Sermons found for the topic Hospitality

Confessions of a Xenophiliac - I Peter 4:9-10

They say that true confession is good for the soul, and in that spirit, I want to begin my sermon with a simple confession. Although I am preaching a series of sermons on spiritual gifts, I am not entirely sure that what I am preaching about this morning actually is a spiritual gift. I think it is, I believe it is, but I’m not totally sure that it is. I know that it’s biblical, but I’m not sure it’s a spiri More

Rejoicing and Weeping - Romans 12:13-15

Here is God’s dream for every church. That through preaching the gospel men and women everywhere can experience the life-changing power of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And to be the kind of place where, no matter what kind of week you’ve had, you can come in and say, “Ahh, I’ve made it.” More

Will the Real Sinner Please Stand Up? - Jonah 4

You’ve got a Nineveh in your life right now. Your Nineveh might be someone you love whose behavior has provoked you to the point of anger and bitterness. Nineveh ultimately stands for any part of the will of God that you are afraid to face. More

Bad Manners at the Dinner Table - Galatians 2:11-14

We need an infusion of God’s love to make us open in our friendships, open in our churches, and open on Sunday morning to new people who love the Lord but don’t fit our particular target group. More

When God Comes to Dinner - Genesis 18:1-15

Last Tuesday night I sat on the platform at the UIC Pavilion for the Say Yes Chicago campaign with Luis Palau. During the evening Luis told the story of an evangelist named Mordecai Ham who came to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1934 for a citywide tent campaign. One night only six people came forward at the invitation and Mr. Ham went home thinking the service had been a failure. But one of those six was a young man named Billy Gra 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 from her estranged sister Lee, played by Meryl Streep. Bessie tells Lee, “I’ve been lucky to have had so much love in my life.” Lee says yes, her father and her aunt really do love her. Bessie see More

The Day Before the End of the World - 1 Peter 4:7-11

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words o More

A Tale of Three Men - 3 John

John’s third epistle has often called a “Tale of Three Men.” That is indeed an appropriate title for if you know these three men, you know what 2 John is all about. Verse 1 speaks of Gaius—the man to whom John wrote his letter.Verse 9 speaks of Diotrophes—an opponent of John Verse 12 speaks of Demetrius—a good and faithful man.Last Sunday we talked about Second John, which deals with the question&m More

Martha's Vineyard - I Corinthians 12:28; Romans 12:7

I first met Bill Petch twelve years ago this summer. I was fresh out of seminary and starting my first pastorate. It happened that my church was like most churches pastored by men right out of seminary—small and struggling. When I arrived on the scene, there were about 50 people left in a church built for 300. Bill Petch was there to greet me when we moved into the parsonage.Bill was a truck driver. He made his living pick More

The Harried Homemaker: Christ Speaks to the Problem of Compulsive Busyness - Luke 10:38-42

Let’s begin with a series of “what-if” questions. Suppose that the folks from Publishers Clearinghouse pulled up in front of your home. Out of the van comes the camera crew and a man with a microphone. If he said, “I’ve got some good news for you. Do you mind if I come in?” what would you do?Or let’s suppose that the doorbell rings. When you answer it, there stands the President of the United More

Paid in Full - John 19:30

Here is the gospel truth. Jesus died. God is satisfied. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he meant it. Will you believe it? More

Star-Quality Christians - Philippians 2:12-18

The world has its stars and God has his. 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. You can buy talent … or brains … or knowledge … but you can’t buy character. Either a person has it or he doesn’t. That fact has come home to me in recent days as o More

Daily Bread Living - Matthew 6:11

When you pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” you confess that God is the sources of every blessing. Daily bread living means taking life one day at a time, being confident that God will take care of your needs day by day by day. 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 encounter with the angelic visitors, the desperate last-second escape, and the strange, sad tale of Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt. As if that weren’t enough, tucked away at the end of the chapter is More

Death of a Princess - Genesis 23

Some years ago an artist painted a picture showing a mountain of skulls. At first glance all the skulls seem to be the same, but when you look closely you notice some writing on each skull. One said, “doctor,” another “teacher,” another “secretary,” another “technician,” another “salesman,” and still others were labeled “foreman,” “driver,” “c More

Three Levels of Prayer - Matthew 7:7-11

Today we are beginning a new sermon series called Adventures in Prayer. For the next seven Sundays we will look at some of the great prayer promises of the New Testament. Right up front I want you to know that I have no desire to add to your guilt. Almost everyone I know feels secretly guilty about prayer in the sense that most of us feel like we ought to pray more than we do. It won’t help you for me to add to your burden. My More

Balancing Truth and Love - 2 John

“Affiliation with the enemies of the Cross spells a lie to all claims to believe the truth.”Robert Lightner This little letter contains one of the strongest warnings in the New Testament. If a false teacher comes to your house, do not receive him (that means, do nothing that appears to give him public or private support), and do not greet him (that means, do nothing that will identify you with him or his false teaching). 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. They have no power to stir men’s blood.”As far as I have been able, I have attempted to follow that advice. From the very first day I set foot in Oak Park, I felt that this was a church with a great p 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 small plans. They have no power to stir men’s blood.”I have tried to follow that advice from the very first day. Over these nine years together we have seen God do some amazing things in our midst. The More

Dear Abby - I Samuel 25

In our survey of the early years of David’s life, we have come to a little-known episode that ought to be better known. The story of David and Nabal and Abigail is riveting. It’s got it all. There is intrigue, injustice, conflict, anger, revenge, attempted murder, an impassioned plea, sudden death, and unexpected romance. All in the same chapter! It’s like an episode of Baywatch or All My Children, except that this More

Sheep on the Right, Goats on the Left: The Final Separation of the Saved and the Lost - Matthew 25:31-46

My text describes an awesome event, the Judgment of the Nations, which takes place when Jesus returns to the earth to set up his kingdom. There are three reasons why this judgment must take place:1) Evil must be exposed and finally punished.2) Righteousness must be revealed and finally rewarded.3) Jesus must be vindicated in the place where he was rejected.The first two principles hardly need any explanation. Today evil is often hidd More

Let's Go Fishing - Matthew 4:19

Somewhere in my past I heard the story about a man who was a phenomenal fisherman. He was so good that his fame spread far and wide. When everyone else was catching two or three fish a day he would come back with two or three hundred. Eventually the local game warden decided to investigate because it just sounded too good to be true.On a certain day, the game warden showed up at the man’s door, identified himself, and asked More

Mr. I.M. Okay Meets His Maker - Romans 2:1-16

No statement is regarded as more elementary to the student of the Bible than the statement that a day of judgment is coming for the human race. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment.” That statement, as elementary as it might seem, is desperately needed in our time for we live in an age when men doubt that Judgment Day is coming. Ours is an age of relativism, of pluralism, of tole More

Do People Feel Important Around You? - John 13:1-17

Strange winds are blowing in America. In Louisiana, the experts say that a man who once led the Ku Klux Klan may be elected governor. Although David Duke has said that he favors the white race over the other races, and although he is basically nothing more than a blow-dried neo-Nazi, he may win. You say, How could that happen in America? Have the people of Louisiana lost their minds? There are several possible answers to that qu More

Tetelestai! - John 19:30

Part six of a sermon series “The seven last words of Christ” - (seven last words of Jesus) More