Sermons found for the topic Culture

How Do You Measure Success? - 2 Corinthians 3:1-3

God measures our success in terms of lives changed. He’s evidently not that impressed by the size of our budget or by the stained glass in our sanctuary. The One who hung the stars in space doesn’t really care how many books we’ve written or how much money we make or whether or not we see our name in lights. More

Korazin: Knowing Too Much and Believing Too Little - Matthew 11:20-24

Don’t make the mistake of Korazin and take Jesus for granted. The day of grace comes to an end sooner or later. What will you say in the day of judgment if you have neglected the Son of God? More

Unfading Glory - 2 Corinthians 3:7-11

You can have the fading glory of the law and all you’ll get for it is death and condemnation. Or you can come to Christ and you will have the unfading glory of life and righteousness forever. More

Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else - Matthew 6:10

Praying “Your will be done” is an act of God-ordained rebellion. This is not a prayer for the weak or the timid. This is a prayer for troublemakers and rabblerousers. More

Taking God Seriously - Matthew 6:9

When you pray, “Hallowed be your name,” you are both the voice and the feet of that petition. As the very words leave your lips, your life is part of the answer. More

Why I Am Not a Pessimist - Ephesians 5:15-17

Christians are both pessimists and optimists, but we are much more optimistic because though we see what is happening in the world around us, we know that Jesus Christ conquered the grave. And because he lives, we too will live. More

It’s the Faith, Brother - Hebrews 11:3-7

There are those who have faith and those who don’t. And if you don’t have faith, you cannot please God. True faith, faith that rests on God and his Word and believes all that he has said, true faith sees the unseen and say, “Yes, it is true.” More

Choose Life! - Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Whoever occupies the Oval Office for the next four years will make decisions that will guide our nation far into the future. Which way will we go? How should we make up our minds? This sermon argues that we should “choose life” by taking our Christian convictions with us into the voting booth. More

How to Kill a New Christian - Part 1 - Romans 14:1-12

Part 1. There are many ways to kill the faith of a new Christian, but the easiest way - and the quickest - is through criticism and a lack of acceptance. We all have a tendency to criticize people who don’t do or say things the way we think they ought to be said or done. Terrible things can happen when we are too quick to offer personal judgments on believers who don’t meet our personal standards. How can we overcome the impulse to criticize our brothers and sisters in Christ? More

Good, Pleasing, Perfect - Romans 12:2

Moral compromise often begins with a tiny step in the wrong direction. This was the case with Lot, who was unmoved and apathetic to the moral decay around him. It may sound extreme, but the Lord has nothing to say to a compromising believer. You can have Sodom or you can have the Lord, but you can’t have them both. If you live for God, you will demonstrate to yourself and those who know you that that God’s way is always good, pleasing and ultimately perfect. More

Not by Chance: “Maker of Heaven and Earth” - Revelation 4:11

If you leave God out, you’ve missed the fundamental truth about the universe. That means that in order to understand human origins and the true history of the universe, we must begin�“not with the vain speculations of science�“but with God’s understanding as he has revealed it to us in His Word. More

The Persecuted Church—Who Cares?

Contemporary headlines regarding the persecuted church are juxtaposed against frivolous comments of Christians who don’t care and can’t be bothered about the plight of their suffering brothers and sisters around the world. 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

Empty on the Inside: How God Reveals Himself to Us - Acts 17:26-28

If you don’t know God, it’s not God’s fault. God has already done everything necessary for you to have a relationship with him. He created the world and then left his fingerprints everywhere. He even placed you where you are so that you would seek him. More

City Life: Serving God in a Pagan World - Genesis 4:17-26

"Without God, the more power we have the sooner we destroy ourselves; without God, the richer we are the sooner we rot.” W. L. WatkinsonThe first few chapters of Genesis are marked by a very clear logic that goe More

Creation-Evolution Teaching Statement - Various

Here are 12 statements that provide a framework for teaching about creation and evolution in the local church. 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

First Century Patterns For 21st-Century Churches - Various

How closely should local churches follow the patterns of the New Testament? The answer is, as closely as possible, understanding that no one is 100% consistent and that outward forms will change over time. That means we need to focus on the key functions of the church, giving freedom to differ on how those functions are expressed. More

Breaking Down Walls: Racial Prejudice and The Christian Gospel - Psalm 139:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:17

What does the Christian gospel have to say to racial prejudice? This sermon explores Dr. Martin Luther’s King’s legacy and the unfinished challenge of racial reconciliation. The gospel provides the only lasting answer to the problems of prejudice, bigotry and racial division. More

Ready to Give an Answer - I Peter 3:15

"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 y More

Swimming Upstream - Romans 12:2

There are times when we need to see a familiar verse in a new way. The ESV translates the first part of Romans 12:2 this way: “Do not be conformed to this world.” Simple, clear and concise. But what exactl More

Is Marriage Really Made in Heaven? - Genesis 2:18-25; Hebrews 13:4

Since this is the first sermon in the God Speaks Today series, I thought we should answer a few key questions up front: More

Many Nations Under God: A Biblical View of World History - Genesis 10

At first glance Genesis 10 would not seem to offer much promise as a sermon text. To the untrained eye, it appears to be just one more biblical genealogy, although a closer examination reveals that it seems oddly diff More

Dare to be a Daniel - Daniel 1:8-21

The key to this passage is found in the very first verse: “But Daniel resolved …” The King James Version says, “But Daniel purposed in his heart.” Another translation says he “made More

Why We Don't Have to Win Every Argument

For the last few weeks in our studies of Romans 14-15, we have been looking at the call of God for believers in Christ to live together in peace despite our differences over secondary issues. Just as a reminder, here More

REACHING PEOPLE WITH GOD'S LOVE - Various

Friday morning I did something I had not done since becoming pastor of this church. I took a few minutes and sat on the steps in front of the sanctuary. It was a typical March day in Chicago–clear and cool wit More

I Will Pour Out My Spirit On All People - Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-21

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 3 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

When God Gives Up - Romans 1:24-32

There are some messages that pastors would rather not preach. This sermon definitely falls into that category. It’s not that I am afraid to say what must be said; it is rather that I know these things will not b More

The Four Freshmen: How the World Tries to Seduce the Church - Daniel 1:1-7

This morning we begin a brand-new series called Daniel: Courageous Living in Turbulent Times. With Y2K only 55 days away, and with the recent Newsweek cover story on Bible prophecy called “The Way the World Ends More

Is There Life After Death? Can We Be Sure? - Job 14:14

When Barry Grunow left for work on Friday morning, he had no idea he would never come home again. It was the last day of classes at the Lake Worth Community Middle School, just a few miles south of West Palm Beach, Fl More

Bestseller and More

I submit to you that the Bible will stand the toughest test and the hardest scrutiny because it is indeed the Word of God. That’s why after 2000 years it is still the best-selling book in the world. No other book contains the plan of salvation. No other book can tell you how to get to heaven. More

A Few Good Men - Genesis 18:16-33

On this Memorial Day we honor the men and women of the armed forces, both those who have served with distinction in the past and those who serve our country today. Most of you are familiar with the Marine Corps sloga More

God's Mountain Man - 1 Kings 17:1

Last December right after the tsunami disaster, my friend Ramesh Richard, a professor at Dallas Seminary, sent an email that contained a simple, one-sentence prayer. He called it a “dangerous prayer.” The 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

God's Simple Plan of Salvation - Romans 10:5-13

This is a very familiar passage of Scripture. Most of us know certain parts of it by heart. I have asked the Lord to do me a favor and not let me say anything new. I don’t want to say anything you haven’t More

Do Not Neglect Your Spiritual Gift - 1 Timothy 4:14

Is ministry your Spiritual Gift? No man calls himself into the ministry or into local church leadership. A self-called man and a God-called man are two different people. One man thinks he’s qualified so he calls himself. The other man feels unworthy but responds to God’s call. If God has called you, rise up, go forth and serve the Lord. More

Lessons for Modern-Day Sowers of the Word - Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23

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 parenthes More

How to be a Godly Rebel - Romans 13:1-7

Winston Churchill once remarked that “democracy is the worst form of government until you consider the alternatives.” How true. Democracy is messy and difficult and maddeningly slow because it depends on More

The Salt and Light Brigade - Matthew 5:13-16

All of us were shocked and saddened by the tragic events in the Scottish highlands this week. On Wednesday a deranged gunman slaughtered sixteen schoolchildren and their teacher for no apparent reason. Commenting on More

A Place to Serve - Acts 6:1-7

"Anyone can be great because anyone can serve.” Those are the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They remind us of the words of Jesus who declared that he did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give h 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

What Does the Bible Say About Divorce and Remarriage? - Matthew 19:1-12

Perhaps the place to begin is with a few quotes taken from The Abolition of Marriage by Maggie Gallagher: “Over the past 30 years a consistent 96% of the American public has expressed a personal desire for marri More

Going Against the Flow - I Peter 4:1-6

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for 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

Christian Boldness in an Age of Tolerance - Genesis 18:16-33

There is a new, dark definition of tolerance emerging in our world. Josh McDowell argues that toleration has replaced justice as the primary American virtue. Tolerance today means that every view of truth and morality is equal to every other view. This view of toleration differs from the classic view in that it says that there is no such thing as absolute truth. How should we respond? 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

Goats 1, Rams 0 - Daniel 8

Before we jump into this chapter, several observations are in order. First, Daniel 8 on the surface appears to be dry as dust history in that it tells a story about a vision that was fulfilled in history over 2000 yea More

What About Those Who Never Hear The Gospel? - Romans 1:18-20

The subject for this morning is perhaps the most troubling question that Christians can face. The fate of those who never hear the gospel is both difficult and emotional. It’s a tough question to think about b More

The Eyes of God Are Upon You - Various

Our story begins in 1833 when a man named Joseph Kettlestrings, an Englishman from Yorkshire, arrived in the Chicago area. He settled first along the Des Plaines River where he worked at a saw mill. Two years later More