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Sermon
Carlyle Fielding Stewart
The prisoners and the jailers had their world rocked one midnight 2,000 years ago. The report includes the following details: 1:00: Paul and Silas while on their way to a place of prayer see a slave girl who was popular for telling the fortunes of others. She made much money from this enterprise and a fortune for her owners. Each day she would go to the town square and as people passed by she woul...
Sermon
David J. Kalas
"Where is the place of prayer?" they asked. "We're looking for the place of prayer." It was Paul's first visit to the city of Philippi. He, Silas, Luke, and some other companions had come there to share the good news about Jesus. They wanted to start by going to the place of prayer. Originally, you recall, Paul and his companions had not in­tended to go to Philippi at all. They had been trav...
Sermon
David E. Leininger
This familiar account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer begins with Paul and Silas curing the madness of a young woman of the city whose insanity had been used by some unscrupulous men for their own personal gain. There was the belief in those days that insanity was a strangely special gift from the gods, a tool they used to convey their messages to mere mortals; it was based on the idea ...
4. Jailhouse Rock
Acts 16:16-40
Sermon
King Duncan
I’m not certain that I have ever titled a sermon after a song by Elvis Presley before. That may be surprising to you considering the timeless quality of some of his early hits like “Hound Dog,” “All Shook Up,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” and “Hard-Headed Woman.” I guess I could have derived a sermon from some of those, but somehow it seemed a stretch. Today’s lesson from the Book of Acts, however, is a di...
5. A Maturing Faith
Acts 16:16-40
Sermon
Douglas J. Deuel
In today's passage of scripture we see clearly that there are different levels of maturity represented in faith. Each level requires greater depth and a greater level of trust. For those who can attain the highest level of faith, though, the impact of their witness for Jesus Christ is greatly enhanced. A Superficial Faith The first level of faith is superficial faith. This is faith that deals wit...
Sermon
Rodney Thomas Smothe
Our text today is one of those passages in the New Testament that is well known in the Christian community. The story of Paul and Silas and their dynamic escape from prison has for many years been a favorite among preachers. Many talented and gifted sermon crafters have taken the images of midnight, earthquake, and open doors and painted a picture in the hearts and minds of the faithful. The image...
7. More Beyond
Acts 16:16-34
Sermon
Charley Reeb
Centuries ago, Portugal adopted a national motto. The motto read: “No More Beyond.” It was an appropriate statement since Portugal, at the time, was the end of the world. But later some adventurous persons sailed beyond Portugal and discovered a whole new world. So the question arose: “What do we do with our national motto?” After much debate, one person simply scratched out a word, and the new mo...
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
It has changed somewhat over the years, but the essence has remained the same. · "Go west, young man." · "A chicken in every pot." · "A house of one's own." · "A college education." · "Be your own boss." · "Free Agent." We call it the "American Dream," and while it has been fueled by noble notions such as freedom and equality, it has always been at heart about money. · Getting it. · Keeping it....
9. Jailhouse Rock
Acts 16:16-34
Sermon
Frank Ramirez
Do you remember the old folk tune that went something like this? (sing or recite) The bear went over the mountain. The bear went over the mountain. The bear went over the mountain — To see what he could see. And all that he could see, and all that he could see, Was the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain The other side of the mountain was all that he could see! Maybe the ...
Sermon
James W. Moore
Some years ago on a ranch in South Texas, an elderly woman was critically ill. She was in her 90’s and was at the point of death. All of the family, the ranch hands and the neighbors had gathered around her bed. Quietly, respectfully, they waited and watched and prayed. The doctors had told them that the end was near and there was nothing else that could be done medically… and that it wouldn’t be ...
11. Jail House Joy
Acts 16:16-40
Sermon
Carl Hoefler
You may, or you may not be a fan of Elvis Presley. Fans or not, most people agree that he was the King of Rock and Roll. When Elvis shook his hips, the public was shocked. His gyrations vibrated the public's moral standards and dislodged them from their conservative moorings. He opened a door that cannot be easily closed. Things, once held as strictly private, became openly public. Critics tell us...
12. Freedom
Acts 16:16-40
Sermon
Will Willimon
"One thing which I like about living in New York," he said, “as opposed to where you live, is the freedom. Here there is freedom to live the lifestyle I choose -- to eat where I want and to dress as I like. Freedom." Then he closed his door behind us. He locked the latch, turned the deadbolt, inserted the chain, and switched on the electronic alarm, telling me, "Don't dare open that door without s...
Sermon
King Duncan
The story’s told about a Chinese gentleman who was visiting the United States. His hosts took him to play golf. This was a new experience for him. When he returned to China, a friend asked what he had done in the United States. He replied, “I played most interesting game. I hit a little white ball with a long stick in a large cow pasture. “What’s this game called?” asked his friend. The Chinese...
Showing 1 to 13 of 13 results