Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 676 to 700 of 1354 results

676. The Church: The Health of a Godly Family

Hebrews 10:22-25

Sermon

James Merritt

... to face a world and a devil that will beat their brains out. If you love Jesus you'll love what Jesus loved. The Bible says Jesus loved the church so much He gave his life for it. If you love the Lord Jesus you ought to commend your church, defend your church, and attend your church all the days of your life. That is the health of a godly family. 1 Charles Olson, Faith on the Line, (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1994), p. 64. 2 Robert Bellow, Habits of the Heart (New York: Harper& Row, 1985), p. 221. 3 ...

677. Putting Mom in Heartbreak Hotel

1 Kings 2:5-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... , and David wanted that city. Now it was a very difficult city to take. Jerusalem is actually located on several mountains. They had built walls around the city and it was so difficult to take that they even bragged that their blind and lame could defend the city. David had promised that whoever would climb up a water drain to face that city, and to take that city, would be his chosen general. Well, without even a moment's hesitation, and no equivocation, Absalom led the charge. "Now David said, ‘Whoever ...

678. I Love My Church

1 Chronicles 29:3

Sermon

James Merritt

... off if they maybe stayed home. Dr. Carlos McLeod, who was the Evangelism Director for the State of Texas, told me one time that the meanest man he ever pastored never missed a Sunday. Well, I believe if you're going to attend your church, you ought to defend your church, and you ought to commend your church. Now that does not mean the church is not above good solid constructive criticism, given to the right person, at the right place, at the right time, in the right way. I can assure you there is plenty to ...

679. Preach the World and Reach the World

2 Timothy 4:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

... the gospel and gave that thirteen-year-old boy an opportunity to be saved. We don't need to follow fads, flakes, or fashion. We just need to keep the ship of our ministry anchored to the rock of this Book, believing it, obeying it, defending it, sharing it, and preaching it until Jesus comes. 1 Robert Schuler, Self Esteem: The New Reformation (Waco: Word, 1982), 98ff. 2 Steve Farrar, Standing tall, P.167 3 Eugene Peterson, The Message, p. 449. 4 Jamie Buckingham, Waste of Time, Chrisma (December, 1988), 98 ...

680. When in Joy, Enjoy (Fruit of the Spirit: Joy)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

... can rejoice over our rejoicing. If you get around God at all, you're going to be full of joy, because "In His presence is fullness of joy." The Psalmist said: "But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You." (Ps. 5:11) I want to tell you that a joyless Christian is a slander against Jesus Christ. Billy Sunday wisely and rightly said: "If you have no joy in your religion, there is a leak in your ...

681. How to Keep Your Head When Others Are Losing Theirs (Fruit of the Spirit: Peace)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

... ." Well, you can have that peace in Christ. But I want you to notice that God's peace is also God's protection. Because this peace "guards our hearts and minds." That word "guard" refers to a garrison of soldiers that were charged with the responsibility of defending a city. In other words, the fruit of the Spirit, which is peace, is a peace that God gives that stands like a soldier at the door of your heart, and guards you from the troubles of this world. Everybody, I repeat, is looking for peace, and ...

682. Never Let Them See You Sweat (Fruit of the Spirit: Self-Control)

Galatians 5:23

Sermon

James Merritt

... Mary is in drag. When they come to the passion scene, they give it a homosexual twist. Pontius Pilate asked, "Art thou the king of the queers?" To which Joshua responds, "Thou sayest." I make it plain, without any apology, when a society will put on that kind of play, defend that kind of play, and pay to see that kind of play, we have sunk to our lowest depth. Prov. 25:28 says in the NIV, "Like a city whose walls are broken down, is a man who lacks self-control." Now in Solomon's day, every city was ...

683. What Child Is This?

Isaiah 9:6-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... said, "The great mystery of the manger is that God should be able to translate deity into humanity without discarding the deity or distorting the humanity. How did this happen? It happened through the virgin birth. I don't have the time or the space to devote to defending the virgin birth. But there is only one reason to doubt the virgin birth, and that would be if you doubt God. Because if you don't doubt God there is no need to doubt the virgin birth, for with God all things are possible. Quite frankly, I ...

