2003 Articles by Ray Pritchard

The Keys to the Cell

December 28, 2003

THE KEYS TO THE CELL by Ray Pritchard The man hugged me and wouldn't let go. “For the first time in a long time, I listened today and I heard what you said.” He told me that some friends came to see him and told him the truth. They were taking a big risk because they didn't know how he would respond. It wasn't goo…

Sermon 51 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Mystery & Wonder at Christmastime

December 21, 2003

MYSTERY & WONDER AT CHRISTMASTIME by Ray Pritchard Christmas has been slow in coming this year. Maybe that's a statement about me personally, but I think it's more than that. It's almost as if the whole nation has been busy and distracted and we almost forgot that a special occasion is just around the corner. But now, at la…

Sermon 50 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Cut It Down and Forget About It

December 14, 2003

CUT IT DOWN AND FORGET ABOUT IT by Ray Pritchard Here are two stories to ponder. One comes from the Civil War, the other from the Vietnam War. In Charles Bracelen Flood's book Lee: The Last Years, he tells of a time after the Civil War when Robert E. Lee visited a woman who took him to the remains of a grand old tree in fro…

Sermon 49 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Written in the Heart

December 07, 2003

WRITTEN IN THE HEART by Ray Pritchard No statement is regarded as more elementary to the student of the Bible than the statement that a day of judgment is coming for the human race. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment.” That statement, as elementary as it might seem, is …

Sermon 48 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Everything I Needed to Know, I Learned at Christmas

November 30, 2003

EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW, I LEARNED AT CHRISTMAS by Ray Pritchard Several months ago Lou Diaz of Wheaton Evangelical Free Church suggested to me the idea of preaching on “Christmas and the Christian Worldview.” Because the coming of Christ changed history–literally, from B.C. to A.D.–we aren't straining thi…

Sermon 47 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Unanswered Questions

November 30, 2003

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS by Ray Pritchard “I don't know if he was a believer.” It was a statement partly of hope and partly of resignation, made after a loved one had died recently. Where is he now? How should we think about such things? This is a difficult and tender topic for many people. It would be wonderful if ev…

Sermon 46 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Christians and Muslims — What's the Difference?

November 16, 2003

CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? by Ray Pritchard Last Tuesday night I spent an exciting hour with our Power Connection junior high ministry. They invited me for the annual “Stump Pastor Ray” question night. Because they gave me the questions in advance, I was better prepared than usual, but …

Sermon 45 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

The Persecuted Church—Who Cares?

November 09, 2003

Contemporary headlines regarding the persecuted church are juxtaposed against frivolous comments of Christians who don’t care and can’t be bothered about the plight of their suffering brothers and sisters around the world.

Sermon 44 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Keep Walking

November 02, 2003

KEEP WALKING by Ray Pritchard You wouldn’t think of finding spiritual inspiration from a whiskey ad, but that’s what happened to me the other day. While leafing through the pages of a recent issue of Sports Illustrated, I came across an ad for Johnny Walker whiskey. The ad is actually a picture of a youngish man s…

Sermon 43 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

When God Wants You in Kansas City

October 26, 2003

WHEN GOD WANTS YOU IN KANSAS CITY by Ray Pritchard A couple of weeks ago Bob Weller sent me a note saying that he and Denise are moving to Kansas City very soon. I was surprised to hear the news and wondered what led them to make the move. Along with his e-mail, Bob sent an attachment he called “Coincidences.” It …

Sermon 42 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

The Son of So Many Tears

October 19, 2003

THE SON OF SO MANY TEARS by Ray Pritchard One of my favorite stories about the power of prayer to win the lost is over 1,600 years old. It begins with a woman named Monica who was raised by Christian parents in North Africa. When she was old enough, her parents arranged a marriage to a pagan man. Evidently the marriage was …

Sermon 41 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Marriage Protection Week

October 12, 2003

MARRIAGE PROTECTION WEEK by Ray Pritchard You may not have heard the news until now, but I am happy to report that President Bush has designated October 12-18 as “Marriage Protection Week” in America. The official proclamation begins with these words: "Marriage is a sacred institution, and its protection is essent…

Sermon 40 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Discernment: Making Wise Choices Under Pressure

October 05, 2003

DISCERNMENT: MAKING WISE CHOICES UNDER PRESSURE by Ray Pritchard “So that you may be able to discern what is best” (Philippians 1:10a). This is a prayer for spiritual discrimination. In our day discrimination has a mostly negative tone, but in the spiritual realm we desperately need to discriminate between good an…

Sermon 39 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Good News for Scared Sheep

September 28, 2003

GOOD NEWS FOR SCARED SHEEP by Ray Pritchard The e-mail came with this title: “I'm glad people pray for you.” A friend was writing to comment on a story I posted on my daily weblog (located on the “Pastor Ray” page of the Calvary website: www.calvarymemorial.com) about being shot with a pellet gun while o…

Sermon 38 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Moving the Elephant

September 21, 2003

MOVING THE ELEPHANT by Ray Pritchard Recently I had breakfast with a friend who told me that working in the church is like “moving the elephant.” He explained that moving an elephant can be quite difficult, especially if the elephant doesn't want to be moved. You can get in front and pull on the trunk or you can s…

Sermon 37 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Why the World Hates "Christers"

September 14, 2003

WHY THE WORLD HATES “CHRISTERS” by Ray Pritchard William F. Buckley has just published a column with the provocative title, “Bush is Evil.” It begins this way: “In a private forum the question arose, Why do they hate Bush so? And what will they do with that hatred? How far can they carry it? How…

Sermon 36 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

When We Stop Playing Games

September 07, 2003

WHEN WE STOP PLAYING GAMES by Ray Pritchard The call came from an old friend, someone I have known for over 40 years. His marriage was in serious trouble, and more importantly, he saw clearly that unless he changed from the inside out, what happened to his marriage wouldn’t really matter. His wife wasn’t the probl…

Sermon 35 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

WMBI Commentaries

July 30, 2003

Sermon 27 of 33 from the Miscellaneous series

Reaching, Teaching, Caring, Worshiping

June 29, 2003

REACHING, TEACHING, CARING, WORSHIPING by Ray Pritchard At the Biannual Business Meeting in March, I announced to the membership that we are reorganizing the staff and all the ministries of the church around four great biblical priorities–reaching, teaching, caring, and worshiping. The idea came to me as I read Rick Warre…

Sermon 25 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

The Legacy

June 29, 2003

Sermon 26 of 33 from the Miscellaneous series

The "First Fruits" Offering

June 22, 2003

THE “FIRST FRUITS” OFFERING by Ray Pritchard In the book of Leviticus, the children of Israel were instructed to bring a special offering to the Lord at the start of each harvest season. For instance, at the beginning of the wheat harvest, two loaves made from the first bit of ripened wheat were offered to the Lor…

Sermon 24 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

My Commencement Address to the Class of 2003

June 08, 2003

MY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS TO THE CLASS OF 2003 by Ray Pritchard Thanks for allowing me to share this happy occasion with you. My congratulations to the parents and grandparents who prayed and worked and wondered if this day would ever come. Soon the seniors will graduate and high school will be behind them forever. When you r…

Sermon 22 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Groundbreaking Sunday

June 01, 2003

GROUNDBREAKING SUNDAY by Ray Pritchard The elders have designated June 29 as Groundbreaking Sunday for our renovation project. A number of unique features will make it a Sunday unlike any other in the history of our church. Here are the details: On that Sunday there will be only one service, which will begin at 10:30 a.m. W…

Sermon 21 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Waiting & Enduring

May 25, 2003

WAITING & ENDURING by Ray Pritchard A new friend wrote this week asking for some advice. After long years of study, he finally had graduated with excellent grades, many awards, and a ranking near the top of his class. The future seemed very bright. He had only to pass an exam and then the doors of opportunity would be open …

Sermon 20 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Forgiving Without Repentance

May 11, 2003

FORGIVING WITHOUT REPENTANCE by Ray Pritchard After last Sunday's message, a friend sent the following e-mail: “The sermon was a hard one for me this Sunday. Forgiving someone when they refuse to apologize is where I am struggling. I have been hurt too much. Tough!” My friend is right. Forgiving is hard enough eve…

Sermon 18 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

May 04, 2003

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW by Ray Pritchard It has been well said that God's omniscience is a comfort to believers and a terror to unbelievers. The comfort is easy to see. If he truly knows all things and if he ordains all things, then everything that happens to me or to those I love must happen as part of his plan. F. B Mey…

Sermon 17 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Straight Talk from Senator Santorum

April 27, 2003

STRAIGHT TALK FROM SENATOR SANTORUM by Ray Pritchard A few days ago Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania got in trouble for making some disparaging remarks about homosexuality. During an interview he seemed to place homosexuality in the same category as bigamy, polygamy, adultery, incest, and a few other socially unaccepta…

