Church of Christ Sermon Outlines and Lessons for 2009

James the Brother of Jesus

James 1:1 introduces a humble servant who became a pillar of the church. This message considers James, the brother of Jesus, and the grace that shaped his life, his leadership, and his letter.

Count It All Joy – James 1:1–8

James calls scattered believers to a surprising response: “Count it all joy” when trials come (James 1:2–4). Joy flows from what God produces through testing and from the wisdom He gives to those who ask in faith (James 1:5–8).

The Challenges of Poverty and Wealth – James 1:9–11

James 1:9–11 teaches that both poverty and wealth test the soul. The humble believer may rejoice in exaltation, and the wealthy believer must rejoice in humiliation, remembering the frailty of riches and the permanence of God’s kingdom.

The Goodness of God – James 1:16–18

James 1:16–18 proclaims God’s unchanging generosity. Every good and perfect gift descends from the Father of lights, and by His will He brings new life through the word of truth. This passage invites grateful worship and confident obedience rooted in God’s steady goodness.

Desire Gives Birth To Sin – James 1:13–15

James 1:13–15 traces sin from temptation to death. God tests for growth; Satan tempts for ruin. Temptation appeals to desire, gains consent, and produces sin. Sin grows toward death unless confronted through confession, cleansing, and Spirit-led obedience.

The Importance of Self-Control – James 1:19–21

James 1:19–21 summons believers to a life shaped by Scripture: swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. These verses reveal the pathway of self-control that receives God’s implanted word and grows into the righteousness God desires.

Pure Religion

James defines pure religion in concrete terms: disciplined speech, compassionate action, and unstained holiness before God (James 1:26–27).

Faith That Works – James 2:14–20

James 2:14–20 reminds us that true faith must be active. It is not enough to believe or profess belief; faith must be demonstrated through obedience. James reveals that faith without works is dead, emphasizing that only a working, obedient faith brings life and salvation through Christ.

Law and Mercy – James 2:8–13

James 2:8–13 reveals that God’s law of love and mercy governs how we treat others. The “royal law” commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves, showing no partiality. This passage reminds us that obedience, impartiality, and mercy are all marks of genuine faith under Christ’s law of liberty.

The Impartiality of Christianity – James 2:1–7

James 2:1–7 teaches that the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ leaves no place for partiality. The church must judge with righteous judgment, honoring character over appearance, and receiving every soul without favoritism in the presence of the Lord of glory.

Burial of Jesus

John 19:31–42 records the burial of Jesus during the Passover preparation day. Each detail fulfills Scripture and verifies His death, preparing the way for the first day of the week (John 19:31–42).

Jesus On His Way To The Cross

(Matthew 27:31–32; Luke 23:26–32) As Jesus made His way to Golgotha, the events surrounding Judas, the crowds, and the prophecy of destruction remind us that God’s Word is certain. We must learn from both the worldly sorrow of Judas and the godly sorrow of Peter.

Jesus On The Cross

Luke 23:33–34 records Jesus’ crucifixion and His first word from the cross, “Father, forgive them.” Today we consider the scene at Golgotha and the prophecies fulfilled as the Lamb suffers for our sins.

Jesus On The Cross – Father, Forgive Them

At Calvary, Jesus’ first recorded word was a prayer: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). From that mercy flows every scene that follows—promise for a sinner, provision for a mother, and prophecy fulfilled as the Lamb bears our sins.

Trial Of Jesus

(Matthew 26:57–68)
Through a sleepless night Jesus endured unjust hearings before Annas and Caiaphas. In the face of lies and violence He testified truthfully to His identity. These trials reveal prophecy fulfilled, human corruption unmasked, and the steadfast courage of the Son of God.

Jesus Before Herod

(Luke 23:6–12)
Luke records a revealing moment in the Lord’s trial: Jesus stands before Herod. In these few verses the Savior teaches the purpose of signs, the holiness of silence, the emptiness of spectacle, and the courage of obedience. Let us see Jesus and learn.

Without Faith It’s Impossible to Please Him
Hebrews 11 Series

(Hebrews 11:4–6)
Faith is the foundation upon which every relationship with God is built. Without it, there is no obedience, no worship, and no salvation. Hebrews 11:4–6 presents two powerful examples—Abel and Enoch—and a clear declaration that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Abraham’s Sacrificial Faith

Hebrews 11:17–19 reveals faith at its highest cost: Abraham offering Isaac. In that test, Abraham trusted God to keep His promises, even to the point of raising the dead. This is sacrificial faith that obeys completely and rests in God’s power.

By Faith, Noah
(Hebrews 11:7)

Faith has always been the dividing line between salvation and destruction. Hebrews 11:7 declares, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Today, we examine Noah’s obedient, reverent, and saving faith.

The Faith of the Patriarchs
(Hebrews 11:13–16)

Hebrews 11:13–16 shows the patriarchs living as strangers and pilgrims, seeing God’s promises afar off, embracing them, and seeking a better—heavenly—country. God was not ashamed to be called their God, for He prepared a city for them.

By Faith, Jacob and Joseph
(Hebrews 11:21–22)

Our study from Hebrews 11 brings us today to two remarkable examples of enduring faith—Jacob and his son Joseph. Both trusted in God’s promises even as they faced death. Their faith was unwavering, forward-looking, and rooted in the conviction that God always fulfills His word.

By Faith, Cain and Abel
(Hebrews 11:4; Genesis 4:1–16)

Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” Genesis 4 records the account. From these brothers we learn what acceptable worship is, how sin crouches at the door, and how faith still speaks.

Faith Defined
(Hebrews 11:1–3)

Hebrews chapter 11 defines and demonstrates true faith in God. In verses 1 through 3, we find faith’s meaning, reward, and understanding, showing what it means to trust God completely and to live by His promises.

By Faith, Isaac
(Hebrews 11:20)

Hebrews 11:20 records Isaac blessing Jacob and Esau “concerning things to come.” This moment reveals how faith yields to God’s revealed will and speaks blessing in line with His promises.

By Faith Abraham
(Hebrews 11:8–10)

Hebrews 11:8–10 shows Abraham answering God’s call, dwelling in promise by faith, and looking for the city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Daniel and the Seventy Weeks Prophecy
(Daniel 9:20-27)

Daniel 9:20–27 records Gabriel’s answer to Daniel’s prayer, revealing “seventy sevens”—God’s timetable from Cyrus’s decree to Messiah’s atoning work and the determined end of temple sacrifice. This lesson traces promise, fulfillment in Christ, and the present kingdom He established, confirming God’s faithfulness and sufficiency of His revealed word.

Daniel's Prayer For Deliverance
(Daniel 9:1-19)

Daniel 9:1–19 records an aged prophet reading Jeremiah, recognizing the seventy years’ fulfillment, and turning to God with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. His prayer—confession, covenant appeal, and plea for God’s name—models Scripture-directed repentance and bold intercession, seeking mercy, restored worship, and the Lord’s favor upon His city and people today.

The Ram and the He Goat
(Daniel Chapter 8)

Daniel 8 presents an awake vision set in Belshazzar’s third year: a ram (Medo-Persia) is shattered by a swift goat (Greece/Alexander), whose broken horn yields four. From one rises a “little horn” (Antiochus IV), desecrating the sanctuary until 2,300 evenings-mornings pass and cleansing comes—showing God’s sovereign timetable and prophecy’s precision.

Daniel's Vision of the Four Kingdoms
(chapter 7)

Daniel 7 shifts from court history to apocalyptic vision. In Belshazzar’s first year, four beasts rise from the storming sea—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Above them, the Ancient of Days judges and the Son of Man receives everlasting dominion. This chapter steadies exiles: empires rage; Christ’s kingdom endures and prevails.

Daniel and the Lion's Den
(chapter 6)

Daniel 6 records steadfast faith under pressure. Conspirators weaponize law to trap Daniel, yet his disciplined prayer life endures. Thrown to lions, he is preserved by God, vindicating righteousness and exposing corrupt power. This guide explores historical context, structure, theological themes, and practical lessons for courageous obedience amid hostile cultures.

Belshazzar Saw the Writing on the Wall 
(Daniel Chapter 5)

Daniel 5 recounts Belshazzar’s blasphemous feast, sacred vessels profaned, and a mysterious hand writing divine judgment on the palace wall. Daniel interprets the words—MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN—foretelling the fall of Babylon that very night. This study explores the history, symbolism, and sobering lessons about pride, accountability, and God’s sovereign rule.

Nebuchadnezzar's Testimony
(Daniel 4)

Daniel 4 records King Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony. After prideful boasts and a warning dream, the Babylonian ruler is humbled by God, loses his sanity, lives like a beast, and then has his reason restored. He lifts his eyes to heaven, blesses the Most High, and learns that God rules all kingdoms.

Nebuchadnezzar's Fiery Furnace
(Daniel 3)

Daniel 3 recounts the fiery furnace: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image, choosing loyal worship over survival. Cast into flames heated sevenfold, they walk unharmed with a fourth figure. God delivers; the king praises the Most High. This study explores courage, civil disobedience, and steadfast faith under pressure.

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream
(Daniel 2)

Daniel 2 lifts the curtain on God’s rule over empires. Nebuchadnezzar dreams; Babylon’s sages fail; Daniel prays and God reveals. A statue outlines four kingdoms, then a stone cut without hands shatters them. The message endures: heaven sets up kings and establishes an everlasting kingdom that will never be destroyed.

