Search for sermons - Psalms 119
"How Sweet Are Your Words": Learning to Love the Word of God - Psalm 119:97-104 - Jan 13, 2002 - 396
This year at Calvary we are attempting to read through the entire Bible together. For those who are on the “Bible Bus,” today we are reading Genesis 25-26 and Matthew 13. That means we are reading about Isaac and Ishmael and the beginning of the story of Jacob and Esau. Plus we are readi ... More
Forever Settled in Heaven: Building on the Unshakable Foundation - Psalm 119:89 - Jan 6, 2002 - 398
Our church theme for 2002 is “God’s Word: Our Unshakable Foundation.” Considering the events of the last few months, it seems like a theme perfectly suited for these perilous times. We need a foundation that cannot be shaken by world events or personal circumstances. We need a plac ... More
"Before I Was Afflicted I Went Astray": Why Your Troubles are a Gift from God - Psalm 119:67, 71, 75 - Jan 20, 2002 - 397
These three verses all use the verb “afflicted,” which comes from the noun “affliction,” an old word that means any difficult or painful circumstance. Afflictions come in all shapes and sizes. An affliction can be as small as an aggravating head cold or as large as a major il ... More
Nothing Shall Offend Them: A Message for Unhappy, Irritated, and Bent-Out-of-Shape Christians - Psalm 119:165 - Feb 3, 2002 - 399
For our final message in this short series from Psalm 119, I want to look at a verse I first learned in Mrs. Sandberg’s British Literature class 30 years ago. As she began class one day, she read a verse of Scripture that had been particularly meaningful to her. Then she quoted Psalm 119:165 f ... More
Forward-Leaning Defense - Sep 16, 2006
“There is no victory at bargain basement prices.” General Dwight Eisenhower“World War IV began in a long string of terrorist attacks, whose real nature went unrecognized until on September 11, 2001, huge billows of black smoke curled above New York City, Washington, D.C., and a fie ... More
Sola Scriptura: The Bible and Only the Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16 - Jun 15, 1997 - 676
"Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89 “You have exalted above all things your name and your word.” Psalm 138:2b “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35 “The Scripture cannot be brok ... More
Reciting Psalm 119 - Oct 20, 2002
RECITING PSALM 119 by Ray Pritchard Tuesday was one of “those days” for me, a day when I started out behind and never really caught up. As I thought about it later, it seemed like a “disheveled” day, which is a strange word but perfectly describes how I felt. There was one bright ... More
Great Is Thy Faithfulness - Lamentations 3:22-25 - Mar 23, 1997 - 471
How many people do you know who do exactly what they say? Before you answer, let me rephrase the question? How many do you know who do exactly what they say every single time? Now before you answer, let me rephrase it again. How many people do you know who do exactly what they say every single time ... More
The Scripture Had to Be Fulfilled: Can We Still Believe the Bible? - Acts 1:15, 20 - May 10, 1998 - 639
It is sometimes asked why the early church grew so explosively. We know, for instance, that after Jesus ascended into heaven, approximately 120 men and women gathered in the upper room to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. While there were doubtless other disciples scattered across Israel, this ... More
Sense and Nonsense About God's Will - Oct 18, 2007
"What Happened, Lord?”It’s a common question, isn’t it? You set out to get a new job, you work hard for it, you go through the interview process, you do your very best, and in your heart you believe this is the job God wants you to have. Then someone else gets the job. And you say, ... More
The Seventh Law: What God Starts, He Finishes - Apr 14, 2002
We begin with the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor whose opposition to Adolph Hitler during World War II finally landed him in jail. Shortly before the end of the war, the Nazis put him to death. His best-known writings include The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together. At one point ... More
Good News for Poor Performers and Splendid Sinners - Luke 1:5-20, 57-64 - Dec 16, 2007 - 89
This afternoon I read a bit from Faithfulness and Holiness by J. I. Packer. The book consists of Packer’s short biography of J. C. Ryle, the 19t5h-century Anglican bishop, and a reprint of Ryle’s justly-famous book called, simply, “Holiness.” I happened across this quote from ... More
Staying Pure in an X-Rated World - Various - Sep 19, 2004 - 266
(This particular sermon was a “tag team” effort where I preached the first part, and Pastor Bob Boerman preached the last part. I have added a conclusion beginning with the section called “Rise and Walk.")“The moment sex ceases to be a servant it becomes a tyrant.” G. K ... More
To Rome With Love - Romans 1:1-7 - Jan 5, 1992 - 277
The year was 1911, and a young man from Sydney, Australia, arrived in the United States. He had crossed the ocean to study at a fledgling school called Moody Bible Institute. While still a student, he was called as the first pastor of a brand-new congregation in suburban Oak Park. He stayed for two ... More
Is Anything Too Hard For God? The Doctrine of God's Omnipotence - Jeremiah 32:17 - Mar 9, 1997 - 472
This is the third and final sermon on the “omni” attributes of God. I have remarked earlier that these attributes are difficult to grasp because they describe truths about God that have no analog in human experience. We are limited as to place, power and personal knowledge. God is not. T ... More
Ready to Give an Answer - I Peter 3:15 - Sep 17, 1995 - 800
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord; always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that you have” (I Peter 3:15). Peter says to be ready to give an answer. Are you ready to give an answer for what you believe? Are you ready to answer the reall ... More
Dreams, Visions and Supernatural Signs - Numbers 12:6-8 - Nov 21, 1993 - 390
Whenever dreams, visions and supernatural signs are discussed, three questions immediately come to mind. Number one, are such things really possible today? Number two, if they are, what part do they have in determining God’s will for your life? Number three, if you think you have had a drea ... More
Famine in the Promised Land - Genesis 12:10-20 - Mar 31, 1996 - 15
"Smart people sometimes do some very stupid things.” A few years ago Jim Warren shared a statement with me that a friend had shared with him. It goes like this. “When hard times come, we always have two choices. We can be a student or we can be a victim.” A moment’s thou ... More
From Temptation to Triumph - Nov 12, 1996
Playwright Oscar Wilde once jokingly remarked, “I can resist everything except temptation.” We smile when we read those words because they speak an important truth about the human condition. Temptation pays a visit to each of us every day and most of us struggle to say no.“Pastor ... More
Does God Still Guide? - Exodus 13:21-22; Psalm 48:14 - Sep 5, 1993 - 395
The year was 1915. A young man in Liverpool, England was preparing to return to America . He was a poet growing in international fame. As he prepared to return home, he wrote a poem that he later insisted had been simply a joke, a funny story, written to amuse a friend. Yet that composition has ... 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
Are We All Hindus Now? - Exodus 20:1 - Sep 5, 2009 - 1212
Recently Newsweek magazine published an article by Lisa Miller with the provocative title We Are All Hindus Now. It begins this way: America is not a Christian nation. We are, it is true, a nation founded by Christians, and according to a 2008 survey, 76 percent of us continue to identify as Christi ... More
Courage: How to Face Down Your Fears - Proverbs 28:1 - Nov 6, 1994 - 621
How much courage do you have? Would your friends, co-workers and family members call you a courageous person? My text this morning is one verse of scripture: Proverbs 28:1. “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” The dictionary defines coura ... More
What I’ve Learned About Preaching - Apr 25, 2010
Not long ago I was asked to give a lecture on preaching. More specifically I was asked to talk about what I have learned about preaching over the years. My only qualification to address this topic comes from 40 years of trying to preach. I am what you might call a working preacher as opposed to a pr ... More
Courage: How to Face Down Your Fears - Proverbs 28:1 - Nov 6, 1994 - 621
How much courage do you have? Would your friends, co-workers and family members call you a courageous person? My text this morning is one verse of scripture: Proverbs 28:1. “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” The dictionary defines coura ... More
The Tragedy of Double Vision - Matthew 5:8 - Feb 25, 1996 - 57
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This beatitude stands alone. It is unlike all the others. In many ways, this is the most unexpected thing Jesus ever said. It is not difficult to believe—like Blessed are the meek. It is not difficult to apply— ... More
