Sermons on sparks:

Deficiencies That Need Healing By The Gospel Of Joy Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 21, 2015

Both Christian and secular cultures will benefit by understanding the Joy of the Gospel, but the Church must approach different cultures with respect.

Thursday of the First Week in Lent Joy of the Gospel Today we hear from Jesus a restatement of the Golden Rule: “whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” And this is Torah, this is the prophetic message. We want people to treat ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-12

Denomination: Catholic

Free To Serve, Or Not Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 14, 2015

We will be judged on our service to the poor--but do our social systems make it easy or difficult to do so?

Thursday of 33rd week in course 2015 Joy of the Gospel Two things tie our Scriptures together today. The obvious one is that they are texts written in or about a time of injustice and disaster. In the first reading, the Syrian king Antiochus IV has decreed that all his subjects would act like ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:41-44

Denomination: Catholic

Community And Companionship Series

Contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn on Oct 5, 2015

We have been created for relationships. Adam and Eve were to till the garden and be companions for each other.

Genesis 2:4b-25 “Community and Companionship” INTRODUCTION We just celebrated the groundbreaking for our worship and community center. It was a great day for us—an historic event. In constructing the worship and community center, we are communicating who we are and what we ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:4-25

Denomination: Lutheran

The Good Gift Series

Contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn on Apr 10, 2016

Peter doesn't have any money to give to the beggar, but Peter does heal him and the man is able to walk.

Acts 3:1-10 “The Good Gift” INTRODUCTION The writer of the Gospel of Mark understood that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus was, “The Beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ the Son of God.” Jesus’ walk on earth was the first chapter. Following this ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:1-10

Denomination: Lutheran

A Moral Analysis Of Physician Assisted Suicide

Contributed by Frederick Meekins on Aug 18, 2014

A Moral Analysis Of Physician Assisted Suicide

It is often difficult to judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. As such, one of the most challenging situations imaginable would be for someone in optimal health to counsel the terminally ill as to the proper response to legal physician-assisted suicide. In this contentious ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:27

Denomination: Independent/Bible

How Good It Feels To Come Back To Him Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 23, 2014

In St. Augustine we see the paradigm of the sinner become saint.

Feast of St. Augustine 2014 Evangelii Gaudium As we begin our reflections on Pope Francis’s exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, we happily find the cosmic convergence of these greetings from St. Paul to the Corinthians and the words of St. Matthew’s Gospel with the annual commemoration of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Denomination: Catholic

Christian Character Of Stephen The Martyr

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Dec 10, 2013

The would-be servant of God, whether waiting at table, ushering at the door, distributing to the poor, or preaching the gospel, must be of a blameless character and reputation.

THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER OF STEPHEN THE MARTYR. Acts 6:1-15. It is interesting to commemorate one particular saint who gave his name to a Street, a Road, a Church, and a bench (!) in Norwich, and I dare say in other cities too. Stephen is rightly acknowledged as the first Christian martyr, a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:1-15

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Emotions In Prayer

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 23, 2017

There may be souls of spiritual depth who presume in themselves a meager capacity for prayer because they find interior silence unachievable.

“Clearly, then, the idea we have of God can make prayer difficult, if not impossible. We block our way to God by every wrong notion of God. That can happen if we dwell too much on God’s transcendent mystery, if we look upon him as distant and remote, as a God without eyes. A God unavailable to our ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

7 Nature Of Man – Soul:emotions - Hindrances : Anger, Fear, Sadness, Disgust, Contempt Series

Contributed by Louis Posthauer on Jul 22, 2022

Sin (and iniquity) is the disease all men experience. The symptoms of that disease in the emotions are summarized as the destructive emotions listed above. Anger and other destructive emotional attitudes can keep us separated from God.

Sin (and iniquity) is the disease all men experience. The symptoms of that disease in the emotions are summarized as the destructive emotions listed above. Anger and other destructive emotional attitudes can keep us separated from God. Definitions: Emotions are lower level responses(autonomic) ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:26-32, Galatians 5:19-21

Your Heart Condition Before God Series

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Apr 9, 2022

It is your heart that determines your usability. Maybe you are not the obvious choice for some position. The lesser known man who has the heart of God prevailed in the case of David. God’s principle remains the same.

When God looks at you He does not see your height or weight or any warts or blemishes. God sees your heart and He sees you for your heart. How pure is your heart before God? This is the story of the anointing of David, the king of Israel. The setting begins with King Saul. Saul took leadership ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

"process Of Healing" Series

Contributed by Fr. Kumud Nayak on Jan 16, 2021

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, "if you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, " I do will it. be made clean". Mk. 1: 40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, "if you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, " I do will it. be made clean". Mk. 1: 40-45 "Process of Healing" To understand the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:40-45

Can God Forgive A Murderer And Gravity Of Deadly Sins. Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on May 18, 2024

Murder, the taking of an innocent life, is considered one of the most heinous crimes in human society.

Murder, the taking of an innocent life, is considered one of the most heinous crimes in human society. It is a violation of the most fundamental human right – the right to life. But can God forgive a murderer? This question has sparked debate and discussion among theologians, religious leaders, and ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:17, 2 Samuel 12:13

Justification PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Mar 12, 2024

This sermon explores Romans 8, emphasizing faith, divine love, and hope as pathways to understanding God's promises and living a Spirit-led life.

Welcome, beloved, to another blessed gathering where we are privileged to sit together at the feet of the Master, to learn, to grow, to be transformed. The scriptures are a treasure trove, a wellspring of wisdom, a map to the divine, and a mirror reflecting our true selves. And today, we turn the ...read more

Topics: Justification, Faith

How Negative Speech Can Have Devastating Consequences Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on Apr 27, 2025

When we speak negative, destructive words, we unleash a toxic force that can bring harm and devastation into our lives.

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Proverbs 18:21). This verse highlights the profound impact of our words on ourselves and those around us. When we speak negative, destructive words, we ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 18:21

Can Good People Love God? Series

Contributed by Dave Weidlich on Oct 8, 2002

It’s a well-known fact that Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost – the down-and-out. But what about the up-and-in? We are, and we live with, people who are not drug addicts, s and ex-cons. The folks we live with are highly educated, sophistic

Can Good People Love God? Rev. Dave Weidlich ~ Cooper Mountain Presbyterian Fellowship ~ Oct. 6, 2002 Read Zechariah 4:6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. In our Luke passage, we find two people ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 4:6, Luke 7:36-50

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed