Sermons found for the topic Family

What If - 1 Corinthians 15:12-20

This sermon reveals the four disastrous consequnces if the resurrection is not true. If Christ did not rise from the dead, our preaching has no purpose, our faith has no forgiveness, our death has no deliverance, and our service has no significance. More

Adoption: Plenty of Room in the Family

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 w More

Noah's Ark: A Picture of Salvation - Genesis 6:9-22

The story of Noah and the Ark is more popular than ever before. Even people who don't know the Bible and never come to church know about Noah, his big boat, and all those animals coming in two by two. Two giraffes. Tw More

Portrait of a Dysfunctional Family - Genesis 27

Although it is not a new word, most of us never heard the term "dysfunctional" until a few years ago. In the last decade, however, "dysfunctional" has become one of the buzz-words of this mixed-up generation. The dic More

Four Women in Jesus' Family Tree - Matthew 1:1-16

You might call this text "The forgotten chapter of the Christmas story." It is a genealogy—a list of names, most of them unpronounceable. Because of that, this is a portion of Scripture that we tend to overloo More

Arrows From Heaven

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 More

Is There a Servant in the House? - Ephesians 5:22, 6:4

We live in strange and troubling days. I wonder if a week ago any of us had ever heard of Tonya Harding. Now, we’re all watching this tawdry thing unfold before our eyes wondering how this could have happened. O More

As for Me and My House: - Joshua 24:14-15

Today we are launching a brand-new series called "Heaven Help the Home." As a place to begin, let's consider these words by Chuck Swindoll: Whatever else may be said about the home, it is the bottom line of life, the More

Every Home a Little Church: - Deuteronomy 6:1-9; 2 Timothy 3:14-17

As the home goes, so goes the church. Everything we believe begins in the home where we learn to worship, to pray, to sing, and to read God's Word. When Christian homes are strong, the church is strong. But when the h More

Final Words of a Family Man - John 19:25-27

Part three of a sermon series “The seven last words of Christ” More

Born Free: Seven Promises You Can Count On - Galatians 3:15-4:11

The book of Galatians is all about how we can be right with God. Paul wrote this little "emergency letter" to remind us that being right with God is about believing, not achieving. Salvation is not about going to chur 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

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

The Three Rookies: Christ Speaks to the Problem of Convenient Excuses - Luke 9:57-62

I am writing these words at the end of our annual World Focus Week. Last Sunday many of our missionaries joined us for a few days as we focused on God's work around the world. For the first time since becoming the pas More

The Rod of God: When Love Says No - Hebrews 12:5-11; Proverbs 13:34

“Spare the rod and spoil the child.” It’s an old saying and like most things old, it has been neglected of late. But there is the ring of truth about it. If you spare the rod, you will indeed spoil your 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

Forever and Ever, Amen! - Matthew 19:6

Let's begin with a little quiz. What well-known television actor said the following? "To me the greatest Latin lover in the world was may Dad, who married my mother and was faithful to her until the day he died 55 y More

We Shall Be Like Him: The Purifying Hope of Christ's Return - I John 3:1-3

Shortly before his recent death, ex-Beatle George Harrison was asked about his spiritual journey. The question was apt since it was Harrison who introduced the Beatles to Eastern religion in the 60s and (after the gro 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 plans. More

But God Remembered Noah: Hope for Those Who Feel Forgotten - Genesis 8:1

The story of Noah is very exciting until you get to Genesis 7. At that point, the story seems to get bogged down in details. There is information about the various animals brought on board, and also a very specific ac More

No Hopeless Cases - Romans 11:11-16

I first met Jacob Gartenhaus about forty years ago. When I was a teenager growing up in a small town in Alabama, our pastor invited Dr. Gartenhaus to speak to us on the subject of Jewish evangelism. It was the first t More

Let's Bring Back the Holy Kiss: Rediscovering Real Love in the Family of God - Romans 16:1-16

"Greet one another with a holy kiss" (Romans 16:16).In some ways Romans 16 appears to be one of the least-interesting chapters of the New Testament. It consists mostly of Paul's greetings to a long list of people in R More

A Tale of Two Women: Are You a Child of Promise? - Galatians 4:21-31

Almost all the commentators agree that this is the hardest passage in the book of Galatians. It's not easy to understand on a quick reading exactly what Paul means to say. Or perhaps more accurately, we know in genera More

Burning the Plow - 1 Kings 19:19-21

"It does not matter whether or not people understand us or think we are even sane as long as we are true to God. Obedience to him is the important thing." Theodore EppElijah was not the most balanced man in the Bible. More

Portrait of a Godly Leader - I Timothy 3; Titus 1

We begin with the words of Robert Cook: "There is no substitute for character. You can buy brains, but you can't buy character." When it comes to selecting leaders, nothing is more important than godly character. Y More

Arrows From Heaven: - Psalm 127-128

What a difference a day makes. Tuesday morning dawned bright and clear and peaceful in Littleton, Colorado. At Columbine High School the students were still buzzing about the prom the previous Saturday night. Little d More

When Christians Disagree - Acts 16:36-41

Christians disagree about almost everything. And when we disagree, we usually start a new church. Which reminds me of a story I heard a few years ago. A Scottish Presbyterian is rescued after many years of living alon More

The Curse on Canaan And the Problem of Racism - Genesis 9:18-29

It has been a long time since I addressed the topic of racism from the pulpit. The last time I devoted an entire sermon to this issue was in March, 1994. I am returning to that topic today because it is impossible to More

Overcoming Insecurity - Matthew 10:29-31

I am actually writing these words a few days after I preached this sermon on Sunday morning. The current headlines tell a grim story: "North Korea Admits Nuke Program" "No Suspect Sketch in Sniper Case" "Bush Signs I More

From Sodom to Oak Park - Genesis 19

Genesis 19 tells one of the most dramatic stories in all the Bible. Even people who never go to church know that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with a flood of burning sulphur. They have heard about Lot's encounte 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

A FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR CALVARY MEMORIAL CHURCH - Various

First Draft: January 15, 1991(Version 2.30) Submitted by: Ray Pritchard, Brian Bill, Bill Miller, Bob Boerman, Terry Strandt 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

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 understand. To More

The Days of Noah: Why God Sent the Flood - Genesis 6:1-8

This is the first of several sermons on Noah and the flood. As we begin our study of this important event, I'd like to focus our attention on a very crucial point: If this story is true, that is, if it really happened More

Hope for Tomorrow: How God Keeps His Promises - Genesis 11:10-32

This is the 19th and final sermon in the series on Genesis 1-11 that we started in late April. Almost five and a half months later, we have come to the end. In bringing this series to a close, I feel as if I should co More

Redemption: Free At Last! - Various

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 right More

Mighty Oaks and Graceful Pillars: A Prayer for Our Children - Psalm 144:12

"Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace" (Psalm 144:12).Today is Children's Sunday at Calvary. In all of our services we are fea More

Will We See Our Loved Ones Again? - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

My subject this morning is one that we don't often talk about. Over the twenty years I have served in pastoral ministry I have had very few conversations on this topic. The reasons are not hard to understand.Death i More

The Life God Blesses - II Timothy 2:14-26

Almost five years ago we started sending free copies of my books to prisoners across America. Through a partnership with Prison Fellowship, we have distributed tens of thousands of copies of Keep Believing, What a Chr 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 November what More

The Blessing of a Believing Spouse - Hebrews 11:8-10

God may arrange things so that your faith bears vast fruit in the years to come. Your legacy will be most clearly seen after you have gone to heaven. Sarah never lived to see the world-changing impact of her faith in God, but we still remember her 4000 years later and honor her example. More

Christ B.C. Part II: Lamb of God - Exodus 12; John 1:29

Christians everywhere recognize the lamb as a familiar biblical image. It is often connected with both Christmas and Easter. Though lambs aren't specifically mentioned in the Christmas story, they are implied by the More

God Has a Big Family—Part 1 "I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church" - Matthew 16:18

Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18 ESV).The Apostles' Creed says, "I believe in the holy catholic church." People say, "I like Jesus, but I don't ca More

A Tale of Two Brothers - Genesis 25:17-34

Several years ago Dr. Kevin Leman wrote The Birth Order Book. You may be familiar with that book because Dr. Leman is a well-known Christian psychologist and has been on Dr. Dobson's radio program a number of times. More

The Agape Factor: 12 Ways to Love - Romans 12:9-16

There is an amazing scene at the end of the 1996 movie Marvin's Room. Bessie, played by Diane Keaton, has cared for her ill father and her aunt for 20 years. After learning that she has leukemia, she receives a visit 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: "Make no More

Ten Happy Years: - Various

It all started late in 1988 when I was sitting at my desk at home in Garland, Texas wondering what I would do with the rest of my life. I was 36 years old, with a wife, three children, a mortgage, and no regular job. More

Murder One: Why Do We Hate Each Other? - Genesis 4:1-16

This is the story of Cain and Abel. It is a story that is so well known that many people who never read the Bible know that Cain killed Abel. It has even entered our language as a synonym for troublemaking—Raisi More

Overcoming Fear of the Future - Esther 4:12-16

Current headlines tell a chilling story:"Americans Revel Under Watchful Eyes""Riots Erupt in Bahrain""The High Cost of Peace""Thousands of Troops Head for Gulf""Terrorism on the High Seas""Kuwait Prepares for War""Pre More