Introduction to Daniel
(Daniel 1)

Meet Daniel—prophet, exile, and model of steadfast faith. Taken from Jerusalem to Babylon as a youth, he learned the empire’s ways without surrendering allegiance to God. Serving pagan kings, Daniel practiced prayerful courage, excelled with wisdom, and proclaimed heaven’s rule. This introduction orients readers to his world, themes, and relevance.

In The Beginning
(Genesis 1:1–2)

Genesis 1:1–2 declares, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” These opening words ground all Scripture and anchor our faith in the sovereign God who made and sustains everything.

The Creation Account of Genesis
(Genesis 1:1-5)

Genesis 1:1 sets the foundation for all Scripture and for our faith. God “in the beginning” created the heavens and the earth, and Genesis 1–2 records His orderly work with clarity and purpose (Genesis 1:1–5).

Creation Days 1 Through 6
Genesis 1:1–31

Genesis 1:1–31 reveals God’s ordered work across six days, preparing an inhabited world and crowning it with mankind made in His image.

Creation Day Six
Genesis 1:24–31

Genesis 1:24–31 records the sixth day when God filled the land with living creatures and then crowned creation by making mankind in His image, blessing humanity with purpose, dominion, and provision.

Mankind Is the Focus of Creation
(Genesis 2:1–6 )

Genesis 2:1–6 shows the seventh day completed, the week blessed, and the earth prepared so that man may live and serve God. The text centers our attention on humanity within God’s finished creation.

And God Formed Man
(Genesis 2:7–17)

Genesis 2:7–17 reveals God’s intentional design: He formed man from dust, breathed life into him, placed him in Eden, gave meaningful work, and set holy boundaries through the two trees.

And God Formed Eve
(Genesis 2:18–25)

In Genesis 2:18–25, we find one of the most beautiful and foundational accounts in all of Scripture—the creation of woman and the institution of marriage. Here we learn of God’s wisdom, love, and purpose in forming Eve from Adam’s rib, creating the perfect companion and completing His design for humanity.

Sin Enters the World
(Genesis 3:1–8)

Genesis 3:1–8 shows how temptation approached, doubt arose, desire was enticed, and sin entered a world that had been wholly good. This account reveals our enemy’s tactics and our need for God’s grace in Christ.

God Confronts Adam’s Sin
(Genesis 3:8–15)

Genesis 3:8–15 records the Lord’s confrontation of Adam after sin entered the garden, revealing personal accountability, the reality of guilt and shame, and the first promise of redemption through the woman’s Seed.

Cain & Abel
(Genesis 4:1–12)

Genesis 4:1–12 records the first brothers, the first offerings, the first warning, and the first murder. From their choices we learn how God views worship, authority, repentance, and justice, and how faith still speaks (Hebrews 11:4).

Genealogies of Genesis
(Genesis 5:1–32)

Genesis 5:1–32 records the line from Adam to Noah. In these names and years God teaches the dignity of His image, the certainty of death, the beauty of walking with Him, and the hope He provides.

Before the Flood: The Days of Noah
(Genesis 6:1–8)

Genesis 6 shows why judgment came. As humanity multiplied, corruption spread. God strove with mankind through Noah, a preacher of righteousness, yet evil filled every thought. This passage explains the flood and warns our generation.

Noah Builds the Ark
(Genesis 6:8–22)

In a corrupt and violent world, Noah found grace because he walked faithfully with God. This sermon from Genesis 6:8–22 examines Noah’s obedience in building the ark, God’s covenant of salvation through water, and the lasting lesson that faith and obedience remain the pathway to divine grace and deliverance.

And God Remembered Noah
(Genesis 8:1–22)

Genesis 8:1–22 records the turning point of the Flood: God remembered Noah, calmed the waters, settled the ark, renewed the earth, received worship, and gave a lasting promise of stability to every generation.

After the Flood: God’s Four Changes
(Genesis 9:1–7)

After the flood, God blessed Noah and set four world-shaping directives: animal dread of man, permission to eat flesh without blood, the sanctity of life in God’s image, and accountability for murder. These verses explain our world and call us to faithful obedience.

The Tower Of Babel
(Genesis 11:1–9)

Genesis 11:1–9 records the building of the tower at Babel and God’s response. This account reveals humanity’s pride, God’s purpose for the nations, and the divine origin of languages.

How Can We Know Which church is the church of Christ?

When people lose something important — a beloved dog, a stolen car, a treasured possession — they do not want a substitute. They want the original, the exact one. In the same way, when Jesus promised to build His church, He was not talking about many different versions. He had one in mind, and the only way to find it today is to compare what we see in the religious world to the description given in the New Testament.

What Church is It?

This lesson examines the identity of the church of Christ as revealed in Scripture. We will see that it was promised by God, prophesied by the prophets, established by Christ, opposed by Satan, open to all, free from man-made doctrines, and committed to honoring God’s will in all things.

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