The Beauty of Sacrifice

Introduction

On October 1, 2017, as a shooter was spraying the field where concertgoers were attending a country western concert in Las Vegas, there was ...

Courage to Sacrifice

Introduction

I have to say on a Sunday when I get to kick off a new study, it does feel a little bit like Christmas morning and I finally get to open that ...

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Introduction

(Read Luke 12:1-13)

A long time ago, before there were Republicans and Democrats, a Constitution, a Bill of Rights, or a Declaration of Independence, ...

The Divine Dare

Introduction

Everybody has to make decisions about how we're going to deal with money. There are a couple scholars named who talk about two metaphors for ...

The 10 Financial Commandments

Introduction

A mom was trying to teach her two kids about Jesus and the Easter story. When she reached the part about Pilate and what he did with Jesus, ...

When Is Enough, Enough?

Introduction

Sometimes it's not just a practice but a word—just one word—that God uses in our minds and our hearts to transform us.

When ...

Treasury Notes in Heaven

Introduction

Our son-in-law, Keith, works on the trading floor of the commodities market exchange in Chicago. I've been there to watch him. You stand in ...

Stand in the River of Grace

Introduction

The Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea for a reason: it's dead. This is because of its salt content. It is the saltiest body of water on ...

The Gravity of Greed

Introduction

Do you remember watching your very first NASA rocket launch? I remember as a boy sitting on the edge of the family room sofa and listening ...

The Motivation for Generosity

Introduction

Stephen King is the author of 49 suspense and horror novels that have sold over 350 million copies. Some of his novels have been made into ...

The Offering

Introduction

Today I want to talk about how the difficulties and disappointments of our life can deaden our heart, making them cold and inward-focused. ...

As Good As It Gets

Introduction

In 1969, Malcolm Muggeridge, a British journalist, broadcaster, and the editor of Punch, a satirical magazine, went to Calcutta to make a ...

If Jesus Lived in My Neighborhood

Introduction

Mark 10:35–45 offers several reasons why we should be servants in our community, in our work environment, and in the neighborhood in ...

Right on the Money

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." That thought from Psalm 24:1 captures the core of our thinking on ...

The Use of Money

From the editor

From time to time, we like to feature a classic sermon from a celebrated preacher of old. Bill White, a frequent contributor to PreachingToday.com, ...

The Principles of Prosperity

Would you like some good news? God wants you to prosper. In case there's any shadow of doubt, I want to give you some Scriptures. In Psalm 1:3, the Bible ...

Room to Breathe

If you lost all means of financial support tomorrow, how long could you hold onto your house? How you answer that question gets to the heart of today's ...

The Sermon on the Amount

Introduction

I heard about a little girl who experienced a major breakthrough in her life when she learned to tie her own shoes. Instead of excitement, ...

Canonization

Introduction

We're going to be looking at Revelation chapter 22 today, and I want to talk about a very significant and serious decision that was made in ...

What Do You Need to Be Happy?

Click here to listen to the audio.

The story behind the sermon (from Francis Chan)

This message is about being content. It comes out of Philippians ...

God's Green Earth

Introductory remarks from Steve Mathewson:

This sermon definitely resonated with my listeners! Many of them had already been practicing environmental stewardship ...

Mind Your Own Business: What does the Bible say about savings and debt?

From the editor

If the prognosticators are right, the current economic crisis will probably stretch on into 2010. With that in mind, now might be a good ...

Regime Change

From the editor:

Here's a sermon by Kevin Miller that might inspire a few ideas for your own Palm Sunday sermon (April 5, 2009). As you read the sermon, ...

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. ...

The Flames of Heaven

Text: Revelation 21:1–3
Topic: What would happen if heaven crashed into earth

Introduction

In Revelation 21:1–3, John gives us a glimpse—a ...

Secrets of Financial Contentment

Introduction

When I was a kid, my dad told me two stories all the time.

In the first one, a couple goes to Harvard University and asks to see the president, ...

A Crop Is A Crop

Introduction

We've been considering what it means to be jars of clay—ordinary, fragile people living in a difficult and dangerous world. The message ...

You Can't Fool the Lord

Introduction

One of the ministers at this church the television show 24 because of the things that Jack Bauer never has to do: eat, charge his cell phone, ...

The Problem of Growth

Introduction

The map of global Christianity our grandparents knew has been turned upside down. At the beginning of the twentieth century, only 10 percent ...

How Should a Pastor Think About His People's Giving?

Introduction

When I mentioned the title of this sermon to a group of pastors at our monthly denominational meeting, it elicited considerable response. ...

A Lifestyle Inventory

Introduction

I want to tell you exactly how to live your life and spend your money. I know I have your attention now, because when we talk about money, ...

Follow the Leader

Introduction

A church fails for one of two reasons.

The first reason is poor leadership—the failure of those whom God has called to lead, to lead well, ...

Treasury Notes in Heaven

Text: Matthew 6:19–21
Topic: Why storing your treasures in heaven is better than storing treasures on Earth

Introduction

Our son-in-law, Keith, works ...

Elements of Worship

Introduction:

One of the most interesting points of a pastor’s week is greeting people after Sunday morning worship. People say the most interesting things ...

How To Gain a New Perspective on Money

Introduction:

Leadership experts like John Maxwell, Warren Bennis, and Jack Welch, along with social psychologists, agree that when it comes to change, ...

Manage Money

According to research, of all the promises you'll make on your wedding day, the "for richer or poorer" part is likely to cause the most ...

How to Act Your Wage

A few years ago James Peterson and Peter Kim co-authored a book entitled The Day America Told The Truth. The book was the result of surveys that were ...

Finding Financial Freedom

We're talking this winter about living a life that counts. When all is said and done, we want our days and our dollars to add up to something worthwhile, ...

Tithes, Offerings, and Thieves

So, how do you feel when the offering basket comes around? Pressured? Guilty? Confused? Grateful? How do you feel when the pastor announces a series on ...

Living In the Zone

When the New England Patriots take the field this evening, they want to be "in the zone." The zone is a state of being in which an athlete is performing ...

A Sad Man Walking

I was out for a run a week ago or so. It was one of the first warm days after the big snow. As I made my way through one of the neighborhoods, I came ...

Spending Time

I happened to catch a song on the radio a few months ago called "100 Years," by a group named Five for Fighting. It was the tune that caught my attention ...

Lord of the Ten Cities

Can you believe? They're interested in me now. Two days ago, they would not have noticed a slave, but now they're interested. You see, I rule their city. ...

Real Giving

When it seemed as if every home in our community were getting an answering machine, Deb and I would affirm our mutual dislike for those machines and our ...

Giving and Growing

History tells us that revivals do not happen because the schedule calls for one. Revivals happen because people are in a frame of mind and spirit to receive ...

Judas: Blinded by Desire

 

In Mark 14:111, we read about a battle that was waged over Christ in the final days of his earthly life.

"It was now two days before the Passover ...

Wise Up About Money

The shock disk jockey, Howard Stern, is probably most well known for his vulgar and crude antics on his radio and television shows. In fact, at last count, ...

Stealing From God

When we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we enter a love relationship with him. It's a sacred romance. It's not just a working relationship. ...