Sermons on Turning Away From God:

Friendship With God

Contributed by C Jordan on Jun 18, 2014

Everyone has the choice to either be friends with God or friends with the world. In this passage, James gives us seven characteristics of the person who is a friend of God.

JOURNEY THROUGH JAMES #6: FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD INTRO TO TOPIC: What are some of the most important things in your world? I am sure that most of you would say it is your friendships. Have you ever pondered what it means that we have the opportunity to become friends with God, the Creator of the ...read more

Scripture: James 4:1-17

Denomination: *other

From Empty To Full Series

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 10, 2025

The story that began with famine ends with fullness—because the Redeemer who restores Naomi’s arms still turns our emptiness into enough.

(When Grace Finishes the Story) Introduction — The Last Scene Every good story ends where it began—but nothing looks the same. When we opened this book, we found famine, funerals, and tears in Moab. Now we end with a baby in Bethlehem. The story that began with emptiness ends with enough. If ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 126:5, Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 3:20, Revelation 21:5

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The God Of Entertainment Series

Contributed by David Owens on Nov 12, 2018

In this sermon, we try to examine the way the god of entertainment tries to pull us away from God the Father.

A. How many of you have seen the 2005 romantic comedy called Fever Pitch? 1. It is a funny story about a guy who is a Boston Red Sox fanatic. 2. Here’s an interesting tidbit that you might not have known: Fever Pitch was actually first released outside the United States and Canada with the title ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16, Ecclesiastes 12:13, 1 Timothy 6:17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

From Garden To Garden

Contributed by Bishop Johnny Causey on May 21, 2022

The contrast between the 2 Gardens: One was a place of problems, and the other a place of prayer.

Eden First Garden Adam and Eve took a stance, but it was a stance of their will, one of Ducking, hiding from GOD; Dodging from the truth; and diverting the blame. In Eden, Adam and Eve hid from GOD when HE called to them. In today’s times we call this passing the buck. At this point in the first ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:8-13

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Turned My Wailing Into Dancing

Contributed by Curt Cizek on Apr 29, 2009

A funeral message for my sister-in-law.

-Family and friends, we all wish that this day had never come, at least not so soon -There is a simple maxim in life that gets violated from time to time that rocks a family -The maxim is that parents are not supposed to bury their children -Jack and Betty, for you this maxim has been violated ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 30:11

Denomination: Lutheran

Turning Religious Reluctance-6

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Jul 26, 2018

6 of ? Jesus bore witness of His Messianic identity to a religious woman who was reluctant to believe. How/When will God’s people turn the reluctancy of the religious? Turning religious reluctance God’s way requires...

TURNING RELIGIOUS RELUCTANCE-VI—John 4:1-42 Turning the Religious Lost Attention: This past Friday July 20, 2018 we ate with our oldest daughter, her husband, & their sons—our 2 grandchildren— at Cuban Mojos in Crawfordville. We thought it would be a good cultural experience for them to try ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Denomination: Baptist

God Got Ready For Christmas

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Dec 25, 2013

1. God wants to treasure our faithful service (vs. 5-10). 2. God wants to touch our lives (vs. 11-14). 3. God wants to train-up new leaders (vs. 14-16). 4. God wants to turn us in the right direction (vs. 16-17).

God Got Ready for Christmas Luke 1:5-20 Sermon by Rick Crandall Grayson Baptist Church - Dec. 8, 2013 *Our church has definitely been getting ready for Christmas. A quick look around the room leaves no doubt. The Manger Scene outside looks great too. Plus our Adult and Children's Choirs have been ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:5-20

Denomination: Baptist

Joy Of The Lord!

Contributed by Bala Samson on Apr 27, 2015

Move away from people who are taking away the joy in the Lord and trying to replace it with joy from wrong sources.

Joy in the Lord! Deuteronomy 28:47:”Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things..” There are unusual stuff that would yank at our heartstrings at times and distract us from deriving joy in the Lord. ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 28:47-49

Denomination: Pentecostal

Turning Religious Reluctance-2

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Mar 20, 2018

2 of ? Jesus bore witness of His Messianic identity to a religious woman who was reluctant to believe. How/When will God’s people turn the reluctancy of the religious? Turning religious reluctance God’s way requires...

TURNING RELIGIOUS RELUCTANCE-II—John 4:1-42 Turning the Religious Lost Attention: Everybody has a religion—right or wrong!...Everybody has a belief system to which they subscribe—right or wrong. Even atheists have a religion & are religious people. These may be Reluctant to turn, But by the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Denomination: Baptist

Turn To God When You Hurt For Others Series

Contributed by John Dobbs on Nov 12, 2021

The four sermons in this series will be in the prophets. Our theme verse is Isaiah 45:22 ESV “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

Turn To God When You Hurt For Others Amos 5 & 6 Introduction In all of the things we struggle with in life, God is constantly calling us to turn to Him for help, strength, love, and grace. We often seek to fix our problems in our own skill and ability. We say we believe in a sovereign God ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Initiating The Turn-4(2023)

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Oct 11, 2023

4 of 12. Luke informed his audience of the initial steps that God took to turn His people toward Himself. God began the process of turning of His people toward Himself. But what principles does God use to begin turning people toward Himself? In Initiating the Turn, God uses...

‘INITIATING The TURN’-IV—Luke 1:11-12(:5-25) Attention: For me personally as your ‘preacher’, today is ‘game day’, & now is my reckoning hour: My preaching is expected. It’s ‘my turn’ as it were. I’ve been anticipating this opportunity. I must approach it at the proper time. I must be ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:11-12, Luke 1:5-25

Denomination: Baptist

Initiating The Turn-12(2024)

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Oct 13, 2024

12 of 12. Luke informed his audience of the initial steps that God took to turn His people toward Himself. God began the process of turning of His people toward Himself. But what principles does God use to begin turning people toward Himself? In Initiating the Turn, God uses...

‘INITIATING The TURN’-XII—Luke 1:24b-25(:5-25) Attention: Whenever it becomes obvious that Fall is near, I will end-up baking a few Pumpkin Pies. We begin stockpiling the ingredients for multiple pies. I will bake two pies at a time. I use the recipe printed on the Libby’s brand canned pumpkin ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:24-25, Luke 1:5-25

Denomination: Baptist

Christmas: God Will Turn Things Around For Good

Contributed by John Gaston on Dec 14, 2024

Christmas is a time of pressures: decorating, shopping, dinners, loneliness, money pressures, missing our loved ones. Joseph & Mary also had a difficult first Christmas. But we serve a God who will TURN THINGS AROUND FOR THE GOOD!

CHRISTMAS: God Will Turn Things Around for Good Mt. 1:18-25 INTRODUCTION Christmas, instead of being a time of joy, can be a time of great stress. Often there are unrealistic expectations and disagreements. One Poem says... A. “TWAS THE FIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS” by Tony Cooke and David Beebe 1. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Come Down From Your Sycamore Tree Series

Contributed by Spencer Miller on May 22, 2013

Zacchaeus' whole life changed; he completely turned around from a sinful life and thus became a child of God. God noticed the unnoticed.

1He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

Denomination: Baptist

Revival Looks Like Turning

Contributed by Paul Robinson on May 17, 2023

Revival is far more simple than we often think, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

Turning is something we do every day. We turn to get out of bed, we turn to go in and out of rooms, we turn on the road, we turn to greet people. Turning is such a natural thing that we don’t even notice we are doing it. In Psalm 85, some conscious turning is taking place. God is turning from His ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 85:1-13

Denomination: Baptist