Sermons on Religious Ceremonies:

Are You Religious Or Not?

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 29, 2024

Jesus, in the Gospel, enumerates the evil we must avoid, or repent of if we haven’t avoided it. It’s like a to-do list from a modern person’s daily schedule, isn’t it?

Twenty-Second Sunday in Course 2024 Those who have known me as a preacher for any length of time also know that I am not a big fan of the clerics who put our Lectionary together. They tend to omit verses and paragraphs to shorten the readings at Mass. And that itself is a kind of insult to the ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Deuteronomy 4:6-8, Psalm 15:2-5, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-23  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Religious Play-Acting

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 3, 2025

True worship begins when performance ends; Jesus frees us from religion’s stage to live honestly before the Father who sees in secret.

If you’ve ever stood backstage before the curtain rises, you know that trembling hush—the buzz, the heartbeat, the thought: Will they like it? That’s performance. And you don’t need a theater to feel it. The biggest stage ever built fits in our pockets. Every post, every selfie, every opinion ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14, Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 23:27, John 4:23

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Ins And Outs Of Religious Purity

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jul 8, 2018

Timeless teaching from Jesus as to the true nature and source of sin.

THE INS AND OUTS OF ‘RELIGIOUS’ PURITY. Mark 7:1-23. Every branch of society has its own traditions: some good, some bad, and some inconsequential. It doesn’t matter whether it is the pomp and ceremony of monarchy, or the ritual ‘pardon’ of a turkey at Thanksgiving. Some traditions are ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Encounters: Ezekiel (Religious Experience Vs. Religious Action) Series

Contributed by Wesley Bishop on Jul 24, 2004

This is about Ezekiel’s God encounter. It explores the difference between religious experience and religious action. Religious EXPERIENCE means nothing without ACTION.

Read Ezekiel 1:4-3:15. This is a bizarre vision. Not all God encounters are alike. We see here two things: Religious Experience (ch. 1) and Religious Action (chs. 2 & 3). What is the difference between the two? * Religious Experience is… In chapter 1, we see Ezekiel’s strange religious ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

Religion Weighed And Found Wanting

Contributed by Dotun Jegede on Jun 9, 2020

Man has been called a religious animal. The Encyclopedia of religion and ethics lists hundreds of ways in which men have tried to satisfy their religious longings and feelings.

Man has been called a religious animal. The Encyclopedia of religion and ethics lists hundreds of ways in which men have tried to satisfy their religious longings and feelings. They have worshipped the sun, moon, stars, animals, trees, human: earth, fire, and water: idols of wood, stone, and tree; ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:19-22

Denomination: Pentecostal

Turning Religious Reluctance-1

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Mar 6, 2018

1 of ? Jesus bore witness of His Messianic identity to a religious woman who was reluctant to believe. How/When will God’s people turn the reluctancy of the religious? Turning religious reluctance God’s way requires...

TURNING RELIGIOUS RELUCTANCE—John 4:1-26 Turning the Religious Lost Attention: When I was a young tween-ager(9-12 yrs.) Daddy bought me a ‘Cox’ brand miniature ‘Baja Bug’ Volkswagen. It was about a foot & 1/2 long & was built to scale. It had fat tires mounted on shiny plastic ‘mag’ wheels. It ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Denomination: Baptist

The Tyranny Of Tradition

Contributed by Stephen E. Trail on Oct 4, 2019

Jesus dealt with wrong ideas about tradition

The Tyranny of Tradition - Mark 2-13-28 1. The Problem of religious exclusivity v. 13-17 2. The Problem of religious exercise v. 18-22 3. The Problem of religious enlightenment v. 23-28 ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:13-28

Denomination: Baptist

The Forecast For Religious Unbelief-2

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Jan 30, 2012

2 of 3. The author of Hebrews laid out the unavoidable forecast for religious unbelief(willful sin). Such unbelief warrants an unavoidable forecast(consequences). But What is that forecast? An unavoidable forecast for religious unbelief is...

The FORECAST For RELIGIOUS UNBELIEF-II—Hebrews 10:26-31 The author of Hebrews laid out the unavoidable forecast for willful sin. Religious unbelief(willful sin) warrants unavoidable forecast/merit(consequences). What is the unavoidable forecast/merits(consequences) of Religious unbelief(willful ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:26-31

Denomination: Baptist

American Wedding Ceremony And The Act Of Baptism

Contributed by Maximiliano Zapata on Jun 19, 2001

The American Wedding Ceremony has many elements which correspond to the Act of Baptism and they both unite for life

Last Sunday, we talked about wedding ceremonies. We talked about how they differ from country to country and from culture to culture. We spent a considerable amount of time talking specifically about one type of a wedding ceremony that was practiced during Jesus day, among the Jewish ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:27, Revelation 2:10

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Bigotry About Holy Ceremonies (Sacraments) Series

Contributed by Ian Grant Spong on Jan 2, 2005

Removing the prejudice and misunderstanding between denominations regarding sacraments -- those physical things through which we receive a spiritual grace

BIGOTRY BUSTERS -- THE HOLY THINGS (SACRAMENTS) BY IAN GRANT SPONG Is there graceless bigotry and petty prejudice between Christian churches? Sadly, yes. Our churches sometimes do not teach people to think for themselves. We teach only our narrow theories rather than the multitude of counsel ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:3

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Wedding Vows - Double Ring Ceremony

Contributed by Robert Glass on Sep 2, 2011

A set of Wedding Vows useful for a double ring ceremony

Wedding Vows John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in the bonds of Holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate instituted by ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Page Wedding Vow Renewal Ceremony

Contributed by Jerry Thorpe on Mar 27, 2009

A wedding vow renewal ceremony for Joshua and Cody Page

PAGE WEDDING RENEWAL CEREMONY MINISTER: Friends, we are here this day to share with Cody Page and Joshua Page a most important day in their lives. In places like this beautiful setting, they have learned to know and love each other. Now they have decided to live their lives together as husband ...read more

Scripture: John 2:1-11

Denomination: Church Of God

The Forecast For Religious Unbelief-3

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Feb 29, 2012

3 of 3. The author of Hebrews laid out the unavoidable forecast for religious unbelief(willful sin). Such unbelief warrants an unavoidable forecast(consequences). But What is that forecast? An unavoidable forecast for religious unbelief is...

The FORECAST For RELIGIOUS UNBELIEF-III—Hebrews 10:26-31 Attention: Although he was a qualified meteorologist, Hopkins ran up a terrible record of forecasting for the TV news program. He became something of a local joke when a newspaper began keeping a record of his predictions & showed that ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:26-31

Denomination: Baptist

Breaking Out Of Religious Identity Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Aug 22, 2012

Without realizing it, we can try to contain the eternal God of the universe within the boundaries of our comfort and control.

Breaking Out of Religious Identity Series: BREAKOUT – God on the Move through the Book of Acts Brad Bailey – April 22, 2012 Intro Today we are going to engage a problem that can quietly be at work in every life: the unconscious tendency to become attached to forms of religious ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:8-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Did You Wash Your Hands? Series

Contributed by Thomas Swope on May 2, 2012

A study of the Gospel of Mark 7: 1 – 23

Mark 7: 1 – 23 Did You Wash Your Hands? Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-23

Denomination: Calvary Chapel