In Sermons: showing 46-60 of 88

God's New Project Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Dec 19, 2005

When God takes us off of the trash heap and makes something new, he has promises and expectations.

Christmas is one time of the year when many people get creative. Some people make new things. Others take old things and make them like new. I remember reading about prisoners who took on the project of refurbishing old toys so some kids could have something special for Christmas. And Kay has ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 62:1-12

Denomination: Brethren

Four Heavenly Voices Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Dec 13, 2005

God speaks four words of comfort, instead of judgment, to his wounded children, and releases them, and us, from those things that hold us captive. And these are voices we all need to hear.

Back in August, many people were glued to their televisions as the tragic events of hurricane Katrina’s onslaught unfolded in New Orleans. With mandatory evacuations ordered, over a million people left the area successfully, traveling to Houston, Dallas, and other cities. This was the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11

Denomination: Brethren

Isaiah's Vocation Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Nov 22, 2005

God may not be asking you to change your occupation, but he wants to be sure you understand your vocation.

Last Wednesday a man in his late 30s called to talk about changing his career. He is a devout Christian, strongly committed to his family, and very active in his church. A couple of years ago he spoke with his pastor about it, but he didn’t feel the urgency then that he feels now. He is ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-13

Denomination: Brethren

Vision Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Nov 9, 2005

Vision is a God thing. It has to do with finding out what God is up to in our world and then joining Him in doing it.

This is our 4th and final message from Proverbs. Behind each of the sayings in this book is a vision of a community committed to living God’s way. This ideal community contradicts the foolish, immoral tendencies of the world, encouraging us to live productively and harmoniously to carry out the ...read more

Denomination: Brethren

Reaching Out To The Poor Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Oct 10, 2005

The Bible commands us to feed the hungry and look out for the poor.

Reaching out to the Poor Proverbs 14:31 Two events in recent months have turned the attention of our nation to the issue of poverty. One was the conference of the Group of 8 nations in July, where world leaders decided to cancel the debts of the 38 poorest nations of the world to help ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:31

Denomination: Brethren

Leading Lives Of Holiness & Godliness Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Oct 5, 2005

God has called us to right living in a world that has a lot wrong with it

Last Wednesday evening, a student from ONU joined our group to do an assignment he had for a class. He was supposed to visit a church and then write a report. He found our church through our website and called us to be sure we were meeting. I’d love to read his report. Every day I’m ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:14-18

Denomination: Brethren

Making Every Effort Toward Godliness Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Oct 1, 2005

God empowers us to live ethical, holy, upright lives in a corrupt world

Making every effort toward godliness II Peter 1 Soon after Sue and I arrived here 20 years ago, we began to print a simple church directory each year, mostly so that we all had a way to connect with each other. Soon long-time members began to say they were having trouble putting names with the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:1-21

Denomination: Brethren

When The Bottom Falls Out Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Aug 22, 2005

Psalm 55 can serve as a prayer when you experience reversals in life

When the bottom falls out Psalm 55 I read of a brick layer who ended up in the hospital with extensive injuries because of a work-related accident. His insurance company wanted information about his injuries, so he attached the following explanation: In your letter, you asked for ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 55:1-23

Denomination: Brethren

Worship The Lord Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Aug 3, 2005

God is Lord of creation, Lord of our lives, and the Lord, King of glory.

These several Sundays, we are preaching from the Psalms. If you are acquainted with the Psalms you appreciate some of the tantalizing word pictures included there: • God’s commands are sweeter than honey and drippings of the honeycomb (19) • The river of God is full of water ( 65) • Under his ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 24:1-10

Denomination: Brethren

The Message Of A Prophet Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Jun 30, 2005

Hulda’s message as a prophet had an impact because she knew the word of God and had a concern for God’s people

This is our third and final message from II Chronicles. The writer chronicles the successes and failures of the kings of Judah as this little nation careens toward moral and spiritual failure and eventual extinction when Jerusalem falls and the Jews are carried off into exile. The list ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 34:1-33

Denomination: Brethren

Learning Right From Wrong: Empathy Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on May 25, 2005

Empathy is a foundational virtue that children need to learn for determining right from wrong

Learning Right from Wrong: Empathy INTRODUCTION Several weeks ago Sue and I received a request from Lima Allen Council on Community Affairs to conduct a session for parents on helping children learn right from wrong. These are parents who, for one reason or another, have demonstrated a need ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-8

Denomination: Brethren

The Vision And Prayer Of Jabez

Contributed by Wes Richard on Apr 11, 2005

The vision and prayer of Jabez provides inspiration for the local congregation

When we lived in Japan, we often rode the trains. Just outside the train window we could see houses very close to the tracks as we whizzed past. Then as we slowed for a stop we were able to see, for a moment, people going about their daily activities: kids playing, housewives hanging up wash, or ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Denomination: Brethren

A Lifestyle Of Hope Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Feb 28, 2005

Inner transformation results in outward changes.

The other day a man told me what it is like to change from life as a long-time drug user to one who is drug free. It is not just a matter of quitting the drugs, but of replacing old friends with new ones, old activities with new ones, and old thought patterns with new ones. He said that people who ...read more

Denomination: Brethren

Extreme Makeover: Hunched Back Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Sep 16, 2004

God offers us a makeover that gives us a hunched back, bowed in humble submission to him and in service to others.

One church in Cincinnati that I know of regularly sends out teams to engage in servant evangelism. Sometimes they hand out bottles of water to passersby or wash car windows in parking lots or rake lawns in the neighborhood, all of it for free. From this project and the book about it came the term ...read more

Scripture: James 4:1-10

Denomination: Brethren

Extreme Makeover: Pierced Tongue Series

Contributed by Wes Richard on Sep 13, 2004

God wants to give us a makeover with a pierced tongue, a tongue that God has changed so that it conforms to his pattern of beauty and purpose.

Some of you probably grew up with beef tongue as a part of your menu. My mother sometimes served it boiled or stewed and sometimes pickled. I read about a certain master who ordered his servant to buy the best food he could get to provide for a meal for the entertainment of his friends. The ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-10

Denomination: Brethren