Sermons on Unexpected Return:

How To Bring Joy To Jesus

Contributed by Bruce Lee on May 28, 2025

Luke is the only Gospel writer that tells us about the sending out of the seventy. It is also the only Gospel that describes their joyous return and victory over the forces of darkness.

How to Bring Joy to Jesus “Then Jesus was filled with joy of the Holy Spirit.” Luke 10:1-24 Intro: Luke is the only Gospel writer that tells us about the sending out of the seventy. It is also the only Gospel that describes their joyous return and victory over the forces of darkness. These ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Go! And Meet Christ In The Air - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Series

Contributed by Dean Courtier on May 31, 2025

The return of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a myth, not a metaphor, but a promised reality; a glorious truth that anchors our hope, fuels our mission, and compels our worship.

Go! And Meet Christ in the Air - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NLT): "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, 1 Corinthians 15:52, Philippians 3:20-21, Revelation 21:3-4, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 10:9, Titus 2:13  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Peaceful Waiting PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 12, 2023

To explore the faithful anticipation of John the Baptist for the coming of the Messiah, encouraging us to live with the same patience, peace, and devout expectation as we await the return of Jesus Christ.

Good morning, brothers and sisters in Christ. Today, we gather to explore a powerful passage from the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, where we meet a remarkable figure in the Bible, John the Baptist, a voice of peace and a herald of the coming Messiah. As we delve into these verses, we'll be ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:1-8

Topics: Message, Mark

I Am Glad To Be A Wild Card Series

Contributed by Danielle Jeremiah on Apr 1, 2025

In this powerful word, Danielle Parker reveals how God uses the unexpected, the hidden, and the overlooked to shift history. If you’ve ever felt out of place, it’s because you were born to disrupt, not to conform. You are Heaven’s surprise move—and when God plays you, everything changes.

I Am Glad to Be a Wild Card By Danielle Parker INTRODUCTION: The Ones Who Don’t Fit Let’s be honest—many of us have spent years asking the wrong questions. Questions like: “Why am I so different?” “Why does my story seem so off-course compared to others?” “Why am I always the one people ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 49:2

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

Facing The Giants: Overcoming The Grasshopper Syndrome Series

Contributed by Jay Strack on Aug 28, 2006

Moses commanded thirteen men to go see what the Promised Land was like (Numbers 13-14). For forty days they spied on the Promised Land and its inhabitants. They departed with the same instructions, but they returned with conflicting accounts. How could

Sherwood Baptist Church has one of the most dynamic media ministries of any church in America. They have produced Facing the Giants, arguably the best feature-length movie ever made by a local church. It’s a God-glorifying, excellently created sports film in the tradition of Hoosiers, Remember ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Finding Your Way Back Home SermonCentral

Contributed by SermonCentral on Sep 8, 2023

Sometimes, the most detrimental thing God can do is to grant us our desires. The prodigal son's journey to a 'far country' symbolizes a place that first exists in our hearts. This journey and his eventual return home teaches us about the dangers of desire and the power of forgiveness.

Today, we will explore the parable of the Prodigal Sons, which is the third story in a series of parables told by Jesus. This parable, along with the stories of a lost coin and a missing sheep, teaches us important lessons about God's love and forgiveness. Let us dive into the story and uncover its ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Topics: Prodigal Son, Forgiveness

Be The Church: Watch, Wait, & Worship

Contributed by Jonathan Meyer on Nov 15, 2017

Jesus speaks of our need to prepare for His return. We are encouraged to live lives of worship and devotion to God as we watch and wait for the Bridegroom. (This is part of our lectionary-based series for November 2017, "BE the Church.")

Last Sunday we had a gender reveal party to find out if we’re having a boy or a girl in April. I was so convinced it was a boy, based on how different the first trimester had been this time around. But then, with friends gathered around, we popped a large black balloon with question marks all over ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13, John 14:2-3, Amos 5:18-24

Denomination: Lutheran

When You Least Expect Him Youth Sermon

Contributed by Youth Sermons on Sep 4, 2023

Jesus taught that the Son of Man would return when we least expect him. This has implications for future, end-time theology as well as present-day, right-now living. Our Father wants us to live with expectant hope because He can show up in any situation at any moment.

