Christian Sermons from Calvary Chapel Greenmeadow, North Kingstown, RI

In the garden of Gethsemane, prayer came before action. Jesus prayed there before going to face His betrayer. Some trials and decisions must be faced alone, but in that loneliness, God is there. Pray persistently!

We learn from Peter's denial of Christ that God restores, forgives and heals. Be careful to put no confidence in your own strength and look for opportunities to witness. Confess Jesus now!

In contrast to Mary, who wanted to be as close to Jesus as possible, Judas, who was with Jesus often, was far from Him in his heart. While Mary's gift of adoration cost her a year's wages, Judas sold out Jesus for a third of that.

Mary's gift of expensive perfume oil was extravagant by any measure and Jesus called it beautiful. How extravagant is our worship? Like Mary, we need to take time to sit at the feet of Jesus and offer all we have.

Pastor Rich uses this passage as a prayer for our church that God would pour out His spirit upon us, a spirit of grace and supplication. It is only by His spirit that any good thing can happen.

We will all be separated as either sheep or goats. There will be no middle ground. Which we are will be evident by how we live and will determine where we spend eternity. Jesus demands His sheep to be personally involved in helping others.

Christians commonly question what God's will is for their lives. According to Romans 12:1 and 2, we must first consider what Christ has done for us, surrender our will to His, reject the wisdom of this world, and wash our minds anew in His word.

Jesus is going to return and we are called to be ready now. The first step is having a relationship with Him, but then we must also be ready to do what He asks. He calls us to do the most with what we have been given.

The main purpose behind eschatological prophesy is to keep us watching and waiting for Christ's return. No one knows that day or hour, but to be ready, we need to have a right relationship with Him as personal savior.

To avoid hypocrisy we can either bring our talk down to our walk or bring our walk up to our talk. Jesus is not fooled by our outward appearance or how spiritual we look, speak, and act. We must have the truth inside of us. We must have Jesus.

Jesus turns the tables on the Pharisees by asking them some questions like, "Who is the Christ?" The Pharisees were not willing to recognize the deity of the don of David. We as Christians need to ask ourselves why we call Him "Lord" and not obey Him.

We are to love God with all of our being. How we treat others reflects on how much we love Him. The concern we have for our spiritual and physical wellbeing should be poured out towards our neighbor and we must deny ourselves for the good of others. This is not natural, but it is possible with God.

We are accused of sin and we each have a court appearance coming. Jesus has already paid the penalty in full for those who believe. And by living the perfect life, He will present us as righteous to God. Show your gratitude by the way you live today.

Humanity's two biggest problems, sin & death, were conquered through the resurrection. We celebrate that victory not just this Sunday, but on the first day of every week. For we know that the one who raised Jesus will also raise us.

The Sadducees were in error in their denial of the resurrection because they did not know the scriptures or the power of God. They did not understand that God is the God of the living and not the dead. Whoever lives and believes in Him will never die.

If the King invites you to come, see that you do not refuse! Whether the message leaves you indifferent, hostile, or unchanged, none who refuses can attend the King's feast. You can not go without being clothed in His righteousness.

In this parable, the tenants who rejected the vineyard owner's son are likened to those Jews who rejected the Son of God. Ultimately all who reject Jesus will be "crushed" but those who fall on Him will be saved.

God has ordained three institutions for the ordering of society: the family, the state, and the church. The question remains whether we are willing to submit to His authority in our lives, our hearts, and our homes? One day every knee shall bow and every tong confess that He is Lord.

In this passage, Jesus was hungry and was looking for fruit. God wants to see the spiritual fruit in our lives, but that requires us to trust in Him and have child-like faith. Faith in Christ can overcome the mountains of hardship in our lives.

In the midst of a world that seems to be spiraling out of control, it is comforting to be reminded that God has a plan and that it will be fulfilled. This week, Jim Hines walks us through the letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation and reminds us to be prepared for His planned return.

The Bible gives at least 348 references to wealth. Proverbs 22:2 says, "The rich and poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all." But how much does it take to be rich? For Christians, our ultimate treasure is the promise of our salvation and the fellowship of other believers.

Jesus had to return to the temple twice to purify it. Likewise, He must repeatedly cleans and purify our bodily temples when we allow sin into our lives. Be filled with prayer and praise and make no room for the impurities.

The whole city of Jerusalem was shaken when Jesus entered. They were expecting a savior, but they thought they needed to be saved from the tyranny of Rome, not the oppression of their own sin.

We notice the persistence of the two blind who were not dissuaded by the crowd, but instead cried out to the Lord all the louder. Pray for the courage to express your need for the Lord's mercy and for the compassion to help those around us in need.

We each have a cup to bear for the way of discipleship is not painless or easy and life will test our commitment to Christ. If you want to be first, be a servant, not a celebrity.