Sermons on Spiritual Sandpaper:

Why Bother With Church? Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 4, 2021

The church is more important that you think.

The Barna Group reports that about 10 million self-proclaimed born-again Christians have not been in church the last six months. Nearly all of these 10 million people say their faith is important to them, but their spiritual life has nothing to do with church. Bono, lead singer for the rock group ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

Worship - Satisfy Yourself Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 4, 2021

You had enjoyed food and friendships and being productive and investments and vacations and hobbies and reading and shopping and sports and TV and travel … but not God.

Today, we launch a new series, Seven Practices of a Healthy Christian. This series fits nicely after talking through Creed for the summer. First, we discussed our creed and now our deeds. Beliefs always precede our behavior. You can find today’s sermon notes on YouVersion and go to “Live event.” ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 28:47-48, Psalm 63:8, Psalm 63:1-5, Psalm 34:8, Habakkuk 1:14-17, Matthew 22:37-38, Psalm 37:4, 1 Corinthians 16:22, Habakkuk 3:17-19  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Story Of Stephen Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 9, 2021

When Stephen was being condemned on earth, he knew he was being commended by the true courtroom of heaven. When no one on earth spoke up for Stephen, you can be sure Someone in Heaven did.

We resume our yearlong study of the book of Acts today. Acts is a bridge book. It is a bridge between the Gospels, which describe the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and the letters, which unfold the life and nature of the church. And in the early part of Acts, we are introduced to five brief ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Greed Or Need: Keeping Up With The Jones Series

Contributed by Scott Maze on Jun 12, 2021

Keeping Up with the Jones is an American saying that simply means when you use your friends or neighbors as a benchmark for success. Oftentimes, we look across the street or inside our social circle and become dissatisfied with our lives because we don’t have the same financial success.

What do you think of when you think of Dallas? For many, Dallas will be connected to the iconic J.R. Ewing who appeared in the famous March 1980 Who Shot J.R. episode and an estimated 83 million people wondered and watched the famous “Dallas” oilman. In the minds of many, the Dallas brand has been ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:13-21, 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Denomination: Baptist

The Great Supper Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 26, 2021

The story begins with a great supper prepared, and many guests are invited. It is agreed by all that this represents God's invitation to enter His kingdom.

An ancient Eastern story tells about a prince who fell in love with a very beautiful girl. All of the people rejoiced to see them united in marriage. The whole life of the prince revolved around this girl of rare beauty, but one day she sickened and died. So great was his grief that he became ill ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:15-24

The Spirit Of Divine Holiness

Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Mar 27, 2021

Divine holiness is that chief nature which God himself is. Particularly, God the Father. Divine holiness is who God is, fundamentally.

“If borne on a burning seraph’s wings I could rise to the Heaven of Heavens, and, like it’s holy inhabitants be allowed to enter the holy of holies where Jehovah especially manifests his glory; and if, prostrate before that Throne, with all reverence I should ask the question: “What is the first ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 4:8

Denomination: Salvation Army

Jesus Is A King Like No Other.

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Mar 28, 2021

'Jesus is a king like no other' - Matthew chapter 21 verses 1-11 by Gordon Curley (PowerPoint slides to accompany this talk are available on request – email: gcurley@gcurley.info)

SERMON OUTLINE: (1). This King is a different kind of king (vs 1-9). (2). This King knows who He was and who He is (vs 10-11). (3). This King came as part of a master strategy (vs 4-5). (4). This king demands your response (vs 5) SERMON BODY: Ill: • A story is told of an ancient king out ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

Denomination: Brethren

The Third Choice Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 29, 2021

The choice is not, either nothing is changed, or everything is changed. There is a third choice he spells out, and it is the choice of balance, where you change some things and leave others unchanged for the sake of stability.

Hubert Humphry's father was a druggist in a small town in South Dakota. He had to come up with a way to increase profits at his soda fountain. He began to push the idea of putting an egg in his malts to enrich them. Nobody was ordering the new malt, so told his clerks to ask people if ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

The Gospel And The Body Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 29, 2021

When Paul preached to the Greeks in Athens about the resurrection of the dead, they mocked him. The idea of the body being raised was folly to the Greeks.

Captain James Saunders of the U. S. Navy taught a graduate class on the principles of agreement. As a demonstration, he would give each member of the class a piece of white paper, and ask them to chew it. The paper had been treated with a chemical called phenylthiocarbimide. Some reported that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-12

The Love Of Money Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 30, 2021

It is plain to see that money is an easy god to love, and the worshipper of it can easily win converts to it. It is likely the most popular of all the religions of the world, even though it is never listed among the world religions.

When a Mr. Blodgett won 25 thousand dollars on a TV program the master of ceremonies asked him what he was going to do with the money. He replied, "It will probably all go to charity." The audience broke into a tremendous round of applause while the band played for he's a jolly good ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

How Can I Be Sure? Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 31, 2021

Dealing with the exclusiveness of Jesus as the only way to salvation

Question to be asked: This question is really important to me. I’m wondering how you can be so confident that our way is the right way. With all the different religions in the world, all the different ways of interpreting the Bible, how can we be sure that we have the right way? Or does it even ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:41-42, Matthew 13:44-46

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Christian Mind Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

We need to be constantly asking ourselves how our thinking on any issue is uniquely Christian. We need to ask, can a good pagan without Christ, and without revelation think the same as I do? If so, what does Christianity have to say on the issue that is of any unique value?

The first fly said to the second fly, "Human beings are funny aren't they?" "Why do you say that," responded the second fly?" "Well," said the first, "they spend a pile of money building a beautiful ceiling, and then always walk on the floor." From ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2

A New Song Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 5, 2021

God is infinite, and therefore, only infinite creativity is worthy of Him, and adequate to glorify His name. It is also essential to keep joy alive in the worshipper. Variety is the spice of life, and a new song is like a tonic that lifts and enables us to feel afresh the love that is always there.

It is easy for us to do what the psalmist urges us to do, "Sing to the Lord a new song." The number of new songs to sing today is enormous. Back in 1891 Dr. Julian in his famous Dictionary of Hymnology examined four hundred thousand hymns, and he did not cover them all. There are, ...read more

Fun Is Fundamental Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 6, 2021

If Christianity is not fun it is not pleasing to God nor man. We too often think fun and play is a secular side of life. It is good for a break until we get back to the important and serious stuff of life. This concept is too bad for it leads Christians to not take fun seriously.

Geography students after traveling around the world by books were asked to list what they considered the seven wonders of the world. It was a hard decision but such things as Egypts Great Pyramids, The Taj Mahal, The Grand Canyon, and The Great Wall of China, were getting a lot of votes. The ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 8:1-19

The Temptation Of Pleasing People Series

Contributed by Stephen Aram on Apr 11, 2021

When we start out wanting to serve God it is so easy to get distracted by what will please the people around us. But we have to choose one or the other, please God or please people.

I had quite a dream last night. Spring training hasn’t even started yet, but in my dream I saw the final game of the 2007 World Series. It was in Wrigley Field. The Cubs were winning in the bottom of the 9th. Two outs, bases loaded. Kerry Woods is on the mound, looking to cap a phenomenal ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13