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Preaching on Culture? Browse these sermons to find fresh ideas.

The Robbing ‘Hood
The Robbing ‘Hood

Introduction

(Read Amos 5:4-15)

A week ago, I was coming home from Midway Airport, and I asked my Lyft driver, “Do you also drive for Uber?” ...


Idolatry and injustice always go together.


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What Do We Worship?
What Do We Worship?

Introduction

I have a lot of baggage with a specific word, which is probably a little ironic because I “lead it,” and that word is ...


Only God and the Lamb are worthy of our worship.


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Global Thing Locally
Global Thing Locally

Introduction

The gospel of Jesus’ grace leads us into mission. It leads us out into others’ lives and into the world. To begin there, ...


To do a global thing, God does it in local ways.


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Did God Command Genocide?
Did God Command Genocide?

Introduction

(Read Joshua 10:38-42; 15:13-15)

Note: I acknowledge with gratitude my debt to the scholarship of William J. Webb and Gordon K. Oeste, in their ...


In the Bible we meet a God who is internally consistent, who is constantly limiting weapons, and stopping wars.


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Fewer Tears
Fewer Tears

Introduction

As we come to the Table of our Lord today, I invite you to explore with me a passage from God’s Word that seems especially relevant ...


How we can help to reduce violence.


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Called to Pray and Never Give Up
Called to Pray and Never Give Up

Introduction

Before I jump in, I’d love to share a bit about who I am. Prior to starting seminary I had the privilege of being a 5th grade teacher ...


As followers of Jesus we can confidently persist in prayer, knowing that we pray to a father who is caring and just—guaranteeing that life will have the final word.


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The Endurance of God's Promises
The Endurance of God's Promises

Introduction

As we read the verses this morning, I admit that my mind wandered a bit. And though I'm not proud of what I thought about, I admit that ...


God still cares for his people, even when we take our eyes off him.


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Advent: Joy
Advent: Joy

Introduction

Christian Wiman, the celebrated poet, professor of literature at Yale and Christian intellectual, in his book Joy, which is a collection ...


Three steps to find joy: give thanks, draw near to God, and curate your mindstream.


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Living Between the Tick and the Tock
Living Between the Tick and the Tock

Introduction

Before Tik Tok was a social media phenom, Tick Tock was the way old clocks sounded. Mechanical, wind up clocks sounded a TICK and then after ...


God enables you to live with a sense of his presence and guidance between the tick and the tock.


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Christians and Politics
Christians and Politics

Introduction

This past July most of us missed an anniversary celebration. Thirty years ago, our government passed a law that has helped millions of Americans. ...


Who needs your fierce civility?


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Christian Unity and Politics: Why Both Parties Are Wrong
Christian Unity and Politics: Why Both Parties Are Wrong

Introduction

My aim in part one of this series was to show how the two truths of baptism—dying with Christ and rising with Christ—correspond ...


Just as baptism requires us to hold together a proper relationship between dying and rising with Christ, so too politics work best when a nation’s liberal ideals are built upon a solid foundation of conservative truths.


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Christian Unity in a Politically Diverse Congregation: Why Both Sides Are Right
Christian Unity in a Politically Diverse Congregation: Why Both Sides Are Right

Introduction

In this two part series we are going to explore how our baptism can help us achieve Christian unity in light of our political diversity. And ...


Baptism provides a theological framework for helping us gladly and charitably embrace each other as Christian brothers and sisters in the midst of our political diversity.


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In the Image of God
In the Image of God

Introduction

I grew up in a small community. As a teenager I can remember jokes being told on the school playground about people based on the color of ...


God values all people.


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Are You Awake?
Are You Awake?

Introduction

Typically, sermons begin with a prayer for illumination and end with a prayer of application. The preacher starts by asking God to open their ...


God’s people are to be an awakened people.


