Sermons on Returning Exiles:

Return For Revival

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Jun 13, 2024

The invitation was to live in the ways of God. It was an invitation to come back to the ways that the people knew were right. When Hosea uses the words “let us”, he speaks in clear terms here to communicate that those who needed to return to the LORD were not alone.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Play the video “RESTORED.” Israel had wondered far away from its place of origin. As if a child lost in a store, she is drawn away by delights of the eye, sensual insights and an overwhelming urgency to seek her own way. She awakens; finding herself tossed into the gutter of ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 6:1-3

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No Deposit, No Return

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 24, 2024

Let's consider God's 5 investment funds; these reflect the 5 purposes of the church (5 investment funds comes from Rick Warren at: https://pastors.com/five-funds/)

HoHum: For many years, soft drink and milk companies reused their bottles. Each bottle had it’s own deposit created to motivate people to return them. Buy a soft drink, pay a deposit, and get it back when the bottle was returned. Later, ways were found to make plastic bottles that did not need to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6, 1 Timothy 6:18-19, Proverbs 3:9, Galatians 6:10, Proverbs 22:23, Proverbs 19:17, Luke 16:9, Revelation 3:16-17  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christ Will Return Series

Contributed by Dennis King on Sep 6, 2022

For those who are alive at the start of the Millennium, they are ones who will have lived through the cataclysmic events of the return of Jesus Christ—called the “day of the Lord” in the Bible. Their physical lives will continue as the Kingdom of God is established here on earth

1st Thessalonians 4:9-18 offers words of fraternal love and how we should work towards an orderly life while awaiting Christ's return. “But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:10, Luke 21:25-28

Denomination: Baptist

Return To Me Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Sep 12, 2022

Superheroes have captured Americans’ imagination for a long time. We all know the saying, “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s Superman!” It’s not an angel coming. It’s not a prophet coming. It’s the Lord Himself coming. “It’s a prophet. It’s an angel. No, it’s the Lord.”

I invite you to find the book of Malachi with me if you will [page 954 in your pew Bibles]. Today’s Scripture You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:26-27, Joshua 5:14, Matthew 5:45, Matthew 3:3

Denomination: Baptist

Return To Sender.

Contributed by Amiri Hooker on Mar 29, 2024

let us take a moment to ponder the depth of these words. Not tomorrow, not next week, not in some distant future, but today! During our trials, our tribulations, and our struggles, Jesus offers us immediate access to paradise, to the very presence of God Himself.

RETURN TO SENDER. And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”"Luke 23:43, ESV. Brothers and sisters, today we gather in the presence of the Almighty, holding onto the promise that resonates from the lips of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In the midst of agony ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:43, Psalm 23:6

Denomination: United Methodist

Calling The Sheep To Return Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 14, 2010

It is a priority for us to call those who have left the Church to return to fellowship and the sacraments.

Monday of 20th Week in Course August 16, 2010 You Shall Be My Witnesses The people of the Old Covenant were twice exiled from Judea. To this first group, stuck in Babylon, the priest Ezekiel was sent as a prophet. A mime prophet. He acted out in his life the reality of exile, suffering, and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-22

Denomination: Catholic

Nehemiah Series

Contributed by John Lowe on May 20, 2022

The book of Nehemiah opens in the Persian city of Susa in the year 444 BC. Later that year, Nehemiah traveled to Israel, leading the third of three returns by the Jewish people following their seventy years of exile in Babylon.

Nehemiah Nehemiah is the central figure of the Book of Nehemiah, which describes his work in rebuilding Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. He was governor of Persian Judea under Artaxerxes I of Persia. Born: 473 BC, Babylon Nationality: Israeli Parents: Hachaliah Most scholars believe ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 6:15-16

Denomination: Baptist

Hosea--Is He A Loser And Chump? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 24, 2025

He fell in love with a woman who found herself lovers, lots of them. She was frequently unfaithful. Despite her infidelity, Hosea took her back time after time.

Friday of the Third Week in Lent 2025 The prophet Hosea, if he lived in our modern culture, would be called a total loser, an inveterate chump. He was prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel and ministered during the reign of King Jeroboam II in the middle of the eighth century before Our Lord. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34, Psalm 81:6-11, Psalm 81:14, Hosea 14:2-9

Denomination: Catholic

Haggai, The Temple And Jesus, The Messiah Of The Temple

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 14, 2025

The picture being evoked is the fulfillment of the whole destiny of Israel, in whom all the nations of earth would be blessed. That was the promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Friday of the 24th Week in Course 2025 The prophecies of Haggai are among the shortest in the OT, but because the author is careful about the historical notes in the book, we know a great deal about them. The second year of King Darius I Hystaspes, in our dating system, is 520 B.C. The prophecies ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:18-22, Psalm 43:1-4, Haggai 2:1-9

Denomination: Catholic

Moses Returns To Egypt Series

Contributed by Brad Beaman on May 4, 2022

Moses didn't want this call to deliver Israel from oppression. It was 40 years ago he stepped out to take on the role of deliverer. It wasn't God's will at that time and the plan failed. Now 40 years later he has a fear to try again.

Receiving a call to serve God is never enough. We must respond in obedience. There was a very dramatic call experience for Moses. We know it as the burning bush call. Each person has a unique call of God, but the burning bush call for Moses stands out. What does not stand out in Moses’ call are ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 4:18-31

Denomination: Baptist

Return Back To The Vision

Contributed by Chew Chew on May 31, 2007

Returning to the vision God has given us.

Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 "Thus says Cyrus king ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 1:1-15

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Ransomed Shall Return

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Dec 10, 2016

The analysis of the ransomed of the Lord as set forth in Isaiah 35:1-10 shows us that everlasting joy is coming to all who trust in him.

Scripture Today is the Third Sunday of Advent. I am preaching a series of messages during Advent on the Old Testament Scripture Readings that I am calling, “Advent in Isaiah.” One commentator on Isaiah wrote the following on chapter 35, our text for today: No one can call Isaiah a prophet of ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Ransomed Shall Return

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Dec 10, 2016

The analysis of the ransomed of the Lord as set forth in Isaiah 35:1-10 shows us that everlasting joy is coming to all who trust in him.

Scripture Today is the Third Sunday of Advent. I am preaching a series of messages during Advent on the Old Testament Scripture Readings that I am calling, “Advent in Isaiah.” One commentator on Isaiah wrote the following on chapter 35, our text for today: No one can call Isaiah a prophet of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Priorities-1

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Dec 31, 2019

1 of ? Haggai exhorted those returning from exile to prioritize their relationship with God. God’s people must prioritize their relationship with God. But how can they do that? A prioritized relationship with God properly assesses...

PRIORITIES—I—Haggai 1:1-15 Attention: Yard Sale Priority: A woman was taking her time browsing through everything at a friend's yard sale, & said to her, “My husband is going to be very upset that I stopped at a yard sale.” “I'm sure he'll understand when you tell him about all the ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 1:1-15

Denomination: Baptist

Restoration And Renewal

Contributed by John Tristan Jayme on Oct 30, 2022

... They had seen His hand of judgment upon them when He took them from their promised land and made them captive in Babylon. They lost it.

Thoughts: In the passages from Ezekiel (36: 24-26). God is talking to the people of Israel. The Israelites knew God; they experienced His faithfulness; they knew that they were His chosen people. They had seen His hand of judgment upon them when He took them from their promised land and made ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4-14