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Sermons on Spiritual Growth


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Preaching on Spiritual Growth? Browse these sermons to find fresh ideas.

A Call to Hear and Embody the Gospel
A Call to Hear and Embody the Gospel

Introduction

(Read Luke 8:1-3)

One of the big questions in the history of Christianity and the ancient world is this: How did a tiny group of Messianic ...


We can have a positive influence in the world if by God's grace we persevere in living out the gospel.


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Filled with All the Fullness of God
Filled with All the Fullness of God

Introduction

(Read Ephesians 3:14-21)

We are often impressed and inspired to greater heights of living as we observe the world around us. Many times, we ...


Prayer is essential if we are to experience the fullness of God.


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The Jekyll and Hyde of Motherhood
The Jekyll and Hyde of Motherhood

Before I had children I worked full time. I had a job that required professional dress, some ability to organize things, a briefcase, and appointments. ...


God can use the tensions of motherhood to transform you.


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The Love Reaction
The Love Reaction

Introduction

(Read 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10)

A single mother struggles to pay for a college education for her only child. She hates her job but knows she ...


How the spiritual condition of those we love can inspire us to persevere.


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The Love Expression
The Love Expression

Introduction

(Read 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5)

God is the source of love, Jesus is the proof of love, and believers must be the agents of love in this world.


In this world, believers must be the agents of love.


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The Love Connection
The Love Connection

Introduction

Dick Purnell, in his 2003 publication Finding a Lasting Love, makes the following statement: "We all need to love and accept the love of other ...


God's love keeps people together—even when distance, time, and the Enemy try to tear them apart.


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Called Out and Called Up
Called Out and Called Up

Introduction

Our title for today's message is "Called Out and Called Up." One of the things that people misunderstand about the Christian ...


Commit to consistently grow up in your spiritual walk.


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Grow Up!

Open your Bibles to Ephesians 4 beginning at verse 14 and concluding at verse 16. The apostle Paul is in prison. He is manacled and his feet are tethered. ...


God wants us to grow up by being vitally connected to Christ and his church.


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Beyond Friends

Introduction

Where are you on your spiritual journey? And what would help you take the next step?

A couple of years ago we joined hundreds of churches across ...


Friends will take you farther and deeper in your spiritual journey than you could alone.


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True Friends

Introduction

Last week I tossed out a question and invited you to respond: is it possible to be spiritual friends with a non-believer? For the past six ...


Spiritual friendships with people of other faith or no faith are not only possible, they're powerful.


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Loving Enough to Speak Truth

The story behind the sermon (from John Ortberg)

I preached this sermon right after I preached the sermon on giving God blessings to others. It was part ...


We grow in Christ only as we receive honest and loving feedback from others.


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Falling Madly in Love with God
Falling Madly in Love with God

We'll be looking at Ephesians 3:14-19 today. Paul says, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and ...


Let the Holy Spirit work a miracle in your heart—loving the God who loves you.


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Deep Hope
Deep Hope

The person I want to be

We never stop longing to be better people, do we? There's always some aspect of our behavior or personality that we wish we could ...


We are being formed into the likeness of Christ.


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Good News in America

Introduction

The Roman empire was a pagan place where Christian values were little known or honored, where corruption was pervasive in business, where ...



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Spiritual Growth - My Job or God's?

Whose job is spiritual growth? Psychologists say one of the primary causes of conflict in households involves dispute over what's generally called division ...



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It's All in Your Head

Story behind the sermon (from Mark Buchanan)

When I first came to New Life Church, I established the practice that every January I would preach a month-long ...


Just as we have a kingdom responsibility to manage the material things that God gives us, so we have a kingdom responsibility to manage the immaterial things he gives.


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The Wise Men Cry Glory
The Wise Men Cry Glory

From the editor:

Here's a great sermon from one of our featured preachers—Mark Buchanan—that explores the story of the Magi and Herod through ...


Christ is worthy of the long journey to find him and worship him.


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Here Is the Love

Introductory remarks from Bryan Wilkerson:

Each year we choose a ministry focus for the church year, which we introduce in September and address from the ...


Building community through agape love


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Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

Introduction

Through the centuries there have been some people who have wanted to view Jesus' teaching in the Beatitudes as a kind of ladder that can carry ...


Jesus' promise of transformation


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Lent: Preparing Our Garden for Growth
Lent: Preparing Our Garden for Growth

From the editor

Despite its rich history in the church, many of us don't observe Lent. Maybe it's time to reconsider. As Skye points out in his ...


Lent is a time to remove obstacles and dedicate ourselves anew to growing in Christ.


