How God Works Through Tragedy

Introduction

Life can seem pretty vicious sometimes. As a church, over the last about five weeks we've had two major tragedies within our family here ...

Get a Grip

Editor's Note: This sermon was given from an empty gymnasium. To prepare for the topic and really connect with the idea of "letting go," John Ortberg ...

Personal Transformation

Introduction

Today we are asking the question what does it mean to be whole people in the presence of others. What does it mean to be shaped into wholeness, ...

Passing Judgment

Introduction

There is a new John 3:16. The old John 3:16 was John 3:16. That was the verse that everyone knew, the verse that was familiar to all, the ...

God's Favor

Introduction

It is so good to gather on this special Christmas morning and welcome our Lord Jesus Christ into the world to celebrate his birth together. ...

A Tale of Two Women

Introduction

In the days when the judges ruled over the land of Judah there came a famine to the land. So a man from Bethlehem together with his wife and ...

Hanging on When You Feel Like Giving Up

Introduction

Helen Hayes, a stage actress of another decade, was talking about charm when she said, "Charm is that thing which, if you have it, you don't ...

Jesus, Lord of the Cross

There are few more exciting units of the U.S. Military than the Combat Search and Rescue (or the CSAR). If you've seen the movie Black Hawk Down, ...

Heart Worm

Over these past weeks we've been looking together at some conditions of the human heart that obviously need help. When we meet somebody whose life is ...

The Deep Truth

Introduction

Back in 1899, four reporters from four different Denver newspapers didn't have a story for the morning paper. They decided to make up a story—to ...

Love in Spite of Differences

Every sailor could agree on one fact. Had it not been for the captain, they never would have survived. The storm came suddenly, and in a matter of moments ...

Recognizing Divine Interruptions

Matthew 1:18-25:

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, ...

What Is This Thing Called Love?

From the editor:

Over the next few months, PreachingToday.com is going to run an entire transcript series from Haddon Robinson on 1 Corinthians 13. The ...

From Exclusion to Embrace

The Story Behind the Sermon

This year (2009) we have been preaching through the Gospel of Luke. As the preaching schedule was being put together, it just ...

Image Management

Introduction

In her wonderful book Breathe, author Keri Wyatt Kent names four crucial commitments necessary to finding our way into a saner kind of life ...

Trusting in God's Process

Introduction

Coco was a pit bull mix, just barely one year old. As a puppy she was dumped on the freeway and rescued by a teenager who handed her off to ...

Openness

Introduction

I don't know many people who want to come to the end of their lives and say, "I never made an impact on anything or anyone?but I'm okay with ...

A Better Peace Prize

Introduction

At the turn of the 20th century, a man named Alfred was one of the preeminent scientists and entrepreneurs of his day. He made his fortune ...

A Bleeding Hearts Club?

Introduction

Suppose someone were to describe you as "a bleeding heart?" How would you feel about that? That expression is often attached to ...

The House of Expectancy

Introduction

Have you wondered what makes one person open to God and the next person closed? What makes Sally receptive, attentive, responsive to God's ...

Taming the Beast

Text: Genesis 4:1–16
Topic: How to battle envy

Introduction

A few years ago, two high school girls in California—well liked, talented and ambitious—attended ...

Lessons from Lepers

Introduction

We often look at thanksgiving backwards. We think of thanksgiving as thanking God for something that has happened to us already. The real ...

When Life Crowds You Out

Introduction

On the wall of a subway in New York City was an advertising poster that depicted a dignified older gentleman recommending a particular product. ...

Separation Can Lead to Isolation

Introduction

Imagine a weird world where, before you can be admitted to a hospital, you have to have a clean bill of health. A world where doctors won't ...

Living With Your Inadequacies

Introduction

A man named Terry Mike was speeding toward Tucson, Arizona, and passed an unmarked Arizona Highway Patrol Car. The officer pulled him over. ...

How to Improve Your Standard of Living

Introduction:

Today's message should come with a warning. Caution: This passage requires no interpretation. Peter writes Chapter 3 in a way that makes ...

Would Jesus Join This Church?

In the last couple of decades a style of worship—and a style of ministry—has become increasingly popular. You know the term: seeker sensitive. ...

Treat Your Mate to a Better Marriage

Genesis 2:18-24

Gloria Steinem, the well-known feminist activist and publisher of Ms. Magazine, made a statement a few years ago that has been quoted ...

Encounter: The Vision of Witnessing

Introduction

Several years ago, I was enjoying a day of recreation on a ski slope in central Wisconsin. While other friends from the church had gone ...

Exclusive Territory

In my economics class, we finished studying agreements. At first glance, my students thought an agreement would limit consumer choice. They're surprised ...

A Wonderful Night

W. Would you look at those stars! There's Orion and the Pleiades, a shooting star ... and another one! Aah, I will never get tired of looking at the night ...