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Overcoming Racism and Prejudice
Overcoming Racism and Prejudice

Introduction

The tragic and heart wrenching events that have flooded the news cycles over the past several days have shone a new light on the alarming ...


God’s eternal plan and down-to-earth solution to overcoming the problem of racial, tribal, and national divisions.


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My Favorite Prejudice
My Favorite Prejudice

Introduction

As we continue in our study in James, we have looked at our own trials, tests and the troubles God wants to help bring us through. We’ll ...


We judge by what we see. So does God. But only God sees the heart.


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Dads, What Is the Culture of the Home You Are Building?
Dads, What Is the Culture of the Home You Are Building?

Introduction

I want to acknowledge that a day like this, set aside to celebrate fathers, is a difficult day for many people. For some of you, it’s ...


It doesn’t require status or wealth to be a good dad, just trust in following God.


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Hope in a Time of Anxiety
Hope in a Time of Anxiety

Introduction

I know a woman who is a working professional, she’s the mother of young children, a wife, and she recently contracted COVID-19 which ...


God causes all things ultimately to work for the good of those who love him.


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Tiny Things in Terrible Times
Tiny Things in Terrible Times

The virus that changed your life is a 1.25 Nanometer sphere. That is one-billionth of a yardstick, tiny but traumatic. For decades you worried about something ...



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How to Live When You Learn You Aren’t a Super-Hero
How to Live When You Learn You Aren’t a Super-Hero

Introduction

I’ve been a pastor for over 27 years, but during that time I’ve always worked as a low-level, volunteer superhero. This is true. ...


In the midst of life’s woundability, what is your foundation?


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'In Any and Every Circumstance'
'In Any and Every Circumstance'

Introduction

Our lives are changing rapidly. Our plans and schedules and some of our most basic routines all feel like they’re changing on us by ...


Christ has given us what we need to fulfill his mission in our lives.


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Christians and the Coronavirus
Christians and the Coronavirus

INTRODUCTION

I want to speak to you today about the virus that is currently and quickly changing the landscape of our world. More specifically, I want ...


Do not be anxious and seek first the kingdom of God.


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The Danger of Descending into Sin
The Danger of Descending into Sin

Introduction

To err is human—am I right? We as human beings, we often do things wrong. We mess up. We sin. And when we sin, when we mess up, we usually ...


David lusts, rapes, attempts deception, and kills—and yet God’s grace is big enough to redeem him.


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Fully Alive: The Call of Men
Fully Alive: The Call of Men

Probably one of the top five Ruch family favorite films would be a really beautiful film made several years ago called The Nativity. As a matter of fact, ...


Men are called by God to be providers and protectors.


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National Reflections
National Reflections

Introduction

This past week, our elders met to pray and talk about our church and the level of churning in our nation these days around issues of political ...


How to think biblically in times of political chaos.


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Halloween: Rethinking This Weird Holiday
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, ...


How should Christians respond to October 31?


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God's Surprising Use of Governments
God's Surprising Use of Governments

Introduction

We are going to begin a very important study in what is arguably the most important passage in all of the Bible, regarding how we as Christians ...


We should become people who—with respect and honor—recognize the proxy authority and the sovereignty of God.


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A God-Centered Vision of Politics
A God-Centered Vision of Politics

Introduction

(Read Matthew 22:15-22)

"Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matt. 22:21). This is certainly one of the most famous ...


God alone deserves our worship and hope.


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The Empty Niche
The Empty Niche

Introduction

During Spring Break recently, my son Reed and I drove through upstate New York and passed near the town of Saratoga. Saratoga is a lovely ...


Jesus challenges our culture's understanding of perks, power, and piety.


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Preparing for the Gift
Preparing for the Gift

Introduction

December is a month that raises all kinds of feelings for us. Some really look forward to this time. For others there are things that we dread ...


Jesus is the gift to be excited about.


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Vampire Churches
Vampire Churches

Introduction

In 1998, author Anne Rice shocked readers and the publishing world when she announced she would never write another vampire book again. She ...