684. The Surety of Security

Jude 1:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

... is any truth, is that God is on our side."3 I could give you many, many, many more troubling quotes from that book, but suffice to say that is apostasy. Jude says that against these impostors, charlatans, deceivers, we must keep our guard up. We must be defenders of the faith against those who are pretenders of the faith. It is not coincidental that the first two verses and the last two verses of Jude deal with our eternal security. I want to warn you that if you are not sure of your salvation, and secure ...

685. God's Prescription for a Healthy Christian

Jude 1:17-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... at the goodness of God, saying things like, "I don't believe in hell. God is too good to let anyone suffer in hell." Now we may be angry, and we may be grieved when we hear things like this coming out of the mouths of those who should be defending the faith, but don't be surprised because we have been given a reminder of the fact of apostasy. II. Some Remarks about the Flaws of Apostasy Jude has spent most of this book trying to describe in as many creative ways as he could the marks of an apostate ...

686. Who's In Charge Here

Judges 21:24-25

Sermon

James Merritt

... the use and abuse of women; it mocks parents, home, and family; planting in the hearts of our teenagers the seeds of destructive rebellion. We see rebellion in morals. Fornication has become "co-habitation." Sodomy has become "a gay lifestyle." Perversity and obscenity is now defended in the name of "artistic freedom." The bottom line of the society in which we live, is this: "Nobody is going to tell me what to do, and if it feels good I am going to do it." Social responsibilities have been replaced by ...

687. What Impresses God

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

James Merritt

... standing before the judge, the judge said, "Sir, you can let me try your case, or you can choose to have a jury of your peers." The man thought for a moment, and said, "Your honor, what are peers?" The judge said, "Well, they are people just like you." The defendant said, "Forget it, I don't want to be tried by a bunch of thieves." Whether it is a big sinner or a little sinner, all of our peers are sinners and we are a peer to all sinners, because all have sinned. This man was even fooled about his ...

688. If the Confession Doesn't Fit You Cannot Acquit

Proverbs 28:13

Sermon

James Merritt

... without being repentant. II Cor. 7:10 says, "For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." I heard about a lady who was on trial for murdering her husband. The District Attorney stood before the defendant and said, "Mrs. Johnson, after you put the arsenic in the stew and served it to your husband, was there any time that you felt remorse?" "I did," she said softly. "And when was that?" "When he asked for seconds." When a person is truly ...

689. How to Turn the Ballot into a Blessing Box

Proverbs 29:2

Sermon

James Merritt

... . Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy." (Prov. 31:8-9) These were the words of a mother to a king. In no uncertain terms, we are told, that a person of power and authority should speak for the speechless, should defend the defenseless. May I just say to you, there is no one more defenseless and no one more unable to speak up for themselves than an unborn baby in a mother's womb. I say unashamedly that any person you vote for should be willing, unashamedly, to stand ...

690. Why Every Christian Should Be an Optimist

Psalm 121:1-8

Sermon

James Merritt

... held in the left hand. So the most valuable part of a soldier was his right side. That is exactly where God always stands; at our most vulnerable point. The Lord always puts his strength at our greatest point of weakness. He deliberately takes up a position so he can defend us no matter where an attack may come from. That is why again every Christian should be an optimist. Ps. 18:30 says, "He is a shield to all who trust in Him." b. He Is Our Shade "The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your ...

691. God, Elvis, and O.J. Simpson

Psalm 139

Sermon

James Merritt

... repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead." Now you cannot have a trial if the judge is dead, or the defendant is dead. But one day there is going to be one more trial for O. J. Simpson. He's going to make one final run; he's going to run to God. When he stands before this Judge, he will stand the way all of us will stand. There will ...

