Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
New Sermon Series Now Available
Everything you need for your next series
AI Sermon Generator
Generate sermon ideas with a safe, secure tool for solid preaching.
Biblical Sermon Calendar
Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching
Sermon Research Assistant
Free custom sermon in 5-10 minutes!
Topical Sermon Calendar
Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year
I Desire Mercy Not Sacrifice
Experiencing the mercy of God in our lives
Ready & Faithful
Looking to Jesus for help now and hope in the future
Why Suffering?
Help your church understand God's plan in pain
What is religion? So many people when they talk about Christianity call it religion. They say I got religion, or I’m a religious person. Or I don’t want to hear about Jesus because I don’t like religion. Religion is the conscientious following of rules th
I am covering in a summary fashion 3 chapters in the book of Luke this morning so I won’t be reading a lot of Scripture and there is no outline, but I will be referring to several passages. I encourage you to read Luke chapters 19-23 on your own this week to prepare for Easter weekend. I want ...read more
When Religion Loses Relationship Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke) Brad Bailey – February 24, 2019
When Religion Loses Relationship Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke) Brad Bailey – February 24, 2019 Text: Luke 6:1-11 Note: The following is not a transcript. I only read Scripture and main point. The rest serves as a source of prepared thought that I hope to share more ...read more
Scripture: Luke 6:1-11
Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational
This message examines the dangers of just going through the motions of religion without any relationship with the Lord.
Apr-01 Revised Nov-02 DO YOU HAVE RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP? 2 TIMOTHY 4:3-5 Our text paints for us what I believe is a very accurate picture of the times that we live in… It gives us an example of what we are seeing everyday around us… Even though Paul here is specifically speaking to Timothy, a ...read more
Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:3-5
We go about trying to live religious lives, but do we miss connecting with God in the process? Christianity is about relationship, not religion. And Jesus makes such a relationship possible.
Luke 13:10-17 When Religion Blocks Relationship It was a day I will never forget. Our village had gathered at the local Synagogue to hear the word and receive teaching, to pray together, and to worship Yahweh, the one true God. On this day there was an unusual excitement in the crowd because we ...read more
Scripture: Luke 13:10-17
Denomination: Baptist
Message about being an authentic Christian. Do we have religion or relationship?
Title: Moving from Religion to Relationship Theme: To show the importance of a person not just having a religion but a relationship with God Text: John 3:1-19 Introduction I told you we were beginning an 8-week series on Authentic Christianity. We began by talking about the 10 virgins 5 who were ...read more
Scripture: John 3:1-19
Denomination: Church Of God
A quick look at the lessons from Philippians.
Question: What is your Hope Built on? "The depravity of man is the only doctrine we have with thousands of years of evidence." Pastor Matt Chandler Where is your confidence? 1. In Religious Ritual? Vs. 3 "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory ...read more
Scripture: Philippians 3:1-11
Faith is more than going through the motions and appearing holy. True faith seeks God's will and faithfully obeys it.
Isaiah 58:1-12 “Hollow Religion” INTRODUCTION One of the most difficult challenges in any relationship is keeping it fresh and growing. We are tempted to take our relationships for granted, to be distracted by other demands in our lives, and to ignore or neglect these precious ...read more
Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-12
Denomination: Lutheran
We lose God when we emphasize a ritual or object over and above our relationship with God. Don't expect God's blessings without repentance.
During a service at an old synagogue, when a particular prayer was said, half the congregants stood up and half remained sitting. The half that was seated started yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones standing yelled at the ones sitting to stand up. The new rabbi didn't know ...read more
Scripture: 1 Samuel 4:1-11
Denomination: Independent/Bible
In this portion of scripture is a brief sketch of the history of the children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan.
I. Pharaoh Tried to Intimidate Israel Away from the very Thought of God and Religion 1. Exodus 5:1-9 2. He said that Moses’ message of salvation was only “vain words.” Useless, nothing to it. 3. The Devil is using this same method with people today. He tries to frighten away because of what others ...read more
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:1-11
We live in a world of religion and religionists. The world even looks at believers as religionists, but we aren’t.
So far in chapter 15 of the gospel of John we have talked about: • The relationship of Jesus to the people of the world. • The relationship of Jesus to believers. • The relationship of believers to believers. • The relationship of believers to the world. Tonight, we move into chapter 16 and look ...read more
Scripture: John 16:1-6
God wants your religion to be characterized by love, compassion, and holy living.
Relational Religion James 1:19-27 Intro: The word “religion” has really gotten a bad rap in modern history. It is almost a dirty word to some. Maybe you’ve heard some of these phrases before: “Oh, you got religion!” “Don’t shove your religion on ...read more
Scripture: James 1:19-27
Denomination: Assembly Of God
Helping ourselves and others relate to Jesus not as one who started a new religion… nor who can be known merely through religious tradition… but who defies religious confines… and who seeks relationship.
Intro – One of the more interesting dynamics in my own process of having ‘holy conversation’ is when someone asks what I do. When they discover I’m a pastor… I’ve seen all sorts of things go off. Discomfort with their behavior, discomfort with what they then expect from me, or even just ...read more
Scripture: John 4:4-12
IN A SIMILAR FASHION, WE FOCUS ON OUR FEARS RATHER THAN ON OUR FAITH. We worry because we focus on our wants rather than our abundance.
Do you know the best way to swat a fly? According to the scientific journal NATURE the best way is to take a piece of tissue paper in each hand. Approach the fly from the left and right at the same time, keeping the hands equidistant from the fly and moving to and fro slightly. Then with both ...read more
Scripture: Matthew 6:24-34
Denomination: United Methodist
Explore the Lordship of Christ over the Sabbath, the scrutiny of religious leaders, and the importance of obeying God's laws over human standards.
Good morning, dear family of faith. We're going to dive right into the Word today from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 14, verses 1-6. I love how Charles Spurgeon put it: "The Gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended, it just needs to be let out of its cage." So, let's unleash the ...read more
Scripture: Luke 14:1-6
Topics: Religion, Christianity
A contrast between hypocritical religion and honest relationships with God.
Topic: Christian Living Theme: Honest Christian Living Purpose: to be the Holy Spirit’s second witness calling God’s people in my care to develop honest relationships with God. Response: In preparation for Communion, individuals will examine their relationship with God with the questions I provide ...read more
Denomination: Wesleyan
Sermon Central