Sermons on Religious Leaders:

Defender Of Religious Liberty Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 15, 2012

St Robert Bellarmine would be an excellent candidate for the patron of the Church in defense of religious liberty, as we face a determined political system who would destroy us.

17 September 2012 St. Robert Bellarmine Verbum Domini Today’s saint is one who is not quoted in Verbum Domini by our Holy Father. Perhaps the reason is that Robert Bellarmine, who lived in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, was a controversial theologian in his time. We might say that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:17-21

Denomination: Catholic

Romantic And Religious Fragrance Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 17, 2021

The sense we want to focus on in greater detail is one that we seldom think of, but it is a primary factor in both romantic and religious love, and that is the sense of smell.

In the tale of the Beauty and the Beast the horrible looking creature with 7 horns in his forehead begs the beautiful young maiden he has carried away to kiss him. She, of course, refuses to kiss such ugliness, and the beast goes away. She saw it no more until one day she found it lying ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 1:3

Romantic And Religious Love Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 17, 2021

The Christian can love on the physical level and the spiritual level. In Scripture the two become one, and are linked as closely as the body and spirit.

Love makes the world go round, says the one time popular song, and there are very few who will deny it. History reveals that one of life's greatest tragedies is to die unloved. During the Civil War, Charles Sumner was assaulted in the Senate chamber, and was seriously ill for months. ...read more

Romantic And Religious Kisses Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 17, 2021

Kissing is a powerful reality in both romance and religion. The greatest kiss of all is God's kiss of peace, which He gives to all who receive His Son as Savior.

The story is told, and it could very well be true, of a Danish couple who decided to break off their engagement. "It is best I suppose that we give back each others letters," he said. She agreed, and replied, "We should at the same time return each others kisses." By the time ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 1:2

Romantic And Religious Roses Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 17, 2021

It is no wonder that our Lord is identified with flowers. He is called the Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the Valley.

Ernest Hemmingway wrote about the experience of Mungo Park, who, on one of his travel adventures, got lost in the vast wilderness of an African desert. He was all alone, and so dead tired he could not go on. His legs were numbed, and he gave up, and laid down to die. He opened his eyes, and right ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 2:1

What Is A Religious Sinner? Series

Contributed by Chris Swanson on Nov 13, 2022

Here, the Gentiles are the individuals who sin, are separated from the law, while the Jews are the people who sin while under the law.

Romans 2:17-29 depicts two groups of individuals, with an accentuation on the way in which their transgression connects with their insight into God's composed Law for the country of Israel. Here, the Gentiles are the individuals who sin, are separated from the law, while the Jews are the people ...read more

Scripture: Romans 2:17-29

Denomination: Independent/Bible

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 10, 2025

Jesus frees us from religion’s stage—calling us from performance to presence, from spotlight to sunlight, to live unmasked before the Father.

Religious Play-Acting The Sermon on the Mount opens with blessing and ends with a choice: sand or rock, appearance or obedience. Between those two poles, Matthew 6 sits like a quiet heart—Jesus’ exposition of motive. Here the Lord shifts from what disciples do to why they do it. He moves from ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 18:9-14, Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 23:27, John 4:23  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Revival Must Start At Home

Contributed by Michael Stark on Mar 8, 2019

We long for revival, but revival seems to be delayed. Contemporary Christians must "break up the fallow ground" if we will ever experience revival.

“From the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, O Israel; there they have continued. Shall not the war against the unjust overtake them in Gibeah? When I please, I will discipline them, and nations shall be gathered against them when they are bound up for their double iniquity. “Ephraim was a ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 10:9-15

Denomination: Baptist

One True Leader Over Life Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Jun 10, 2009

What lies within us is more of an ambivalence towards leadership… we actually long for that which can organize life… that which can set forth what is right… and HEROES who reveal something of a better way.

One True Leader Over Life Series: The Liberated Life (Colossians) Brad Bailey – May 3, 2009 (NOTE: The following includes some sections in which a name precedes a section of thought. These were drawn from others and I have included their names to give credit. They were not quoted but rather ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Escaping The Trap Series

Contributed by David Asch on Feb 16, 2005

How do we escape the traps of life, religion, etc? How do we get out, how do we keep out? In this message we discover the keys as we see some religious leaders try to trap Jesus.

ESCAPING THE TRAP Mark 12:13-27 INTRO: Pitch the hamster – feeling trapped. A hum-drum existence, punctuated by brief moments of excitement. Eat the food. Run on the wheel. Over and over again. Not able to be all a hamster could be. You could tell it was getting to her – more urgent climbing and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:13-27

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You My Mother? Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jul 31, 2009

This message shows the lonely how to find true family in their relationship with Christ. Jesus’ own family thought He was crazy. The religious leaders thought he was the devil. But His own followers, members of His true family obey Him as Lord.

Are You My Mother? (Mark 3:20-35) Helene Talbert, of Wahpeton, North Dakota, remembers that after completing her first semester at a Christian college, she had a lot to tell her family. Just before going home, they had had an open house in her dorm. It’s one of the few times men were allowed in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:20-35

Denomination: Evangelical Free

The Test Of Whether God Is Your Father Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 5, 2021

The religious leaders were proud of their heritage as children of Abraham, but that kept them from receiving what Jesus was offering. This message looks at the test of whether God or Satan is our father as well as four danger signs that we are heading in the wrong direction.

THE TEST OF WHETHER GOD IS YOUR FATHER: The answer is found in what you do with Jesus. - John 8:42. - John 8:39b, 44. - Many focus on a generic God. - The teaching of the Kingdom is not a generic morality. - We each need to make a decision for or against Jesus. DANGER SIGNS: 1. Counting on ...read more

Scripture: John 8:37-47

Denomination: Baptist

In The Name Of Jesus

Contributed by Vicki Williamson on May 24, 2021

Today’s text is a real life drama. It is after Jesus had been crucified, raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. The players in this high drama are the disciples of Jesus, a lame man, the people in the temple, the priests, the religious leaders and of course God.

When we come to the scriptures it is important that we open up our hearts and minds to hear from God. As it is His truth and His love story to us. Therefore let us surrender to Him all our emotions and thoughts. Father by your Spirit as we come to today’s text give us fresh eyes to receive a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:1-11, Acts 4:12, Acts 4:1-4, Acts 4:9-14

Trial 0f Jesus - Caiaphus Series

Contributed by Jenny Franklin on Apr 13, 2022

As we look at the trial of Jesus, we will see how the religious leaders disregarded their own laws regarding the legal proceeding of a capital crime (one worthy of death). In this integrated gospel account, we will also see the fulfillment of prophecies written by David.

It was Preparation Day, the day before the Passover Sabbath. In the darkness of the early hours of the morning, Jesus was arrested. The crowd of guards and soldiers led him bound to Annas. Although Annas had previously been the high priest, Caiaphas his son-in-law was the high priest that year. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:57-68, Mark 14:53-65, Luke 22:54, Luke 22:63-71, John 18:13-14, John 18:19-24, Psalm 27:12, Deuteronomy 17:6, Deuteronomy 19:15, Psalm 35:11, Psalm 109:2  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist