Sermons on unexpected:

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

Resurrection Unexpected

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Apr 1, 2013

No one really expected the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today we focus on the expectations of two of those who first saw Jesus: John and Mary. What they expected, and how Jesus actually met them, can help your relationship with Jesus too.

No one saw it coming. No one. On the Sunday following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ no one really expected what happened (or at least it they didn’t fully comprehend it). They should have. Shortly after confirming to His men that He was the Messiah, Jesus said: Mark 8:31 “The Son of ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

An Unexpected Hero

Contributed by Bret Bone on Sep 13, 2011

Ten years ago today I think we would all agree that the events that happened on Sept. 11 marked us as a nation and individuals for a lifetime.

An Unexpected Hero Slide Watch movie trailer…U-tube World Trade Towers (Nicholas Cage 2min…) Ten years ago today I think we would all agree that the events that happened on Sept. 11 marked us as a nation and individuals for a lifetime. Every American alive that day will forever ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-13

Unexpected Guests

Contributed by Eric Keller on Nov 24, 2010

Are you prepared for Christ when he returns?

UNEXPECTED GUESTS Matthew 24:36-44 I. VIDEO A. Video of people disappearing in the rapture. B. Not required for sermon II. INTRODUCTION: UNEXPECTED GUESTS A. Ever have an unexpected guest? B. You’re sitting down to dinner and you hear a doorbell (ring the office doorbell) C. What do you ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:36-44

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God Of The Unexpected

Contributed by John Gaston on Sep 27, 2012

Jesus reverses people's fortunes. We're shocked that God loves us, has wonderful plans for our insignificant lives,and isn't limited by the options that limit us. In one minute, everything in this man's life changed. God wants to do it for you!

GOD OF THE UNEXPECTED John 5:1-9, 14-15 INTRODUCTION A. HUMOR 1. David, a second-grader, was bumped while getting on the school bus & suffered a two-inch cut on his cheek. 2. At recess he collided with another boy and two of his teeth were knocked loose. At noon, while sliding on ice, he fell ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-15

Denomination: Assembly Of God

In A Way Unexpected

Contributed by William L. Vincent on Jan 5, 2013

God will often use things, people and circumstances that do not make sense to the human intellect. God will speak into our improbability and bring forth our destiny.

1 Sam 16:13 Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons." 2 And Samuel said, "How can I go? If ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Denomination: Orthodox

Expect The Unexpected Series

Contributed by Brian Bill on Mar 27, 2011

God's purposes prevail even when our plans don't.

Expect the Unexpected Romans 15:22-29 Rev. Brian Bill 3/27/11 When the unexpected happens, we’re prone to either become exasperated or to make excuses. Here are some actual unedited excuses received by a public school. “My son is under the doctor’s care and should not take P.E. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:22-29

Denomination: Baptist

The Tale Of The Unexpected Series

Contributed by Grant Adams on Jan 21, 2022

Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. Naomi came back bitter, but Ruth turned the negative into positive with trusting in the God of Naomi.

I. The Return to Bethlehem Ruth 1:6-9 1. Naomi has had good news from back home. a. The Lord had visited His people in giving them bread. 2. Three elements are revealed in the initial moments of the return. a. Naomi tells the girls to go back to Moab and return to their Moabites families. b. The ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 1:6-22

Denomination: Baptist

An Unexpected Funeral

Contributed by Steve Greene on Oct 19, 2020

This is a funeral for a man in his mid-fifties that passed away unexpectedly.

Michael Brown On behalf of the entire Brown family, I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for being here this afternoon. One week ago right now, none of us expected to be here today. But people have rearranged schedules, taken off work, and traveled many miles to be here for this ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:11-13, John 1:12, John 14:6, 1 John 1:9, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:13, James 4:8, Hebrews 9:27, Romans 10:9-10, Mark 2:1-12  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Nazarene

The Unexpected Child Series

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 17, 2021

Christmas season is filled with surprises and the unexpected twists and turns that come with this holiday season. The original Christmas season was also filled with surprises from Heaven and the unexpected twists and turns from God.

Series: Unexpected Christmas Thesis of Series: Christmas season is filled with surprises and the unexpected twists and turns that come with this holiday season. The original Christmas season was also filled with surprises from Heaven and the unexpected twists and turns from God. God loves doing ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:9-11, Isaiah 55:8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Responding To The Unexpected

Contributed by Barry O Johnson on May 10, 2018

Many Christians are not prepared spiritually for the attacks of the enemy. This message, taken from 2 Chronicles 20, gives six things we can do to prepare ourselves from the enemy's attacks.

Many of you are much too young to remember the 1965 title bout between the Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali and the man he defeated for the title, Sonny Liston a year earlier. Ali knocked Liston out in the first round with a right cross to his left temple that he never saw coming. Ali’s punch ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unexpected And Expecting Series

Contributed by Mary Erickson on Dec 26, 2018

The Holy Spirit works quietly within us, bringing new things into being

Unexpected and Expecting Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. I had the good fortune of attending a baby shower a week ago. Baby showers are joyous occasions. Everyone celebrates the advent of this little one soon to enter our ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:39-45

Denomination: Lutheran

Unexpected Hope Series

Contributed by Rich Mccaskill on Jul 21, 2020

In our confusing and broken world, we can still have hope because of Jesus.

My own journey of hopelessness began when I was 15. As much as I wanted to believe in God, I could not. I could relate to Tolstoy who recounts an "old Eastern fable about a traveler who was taken by surprise in the steppes by a raging wild beast. Trying to save himself from the beast, the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:24-25, Isaiah 7:14, Romans 8:18-24

An Unexpected Friday Series

Contributed by Denn Guptill on Apr 1, 2018

Of all the things that were expected to happen the Friday after the triumphant entry, nobody expected these things.

An Unexpected Friday Nobody had expected this. It was only five days ago that the people of Jerusalem had welcomed Jesus as their Messiah. For three years Jesus had travelled throughout Israel. Preaching, teaching, healing the sick and feeding the hungry. He had quieted storms and cast out ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:21-32

Denomination: Wesleyan