Today, I want to talk about surprises. You know, those moments when something unexpected happens, and it catches you off guard. I have this little gift box here, and there's a surprise inside. I'm not going to tell you what it is just yet, but I want you to keep it in mind as we go through our ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:36-44

Topics: Divine Intervention, Spiritual Encounters, Miraculous Events, Faith Journey

Our Blessed Hope - The Second Coming Of Christ

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Nov 3, 2001

Paul reassures the believers in Thessalonica who were afraid that those who had died would miss the Second Coming as he writes of the Return, the Resurrection, the Rapture and the Reunion.

OUR BLESSED HOPE - THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS There’s often an interesting background to what we read in Paul’s letters to the young churches he had founded. The verses we’ve just read (1 Thess 4:13-17) are his response to a misunderstanding that had caused grief to the new Christians at ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Denomination: Baptist

What Are You Waiting For? Series

Contributed by Mark Haines on Dec 11, 2001

A deductive exposition of the text calling seekers to receive Christ and believers to grow in grace in order to meet him face to face without any shame when he returns.

Introduction: Does anyone here like to wait? I know many of us struggle with procrastination at times, but do you really enjoy waiting? How many people here look for the longest slowest line when making a purchase at the store? Don’t we prefer to grumble and complain when the line we left for a ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14

Denomination: Wesleyan

Training Faithful Leaders Series

Contributed by Greg Nance on Mar 1, 2003

We must return to the Biblical way of training faithful leaders. God’s word reveals a very different plan than what we typically see today.

Training Faithful Leaders 2 Timothy 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Suffer hardship with me, as a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:14-15, 2 Timothy 2:1-3

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Significent Signs Of The Times

Contributed by Kenneth Trent on Nov 23, 2002

As we review these significant signs of the times that will be in place prior to our Lord’s return, we can "lift up our eyes for our redemption draweth nigh".

SIGNIFICANT SIGNS OF THE TIMES "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come." "But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." II Timothy 3:1, 13. I. PERILOUS TIMES WILL COME! The Greek word “chalepoi” can, with equal ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:3-4, 2 Timothy 3:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Meekness: The Bit And Bridle Syndrome

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Oct 18, 2000

The reward of meekness, of being controlled by the Holy Spirit, is the assurance that when Christ returns and ushers in the new creation, we will be there to rejoice with the saints and enjoy God’s presence forever.

I saw a segment on TV the other day about a feature in Cleo magazine which lists Australia’s 50 most eligible bachelors. As you can imagine, they were the epitome of what you might describe as desirable young men. They were the sort who get elected as the school captain, or who get leading parts in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Denomination: Anglican

Committed To Tenant Work

Contributed by Troy Borst on Oct 7, 2005

The reason is that we, the church, are those to whom the vineyard was given and we need to be committed to tenant work. We are now those to whom the vineyard is rented and God expects returns!

COMMITTED TO TENANT WORK LUKE 20:9-19 READ LUKE 20:9-19 I. THE SITUATION The situation that Jesus describes in the opening lines of his parable is probably not a situation that the people He is teaching are unfamiliar with. There have always been men who build and then move on. Owners of farms ...read more

Scripture: Luke 20:9-19

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hearing God's Word

Contributed by Ian Lyall on Nov 16, 2005

Nehemiah’s reading of the Law to the returned exiles produced a spiritual revival. In today’s materialistic world, do we not need to hear God’s Word afresh

Nehemiah 8 highlights the fact that after reconstruction there is a great need for reinstruction. We must learn to see life from God’s perspective. We need to change the way we think about ourselves and about life. All of us have been greatly affected by the philosophy of the world, much more than ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:9-18

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican