Sermons on Religious Reformation:

The Heart Matters Most - Lessons From Matthew 15 Series

Contributed by William Akehurst on Jun 12, 2025

GOD cares more about the condition of your heart than the traditions you keep. GOD desires genuine inner purity and authentic faith, not religious performance. True righteousness comes from a transformed heart, not outward tradition.

2025.06.15.Sermon Notes. The Heart Matters Most – Lessons from Matthew 15 When Religion Misses the Point William Akehurst, HSWC Reminder: It’s Father’s Day Scripture: Matthew 15:1-39, Isaiah 29:13, Psalms 51:10, Psalms 139:23-24 INTRODUCTION: JESUS confronts the religious leaders for honoring ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:1-39, Isaiah 29:13, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 139:23-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Danger Of Handling Holy Things Carelessly Series

Contributed by Rev. Samuel Arimoro on Aug 1, 2025

In today’s world, familiarity with spiritual activities and religious practices can easily lead to a loss of reverence. Many have become casual in the way they handle sacred things — from the Word of God, to the sacraments, to spiritual offices and responsibilities.

THE DANGER OF HANDLING HOLY THINGS CARELESSLY By Rev. Samuel Arimoro Main Text: 1 Chronicles 13:7-10 Supporting Texts: Leviticus 10:1-2; 2 Samuel 6:6-7; Numbers 4:15; Hebrews 12:28-29; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30 INTRODUCTION: In today’s world, familiarity with spiritual activities and religious ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 13:7-10

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Let's Go Back To The Beginning

Contributed by Melvin Maughmer, Jr. on Aug 13, 2025

Most people in the world today reduce Jesus to just a historical religious figure or some prophet of long ago. Some say he is a spiritual force, a wise teacher, or some kind of god among many other gods.

Let’s Go Back to the Beginning By Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr. OPENING: - Most people in the world today reduce Jesus to just a historical religious figure or some prophet of long ago. Some say he is a spiritual force, a wise teacher, or some kind of god among many other gods. Others have ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1, John 1:3, John 1:14

Denomination: Apostolic

Is There A Need For Evangelism?

Contributed by Phillip Frady on Sep 17, 2002

The sermon looks at the response of Jesus to the reaction of the religious leaders of the day in His encounters with sinners and publicans in His story of the man who had all he thought he needed in this life only to discover his eternal destiny was relat

Evangelism – Is There A Need? Luke 16:19-31 I. The mans earthly situation a. He had no need for other security b. He had no need for material things c. He had no need for comfort d. He had no need for God II. The mans after death situation a. He had no help b. He had no hope Our goal today is to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Denomination: Baptist

Suffering

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on May 25, 2005

Some of Paul’s religious assailants in Corinth were no doubt Jews. They hurled the charge at Paul that he was no true Hebrew. They said he had apostatized from the faith and that he could not possibly be a faithful minister of God. With this in mind, Paul

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PASSAGE: The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small uninhabited island. He cried out to God to save him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a rough hut and put his few possessions in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:22-33

Denomination: Baptist

The Sufficiency Of Christ Series

Contributed by Douglas Dudley on Jun 2, 2005

THE APOSTLE PAUL’S MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN COLOSSAE WAS SIMPLE.SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY ARE RELIGIOUS MIGHT TRY TO TELL YOU THINGS CONTRARY TO THE WORD OF GOD. IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE WORD OF GOD, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

The Sufficiency of Christ Text: Colossians 1:1-14 Introduction. A preacher looks out his window one hot summer day and he sees an overturned hay-wagon on the road with a young farmer boy struggling to move the pile of hay out of the road. The boy looked hot and sweaty….and upset. The ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:1-14

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Rituals

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Nov 19, 2004

A religious person usually feels that he has a special standing before God, not only because of his intellectual assent to certain beliefs, but also because he keeps the ordinances, the rites, and the rituals of that religion. Paul shows in this passage t

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PASSAGE: A railroad yardmaster called the telephone daily at exactly 11:45 to verify the time. After years of this ritual, the operator asked the yardmaster, "Why do you call each day at exactly the same time?" His reply, "I take my responsibilities very seriously, I call to be ...read more

