Sermons on Welcoming Strangers:

In The Beginning ...

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Jan 20, 2007

As described in the opening verses of John’s Gospel, God reveals five aspects of Jesus Christ: 1. Eternal 2. Creator 3. Incarnate 4. Saving 5. Welcoming

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Good Morning. Today is the First Sunday after Christmas. And while the image of the baby Jesus in the manger is still fresh in our minds, John explains to us who Jesus is and why ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Missions: The Great Mandate

Contributed by Chad Bolfa on Oct 1, 2010

Mission work actually involves a broad spectrum of evangelistic work, what is missions? It is all of our work, empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim Jesus Christ and share the blessings of the Christian faith with all who are strangers to His grace.

Missions: The Great Mandate Matthew 28:18-20 Introduction It has been rightly said that missions is the heartbeat of God, and it must also be the heartbeat of each and every church. It is my prayer and desire that our church would develop an even greater vision for missions, and that every ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Denomination: Baptist

Putting It All Together Series

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 5, 2022

It's nonsense to build our lives on a lie, but people do it. God calls us to build on a foundation of truth.

There is nothing quite so destructive as a lie. No one wants to be lied to. It is nothing short of betrayal. And no one wants to be lied about. It is an ugly and contemptuous act. The Bible traces our worst problems back to a lie. The serpent, remember, asked the woman whether it was true what he ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:1

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Jesus, The Good Shepherd Series

Contributed by Jason Wall on Jun 21, 2004

From the begging to the end of our lives the Good Shepherd: provides for us, protects us and promises to welcome us home when our journey is done.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd By: Jason Wall Psalm 23; John 10:9&11 June 20th, 2004 This morning we are going to look at one of the most treasured passages in all of scripture, the 23rd Psalm. Echoed in every imaginable context throughout the ages, these verses are always appropriate and never fail to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When Bad News Becomes Good News

Contributed by Michael Duduit on Mar 3, 2008

Palm Sunday is a good news/bad news kind of day. It is a day of celebration, as the people come out from Jerusalem to give Jesus a royal welcome.

You are invited to attend the National Conference on Preaching. To learn more: Visit: http://www.preaching.com/events/ncp/ -------- Did you hear about the pastor who had been sick? Somebody visited him with a message. They said, “Pastor, the good news is the deacons just voted to pray for your ...read more

Scripture: John 12:12-19

Denomination: Baptist

Resisting, Grieving, And Quenching The Holy Spirit

Contributed by Andrew Drummond on Jul 3, 2008

Many times our focus is on how to invite and welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives and churches, but what if we are doing things to push Him away?

I want you to imagine with me for a minute we are all living in a time when we had no fire. We have no way to produce a great deal of warmth at night; we have no way to cook what we kill in the forest. Someone has told that all we need to do is pray for it and it will come. So imagine we want to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 7:51

Come Home And Let The Party Begin Series

Contributed by C Jordan on Sep 18, 2012

In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus reveals God as Father who is extravagant in His love for us, welcoming both rebellious and religious sons to come home.

COME HOME AND LET THE PARTY BEGIN! (Sept. 2012 – Beausejour Church – Pastor Chris Jordan) HUMOR: Eight-year-old Nina brought her report card home from school. Her marks were good... mostly A's and a couple of B's. However, her teacher had written across the bottom: "Nina is a smart ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32

Denomination: *other

The Storyteller: The Parables Of Jesus: Lost And Found

Contributed by C Jordan on Jul 17, 2015

In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus reveals God as Father who is extravagant in His love for us, welcoming both rebellious and religious sons to come home.

THE STORYTELLER: THE PARABLES OF JESUS #2: LOST AND FOUND OPENING: Have you ever lost something that was important to you? • I remember one time I lost my wallet and how I felt – looked everywhere for it! • There was another time we lost Austin in Walmart, and left Caleb behind ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32

Denomination: *other

Jeremiah, Jesus And Our Evangelical Call Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 2, 2018

This Advent, try to spend more time and effort and even money in preparing yourself and helping others to welcome the Lord at Christmas than you spend on presents.

First Sunday of Advent 2018 Jeremiah has to be one of the saddest prophets of any age of the Hebrew people. His message could be summarized in one word–disaster. It was a disaster for the people who were delivered from Egypt by God through Moses, who were led through the desert, given the land of ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-16, Luke 21:25-36

Denomination: Catholic

There Was No Room At The Inn For The King, But There Is Room At The Cross For You

Contributed by David Nolte on Dec 10, 2018

How strange that He who was rejected by those He came to save gladly accepts and welcomes those same sinners who desire to come to Him.

There Was No Room At The Inn For The King, But There Is Room At The Cross For You!” Luke 1:1-7 / 1 John 2 1-2 David P. Nolte There are many contrasts in life: light and dark; good and bad; new and old; young and elderly; in and out. Let’s contrast these two songs: “No room in the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-7, 1 John 2:1-2

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"preparing The Way: Embracing Peace "

Contributed by Jessie Manuel on Dec 10, 2024

Advent is a time of anticipation and longing—a season that calls us to consider how we can welcome the peace of God into our lives and our world.

Good morning/afternoon, everyone! As we gather in this sacred space during this Advent season, we are invited to pause, reflect, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Advent is a time of anticipation and longing—a season that calls us to consider how we can welcome the peace of God into ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:1-5

Denomination: Methodist

Calling The Unlikely

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Apr 24, 2024

Who do you identify yourself with? Jesus’ arms of welcome are always open. Anyone who followed Jesus genuinely, eventually ceased to be a sinner.

Opening illustration: Health clubs offer many different programs for those who want to lose weight and stay healthy. One fitness center caters only to those who want to lose at least 50 pounds and develop a healthy lifestyle. One member says that she quit her previous fitness club because she felt ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:13-17

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Remembering Why We’re Here

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 25, 2025

God opens doors the world closes, sending Spirit-led people to welcome all, proving His unstoppable grace when culture says no.

Good morning, friends. Today we begin with a question: What do you do when the place you hoped would welcome you says there’s no room? That’s the question at the heart of Acts 8. > “An angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:26-39, Isaiah 56:3-7, John 14:2, Mark 11:17, Galatians 3:28  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

God's House Guest PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 6, 2025

God welcomes those who live with integrity, truth, and faithfulness, offering stability and belonging to all who let His grace shape their daily lives.

Good morning, dear friends. I’m so glad you’re here. Some of us arrived with sunshine in our step, others with a storm in our chest. Some of us feel strong; others feel threadbare. All of us are seen, known, and welcomed by the God who meets us right where we are and loves us too much to leave us ...read more

Topics: Life Patterns, Godliness

Who Do You Think You Are? PRO Sermon

Contributed by Sermon Research Assistant on Oct 23, 2025

God welcomes honest, humble prayers from needy hearts; true prayer is not performance, but sincere confession that receives mercy and transforms us by His grace.

If your heart is tired and your prayers feel thin, you’re in the right place. The Lord welcomes real people with real needs and real words. He is not looking for polish; He is listening for honesty. He is not impressed by our resumes; He is moved by our repentance. We’ve all had those moments—hands ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Topics: Prayer, Proclamation, Positioning