Sermons found for the topic Bible

Sola Scriptura: The Bible and Only the Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16

"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 w More

God's Inerrant Word - Article A: The Scriptures - Various

Allan Bloom begins his ground-breaking work, The Closing of the American Mind, this way: There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he More

Bestseller and More: Why I Believe in the Bible - Various

We begin with the simple observation that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time. More copies have been printed in more languages and read by more people than any other book in history. It is so far out in f More

Perilous Times - II Timothy 3

You’ve probably heard the old joke about the fellow who was told, “Cheer up. Things could be worse.” So he said, “I did as I was told. I cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse.” Th More

What We Believe About the Bible - II Timothy 3:16

"Modern theology of almost every shade is in crisis.” With those words Clark Pinnock begins his monumental work Biblical Revelation: The Foundation of Christian Theology. He goes on to say, “While there More

The Scripture Had to Be Fulfilled: Can We Still Believe the Bible? - Acts 1:15, 20

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 Ho More

“In the Beginning": The Most Important Verse in the Bible - Genesis 1:1

True faith must begin with the very first verse of the Bible. If you can believe Genesis 1:1, you won’t have any problems with the rest of the Bible. Truth begins with God. That’s why the Bible begins with this verse. More

What Does It Mean to Believe the Bible? - 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

Every church has a story. Ours begins 81 years ago in a small house not very many blocks from here. A group of men and women had gathered to discuss the possibility of starting a brand-new church in our village. Mo More

Forever Settled in Heaven: Building on the Unshakable Foundation - Psalm 119:89

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 foundat More

Fact or Fable in Genesis: Was the World Really Created in Six Days? - Genesis 1:1-2:3

Did the events described in Genesis 1-11 really happen? Does it matter? The answer is yes to both questions. They really happened and it really matters because ideas have consequences. What you believe about where you came from will radically impact the purpose of your life. More

"How Sweet Are Your Words": Learning to Love the Word of God - Psalm 119:97-104

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 Is More

How to Meet the Enemy - Ephesians 6:14-17

No believer is safe who faces Satan in his own strength. No believer is more secure than he who goes into battle wearing the whole armor of God. More

Postcards From the Edge: Why I Believe in Angels and Demons - Various

Angels are in. In the words of the Wall Street Journal, “after a hiatus of almost 300 years and much skepticism, angels are making a comeback.” A recent survey confirmed this fact: 58% of Americans in More

What About Creation and Evolution? - Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” First sentences matter. Every writer knows that the very first words he puts on paper set the tone for everything else that follows. In fact most writers More

Don't You Believe in Miracles? - 1 Kings 17:17-24

In the current issue of Dallas Connection, the alumni publication from Dallas Theological Seminary, Greg Hatteberg reflects on his wife’s struggle with Multiple Sclerosis. I first met Greg and Lisa when I spoke More

Back to Basics - John 7:16-17

Each year at Calvary we choose a theme and a theme verse that serve as our ministry focus. We started doing that in 1991 and have continued every year since then. Sometimes we don’t know until October or Novembe More

Allied Force Questions - Various

When we surveyed the congregation asking for their questions a few months ago, our high school ministry (called Allied Force) turned in their own set of questions. On October 12, the students joined me on the platform More

Seven Signs Of The Second Coming

(Revised and Expanded January 9, 1991)The following things have happened in the last 72 hours:*Yesterday the Iraqi Revolutionary Council met with Saddam Hussein and reaffirmed that there would be no withdrawal from Ku More

Born of a Virgin - Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23

Christmas is an amazing time of year. Yesterday I ran across a statement that sums it up: “Isn’t it amazing that a baby born in a stable 2,000 years ago can cause traffic jams this week?” I am thankf More

Behind Closed Doors - Hebrews 13:4

There are times when a writer knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he doesn’t have to worry about getting the reader’s attention. Certain subjects require no gimmicks, tricks or elaborate introductions. More

Has God Lost the Battle? - Romans 11:1-10

In this sermon series we are looking at Romans 9-11, arguably the three most difficult chapters in the New Testament. I’ve called it “Understanding God’s Plan” because these chapters help us un More

Darwin’s Delusion: Why I Believe in Creation

If we start with the biblical record, we find it fundamentally incompatible with evolutionary naturalism. Three words summarize where we come from–created, not evolved. We need to teach those three words to our children and make them a bulwark of our own personal faith. More

Think On These Things - Philippians

Here is God’s prescription for believers trapped in unhealthy living: Think On These Things! Focus on the good, the pure, the true, the holy, the right, the lovely. Find those things that elevate the mind and think on them! Enthrone Christ as the Lord of your mind and your life will be transformed. More

This Must Be the Place: - Various

Seven times in nine years I have given a State of the Church address to Calvary Memorial Church. In my first message I quoted the famous words of Daniel Burnham, architect and author of The Chicago City Plan: “M More

The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage - Genesis 1:26-28; Revelation 22:17

My story today begins a long way from Oak Park, and a long way from our current controversies. In order to get the proper perspective, let’s go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. To quote a line fro More

Why Good People Won't Go to Heaven - Romans 10:1-4

I’d like to talk to you about who goes to heaven. We all know that the Bible teaches the reality of heaven and the reality of hell. Jesus himself spoke of both places many times. All of us, I’m sure, wo More

Life Has Been Good - Various

This is the fifth year I have been privileged to give a State of the Church address to Calvary Memorial Church. In my first message I quoted the great Chicago architect Daniel Burnham who said, “Make no small p More

Should Our Teachers Be Required to Sign the Articles of Faith? - Various

Tonight we are beginning a brand-new series of Sunday night messages. As you know, I usually take books of the Bible on a chapter-by-chapter basis on Sunday night. This series is a major departure from that pattern. More

