Sermons on Stay Close:

Am I Ready To Die Today?

Contributed by T. Michael Crews on Dec 2, 2006

An Exposition of 1 Sam. 31

Am I Ready to Die Today? 1 Sam. 31 Author H. B. London writes in his newsletter to pastors: More than 300 people were aboard Air France flight #358 when it came to a stop about 220 yards beyond the end of the runway in Toronto [this past] Tuesday {Aug. 2, 2005.] Miraculously, no one died in the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 31:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Finish Well Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jul 22, 2011

If we want to finish well, then we must love deeply. That means we must pursue reconciliation, reach out to strangers, and serve each other with the gifts and strength God abundantly and extravagantly provides to every believer.

There has been a lot of talk about the end of the world lately. Harold Camping is still predicting the end of the world on October 21, 2011, even though his predictions about the rapture of the church did not come true on May 21, 2011. Others are saying that the end of the world will come on ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:7-11

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Toys Or Joys?

Contributed by Joseph Stapleton on Jul 14, 2011

A man is not the sum of what he gathers, it is not abou what you have but who you know. Do you know the one that provides ALL things?

TOYS OR JOYS? (All my sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted.) So many times I have heard people say “the one that dies with the most toys wins” as if gathering material possessions here on earth is what life is all ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:4

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Prayer Keys - For The Glory Of God Series

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Jul 19, 2011

Everything we do is to be for the glory of God. Whether we eat or drink or worship or evangelize or pray or work or play, it is to be for the glory of God. For the glory of God is a pure motive for prayer. James 4:3 warns about asking with wrong motives.

For the Glory of God “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” I Cor. 10:31 Do you ever get those e-mail quizzes that go around? Most of them are about trivial things. How well would you do on this four question trivia quiz: 1. Who was the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

Denomination: Baptist

Courageous

Contributed by Allen Calkins on Jan 20, 2012

Joshua 1:6-9 calls us to be more Courageous 1) At home, 2) At work and school and 3) In the world. (to expand on the themes of the movie "Courageous")

Courageous Joshua 1:6-9 INTRODUCTION This past Friday, September 30th, the latest Sherwood Baptist movie project, Courageous, opened at area theatres all around St. Louis and across the nation. I received a Facebook message from FBC, Wright City Pastor Chad Hodges about going to the movie on ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Tongues Need To Be Interpreted Series

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Jan 22, 2012

In today's lesson we learn that only tongues that are understandable build up the church.

Scripture We continue our study in The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians in a series I am calling Challenges Christians Face. One of the challenges that Christians face is the issue of spiritual gifts. Let’s learn more about that in a message I am calling, “Tongues Need to Be ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:6-19

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Most Expensive Meal In History Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 22, 2012

Adam and Eve ate one of the most expensive meals in history. Why did they do it? And was there a more expensive meal than that one?

OPEN: A few years back George Beane of Palmdale, California, stopped at a local Burger King and ordered 4 sandwiches at the drive-through window. Total cost of his bill: $4.33. However, when he handed the girl at the drive up window his debit card she absent mindedly punched in the numbers ... and ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Claiming To Have Faith Series

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Jan 23, 2012

What God is telling us about true faith versus claiming to have faith. 1- Faith demonstrates good 2- Faith believes in God 3- Faith produces righteousness

INTRO.- ILL.- A guy was coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. (You know. The preacher’s job is to: shake them in, shake them up, and shake them out!) Well, he grabbed the guy by the hand and pulled him aside. The preacher ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Once Saved Always Saved?

Contributed by John Gaston on Feb 6, 2012

No doctrine, if true, should contradict other Scripture texts. "Once Saved Always Saved" is a teaching which, on the surface, seems to be scriptural, but if it is rigorously compared to a broad spectrum of Scriptures, it becomes clear that it violates a g

ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED? Proponents of “Once Saved Always Saved” teach that once a person has been converted, “all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger" (theologian Sam Morris), even if he never repents those sins! They say that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21

Denomination: Assembly Of God

To Tithe Or Not To Tithe, There Is No Question

Contributed by Wayne Lawson on Feb 8, 2012

The word tithe comes from the Hebrew word which means ONE-TENTH. Literally, a tithe is one-tenth of anything. In the OT a tithe was more than just giving one-tenth of your money to God.

TITLE: TO TITHE OR NOT TO TITHE, THERE IS NO QUESTION SCRIPTURE: MALACHI 3:7-15 / I CORINTHIANS 16:1-2 We have an exciting month ahead of us as we look forward to celebrating – BLACK HISTORY MONTH. We are off to a wonderful start this morning with other great worship opportunities in ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:7-15

Denomination: Baptist

Make A Choice! Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Feb 13, 2012

The Bible is filled with calls for us to "make a decision." Choose whether our God, or the gods of this world are better... then live like what you believe. What does the world offer, and why can

OPEN: An evangelist in South Africa had a van with this sign on the side that said this: “Where will you spend eternity? Most people don’t decide till the 11th hour. Our service begins at 10:30.” That evangelist’s van was telling people that there was a “decision” to be made. It asked: Where ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:17-40

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Redefining Wealth Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

What is your relationship with money? More importantly, how does your money impact your relationship with God? In our Scripture today, Jesus gives us keys on redefining our understanding of money and the role that it plays in our lif

Redefining Wealth Matthew 6:19-33 A wealthy, older
gentleman had just recently married a lovely young lady 40 years younger than him, and was beginning to wonder whether she might have married
him for his money. So he asked her, "Tell me the truth: if I lost all my money, would you ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Unfavortism

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Feb 27, 2012

There’s a saying, ‘the clothes make the man’. Actually, that’s not true. Clothes don’t make the man; they make the opinion of the man. The stigma is that nicer looking, nicer dressed people are more important. And we see from the text today that things we

UNFAVORITISM James 2:1-13 INTRODUCTION: There’s a saying, ‘the clothes make the man’. Actually, that’s not true. Clothes don’t make the man; they make the opinion of the man. There’s a certain image that’s portrayed when someone is dressed nice. And ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-13

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Father In Law Knows Best

Contributed by Tom Conant on Mar 7, 2012

How Jethro's principle can help us structure for spiritual health (small groups).

Exodus 18:13-26 13And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 18:13-36

Denomination: Pentecostal

Just Deserts Series

Contributed by Perry Greene on Mar 8, 2012

Jewish people refer to themselves as "desert people" for their wanderings in the wilderness and their instruction there by the hand of God. We all have desert experiences which teach us the sweetness of God in trying times.

1. Story of the water pump in the desert There’s a legend about a man who was lost in the desert, dying of thirst. As he wandered in that terribly hot desert, he stumbled upon a dilapidated shack. There wasn’t much to it, but, at least, it would provide a little bit of shade and respite ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:1-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