Sermons on Religious Vocations:

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

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

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

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

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

The Ungratefulness Of Religious People

Contributed by Rodney Johnson Sr., on Nov 28, 2002

In this text, Jesus reveals how prevelant ungratefulness is among religious people.

Introduction: Today many people will be celebrating what is called; "Thanksgiving Day." Parade goers will fill the streets. People will fill their yards with lavish eating and drinking. The smell of barbecue sauce will permeates the air. It is a tragedy that this day like most others have ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:12-19

Denomination: Baptist

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

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

Religious Or Christ-Like?

Contributed by Roddy Chestnut on Oct 18, 2000

Thesis: There is a big difference between being "religious" and following Jesus Christ.

Thesis: There is a big difference between being "religious" and following Jesus Christ. Intro.: 1. When you hear someone use the word "religion" or hear someone refer to another person as "religious" what do you think of? a. Illust. Do you think of "Church Lady" on Saturday Night Live who goes ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-39

Righting The Religious Rut Series

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Oct 8, 2005

4th in 5 part series on overcoming the obstacles and difficulties of life using five different Psalms. We used a "journey" or "road" metaphor in terms of the bumps of success, fear, guilt, the religious rut and grief, etc.

RIGHTING THE RELIGIOUS RUT Navigating the Bumps of Life - Week 5 PSALM 63:1-8 INTRODUCTION: (Faith Story - Beth Rampleberg) Thank-you Beth. Did you catch the words and phrases in Beth’s faith story? “Obligation,” “knowledge in my head but not my heart,” “something was missing,” “emptiness,” ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 63:1-8

Denomination: Christian Church