Jump directly to the Content

Sermons on Family


Home > Sermons > Topics > Family

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

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.


[Read More]
Zion’s Birth Story
Zion’s Birth Story

Introduction

Since shops are already putting up Christmas lights and radio stations are playing Christmas music, I thought it would be appropriate to consider ...


Our Lord delights in you and one day we will get to share in that delight completely, together as brothers and sisters, for eternity.


[Read More]
Duct Tape Dads
Duct Tape Dads

Introduction

Have you ever noticed how hard people work to get men to buy into the crisis management process? Think about the two biggest crises ...


Two steps that can prepare us for crisis prevention.


[Read More]
Be Strong and Courageous
Be Strong and Courageous

Introduction

Can one person make a difference? Can one person change the direction of an entire family tree? Can one person stand up in the face of fear, ...


The difference one person can make for an entire family tree when they are fully yielded to God.


[Read More]
Fake Faith
Fake Faith

Introduction

In a now famous experiment, two social psychologists at Princeton University in 1973 wanted to examine whether thinking religious thoughts ...


God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense.


[Read More]
Spirit of Adoption—Found
Spirit of Adoption—Found

Introduction

So it’s 11 in the morning, and a little boy is called to the head teacher’s office. Sadly, this little boy knows the way very ...


Just as we have been adopted by God, adoption and foster care of vulnerable children is a calling of the church.


[Read More]
A Father's Words
A Father's Words

Introduction

In June 1992, Jim Davidson and Mike Price climbed Mt. Rainier. On the way down, the two climbers fell 80 feet through a snow bridge into a ...


There are few things as powerful as a father's words.


[Read More]
Average Asher
Average Asher

Introduction

Hidden away in the some of the most tedious books of the Bible, among a myriad of unpronounceable names, lies one of the most remarkable stories ...


Who you are today will impact generations to come.


[Read More]
The Glory of Fathers Who Stink
The Glory of Fathers Who Stink

Introduction

As I come to talk about fathers, I'm mindful that it's a very difficult day for some people. For some people, whose every thought about their ...


Fathers are called to be shepherds—so what does a shepherd look (and smell) like?


[Read More]
R-Rated: Sacrificing Our Children to the Gods of this World
R-Rated: Sacrificing Our Children to the Gods of this World

Introduction

We see in Romans 13 that the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: "Love your neighbor as yourself." The reason it says ...


Molech worship is alive and well but Christ's grace is greater than our sin.


[Read More]
Divorce and the Seeds of Resurrection


Even in the midst of a heartrending divorce, we can find the hope and power of Christ's resurrection.


[Read More]
Loss, Loyalty, & Lament

Introduction

I've never been one to read romance novels, but lately I've been reading one. It's been a good one, too. Believe it or not, it's a book I ...



[Read More]
Beautiful Music

This past Thursday, I had lunch with an old friend. We enjoyed the lunch hour reminiscing about old times, about the time he took me fishing, about the ...



[Read More]
Christian Singles

Introduction

Currently 17 to 20 million unmarried women and several million fewer unmarried men live in the United States. It's estimated that, at ...



[Read More]
Starting Over

Introduction

Years ago, when my 2-year-old car needed a new battery, my son said, "Dad, we need to buy a new car. This one is getting old." When ...



[Read More]
A Lesson Wise Moms and Other Influential People Can Teach the Next Generation
A Lesson Wise Moms and Other Influential People Can Teach the Next Generation

From the editor:

Mother's Day is just around the corner (May 9), and should you decide to offer a message for the occasion, Steve Mathewson's look ...


A mom who fears the Lord teaches her kids to use their strength to serve people in need.


[Read More]
Our Fathers Who Are on Earth
Our Fathers Who Are on Earth

From the editor

Father's Day is just around the corner (June 21), and should you decide to offer a message for the occasion, Mark Mitchell's look at a ...


An earthly father should reflect the heavenly Father.


[Read More]
What It Takes to Be a Mother
What It Takes to Be a Mother

From the editor

Mother's Day is just around the corner (May 9), and should you decide to offer a message for the occasion, Mark Mitchell's look ...


A mother's ultimate purpose is to instill in her child a love for God.


[Read More]
What Child Is This Who Came Not to Bring Peace?

From the editor

One of the more popular texts in the Advent and Christmas season is Isaiah 9:1–7. Preachers love to explore the beauty of our having ...


Jesus came not to bring immediate peace, but to divide us from our illegitimate allegiances.


[Read More]
Jesus Uncensored

From the editor:

Here's a sermon Michael Quicke preached at Wheaton College that tenders the meek and mild Jesus with the mean and wild Jesus. Few passages ...


Jesus has the right to shock disciples with teaching they don't like to hear, because he's Lord.


[Read More]
Loss, Loyalty, and Lament

Text: Ruth 1:1–22
Topic: Learning to make the right choices in difficult times

From the editor:

Perhaps you're looking for a unique way to approach ...


In the midst of our loss, God is still at work, and his ultimate aim is to bless us.


[Read More]
The Brothers Karamazov

The Brothers Karamazov
By Fyodor Dostoyevsky

About the Book

The Brothers Karamazov is the story of a father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, and his three ...



[Read More]
Till We Have Faces

Till We Have Faces
By C. S. Lewis

About the Book

Lewis's Till We Have Faces is a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche from the perspective of ...



[Read More]
King Lear

King Lear
By William Shakespeare

About This Book

King Lear is arguably Shakespeare's most poignant piece on familial relationships. In it we see the contrast ...



[Read More]
Relationships

Relationships: An Open and Honest Guide to Making Bad Relationships Better and Good Relationships Great By Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott Zondervan (1998); ...



[Read More]
Boundaries

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No, To Take Control of Your life
By Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend
Zondervan (1992); 296 pages



[Read More]
Sacred Marriage

Sacred Marriage
By Gary Thomas
Zondervan (2000); 268 pages

About the Book

In Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas steers us away from the goal of marital improvement, ...



[Read More]
Bold Love

Bold Love
By Dr. Dan B. Allender & Dr. Tremper Longman III
Navpress (1992); 318 pages

About the Book

The premise of Bold Love is this: "I will not live ...



[Read More]
Understanding Who You Are

Understanding Who You Are: What Your Relationships Tell You About Yourself
By Dr. Larry Crabb
NavPress (1997); 78 pages

About the Book

Crabb's aim in ...



[Read More]
The Four Loves

The Four Loves
By C. S. Lewis
Harcourt Brace & Company (1960); 141 pages

About the Book

C. S. Lewis seamlessly couples the analytical and spiritual in ...



[Read More]
Relationships: An Annotated Bibliography

It has only been recently, and in part due to my gleanings from this project, that I've felt the sheer weight of the love Jesus calls us to: to set aside ...


Helpful resources for sermon preparation


[Read More]
Life Together

Life Together
By Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Harper & Row (1954); 122 pages

About the Book

Rather than delving into why we operate the way we do or examining ...



[Read More]
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 ...


We must remember who we are and that we belong together.


[Read More]
Drop Your Agenda

Introduction

By the end of Luke's narrative of Jesus' life, opposition from the religious leaders is mounting, and Jesus' popularity among the people is ...


When we come to Jesus with our own agendas, he asks us to lay them down and pick up the cross to follow him.


[Read More]
Cain-R-Us

Introduction

I was reading an article in the New York Times about the abundance of new wealth in Khartoum, Sudan. The article featured pictures of well-dressed, ...


We're bad, too, but not beyond the loving reach of God.


[Read More]
Letters from Dad

Introduction

I'd like to talk on this Father's Day to the men. There will be obvious relevance to women as well, but my express purpose today is to speak ...


Fathers and mentors should encourage those they lead by celebrating, challenging, and clearing a way for them.


[Read More]
For Better, but Worse

Introduction

When the great Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this past summer, he began a speech as ...


When it looks like you've married badly


[Read More]
Call Me at Midnight

Introduction

Whether our "family" is a group of close friends, a bunch of kids running around the house, or a husband and wife alone, I think it is fair ...


Why covenant relationships are the foundation of a healthy family


[Read More]
The Incredibles
The Incredibles

Introduction

As we saw last week, every great family is founded first and foremost on the Covenant Principle—on a radical commitment to one ...


Making the most of your family unit


[Read More]
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 ...


The four vital rituals of the early church


[Read More]
Don't You Believe It: The Myth of Self-Importance

There's an old Jewish story: A rabbi was sitting next to an atheist on an airplane. The rabbi's family was also on the plane. Every few minutes, one of ...


The needs of such people as our parents and our children are more important than our wants.


[Read More]
Whatever Happened to Zebedee?

Text: Mark 1:19–20
Topic: The importance of a father's spiritual leadership

Whatever happened to Zebedee?

I doubt that this is a question begging for ...


Men are called to be the spiritual leaders of their families.


[Read More]
What Are You Preaching This Week?

The church began on the day of Pentecost, just a few weeks after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Jesus had said to his followers:

"Do not ...


We should preach about Jesus, salvation, and the promises of God.


[Read More]
Is There Hope for the Family

Today we're ending a series entitled "Surviving the Brave New World." Since it's Father's Day, we're going to talk about building a strong ...


Incorporating God into the family will benefit everyone.


[Read More]
A Woman's Worth Is Never Done

Introduction:

A woman of keen mind and understanding heart gazed at Whistler's portrait of his mother. "It is a remarkable painting of a very lovely ...


There is no substitute for the goodness a godly mother brings.


[Read More]
How to Develop a Tight-Knit Family

It is obvious that in John 10:22-30 Jesus is not talking specifically about the nuclear family. But he is saying something here that all families need ...


In the same way that Jesus relates to the father, and he and the father relate to us, we are to relate to one another.


[Read More]
How to Influence Your Family

Imagine for a minute that a man is hired to manage a professional baseball team—the New York Yankees, let's say. But he doesn't go to all the games. ...


A man becomes the spiritual leader in his home when he leads by example.


[Read More]
You First

It's not breaking news when I tell you that marriage isn't easy. When Donald Trump was going through his divorce, he was quoted in the press as saying, ...


Becoming a godly husband is a matter of learning to communicate two words to your wife: You First.


[Read More]
Put Your Husband In His Place

This week and next we will look at a passage of Scripture that rarely fails to elicit a strong reaction, mainly because it is often misrepresented (or ...


Just as the body of Christ finds strength and leadership in yielding to one another, I'm encouraging you to find strength and leadership in your husband.


[Read More]
A Twinge of Nostalgia

One wintry day the children put a top hat on their snowman, and, in a spell of Christmas magic, he came to life.

Frosty the Snowman showed those children ...


We must live in the present in order to seize the future God has planned for us.


[Read More]