Sermons on Spiritual Fire:

Holiness Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 12, 2003

Holiness is the gift of an identity, appearing to be too good to be true, but received by accepting forgiveness.

Today’s message is framed by incidents provided by two church members. I will not be naming the players, but they have given me both the beginning and the ending of this message on holiness. The beginning: a few days ago one of you told me that you came to worship each Sunday so that you could ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:14-16

Denomination: Baptist

Playing Follow The Leader Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 18, 2003

Leaders must lead with truth instead of deception, with grace instead of power, and with unswerving commitment to the the least and the lost.

Several things prompt this message. First and foremost, I bring this message because I know that it is crucial to teach and re-teach our church’s vision. Everyone needs to understand what we are trying to do as a church. Just saying it once or twice does not get the story told. I want to ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7-19

Denomination: Baptist

The Birth Of Moses Has The Making Of A Movie Series

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Jun 19, 2003

how God preserved Moses through the Nile to save his people and how we have similar circumstances

June 22, 2003 Exodus 2:1-10 Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:1-10

Denomination: Lutheran

Ambassador

Contributed by Eric Bland on Jun 20, 2003

The necessity of being an ambasssador, being reconciled to and accepting Christ.

Ambassador Eric A. Bland Paul, a man that I admire very much, was a man that was willing to give up everything in order to serve our Lord and our God. He was willing to give up the uppity up lifestyle to subject himself unto God. And because he was willing to give up the world, God was able to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

I'm Not Perfect, But ... Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 21, 2003

We justify not being mature by claiming that we are just like everyone else, or that we are at least working on that goal. But our example is Jesus, who gathers up our incompleteness into Himself and shows us the way to mature.

When I first announced the title of this message, “I’m Not Perfect”, somebody was sharp enough to reply, “Yes, we’ve noticed, we’ve noticed.” Well, thanks a heap! Don’t you know by now that when I say something self-deprecating, you are supposed to shower me with compliments and bathe me in ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:1-10, Hebrews 2:1-18

Denomination: Baptist

Mixed Signals: Awesome And Owesome

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jun 21, 2003

A banner was posted with a misprint: owesome instead of awesome. But it is nonetheless true: we owe some love to one another, we owe some urgency to ourselves, and we owe some loyalty to Christ.

As some of our youth discovered last week, it is not as easy as it looks to preside over a worship service. It is not as easy as it looks, because you have to read signals. You start to do something, and someone in the back waves at you. Meanwhile, someone else on the front pew is ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:8-14

Denomination: Baptist

The Turning Of The Hearts Of The Fathers And The Children

Contributed by Abraham Shanklin on Jun 28, 2003

Welcome to Father’s Day 2003. This is a great day to reflect on being a father, having a father, or being a witness to the value of a father in the life of children whether you had a father or not.

The Turning of the Hearts of the Fathers and the Children Scripture Reference: Malachi 4:5 – 6 Introduction Welcome to Father’s Day 2003. This is a great day to reflect on being a father, having a father, or being a witness to the value of a father in the life of children whether you had a father ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:5

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grow Up And Be Like A Child!

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Jun 30, 2003

As we mature in Christ, we will necessarily become more like little children.

Several mornings this week, I stationed myself on the sidewalk in front of the church to welcome the children as they arrived for Vacation Bible School. I loved seeing them troop up the front steps, clutching their dimes and quarters for the offering. Sometimes, I would sneak up in the balcony and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-4

Denomination: Baptist

Information Overload Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 3, 2003

We have so much knowledge, but we do not know how to use it. A reverent relationship to God readies us to respond when we lack courage, reinforces righteousness when we are doubtful, and retains reticence when we are tempted to say more than we understan

Only a few years ago, we replaced the old office computer. It was a dual-floppy drive type, if that means anything to you. We decided that we would get a newer computer, the kind with a hard drive on it, so that we could not only do word processing (for the uninitiated, that just means typing, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-7, Proverbs 1:1-17

Denomination: Baptist

Are You Positive You Are Not Positive? Series

Contributed by Carolyn Malaika Foster-Brooks on Jul 3, 2003

This sermon is the first in the Christian Education Series: BAD CHOICES=FATAL MISTAKES which is targeted to African American women in the rural south specifically! HIV IS A KILLER IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED!!!

Evangelist Carolyn Malaika Foster-Brooks The Ministry of S.A.R.A.H. (serenity*atonement*restoration & healing) Lyons, GA. Pt. 1 of a series:BAD CHOICES=FATAL MISTAKES July 2003 PRAYER: Father God, Thank you for Your Divine guidance in directing me on a subject that our ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:21-26

Denomination: Baptist

Boasting In The Greatness Of God

Contributed by Kevin Higgins on Jul 5, 2003

Believers have great reason to boast in God.

Psalm 44:8 Boasting in the Greatness of God Introduction There is a wonderful song in our hymnal that I would like for you to find and read with me. It is Hymn #122, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name. As we read use your imagination as you picture the angels falling prostrate or all the redeemed ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 44:8

Denomination: Baptist

Available For Liberation Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 5, 2003

When God called Moses to the task of liberating a people, Moses felt self-doubt, uncertainty about God, and unreadiness. Actually these are positive values that will lead us as American Christians to take our place in the world.

How do you feel about eager volunteers? What’s your reaction to the kind of person who is always ready to step up to the plate and take a swing at some issue? How do you really feel about those who quickly volunteer when something needs to be done? Maybe you remember what it was like to ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-14, Exodus 4:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

Yearning To Breathe Free

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jul 14, 2003

We yearn to be free. In Christ we can be transformed from a slave mentality, we can become agents of liberation, and we can come forth from self-imposed bondages. For Transfiguration Sunday and for Black History Month; uses poems (not replicated here)

The plan of God is that all should be free. All free. Free from the things that keep us from what God intends us to be. Free from oppression, free from hostility. Most of all, free from sin and death. That is the ultimate plan of God. We who have yearned to breathe free have not been ...read more

Scripture: John 11:38-44, Ecclesiastes 3:10

Denomination: Baptist

Will The Real Mothers Please Stand Up?!

Contributed by Ken Alford on Nov 29, 2002

(3) In one of the defining moments of the reign of Solomon, the wise king had to identify the real mother in a very tricky dispute over a living child. He got the real mother to identify herself by forcing her to take a stand. When she stood up for her

INTRODUCTION: (1) Today, all over the world, people are celebrating Mother’s Day. If it is not today, almost everywhere, there is a day like it somewhere in the calendar. A youth pastors list on the internet surveyed its international readers about Mother’s Day to discover if it existed and when ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 3:16-21

Denomination: Baptist

Responses To Christ (Mas)

Contributed by Neil Olcott on Dec 6, 2002

Lessons from Jesus about responses we can expect as we communicate the true Jesus of Christmas.

Date: Dec. 8th, 2002 Title: Responses to Christ (mas) Bible Text: Luke 4:16-30 Subject: Complement: Main Idea: Intro: Have you ever experienced a Christmas where one of your children is ripping through their presents and they open one from grandma only to find of all things! ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:16-30

Denomination: Baptist