Sermons on Sesame Street:

Choose Life!

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 21, 2007

In response to Virginia Tech: we have choices -- to choose to live in the here and now; to choose to give life to our children by contradicting this violent culture; and to choose life eternal for ourselves.

“I had no choice.” Of all the things we heard this past week from the deeply disturbed mind of Cho Seung Hui, that stands out for me as key: “I had no choice.” Cho Seung Hui felt trapped and cornered. He felt driven to do this terrible thing. In his mind, every victim was to blame – they were ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Denomination: Baptist

Playing With Fire - Adultery Series

Contributed by Matthew Stoll on Jun 11, 2007

In Proverbs God teaches us to avoid sexual sin such as adultery at all costs, lest we get burned.

A few weeks ago we began a sermon series from the book of Proverbs so that we could learn God’s wisdom and make the right choices, God’s choice, in our everyday life. The primary author of Proverbs was Solomon and the Bible says God gave King Solomon more wisdom than any other person. His wisdom ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 5:1-23

Denomination: Methodist

Playing Follow The Leader

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Aug 20, 2006

Leadership and followship demand truth, grace, and sacrifice to be effective. A story-sermon, reworked from one originally done in 1999.

The desire to be “somebody” is deep within all of us. We want to be distinguished, we need to be acknowledged, we must be somebodies, not nobodies. That desire to be “somebody” can lead us to glorious accomplishment, or it can lead to the depths of degradation. It’s all in what motivates us. Do ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7-16

Denomination: Baptist

In Hot Pursuit Series

Contributed by Tim Hedberg on Jan 15, 2007

God pursues a continuing love relationship with us.

In Hot Pursuit September 24, 2006 Luke 15:1-24 Experiencing God #2 Deb and my oldest son Luke is in Kindergarten this year. So far he has made it through 2 weeks of school just fine and his parents are trying to do the same. This week Kindergartners were allowed to start riding the bus to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lost In The House

Contributed by Christopher Rainer on Feb 29, 2008

A discussion on how SOMETIMES, it’s not the son who left home who causes the trouble; sometimes, it’s the son who was left at home...

Lost In The House [Part I] Sub Topic: Pouting And Out Of Place Scripture Text: Luke 15:25 – 30 Introduction: The more I study this passage, the more I am apt to believe that the passage centers upon the suggestion that “lostness” is not predicated upon a position as much as it is upon a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:25-30

Denomination: Baptist

Is It The Thought That Counts?

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 6, 2009

Jesus’ parable of the dishonest but shrewd steward shows us that what people want is something real, not just nice thoughts; and that the use of God’s money is our finest responsibility.

My brother-in-law has a unique ability, a very special talent. He has the ability to go into a men’s clothing store, size up all the merchandise available, and cane out with the very worst, the most atrocious looking stuff that money can buy. What is worse, he does that when he is shopping for me. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:1-9

Denomination: Baptist

A Remedy For Rough Times

Contributed by J Bernard Taylor on Oct 28, 2008

Our country is going through hard financial times--maybe you’re going through rough times. But there is a remedy.

A Remedy for Rough Times I hold in my hands a copy of the cover of Time Magazine for October l3th. The heading is “The New Hard Times”. It contains a picture of men lined up at a Soup Kitchen during the days of the depression in the l930’s. I was a young child during the depression. ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:1-6

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Come On Down Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Nov 30, 2008

The times, like those of post-Exilic Jerusalem, require us to wait. Will it be passive, impassive, or active waiting? Active waiting means seeing that what God has done He will do again. God will enlist us and shape us to work for His purposes.

“We wait. We are bored. No, don’t protest, we are bored to death, there’s no denying it. … A diversion comes along and what do we do? We let it go to waste . . . .In an instant all will vanish and we’ll be alone once more, in the midst of nothingness!” So speaks one of the characters in Samuel ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

Dissin' The Homeboy Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Oct 9, 2009

When we disrespect our own children, we disempower them, we give evidence that ours is a sick community, and we write off God’s ability to redeem.

The church was plagued with two bad boys, or maybe it was three. The two really bad boys offended nearly everybody in that church. They ran through the hails, rudely bumping those who were in the way. Elderly ladies cringed when they saw them coming. Small children screamed and hid behind their ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Sin - What God Says Versus What Satan Says

Contributed by Jack Woodard on Jul 7, 2011

The first lie Satan was able to get man to believe was that, each of us have the right to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. We don’t need to worry about the Lord and His Word and deny ourselves what we would like to do, or have, or be, for fea

TEXT: GENESIS 2:15-17; 3:1-1 TITLE: SIN – WHAT GOD SAYS VERSUS WHAT SATAN SAYS After the Lord commanded Adam and Eve Not to Eat of the Tree Of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, and warned of the dire consequences if they choose to disobey His Word, [Genesis 2:15, 16] Satan struts into the Garden and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Servant, My Chosen One Series

Contributed by Mark Armstrong on Jul 24, 2011

The servant who will bring justice to the nations.

I really enjoy DESIGN and construction. Civil Engineering. Lost assignment (but don’t tell the outcome). I know that when we build a home there are THREE things needed: foundation, brick walls and a roof. Just can’t have a house with foundation, walls and a roof. Here’s a picture ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The "How Do I Know I Am A Christian" Test?

Contributed by Roy Sommerville on Jul 30, 2011

In Mark 8:27-38, Jesus provides six marks of an authentic follower of Jesus, and these serve as the basis of this six question test to determine the reality of your Christian faith.

The “How Do I Know I’m A Christian?” Test Mark 8:27-38 There are a lot of people who think they’re Christians and really aren’t. Then there are some Christians who have no assurance that they are Christians and are afraid they’re not Christians. Then there ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:27-38

Denomination: Baptist

The Wisdom Of God

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Dec 17, 2013

The wisdom of God speaks to us from the Proverbs. 1- Wisdom says to fear the Lord 2- Wisdom says to avoid sinful men 3- Wisdom says to listen for wisdom everywhere

INTRO.- Wisdom speaks. But not all wisdom is good wisdom. ILL.- Two men got out of their cars after they collided at an intersection. One took a flask from his pocket and said to the other, "Here, maybe you'd like a nip to calm your nerves." "Thanks," he said, and took a big gult from the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Wisdom Of God Series

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Feb 2, 2015

The wisdom of God speaks to us from the Proverbs. 1- Wisdom says to fear the Lord 2- Wisdom says to avoid sinful men 3- Wisdom says to listen for wisdom everywhere

INTRO.- Wisdom speaks. But not all wisdom is good wisdom. ILL.- Two men got out of their cars after they collided at an intersection. One took a flask from his pocket and said to the other, "Here, maybe you'd like a nip to calm your nerves." "Thanks," he said, and took a big gulp from the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-7, Proverbs 3:13-20

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We're Only Human Series

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Oct 11, 2015

The book of Acts shows us our DNA as a church.

We're Only Human - September 20, 2015 - Acts 14:8-18 We’ve been paying close attention to the Book of Acts for the last number of months, with some breaks. But we’ve been, hopefully, learning a fair bit about the early church, which as I’ve mentioned, is really our early, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 14:8-18

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational