Gardendale Nazarene Sermons

John Parrish
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Sermons from Gardendale Church of the Nazarene in Gardendale, Alabama.

  1. Apr 26

    04-26-2026 Speaking the Word of the Lord (Acts 16:16-34)

    Speaking the Word of the Lord Acts 16:16-34 Acts 13:9 But Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas Acts 6:6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. Acts 16:11-15 11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. 14 A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. Acts 16:16-18 16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” 18 She did this for many days. Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away. πυθων- python “…who had a python spirit…” Acts 16:19-34 19 When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34 He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household. • These stories show us the assurance found in following the Holy Spirit’s guidance. • When we listen to the Spirit, the Lord’s ‘no’ becomes part of His ultimate ‘yes.’ • Being guided by the Spirit involves risk. • There’s no better place to be than in the center of God’s movement. How do we follow God's 'Yes'? 1. Be ready to be surprised by God. 2. Be flexible and willing to adjust to God’s work. 3. Embrace the Lord’s ‘no.’ 4. Pray expectant prayers and be ready to step out of your comfort zone.

    33 min

  2. Apr 19

    04-19-2026 Here’s the Way! (Acts 9:1-19)

    Here’s the Way! Acts 9:1-19a Acts 9:1-2 2 Samuel 22:31 God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure.He is a shield to all who take refuge in him. Psalms 27:11 Because of my adversaries, show me your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path. Psalms 25:4 Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me your paths. John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Acts 9:3-31 Saul of Tarsus Ananias of Damascus Barnabas How the Way begins How the Way grows How the Way is deepened Acts 8:3 Saul, however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison. Acts 9:3-5  How the Way begins How the Way happens to us How the Way grows How the Way is accomplished through us How the Way is deepened How the Way works between us Walking the Way This Week • Identify one area where you are “in the way” instead of “on the Way,” and repent. • Choose one Ananias-action (costly obedience) and one Barnabas-action (costly encouragement) to practice. • Pray daily, “Lord Jesus, lead me in your Way today, and make me part of your Way for someone else.”

    34 min

  3. Apr 12

    04-12-2026 Bestowing the Spirit (John 20:19-31)

    Bestowing the Spirit John 20:19-31 John 20:19-31 19 When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” 28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” 30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. The Mission of God (Mission Dei) 1. God, who is love, is missional and has a mission. 2. Scripture bears witness to God’s mission. 3. The church is called and sent to participate in this mission. “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. “Peace be with you.” John 20:22-23 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” 1. God has a mission, and the church is called and sent to participate in this mission. 2. As disciples, we are called and sent by the power of the Holy Spirit (20:21). Who is it that you are seeking? • Rabboni! My Teacher! (vs. 16) • “I have seen the Lord.” (vs. 18) • “...the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” (vs. 20) • “We’ve seen the Lord!” (vs. 25) • “My Lord and my God!” (vs. 28) John 20:23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 1. God has a mission, and the church is called and sent to participate in this mission. 2. As disciples, we are called and sent by the power of the Holy Spirit (20:21). 3. In our “sent-ness,” we are given a task– forgiveness and retaining. To forgive (aphiemi) to release, to dismiss John 20:31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Sin is taken away when unbelief is removed, and people are restored to a relationship with God. To retain (krateō) to hold to account John 15:26-27  26 “When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. 1. God has a mission, and the church is called and sent to participate in this mission. 2. As disciples, we are called and sent by the power of the Holy Spirit (20:21). 3. In our “sent-ness,” we are given a task– forgiveness and retaining. 4. As disciples, we are to voice our convictions in a world where the truth is not obvious.

    29 min

  4. Apr 5

    04-05-2026 The Empty Tomb (John 20:1-18)

    The Empty Tomb John 20:1-18 John 20:1-18 1 On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!” 3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. 5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter also came. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on his head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. 8 The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then also went in, saw, and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying. 11 But Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’s body had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it that you’re seeking?” Supposing he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve carried him away, tell me where you’ve put him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” Turning around, she said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.” 17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus told her, “since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what he had said to her. “Who is it that you are seeking?” John 19:17-22 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the king of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.” Jesus’ death was not just for insiders; it was for the whole world. The Hebrew longed for family. The Romans longed for order. The Greeks longed for truth. “Who is it that you are seeking?” Same Jesus. Same cross. Same King. Same empty tomb. The cross may speak to you in your language (where you are), but it calls all of us to follow the same King.

    22 min

  5. Mar 29

    03-29-2026 Remembering, Teaching, Pointing to Truth (John 12:12-27)

    Remembering, Teaching, Pointing to Truth John 12:12-27 John 12:12-16 12 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna!Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: 15 Do not be afraid,Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming,sitting on a donkey’s colt. 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. John 2:18-22 18 So the Jews replied to him, “What sign will you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.” 20 Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made. Cleansing the Temple “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days...” The Triumphal Entry “Hosanna!” “I beg you to save us!” “...Look, your King is coming sitting on a donkey’s colt.” John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. Remind Teach Holy Spirit Remind- maintains the connection with the past, with what Jesus said and did during His ministry. We are pulled into the message we've already received.  1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Teach- opens new insights into the legacy of Jesus “If reminding anchors the life of the community in what it has already received from Jesus, teaching ensures that the message continues to speak to the changing contexts in which Jesus’ disciples live.” –Craig R. Koester 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you. The Holy Spirit • The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus said and did by keeping the tradition alive. • The Holy Spirit teaches us by moving us beyond the repetitive nature of tradition towards a profound understanding of its significance.

    17 min

  6. Mar 22

    03-22-2026 No King, but Caesar (John 19:1-16a)

    No King, but Caesar John 19:1-16a The “Trials” of Jesus: • The Religious Leaders (Annas & Caiaphas) • The Disciples (Peter) • Political Authority (Pilate) Which kingdom are you placing your life and trust?  John 19:1-16 1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. 3 And they kept coming up to him and saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” and were slapping his face. 4 Pilate went outside again and said to them, “Look, I’m bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging him.” 5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the temple servants saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” Pilate responded, “Take him and crucify him yourselves, since I find no grounds for charging him.” 7 “We have a law,” the Jews replied to him, “and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was more afraid than ever. 9 He went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus did not give him an answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you?” 11 “You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” 12 From that moment Pilate kept trying to release him. But the Jews shouted, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!” 13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge’s seat in a place called the Stone Pavement (but in Aramaic, Gabbatha). 14 It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon. Then he told the Jews, “Here is your king!” 15 They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?” “We have no king but Caesar!” the chief priests answered. 16 Then he handed him over to be crucified. Power of Rome (Pilate & Caesar) vs.  Power of the Temple (Caiapas & Annas) John 11:45-50 45 Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he did believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and were saying, “What are we going to do since this man is doing many signs? 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50 You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.” John 13:1 Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. Jesus shows us a third way– neither hostility or compromise, but costly love rooted in truth. “We have no king but Caesar” is not just a failure; it is a mirror. “I have no king but ____________.” To proclaim “Jesus is King” isn’t just a belief; it is a re-ordering of everything. What would it look like for me to declare “Jesus is King” right here?

    24 min

  7. Mar 15

    03-08-2026 Deny, Deny, Deny (John 18:12-27)

    Deny, Deny, Deny John 18:12-27 John 11:25-27 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.” John 13:36-38 36 “Lord,” Simon Peter said to him, “where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” 37 “Lord,” Peter asked, “why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly I tell you, a rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times. John 18:12-27 12 Then the company of soldiers, the commander, and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they led him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be better for one man to die for the people. 15 Simon Peter was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. 16 But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” “I am not,” he said. 18 Now the servants and the officials had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself. 19 The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered him. “I have always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews gather, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret. 21 Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I told them. Look, they know what I said.” 22 When he had said these things, one of the officials standing by slapped Jesus, saying, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” 23 “If I have spoken wrongly,” Jesus answered him, “give evidence about the wrong; but if rightly, why do you hit me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Peter denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed. Jesus: Inside with Annas “I have spoken openly...” Jesus slapped Peter: Outside be the door “I am not.” “I am not.” “Peter denied it again.” Matthew 16:15-19 15 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.” In order to be a true disciple, I have to die, and so do you. A disciple accepts failure as part of the journey A disciple experiences the “death of self” A disciple embraces humility over heroism A disciple’s identity is founded on Christ, not self A disciple receives grace and restoration

    29 min

  8. Mar 15

    03-15-2026 New Kingdom (John 18:28-40)

    New Kingdom John 18:28-40 The “Trials” of Jesus • The Religious Leaders (Annas & Caiaphas) • The Disciples (Peter) • Political Authority (Pilate) John 18:28-40 28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate told them, “You take him and judge him according to your law.” “It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death,” the Jews declared. 32 They said this so that Jesus’s words might be fulfilled indicating what kind of death he was going to die. 33 Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?” 35 “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 “What is truth?” said Pilate. After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no grounds for charging him. 39 You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 40 They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary. Pilate's Questions 1. What charge do you bring against this man?  2. Are you the king of the Jews? 3. I’m not a Jew, am I?... What have you done? 4. You are a king then? 5. What is truth? 6. Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” John 18:37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked. John 1:17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 3:21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.” John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Where do the Pilate-like powers show up in our world? How do we live out the Kingdom of God? Which kingdom are you placing your life and trust?

    27 min
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Sermons from Gardendale Church of the Nazarene in Gardendale, Alabama.

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