Sermons on Rodney Stark:

A Single Commandment

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Apr 7, 2015

A two-pronged, present-continuous, commandment to love - set in its original context.

A SINGLE COMMANDMENT. 1 John 3:16-24. “This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another” (1 John 3:23). Before we look at the two prongs of this single commandment, we need to set the verse within its immediate context. The ones who ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:16-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Faith Seeking Understanding

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 1, 2014

God redeemed the world through suffering, and we can understand, if not fully comprehend, the mystery.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday 2014 Lumen Fidei On this first day after the solemn beginning of Lent, as we begin our forty-day retreat, the Church gives us some stark words. Deuteronomy tells us that the choice is between life and death, between blessing and curse. Honor and obey God alone, and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:22-25

Denomination: Catholic

An Unbroken Chain Of Witnesses Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 15, 2014

The rich man was isolated, even from his brothers. True faith comes usually from someone sharing it with us.

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent 2014 Lumen Fidei Recently we discovered an infestation of what are called “acrobat” ants, Crematogaster hespera, in our house. We had the pest control folks treat the house with good success. The treatment was a chemical friendly to the good fauna ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Denomination: Catholic

We Must Serve The Poor Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 25, 2016

The church ministered to the poor. If we lose that character, we are no longer the true church.

Fifth Day of the Christmas Octave 2016 Joy of the Gospel St. John the Evangelist is the apostle and evangelist of love, but he can write in very black-and-white manners. In his first epistle his language is stark: if you obey the law to love your brother you are walking as Jesus did. If you say ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:22-35

Denomination: Catholic

Skirmish With The Status Quo Series

Contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn on Feb 2, 2012

Jesus begins his ministry and immediately clashes with the understanding of the people and the forces of evil. Jesus confronts the status quo of our live seeking to free us from the chains that bind us and to enable us to experience true freedom.

Mark 1:21-28 “Skirmish with the Status Quo” INTRODUCTION The beginning of Mark’s gospel is in stark contrast to those of the other gospel writers. You do not find a boring list of Jesus’ ancestors, as you do in Matthew, nor the heartwarming story of Jesus’ birth ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:21-28

Denomination: Lutheran

Called To Serve

Contributed by David Dewitt on Dec 16, 2014

We have been called by Christ to serve His Kingdom

Called to Serve Luke 10:17-24 November 2, 2014 Evening Service What is an essential quality for ministry? What do we have to do to be effective in ministry? People have to be the primary focus in making ministry effective. There is no ministry if there are no people. The whole purpose behind ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:17-24

Denomination: Church Of God

Can We Refuse To See Our Brothers And Sisters? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 3, 2015

We cannot love God if we refuse to work for the betterment and evangelization of the poor.

Thursday after Epiphany 2015 Joy of the Gospel St. John’s letter is pretty stark today: “If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Our love for our brothers ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

The Last Passover

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Sep 9, 2020

A planned betrayal. Institution of Communion. Singing Praise. On to Gethsemane.

THE LAST PASSOVER. Matthew 26:14-30. Even before the chief priests and the scribes had wrongly determined that the death of Jesus should not take place ‘during the feast’ (Matthew 26:5), Jesus had already predicted exactly when His death would take place (Matthew 26:2). They were wrong, He ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:14-30

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Our Face Set Toward Jerusalem Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 28, 2019

Athanasius taught that God became human so that humans could be made divine. But even the baptized struggle with the profound negative impacts of original sins in our physical, emotional and spiritual lives.

Tuesday of the 26th Week in Course 2019 St. Therese of Liseaux The connection between our two Scripture readings today is stark. The prophet Zechariah, writing a couple of hundred years before Christ, is in a society dominated by Hellenist culture, polytheism and utter contempt for Biblical faith ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:51-56, Zechariah 8:21-23

Denomination: Catholic

Who Really Is Responsible? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 16, 2021

It took some time to process the traumatic and surprising events of Holy Week

3rd Sunday of Easter When something traumatic happens in your family, perhaps a death or serious injury, do you find often that there’s at least a temptation toward chaos? This is especially true if one of the key linchpins in the family is taken out of commission for a time, or even permanently. ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:1-5, Luke 24:35-48, Acts 3:13-19

Denomination: Catholic

Could This Be The Biggest Myth In Evangelism Today? Series

Contributed by Louis Posthauer on Mar 17, 2022

This myth has effectively crippled much evangelism in the West in our time because we actually believe it and operate as if it were true. And it is not.

What myth? Anyone in church leadership in the West knows that to a great extent, the growth of active Christians in a Christian community (of whatever sort—big church, little church, home church, store front church and so on) has diminished and flattened out. The reason is that we in the Western ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:4, Matthew 19:12-13, Jeremiah 16:16

The Petulance Of Jonah.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Aug 25, 2023

God, for His part, cares for the whole of His creation.

THE PETULANCE OF JONAH. Jonah 3:10, Jonah 4:1-11. The LORD is merciful to those who repent (JONAH 3:10; cf. Psalm 130:3-4). When Jonah at last arrived in Nineveh after his circuitous journey, his message was simple: ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown’ (cf. Jonah 3:4). ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 3:10, Jonah 4:1-11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Life Of Extravagant Love

Contributed by Jessie Manuel on Apr 5, 2025

John’s Gospel. Here, we encounter a mesmerizing moment of devotion, a simple yet profound act of love performed by Mary, the sister of Lazarus

Beloved family , grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ. As we gather this sacred morning to partake in communion, I invite you to immerse yourselves in the rich, poignant story found in the twelfth chapter of John’s Gospel. Here, we encounter a mesmerizing moment of devotion, a simple ...read more

Scripture: John 12:1-8

Denomination: Methodist

Six Woes.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Mar 9, 2023

Our Lord Jesus did not hesitate to rebuke hypocrisy.

SIX WOES. Luke 11:37-54. A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him (LUKE 11:37). Though this man was probably not converted, Jesus did not refuse to recline at table with him. Jesus accepted the hospitality of the Pharisee, but did not fail to use the opportunity to speak out against the whole ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:37-54

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No, It's Not Fair, But Bear With It In Christ

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 28, 2023

Forget the old song that asks “how can it be wrong when it feels so right?” That’s unmitigated baloney. Your mind must rule your emotions, not vice-versa.

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Course 2023 Have you or anyone you know ever said that some fine or traffic ticket or concert ticket price or something else “isn’t fair”? I suspect that a show of hands would involve almost everyone who is here today. That cry, “it’s not fair!” is one of the most common ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 21:28-32, Psalm 25:4-9, Ezekiel 18:25-28

Denomination: Catholic