many long years of childlessness. Immediately doting Jacob starts showing ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-28, Genesis 50:15-21

Denomination: Congregational

"The Merry-Go-Round Of Time"

Contributed by Paul Ray on Jul 22, 2013

God's timing is sovereign, sufficient, seasonal, and surprising. God turns extreme calamity into extreme possibility in the pendulum swing from Good Friday to Easter morning. Change comes as an unfolding pattern rather than a mindless swing of events.

January 20, 2013 “The Merry-Go-Round of Time” Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. 2 He sets the time for birth and the time for death, the time for planting and the time for pulling up, 3 the time for killing and the time for ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

Denomination: Congregational

"The Kind Of Man That Job Was"

Contributed by Paul Ray on Jul 24, 2013

So called early Wisdom Literature is rather simplistic as to cause and effect. Whereas Job is a vital stride toward being more realistic, & honest, about life's complications. So, now look at the kind of man Job was, his 'friends' were, and his God is.

July 28, 2013 “The Kind of Man That Job Was” Job 1:1-22 The book of Job is an important part of the Wisdom Literature found in the Old Testament. It is important because it provides an often ignored premise - concerning the questions about the suffering of the innocent. In ...read more

Scripture: Job 1:1-22, Job 40:1-5, Job 42:1-6

Denomination: Congregational

I Cherish The Old Rugged Cross

Contributed by Ray Swift on Jul 29, 2017

Based on the hymn "The Old Rugged Cross" by George Bernard. Focuses on the purpose of God, the submission of Jesus and the glory of God's children.

FB, Lafayette July 16, 2017 Sunday Evening I Cherish The Old Rugged Cross Philippians 2:8-11; Galatians 6:14 Intro.: I can only recall his first name as Alister, yet his name is really not all that important tonight but I wish I had a picture of Alister because -- if a picture is worth a thousand ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Denomination: Baptist

Words From The Proverbs About Our Words

Contributed by Ray Swift on Jul 29, 2017

Three different Proverbs are looked at and three practical applications are made about our words.

FB, Lafayette July 16, 2017 Sunday Morning Words from The Proverbs About Our Words The Book of Proverbs Intro.: I read a story this week about the history and therefore the prediction of hurricanes in South Louisiana. Seems that though the actual number of hurricanes making landfall in our state ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 6:12-19, Proverbs 18:20-21, James 1:19

Denomination: Baptist