Sermons by Bruce Pratt (Page 8)
Overcoming Temptation
Sermon text: Luke 4:1-13 Every believer faces temptation. Jesus did, and we should expect to as well. We can learn a lot about how to deal with temptation from how Jesus handled it. The core of His success was the filling of the Holy Spirit and the power of God’s Word.
The Disconnect
Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 The world considers God’s plan of salvation to be moronic. That goes for all who believe in it as well. But for those who put their trust in Jesus’ finished work, we know that it is actually the greatest demonstration of God’s power. Unbelievers of every generation mock and question and find fault with Christ and His followers. They put their confidence in shaky religious schemes and sketchy philosophical systems. But their most honored thinkers…
The Need for Clarity
Sermon text: Colossians 1:28-29 Our culture today is anything but clear. So much of what is said is muddy at best. Competing agendas and philosophies are even complicating straightforward concepts like gender and marriage. It’s reasonable to assume that confusion is running rampant. This is why there is such a need for clarity from the Christian community. Our message about Jesus must be clear. We cannot cloud it with wrong motives or unimportant information. People’s eternal souls are at stake.
A Clean Break
Sermon text: Ephesians 4:17-24 The default human condition is alienation from God. This life is marked by spiritual blindness and an appetite for all sorts of sinful thoughts and actions. Someone surrendered to Christ should no longer have these characteristics. Instead, believers should be holy and righteous.
Defining Moments
Sermon text: Esther 4:10-5:4 We all face challenges in life. Some of these situations can seem too big to overcome. Queen Esther faced a life-threatening predicament of her own. How God led her through that defining moment in her life teaches us how to approach our own tough times.
The Difference
Sermon text: Matthew 5:13-16 Early in His Sermon on the Mount Jesus challenges His followers to impact the world. He tells us that we are to be salt and light to a lost and dying generation. This speaks to what we do and why we do it. We must be different than those who don’t know Jesus as their Lord. And when they see the difference, we can lead them to a saving knowledge of Jesus as well.
The Gospel Cliffhanger
Sermon text: Mark 16:1-8 For centuries, scholars have debated exactly where the book of Mark ends. While chapter 16 has twenty verses in virtually every Bible, the last twelve verses are disputed. Your Bible may very well have a note in its margins about this. What if verse eight is in fact the final verse of Mark’s gospel? It would create a challenging cliffhanger for all who read it.
Lessons from a Donkey
Sermon text: Mark 11:1-11 On the first Palm Sunday Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. This was in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. We really don’t consider the donkey much in the whole panorama of the triumphal entry narratives. But we can learn a lot from this humble animal used by our Lord.
No Worries
Sermon text: 1 Peter 5:6-7 We often hear people quote 1 Peter 5:7: “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Thing is, this is the second half of a sentence that begins in verse 6. And this is where things can go wrong. In order to experience the positive impact of verse 7, you have to put verse 6 into practice.
Proper Expectations
Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 Paul had a lot to deal with when it came to the church in Corinth. One particularly onerous situation involved an incestuous relationship within the fellowship. What made matters worse was that the church leadership was accepting of this sin in their midst. Paul had told them earlier that they could not fellowship with these types of people. But the Corinthian Christians didn’t get it. They though he meant to not befriend people caught up…