Is your church giving life to young people, or draining it away?


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Weathering the Storms of Compromise

Introduction

People wonder, Is it really possible to be a Christian in today's world? So much of the values of this world are inimical to Christian values. ...


Is it possible to follow Christ without compromise? The Bible gives a resounding yes.


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Refocusing on Fatherhood
Refocusing on Fatherhood

Introduction

I was driving home from a friend's house on a Saturday night when the familiar highway I had traveled many times began to remind me of ...


Our heavenly Father provides the best example for fathers and the fatherless.


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Three Challenges to the Contemporary Church
Three Challenges to the Contemporary Church

Introduction

Let's pray before I begin so that we may look to him for light. I'd like to use a prayer that John Calvin wrote in the 16th century ...


The Scriptures call the church to reject conformity and live in holy worldliness.


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Community: The Context for Change

Story behind the sermon (from John Ortberg)

I am a huge N. T. Wright fan, and I think some of his material on the role and destiny of human beings is a ...


The Bible contains the incredible story of our calling to become God's image bearers.


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How Did the World Get So Messed Up?

Introduction

Not everything in the world is good. Not everything in the world is happy. Not everything in the world is beautiful. In fact, real evil does ...



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Finding Joy Amid Our Differences

A number of years ago a man named Sadam Hussein invaded the little nation of Kuwait. With that invasion he brought death, disease and destruction to that ...



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You Shall Not Kill

Introduction

The sixth commandment is short. "Thou shalt not kill." Ratsach, the Hebrew word used here for "kill," is more properly ...



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Coming to Grips with the Authority of Christ
Coming to Grips with the Authority of Christ

From the editor

Donald Sunukjian is a master at making a text come alive for a congregation, carefully and memorably pointing out all the details that ...


We must come to grips with the authority of Christ and live accordingly.


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Pragmatism

Introduction

We have built in us the desire to see things work, and we are an inventive people. That's in part a by-product of living in our American culture. ...


It works, doesn't it?


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Happiness

Introduction

Peggy Noonan currently writes for the Wall Street Journal. She was at one time the speechwriter for Dan Rather for his radio program, as well ...


It's what I deserve


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Affluenza

Introduction

The next time you get a chance to go to the public library, check out the book A Material World. A photographer went around the world and ...


The disease of more


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Consumerism

Introduction

Paul Anka penned a song back in 1968 that was made famous by Frank Sinatra: "I'll Do It My Way." It became his signature song and rose as ...


I want it my way.


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Relativism

Introduction

Lately, I've been monitoring the gas pump—carefully. I know how many gallons will fit in my tank, so when I go to fill it up at $3 and ...


It's all a matter of perspective


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At Ease in Athens

Introduction

I was reading an article from Newsweek recently: "In Search of the Spiritual." Apparently, the religious website Beliefnet sends out more ...


Learning to name our idols


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The Abundant Life Commitment
The Abundant Life Commitment

From the editor:

The debate over embryonic stem cell research rages on and on. It was a center-stage issue in the last presidential election, and probably ...


We need to be informed about the embryonic stem cell debate to be effective advocates for this tiniest form of human life.


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Blessed Are the Persecuted

Introduction

Imagine you are in the market for a new car. You visit the dealer and the salesman who is showing you the latest model takes you for a test ...


Enduring for the reward


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Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Introduction

The troops the United Nations deployed to the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan look like they could be soldiers from just about any nation. ...


The promise of sonship


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Because of Righteousness

Introduction

The movie Braveheart tells the story of how a 13th century Scottish commoner named William Wallace led his country to freedom from an oppressive ...


Following God may bring persecution


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Why Is the World So Messed Up?

Text: Romans 5:12–17
Topic: How the world is broken and what that means for us

Introduction

Not everything in the world is good. Not everything in the ...


Although the world is broken, God is still in control, and history is moving toward a climax.


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