Sermons on Side Roads:

Heads Or Tails

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Apr 8, 2009

The old argument between Paul and James, faith or works, is really two sides of the same coin. Both are needed for a church’s life to be whole. Preached on a Sunday when members were asked to sign up for various ministries.

The funny thing about arguments is that two people can use all the same information and can come out on exactly the opposite ends of the argument. Two different people, just because they are different personalities, can read the same data, hear all the same pros and cons, examine all the same ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

The Greatest Touch.

Contributed by Howard Strickland on Mar 22, 2020

Paul and Silas were going about the county preaching the gospel—God’s eternal word. Results became their fruit. Souls saved, life’s changed—reconciliation on every side. Miracles, and deliverances bought new life!

The Greatest Touch. Acts 19:22-31NIV Above Acts 16:16-19, the caption from—The Passion translation reads, The Python Spirit. Acts 16:16-19TPT One day, as we were going to the house of prayer, we encountered a young slave girl who had an evil spirit of divination, the spirit of Python. She had ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Denomination: Pentecostal

Sermon 2: Gethsemane Series

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Jan 5, 2020

We will never be able to comprehend the cosmic struggle Jesus experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion. The sermon helps us to see the emotional struggle between Jesus’ human and divine sides, and what that teaches us.

Sermon 2: Gethsemane Series: 82 Hours: Countdown to the Resurrection Chuck Sligh Preaching March 31, 2019 NOTE: A PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:32-42

Denomination: Baptist

The Reversal Of Revenge Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

Paul's message is that the Christian can shift the balance of power to the side of righteousness by leaving vengeance to God and concentrating on doing good. Never is doing good more needed than when you feel like revenge.

The Revolutionary War was complicated by the fact that it was often also a Civil War. Families were on both sides of the conflict. William, for example became the governor of New Jersey because of the influence of his famous father. The shocking thing was that William wanted to be loyal to the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:19

Scars To Show

Contributed by Martin Ellgar on Dec 29, 2014

A perspective on John 20: 19-23. Jesus showed them his hands and side, the scars of his torment and death on the cross. This would have been an uncomfortable moment for them as they remembered their failures, abandonment, and lack of faith in Jesus.

John 20: 19-23 Scars To Show The Gospel of John was written at about A.D. 85 a considerable number of years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was written at a time when Christians were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus, the Son of God. John wrote the Gospel not only for ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-23

Denomination: Lutheran

A New Beginning Series

Contributed by Kamalanathan Francis on Jan 22, 2022

Every child of God has two sides of life one is a personal life, which involves health, career, family, and so on. Secondly, a mission life, a life to give, be a sacrifice and become an aroma of fragrance for Jesus Christ.

Let’s start with our personal life, No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins [d]break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:16-17, James 4:7, Matthew 16:18, 2 Chronicles 16:9

Denomination: Independent/Bible

#58 The Bitter Cup Of Gethsemane Series

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Jan 23, 2022

We can never comprehend the cosmic struggle Jesus experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion. The sermon helps us to see the emotional struggle between Jesus’ human and divine sides, and what that teaches us.

#58 The Bitter Cup of Gethsemane Series: Mark Chuck Sligh January 23, 2022 TEXT: Mark 14:43-52 - "And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 And he that ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:32-42

Denomination: Baptist

Spiritual Sleepiness: Shallowing Theology And The Church Growth Movement Series

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Jul 16, 2025

We live in an age where worship teams rival pop bands, and the Sunday sermon has been carefully distilled into a 28-minute TED Talk with a side of Scripture. But beneath the gloss of production and the metrics lurks a growing hollowness.

Spiritual Sleepiness: Shallowing Theology and the Church Growth Movement July 13, 2025 Dr. Bradford Reaves Crossway Christian Fellowship 2 Peter 2:1-3, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, Revelation 3:14-16, 2 Peter 1:5-8 Introduction: Navigating The Fog of Modern Faith On September 1, 1983, Korean Air Flight 007 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1-3, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, Revelation 3:14-16, 2 Peter 1:5-8

Denomination: Brethren

Extraordinary—ordinary People.

Contributed by Howard Strickland on Sep 26, 2021

Can you picture the prophet Elijah driving on Red Bud Road or Hwy. 53? Can you see him in line at McDonald's, ordering a Big Mac and french fries? Rather hard to imagine, isn't it?

Extraordinary—Ordinary People. James 5:17-18TPT. Can you picture the prophet Elijah driving on Red Bud Road or Hwy. 53? Can you see him in line at McDonald's, ordering a Big Mac and french fries? Rather hard to imagine, isn't it? Yet, James says that "Elijah was a man just like ...read more

Scripture: James 5:17-18, Romans 12:1-2

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Source Of Our Strength

Contributed by David Henderson on Aug 6, 2018

The Joy of the Lord is our strength. In this message we look at how to find it again.

“The Source of our Strength” Nehemiah 8:1-10 So we come to our final message in this 7 week series on Biblical leadership. And I hope that you have gained some new insights on this topic. For me, in these 7 weeks God has shown me at least 7 big truths and I want to briefly remind you of these as ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Another Essential Christmas

Contributed by John Huyser on Jan 3, 2023

Compared to the other Gospels, John's version of the Christmas story is far more cosmic in scope and captures much of the Old Testament anticipation.

Building the day after Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, the pending arrival of Christmas marks the start of a marathon. By the time December 25, Christmas Day, rolls around, Christmas Day, the finish line is in sight. Except this year, a well-timed blizzard forced us to pause. The ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Watch Your Mouth (Pt 1) Series

Contributed by Delray Lentz on Oct 13, 2025

Did you see something new in God’s word this past week? See a familiar passage with new eyes? See the same passage more than once in last week, from different sources?

Superbowl 37 FedEx commercial spoof of Castaway. If you recall, Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker whose company plane went down, stranding him on a desert for years. The commercial portrayed a frazzled Hanks in the movie. The FedEx employee goes to door of suburban home, package in hand. Lady answers ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 11:13, James 3:1-12

Wiscdom 101

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jan 30, 2026

The book of Proverbs does not guarantee a stress-free life. But If you listen to God's Word, and do your best to make God-honoring choices at every step of the way, you will get out on the other side without having lost your sanity, your self-respect, or your soul.

How many of you know how to play basketball? Not how many are good at it, but know more or less how it works: one ball, five players on a team, two nets, one at either end of the field. When you go out there to play, you have a rough idea of what’s going on, right? How would you feel if you went ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Choices

Contributed by Troy Campbell on Oct 6, 2011

The Bible tells us that there are two masters. But in Luke 16 it tells us that you cannot serve two masters. You must choose to serve the Lord with all your heart, or you choose to serve the devil. The Bible also tells us that there are two roads, but

Title: Choices Text: Matthew 6:24 This portion of Scripture talks about the valley of decision. Every person enters a time in their life when they must make a decision. Sooner or later a person must make a choice – the way he should go and the life that he should live. The Bible tells ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24

Denomination: Pentecostal

Jerusalem Looms Ahead Series

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Feb 23, 2015

If we try to be great in some other way than by becoming a servant, we'll lose whatever greatness we achieve. Only by becoming a slave of all, will we achieve greatness in God's Kingdom. The result is a life of following Jesus along the road to the cross

I got a new pair of glasses this week. Not my everyday glasses. These are ones that are made so I can see what's on my computer screen without ending up with a cricked neck. They're fantastic. They make the characters on the screen look perfectly in focus. They just have one drawback. If I forget ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:32-52

Denomination: Anglican