Sermons on True Vine:

The Great Commission: Populating Heaven

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Apr 21, 2013

The Great Commission invites us, amazingly, into the joy of sharing faith and, by God's power and grace, having a real impact on the future population of heaven. Weird but true.

Let me ask a couple questions about our home planet and its population to begin today. How many nations/countries are in the world? Anyone want to guess? Ballpark? 196 [ (not incl. Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Greenland, Palestine, Western Sahara, and even the components of the United Kingdom (such as ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Call To Real Christian Community Series

Contributed by David Owens on Sep 16, 2009

Christianity is meant to be lived out in community. We really need each other. This is true for Christians and non-Christians. God has created us both for relationship.

A. Repeat after me…“We are the church of Christ…We love God…We love God’s Word…We love each other…our mission is to make…and mature disciples of Jesus…to the glory of God.” B. The story is told of a farm boy who accidentally overturned his wagonload of hay on the road. 1. His neighbor came over ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Is Faith? Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Oct 10, 2009

Knowing Christ is where true faith begins. From there we grow through the essentials of discipleship: Bible study, prayer, preaching, worship and Christian friendship and fellowship.

What is faith? A Sunday-School teacher asked her class one day, “What is faith?” the class sat there quietly - which was a surprise in itself, so the teacher asked again, “can anyone tell me what is faith?” You could see the little minds working and one boy stuck up his hand. The teacher said, ‘Ok ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:16-34

Denomination: Pentecostal

Spots & Stripes Series

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Feb 12, 2011

If you want true success in life, don’t depend on your shrewd deals, and don’t depend on your spent schemes. Instead, depend on the Lord.

Ted Engstrom and Edward Dayton, in a Christian Leadership Letter some time ago, talked about a young man who was appointed president of a bank. Intimidated by his new responsibilities, he nervously sought the advice of his gray-haired predecessor: “Sir, what has been the secret of your success?” ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 30:25-43

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Heirs Of Heaven Make Good Samaritans

Contributed by Eric Vertein on Jul 20, 2010

Christ gave the story of the Good Samaritan to expose our failure to show mercy to one and all. Christ is the true Good Samaritan, showing mercy to us all.

Yesterday the New York Daily News had an article titled “Little Duckling has Guardian Angel as Good Samaritan Rescues it at New York Botanical Garden.” It’s about a New Yorker, who saw a little duckling and wanted to save it from predators. So she scooped it up, took it home, and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Denomination: Lutheran

Reforming The Reform--Without Whitewash Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 11, 2010

The reform of our liturgy is not a matter of going back to pre-Vatican II forms, but of becoming more faithful to true worship as it has developed over 2000 years

Monday of 23rd Week in Course The Spirit of the Liturgy Sept 6 2010 The stories in chapter 6 of Luke are familiar enough, but we need to understand why the Pharisees were wrong–and not just incorrect, but truly evil. They did not recognize the supreme Good who stood in their midst and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:34-40

Denomination: Catholic

Faith: What It Ain't—what It Is

Contributed by Bob Joyce on Sep 14, 2007

This passage in Hebrews gives us the ingredients, implications and illustrations of faith. By defining what faith isn’t, we can learn what true faith is.

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is one of the best known of the great chapters of the Bible. It has been called the “Westminster Abby of Scripture” because the heroes of faith are enshrined here. Perhaps that is a misnomer, for some people who have been to Westminster Abby and have said it seemed ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-7

Denomination: Baptist

Bible #6 Six Literal Days For Creation Series

Contributed by John Wright on Mar 29, 2010

This lesson discusses a false claim made by an evolutionist and then we discuss some true claims about creation originating with God and only taking six literal days.

INTRODUCTION 1. Open your bible please to 1 Corinthians 3:18-21. 2. Is your great, great, great grandfather an ape or maybe a gorilla? 3. In this lesson we will discuss a false claim by an evolutionist and then we will discuss some true claims about creation originating with God. DISCUSSION I. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-31

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

James And Paul On Works And Faith

Contributed by Greg Nance on Jun 30, 2012

James 2 and Romans 4 have some interesting contrasts. Faith without works is dead or faith apart from works is what saves... which is true?

Last week James told us that if we are careless with our language our religion is worthless. (Jas. 1:26) This week James tells us that if we believe without acting on it our faith is worthless. (Jas. 2:14,17,20,26). A worthless religion and a worthless faith make a worthless Christian and a ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"The Kind Of Church I Want To Be Part Of – Part Four” Series

Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Oct 25, 2018

A look at the early church in Acts two to discover characteristics that should be true of a church we should want to be part of, a church that's headed the right direction.

We’re concluding our series on the kind of church I want to be part of. We’ve said while no church has achieved perfection, there is such a thing as a church heading the right direction; and the early church in Acts two was such a church. So we’ve looked to their example to learn what would be true ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-47

Denomination: Baptist

Madness Series

Contributed by Dr. Lewis W. Gregory on Sep 9, 2024

Since America and the world have continued to reject the true and living God and His Word—the Holy Bible—God’s protective presence is being withdrawn.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE REJECT GOD - Since America and the world have continued to reject the true and living God and His Word—the Holy Bible—God’s protective presence is being withdrawn. Just as the Lord’s protective presence withdrew from the nation of Israel as described in the book of Ezekiel, ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 10:18, Romans 5:20-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

3. Anchored, Not Anxious (Revelation 4-5) Series

Contributed by James Jackson on Nov 1, 2025

Before God shows John what’s happening on earth, He shows him what’s true in heaven. The throne is not empty, and the scroll belongs to the Lamb.

Good morning! Please open your Bibles to Revelation 4. I’ve been in Alabama long enough by now to know that every SEC football team has its own rallying cry. Its own greeting when you pass another fan at Wal-Mart. If you’re a Bama fan, you say “Roll Tide.” Auburn’s got “War Eagle.” Ole Miss ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Holy Masks

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 3, 2025

True worship begins when performance ends; Jesus frees us from religion’s stage to live honestly before the Father who sees in secret.

If you’ve ever stood backstage before the curtain rises, you know that trembling hush—the buzz, the heartbeat, the thought: Will they like it? That’s performance. And you don’t need a theater to feel it. The biggest stage ever built fits in our pockets. Every post, every selfie, every opinion ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14, Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 23:27, John 4:23

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Secrets Of Happiness

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jan 22, 2020

What are the secrets of happiness? Are they really secrets or just ignored? Let’s understand secrets of true, permanent happiness, found in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12.

What are the secrets of happiness? Are they really secrets or just ignored? Let’s understand secrets of true, permanent happiness, found in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. Poor in Spirit Matthew 5:1-3 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Denomination: Baptist

An Update On The Gerasene Demoniac; A Story Of Power.

Contributed by Gordon Mcculloch on Jun 23, 2019

The Gerasene demoniac is a true story and not a parable. It has funny and strange features within; but it is a story that allays our fears and demonstrates the power of our Lord. It relieves our

This sermon was delivered Gordon McCulloch to the congregation at Holy Trinity in Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland on the 23rd June 2019; Holy Trinity is a Scottish Episcopal Church in the Dioceses of Glasgow and Dumfries. 1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a Psalm 42 and 43 Galatians 3:23-29 ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:26-39

Denomination: Episcopal