Search for sermons - Acts 16
The Most Important Ingredient - Acts 16:6-10 - Sep 15, 2005 - 699
When was the last time you played with modeling clay? It may have been a while unless you have a house full of preschoolers. As all parents know, children love modeling clay because they can make almost anything with it. When it first comes out of the can, the clay feels cold and clammy and mushy. I ... More
Deciding the Big Ones - Acts 16:6-10 - Jun 5, 1993 - 392
"Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by ... More
When Christians Disagree - Acts 16:36-41 - Mar 12, 2007 - 776
Christians disagree about almost everything. And when we disagree, we usually start a new church. Which reminds me of a story I heard a few years ago. A Scottish Presbyterian is rescued after many years of living alone on a desert island. When he is picked up, the captain says to him, “I thoug ... More
Theology at Midnight - Acts 16:25 - Aug 9, 2009 - 1209
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).You discover your theology at midnight.Until then, it’s all theoretical. When midnight comes, you discover the difference between theory and reality. I ... More
Sense and Nonsense about God's Guidance - Exodus 13:21-22; Psalm 48:14 - Sep 12, 1993 - 393
In 1988 something new happened in the American political process. That year, for the first time in a long time, an avowedly evangelical candidate ran for the presidency of the United States.We all remember that George Bush won the election. But if you roll the tape of your mind backwards—bac ... More
I Will Pour Out My Spirit On All People - Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-21 - Jul 10, 2005 - 205
A few days ago I happened to see my son Mark intently reading a paperback book. When I asked him what he was reading, he named a title I recognized as being very popular with Christians in their 20’s and early 30’s. It is, in fact, a bestseller with that group. How did Mark like it? &ldq ... More
What is Saving Faith? - Sep 5, 2001
The question, “What is saving faith?” is not as easily answered as one might assume. It is evident from reading the New Testament that not everyone who “believes” truly possesses saving faith. Jesus Himself warned in Matthew 7:21-23 that on the Day of Judgment many will claim ... More
What is Saving Faith? - Romans 10:9-10 - Oct 24, 1999 - 305
The question posed by my title is not as easily answered as one might assume. It is evident from reading the New Testament that not everyone who “believes” truly possesses saving faith. Jesus himself warned in Matthew 7:21-23 that on the Day of Judgment many will claim to have worked mir ... More
"We Did Not Give in to Them:" Why Unity Must be Based on Truth - Galatians 2:1-10 - May 20, 2001 - 250
I want to begin by calling your attention to the most important verse in our passage—verse 5, which reads, “We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.” If you didn’t know anything else about the background of that statement ... More
What Is Saving Faith? - Sep 6, 2006
"Pastor Ray, how can I know that I am truly saved?” The young man standing before me was obviously in some distress. His story was familiar. He had been raised in an evangelical church where he had accepted Christ as his Savior when he was 8 or 9. After 19 years of Sunday school and church ser ... More
Our Coming to You Was Not in Vain - I Thessalonians 2:1 - Sep 25, 2005 - 479
When Paul wrote to the new Christians in Thessalonica, he summarized his brief visit with them this way: “You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure” (I Thessalonians 2:1). The English Standard Version renders it this way: “For you yourselves know, brothers, that o ... More
THE HOLY SPIRIT - Various - Apr 13, 1988 - 422
Taking The Plunge - Apr 5, 1990
Of all the issues that divide Christians, none is more hotly debated than the issue of baptism. For centuries godly men and women have come down on different sides of this question. Entire denominations have sprung up as a result of disagreements over the mode, meaning, and purpose of baptism.The wi ... More
God's Promise to You - Philippians 4:13-23 - Jan 10, 1999 - 361
With this sermon we come to the end of our series from the book of Philippians. I have mentioned several times that this book is essentially a thank-you note from the Apostle Paul to the church at Philippi. He is writing to thank them for the gift they sent when they heard he was a prisoner in Rome. ... More
