In Sermons: showing 376-390 of 965

Kingdom Attitudes Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 5, 2014

The church and New Testament doctrine are founded not only upon God’s past dealings with Israel, but also his future dealings. If you miss this, you miss much. We are a preview of God’s Kingdom on earth, and we must embrace Kingdom attitudes.

Kingdom Attitudes (Isaiah 56:1-12) 1. I collect humor, and Jewish jokes are among my favorites. 2. It was a sweltering August day in 1937 when the Cohen brothers entered the posh Dearborn, Michigan, offices of Henry Ford, the car maker. "Mr. Ford," announced Norman Cohen, the eldest of the three. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 56:1-12

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Listen Up! Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 28, 2014

God wants to keep us in the loop; he wants us to get it right and be informed.

Listen Up! Isaiah 55 1. At the women’s Bible study this week, the ladies came up with a theory to account for the clues they found. First, they saw that my vehicle and Marylu’s vehicle were parked in the lot. Second, they saw on the marker board in the hall, “Camp ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-13

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Messiah And His Descendants Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 21, 2014

We are the prize that Jesus bought through his death and resurrection.

The Messiah’s Descendants (Isaiah 53:7-12) 1. A billboard posted by an atheist group in Wisconsin this season advertised, “Nobody died for your sins.” 2. Dr. George Sweeting tells of an incident in the early 1920s when Communist leader Nikolai Bukharin was sent from Moscow to Kiev to address an ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:7-12

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Isaiah 53 Flashback Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 15, 2014

When people grasp the atoning work of Jesus and turn to him, his death on the cross begins to make sense.

The Isaiah 53 Flashback (Isaiah 52:13-53:6) 1. Looking Back The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Johnny interrupted with this triumphant announcement: "My Mommy looked back once while she was driving, and she turned into ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Redemption And The Obedience Factor Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 7, 2014

Jesus obeyed the Father, and Jesus calls us to obey the Father, too!

Redemption and the Obedience Factor (Isaiah 50:4-11) 1. [A] mother who wanted to have the last word but couldn't handle the hassle that resulted whenever she said no to her young son. After an especially trying day, she finally flung up her hands and shouted, "All right, Billy, do whatever you ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 50:4-11

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Messiah In Isaiah 49 Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 31, 2014

We need to understand Jesus and his mission as much as we can. Isaiah 49 presents, in prophetic verse, three truths about our Savior.

Messiah In Isaiah 49 (Isaiah 49:1-16) 1. Exciting day with Boris Goldin, Chosen People Ministries. 2. Some people enjoy Jewish Roots because they like the culture, heritage, or aura of ancient Judaism or Messianic Judaism. 3. I am interested primarily because I love the Word of God, both ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 49:1-16

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Drama Behind God's Servants Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 24, 2014

God's Kingdom is made up of individuals, each with his or her strengths, gifts, calling, failures, struggles, experiences, and personal slants. We have Jesus Christ, God's Word, and a transformed heart in common.

The Drama Behind God's Servants (Colossians 4:7-18) 1. A group of foreign dignitaries are visiting Israel. At the end of the tour, they are taken to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They look at the tomb and read the following inscription: ABRAHAM SCHWARTZ BORN 5694 DIED 5733 A GOOD MAN ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:7-18

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Developing The Outward Focus Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 17, 2014

Paul has addressed our personal lives, church life, family life. These are introverted concerns, about us and those we are close to. As he concludes his letter, he wants to make sure we also transition to an extroverted focus.

Developing the Outward Focus (Colossians 4:2-6) 1. I have my taxes all done. I am one of those persons who gets stressed up by paper work and red tape, so I found it stressful just preparing my stuff for the tax preparer. So I have to tell an IRS joke. 2. The pastor got a call form the IRS. ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Stations Of Life: Attitude Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 10, 2014

Behind our behaviors are the attitudes that greatly affect the quality of our behaviors.

Stations of Life: Attitude (Colossians 3:20-25) 1. A passenger jet was suffering through a severe thunderstorm. As the passengers were being bounced around by the turbulence, a young woman turned to an evangelist sitting next to her and asked, "Sir, you are a man of God, can't you do something ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:20-25

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Stations Of Life: Husband And Wife Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 4, 2014

One frequent station of life is that of marriage. Paul discusses the duty of husband and wife in very simple terms.

Stations of Life: Husband and Wife (Colossians 3:18-19) 1. Favorite comic: husband and wife reading… 2. When it comes to roles in marriage, I have long learned that what people say they believe and what they actually practice can be two different things. 3. I know some women who say they ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:18-19

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Letting Jesus Live Through Us Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 24, 2014

Jesus would love for us to be his servants, to do his will above our own, and to direct the steps of our lives. But we must allow him to do so by surrendering our lives to him.

Letting Jesus Live Through Us (Colossians 3:14-17) 1. It was a bad week for criminals, based on a couple of UPI stories: “A Texas fugitive who was wanted on bank fraud charges was captured in Denver after he plummeted 17 stories down a trash chute while trying to evade police.” 2. ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:15-17

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The New Self: God’s Love On Display Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 19, 2014

Our new selves are characterized by love, and therefore we should value and live-out the nuances of love.

The New Self: God’s Love On Display (Colossians 3:12-14) 1. WOODSTOCK, Ill., Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Customers at an Illinois Shell station received gas for just one cent per gallon due to a glitch in the system, an employee said. Rita Castillo, who has worked at the Shell station in Woodstock for ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-14

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Trading In The Old Man For The New Man Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 10, 2014

Knowing Christ means a change from the way things were or would be without him. Putting off the old man and putting on the new man applies to us as both as individuals and as part of the household of faith.

Trading in the Old Man for the New Man (Colossians 3:10-11) 1. This story teaches us a lot about our nature. A retired man moves near a junior high school. He spends the first few weeks of retirement in peace and quiet. However, when a new school year begins, three young boys beat on every trash ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:10-11

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Dealing With Our Earthly Nature Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 3, 2014

Letting our new nature shine involves the negative and the positive. We must put off sinful behaviors, and put on righteous behaviors.

Dealing With Our Earthly Nature (Colossians 3:5-9) 1. Wouldn’t it be great if merely throwing out scripture references could stop us from sinning? 2. An elderly woman had just returned to her home from an evening of church services when she was startled by an intruder. She caught the man in ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:5-9

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Jesus At The Right Hand: Basis For Living A Life That Honors God And Serves Series

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 27, 2014

Jesus wants to rule in our lives from heaven; if we follow our heavenly ruler, we will nurture well-lived lives on earth as a result.

Jesus At the Right Hand: The Theological Basis for Living A Life That Honors God and Serves Others (Colossians 3:1-4) 1. The boss wondered why one of his most valued employees was absent but had not phoned in sick one day. Needing to have an urgent problem with one of the main computers resolved, ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4

Denomination: Independent/Bible