Sermons on Surfacing:

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

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

"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

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

Spiritual Farming

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Jun 29, 2022

Jesus's parable of the four soils is filled with rich principles of how we can become fruitful Christians that we sometimes miss because they take work on our part.

Mark 4:3-9 (William Barclay) "Listen! Look! The sower went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seed fell along the roadside; and the birds came and devoured it. Some fell upon rocky ground where it did not have much earth; and it sprang up immediately, because it had no depth of earth, but, ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Content And Container Series

Contributed by D. Dewaine Phillips on Mar 26, 2022

This message looks at the cup (container) and the wine (content). The wine is still wine, no matter what container it’s in. Today's culture has a new cup; yet the content (gospel message) in the container can still be the same.

How many of you have a favorite glass that you prefer to drink out of? I do. For example, when I drink coffee I like to have a really big cup. My wife, on the other hand, likes to have a little dainty china cup, with a handle just big enough to fit her finger through. Ask either one of us to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:37-39

Denomination: Baptist

Cleansing The Temple

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Jan 11, 2021

Another in series on John. Describes how our temples get cluttered and how to clear them.

John 2 (2) Cleansing the Temple To the left of my house, after you walk around a 20 foot trailer loaded with a tractor and implements, and after you climb over piles of drip edge, and roof vents and shingles, you will see a 14 x 20 blue building that looks like a shed. I special ordered that ...read more

Scripture: John 2:13-25

Denomination: Baptist

God Is A Waymaker

Contributed by John Gaston on Jul 17, 2021

GOD WILL MAKE A WAY, WHERE THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY! We’re going to look at how ‘God will make a Way’ for Broken-Hearted People, for people facing severe Temptations, and for those with Impossible Needs!

GOD IS A WAYMAKER God Makes a Way Where There Seems To Be No Way Isa. 43:16-21 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR: Prison Breaks 1. I heard that two prisoners escaped from Ellis 2 prison. One is seven feet tall and one is four feet six. The police are looking high and low for them. 2. Why did all the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21

Denomination: Assembly Of God

God's Overarching History: The Big Picture Series

Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Mar 20, 2021

How do you see history? How does your mind frame the world around you? Are you seeing it from a Godly perspective, or from a secular perspective?

How do you see history? How does your mind frame the world around you? Are you seeing it from a Godly perspective, or from a secular perspective? Today we’re going to talk about God’s Overarching History: The Big Picture. Today we’re going to go from Genesis to John to Revelation and frame within ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:8, Isaiah 46:9, Isaiah 46:11

Denomination: Salvation Army

Be Wise - Part 4

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Jul 19, 2019

A summer series looking at wisdom from Proverbs. The focus is friendship.

BE WISE - FRIENDS Proverbs 17:17 July 21, 2019 I’m going to play a song for about 30 seconds, and for some of you when you hear the first notes, you will know exactly what song this is and to what program it was from. Some of you will attempt to watch programs or pull out your old DVD’s and have ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:9-15, 1 Corinthians 15:33, Proverbs 27:17

Denomination: Baptist

A Standard For Leadership

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 31, 2020

A standard for leadership from 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4 (adapted from Bob Russell's book, Take Comfort, chapter called a standard for leadership pgs. 15-28

HoHum: “Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes”- Jim Carrey. What is being said here is that arrogance has no place in leadership, even more so in spiritual leadership WBTU: In 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his qualifications as a leader. He set some standards that we can still use ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

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