Sermons on Idols
Fleeing From Idols
Paul looks back at the history of God’s people to grapple with the temptation to turn toward idols. How do we live in relation to the created world for God’s glory above all else? (1 Corinthians 10:1-11:1) Sermon Outline Part One: Fleeing from Idols 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 A temptation universal to man What is at the heart of chasing idols? Pulling back from our trust in God Part Two: Freedom to Love Others 1 Corinthians 10:15–11:1 An inserted heading The…
The Need for Cleansing: The Flood, Part 1
This message will explore God’s need to cleanse the earth and the importance of Noah and his family for this work. The story of the building of the ark, the gathering of the animals, and the downpour upon the earth will receive focus here. How do we still need cleansing? (Genesis 6:9-8:1) Sermon Outline “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on…
The Hunger to Leave a Legacy
We all hunger for success, in one form or another. A significant part of that is leaving an impact or legacy that will live beyond us. It is wonderful to leave a meaningful legacy in our lives. At the same time, that hunger for a legacy connects with our hunger for eternity. Key Passages: John 12:12-19; Psalm 78:4; Ecclesiastes 3:11 Sermon OutlinE “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in…
The Hunger for Peace
No one wants to live feeling depleted and empty. We all want to live out of a place of abundance, satisfaction and peace. We hunger to feel like our lives are on the right track and that everything is ‘right’. The biblical word for this is peace, which Scripture tells us is ultimately found in God through Jesus Christ. Key passages: John 14:25-31; 16:33; 20:19-20; Luke 1:68-79; Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15; 12:18; Matthew 5:9; James 3:18 Sermon OutlinE “Peace I leave…
The Hunger to Know
There is an insatiable desire built within humanity to understand what’s going on in the world and in our lives. We scramble to be “in the know” or “on the inside track,” and we hate feeling “out of the loop.” This hunger for understanding is built into us by God and leads us toward an encounter with that which is beyond us. Key passage: Exodus 33:7-34:9 Sermon OutlinE “He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one…
The Hunger for Joy
Our culture is driven by pleasure-seeking and the pursuit of beauty. In many ways, there is nothing quite like the peaks of pleasure or the depths of awesome beauty. Yet, we often find our hunger goes unsatisfied, even when we taste pleasure and beauty. Why is that? What is it about this hunger that connects with the way God has made us and what we can find in Him? Key Texts: Genesis 1:27; Psalm 19:1; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Song of Songs…
The Hunger for Greatness
Someone once told me that what they wanted most in life was to be seen and acknowledged for who they were. Some describe that as a hunger for greatness or, at least, a desire to be necessary. We want someone to see who we are and what we can offer. That desire connects with the way that God has made us, views, and relates to us. Key Texts: Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 18:1-5; 20:25-28; 1 Peter 5:7 Sermon OutlinE “You know that…
The Hunger for Love
All of us want to feel loved, and like we belong somewhere with someone. We want this within intimate relationships and within a sense of finding community. We will explore this hunger for love as it relates to human love and divine love. Key Passage: John 4:1-43 Sermon OutlinE “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep…
Samson, Nazarite of YHWH, Get in Touch with the Spirit!
Samson gets entangled with sexual sin and his own pride in a way that is both humiliating and difficult for God’s people (Judges 16:1-31). What happens when we see believers lose their standing through sin? In the end Samson achieves some level of redemption as he gives his own life to deliver God’s people from the Philistines. SERMON OUTLINE The Changeless Scene The Sorry Story The Burning Question The Sovereign Answer The Historic Sequels David Empowered to Defeat and Recruit…
All’s Well that Ends Well?: Gideon, Part 2
Gideon starts well (last week), but ends his life with bloodshed and idolatry, losing sight of the most important matters of serving God. It is easy as men and women of God to start well, but it is much harder to end well. What can we learn from Gideon (Judges 8:1-35) about beginning and ending well with God? SERMON OUTLINE “Now there was no king in the land, and everyone did what was right in his own opinion.” (Judges 21:25)…