Sermons found for the topic Racial Reconciliation

Breaking Down Walls: Racial Prejudice and The Christian Gospel

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

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

God's Multicultural Church - Romans 15:7-13

The term multicultural is much in the news these days. Politicians and social scientists use it to describe a certain approach to American society in which persons are treated in special ways depending upon their raci More

Two Ways to Go to Heaven: Make Sure You Choose the Right One - Galatians 3:1-14

With this sermon we turn a corner in our journey through Galatians. This short letter has three parts:The Personal Section: Chapters 1-2The Doctrinal Section: Chapters 3-4The Practical Section: Chapters 5-6As we begin 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

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

From Oak Park to the Ends of the Earth: God's Plan for Calvary Memorial Church - Acts 1:8

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8Last week we talked about the first half o More

God Has a Big Family—Part 2 "I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church" - Ephesians 4:1-6

"I believe in the holy catholic church." The Apostles' CreedLet's begin at the most basic point. What does the word "church" mean? In the New Testament the word "church" translates the Greek word ekklesia, which itsel More

All One Body We: "The Communion of Saints" - Hebrews 12:1

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebr More

Inside the Pearly Gates: What Will We Do in Heaven? - Revelation 7:9-17

"Some day you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don't you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all; out of More

Beyond the Crystal Ball: Why I Believe in the Second Coming of Christ - Various

Consider the events of the last few weeks: *In Washington, the government shut-down has entered its sixteenth day, with no end in sight. While politicians argue where to place the blame, hundreds of thousands of worke More

Countdown to Armageddon: Six Signs of the Second Coming - Matthew 24:1-14

Last Wednesday afternoon I stood at Ground Zero in Manhattan looking at the ruins of the World Trade Center. I was there as part of a group of five men from Calvary who traveled 2,400 miles through 11 states plus the More

How Shall They Hear? - Romans 10:14-21

This passage brings us face to face with a very important question, one that we face in a variety of ways. The question is, What is the church's responsibility to those who have never heard the gospel? Sometimes it is More

How to Overcome Disappointment - Haggai 2:1-9

On September 5, 1886, Charles Spurgeon began his sermon on our text with these incisive words: Satan is always doing his utmost to stay the work of God. He hindered these Jews from building the temple; and today he en 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

Harambee! - Romans 15:5-7

With this sermon, we are almost to the end of the "Praying with Paul" series. There is one more sermon after this and then we are done. The prayer we are looking at in this sermon is different from any of the others i More

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

In his book, Therefore Stand (written in 1945), Wilbur Smith has a chapter on Paul's speech to the Areopagus (Acts 17:16-34). Along the way he comments on the similarity between ancient Athens and modern America. For More

Ballistic Christianity - Matthew 9:35-38

“Then He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few…’ What did Jesus mean? He meant there were many people ready to be harvested for the Kingdom. All around us there are broken, bleeding, hurting people, ripped apart and left to die, they are ready to be reached if only someone will go to the harvest fields. If only someone will tell them about Jesus. Where are the harvest fields today? Let me name a few …. More

The Church in Many Places - Acts 8:1-4

God uses catastrophe and disasters to scatter the church so that His word can be spread to all parts of the world. We can become comfortable and content in our lives, but God in His sovergn nature does things we are not used to. More

Payday Someday - 1 Kings 21-22 & 2 Kings 9

Three years have passed since the showdown on Mount Carmel. During those three years, the people of Israel defeated the vastly superior Syrian army, which resulted in a period of peace and prosperity. And I think it i More

Who Do Men Say That I Am? - Matthew 16:13-17

If you ever travel to the Holy Land, one of the places you may visit is an Arab town called Banias. To get there you will have to travel north from Jerusalem to some place like Tiberius or Capernaum and from there tra More

Portrait of a Godly Pastor - Romans 15:14-21

In 1978 Michael Hart wrote a book called "The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential People in History." In it he ranked the most important people in the history of the world, taking into account the people they influ More

THE P.U.I.H. - Acts 2

I don't know what image comes into your mind when you hear the word Pentecostal. When I hear the word, my mind always goes back to the small town in Alabama where I grew up. Back then, there were only four churches 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

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

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

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

Does Israel Have a Future? - Romans 11:25-26

This sermon argues that the term “Israel” in Romans 11 always refers to ethnic Israel and that Paul foresees a day when Israel as a nation will come to Christ for salvation. Events in the Middle East remind us that Jesus Christ may come back sooner than we think. More

Strength for the Journey - II Thessalonians 2:13-17

About six months ago I received a letter from Pat Williams, Executive Vice-President of the Orlando Magic (a pro basketball team in the NBA). Although I had never met Mr. Williams, I knew he was a brilliant sports exe 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

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

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

Are We All Going to Look the Same When We Get to Heaven?

ARE WE ALL GOING TO LOOK THE SAME WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN? by Ray Pritchard Last Thursday night I was the special guest for “Ask the Pastor” night for our Allied Force high school ministry. Before my visit the students turn in questions they want me to answer. That night I answer those questions first, then I take q… More

Can We Talk?

Did you know that Calvary has an online discussion board where you can trade thoughts with people from around the world? Over the last few months more and more people are dropping by to offer an opinion, ask a question, or join in an ongoing discussion. The discussion board contains a number of sections, such as Community B… More

The Southern Baptists are Coming!

I never thought I'd live to see the day when the Southern Baptists would make the front page of the Chicago Tribune. In this part of the world we generally have more important things to worry about, such as will any of us live long enough to see the Bulls win the NBA Championship again, but that's a topic for another day. T… More

Reconciliation: Enemies No More - Various

The year was 1968 and America was a troubled nation. That summer the inner cities of America's great cities burst into flames. That fall America's campuses were filled with protest against the war in Southeast Asia. A More

How to Tame Lions - Daniel 6

The story of Daniel in the lion’s den is one of the best-known and best-loved stories in all the Bible. Little children love it and Sunday school teachers love to tell it. In the days of slavery this story becam More

War in Heavenly Places - Daniel 10

This is one of those times when the sermon title is important. The title "War in Heavenly Places" not only describes this sermon, it also tells us what Daniel 10 is all about. This chapter, which is often overlooked, 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

New Testament Postcards: Philemon - Philemon 1-25

Today we are beginning a new sermon series on called New Testament Postcards based on the four1-chapter books in the New Testament. Before I go further, do you know the names of those four books? Here they are: Philem More

A Message For Madalyn Murray O'Hair: Why I Believe in God - Various

Forty years ago, Madalyn Murray O'Hair stood amid the lightning and driving rain of a Maryland thunderstorm, shook her fist at the heavens, and dared God to strike her dead. When it became clear that the Almighty was 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

Liar, Lord or Lunatic: Why I Believe in Jesus Christ - Various

Several years ago someone wrote a book called The Many Faces of Jesus. It happened to be the book Elvis Presley was reading when he died in Memphis, Tennessee. That title stands as a fitting symbol of the confusion More

The Tragedy of Double Vision - Matthew 5:8

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."This beatitude stands alone. It is unlike all the others. In many ways, this is the most unexpected thing Jesus ever said. It is not difficult to believe&mdas More

God's Peace Corps - Matthew 5:9

It's dangerous to be a peacemaker. In 1993 Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a peace treaty with Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization. When someone asked how he could sign a treaty with More

Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? - Philippians 2:6-11

Who is Jesus Christ? Of all the questions that might be posed to modern men and women, none is more important than this. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the central question of history and the most important 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

Why Love Has a Bad Memory - I Corinthians 13:4-6

A Peanuts cartoon shows Lucy standing with her arms folded and a stern expression on her face. Charlie Brown pleads, "Lucy, you must be more loving. This world really needs love. You have to let yourself love to make More

Let Us Fix Our Eyes on Jesus - Hebrews 12:2

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).At the be 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