Union Chapel Sermon Library

1 Samuel 1:1-11, 20, 20-24 1. Hannah’s Problem 2. Hannah’s Prayer 1 Samuel 1:10 – “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.” Has the problem in your life fueled your faith or has it fed your fear? Psalm 18:6 – In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. 1 Samuel 1:11 – And she mad...

I Kings 19:1-9 The wilderness is different from the valley, because time in the wilderness usually lasts a lot longer. I. Your deepest need becomes a gift, when it drives you to depend on God. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. I Kings...

Psalm 84:5-7 We may enjoy God on the mountaintops, but we get to know Him intimately in the valleys. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:5-7 I. Seek His st...

Acts 27:20-26 Never allow the presence of a storm to cause you to doubt the presence of God. I. Keep your courage. he said, "…Everybody else deserted me. No one stood by me… But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength." II Timothy 4:16-17, I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8 Real peace is not found in the absence of a storm. Peace i...

Matthew 28:1-20 “The evidence for Jesus's life, death and resurrection has been shown to be satisfactory (according to the standards of any historian). It (holds up) according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad. Tens of thousands of persons have gone through it piece by piece as carefully as any judge reviewing the most important case. I have myself done this many times...

Matthew 27:27-56 I. The suffering criminals, who rage against God. “The God of the gospel is the only God that doesn’t simply offer platitudes and perspective about pain, or say merely, ‘Here is an explanation for your pain.’ He’s a God that came down and shared in the forsakenness that we feel in a universe gone wrong. He’s the only God that did that.” Michael Green II. Creation itself, quaking u...

Matthew 26:57-67; 27:1-26 I. The threatened. II. The distracted. Trifle not with Christ, whose hands and feet were nailed to the accursed tree for sinners such as you. Trifle not with his precious blood, for that is your only hope of redemption. Trifle not with the Holy Spirit, for if he should leave you to perish, your case would be hopeless. Trifle not with the gospel; what would the lost in hel...

Matthew 26:30–56 I. We are confronted by what Jesus did. In Gethsemane, Jesus looked full into the cup of God’s wrath, and it overwhelmed him so badly that it almost killed him. I stand amazed in the presence, of Jesus the Nazarene. And I wonder how he could love me—a sinner condemned unclean! For me it was in the Garden, he prayed not my will but thine. He had no tears for his own griefs, but swe...

Matthew 26: 6-16 I. What’s your price? For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 We’re not saved because of how committed we were to Jesus, but because of how committed he was to us. II. Why did Judas betray Jesus?

Daniel 4:1-3 What motivates you? For Nebuchadnezzar his motivation was to impress others. What is your standard for success? For Nebuchadnezzar it was personal gain. What’s your source of power? For Nebuchadnezzar it was self-empowerment. What’s the purpose of your life? For King Nebuchadnezzar it was personal happiness. “’Therefore, I bring charges against you again,’ declares the Lord…’My people...

Luke 18:18-30 I. Success vs. blessed. There are not enough deeds or donations in the world to buy an ounce of the purity we need. II. You have to choose. No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Matthew 6:24 How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Mark 10:23 III. Jesus my purpose.

Luke 12:13-21 “Some men worship rank, some worship heroes, some worship power, some worship God, and over these ideals they dispute and cannot unite – but they all worship money.” Mark Twain “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Luke 12:14-15 “Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depa...

Genesis 29 "EVERY ONE OF US IS, EVEN FROM HIS MOTHER’S WOMB, A MASTER CRAFTSMAN OF IDOLS." John Calvin I. Looking for love. When you make a relationship with someone else your god, it will eventually be marked with disappointment and bitterness. II. A new love

1 Kings 18:18-24 1. Don’t expect God to bless his competition. “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” 1 Kings 17:1 Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follo...

Joshua 24:14-15 Every sin you are struggling with, most of the discouragement you are dealing with—even the lack of purpose you’re living with is because of idolatry? 1. Understand that all of us are worshipers. Worship: the built in human reflex to put your hope in someone or something and chase after it. 2. Prepare yourself for war. Over the course of your life, you will face more spiritual warf...

Luke 19:29-40 I. Jesus is Lord. II. A humble and thankful heart. III. An act of faith. Giving is an expression of our love and gratitude for what God has already done in our lives and an expression of faith that God can take care of me no matter what.

I Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19 I. Perspective for those who are not rich. But godliness with contentment is great gain. I Timothy 6:6 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. I Timothy 6:7 II. The perspective of those who want to get rich. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and de...

Matthew 6:21; Deuteronomy 28:1-6 I. God’s will is for you to experience an abundant life. II. God owns all the wealth in the world. III. Our choices reflect our heart. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38 Lazy people want much but get littl...

II Corinthians 9:6-11 Godliness with contentment is great gain. I Timothy 6:6 (NKJV) A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children. Proverbs 13:22 (NKJV) The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 (NIV) I. Get on a budget. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money...

You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its saltiness how can it be made salty again. It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled upon. Matthew 5:13 HP + CP + CC = MI High potency + Close proximity + Clear Communication = Maximum Impact

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Jo...

Luke 2:1-14 Thought for the day: Although you can’t change your past, God can change your future. You are unforgivable. You are unlovable. You are unusable. 1. Close the door to your past. - God’s grace is bigger than your sin. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9 - Your standing with God is determined b...

Luke 1:26-32, 34-35, 38 And Mary said, “Behold the servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38 ESV You don’t always have the power to control, but you always have the power to surrender. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. Matthew 10:39 What are you trying to control that you need to surrender?

Hebrews 12:14-15 You can’t control what people do, but you can control how you respond. I. Bitterness has a dangerous root. II. Bitterness produces a poisonous fruit. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32 III. Kill bitterne...

Your enemy, the devil – would like nothing more than to DIVIDE your mind, DISCOURAGE your soul, DISENGAGE your faith and DISTRACT you from the things that matter most! The devil’s distractions are destined to destroy us! Luke 10:38-42 So often, the most difficult choices are not between good and bad, but between good and best. 1. Diminish the distractions. “I am saying this for your benefit, not t...