Sermons on self desturction: showing 1,066-1,080 of 64,798

Take Up Your Cross And Follow

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 29, 2011

What gives Jesus the right to ask us to give up our lives?

Chuck Colson relates this interesting story in his book How Then Should We Live? “In William Steig’s Yellow & Pink, a delightfully whimsical picture book for children, two wooden figures wake up to find themselves lying on an old newspaper in the hot sun. One figure is painted ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:21-28

Denomination: Methodist

Belonging To Another Series

Contributed by Mark Opperman on Aug 29, 2011

We can try to live by a code of rules or we can live by a relationship. We could put it this way: True release comes from a relationship with Jesus, not from rules.

Belonging to Another Romans 7:1-6 1 Do you not know, brothers-- for I am speaking to men who know the law-- that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is ...read more

Scripture: Romans 7:1-13

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Giving God Control

Contributed by Mark Adams on Sep 10, 2011

If properly understood and practiced, Submission is a path to tremendous freedom in Christ.

INTRO: In a world where printed books and media are declining, and more people are opting to do their reading online, you can bet that publishers are doing all that they can to grab your attention with what they believe will actually sell. I could have picked a lot of magazines to use as examples, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:25, Matthew 25:1

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sure Cure For The Blues!

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Sep 16, 2011

Elijah experiences ’burn out’. (Powerpoint slides to accompany this talk are available on request – email: gcurley@gcurley.info)

SERMON OUTLINE: (a). The characters concerned (vs 1-4): • (1). The Weak King: Ahab (vs 1). • (2). The Dominant Queen: Jezebel (vs 2). • (3). The Discouraged Prophet: Elijah (vs 3-4). (B). The Lord and Elijah (vs 5-18): • (1). The Lord Reveals vs 5-14). • (2). The Lord Commissions (vs ...read more

Denomination: Brethren

Is God A Tiger Parent?

Contributed by Monty Newton on Sep 26, 2011

Ideally, when a Christian's profession and practice meet... it's a match.

Title: Is God a “Tiger” Parent? Text: Matthew 21:23-32 Thesis: Ideally, when a Christian’s profession and practice meet… it’s a match! Introduction The meat of our story today is about a father who had two sons whom he asked to work in his vineyard. Adrian ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:23-32

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Struggling To Know Who We Are Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on May 14, 2010

Like Hosea's children, we name our selves by our sad history, by our isolation, and by our alienation. But in Christ our Brother all these defects are remedied.

A good many of us, I would guess, are less than happy with our names. What Mom and Dad decided to call us before we had a voice in the matter. Well, I suspect a good many of us would like to change. Some of us just refuse to use our real names. We go by Butch or Bud or Sissie or some such ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 1:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

Looks That Kill And Looks That Heal

Contributed by Craig Benner on Jun 8, 2011

The eyes are the window of the soul. Your sight is probably more powerful than you even realize. How well are you taking care of it?

Looks that Kill and Looks that Save Opening Illustration: A young couple were sitting at the admiring one another. A middle aged man was walking his dog nearby. The young man looked his girlfriend in the eyes and said "you know, when I look into your eyes, it seems that all of time stands ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:16

Denomination: Pentecostal

Homecoming

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Aug 30, 2009

The story of the prodigal son has been repeated in our lives again and again as we like the prodigal rebel against God’s path for us until we come to the realization of our actions and being filled with regret, repent and return to find restoration.

HOMECOMING LUKE 15:11-24A Introduction: Luke 15 tells us the story of a wonderful homecoming. The steps leading up to that homecoming are steps that were anything but easy; but necessary. A young man played the fool and learned the hard way what it meant to be away from the love, joy and safety of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-24

Denomination: Baptist

Too Busy Not To Pray

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 13, 2009

When we think we are too busy to pray, we are succumbing to the issue of control: either we suppose we can manage everything or we want to abdicate. Prayer is the way to find priorities and strength.

Let me throw some numbers at you. Imagine that you were in charge of an operation that involves, on the average, some ten thousand people a week, almost all of whom come together at one time. Of these ten thousand or so, not all will get there every time, but sometimes many more than that will show ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-27

Denomination: Baptist

Introduction - God's Heart For You Series

Contributed by Jake Kircher on Sep 16, 2009

Understanding God’s heart for the world has begin by understanding what God thinks about each of us and how he asks us to live.

I am really excited this year about our theme which is “God’s Heart for the World.” Most everyone knows John 3:16 in that it says, “For God loved the…world…so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that…everyone…who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” As much as so many ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-10

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seeing Yourself As God Sees You Series

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Sep 27, 2009

If we are to have revival and a fresh outpouring from God it is necessary for us to see ourselves as God sees us. This includes understanding where God wants us to be, where we are at, and how to get back to where we should be.

CONDITIONS FOR REVIVAL: SEEING YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU PROVERBS 21:2 Introduction: We have been looking at what it is going to take to see God’s power working in our lives and through us in the lives of the church and our community. We have observed how Isaiah was transformed by seeing God in His ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 21:2

Denomination: Baptist

The Focus Of A True Faith

Contributed by Gerald Steffy on Oct 4, 2009

The focus of a true faith is centered in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

THE FOCUS OF A TRUE FAITH—Colossians 2:16-23 Proposition: The focus of a true faith is centered in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Objective: My purpose is to challenge God’s people to put all their focus on Jesus Christ and to turn aside to other false teachings. INTRODUCTION: Here’s a ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:16-23

Denomination: Baptist

Can I Get A Lift?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 6, 2009

August 1989: If we want to be lifted up out of our unhappiness through worship, we must bring our whole selves to the worship experience and must pray passionately even our negative wishes.

I recently became aware that some folks shop for a church much as you would shop for a car or a home appliance. In talking with some people about joining our church, they said that they were shopping – that’s their word, not mine -- that they were shopping for a church by systematically attending ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 28:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

More Than All

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Nov 14, 2009

It isn’t how much you give to the work of the church that matters. It is how much you keep for yourself that concerns God.

Mark 12: 38 – 44 / More Than All Intro: In 1975 I assumed my duties as the pastor of Memorial Presbyterian church in South Bend, Indiana. It was a unique ethnic congregation with many customs and traditions. One such “tradition” was the publishing of the annual “Scandal Sheet of Giving.” --- A ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:38-44

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Christmas Is For Sinners

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 14, 2009

A textual sermon on 1 Timothy 1:15 (Idea came from Boyce Mouton)

Christmas is for Sinners 1 Timothy 1:15 Introduction: From Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol we read about Ebenezer Scrooge. “Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!” ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:13-15

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