Sermons on Unhelpful Tradition:

The Heart Matters Most - Lessons From Matthew 15 Series

Contributed by William Akehurst on Jun 12, 2025

GOD cares more about the condition of your heart than the traditions you keep. GOD desires genuine inner purity and authentic faith, not religious performance. True righteousness comes from a transformed heart, not outward tradition.

2025.06.15.Sermon Notes. The Heart Matters Most – Lessons from Matthew 15 When Religion Misses the Point William Akehurst, HSWC Reminder: It’s Father’s Day Scripture: Matthew 15:1-39, Isaiah 29:13, Psalms 51:10, Psalms 139:23-24 INTRODUCTION: JESUS confronts the religious leaders for honoring ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:1-39, Isaiah 29:13, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 139:23-24

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Let Us Go To Bethlehem And Find The Faith Of Christmas Series

Contributed by Mark Roper on Dec 17, 2008

Today our Christmas traditions have evolved from the different ways Christmas is celebrated around the world. Immigrants have brought their customs with them, and as a result we have a great diversity of customs, traditions, and fantasy’s that obscures t

Let Us Go to Bethlehem and Find the Faith of Christmas Luke 2:15-20 It is hard to imagine not celebrating Christmas, yet during the infancy of America Christmas was banned and for a time, and even illegal. How did we get to where we are now? Christmas evolved out of the old Roman festival of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-15

Denomination: Church Of God

Get Right, Church

Contributed by Riley Turner on Jan 25, 2001

We must break down the walls of racial, cultural, and traditional division in the Lord’s Church.

The following is an excerpt from a sermon preached by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1956, entitled: PAUL’S LETTER TO AMERICAN CHRISTIANS. In this sermon, Dr. King reads a fictitious letter written by himself, but he presents it as if it were a lost letter of the Apostle Paul to the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:13-22

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Do You Hear The Voices?

Contributed by Ricky Johnson on Sep 12, 2009

A Grandparents Day sermon calling us to listen to the voices of Wisdom, as she reveals experience and tradition.

Voices, soft, loud, sultry, or brash, they are all around us. Whose voices capture our attention? Do those strange little voices which roam around within our heads lure us? Or are we more captivated by the voices of those in positions of authority? Maybe the voices we really listen to are from ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 1:20-33

Denomination: United Methodist

Portal Power Series

Contributed by Quint Pitts on Dec 21, 2009

Final Sermon in the series that weaves carols and customs of Christmas traditions around the world throughout the message.

PORTAL POWER Christmas Around The World—Part 4 Today we’re taking the last leg of our Christmas journey around the world. And our last stop is Germany. The Christmas tree is an integral part of German Christmas celebrations. The Christmas tree actually originated in Germany. Cutting and ...read more

Scripture: John 1:51

Denomination: *other

Sermon On The Devil Within

Contributed by William Meakin on Sep 12, 2021

Wikipedia defines a devil as: “The personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions.”

William Ralph Inge, an English author, Anglican priest and professor of divinity at Cambridge once remarked: “There is no law of progress. Our future is in our own hands, to make or to mar. It will be an uphill fight to the end, and would we have it otherwise? Let no one suppose that evolution will ...read more

Scripture: James 4:7, Romans 10:13, 1 Peter 5:8

Sola Fide! Series

Contributed by Charles Mallory on Mar 10, 2023

Justifying grace in the Wesleyan tradition. We are saved by God's grace through faith.

GET WHAT YOU DESERVE! I HAVE HEARD THAT STATEMENT QUITE A FEW TIMES FOR “BENEFIT-RELATED” TV COMMERCIALS. I PERSONALLY DON’T WANT WHAT I DESERVE! ROMANS 6:23A, “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH….” ETERNAL DEATH IS THE “PAYCHECK” ONE RECEIVES WHEN THEY LIVE APART FROM GOD, IN THIS LIFE-TIME, AND STILL ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:12, John 3:16, Isaiah 43:25, Romans 5:9  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Free Methodist

Mary: Who She Was (And Who She Wasn't)

