Sermons on Withered Arms:

Plastic Faith

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Sep 26, 2025

Artificial leaves look healthy but produce nothing. In Mark 11 Jesus exposes leaf-only religion: a fig tree with no fruit, a crowded temple with no prayer, faith without forgiveness, and leaders without surrender. He clears space for real life with God—fruit, prayer, forgiveness, and obedience.

An artificial plant looks impressive. But it produces nothing. You could easily buy one at a store with thought that it will "bring life to any room." And—sure—it brings the appearance of life. The leaves stay green. They never drop. It never needs water. In fact, if I tried to water it, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:12-33

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bearing Fruit

Contributed by Tom Fuller on Oct 8, 2002

What happens when Jesus inspects your life? He cursed the fig tree because it didn’t bear fruit - why? And how do we bear fruit for our Savior?

I have three fruit trees in my backyard. I would not call it an orchard – just three trees – a plum, a pear, and an apple. It’s not an orchard, nor am I an orchardist – or whatever you are when you have an orchard. I think my trees know it too – they get together every winter and say "how are we ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:18-46

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Rooting For Yourself Series

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jan 11, 2010

Every action we take has consequences for where we end up - so where we plant our lives is critical.

“Renewable Energy: Rooting for Yourself” Psalm 1 Barb and I have discovered that where we plant a tree in our yard makes all the difference in whether or not it grows into maturity and productivity. This is so because some of our yard is good soil and some of it is thick clay; good ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Are You Listening?

Contributed by Luther Sexton on Jun 1, 2021

The psalmist distinguishes between the life of the righteous compared to the ungodly.

Are You Listening? Psalm 1:1-6 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3And he shall be like a tree ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6

Denomination: Pentecostal

Ihop & The Case Of The Missing Figs - Mark 11:9-21 Series

Contributed by Darrell Ferguson on Feb 9, 2024

Palm Sunday Message

Mark 11:1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:9-21

Lake Of Fire Series

Contributed by Dennis King on Jul 10, 2022

Would you believe that no matter if people were good or bad, they went to Hades, not hell? Do you think ‘Hell and the Lake of Fire’ are the same. They are not.

— Lake of Fire — You may, as I did for a long time, have had casual thoughts that ‘Hell and the Lake of Fire’ were the same. They are not. Neither is each meant to receive the same class of sinners. Many folks mindfully merge them into one godforsaken penal colony where human sinners are ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25-26, Galatians 5:19-21

Denomination: Baptist

Dried Out But Not Dried Up

Contributed by Jeremy Lile on Jan 5, 2006

A sermon that stresses the importance of staying in the word and remaining prayerful. Otherwise, we are weak and then the enemy will try and tear us down and strip us of all our joy.

Text: Ezekiel 37:1-3,7-10 (NIV) 1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry 3 He ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-10

Denomination: Church Of God

Empty Vessels

Contributed by Samuel Fulkerson on Aug 23, 2012

Jesus came to heal the broken hearted, sin-sick and emotionally lame.

Luke 19:9-10: “And Jesus said unto him (Zacchaeus), This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10- For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Matthew 9:10-12 “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:9-10

Denomination: Pentecostal

Fall Of The Rich

Contributed by William R. Nabaza on Dec 7, 2011

I. EXORDIUM: Anyone rich here? Pls raise your hands. Have you seen a rich person? II. AUDIENCE PROFILE: Sitio Visaya/Villa Luisa/Waltermart III. OBJECTIVES: To show that being rich in this world is not the answer. IV. TEXT: James 1:11 For

I. EXORDIUM: Anyone rich here? Pls raise your hands. Have you seen a rich person? II. AUDIENCE PROFILE: Sitio Visaya/Villa Luisa/Waltermart III. OBJECTIVES: To show that being rich in this world is not the answer. IV. TEXT: James 1:11 For the sun rose with the hot wind and dried up the grass, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:11

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Christmas Tree, Isaiah 9:6 12/2014

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Dec 9, 2014

If we plant God's word into the hearts of our children and grandchildren, place the real Christmas story into their hearts at a young age it will take root and never leave them.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Around 10 years ago I began to tell my Grandson Ryan, who then was 5 years old about how when I was his age we always had a cedar for a Christmas tree and how to this day the smell of a cedar tree reminded me of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Denomination: Baptist

Reflection B.8 / Does God Have A Purpose In Coronavirus? / Isaiah 24, Isaiah Foresees Global Environmental Destruction

Contributed by Simon Bartlett on May 11, 2020

Isaiah foresaw global environmental destruction. That's what we have today.

People often talk about ratios. We have student-teacher ratio, price-earnings ratio, debt-GDP ratio, power-weight ratio and so on. I’d like to propose a ‘significance-study ratio’ to highlight significant passages of Scripture which we overlook. Today’s passage is one of them. World leaders and ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 24:1-6

Denomination: Baptist

The Blessed - Psalm 1

Contributed by Arlen Payne on Feb 5, 2023

There are clearly two types of people described in Psalm 1, the blessed or Godly, and the cursed, or ungodly

The Blessed Psalm 1 Intro. I’ve been thinking about this Psalm all week I have to admit, when I sat down to organize it into a message, it was a struggle or me. You have two people very obvious people here. The Godly - also called the blessed The ungodly I. The blessed are ...read more

Scripture: John 10:27-29, John 14:6

Denomination: Baptist

An Inheritance That Cannot Fade Series

Contributed by Paul Dayao on Sep 26, 2025

This sermon explains that our Christian hope is fixed on a heavenly inheritance that is secure from decay ("incorruptible"), pure from sin ("undefiled"), and eternally glorious ("fadeth not away"), all personally guaranteed by God.

Introduction: Earthly Investments Brothers and sisters, in the previous verse, Peter told us we have been born again into a "lively hope." A hope for what? Verse 4 gives us the stunning answer. We have been born into an inheritance. In our world, an inheritance is often something we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:4

Denomination: Baptist

Staying Connected

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Jan 8, 2020

In order to hear from the Father we must stay connected to Jesus.

STAYING CONNECTED Text: John 15:1-8 Introduction 1. Today we begin a year of rest and reflection. A. Resting from outreach. B. Reflecting on our ministry. 2. We will be seeking God for... A. A New Vision: What does the Lord want our church to look like B. A New Focus: Who does the Lord want us ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Denomination: Methodist

Where Are The Figs?

Contributed by Ralph Andrus on Jul 20, 2005

On a close inspection of our life what do we find. Have my years of privileged & opportunity through my sin & indifference has carried me future & further from God?

Where Are The Figs? Mk. 12:11-21 Many are like that famous painting of olden time, in which the artist depicted what seemed at a distance a holy friar with a book before him,, and his hands crossed in devotion, looking like a saint indeed, but when you came close to the venerable impostor, you ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:11-21

Denomination: Baptist