Central Bearden - Sermons

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. "This, then is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, Hollowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let...

Love for Enemies 43  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[ a ] and hate your enemy.’ 44  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46  If you love those who love you, what r...

Oaths 33  “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34  But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35  or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36  And do not swear by your head, for y...

Adultery 27  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[ a ] 28  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29  If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30&nbsp...

Murder 21  “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[ a ] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[ b ][ c ] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[ d ] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in d...

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11  “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they p...

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount 5  Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2  and he began to teach them. The Beatitudes He said: 3  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5  Blessed are the meek, for they will inhe...

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector 9  To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or...

The Parable of the Two Sons 28  “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29  “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30  “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. 31  “Which of the two did what his...

The Cost of Being a Disciple 25  Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27  And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28  “Suppose one of you wants to...

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House 14  One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2  There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3  Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4  But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he hea...

4  While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5  “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6  Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7  Other seed fell among...

15  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26  and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

11  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

9  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[ a ] They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony 12  When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

35  Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Throughout Scripture we see a powerful principle exemplified: when God is seen for who he truly is, the natural response of the seer is full and absolute devotion. When God reveals his glory, love, power, holiness, and splendor, the seer responds with absolute commitment and worship. We can believe that God would reveal himself to us today in the beauty and truths of the words of Jesus. We can bel...

Jesus Has Risen 24  On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3  but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them...

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet 13  It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2  The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3  Jesus knew that the Father...

The Parable of the Ten Minas 11  While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12  He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13  So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[ a...

The Rich Man and Lazarus 19  “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22  “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. Th...