Sermon 16 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Dear Mr. Miller

April 13, 2003

DEAR MR. MILLER by Ray Pritchard Thank you so much for writing. I am honored that you took the time to read An Anchor for the Soul and then took even more time to thoughtfully write out your objections. I am further honored to have the response of a man who has served his country with such distinction for so many years. You…

Sermon 15 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

The Renovation Plan

April 06, 2003

THE RENOVATION PLAN by Ray Pritchard The next time you walk toward the West Wing of the church, I encourage you to look across the lawn to the cornerstone embedded in the wall. It's a wonderful monument to the faith of a previous generation. The stone says “1930.” That's when the West Wing was built. At that time …

Sermon 14 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

What Color is Your Dot?

March 30, 2003

WHAT COLOR IS YOUR DOT? by Ray Pritchard Our church theme this year is “Lord, teach us to pray.” During the month of April we want to take a practical step in that direction by encouraging everyone to pray daily for the lost. Here's how we plan to do it. In the pew racks this morning there is a card with some smal…

Sermon 13 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

“Big Mouth, Big Feet”

March 23, 2003

“BIG MOUTH, BIG FEET” by Ray Pritchard Several weeks ago while preaching at Word of Life Florida, Harry Bollback told me the secret of Jack Wyrtzen’s faith. I had just finished my sermon on “Beyond Your Imagination” from Ephesians 3 when Harry said, “Jack had a sermon he liked to preach called ‘Bi…

Sermon 12 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Putting the Letters Together

March 16, 2003

PUTTING THE LETTERS TOGETHER by Ray Pritchard Someone clipped a comic strip called “One Big Happy” and left it on my desk. The first panel shows a little girl kneeling by her bed getting ready to say her prayers. It must have been a long day for her because she begins this way: “I'm so very tired tonight that…

Sermon 11 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Charlton Heston and Moses

February 23, 2003

CHARLTON HESTON AND MOSES by Ray Pritchard Years ago Charlton Heston was interviewed on The Merv Griffin Show. This was at a time in Mr. Heston’s career when he had gained much notoriety over his two mega-movies, The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur. During the interview Merv Griffin asked him, “Has your spiritual out…

Sermon 8 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Sharon's Law

February 16, 2003

SHARON’S LAW by Ray Pritchard A week ago I flew to New York to spend a few days teaching at Word of Life Bible Institute. Because of dense fog that closed Midway Airport, my flight was delayed for six hours. While I was waiting near the gate, a woman named Sharon took the seat next to me. I know her name because she in…

Sermon 7 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Is Evangelism a Hate Crime?

February 09, 2003

IS EVANGELISM A HATE CRIME? by Ray Pritchard A recent editorial in Christianity Today raises a question that just a few years ago would have been unthinkable. Is sharing Christ with others a “hate crime” that deserves punishment? In the changing religious landscape in America and around the world, the answer from …

Sermon 6 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Forever Grateful

February 02, 2003

FOREVER GRATEFUL by Ray Pritchard The precise details of the following story have been slightly changed for the sake of privacy. But the lesson is eternal. The letter came from a friend whose husband is slowly dying. Both husband and wife know the Lord and both of them know what is ahead. She writes to say that her husband …

Sermon 5 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

A Potpourri of Items

January 26, 2003

A POTPOURRI OF ITEMS Here are few items I ran across while rummaging through my desk: 1) Last Sunday Dr. Donald Gerig spoke in our worship services. We are grateful for his timely message on prayer. What I forgot to mention in advance is that this year the three living former pastors of Calvary will be speaking to us. Dr. G…

Sermon 4 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

WMBI Commentaries

January 16, 2003

Sermon 25 of 33 from the Miscellaneous series

Three Cheers for the Salvation Army

January 12, 2003

THREE CHEERS FOR THE SALVATION ARMY by Ray Pritchard Would you accept a $100,000 gift if someone told you they won it in the lottery? I suspect that most of us would say yes. Probably some of us would wonder why anyone would even ask the question. Recently the Salvation Army said no and made the news as a result. The story …

Sermon 2 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series

Praying With Paul

January 05, 2003

PRAYING WITH PAUL by Ray Pritchard Our 2003 church theme is “Lord, Teach Us to Pray.” If you wonder how we choose the themes each year, the answer is, “It varies.” Sometimes the pastors spend a long time discussing it and sometimes the answer comes very quickly. This year the theme came very early, durin…

Sermon 1 of 51 from the Ponder This - 2003 series