It's About the People

Introduction

Recently our church softball thoroughly trounced our opponents. The game ended with what's called the mercy rule: when one team is ahead ...

Fighting Well

Introduction

The movie Cinderella Man is based on the true story of a boxer named James J. Braddock. Braddock was a good boxer who lost his passion and ...

Remember Who You Are

Introduction

The Woodley family has a number of family picture albums. Each picture album contains an assortment of photos of people that matter to our ...

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 ...

Body Life

Introduction

That the church is the "body of Christ" is more than simply a figure of speech. The church is the chief means by which Christ works today; ...

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, ...

Don't Go To Church!

Introduction

D. L. Moody was visiting a prominent Chicago citizen when the idea of church membership and involvement came up.

"I believe I can be just as ...

Peace in the Church

Introduction

When I was a pastor in Arizona, there were two men in the church who were greatly admired. They were both successful businessmen who desired ...

Battered into Submission

Introduction

Not long ago, someone said to me, "I've never heard a sermon about violence in the home. I've never heard the preacher pray about it. I've ...

Down the Ladder to the Highest Place

Introduction

Editorial note: Sunukjian uses a six-foot stepladder as a prop throughout this sermon. References to the prop will be noted in the text in ...

It's Not Thinking Less of Yourself; It's Thinking of Yourself Less

Introduction

A few years ago, one of my students was speaking to our class about his denominational background. He told the class that the average church ...

Choosing What Is Best

Introduction

There were about 20 of us: the engaged couple, their parents, the bridesmaids and groomsmen who were going to be in the wedding the next day, ...

The Blazing Fastball That Gives Us Confidence

Introduction

On July 15, 1986, Roger Clemens came to bat in his first Major League Baseball All-Star game. Roger was the sizzling right-handed pitcher ...

No Ordinary People

Introduction

This is no ordinary thing we do here this morning. We use ordinary things—a building, benches, juice, and bread—but it's no ordinary ...

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, ...

Mind Renewal

Text: Romans 12:1–8
Topic: How to reclaim community in the church

Introduction

Something that has become very popular in today's media-crazed society ...

I Will Build My Church

Introduction

I entered the ministry with my eyes wide open. Two great-grandfathers were preachers—one a circuit rider, the other a lay preacher. Both ...

Dangerous Worship

Introduction

Have you considered that many of the things we do every day are inherently dangerous? Yet we hardly think about it. Every morning, I take ...

Teach Your Children Well

Introduction

They say God has no grandchildren. What they mean is that it isn't enough to be born into a believing home or a believing church. Every child ...

Passing the Baton

Introduction

A few months ago, I heard a song on the radio by an artist named John Mayer. The song is entitled "Daughters," and you hear it several ...

It Takes a Church

Introduction

Several years ago, a Peace Corps worker wrote a children's book based upon her experiences in Africa. It tells the story of a young girl named ...

Tradition Becomes More Attractive than Truth

Introduction

According to Merriam-Webster, tradition is "the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one ...

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 ...

People of the Table

Introduction

On this Mother's Day, it seems very appropriate that we continue to reflect together on what it takes to grow a great family. Whether our ...

Ancient Mystery Revealed

Introduction

Everyone loves a good mystery, a thriller, a whodunit! Some of the most popular books, movies, and TV shows of all time are mysteries. We ...

Like a Living Stone

Introduction

"How does it feel," Bob Dylan asks. "How does it feel to be on your own, with no direction home, a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?" ...

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. ...

What WWW Stands For

Does anyone know what WWW stands for? [obvious answer] Not today it doesn't. It means something different, and these three W's are the key in ...

What Makes a Great Church

Three pastors were having lunch together and learned that all had been facing the same problem: all three churches had bats in the attic. One pastor tried ...

A Spirit-Filled Church

Introduction:

The text before us is one of the most fascinating passages in the New Testament, because it interweaves the mystery of Christ and his body—his ...

What Makes a Church Great?

Three pastors were having lunch together and learned that all had been facing the same problem: all three churches had bats in the attic. One pastor ...

The Church Triumphant

In case you didn't get it when I mentioned it earlier in this series, I love the church. Not only this church, but THE church. The universal church. ...

Christ the Center

"He is before all things and in him all things hold together."

This passage, a hymn to Christ, has drawn to itself a considerable body of studies ...

Why I Believe in the Church

Introduction

Our society, as you know, is increasingly becoming a society of options. We speak more today of pluralism than we ever have in our history. ...

Great People Do for Others

In the recent NCAA basketball Final Four playoffs here at Dallas, I was interested in the statement made by one of the coaches prior to the game. He was ...

The Purpose of Christmas

First John 1:1—4:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands ...