What if it's true?

Introduction

Several friends were talking in a restaurant when the conversation came around to dying. They asked each other what they would like to have ...

On the Cross

Introduction

A.D. abbreviates the Latin words "Anno Domini," which means "Year of Our Lord." Our calendars are all dated by the birth ...

Crown of thorns for the King of Kings

Introduction

It's almost Easter, but do you remember Christmas? We heard the joyous story that starts on the first page of the New Testament. Matthew ...

The Greatest Trial Ever Held

Introduction

It was a long and difficult night. Jesus' best friends abandoned him. One of his closest colleagues committed suicide. Police arrested ...

Moving Towards Reconciliation

Introduction

Victor Hugo's novel, Les Miserables, is a story about Jean Valjean, who was sentenced to a nineteen-year prison term for stealing a loaf of ...

Trusting in God's Process

Introduction

Coco was a pit bull mix, just barely one year old. As a puppy she was dumped on the freeway and rescued by a teenager who handed her off to ...

Calling on Family Support

Introduction

A mother entered her daughter's bedroom one afternoon and saw a letter on the bed. With trembling hands, she read:

Dear Mom, It is with much ...

A Better Peace Prize

Introduction

At the turn of the 20th century, a man named Alfred was one of the preeminent scientists and entrepreneurs of his day. He made his fortune ...

A Bleeding Hearts Club?

Introduction

Suppose someone were to describe you as "a bleeding heart?" How would you feel about that? That expression is often attached to ...

The Heartbreak Gospel

Introduction

Last week we began our study of the Beatitudes: Jesus' intriguing list of people who are blessed and well-off. Suppose we were to come ...

It's No Mistake

From the editor:

One of the more important things you can do for your listeners—both believers and nonbelievers alike—is to find an appropriate ...

Long Live the King!

Introduction

According to ancient custom, the death of a ruler is greeted with the following words: "The king is dead; long live the king!" This may seem ...

Wait for the Morning

Introduction

Right after the Virginia Tech University massacre, the worship leader at a community worship service turned to this text. On behalf of those ...

Annihilate the Amalekites

From the editor:

One of the chief hang-ups people have with God is the wrath he pours out in the Old Testament. How can a loving God call for the slaying ...

Unprovoked Love

From the editor

Mark Buchanan offers a few twists on a theme we've all preached one time or another: agape love. Perhaps you've preached about fostering ...

The House of Prayer

Introduction

"My temple should be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." That stands as one of the harshest indictments ever uttered ...

Cover Or Be Covered

World War II was over. The Armistice had been signed in Europe and in Japan. Hostilities had ceased. But, under the leadership of General MacArthur, the ...

The "Muchness" of God

Text: James 5:13–16
Topic: How to experience God's provision and power

Introduction

In this very moment, God is ready to pour out upon you—from ...

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 Shadow of Jesus

Introduction

Well over a hundred years ago, Robert Robinson wrote a hymn that resonates with many of us. One line reads like this: "Prone to wander, ...

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 ...

When Life Crowds You Out

Introduction

On the wall of a subway in New York City was an advertising poster that depicted a dignified older gentleman recommending a particular product. ...

How to Live Beyond Yourself

Introduction

I don't know if you are like me, but I imagine you are. I imagine there are times in which you feel boxed in by life; not only by what others ...

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 ...

Wrestling with God

Introduction

Soon after my wife and I married, we began decorating our house by putting things on the walls. When we came to the kitchen, I came up with ...

We Don't Have Men Like That

Introduction

[Editorial comment: Sunukjian delivers this sermon as a first-person narrative. References to props or stage directions will appear in italics.] ...

Working Out the Working In

Introduction.

Let's suppose that our music minister Daniel and I get together for lunch to talk over some of the special services we're planning this month. ...

You Don't Know, Do You?

Introduction

A member of this congregation experienced a tragedy when her father was suddenly killed in an accident. He was driving home one Wednesday ...

Releasing Resentment

Text: John 21:15–22; 1 Corinthians 13:5
Topic: How we forgive those who hurt us

Introduction

It may have been King David's lowest moment: His son Absalom ...

A Time to Forgive

Introduction

I recently had a conversation with a young man. He is a qualified, certified professional, and through his work, he has come into contact ...

The Forgiveness of God

Introduction

"God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself." He came in flesh to forgive us—to run down the road from heaven to earth and say ...

Follow Me

Introduction

Of all the things that Jesus ever said, one of my absolute favorites is the thing he says in John 21:12. Maybe you noticed it. The text reads: ...

A Personal Relationship

Introduction

I want to share with you something that had a decisive impact on my life; it was a turning point for me. And ever since, it's been an anchor ...

My Favorite Heroes: Joseph

Introduction

We are in a series looking at different heroes of the faith, and today we'll be looking at Joseph. You can turn in your Bibles to Genesis ...

The Journey of Integrity

Text: Psalm 26
Topic: What is required for a life of integrity

Introduction

If I had just one gift to give you, I think it would be the gift of integrity—such ...

Knowing and Loving God

Introduction

Have you noticed it's often very difficult to talk rationally and logically about the things that are most real to us? Great beauty, great ...

The Truth About Forgiveness

Text: 1 John 1:1–10
Topic: Why we need forgiveness

Introduction

First John is a book of certainties. The word know appears frequently throughout its ...

I Struggle With a Certain Sin Often. Will God Forgive Me?

Introduction

Here is today's question in the complete words of the person who submitted it: "I struggle with a certain sin often. Will God forgive me? ...

Diamonds in the Rough

Introduction

The hardest and most valuable substance in the world is diamonds. Diamonds are thought to be formed by intense heat at the Earth's core and ...

Surviving D-Day: Divorce

Introduction:

When we launched this series called “Surviving Your Personal D-Day Invasion,” we said that each of the attacks we would discuss comes as ...

The Walls Come Tumbling Down

Introduction

Tim Kimmel, in his book Little House on the Freeway, writes about the Japanese occupation of Korea shortly after the turn of the century. ...

The Imitation of Christ

Introduction:

Over six hundred years ago, a boy by the name of Thomas Hammerlein was born in the Prussian town of Kempen on the Rhine, some forty miles ...

Handle Conflict

Introduction:

A few years ago, I took a private retreat at a monastery. I spent four days with two dozen men who have taken vows of poverty, silence, and ...

How to Improve Your Standard of Living

Introduction:

Today's message should come with a warning. Caution: This passage requires no interpretation. Peter writes Chapter 3 in a way that makes ...

How to treat a mistreater

The tagline to A & E's Biography series new advertising campaign is "You're either 'Biography' or you're not." Today we'll look at the story of ...

A Theology of Baseball

Growing up in my father's house, it was not possible to be indifferent to the American League pennant race. My father loved baseball. He was a Detroit ...

You Get What You Give

Introduction

On February 3, 1998, Karla Faye Tucker was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, TX, for her role in a 1984 double homicide. In the ...

Walking in Love

Introduction:

One of the most common metaphors in the NT for living a life of obedience to God and service to others is "walking the walk." Paul uses ...

Hope for Those Whose Lives Were Ruined By Sin

This is the second week of our series called "There Is Hope for You." Last week I said that if you have been hurt in life, you can turn your hurts over ...

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 ...