Sermons on Thorny Ground:

Ready Or Not, Here We Go: The Human Genome Project

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Nov 13, 2000

Examination of the spiritual implications of the charting of the human genome.

 You may or may not have realized it, but last Monday’s (6/26/00) news carried the story that is a very likely candidate for the story of the decade. The New York Times headline proclaimed: “Scientists Complete Rough Draft of Human Genome” The entire human genome has been ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:12

Denomination: Baptist

Counseling The Needy

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 23, 2003

Allow the Spirit to guide you as you meditate on Scripture and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth in your counseling ministries. He wants to use you to instruct, exhort, encourage and admonish one another for mutual edification. The

? You may or may not have realized it, but last Monday’s (6/26/00) news carried the story that is a very likely candidate for the story of the decade. The New York Times headline proclaimed: “Scientists Complete Rough Draft of Human Genome” The entire human genome has been sequenced; the ...read more

Scripture: John 14:26-27

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Unequal Yoke Series

Contributed by David Moore on Jan 11, 2007

Message No. 1. An introduction to a series on the unequal yoke

The Unequal Yoke Aim: To show how our relationships with the unsaved must be tempered by our understanding of biblical Salvation. Text: 2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1 Introduction: Few matters can be of such vital importance to the welfare of the Christian than the matter of the unequal yoke, and yet ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Four Soils

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Aug 12, 2014

A look at the four soils through a science experiment, asking which soil are you.

Luke 8:4-8 June 22, 2014 What if I told you I had a gift for you? It’s really a good gift too. It’s better than dark chocolate candy with a cup of hot coffee. And let me tell you, it’s hard to get much better than that. Well, maybe it would be having some stuffed pizza first, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:4-8

Denomination: Baptist

Choose Your Path Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 22, 2023

What did the Psalmist mean by blessed and how does avoiding the slippery slope of sin help us become blessed? Consider these thoughts from our Family Minister Scott Jewell.

We’re beginning a new sermon series this week called Psalms that can change your life. Music can make such an impact in our lives, as we’ll see from this collection of worship songs found in the book of Psalms. It only seemed appropriate to begin at the very beginning with Psalm 1. Please turn ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Thorn In The Flesh

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Dec 8, 2005

Some people become defined by their hardships while others rise above their pain. We may suffer broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations, but we don’t have to become broken people. Pain is inevitable--misery is optional.

No one knows for certain about the nature of Paul’s thorn, and there has been extensive speculation about the nature of his affliction. Explanations range from persistent temptation, dogged persecution, chronic malaria, migraine headaches, epilepsy, or a speech disorder. Because Paul dictated his ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Denomination: Congregational

Solomon & The Moms

Contributed by Robert Leroe on May 15, 2006

Compassionate people like Solomon readily recognize compassion within others of like heart.

Solomon and the Moms, I Kings 3:16-28 -A Mother’s Day sermon by Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts We’ve been studying the wisdom of King Solomon from the Book of Ecclesiastes. He asked God for wisdom to rule Israel. He wrote wisdom literature. Now let’s ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 3:16-28

Denomination: Congregational

Dealing With The Thorns In Our Life

Contributed by Terry Detwiler on Jan 26, 2007

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:7 that he was given a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment him. What is it that torments him? What is this thorn in his flesh?

Key Text: 2 Corinthians 12:7 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV) 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 2 Corinthians 12:7 (KJV) 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7

Denomination: Pentecostal

Survive This Evil World

Contributed by Daniel Habben on Sep 5, 2006

Survive This Evil World 1) With sharp eyes 2) With a melodious mouth

Wednesday’s newspaper reported that there were 74 deaths in Iraq in one day. What is the total body count up to now in Iraq and Afghanistan? It has to be in the thousands if not the tens of thousands. Because of this, Iraq and Afghanistan are not exactly places you and I would consider for holiday ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-20

Denomination: Lutheran

Benefits Of Unselfishness

Contributed by Greg Nance on Mar 24, 2011

Jesus gives us the ultimate gift and teaches us unselfishness as the path of true joy and victory.

Benefits of Unselfishness Romans 13:8-10 The following illustrations come from Sermon Central's Illustration collection. A fascinating study on the principle of the Golden Rule was conducted by Bernard Rimland, director of the Institute for Child Behavior Research. Rimland found that "The ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:8-10

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fruits Of God's Word

Contributed by William Baeta on Jul 8, 2011

“But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” Matthew 13:23.

Theme: Fruits of God’s Word Text: Gen. 25:19-34; Rom. 8:1-11; Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23 A parable serves to reveal spiritual truths by using earthly illustrations. In the parable about the sower Jesus Himself explains the parable. Just as seeds are planted to yield a harvest so the word of God is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Life Of Abraham, Part 15: The Way Of The Philistines Series

Contributed by Mark A. Barber on Feb 18, 2014

How do we live our faith during the long periods of ordinary life between our mountaintop spiritual experiences?

The Life of Abraham, Part 15: The Way of the Philistines Genesis 21:22-34 Introduction In the last lesson we saw the expulsion of Ishmael and his mother from Abraham’s family and their harrowing exodus into the wilderness which nearly proved fatal. As the boy was dying, God heard the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 21:22-34

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Submit To One Another Series

Contributed by John Dobbs on Aug 12, 2021

Submission has to do with a “radical decision to act unselfishly toward others.”

-Building Up One Another - Submit to One Another Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. - Ephesians 5:21 Introduction Have you heard the old story of the ship captain who looked into the dark horizon one night and saw faint lights in the distance? Immediately he told his signalman ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:21

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When Spiritually Blind Eyes Finally See The Kingdom Of God

Contributed by Michael Dephillips on Feb 8, 2003

Opening our eyes to the activity and presence of God around us

"When Blind eyes see" John 9:1-11 (Prayer) The greatest of all healing miracles was the giving of sight to blind eyes and it was reserved as a testimony of the true nature and position of Christ Jesus. When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his followers to question Jesus if he was ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-11

Denomination: Baptist

A World View From The Children's Table

Contributed by Michael Deaton on Nov 15, 2006

Thanksgiving

A World View from the Children’s Table Matthew 6:25-33 Had we lived in New England, we might very well have been the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting. We were part of the new middle class that followed the Korean War. Families that were reconstituted as men made their way home yet again ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-33

Denomination: Methodist