Sermons on Stephens Sermon:

Sermon On Resilience

Contributed by William Meakin on Aug 22, 2022

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.

Jagadish “Jaggi” Vasudev, better known by the honorific title “Sadhguru,” an Indian yoga guru and proponent of spirituality once remarked: “Once in a way, something may go wrong in your life. But if your mind and your energies are focused on beating yourself up, it will become a series of ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:13, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Sermon On Bitterness

Contributed by William Meakin on Sep 7, 2022

Bitterness is defined as anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly.

Jagadish “Jaggi” Vasudev, better known by the honorific title “Sadhguru,” an Indian yoga guru and proponent of spirituality once remarked: “To forgive does not mean to forget. To forgive means not to carry any bitterness in you, because that destroys your life.” Ephesians 4:31-32 reminds us: “Let ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:23, Romans 3:14, Matthew 6:14-15, Job 7:11

Sermon On Change

Contributed by William Meakin on Oct 5, 2022

Change is defined as to make someone or something different.

Sydney J. Harris, an American journalist once remarked: “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.” James 1:17 confirms: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:51, Jeremiah 29:11, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Deuteronomy 31:6

Sermon On Motivation

Contributed by William Meakin on Jul 20, 2023

Motivation is defined as a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way.

Taylor Swift, an American singer-songwriter once remarked: "I just want you to know that if you are out there and you are being really hard on yourself right now for something that has happened ... it's normal. That is what is going to happen to you in life. No one gets through unscathed. ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:23, Matthew 19:26, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 12:11

Sermon On Perseverance

Contributed by William Meakin on Aug 18, 2023

Perseverance is defined as doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Denis Waitley, an American motivational speaker once remarked: “Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” Proverbs 24:16 ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:36, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 4:13, Isaiah 41:10

Sermon On Materialism

Contributed by William Meakin on Aug 24, 2023

Materialism is defined as a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.

Nancy Pearcey, an American author once remarked: “When a person accepts materialism as a life philosophy, its effects do not stay neatly contained within the mental realm. It leads to destructive personal behavior and harmful public consequences.” Luke 12:15 reminds us: And he said to them, “Take ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:16, Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 6:19-21, Luke 12:33-34

Sermon On Collegiality

Contributed by William Meakin on Sep 15, 2023

Collegiality is defined as the relationship between colleagues. It may include companionship and cooperation.

Deepak Chopra, an Indian-American writer once remarked: "Whatever relationships you have attracted in your life at this moment, are precisely the ones you need in your life at this moment. There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution." ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12, 1 Peter 2:17, James 5:16, Titus 2:7

Sermon On Autumn

Contributed by William Meakin on Sep 20, 2023

Autumn is defined as the season after summer and before winter, in the northern hemisphere from September to November, and in the southern hemisphere from March to May.

Margaret Elizabeth Sangster, an American poet, author and editor once remarked: "Spring is beautiful, and summer is perfect for vacations, but autumn brings a longing to get away from the unreal things of life, out into the forest at night with a campfire and the rustling leaves." James ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9, Psalm 23:4, 2 Corinthians 9:10, Psalm 104:19

Sermon On Egalitarianism

Contributed by William Meakin on Feb 4, 2022

Egalitarianism is defined as "A belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs."

Brad Miner, an American author once remarked: “The egalitarianism that is the most offensive is the notion, whether embodied in opinion or law, that every way of behaving is as good as any other and that the man who stands apart by reason of his dignity, restraint, and discernment is somehow an ...read more

Scripture: John 13:16, Proverbs 22:2, Acts 10:34-35, Philippians 2:3

Sermon On The Plain

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Feb 10, 2022

Have you noticed that Jesus often contradicts popular ideas, because He taught us to worship God also with our minds? Perhaps He gave the Sermon on the Plain after the Sermon on the Mount. It contains some contrasting thoughts. Let’s look at Luke 6:17-26.

Prelude Have you noticed that Jesus often contradicts popular ideas, because He taught us to worship God also with our minds? Perhaps He gave the Sermon on the Plain after the Sermon on the Mount. It contains some contrasting thoughts. Let’s look at Luke 6:17-26. A Level Plain “And He came down ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:17-26

Denomination: Baptist

Sermon On Subterfuge

Contributed by William Meakin on Feb 17, 2022

Subterfuge is defined as deceit used to achieve one's goal.

Antoine Rivarol, a French author of maxims, once remarked: “Wrong is wrong; no fallacy can hide it, no subterfuge cover it so shrewdly but that the All-Seeing One will discover and punish it.” Psalm 101:7 reminds us: “No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 6:16-19, Proverbs 20:17, Proverbs 26:24-26, Psalm 120:2

Sermon On Addiction

Contributed by William Meakin on Mar 11, 2022

Addiction is defined as the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance or activity.

Wayne Gerard Trotman, a Trinidadian-British author once remarked: “Happiness is not to be found at the bottom of a bottle or from the tip of a needle; it is not to be found amidst a cloud of smoke or within a sugar-coated pill. If you look for it in these places, you will find naught but despair.” ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 15:33, 1 Peter 2:11, Matthew 6:13

Sermon On Repentance

Contributed by William Meakin on Mar 14, 2022

Some people in life bitterly regret certain remarks or actions after the event.

Thomas Merton, an American Trappist monk, writer and theologian once remarked: “God does not demand that every man attain to what is theoretically highest and best. It is better to be a good street sweeper than a bad writer, better to be a good bartender than a bad doctor, and the repentant thief ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9, Acts 17:30, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Matthew 3:8

Sermon On Reciprocity

Contributed by William Meakin on Nov 27, 2022

Reciprocity is defined as the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit.

Erik Pevernagie, a Belgian painter and writer once remarked: “While we are threading our way through the vagaries of life, our shortage of reciprocity and solidarity may corner us into breaches of culpability. We can eschew this and kindle a dream of universalism that does not impose itself but ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9, Philippians 2:4, Hebrews 13:16, 1 John 3:17

Sermon On Success

Contributed by William Meakin on Apr 21, 2024

Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.

Saint Clement of Alexandria, a Greek theologian and philosopher once remarked: “... So then, you rich who have wisdom, apply yourselves to this business... Why let yourselves be transfixed by diamonds and emeralds, by houses that fire devours, time destroys, or earthquakes throw down? Aspire for ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 4:13, Proverbs 3:1-4, James 4:10