Sermons on Unexpected Places:

The Unexpected Jesus

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Mar 25, 2013

What do you expect from Jesus? The people, disciples, and the religious leaders had some very specific expectations of Jesus on Palm Sunday. He shattered all of them, just as He shatters our expectations as well. And that's a good thing!

John 12:1-2, 9-19 Jesus performed an incredible miracle in raising Lazarus. It made huge waves. It wasn’t the first person Jesus raised, but it was the first who had been raised after the Jewish belief that the soul had left the body. According to the Talmud (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:1-44

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Unexpected Jesus

Contributed by Theresa Ratliff on Mar 25, 2013

Do our expectations of who Jesus should be keep us from seeing who he really is?

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something about this story that has always bothered me. How on earth could Mary Magdeline, who has been one of Jesus’s closest friends, look right at him and doesn’t recognize him? Isn’t that like…the president of the George ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Denomination: *other

Expect The Unexpected

Contributed by Paul Robinson on Sep 27, 2022

Life is full of unexpected moments—it would be boring without them. But what happens when that unexpected moment is huge? It affects you personally, and it’s something that seems unbearable. It causes you to doubt. That’s what we find in Luke 7 with John the Baptist.

Has something unexpected ever happened to you? —you find a 20 dollar bill in between the cushions on your couch —you bump into someone at the store that you haven’t seen in 5 years —the forecast says it’ll be sunny, but it pours —the dog decides to bring you a gift from the outside world, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:19-20

Denomination: Baptist

The Unexpected Visitor

Contributed by Mary Erickson on Jan 30, 2023

A Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Epiphany, Year A

January 29, 2023 Hope Lutheran Church Rev. Mary Erickson 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12 The Unexpected Visitor Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus opens up his Sermon on the Mount with a real show-stopper. The ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, 1 Corinthians 1:18-21

Denomination: Lutheran

Unexpected Hero Series

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Apr 3, 2025

We are in dire need of integrity in our society, and it begins and ends with Jesus Christ and the foundation of Scripture.

Paul the Ringleader Text: Acts 24:1-9 Introduction 1. “Integrity, the choice between what is convenient and what is right” (Tony Dungy). 2. “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching” (C.S. Lewis). 3. “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will ...read more

Scripture: Acts 24:1-9

Denomination: Methodist

Unexpected Advice

Contributed by Rich O' Toole on Jun 2, 2025

A Pharisee offers sound advice to the council

Unexpected Advice Acts 5:29-42 Does the LORD ever use non-believers or pagan people to speak truth or accomplish His will? In the Old Testament prophecy of Habakkuk, the LORD said He would use Babylon, which was a “ruthless” and “dreaded” nation, to achieve His purposes and correct Israel. The ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:29-42

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Redeemed By Hope: The Story Of Ruth And The Light Of Advent Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on Dec 9, 2024

The Advent season is a time of anticipation, reflection, and renewal. Often, we immerse ourselves in the familiar story of Christ’s birth. But today, let us journey to an unexpected place—the story of Ruth.

Redeemed by Hope: The Story of Ruth and the Light of Advent Introduction: Rediscovering Advent through Ruth The Advent season is a time of anticipation, reflection, and renewal. Often, we immerse ourselves in the familiar story of Christ’s birth. But today, let us journey to an unexpected ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:11, Ruth 1:13, Ruth 1:16, Ruth 1:20, Ruth 2:12, Ruth 4:9-10, Ruth 4:17, Romans 8:28, Romans 15:13, Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 26:3, Ephesians 1:7, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 John 3:18, Psalm 91:4  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Help - Pt. 2 - The Help Place Series

Contributed by Steve Ely on Sep 28, 2010

It is only a simple word, but it speaks to our deepest needs and longings. Do you need help?

HELP! Pt. 2 – The Help Place I. Introduction – VIDEO ROLLIN Help, I need somebody, Help, not just anybody, Help, you know I need someone, help. When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody’s help in any way. But now these days are gone, I’m not so self assured, Now I ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:9

Denomination: Pentecostal

Finding God In The Future Series

Contributed by Billy Ricks on Jun 1, 2017

This series was designed to help people find God in unexpected places. Also that advent isn't a season that comes and goes. If you linger over the birth of the Savior Jesus it should create and attitude of celebration.

Intro: For the past six weeks we have discovered some amazing truths about finding God in Unexpected places. I hope that you have discovered that advent isn’t simply a season that comes and goes. As we linger over the memory of the birth of our savior it produces in us an attitude of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:32, Acts 1:7

Denomination: Baptist

The Stone Is Rolled Away Series

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Apr 13, 2020

God is the God of the Unexpected

John 20 (New Living Translation): 20 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Prince Caspian: Calling For Help, And The Unexpected Answer Series

Contributed by Timothy Darling on Jan 21, 2009

God answers our calls, but not always in ways that are expected, and yet, they are wonderful beyond knowing.

Prince Caspian: Calling for help, and the unexpected answer Jeremiah 32:42-33:3 Faith is called faith because we have no proof. We believe in God and we accept His presence in our lives, not because we can say what He looks like and how tall He is, but because we rely on the evidence of our ...read more

Denomination: Mennonite

What Most Miss! Series

Contributed by Apostle Dr. Belinda V. Broadnax on Oct 24, 2024

This sermon explores the subtle ways God speaks and how we often miss His voice because we are not paying attention. It challenges believers to be spiritually alert, recognizing that God’s voice is often found in unexpected places and circumstances.

Have you ever felt like you missed something important? Maybe it was an opportunity, a moment, or a conversation that could have changed everything. Spiritually speaking, many of us have missed something just as important: the voice of God. He speaks, He guides, but often His voice is missed ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:10

Denomination: Other

No Place But First Place Series

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Jan 17, 2013

Dominant Thought: God’s desire and rightful place is the first place in every aspect of our lives

There’s a new crisis forming in the Strait of Hormuz with Iran. That could lead to a gas price crisis. There’s a global economic crisis that keeps erupting in pockets in Europe. There’s a new worldwide crisis called Lady Gaga, but I want to direct attention to a crisis in our ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-3

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Ehud

Contributed by Austin Lamos on May 23, 2019

This Sermon is about the story of Ehud, an early judge of the tribes of Israel. Through the story of Ehud we learn that God can enter into our scenarios so that we can be delivered, and that God often delivers people in unexpected ways.

Ehud Joshua 3:15-30 - 12 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.[a] ...read more

Scripture: Judges 3:12-30

Denomination: Nazarene

An Unexpected Encounter With God.

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jun 2, 2023

A ladder of God's devising, connecting heaven and earth. Prefigures the Cross.

AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER WITH GOD. Genesis 28:10-19a. GENESIS 28:10. Jacob had defrauded his brother Esau of both his birthright and his blessing. So now Jacob was on the run from his brother Esau, headed back in the direction of the city which their grandfather Abraham had left behind so many ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 28:10-19

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational