Sermons on Stephens Preaching:

Lesson 49: Preach With Balance Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 9, 2018

How can we teach our congregations to balance Christian essentials with non-essentials? How can we overcome bigotry on non-essential doctrines, while still maintaining our preference.

Lesson Goal Introduce some basic elements of balanced preaching. Lesson Intro In Acts 20:27 Paul informs the the church of God in Ephesus that he had preached to them the whole counsel of God. Most preachers that do not have a structured annual preaching plan are guilty of over-preaching their ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lesson 50: Preach The Gospel Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 10, 2018

Preach Jesus, the Good News, evangelistic preaching from every part of the Bible.

Lesson Goal I want to encourage the preaching of Jesus, the gospel, evangelistic preaching from every part of the Bible. Lesson Intro Our planet is bombarded by dozens of important messages. Reversing dangerous global climate change is a message that is very prominent. Saying no to drugs is an ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lesson 51: Preach Impromptu Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 13, 2018

Occasionally a preacher is required to give a sermon with only a few minutes notice and completely without preparation. Here's how to do it.

Lesson Goal Learn how to preach without notice. Lesson Intro 2 Timothy 4:2 tells preachers to always be ready to give a sermon. There comes a time when you will show up at a church service only to be asked to pinch hit for someone else who had been scheduled to speak. Perhaps you are on vacation ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lesson 52: Gourmet Preaching Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on May 14, 2018

Preaching lessons from the best sermon ever given, the Sermon on the Mount.

Lesson Goal In this lesson I hope to teach some features of a rich sermon gleaned from the greatest sermon of all time, the Sermon on the Mount for a sermon filled with splendid content. Lesson Intro Have you ever sat through one of those sermons where you wished you could remember every line, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

We Preach Christ Not Ourselves

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 1, 2018

How are we to understand the New Testament? Are some of its instructions now irrelevant to us? Should we preach ourselves, our denomination, or popular opinion which contradicts the New Testament?

Prelude How are we to understand the New Testament? Are some of its instructions now irrelevant to us? Should we preach ourselves, our denomination, or popular opinion which contradicts the New Testament? Purpose: Let’s examine the popular notion that we can ignore or reinterpret clear New ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Denomination: Baptist

Answer Three: Sound Preaching Series

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Apr 9, 2015

The Corinthian church was deeply divided. Two of the issues dividing it were a dispute over what kind of preacher should fill their pulpit, and which former minister had contributed the most to their church. This same problem exists today.

To recap, a letter was written from the Corinthians to Paul and telling him about how divided their church was becoming. Paul answers that letter and we have it recorded as the book of 1 Corinthians. Paul offers them 11 answers to their division problem. The first answer was the cross. If the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Denomination: Baptist

Why I Preach The Cross

Contributed by Douglas Phillips on Apr 23, 2017

I WANT TO SUGGEST TO YOU TODAY THAT THERE IS ONE RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. WE CAN HAVE FULL ASSURANCE OF THE FUTURE BASED ON THE CROSS OF CHRIST. HE DOESN’T WANT US TO LIVE IN FEAR ABOUT THE FUTURE.

WHY I PREACH THE CROSS 1 CORINTHIANS 1:17-2:5 THERE IS A STORY ABOUT A LITTLE GIRL WHO PROUDLY WORE A SHINY CROSS ON A CHAIN AROUND HER NECK. ONE DAY SHE WAS APPROACHED BY A MAN WHO SAID TO HER, “LITTLE GIRL, DON’T YOU KNOW THAT THE CROSS JESUS DIED ON WASN’T BEAUTIFUL LIKE THE ONE YOU’RE ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Preach What The Word Says Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 13, 2016

understand the meaning of the words we read

Thursday of 19th Week in Course Today’s Scriptures illustrate almost perfectly the next topic on preaching or witnessing that the Holy Father relates in the encyclical “the Joy of the Gospel.” It has to do with how we read the sacred text: ‘we need to be sure that we ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

Denomination: Catholic

Christ's Preaching: To Spirits In Prison

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Oct 9, 2018

To establish that Peter’s discussion of this great event occurred when Noah was building the Ark; during 120 years which culminated by the flood. It was Christ’s Spirit in Noah, that preached to the disobedient people refusing to obtain safety in the Ark; where Noah and his house was saved by God.

INTRODUCTION Outline. 1. Christ Preached: Through Righteous Noah 2. Christ Preached: To the Disobedient 3. Christ Preached: To the Spirits in Prison Remarks. 1. In our lesson today we are going to be discussing the theme: “Christ's Preaching: to spirits in prison.” This theme has encouraged many ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:18-22, 2 Peter 2:5, Hebrews 11:7

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sharing The Father's Embrace In Preaching Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jul 26, 2015

The two sources of the scribe versed in the kingdom of God are Moses and Jesus

Thursday of 17th week in course 2015 Joy of the Gospel “Every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” We need to see the revolutionary idea in this short and familiar quotation of Jesus. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:47-53

Denomination: Catholic

Lesson 2: Preach A Text Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 27, 2018

The Bible is the most important basis of preaching. How do we preach a text of Holy Scripture?

What’s our Goal Let’s emphasize the importance of Bible-based preaching. What’s the Idea The modern idea that the Bible is not the Word of God but only contains the Word of God is very narrow and inadequate. Granted, there is no verse in the Bible which calls everything from Genesis to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lesson 8: Preach For Application Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 7, 2018

Making our sermons relevant and practical

Lesson Goal The purpose of this lesson is to help us always make our sermons relevant for daily use and our congregations doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22). Lesson Intro There is nothing worse than hearing a pie in the sky, unrealistic sermon from a young preacher who has no ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lesson 13: Preach A Springboard Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 19, 2018

How to springboard without slipping

(The Textual Topic or Topical Text) Lesson Goal Preach a sermon that appropriately uses a single text as a springboard to discuss a broader topic. Lesson Intro As with the biblical topic sermon, some topics are not covered completely within one text. Lesson Plan We will discuss how to use a ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lesson 19: Preach A Doctrine Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 26, 2018

How to preach a doctrinal sermon

Lesson Goal This lesson is designed to encourage preachers to teach an occasional doctrinal or theological sermon. Lesson Intro Too many people today have gotten the idea that doctrine is not important. Yet, that kind of statement is itself a doctrine. How do you tell a counterfeit note? Any ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Lesson 22: Innovative Preaching Series

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 30, 2018

Preach the timeless Gospel with modern techniques

Lesson Goal This lesson is designed to encourage preachers to be innovative and culturally relevant, to be a Greek to the Greek (1 Corinthians 9:20). Lesson Intro Jesus' preaching was innovative and different than the usual preaching in the synagogues of his day. Throughout church history art ...read more

Denomination: Baptist