In Sermons: showing 1-15 of 62

"Yongghwan Style" Or The Glory Of God And Necessity Of Praise

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 21, 2015

Even when you think you can't deal with it anymore, praise is part of God's plan for moving you forward.l

Obviously, Koreans are getting a lot of attention from PSY’s video about Gangnam Style, his parody of materialism, status, and shallowness. It’s funny. It’s preposterous. It’s entertaining. But this morning, I want to talk about “Yonggwan Style.” If I ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 65:1-13

Denomination: *other

We Need Praise And Thanksgiving

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 21, 2015

Praise isn't always easy. Thanksgiving doesn't always come easily. However, humanity is hardwired for praise. The question is where the praise is directed. This new translation of Psalm 66 offers a fresh look at Old Testament praise for NT believers.

Stop yawning! Quit playing with your smart phones! I know you think you know what this sermon is about, so you figure you can turn off the old brain, ignore the old white guy speaking to hear himself speak, go ahead and fulfill your obligation for Sunday worship, and then, see if Da’ Bears ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 66:1-20

Denomination: *other

A Fable Of Ambition Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 30, 2010

Gideon's failure appears to be ambition sneaking in after he made the right original decision that poisoned Abimelech's character. Jotham's fable is a cautionary tale.

I know you’ve all heard me quote the brilliant Jewish novelist, Elie Wiesel, on many occasions. The famed author of Night and Jewish philanthropist once said, “Some stories are true that never happened.” He didn’t mean, of course, that we should chuck our healthy skepticism ...read more

Denomination: *other

Not About The Numbers Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 30, 2010

Gideon's victory with 300 warriors should be an encouragement to any congregation which might be small or have lost members.

Today, I don’t want to take you through the text verse-by-verse. I’m not going to bore you with maps or the meanings of names (except one)—even though there would be some familiarity there. I’m concerned that we might have lost sight of the purpose of this short, specialized ...read more

Denomination: *other

What About The Women? Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 30, 2010

Too many times, even modern believers allow the male-dominated nature of our traditions to overshadow the fact that God calls female leaders, too.

The Bible is certainly a male-dominated book that reflects a male-dominated culture. Even if we separate the history in the Bible from World History, we see that human history is full of tales of testosterone-driven leaders using the force of military might, personal strength, and personal charisma ...read more

Scripture: Judges 4:1-24

Denomination: *other

God's Assassin Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 30, 2010

After a short story based on Judges 3 to introduce the text, this sermon notes how God uses unexpected leaders and how God's leaders overturn idols.

In an attempt to capture some of the drama of this passage, I want to attempt something different as an introduction to the text. I hope you’ll follow along in your Bibles when I get to the meat of the sermon, but I thought I’d introduce the sermon by reading a short story I’ve ...read more

Scripture: Judges 3:12-31

Denomination: *other

Who Ya' Gonna' Call?

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 30, 2010

God's people, throughout history, have often had a tragic cycle of forgetting God and needing God's "sandpaper" to bring them back to God.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I truly enjoy preaching through entire books of the Bible. I know a lot of people believe that this is due to laziness or an unclear sense of what God wants to do in a service (in other words, the pastor doesn’t have to figure out what he or she is ...read more

Denomination: *other

Pay Out To Caesar What Belongs...

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Jul 17, 2010

For July 4th, I wanted to cover the idea of Christian citizenship, but felt impressed that Jesus' admonition to "Render unto Caesar" didn't end with citizenship but expanded into the area of stewardship.

Life, as we all know, is a constant flow of choices. Do I eat something healthy or “reward” myself with something decadent? Do I get something done now that I don’t really want to do so I can enjoy myself later or do I procrastinate so that I can enjoy something now? Do I make ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:15-22

Denomination: *other

Stormbringers Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on May 29, 2010

For Pentecost Sunday, I wanted to share that we still have a responsibility to be empowered and to be evangelizing.

In the film version of Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” the action starts with a cold October wind blowing through a Midwestern town. Let’s look at the theater film preview of this film and give you an idea of what I’m talking about. The “October ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

Denomination: *other

No Reservations Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on May 29, 2010

In shifting to a blitzkrieg examination of the role of the church in the Book of Acts, I reworked my sermon on Acts 1. This has some repetition with the other one posted a couple of years ago, but has some new material, too.

Do any of you know what is the last word in the Book of Acts? It is ακωλυτως, pronounced “ah-koh-LOO-tohs” by some and “ah-koh-LEE-tohs” by others, and means “not-hindered,” “not prevented,” “not ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-26

Denomination: *other

Not Obliged Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Jan 16, 2010

As our church considers who we really are as the Body of Christ, we find it necessary to focus on some very core scriptures about Christian Behavior. This is one of them.

No Obligation Text: Romans 13:8-14 I know this is going to sound surprising to those of us who live near, in, or work and/or play in the City of Chicago, but I once saw a police officer turn down free coffee and doughnuts. Yes, that’s right. I was on a “ride along” with an officer ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:8-14

Denomination: *other

Because God's Contracts Don't Expire Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Nov 23, 2009

Before our Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., I was prompted at 5:30 AM Saturday morning to change my planned sermon text to consider Israel’s harvest festival. This sermon is full of details, to be avoided by those who don’t like teaching in preaching.

This sermon needs a disclaimer and it doesn’t need to be one of those bits of legalese that we see in 6 point type in a print ad, appears briefly in barely legible type at the bottom of a television screen, or is read as rapidly as possible by a radio announcer: “Offer listed is manufacturer’s ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:1-29

Denomination: *other

Abcs Of Thanksgiving Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Nov 6, 2009

Although Psalms 9 and 10 fit together in an alphabetical pattern, they are very different. Yet, both are vital aspects of a positive relationship with god

I cannot think of ABC without thinking of that demand in the David Mamet play and film, “Glengarry Glenn Ross,” where the supervisor keeps telling the salesmen to “Always Be Closing.” Now, I meant the ABCs of the alphabet when I entitled this sermon. If I were going to have played off the play and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 9:1-21

Denomination: *other

Head-On Collision Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Oct 26, 2009

Immediately after Abram gets "back to basics," a controversy develops. Did you know that "blessing" can lead to dissension? Did you know that walking in faith almost inevitably leads to opposition?

The Head-On Collision Text: Genesis 13:1-18 When a corporation has some bad financial reverses, you are likely to read a press release that says something about getting back to the company’s core business. When a sports team gets outplayed, the coach’s press conference will usually have a statement ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 13:1-18

Denomination: *other

Famine In The Promised Land Series

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Oct 26, 2009

In beginning an interim pulpit ministry, God directed my attention to Abram/Abraham as a paradigm of faith. Some will object to the almost typological approach to these texts.

Famine in the Promised Land Text: Genesis 12:1-20 Today, may or may not be the beginning of a journey together. But whether God allows me to stay with you over a long period of time or whether today is merely a temporary lesson for an eternal purpose, God has placed this message on my heart. Today, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-20

Denomination: *other