Sermons found for the topic Homosexuality

Be Still and Know - Psalm 46:10

Why did the deadly cyclone hit Myanmar and the earthquake devastate the Sichuan Province in China? Our first response to questions like that is critical. Psalm 46:10 teaches us to be silent, and in our silence we will know God in the midst of great tragedy. More

What the Bible Says About Homosexuality - Various

Perhaps the place to begin this morning is with the simple confession that I did not want to preach this message. It was not part of my preaching calendar and I did not make the final decision until two and a half wee 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 be easy More

Acts of the Apostates - Jude 1-25

I’d like to begin my message with a word we don’t often use. Though it has been around for many generations, this particular word unfamiliar to most of us. Few of us use it in ordinary conversationsand som 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

Straight Talk from Senator Santorum

STRAIGHT TALK FROM SENATOR SANTORUM by Ray Pritchard A few days ago Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania got in trouble for making some disparaging remarks about homosexuality. During an interview he seemed to place homosexuality in the same category as bigamy, polygamy, adultery, incest, and a few other socially unaccepta… 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

Adam's Rib: How God Arranged the First Marriage - Genesis 2:18-25

Yesterday I performed a wedding ceremony for Chris Hall and Kara Hansen. It was a lovely occassion, as weddings usually are, and everything seemed to go well. As I stood on the platform with the happy couple only two More

Professor Trainor's Lesson in Theology 101

Recently my friend Ken Trainor ventured into the deep waters of theology in a discussion regarding bigotry and hatred, especially as it relates to the issue of homosexuality.Along the way Mr. Trainor (who is always de More

Sowing Seeds for Jesus

SOWING SEEDS FOR JESUS by Ray Pritchard A friend writes asking for help with a difficult situation. Because of a change on the job, this person now works around two men who are openly homosexual. Recently they have started sharing details about their personal relationships. The problem: “I work in an environment that t… More

A Forgotten Doctrine: The Wrath of God - Romans 1:18-20

Sometimes the title tells the whole story. My sermon today is about the wrath of God. It is truly a forgotten doctrine, even in the evangelical church. I'll dare say that many of you have never heard a sermon on God's More

Abstain! - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality" (1 Thessalonians 4:3 New King James Version).There are not many things from which the Bible tells us to abstain. The 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 moment I saw More

Trouble in the Church! - Romans 16:17-20

Greet one another with a holy kiss … but don't go kissing everyone.That will serve as a useful summary of our text. Sometimes it's not what you say but when you say it that matters. Paul writes these stern word More

That's Incredible! - Romans 5:6-11

Certain passages of Scripture stand out in God's Word as mountain peaks. By virtue of their theme, their content, their exalted message, certain passages seem to rise above the ordinary landscape of the Bible. Psalm 2 More

Can Homosexuals Go to Heaven?

For the next few weeks I want to use this space to discuss some "hot topics." The first one is indicated by the title, although no one ever puts the question in precisely this way. Let's begin with the words of I Corinthians 6:9-10, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Ne… More

Renewing Your Passion - II Timothy 1

Today we are beginning a summer series from the little book of II Timothy. People sometimes wonder how pastors choose what to preach on. In this case, I feel like I didn't choose II Timothy; II Timothy chose me. Last More

What Happened to All Your Joy?A Lesson in Spiritual Pediatrics

I want to begin this sermon not with a comment on the text but with a personal update. I've been on the road a lot lately, most of the time preaching in various conferences. My travels have taken me to New York in May More

Risky Business: The Other Side of Christian Freedom - Galatians 5:13-15

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1a). What exactly is this Christian freedom that Paul talks so much about in Galatians? In order to help us understand the answer, I'd like to borrow a defi 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 foundation that cannot be More

Staying Pure in an X-Rated World - Various

(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 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 from The More

Men and Women in Biblical Perspective - Genesis 1-3

I find myself in a peculiar position this morning. No matter what I say, or how carefully I say it, someone is bound to disagree with me. But that doesn't begin to cover the subject. Not only will some people disagree More

Repent! The Forgotten Doctrine of Salvation - Acts 17:30

In 1937 the American Tract Society sponsored a contest in which they offered a prize of $1,000 for the best new book written on one of the “essential evangelical doctrines of the Christian faith.” Sixty-on More

Getting Along With Cantankerous Christians - Philippians 2:1-4

Here is the text taken from The Message, a contemporary translation of the New Testament by Eugene Peterson: If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, More