692. Faithful Fathers Fortify Families

Deuteronomy 6:1-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... . If what I just said gave you a queasy feeling about America, it should. We are living in the most irreverent times in the history of our nation. Nothing is sacred. In our schools we can hand out condoms, but we outlaw Bibles. We defend profanity as free speech, but we deny prayer as a religious intrusion. We promote the propaganda of evolution without God, but oppose the evidence of a creation by God. Homosexuals are invited to the White House, while evangelical Bible-believing Christians are relegated to ...

693. Bitterness: How to Overcome What You Undergo

Hebrews 12:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... be happy, and he used to be a good friend. But the man I looked at that day was so bitter that when he talked his lips quivered, and his face reddened, and his hands shook with anger. After twenty minutes of listening to him, rather than try to defend myself, which I could have because I can say with a clear conscience I've never done anything to the man, I simply got blamed because I was the pastor. I simply said, "Brother, whatever I've done to offend you, I ask your forgiveness." He mumbled something and ...

694. Lengthen the Cords and Strengthen the Stakes

Isaiah 54:2-3

Sermon

James Merritt

... , tolerate heresy, or accommodate the spirit of an age where political correctness is more important than spiritual fidelity. Our tent is broad, but we will not broaden our tent if it means going back to the days when seminary professors defended abortion and homosexuality, denied biblical miracles and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, and declared a universalism that substitutes sincerity of faith for salvation through Christ. But I want to say clearly to all Baptists everywhere. If you— Believe this Book ...

695. Fatal Attraction

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

James Merritt

... , or any type of premarital or extramarital sex, was overwhelmingly viewed as wrong, immoral, and sinful. There was a time when people understood that some attractions are fatal, but no more. What was once considered sinful is now considered normal and even defended. Several years ago Senator Robert Packwood from Oregon, was eventually forced to leave office because of an affair he had with one of his aides. He recalled a meeting with a minister in discussing this, and said, "He doesn't think that ...

696. Gospel Partners

Philippians 1:3-5

Sermon

James Merritt

There was a church secretary who took a most unusual phone call. The caller asked if he could speak to "the Head Hog." Well, she quickly defended the dignity of her pastor, and with an irate tone said, "I want you to know that our pastor is held in the very highest esteem around here, and we address him as Rev. H. C. Herald. Currently Rev. Herald is not available to speak with you." The man then ...

697. Me, Myself and God

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... one of their cultural traditions. As a Cherokee youth moved into manhood, the tribe had a custom of taking this young man into the middle of the woods on a dark night, and leaving him there all by himself. He had no weapons, no way to defend himself, and when the father would leave him there he would simply say to him, “No matter what happens, remember you have nothing to fear.” Well needless to say, that young man heard every owl hoot, every branch rustled by the breeze, every falling pinecone, every ...

698. Why You Should Come Clean With God

Psalm 139:23-24

Sermon

James Merritt

... . When you do away with responsibility you do away with punishment. So a president can commit adultery, lie about it under oath, commit perjury in a court of law, blame it on a right wing conspiracy, avoid any punishment, and then claim he was defending the Constitution. I heard about a man that went to see a doctor one time, and he said, “Doctor, I have been misbehaving and my conscience is troubling me.” The doctor said, “Do you want something that will strengthen your will power?” He said ...

699. Living By Faith In A Time of War

Judges 6:1-40

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... home except for the 300, the furloughed troops gave all of their provisions to the 300. We are blessed to be protected by the finest military on the planet. It is an all-volunteer force, a tiny fraction of our population, standing on the front lines defending the rest of us. We must make sure that those soldiers, sailors, and airmen have the best material. We must care for their spouses and children. When you are in an airport or elsewhere and pass someone in uniform, take a moment to express your thanks ...

700. The Secret Of Our Confidence

2 Timothy 1:11-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... that as soon as we get out of Iraq, the terrorists will leave us along. They are wrong. Our enemies are developing weapons of mass destruction and would not hesitate a moment in using them against us. We dare not be naïve. We must be willing to defend freedom. God does not subsidize lazy or cowardly folks. Facing these two threats are vital matters. But after we have done our part, God will have the final word. In the final analysis, our security is with God. We can entrust our loved ones, our church, and ...

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