Search for sermons - Ephesians 1
Open My Eyes, Lord - Ephesians 1:15-23 - Jan 12, 2003 - 497
I wonder if we would be happy if our prayers were published so that others could read them. That’s a fascinating thought, isn’t it? What if every prayer you prayed, word for word, somehow ended up on the Internet so that anyone, anywhere could read them? Would our prayers be worth readin ... More
Praying for Your Prodigal - Ephesians 1:18 - Jun 25, 2006 - 496
I received an email with a heartrending question:I have a daughter that I don’t believe is saved. I pray for her but often times I can’t. I suppose that I’m angry she isn’t responding and feel incapable of helping her. What can I pray for on a daily basis so that she will com ... More
Why Are We Here? The First Question of the Catechism - Jeremiah 24:7; John 17:3; Ephesians 1:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8 - Jan 5, 1997 - 466
As this is the first Sunday of a new year, it is an appropriate moment to begin a new sermon series. Beginning today, and continuing into May, we will be considering the attributes of God in a series called “Our Awesome God.” In particular, this sermon series will focus on the person of ... More
Adoption: Plenty of Room in the Family - Jan 7, 2007
When Leslie Lynch King, Jr. died earlier this week, it made headlines around the world. Commentators talked about his legacy, and in the United States flags were lowed to half-staff in his honor. That always happens when a president dies.But who was President King? You can’t find any record of ... More
The God We Hardly Know - Sep 22, 2006
David Mains caught me off guard with his question. “If you had to grade your congregation on their knowledge of the Holy Spirit, what grade would you give them?”Up until that moment, the interview had gone well. David and his daughter Melissa had thrown me fast pitches right over the cen ... More
The God We Hardly Know: Why I Believe in the Holy Spirit - Various - Oct 29, 1995 - 793
David Mains caught me off guard with his question. “If you had to grade your congregation on their knowledge of the Holy Spirit, what grade would you give them?” The interview, broadcast nationally on the program You Need to Know, centered around my book Names of the Holy Spirit. I g ... More
The Only Thing That Matters: Faith That Works By Love - Galatians 5:1-12 - Aug 5, 2001 - 260
These are the closing words of the Declaration of Independence:We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People ... More
Chariots of Fire - 2 Kings 2 - Mar 8, 2006 - 193
What would you do if you knew that you were going to die today? What if you knew with absolute certainty that today was going to be your last day on earth? Suppose you had less than 24 hours to live. What would you do? Where would you go? How would you spend your last few hours on planet earth? If y ... More
Some Advice to the Discontented - Jeremiah 29:4-6 - Feb 18, 2008 - 816
Ever since the beginning of creation, when the first creatures came from the hand of God, there has always been someone, somewhere, unhappy with his position in the universe. It all started with an angel named Lucifer, the brightest star of the heavenly firmament, who was not satisfied to be the ... More
Emergency Prayers - Romans 15:30-33 - Apr 27, 2003 - 507
This is the final sermon in the series, Praying with Paul. We started on the first Sunday of January and we come to an end on the final Sunday of April. In my first message I introduced our church theme for 2003, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and I mentioned that this was a logical follow-up ... More
Why We Pray - Romans 15:30-33 - Aug 30, 2007 - 743
A quarter-century ago, when we were living in the Los Angeles area, I attended an all-day seminar on prayer led by Warren Wiersbe. Those who know Dr. Wiersbe will not be surprised when I say that it was an extremely profitable day. I still remember his first words. He looked at us for a moment as if ... More
Praying With Paul - Jan 5, 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 the ... More
So That … - Sep 19, 2004
SO THAT by Ray Pritchard Recently I picked up a useful insight from some friends who were eating supper with us. Somehow the conversation turned to prayer, and a man shared an insight that was new to me. “When I pray,” he said, “I always try to include the phrase ’so that.&rsq ... More
Out On A Limb With Shirley MacLaine: Is Reincarnation True? - Various - Jun 4, 2000 - 216
This is a sermon about reincarnation, which means that I have a serious problem right off the bat. It is also a sermon about Shirley MacLaine, which poses a second problem. My first challenge is to convince you that reincarnation matters enough to warrant a full sermon. Perhaps this will help. Over ... More
Is Total Forgiveness Realistic? - Ephesians 4:29-32 - Jun 1, 2003 - 758
A few days ago I received an e-mail with a comment about these sermons on forgiveness:Since you started this series, I have made some important discoveries in my life, but am enjoying it all the same. Maybe ‘enjoying’ is not the right word, but I hope you know what I mean. It’s lik ... More
The First Law: He's God and We're Not - Feb 10, 2002
This is the first sermon in a new series called “The Seven Laws of the Spiritual Life.” For the last few years I have been thinking about putting together a short list of the basic principles of the Christian life. What are those truths that every believer needs to know in order to have ... More
Overcoming Discontentment - I Corinthians 7:17-35 - Dec 8, 2002 - 709
Ever since the beginning of creation, when the first creatures came from the hand of God, there has always been someone, somewhere, unhappy with his position in the universe. It all started with an angel named Lucifer, the brightest star of the heavenly firmament, who was not satisfied to be the ape ... More
THE HOLY SPIRIT - Various - Apr 13, 1988 - 422
Redemption: Free At Last! - Various - Mar 26, 1995 - 377