Solus Christus: By Christ Alone - Matthew 16:13-18

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the 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

The Sex Education Crisis in the Garland Public Schools

It all began on Sunday, February 28, 1988, when the following headline appeared on the front page of the Garland Daily News: "District Faces Sex Education." The subhead told the rest of the story: "Trustees Consider F More

Do You Know What Time It Is? - Romans 13:11-14

Christians, do you know what time it is? The Apostle Paul tells us it’s time to wake up, put off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. In light of the return of Christ, and the lateness of the hour, how should we then live? 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

Do You Have the Courage to be Happy? - Matthew 5:3-12

It started on a Friday night 17 years ago in Lansing, Michigan when a young sophomore came off the bench to lead Everett High School to victory. He scored 36 points, had 18 rebounds, 16 assists and 10 steals. It was More

Amending Our Church Constitution to Define Marriage

AMENDING OUR CHURCH CONSTITUTION TO DEFINE MARRIAGE by Ray Pritchard Last spring the elders appointed a task force to work on revising our church constitution in several key areas. This marks the first time since we approved our current constitution in 1992 that we have made any changes. The task force recommended, and the … More

The Triumphant Christ - I Peter 3:18-22

This is the hardest passage in the New Testament. That’s what my Greek professor said when we were studying I Peter in seminary. I recall him saying that there are so many possible views about these verses that 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, would like to More

No Place for Pride - Romans 11:17-24

Tell them, Pastor Ray, tell them that nothing matters except Christ. The young people need to know this before it's too late." So said my friend Jim Johnsen on my visit with him in the hospital shortly before he died More

The First Christmas Miracle - John 15:22; Galatians 4:4

"If I had not come" (John 15:22)."But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law" (Galatians 4:4). In the first verse, which is really just a fragment of a verse, Jesus invites us More

Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Serious Call to Sexual Purity

I received an email from a young lady I have never met. She happens to live in a country on the other side of the world. Because she reads my weblog, she felt like she could write and share her heart with me. This is 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

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 the will of 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

The Positive Power of Forgiveness: "I Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins" - Psalm 130:3-4

If you know a bit about church history, you know that before Martin Luther became the father of the Protestant Reformation, he was a Catholic priest. As part of his training, he spent years studying Greek, Hebrew, Lat More

Get Your Mind in Gear - I Peter 1:13-16

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you More

Real Hope for Lasting Change - I Corinthians 6:9-11

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the gre More

Christ-Like Love in a World of Hate - Luke 15:1-7

This is the final message in the God Speaks Today series. As I look back on all that has happened, I am amazed at what God has done. In ways we could not have imagined, God opened doors for us to speak to millions of More

Should We Use the Bible in the Marriage Debate?

SHOULD WE USE THE BIBLE IN THE MARRIAGE DEBATE? by Ray Pritchard At first, the question seems unnecessary. Of course we will use the Bible in the great debate over marriage. How could Christians avoid the Bible? And why should we? Before answering that question, consider an article by Don Wycliff, the “public editor
… More

The Crisis in the Catholic Church

THE CRISIS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH by Ray Pritchard All of us, I am sure, have been shocked and saddened by the repeated revelations of serious sexual misconduct (and an apparent cover-up in many cases) by priests inside the Catholic Church. How should those of us outside that particular church respond? A recent editorial in… More

God Bless the Boy Scouts

Once again Oak Park is in the news, and this time the news isn't good. A front page story in the Chicago Sun-Times informs us that the various Boy Scout troops in Oak Park have decided to sever their ties with the national organization because here in Oak Park we don't like to discriminate against gays and lesbians and we d… More

Beware of False Prophets

An old adversary of mine has been much in the news lately. Although I never met him personally, I knew about the Reverend Greg Dell when he pastored the Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park. Our paths crossed briefly during the showdown at the Village Hall over the proposed Domestic Partnership Ordinance. That … More

Can Good People be Gay?

In a recent interview, Christopher Matthews asked Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush a thought-provoking question: “Can good people be gay?” The answer came back without hesitation: “Sure, absolutely.” Case closed, at least for a politician seeking the White House who wants to round up as m… More

Spiritual Warfare 101 - Genesis 14 / Hebrews 7

On Friday a friend called and asked how my week had gone. After I told him, he said, "You won't believe what's happened to me this week." First of all, he owed thousands of dollars in income tax that he hadn't expec More