Sermons on Religious Life Sunday:

How Not To Be A Religious Leader

Contributed by William Mouser on Nov 28, 2005

In training his disciples to be leaders, Jesus pointed to the religious leaders of his day as examples to avoid.

Psalm 43, Micah 3:5-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13,17-20, Matthew 23:1-12 How Not to be a Religious Leader There’s an old story about three boys who are bragging about rich their dads are. The first boy said, "My dad is so rich. He writes a few paragraphs on a piece of paper. Calls it a poem. And he ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-12

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Building On A Religious Heritage Series

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Jan 4, 2001

Having a religious heritage can either help us or hinder us in cultivating an authentic relationship with God.

I grew up with no religious heritage at all. As a lot of you know, my childhood was thoroughly secularized. Although I was baptized as a baby, for the most part I lived in an entirely different universe than religion. My mom and adoptive dad believed that religion had a negative effect in people’s ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:1-8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Religious Sinner, Nicodemus Series

Contributed by Jimmy Davis on Sep 19, 2001

Picture # 3 in the series: The 14 Candid Snapshots of the Maturing Christian as found in the Gospel of John. Nicodemus, a picture of the religious sinner who sits in the pew week after week but is not saved. John 3:16, preached to a religious sinner.

Picture # 3: The Religious Sinner, Nicodemus John 3:1-21 The Surgeon General teaches us that the key to good health and physical fitness is plenty of exercise, a balanced nutritional diet, and the proper amount of rest. The Surgeon General doesn’t mention that we have a body and a soul. It’s ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-21, John 3:16

Denomination: Baptist

Religiously Transmitted Diseases

Contributed by Bradley Kellum on Sep 18, 2009

Did you know that there are spiritual diseases you can catch from practicing your religion? Jesus shows us two of them in Luke 15:11-32. Let’s explore them together.

RELIGIOUSLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES 2 RELIGIOUSLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN LUKE 15:11-31 September 20, 2009 ________________________________________ (I credit Ed Gungor for the title of this message. His book entitled "Religously Transmitted Diseases" served as a jumping off point for me to write ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Denomination: Baptist

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

Religious Party Poopers

Contributed by Scott Chambers on Jun 9, 2005

A look at hypocrisy.

In what way was Christianity new and improved from Judaism? Why is it inappropriate for Christians to boring and depressed? Why do so many people have the idea that Christians are narrow minded and uncompassionate people? How can we balance celebration in Jesus with a serious commitment? Well ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:33-39

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

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

Answering Religious Pluralism

Contributed by Dr. Kenneth Rhodes, Jr on Sep 29, 2002

Defending the Christian faith against religious pluralism and tolerance.

1. Answering Religious Pluralism Also called tolerance. 2. Defining Pluralism · “Traditional tolerance (Social Pluralism) is now referred to as negative tolerance. This is defined as ‘respecting others beliefs and practices without sharing them,’ or ‘to bear or put up with something not ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Understanding Religious Fundamentalism

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Mar 12, 2015

The United States has a very long history of unsuccessful conflicts with Islamic fundamentalists. The reason is that the only person who can really understand the dedication of a religious fundamentalist is another religious fundamentalist.

UNDERSTANDING RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM ILLUSTRATION THE GATHERS There was a very wise man who one day decided to journey to a neighboring city with three of his followers. They were not long into their journey when they came upon a man picking berries. In his quest to get the largest and best ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:1-7

Denomination: Christian Church

The Religious But Hard-Hearted Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 2, 2007

If God does not soften ones heart, one may dabble with religion, but one will never find a saving relationship with the true God.

The Religious But Hard-Hearted (Exodus 8:20-9:12) 1. What if God was politically correct? Imagine this: Moses was sitting in the Egyptian ghetto. Things were terrible. Pharaoh wouldn’t even speak to him. The rest of the Israelites were mad at him and making the overseers even more irritable than ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Religious People Beware Series

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Sep 30, 2018

Religious People Beware (Hypocrisy) – Sermon by Gordon Curley. PowerPoint slides to accompany this talk are available on request – email: gcurley@gcurley.info

SERMON OUTLINE: Woe #1: For focussing on small matters while overlooking the big issues (vs 42). Woe #2: For making it all about me (vs 43). Woe #3: For deceiving others into becoming defiled (vs 44). Woe #4: For adding to others guilt without assuming any themselves (vs 45-46) Woe #5: For faking ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:37-54

Denomination: Brethren

Are You Righteous Or Religious

Contributed by Melvin Maughmer, Jr. on Feb 28, 2021

Dr. Martin Luther King "If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living will not be in vain". Righteousness is the quality or state of being morally correct and justifiable “behavior that is morally justifiable or right.”

Are You Righteous or Religious? By Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr. OPENING: - A couple of weeks ago I did a message titled “What Kind of Spirit do you Have”? I love how God sends and uses confirmation. My brother Mark also has been dealing with something very similar and dealing with the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37, Micah 6:8

Denomination: Apostolic

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

The Anamosity Of The Religious Leaders Series

Contributed by John Lowe on Mar 9, 2017

Peter had just been preaching the resurrection of Jesus, and “the Sadducees” saw danger arising from such teaching. Peter an John had wrought a great miracle by healing the lame man, a miracle which the Sadducees could not deny.

October 7, 2013 By: Tom Lowe Series: The Early Church Lesson II.C.3.a: The Animosity of the Religious Leaders (4.1-22) Acts 4.1-22 (KJV) 1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-22

Denomination: Baptist

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