Sermons on The Sun Will Shine Again:

Church Growth

Contributed by Steve Shepherd on Aug 27, 2001

More ideas on what it will take to make a church grow.

CHURCH GROWTH Acts 18:7-8 INTRO.- ILL.- Top 10 Ways You Know You’re In A Bad Church 10. The church bus has gun racks. 9 . The church staff consists of Senior Pastor, Associate Pastor and Socio-pastor. 8. The Bible they use is the "Dr. Seuss Version." 7. There’s an ATM in the lobby. 6. The choir ...read more

Scripture: Acts 18:7-8

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Checking Your Spirit Gauge Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 27, 2001

There are those who declare that you can tell if you have the Spirit by some miraculous behavior on your part. But, Paul writes that you need to gauge God’s Spirit in a different way.

Two good old boys bought a couple of horses during the summer. But when winter came, they found it cost too much to board them. So they turned the horses loose in a pasture where there was plenty to eat. One said to the other: "How will we tell yours from mine when we pick them up?" "Oh ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-26, Galatians 5:13-29

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"By Grace Through Faith"

Contributed by Curtis Kittrell on Aug 31, 2001

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: "—Ephesians 2:8

"BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH" "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: "—Ephesians 2:8 I PREFER the rendering in the Revised Version. As slight as the change is, it is of very great moment, as a little reflection will show. "For by grace HAVE YE ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8

Denomination: Pentecostal

Blessed Are -

Contributed by Steve Gladwell on Sep 1, 2001

Concentrates on the second beatitude with brief comment on teh first.

Blessed are those who mourn. What are the beatitudes there for? What was Jesus doing when he gave these words to these people? For a long time, I saw these as a list of instructions somewhat similar to the Ten Commandments. I believed that Jesus was saying this was what he wanted his followers to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Put Your Pencils Down

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 1, 2001

A Labor Day and Communion message, dealing with the sources of satisfaction in work. Designed for audience participation.

Labor Day, and school is starting again. I wonder, do they still do the same things as when I was in school? Do they still have the same rituals? Maybe not. Things do change. Dodgeball, for example. Now that was THE game in my day. You had the right to throw the ball as hard as you could and ...read more

Scripture: John 17:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

Labor Is Life Series

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Sep 4, 2001

Carlyle wrote, "Labor is Life." Jesus wants us to be sure that we are laboring for the right life.

Pastor John Piper writes, “In 1956 a commemorative Labor Day stamp was issued with a picture of a strong man holding a sledge hammer, a pick, a hoe, and an ax over his shoulder. His wife was seated by his side with a book in her lap showing a small child how to read. In the lower left hand corner ...read more

Scripture: John 6:26-27

Denomination: Baptist

When A Day Goes From Bad To Worse Series

Contributed by John Hamby on Sep 5, 2001

A study of one 24 hour period in the life of Moses how things go from bad to worse.

A Study of the Life of Moses Sermon # 6 “When A Bad Day Only Gets Worse” Exodus 5 - 6 Have you ever had a truly bad day? Have you ever had a day that went from bad to worse? I want to read you a children’s story entitled ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Facing The Facts About Failure - Part Two

Contributed by Keith Linkous on Sep 15, 2001

This is the second part to the message, dealing with biblical truths that will help people recover from times of failure.

“All of us have failed, falling way short of fulfilling the beauty of God‘s plan, that which God intended us to be.”(paraphrase of Romans 3:23) One of the first facts of failure is that failure is a fact. We are all going to fail in some way. The Bible clearly tells us that. “We all stumble in ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Denomination: Pentecostal

Thy Will Be Done: By Any Means Necessary? Series

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 16, 2001

To pray for the will of God to be done in the aftermath of the terror of Sept. 11 is to see that the will of God and the ways of God must always be joined; to avoid sinking to the level of the terrorists; and to repent of little faith and recommmit to the

A number of years ago, a poet penned poignant words as he saw the beginning of the end for the greatest nation of his day. He saw that the far-flung influence his country had thrown over much of the world could no longer be held. The people who had felt pressed by it were demanding their own ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:14-21

Denomination: Baptist

Why Should They Hate Us?

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Sep 18, 2001

Using the backdrop of the hatred that resulted in the terrorism attacks on America, this sermon asks why anyone would hate Christians?

OPEN: I remember when I was in 2nd grade. I was in class the day that it was announced to us that the President of the United States had been assassinated. A sniper had murdered John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, and the nation was in tumult. I remember many things about that day. The way the class ...read more

Scripture: John 15:17-21, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Why You Don't Have To Worry About The Future - Part Two

Contributed by Keith Linkous on Sep 24, 2001

This second part of the message deals with three of five promises of God that we can count on, that will help dispell worry.

The future is something that, especially right now, for many people in this country, seems to be uncertain, questionable, and even fearful. But we have began talking about solid Biblical reasons why we don’t have to worry or be fearful and distressed over the future. 1. God will be with me ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-3

Denomination: Pentecostal

How Shrewd Are We?

Contributed by Jeeva Sam on Sep 24, 2001

Jesus calls his disciples to be shrewd

HOW SHREWD ARE WE? Congregational Participation Question: How would you define the word “shrewd”? Can you think of something that you or someone else did that would qualify to be called “shrewd?” Here are some definitions from the dictionaries: Cambridge: possessing or based on clear ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:1-8

Denomination: Methodist

Casting Aside Unrealistic Expectations Series

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Sep 30, 2001

You will be able to cast aside unrealistic expectations when you: 1. Discover God’s will for your life. 2. Learn to be grateful for the way God has made you. 3. Be yourself.

Skip Hollandsworth, writing in the December 1998 issue of Texas Monthly talks about his interview with Troy Aikman, quarterback of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. In the article entitled “The Real Troy Aikman” he says: “Aikman is an elusive hero, difficult to understand, clearly driven by something ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:32-40

Denomination: Methodist

Spiritual Checks You Can Take To The Bank #1 - The Certainty Of God's Grace Series

Contributed by Mark Thornton on Oct 2, 2001

The first of a study of Paul’s Trustworthy Sayings. This one helps us to gain a fuller understanding of God’s grace.

INTRODUCTION. -- How many of you have ever bought something from a TV commercial? I’ve never been one to do this very much -- partly because I usually missed the type of commercials advertising products (getting a snack); and partly because the products were always too expensive. Then an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:12-20, Titus 3:3-8

Denomination: *other

Joy From Your Growth

Contributed by Dana Chau on Oct 2, 2001

Discover and rejoice in the seven signs of Christian maturity.

Introduction: Steve Brown often points out that one is a Christian or he is not. One does not become more Christian over time. Likewise, one is pregnant, and does not become more pregnant over time. You either are or you aren’t pregnant, regardless of whether you are showing. The Bible ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:9-11

Denomination: *other