Trees Planted by the Water: How to Get Started Right in 2002 - Psalm 1

Each January our church chooses a theme for the New Year. After much prayer we settled on “God’s Word: Our Unshakable Foundation” as the theme for 2002. We have two theme verses. The first comes from More

Nothing Shall Offend Them: A Message for Unhappy, Irritated, and Bent-Out-of-Shape Christians - Psalm 119:165

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 Scri More

Justification: Not Guilty! - Various

Some of you may recognize the name P.P. Bliss. If you know evangelical music and hymnology, you may have seen his name in our hymnal. He was a man who served as a musical song writer and associate evangelist for the g More

The King Has Come! - Matthew 2:1-6

We begin with the words of Flannery O’Connor: “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” Truth is truth whether we like it or not. The fact that I personally may object to th More

What is Heaven Like? - Philippians 3:20-21

"Heaven is a place, just as much a place as is New York or Chicago.” Charles Ferguson Ball I begin this sermon with two statements that I believe to be almost universally true: Everyone wants to know about heave More

God Unchanging - Romans 11:28-29

When I was a teenager in Alabama, I spent a week at a Methodist church camp. This was during the revolutionary days of the 60s when the talk was of LSD, the Beatles, hippies, the Vietnam War and protest in the street More

Preach the Word! - II Timothy 4:1-5

I’d like to begin by calling your attention to verses 3-4 of this passage. They describe a scene that seems amazingly contemporary: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Ins More

Read It Through in 2002

READ IT THROUGH IN 2002 by Ray Pritchard When was the last time you read through the whole Bible? Before you answer, let me be right up front with my answer and say that it’s been a long, long time. It’s been longer than ten years and probably longer than 20 years since I read through the entire Bible, cover to co… More

Prophet on the Run - 1 Kings 19:1-9

The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat the truth about its heroes. It gives us the whole story, the good news and the bad news at the same time. When the Bible describes the great heroes of the Old Testament and the New Te More

Bad Manners at the Dinner Table: A Powerful Lesson in Biblical Confrontation - Galatians 2:11-14

This is a sermon about conflict in the church—where it comes from and how to handle it. As a place to begin, I’d like to start with the observation that most church conflicts fall into one of two categorie More

Showdown in Jerusalem: The Rise & Fall of the Antichrist - Matthew 24:15-28

"We have more reason to believe that Christ could come in our generation than any generation which ever lived.” Tim LaHayeI agree with Tim LaHaye. When you consider the reestablishment of the nation of Israel in More

God in Three Persons: A Doctrine We Barely Understand

My problem this morning is simple: to explain a doctrine that all Christians believe but no one really understands. And I have to do it in 30 minutes!So let’s start at the very beginning. All Christians believe More

Come Before Winter - 2 Timothy 4:21

Procrastination destroys many good intentions. Some things must be done “before winter” or they will not be done at all. There are doors of opportunity that open before us today, but if we do not take advantage of them, tomorrow they will be forever shut. More

From Adam to Noah: Lessons from a Genealogy - Genesis 5

I begin this sermon with a confession. In my quarter-century as a pastor, I believe this is the first sermon I have ever preached from a genealogy. There is a reason for that, which I’m sure you already understa More

Great Joy in the City - Acts 8:4-8

Throughout history, God has grown and moved his church as his people scattered to diverse locations geographically. This pattern has not changed and believers are still called to grow and expand as a church today, whether we move across national boundaries, ethnic and cultural boundaries, or do church planting in our immediate communities. Beginning with the first generation of believers in the book of Acts, we hear of Phillip, who was emboldened and changed by the power of God as he moved out in obedience to spread the Gospel. Despite severe persecution, great joy descended on those who received the truth that came with power. In this present age, we have the account of the phenomenal growth of the church in China. In 1949 all Christian missionaries were evicted leaving less than one million indigenous believers behind. They faced relentless bloodbaths and eradication. Yet the church grew in the midst of that persecution when determined believers scattered and went underground. The challenge to believers today remains the same—to be willing to be moved out of our personal comfort zones, to walk in faith, to make personal sacrifices, and most importantly, to trust God for our personal well-being and needs. More

Birth of a Heel-Grabber - Genesis 25:19-26

There are many different ways to study the Bible. You can, for instance, study it analytically, taking each verse and each phrase and even each word in succession. Or you could study it doctrinally, tracing the grea More

A Place to Begin - Genesis 1:1; John 17:3

"True and substantial wisdom principally consists of two parts; the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of ourselves.” With this sentence John Calvin begins his famous book, Institutes of the Christian Religion. More

The King Has Come! - Matthew 2:1-6

We begin with the words of Flannery O’Connor: “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” Truth is truth whether we like it or not. The fact that I personally may object to th More

Love One Another Deeply - I Peter 1:22-25

I have three things on my mind that I want to talk to you about. These are really three different things, and apparently unconnected, but perhaps by the end of the message, you will see there is a common thread runnin More

Equal But Not Identical: Men And Women In The Local Church

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 femini More

Snake Eyes - Genesis 3:1-7

“The literal Genesis record of supernatural creation is the foundation of the true gospel, the true doctrine of Christ, true evangelism, genuine saving faith, and of all the key aspects of biblical Christianity. More

Straight Talk About Predestination - Romans 9:19-29

In the history of the Christian church, few doctrines have been so hotly debated as the doctrine of predestination. Since predestination is a biblical concept, we must face this doctrine squarely whether we like it or not. It’s in the Bible, therefore we must first seek to understand it and then to ask what difference it makes. More