Sermons on Strong City:

The Paradox Of Money Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 19, 2021

Paul says the love of money is the root of all evil, and Mark Twain said, the lack of money is the root of all evil. The one does not eliminate the other, for Twain's remark compliments Paul's.

Someone said, life is an everlasting struggle to keep money coming in, and teeth, hair, and vital organs from coming out. Few have known this better than General Ulysses S. Grant. He led the armies of the North to victory in the Civil War, and was twice elected president of the United States. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:3-10

Spirituality And Speed Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 22, 2021

God said, "Quick, leave Jerusalem immediately." God is usually not in a hurry, but in His dealings with Paul in this chapter, the name of the game is speed.

Jamie Buckingham has written 20 of the best Christian book of the past decade. And in one of them called The Last Word he tells of how, even for a Christian sometimes, everything can go rapidly wrong. He lived in a quiet country home, but it was one with an unusual water system. He had a cut off ...read more

Life Is Forever Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 25, 2021

Life is, because God is. Life is eternal, because God is eternal. Life is the foundation of all that is, for life was before all things.

From out of the files of the great Michelangelo comes the story of the young artist who labored long and tedious hours on the statue of an angel. When the time for its unvailing had finally come, the young artist hid himself in an inconspicuous spot and waited breathlessly for the response of the ...read more

Scripture: John 11:17-44

The War On Principles & The Hope In Our Worldview

Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Mar 26, 2021

We live in a culture where really, values are passe. You aren't allowed to have values.

We live in a culture where really, values are passe. You aren't allowed to have values. Morality, principles are scorned by the media, ignored by academia, dismissed in politics, and mocked by Hollywood. Especially for young people, if you have values your a loser. If you carry a Bible ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22-27

Denomination: Salvation Army

Acceptable Anger Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 27, 2021

Is it possible that we eliminate the vice of anger, but in so doing also eliminate the virtue of it? It is obviously not Christ like to be losing your temper and blasting people, and seeking revenge. But on the other hand, it is also not Christ like to never be angry at the forces of evil.

I had an awful temper as a child. When I was in first or second grade I broke a pool cue over the head of one of my brother's friends, and for years after I was reminded that I caused the scar on his forehead. My older brother came close to getting even worse. In one of our fights he picked ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:1-7

The Paradox Of Money Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 30, 2021

It is hard to say anything about money, either negative or positive, that cannot be demonstrated to be a valid statement.

Someone said, life is an everlasting struggle to keep money coming in, and teeth, hair, and vital organs from coming out. Few have known this better than General Ulysses S. Grant. He led the armies of the North to victory in the Civil War, and was twice elected president of the United States. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:3-10

Get Uncomfortable Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Mar 30, 2021

A challenge to not choose just what's easy in life but to pursue what God wants no matter what

How’s your bucket list? Remember, we’re dealing with some of the items the Bible teaches are important for us to tend to before we kick the bucket! That means investing in what matters, and figuring out what’s true. Today we add a new item. Remember also that we’re working on projects that will ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Discouraging Comfort Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

The book of Job makes clear that one of life's greatest tragedies is that believers do not comfort and encourage one another, but rather are often discouraging. That is what we see Job's friends being to him.

Emilie Lorning in her novel, Swift Waters, tells the story of a young single pastor who fell in love with a beautiful young woman in his congregation. She learned to play the chimes in the tower of the church, and when she learned the pastor's favorite hymn, she would play it frequently. ...read more

Joyful Saints Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 1, 2021

A saint is not determined by what they are, but by where they are. If they are in Christ, that is the bottom line. The degree of holiness varies tremendously, but all who are in Christ are equally saints.

Roger Fredricksen, a well-known pastor in my hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, wrote a book titled God Loves The Dandelions. In it he tells of how he and his wife Ruth were at a small cabin on the lake in Minnesota. They had just finished reading the book of Philippians with all its powerful ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:1-11

Bridging The Gap Or Christ In The Workplace Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 2, 2021

My struggle to bridge the gap between Sunday and Monday changed my whole perspective on life and made me a skeptical Christian. I mean this in a good sense. I became skeptical of easy and pat answers that Christians spout off that do not fit the reality of people's everyday lives.

I haven't always worn a suit to work. A couple of days after I married Lavonne I got my first job in working my way through college. It was at the John Morrell Meat Packing Plant In Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After a summer of that we went off to Bethel and I got a number of jobs. I worked in ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 12:1-14

The Reversal Of Revenge Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

Paul's message is that the Christian can shift the balance of power to the side of righteousness by leaving vengeance to God and concentrating on doing good. Never is doing good more needed than when you feel like revenge.

The Revolutionary War was complicated by the fact that it was often also a Civil War. Families were on both sides of the conflict. William, for example became the governor of New Jersey because of the influence of his famous father. The shocking thing was that William wanted to be loyal to the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:19

Ordinary People Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 3, 2021

Everybody in this book is ordinary. Obed, the baby who gives the book a happy ending, does not grow up to do anything of significance that we know of. There are no great battles, no miracles, and no profound theological statements in this book. Not one person in this book was above ordinary.

What woman do you know who has had a thousand men propose to her from fisherman to millionaires; from the penniless on the bowry to the prince of a royal European family? And who was still getting regular proposals after she was 70 years old? There was such a woman, and her name was Evangeline ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-18

Lesson 29r. The Practice Of Endurance (James 5:7-11) Series

Contributed by John Lowe on Apr 3, 2021

The Need for Patience. Given the oppressions mentioned in vv. 3-6, James encourages Christians to be patient until the coming of the Lord, and he cites the farmer, the prophets, and Job.

Text: James 5:7-11 (NIV) 7Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9Don’t grumble ...read more

Scripture: James 5:7-11

Denomination: Baptist

How To Be A Successful Nobody Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 6, 2021

Jesus did not expect the lad to feed the five thousand. All He needed was for the boy to give what he had. It is up to us to do our best, and up to Christ to do the rest.

Years ago a very famous organist was giving a recital on a new organ. The wind was pumped by a small boy behind a screen. The boy pumped his heart out at this recital, and he was glad for the intermission half way through the program. Out in the vestry of the church the boy looked up at the great ...read more

Scripture: John 6:1-13

The Battle For Success Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 6, 2021

Paul is convinced that failures can become successes. He knew this for he was one of the most successful failures in history. One of the great themes of literature and the Bible is this theme of success out of failure.

In the 35 years following the Civil War 3 success writers towered high above all others, and they became successful by writing about success. All 3 were ordained men. One of them was Russell Conwell who was the pastor of the Baptist Temple of Philadelphia. He delivered his famous lecture over ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-15