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Oct 15, 2020

There is quite a bit of confusion among some as to the Mother of Jesus. Who she was and who she was not. Some church traditions erroneously lend into that confusion. Today we look briefly at Mary in a manner of separating biblical fact from unscriptural tradition

Grace Community Church Winchester, VA www.GraceCommunity.com Rev. Bradford Reaves, Sr. Pastor Watch This Message https://youtu.be/lEeSaAcwtWs Introduction As we come to this portion of the Birth Narrative in Luke, I think it is important to point out a couple of things. First, this portion of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26, Revelation 22:8-9, Luke 1:46-55, Romans 1:3, Galatians 4:4, Luke 11:27-28, Matthew 13:55  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Brethren

Dung Hill Christians

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jan 22, 2007

Has your life been a bit smelly lately?

Not many people think about dung beetles because frankly any animal that eats dung and carcasses normally does not end up on our most desired pet or entrée list. They are actually quite beneficial and can be admired for that. There are however quite a few Christians living and feeding in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:4-11, Jeremiah 17:9, John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, Romans 9:4-8, Matthew 3:7-10, Luke 16:19-24, Daniel 11:36-39, Isaiah 64:6, Galatians 2:16, Romans 9:30-33, Romans 7:18, Galatians 3:10-14, Romans 10:1-4, Luke 13:28-29  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

It Was Just A Little Mistake - That Ain't Right Series

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 24, 2005

A young prophet dies because he broke his fast... but he was lied to! He was deceived! Why should he pay such a harsh price for such a little mistake?

OPEN: As raw recruits were preparing for their first jump from a C130 aircraft at 1200 ft., the sergeant explained what to do if the main parachute didn’t open: “Snap back immediately into a tight body position,” he said. “Then pull the rip cord of your reserve chute and it ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 13:1-32

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Heart Of Your Problem Is The Problem Of Your Heart Series

Contributed by David Dykes on Jan 25, 2018

The reason we like traditions, whether it’s washing your hands or dressing up for church, is that it is something we can do outwardly and feel good about ourselves.

INTRODUCTION Part of this message is about traditions. Why do we do the things we do? Sometimes we do them because we’ve always done them the same way and we never questioned the reason. Growing up, I had exactly the same breakfast every morning: two fried eggs, bacon, grits, and toast. And the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-23

Denomination: Baptist

Sharing The Passover Meal With Jesus Series

Contributed by David Dykes on Jan 28, 2018

How the elements of the Jewish Passover meal communicate powerful symbolism in the Lord's Supper.

INTRODUCTION I spent the last week in Hong Kong with Dale Pond and Greg Smith at a very strategic international church conference. I was able to be one of the speakers and introduce the Healthy Church training. I was the small print on the program because the keynote speakers were Ravi Zacharias ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:12-31

Denomination: Baptist

Turning Away From The Worldly Series

Contributed by Shaila Touchton on May 22, 2025

In this sermon, we will explore the biblical perspective on avoiding worldly entertainment such as TV and movies, internet pornography, and computer games.

As followers of Christ, we are called to live a life that is separate from the world. In 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, God instructs us to "come out from them and be separate" and to "touch no unclean thing." This includes avoiding worldly influences that can lead us astray and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:27-28

Somebody Should Say Something!

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Jun 24, 2025

This is the Sunday set aside to remember and celebrate Easter! Yet in many pulpits, “Headline News” will take the spotlight. Enough! ENOUGH! Somebody Should Say Something!

Somebody Should Say Something! Preached: April 20, 2025, BFBC 11 AM service Easter Sunday Humor: Text: Matthew 28:1-8 (1) In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. (2) And, behold, there was a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-8

Denomination: Baptist

The Apostle Andrew Series

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Jan 30, 2026

In our lesson today, we will briefly study the life of the Apostle Andrew.

Introduction The year was 345 AD. Regulus, bishop of Patras (in western Greece), dreamt of an angel instructing him to move the bones of St. Andrew to a distant location. Regulus took the bones of St. Andrew and set sail. After being shipwrecked on the shores of Fife, which is on the eastern ...read more

Scripture: John 1:35-42

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed