Sermons by Dr. Richard C. Leonard

An Abundance of Joy — Sourpuss Christians negate the Gospel; how can joyful worship lead us to a more joyous life? [January 2, 2005]

The Apple and the Adoption — An old English carol points us toward the reason God sent his Son to us. [December 24, 2004]

Baptized into His Death — Baptism might have different meanings for each of us, depending on our stage in life and our journey of faith. [January 30, 2005]

Being Shrewd About the Kingdom — In the parable of the dishonest manager, Jesus conveys to us how much the kingdom of God is worth. [September 19, 2004]

The Courage to Confess — Lent is a sober season, when we confess our sins — but confession has another meaning in the Bible that offers the answer to sin. [Ash Wednesday, February 9, 2005]

Creed of Our Hope — The Apostles' Creed guides us into a deeper understanding of the hope we have in the Holy Trinity — God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [Trinity Sunday, May 22, 2005]

Difficult People: Gotta Love 'Em! — Six principles for dealing with people who give you trouble. [June 12, 2005]

Fruit of the Spirit — What the Holy Spirit brings forth in us, based on Paul's list in Galatians 5:22-23. [June 27, 2004]

The Geography of Salvation — Sometimes when the Bible describes God's coming to save us, it sounds like a page from an atlas. [December 12, 2004]

Getting It Right This Time — At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit reversed what the Lord had to do at the tower of Babel. [May 15, 2005]

Gifts of the King — The Magi offered gifts to the newborn King symbolic of who he is, but the King's own gifts to us surpass them. [January 9, 2005]

God Shines Forth — How did the God "shine forth" in the worship of the Psalms, and how does he "shine forth" in our worship today? [August 8, 2004]

God's Christmas Gift — Sermon by Dr. R. D. Leonard (1901-1976). Which day is more important in the church year — Easter or Christmas? How does Christmas address the predicament of human sin? [November 28, 1976]

The Great and Terrible Day — When we meet God's judgments in our lives, it's time to call out to him in repentance. [October 24, 2004]

Humility and Exaltation — Exalting yourself never works, because it's a sign that you really don't think much of yourself. [August 29, 2004]

Increase Our Faith — Having enough faith can be a struggle — till we take the focus off ourselves! [October 3, 2004]

Jesus on the Way to the Cross: True Authority — Jesus explains that we have more authority, not less, when we're submitted to a higher Authority. [March 6, 2005]

Jesus on the Way to the Cross: True Insight — Jesus gave sight to a man born blind, and from the story we learn how he gives us insight into ourselves, others, and who Jesus truly is. [March 13, 2005]

Jesus on the Way to the Cross: True Sacrifice — Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem is framed in his teaching about the sacrifice both he and his followers are called upon to make. [March 20, 2005]

Jesus on the Way to the Cross: True Worship — In his dialogue with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus raises the issue of our real priorities. [February 27, 2005]

Jesus Opens the Scriptures — We may revere the Bible and think we understand it, but only the risen Jesus can open our minds to its true meaning for our lives. [April 3, 2005]

Known in the Breaking of Bread — What do the different terms for Holy Communion imply, and how is Jesus present to us in this ordinance? [September 5, 2004]

Lessons from a Father — The story of Caleb, a father in Israel, has some valuable lessons for dads — and for all of us. [June 19, 2005]

Living in the Heavenly City — The city of God isn't someplace we'll go to; if we know the Lord, we're living in it now. [August 22, 2004]

The Lord's Song in a Strange Land — Scripture passages that seem to be quite unrelated turn out to have a common thread: our commitment to serve the Lord in a culture hostile to our faith. [October 11, 2003]

Mary — When Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant," did she understand how her son's story would be viewed from the perspective of heaven? [December 19, 2004]

The Parallel Universe of Praise — Worship takes us into another realm where we're able to see the Lord's victory over those things make us resentful and full of bitterness. [October 22, 2006]

A Pattern for Progress — All we know about Jesus' life, from age 12 till he began to preach, is summed up in one verse that provides a pattern for Christian maturity. [January 16, 2005]

Peace in Our Midst — If our world is to know peace, it must begin in God's "holy mountain" — the church of Jesus Christ. [December 5, 2004]

Pressing Toward the Resurrection — We are raised from death through Jesus' resurrection. So how can Paul urge us to "press on" to attain the resurrection? [April 24, 2005]

Resurrection Faith and Fear — Our Lord's victory over death fills us with hope and joy, but the Gospel story suggests there's another side to resurrection. [March 27, 2005]

The Three Baptisms — We're familiar with water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But Scripture tells of a third baptism — the baptism of suffering. [June 5, 2005]

The Three Temptations — Entering into the story of Jesus' pathway toward the cross, we find we face the same temptations he did. [February 13, 2005]

Time to Turn Around — When we realize that our lives are headed in the wrong direction, the smart thing is admit our mistake and turn around. [May 1, 2005]

Times of Refreshing — What's the New Testament really all about? It's about restoration — of the creation, of the church, and of each individual believer. [September 23, 2007]

Up, But Not Away — In his Ascension, Jesus Christ is declared to be the Ruler of all things, and from his exalted place he gives his church gifts for ministry and witness. [May 8, 2005]

The Victory Cross — On the cross, Christ defeated those forces that pressure us into a self-centered and unhappy life. [July 25, 2004]

Water into Wine — An imaginary Bible character gives his first-person account of Jesus' first miracle. [January 23, 2005]

We Are Not Alone — God's long-range plan involves not only believers living today, but the saints who have gone before and those who follow. [November 7, 2004]

When Life Is Transfigured — Exploring the meaning of Jesus' transfiguration can lead us toward the transformation of our lives, as well. [February 6, 2005]

When You Don't Have a Prayer — In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches us about the purpose of prayer, encourages persistence in prayer, and gives us a pattern for prayer. [August 1, 2004]

Watch this site for additional sermons in preparation.