How to Appreciate the Book of Leviticus

Introduction

As we begin our trek through the Book of Leviticus, some of you might be excited. You might only be excited to see what in the world ...

The Infiltration of 'Jezebel'

Introduction

Each and every Halloween offers us an opportunity to reflect deeply afresh on the nature of life in the church and the world. Toward that ...

Halloween: Rethinking This Weird Holiday

Introduction

Ever watch Sesame Street? Remember the old jingle "Which One Doesn't Belong?" They'd put up on the screen a picture of a beach ball, basketball, ...

Boasting in the Cross

Introduction

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; ...

God Is Holy

The story behind the sermon (from Dan Meyer)

The idea for this series grew out of a frank appraisal I did of my preaching curriculum over the past couple ...

Danger! Worship in Progress

My hometown, Britton, South Dakota, celebrated its 125th anniversary last weekend on the 4th of July. The population sign on the edge of town says 1,328, ...

The Undefiled

When I was in seminary, the wife of one of my classmates worked as a quality control inspector at a pharmaceutical company downtown in order to support ...

Looking Up to Heaven

A shattered Colossus

The poet Percy Bysshe Shelly tells of meeting a traveler from an "antique" land who describes the ruins of a great statue in the desert. ...

The Judgment of Grace

Chapter five of Daniel addresses the question of what would happen if you gave a party, and God crashed it. Nebuchadnezzar was no longer on the throne. ...

The Song of a Broom

Sunday school pictures of a ruddy faced lad in a lions' den have scant resemblance to the actual situation described in this sixth and last chapter of ...

Radical Intimacy

Introduction

In this series, we're going to wrestle with very difficult story—the story of David. But I promise that as we allow this story to tell ...

A Disciple's Approach to Drinking

From the editor:

Few topics are more controversial than alcohol. Should a follower of Christ imbibe or abstain? In this sermon from regular contributor ...

Good Riddance

Introduction

"Isn't there somewhere else you're supposed to be?" Has God ever said that to you? God seems to be saying that a lot around here lately. He ...

The Really Good Shepherd

Introduction

According to the United States Social Security Administration, Jacob was the number one male baby name for the year 2007. In the Bible the ...

The Messy Family of God

Introduction

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." So reads the first line of Leo Tolstoy's famous novel, Anna ...

The Voice from the Top of the Stairs

Introduction

There's a story oft-told on the Internet—true or not, I don't know—about Susan, a 34-year-old woman who lost her sight due to ...

Odd Man Out

Introduction

Some wedding requests pose a dilemma for pastors. Most of us will not officiate at a wedding between a believer and an unbeliever, believing ...

The Strange Blessing of God

Introduction

Do you live a blessed life? I did a Google search on the phrase, "I live a blessed life." I stumbled upon one guy who wrote, "I live a blessed ...

The Long Tomorrow

Introduction

An 85-year-old couple died in a car crash after having been married almost 60 years. They had been in good health the last ten years mainly ...

A Brand New You

Introduction

I've got hundreds of things around the house that I would like to see made new—sofa cushions that have begun to sag, kitchen cabinets ...

Take the Risk

From the editor:

As the country sinks further and further into a time of recession, financial issues will be weighing heavily on the minds of listeners. ...

How to Be Blessed in the New Year

From the editor

Your listeners will have to make a number of choices in the new year, but no choice is more important than the choice between living within ...

John the Baptist's Story

From the editor

Very early in his sermon, Kevin Miller says, "I have the hard job of telling you a hard truth." Indeed he does. The hard truth is that ...

Church: The Message of 1 Corinthians

From the editor

In this sermon, Mark Dever offers a bird's eye view of one of Paul's longer letters, helping the audience hang their hats on a few critical ...

Ready or Not, Here I Come!

From the editor

Simply put: it's easy to mess up a difficult passage like Luke 21. You may find yourself applying something regarding Jerusalem's ...

Redneck Christmas

Editor's note: The following monologue is delivered in character by a shepherd named Larry. There was a live nativity scene on stage for the Children's ...

The Prime Principle

Introduction

Abiding in Christ is simply staying near a friend who loves you. But what happens to a person who abides in Christ? If I really walk with ...

Cravings and Conflicts

Text: James 4:1–2
Topic: Identifying and addressing the source of conflict

Introduction

There is a relational conflict in your immediate future. You ...

God's Consuming Fire

Text: 1 Kings 18:16–39
Topic: What we learn about God and ourselves from fire

Fire. It was there from the beginning of God's creation. He said, "Let ...

What God Wants from You More Than Anything Else

Introduction

What does God want from you? What does he expect? Do you know?

That's a question that every person has to answer. Because if there is a God—and ...

The Process of Transformation

Text: 1 John 3:1–10
Topic: How to attain holiness

Introduction

Imagine that you've been asked to write a book on marriage. Your publisher says, "We ...

Wholesome Thinking

Introduction

2 Peter is a manual for transformation, a how-to guide for holy living. It begins with the promise that in Christ we have all we need ...

Walking in the Light

Introduction:

Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ dramatic self-revelation in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk ...

The Most Beautiful People on Earth

Introduction

The latest rage in reality TV is the makeover show, in which a team of experts are brought in to transform somebody's wardrobe, car, backyard, ...

Joy: A Time to Dance

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Abandonment: When You Feel Alone

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Fear: When You're Scared Senseless

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Gratitude: More than just an attitude

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Anger: When Your Back Is against the Wall

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Contentment: When Your Soul Is at Rest

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Depression: When Darkness Is Your Closest Friend

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Disappointment: When Your Dreams Die

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Uncertainty: When You're Not Sure of Your Next Move

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Restlessness: When You Still Haven't Found What You're Looking For

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Outrage: When Your Heart Is Filled with Revenge

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Seasons of the Soul

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...

Putting God's Promises To Work

Peter used a phrase that many of us have heard before. In the King James it is written:

(v. 4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious ...

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Believers

In the first chapter of Peter's second epistle, he makes a bold promise, an astonishing guarantee. He says, in effect, "If you make an effort ...

Getting Right

In addition to the anger and fear that many people are struggling with right now is a nagging sense of sadness and despair. CNN and TIME reported that ...

Others-Oriented Living

There's an old hymn we used to sing in a church I attended long ago that goes like this:

Lord let me from day to day In such a self-forgetful way That ...