Of all the names that the Bible gives and of all the names that believers give to Jesus Christ, none is more precious than the name Redeemer. There are other names we use more often, such as Lord and Savior, and rightly so because those too are Bible terms, but no word touches the heart like the wor ... More
He Ascended Into Heaven: Why It Still Matters Today - Acts 1:9 - Mar 29, 1998 - 634
"After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight." Acts 1:9This is one of the most remarkable statements in Holy Scripture. We call it the ascension of Christ into heaven. All the major creeds mention it and every Christian group believes it. There ... More
Real Christian vs. Religious - John 3 - Sep 14, 1997 - 530
This is the first sermon based on the questions submitted by the congregation last spring. I don’t know who wrote this particular question but it’s a good one. The very wording suggests that there is a fundamental difference between being religious and being a “real Christian.&rdqu ... More
How Can I Learn to Forgive? - Matthew 18:21-35 - Sep 21, 1997 - 531
Here are some of the questions people asked about forgiveness: • What really is forgiveness? • How can one do it? • What does it do for the forgiver? • How do you find it in yourself to forgive when you think you can’t or don’t even want to because of anger and ... More
Don't Bet On It: Gambling And The Christian Faith - Jul 25, 1991
"Gambling is inevitable.” So began the introduction to the final report of the Commission on the Review of National Policy Toward Gambling. “No matter what is said or done by advocates or opponents of gambling in all its various forms, it is an activity which is practiced, or endorsed, b ... More
What is the Difference Between a Real Christian and a Religious Person? - John 3 - Nov 11, 2008 - 1172
Let’s begin with a simple question. What percentage of Americans believe in God? You probably won’t be surprised to know that the number is very high. One recent survey puts it at 94%. That means that almost 19 out of 20 people in the U.S. believe in God. It also means you won&rsqu ... More
Arrows From Heaven - Oct 27, 2007
Ray: Here’s a scene from our house, circa 1989. It was 10 P.M. and Joshua and Mark had just returned from the swimming party at Concordia College. Joshua walked in, flopped on the couch and said, “I think Doug and I could be good friends.” At that moment Mark came charging in with ... More
Straight Talk About Predestination - Romans 9:19-29 - May 2, 2006 - 764
In the history of the Christian church, few doctrines have been so hotly debated as the doctrine of predestination. Throughout the centuries theologians and laypeople have argued over whether this doctrine could possibly be true:It has been called the damnable doctrine of predestination. Others ha ... More
Straight Talk About Predestination - Romans 9:19-29 - May 2, 2006 - 764
In the history of the Christian church, few doctrines have been so hotly debated as the doctrine of predestination. Throughout the centuries theologians and laypeople have argued over whether this doctrine could possibly be true:It has been called the damnable doctrine of predestination. Others ha ... More
Straight Talk About Predestination - Romans 9:19-29 - May 2, 2006 - 764
In the history of the Christian church, few doctrines have been so hotly debated as the doctrine of predestination. Throughout the centuries theologians and laypeople have argued over whether this doctrine could possibly be true:It has been called the damnable doctrine of predestination. Others ha ... More
When You Pray, Never Give Up - Luke 18:1-8 - Jun 5, 2007 - 778
My goal in this sermon is very simple. I hope to convince you of the importance of persistence in prayer. I want you to see that God is greatly glorified when we continue in prayer over a long period of time. Or to say it another way, I want us to understand that we ought not to give up when we pray ... More
Does God Lead His Children Into Temptation? - Matthew 6:13 - Oct 10, 2009 - 1223
“And lead us not into temptation.” Matthew 6:13aBefore we begin: What is the difference between temptation and testing? How can a temptation to sin become an avenue for spiritual growth? Does God lead his children into temptation? This is not an easy question to answer. We know what th ... More
Arrows From Heaven - Oct 27, 2007
Ray: Here’s a scene from our house, circa 1989. It was 10 P.M. and Joshua and Mark had just returned from the swimming party at Concordia College. Joshua walked in, flopped on the couch and said, “I think Doug and I could be good friends.” At that moment Mark came charging in with ... More
Arrows From Heaven - Oct 27, 2007
Ray: Here’s a scene from our house, circa 1989. It was 10 P.M. and Joshua and Mark had just returned from the swimming party at Concordia College. Joshua walked in, flopped on the couch and said, “I think Doug and I could be good friends.” At that moment Mark came charging in with ... More
Beyond Your Dreams - Ephesians 3:14-21 - Jan 26, 2003 - 498
Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation, had a good friend and assistant by the name of Friedrich Myconius. In 1540, Myconius became sick and was expected to die shortly. On his deathbed he wrote a tender farewell message to Luther. When Luther read the message, he immediately sent a ... More
Too Young To Die: Confronting the Tragedy of Suicide - Genesis 1:26-27; Deuteronomy 30; John 10:10 - Jul 17, 1994 - 137
“Sometimes I get so lonely it’s unbelievable. Life has been so good to me. I’ve got a great wife, good kids, money, my own health—and I’m lonely and bored … I often wondered why so many rich people commit suicide. Money sure isn’t a cure-all.” Those w ... More
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands - Daniel 4 - Jan 26, 1997 - 465
I’d like to begin by talking about the problem of spiritual indigestion. That’s a brand-new term that I learned this week after reading a chapter written by Dr. J. Grant Howard, who taught for many years at Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Howard says that s ... More