Scripture: Romans 2:25-29

Denomination: Baptist

How To Spot A Fake Faith Series

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Apr 2, 2012

Christianity has become a surface religious distraction from the hardships and realities of life and is no longer a relevant belief system connecting us to our Creator and Savior. In the western world the fakes are much more visible than those who stil

I think we may finally be living in a day when the ‘Christianity’ that exists in the cultural marketplace is now more fake than real. What began with liberal departures from the essentials of our faith has now moved to a wide spread illiteracy of the very truths of Christianity. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:5-30

Dishonoring The Lord

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Jan 1, 2011

The lesson for us in this Bible study is very clear and simple – God as our Father and Master is never pleased with just any religious ceremonies, formalities and rituals. God would only accept the best of the time, abilities, talents, and offerings from

Intro: The Lord is great (Psa. 145:3) over all the earth. Here, God’s people failed to properly honor Him. Since Israel was supposed to fear God and love Him wholeheartedly (Deut. 6:3, 5), the severity of her spiritual condition was truly alarming. Again, the Lord reminds and rebukes Israel. ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 1:6-10

Denomination: *other

What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?

Contributed by Carl Allen on Jan 29, 2008

Christian is a fallen term cheapened by common usage. It now covers a multitude of religious ideas, error as well as truth, paganism as well as the revelation of God’s divine truth. This term Christian has been stretched to the extent that it covers rat

What Does It Mean to Be a Christian? Acts 11:26 Intro Christian is a fallen term cheapened by common usage. It now covers a multitude of religious ideas, error as well as truth, paganism as well as the revelation of God’s divine truth. This term Christian has been stretched to the extent that ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:26

Denomination: Baptist

Can He Really Do That? Series

Contributed by Carl Willis on Jun 9, 2008

Jesus acknowledges the faith of friends and forgives the sin of the paralytic. The scribes question His authority, so He validates His authority with healing. To what lengths are you willing to go to bring others to Jesus? How is your religious l

Can He Really Do That? Mark 2:1-12 Mark 2:1-2 (HCSB) When He entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that He was at home. So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and He was speaking the message to them. Why He Returned * Jesus ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What's Going On Around Here?

Contributed by Rev Ken Shedenhelm on May 1, 2013

In the so-called mainline churches, many members cling to the adage, "We've never done it that way before!" As the religious people in Jesus' time discovered, hanging on to the old will blind us to the new thing that God is doing in our midst.

Our lectionary passages this morning concern radical change, perhaps none more radical that Peter's vision in the 11th chapter of Acts. Most of us don't give much thought to what we eat and, if we do, our concern is more with calories than holiness. We don't consider food groups to be "clean" or ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:14-25

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Looking Unto Jesus

Contributed by Daniel Olukoya on Jun 9, 2011

....Christianity is not a religion. In religion, man believes in the existence of a God, a super being, for whom you have to perform certain rites in order to please. But Christianity is God’s way of seeking to save the lost. The religious act of man has

LOOKING UNTO JESUS This week, by the grace of God, we are looking at a topic “Looking unto Jesus.” Our first text is taken from the book of Isaiah 8:20. It says, “To the l aw and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 8:20

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Jealous God Series

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Mar 1, 2015

God is “jealous” in the sense that He expects complete, exclusive devotion; not merely a partial, lukewarm, half-hearted religious observance. Worship belongs to God. He is worthy of worship and has a right to be “jealous” of it.

The Bible clearly teaches that God is a jealous God. That doesn’t sit well with us; the very notion of the jealousy of God sounds offensive. We think of jealousy as an entirely negative quality--a sin. Yet God declares that He is jealous. God restricts allegiance to Himself alone: ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-6

Denomination: Congregational

"A Message Of Offense: Jesus Said, "I Am”

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Aug 4, 2021

Leonard Sweet “The Bad Habits of Jesus” “From healing on the Sabbath, to eating with unwashed hands and touching unclean people, to declaring Himself God,” were acts of heresy to the Jewish religious scholars. Jesus was sinning against the God of the Sabbath.”

In Jesus Holy Name Pentecost 14 August 8, 2021 Text: John 6:28-29;35-51 “A Message of Offense: Jesus said, “I Am” Last Sunday our Gospel reading was from John chapter 6. Today our Gospel reading is from John Chapter 6. Our Gospel lesson next week is from John chapter 6. In staff this ...read more

Scripture: John 6:35-42, John 6:43-51

Denomination: Lutheran