Sermons on Self Willed Efforts:

Good News: A Fish Story

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Jan 24, 2009

To "fish for men" we must be willing to follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus.

A Fish Story – Mark 1: 14 – 20 Intro: As a boy I went fishing with my dad and grandfather. I wasn’t a very good fisherman because you had to be quiet and that has never been easy for me. --- The story is told that Mark Twain loved to fish; but, he hated to catch fish. He went fishing to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:14-20

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Mountain Of Trust Series

Contributed by Grant Macdonald on Nov 14, 2011

God has an adventure for you! What are you willing to sacrifice?

How many of you have used a GPS? We got one last fall for our trip to visit our friends in Fredrick Maryland. I have to say that it takes getting used to. We had to do a bit tweaking to it. We changed the voice to a British accent and we named it Jeeves. We did this because a British accent is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Suffering For Doing The Right Thing Series

Contributed by Steve Smith on Oct 14, 2008

A call to do the right thing even when that choice brings suffering. Just as Christ was willing to suffer for our good, we should be willing suffer for doing good toward others.

INTRODUCTION A. Every Christian who lives a godly life experiences a certain amount of persecution. - A Teenager is shunned for being a Christian. (Peer Pressure, sex, cheating,) - An Employee may not advance if not willing to take advantage of another. - An Individual may not be invited to a party ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Denomination: Baptist

Calling All Losers

Contributed by Antonio Torrence on Sep 12, 2003

Discipleship is about our willingness to lose ourselves in God’s will.

"Calling All Losers" Mark 8:34-38, John 12:23-28 By Rev. A. LaMar Torrence, Pastor of Cross of Life Lutheran Church The great statesman, Winston Churchill, once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” That proverbial statement best captures the meaning of this ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38, John 12:23-28

Denomination: Lutheran

Jesus Knew His Identity Yet Served With Humility Series

Contributed by Richard Pfeil on May 17, 2005

Part 4 of the Lenten series on Jesus with this one focusing on Jesus’ humility and sense of self.

Jesus Knew His Identity, Yet Served with Humility TEXT: John 13: 1-9, 12-17 Sunday, March 10, 2002 We do serve an awesome, wonderful and great God. However, when I experience me, Richard Pfeil, I find that I am not all that great. I know that might be surprising, but.......Unlike God, I have ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1-17

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Prayer Keys - Introduction Series

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Oct 4, 2011

Introducing a 30 part series on prayer keys. These are not incantations manipulating God to submit to our will, but guides leading us to submit to God’s will. "Lord teach us to pray."

A 30 part study of prayer keys during our Wednesday night prayer meetings? You may think it will become boringly repetitive. No, No, NOOOO! During this study, we will hear how Mary, Queen of Scots, feared the prayers of John Knox more than the combined armies of Europe. We will hear Jonathan ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1

Denomination: Baptist

Kissing Convenient Christianity Goodbye

Contributed by Don Jaques on Aug 26, 2004

Following Jesus means being willing to serve and be inconvenienced for the sake of the Gospel.

Kissing Convenient Christianity Goodbye August 21/22, 2004 Don Jaques PROBLEM: We have many ministry needs unmet and the needs of a 3rd service coming up. Christians think that serving others is optional. Christians think that laying down your life is just something “figurative” and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-27

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Blindness

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Oct 22, 2009

Physical blindness will not keep one out of heaven, but spiritual blindness will.

Text: “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked Him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” (Mark 10:51) There is no question that we have many people in the world who are physically blind. Sometimes we know the reason they have lost their sight and other times it is unknown. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Denomination: Christian Church

"Steadfastness": Our Pursuit For Our Growth Part 5 Series

Contributed by Eyriche Cortez on Sep 7, 2010

Let us conquer life’s challenges through the right commitments, adding steadfastness to self-control.

Have you ever expressed your belief in a loving way but to your dismay your friends still accused you of being biased or opinionated? Or, you made a stand about an issue in your company and yet you end up being ridiculed for what you stood for even if your stance was actually right? Or, you tried ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-7

Denomination: Baptist

Dare To Ask God For The Power To Take Up Your Cross Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Mar 2, 2020

There is more to the Cross than the crucifixion of Jesus - there is also the crucifixion of self in our lives as Christians.

COMMUNION SERVICE: Power to take up YOUR Cross We continue in our series Powerful People. For our Communion Service this evening I want to encourage you to ask God for the power to take up your cross. It is at the Cross where Salvation and Forgiveness of Sin are guaranteed to all who accept ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34, Galatians 2:20-21, Romans 6:6-14, Luke 14:25-33, Luke 22:20, Mark 8:34-38  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Place To Belong Series

Contributed by Jeffrey Kellum on Feb 25, 2004

The level of commitment you see in new members depends on how much time, prayer and intentional effort you put into their growth.

INTRODUCTION: NEED: To Develop a plan to turn attenders into members (for a similar perspective see Warren, Purpose Driven Church, Chapter 17) If our goal is to get people to come down that isle and tell us they will join this church, our plan can be rather simple. 1. Make them comfortable when ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:19-22

Denomination: Baptist

Carefully Taught

Contributed by Tammy Garrison on Nov 11, 2001

The Lord went to a lot of effort to write us a love letter. We call it the Bible. We would be amiss not to read it.

Letters are interesting and amazing things. They have been the main form of communication between two people or groups of people who are some distance apart, longer than any other form of communication. With the invention of the telephone, there was some threat that written correspondence may ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-17

Denomination: Methodist

He Prepared Not His Heart

Contributed by Greg Irby on Feb 28, 2009

It is necessary that we prepare our hearts to seek the Lord. If no care or effort is made in doing and making the heart right, it will go wrong.

HE PREPARED NOT HIS HEART 2 CHRONICLES 12 Text: 2 Chronicles 12:14 2 Chronicles 12:14 14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD. Introduction: In your study of the Word of God you have probably noticed that as a general rule, at the end of each king’s reign ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 12:1-14

Denomination: Baptist

Daybreak Vs. Nightfall

Contributed by Zera Young on Nov 17, 2006

This is a message for all who may sugarcoat God’s word and compromise God’s Holy word in an effort to reach this generation.

This message is for all who may like to sugarcoat God’s word, and compromise God’s Holy word just to get and keep a congregation. This is a brief sermon that needs no introduction. There are no gray areas. So, it’s all black and white. Being a minister/pastor, I get a lot of info. On how other ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 20:11-15

David And Saul's Jealousy

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Jun 7, 2019

1 Samuel 18:6-30 shows us Saul’s jealousy of David’s success and efforts to kill him.

Scripture God has rejected Saul as king over Israel, and David has been anointed as the future king over Israel. Later, the Philistines gathered their armies for battle against the armies of Israel. At this time young David killed the giant Goliath. The armies of Israel then routed the armies of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:6-30

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed