Sermons on Surface:

Toying Or Feasting? Series

Contributed by Josh Foster on Mar 18, 2014

What if you took a step beyond privately forgiving those who’ve hurt, betrayed, caused you suffering? What if you prepared a feast on their behalf and showed them love and mercy ~ whether it was done in secret, or whether it was done personally? What if

God in the Ebb & Flow of Life: Toying or Feasting? Scripture Text: Genesis 43.19-34 INTRODUCTION Have you ever-been “toyed” with? [INSERT YOUR OWN STORY OF A TIME IN WHICH SOMEONE ‘TOYED’ WITH YOU OR PLAYED A PRANK ON YOU… KEEP IT LIGHT-HEARTED!] It raises-the-question: Have you ever been ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 43:19-34

Denomination: Nazarene

Rescued From The Wrath To Come

Contributed by John Gaston on May 26, 2015

Paul revealed the 3 secrets of the success of the Thessalonian Church: their experiential faith, their candid lifestyles, and their focusing on the coming of Jesus. Every successful church should use them as a model.

RESCUED FROM THE WRATH TO COME 1 Thess. 1:1-10 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR: THE SANDWICHES 1. One time Angela & I went into a pizza place in a small town to eat. They only had Pepsi, but Angela had a fountain coke in the car, so I went & got it. The manager refused to let us drink the Coke (though we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Pentecost 2015

Contributed by Stephen Belokur on Jun 17, 2015

Pentecost. What does it mean to us and to the world?

Last week we took a look at the Trinity and how the Trinity was in existence from the beginning but only fully revealed after the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost. There are actually two Jewish connections to Pentecost: Some scholars believe that the giving of the Law to Moses occurred 50 days ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-12

Denomination: Nazarene

"What's Up With The Parables, Jesus?" Series

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Jul 20, 2015

The disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables. A parable is like an allegory or a fable-a practical story that illustrates a moral or spiritual concept. Jesus hadn’t used parables to this extent before now. Let's find out why he used parables.

“WHAT’S UP WITH THE PARABLES, JESUS?” Matthew 13:3-23 INTRODUCTION: In verse 10 the disciples asked Jesus why he spoke to the people in parables. A parable is like an allegory or a fable-a practical story that illustrates a moral or spiritual concept. Jesus hadn’t really ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:3-23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Gifts Are Not Just For Collecting... They Are For Using!

Contributed by Julie Marxhausen on Feb 29, 2016

This speaks of spiritual gifts and the privilege of using them rather than comparing them with others, wanting someone else's gifts, or choosing not to use them.

How many of you ever get gifts? Do you open them? Weird question! Right? Of course we open gifts we receive. Who would leave gifts unopened? Hopefully we all get some really neat gifts from time to time, but I’ll guess, some of you get gifts that aren’t “all that.” ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Denomination: Lutheran

Dancing With Jezebel

Contributed by Spencer Miller on Jun 1, 2013

All across America today, pastors and church leaders are being silenced. And when the church is silent, that’s when society as a whole suffers, and compromise begins to set in.

Introduction: I recently read a great article entitled, “America’s Moral Decay” the writer of this article stated that, “America is incrementally and systematically Rejecting God. As a result, our nation is experiencing unparalleled moral decay. National immorality ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29

Denomination: Baptist

Stones In The Road

Contributed by Robert Henrich on Mar 19, 2013

The ’stones’ on the gospel road – those difficult verses we stumble over or just pass by – are treasures if we take the time to stop and pick them up; two such ‘stones’ in the story of the raising of Lazarus speak of the intensity of Jesus’ love for us.

I had to take my car into the shop in Binghamton last week, and I had a lot of time to kill. The waiting room didn’t look very inviting, so I decided to do something I haven’t done in a long time: I took a walk. At first it seemed as if the world had been put on pause, or at least slow motion; the ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-45

Denomination: *other

Can You Hear Me Now? Series

Contributed by Scott Chambers on Apr 9, 2013

This is the seventh message in a series on the life of Moses that shows that being God's man is never easy. This message examines that God desires to have our undivided attention.

Beginning in 2001, Paul Marcarelli played the “test guy” in commercials for Verizon Wireless. For nine years he could be seen walking across the country uttering those familiar words, “Can you hear me now?” It didn’t matter if he was in the middle of a city or in the ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Face In The Mirror

Contributed by Bishop, W. F. Houston, Jr. on Feb 23, 2015

Beloved, have you ever looked in the mirror and the reflection told you what you didn’t want to see? You know, you might be feeling one way but when you look at yourself in the mirror the reflection reproduces something totally different.

You know, in the last 2 to 3 years, I noticed two pretty important ways the world has changed. Now frankly, I don’t know whether it’s because of global warming or the lack of gun control or the Obama administration. All I know is that these two issues, at least to me, are far more important than ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Denomination: Other

The Hidden Option- Part 1 Series

Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Sep 14, 2018

Next time things seem impossible, choose to paint the problem in the colors of grace and justice instead of black and white despair.

INTRODUCTION • SLIDE #1 • As we live life, we are constantly facing situations that require us to think, make decisions, and then act upon those decisions. • Making that process more difficult for us is the fact that we live in a world that is highly polarized. • We are Democrat or Republican, ...read more

Scripture: John 8:2-11

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Jesus Uses The Word To Invoke Deeper Thinking Series

Contributed by Jeffery Anselmi on Jun 15, 2018

The battle of the heart is won by winning the battle of the mind. To win the battle of the mind, Jesus worked to get people to think on a deeper level.

INTRODUCTION • SLIDE #1 • Today we are going to take another look at a story that is familiar to many. We have examined this narrative in the recent past, but today, we are going to examine this story of the Woman at the Well through a different lens. • One of the things that seem to have happened ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Things Aren’t The Same! Series

Contributed by Thomas Swope on Jan 8, 2018

A study in the book of Genesis 7: 1 – 24

Genesis 7: 1 – 24 Things aren’t the same! 7 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. 2 You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Throw It Overboard

Contributed by Wayne Lawson on Dec 28, 2015

Before we move into this New Year of 2016, there are somethings we need to throw overboard. To get out of a God ordered storm, we need to come to terms with some stuff and Throw It Overboard.

TITLE: THROW IT OVERBOARD SCRIPTURE: JONAH 1:1-16 It is important to spend this 52nd and final Sunday of the year 2015 providing proper focus and closure. We have made it and endured another year. I am sure all of us would admit that we have had some struggles and ups and downs throughout the ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-16

Denomination: Baptist

Dangerous Grounds

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Oct 30, 2013

The soil, of course, represents the human heart, so the word of God falls on four different types of hearts. This parable is about salvation and three out of four of the soils represent people who are not genuinely saved.

Opening illustration: Growing up as a teenager, my dad would take me to watch the plowing of the field and planting of wheat and sunflower. The tractor would plow deep into the hard soil of central India usually slicing the big snakes hibernating below the earth. Their mangled bodies were brought ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:3-23

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Godless In God's House Series

Contributed by Clay Hallmark on Aug 15, 2013

Message # 2 in this sermon series helping us discover how we have a place and a purpose in God's HIStory as recorded throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Today is our 2nd Sunday in our new summer worship emphasis both in worship and in our small group SS classes called, “A place in HIStory!” What we are learning together this summer is how each of us directly and intentionally fit into God’s entire story as recorded in the Bible! ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:3-12

Denomination: Baptist