Search for sermons - Luke 8
Lessons for Modern-Day Sowers of the Word - Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23 - May 26, 2007 - 384
The last few days I have been meditating on the famous parable of the seed and the sower. It is obviously important because is found in three different places in the gospels (with Jesus' explanation in parenthesis):Matthew 13:3-9 (18-23)Mark 4:3-8 (14-20)Luke 8:5-8 (11-15)Context is all-important in ... 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 to have worked miracles ... More
The Cost of Compassion - Jan 18, 2004
THE COST OF COMPASSION by Ray Pritchard “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46). These strange words mean at least this much: Jesus knew God's power had flowed from him into the body of the woman who touched his garment. Power that had been his passed from ... 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 services, ... 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 miracles in his ... More
Why Are You Weeping? - John 20:11-18 - Mar 31, 2002 - 180
The story of Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus at the empty tomb is found only in John's gospel. I think Mary must have told John about it personally. Everything about this little slice of life rings true to human nature as we know it. A weeping woman lingers by an empty tomb, wondering what has happened ... More
Why Are You Weeping? - John 20:11-18 - Mar 31, 2002 - 169
The story of Mary Magdalene meeting Jesus at the empty tomb is found only in John's gospel. I think Mary must have told John about it personally. Everything about this little slice of life rings true to human nature as we know it. A weeping woman lingers by an empty tomb, wondering what has happened ... More
Equal But Not Identical: Men And Women In The Local Church - Jul 21, 1991
In this day of social upheaval, many traditional views held by the Christian church are being questioned. Not the least important of these is the issue of women in ministry. During the past several decades, the feminist movement has had significant impact on the church; this impact is such that the ... More
TIME FOR A CHECKUP - MATTHEW 13:1-23 - Jan 1, 1990 - 404
Most of you know that I come from a medical background. My father was a doctor and my three brothers are doctors. And although I am in the ministry, their influence remains strong in my life. Actually the two fields–medicine and the ministry–are not as widely separated as they might a ... More
The Church on its Knees: Unleashing the Power of United Prayer - Acts 1:12-14 - Apr 19, 1998 - 636
"Prayer is that slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence." Charles SpurgeonI don't often begin a sermon with a confession but this week it seems the appropriate thing to do. Over the years whenever I have prepared to preach on prayer, I have always approached my task with a bit of ... More
The Sensitivity of Jesus - Luke 8:42-48 - Feb 17, 1991 - 108
This is how Luke tells the story: As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. "Who touc ... More