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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 ...


When we pray believing and pray forgiving, we give our hearts to God and his kingdom.


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Expect God's Visitation

Introduction

In Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge lies down on Christmas Eve hoping to enjoy a good night's rest. In the course ...


God visits to test, punish, and bless his children.


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The Prime Principle

Introduction

Abiding in Christ is simply staying near a friend who loves you. But what happens to a person who abides in Christ? If I really walk with ...


Abiding in Christ results in growth, cleanness, productivity, security, and power.


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Seeing Life God's Way

Introduction

Not too long ago, a friend of mine was at the doctor's office for his annual checkup. As part of the exam, the doctor looked in his eyes. ...


If we want to be a Christ-follower, we have to see life as he sees it and live life as he lived it.


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Come Die with Me

Introduction

Matthew's gospel says that, toward the end of his three years of public ministry, "Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go ...


When Jesus really scares me


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Patrol Your Pleasures

Introduction

When I ask you to give me an adjective that describes Jesus of Nazareth, what comes to mind for you? How many of you instantly thought of ...


When Jesus frowns on fun


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Complete the Circle

Introduction

In his book Bono in Conversation, author Michka Assayas recounts a remarkable discussion he had with the lead singer and songwriter of the ...


When Jesus sets conditions on grace


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Get off the Fence

Introduction

Of all the people admired in the world today, Jesus of Nazareth continually ranks at the top of the list. Even those who don't call themselves ...


When Jesus won't accept neutrality


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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


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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


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Those Who Rise

Introduction

The story is told of a farmer's donkey who stumbled into an old, dry well. For hours the animal cried piteously as the farmer tried to sort ...


Why suffering is a necessary part of building great families


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We Need a Downpour

Text: Hosea 6:1
Topic: Why we need revival

Where would we be without the Lord? Where would we be individually; where would we be in our family? Where would ...


Christians view life not as a process, but as a series of crises where we continually return to God and his plan for our life.


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Don't Waste Your Cancer

Text: Various
Topic: How to respond to life-threatening circumstances

Editor's note: The richness of John Piper's theological reflection as it relates to ...


John Piper provides 10 ways to avoid wasting a circumstance or situation that threatens your life.


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A Good Start

Introduction

 

When I began thinking about the first message I would preach here, I began to realize that the beginning of any endeavor is a perilous ...


If we want to get off to a good start, we have to follow four principles of Paul and keep in mind the goal of bringing others into relationship with Jesus.


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Joy: A Time to Dance

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


Learning to rejoice in the past, present, and future


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Abandonment: When You Feel Alone

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


Finding strength when we feel forsaken


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Fear: When You're Scared Senseless

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


Finding peace when we are afraid


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Gratitude: More than just an attitude

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


How to be thankful for all things at any place and at any time


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Anger: When Your Back Is against the Wall

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


Our anger is dangerous but doesn't have to be destructive


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Contentment: When Your Soul Is at Rest

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


Finding serenity regardless of the circumstances


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Depression: When Darkness Is Your Closest Friend

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


How to live victoriously when just living is hard


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Disappointment: When Your Dreams Die

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


How to handle the pain of what might have been


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Uncertainty: When You're Not Sure of Your Next Move

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


How to make right and wise decisions when the path ahead is unclear


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Restlessness: When You Still Haven't Found What You're Looking For

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


The cause of and cure for our incessant inner hunger


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Outrage: When Your Heart Is Filled with Revenge

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


Finding room for forgiveness when you want to fight back


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Seasons of the Soul

A PowerPoint presentation for this sermon series is available here.

Series Subject: How to express and manage emotions rightly

Series Purpose: To inform ...


How and why to praise God at any place, at any time, and in all ways


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The Agony of Victory

Introduction

Some years ago a 14-foot bronze crucifix was stolen from Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas. It had stood at the entrance to that cemetery ...


Through the rejection of the cross Jesus is exalted as king


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Wasted on Jesus

Sermon One

Valentine's Day is tomorrow and I'm jittery. I love my sweetheart—no doubt about that—but I confess that Valentine's Day gives me ...


The cross calls us to worship in ways others would call waste


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The Dinner Guests of God

Sermon Two

Mary Poplin, professor of education and Dean of the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University, attended a Methodist church ...


How Communion searches and strengthens our hearts


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Where the Battle Is Fought

Sermon Three

Here's a surprise: Most incompetent people don't know they are incompetent. In fact, researcher Dr. David A. Dunning of Cornell University ...


At the hour of crisis, our hope is in prayer


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