Topical Sermons, Bible Themes, and Sermon Ideas

Addiction—Being enslaved to a habit, practice or substance such that withdrawal causes trauma.
Adoption—Legal transfer from one family or situation into another family, used in the NT to describe believers’ relationship to God.
Adultery—Unfaithfulness to another person. It could be used of marital infidelity as well as unfaithfulness to God.
Alcohol—Intoxicating drink, such as wine or beer.
Angels—Messenger of God or supernatural being with superhuman powers.
Anger—A strong feeling of displeasure aroused by a wrong, whether real or perceived.
Antichrist—A person who opposes Christ. Can refer to a particular person who appears as Christ’s principal antagonist.
Apostasy—Denial of faith by those who once held it or professed to hold it.
Assurance—A sense of confidence, security or certainty, especially concerning one’s salvation.
Atheism—Disbelief in God.
Atonement—Reconciliation between God and humanity, specifically through Jesus’ death.
Baby Dedication—The act of dedicating a baby to God.
Baptism—The act of using water to admit a person into the Christian community, whether as an adult or infant.
Beauty—The state of being attractive or pleasing to the senses.
Birth of Jesus—Anything that has to do with Jesus’ birth, whether its theological meaning as the Incarnation or its celebration at Christmas.
Blasphemy—Cursing God, or showing contempt or irreverence toward God.
Blessing and Cursing—Spiritual and material benefits given by God to be enjoyed. Cursing is the lack of those benefits.
Borrowing and Lending—Asking for or offering money or goods for temporary use.
Calling—God’s summoning of people to himself as well as to particular tasks.
Character—The moral and ethical features that a person possesses.
Children—Sons or daughters; includes teenagers and adult children.
Church—The community of faithful believers, of whom Jesus Christ is the head.
Church Fellowship and Unity—How the members of the church relate to one another.
Church Leadership—Leadership as exercised in the church.
Circumcision—A physical sign of membership in the people of God.
Clothing—Anything used as a garment or piece of jewelry.
Comfort—To ease the grief or trouble of someone; console.
Commitment—Devotion or faithfulness to some cause or person.
Complaining—To express ingratitude or discontent in an unjustified way.
Compromise—To make a concession one ought not to make, especially regarding one’s morals or relationship to God.
Confession—To acknowledge one’s sins, whether to God or another person.
Conflict—Division, confrontation or argument between persons.
Contentment—Acceptance, satisfaction with one’s situation.
Conversion—The act of turning to God; new birth.
Counseling—Guidance in resolving personal conflicts and emotional problems.
Courage—Boldness or bravery.
Courtship, Dating and Romantic Relationships—Romantic love.
Covenant—God’s commitment to his people, and formal commitments between people.
Creation—All the things God has made; the natural world and the universe.
Creation (Renewal)—The new heavens and the new earth. Also, the new creation of the believer (2 Co 5:17).
Creativity—The ability to bring something new into being. Though only God can create something out of nothing, human creativity involves inventive combinations of existing material.
Cults and Non-Christian Religions—Non-Christian belief systems that deal with supra-normal forces.
Death and Dying—The end of life, or awareness of its approach.
Death of Jesus—Anything that has to do with Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross.
Debt—Something that is owed, whether money or an obligation more generally.
Depression—Sense of despondency, hopelessness, loss of meaning in life.
Disability—Physical incapacities resulting from physical or spiritual causes.
Discipleship—The process of becoming a committed follower of Jesus Christ.
Discipline—Training or punishment, whether it is exercised on people by others or themselves.
Discouragement—Being deprived of confidence.
Divinity of Jesus—Anything that refers to Jesus’ divinity.
Divorce—Legally dissolving a marriage.
Doubt—Uncertainty about the truth and reality of spiritual things.
Economics—Broadly, anything to do with buying and selling.
Education—Imparting of spiritual, intellectual, moral and social instruction.
Election—God’s act of choosing people for any purpose.
Encouragement—Giving someone confidence or boldness to do something.
Envy—Desire to possess another person’s gifts, possessions, position or achievements.
Epiphany of Jesus—Anything that refers to Jesus’ manifestation of himself to the world, especially regarding the holiday celebrated in January.
Eschatology—Doctrines that have to do with the last days of the world.
Eternity—Infinite time.
Evangelism—The act of preaching the gospel.
Evil—Corruption, malevolence or depravity in the world.
Faith—A constant outlook of trust and dependence toward God.
Faithfulness of God—God’s faithfulness to his people, including his actions on their behalf.
False Teaching—Heresy and false teaching within the church.
Family—People who are linked by marriage or physical descent. Not limited to nuclear family.
Fasting and Abstinence—Abstaining from something, usually food, because of religious commitment or as an expression of repentance.
Father’s Day—A day set aside to honor fathers.
Fathers—Men who have children.
Fear—An unpleasant emotion caused by the awareness of danger.
Foolishness—Lack of wisdom or discretion.
Forgiveness—Freeing a person from guilt and its consequences.
Freedom—The state of liberty that results from not being oppressed or in bondage.
Friendship—Feeling of affection or personal regard for someone.
Fruit of the Holy Spirit—The fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in a believer’s life.
Fulfillment of Prophecy—Prophecies that have been fulfilled in the biblical text.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit—The gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to believers.
Giving—To make a present of something or to behave generously and unselfishly.
Glory—Greatness, splendor, majesty.
Gluttony—Excessive desire for food and drink.
God—The God witnessed to in the Bible.
God the Father—God represented as a father.
Good Works—Good deeds, sometimes connected or contrasted with faith.
Gospel—The message of Christ, the kingdom of God and salvation.
Government, Politics and National Identity—The political exertion of authority, as well as the concept of national identity.
Grace of God—Unmerited favor from God.
Graduation—The announcement of the successful completion of a course of study.
Greed—Excessive desire for more of something, especially wealth or possessions.
Grief—Sadness or sorrow.
Guidance—The act of seeking God’s purposes and plans for people.
Guilt—Remorse over having committed some offense.
Happiness—The state of being pleased with one’s circumstances; gladness.
Health and Healing—Physical or emotional well-being and recovery from illness.
Heaven—God’s realm.
Hell—Final dwelling place of the wicked.
Holidays—Any day set aside for a particular celebration.
Holiness—Separation from what is unclean; sanctified or consecrated.
Holy Spirit—The third person of the Trinity.
Homosexuality—Erotic activity with someone of the same sex.
Honesty and Dishonesty—Telling the truth; sincerity.
Honor and Shame—Having a good name or public esteem.
Hope—An expectation of the fulfillment of something desired or promised.
Hospitality—Showing generosity or a welcoming attitude toward guests.
Humanity of Jesus—Anything that refers to Jesus’ humanity.
Humility—Absence of pride or arrogance.
Husbands—Married men.
Hypocrisy—Pretending to be what one is not, particularly regarding false virtue or nominal religion.
Idolatry—Trusting, serving or giving worship to something that is not God.
Image of God—Having God’s likeness.
Injustice—Lack of justice.
Jealousy—A strong feeling of possessiveness; intolerance of rivals.
Jesus—The Son of God, the Messiah, the second person of the Trinity.
Joy—An attitude of pleasure and well-being.
Judgment—The particular acts of bringing about justice.
Justice—What is morally right.
Justification—The process by which people are made righteous in the sight of God.
Killing—Any death of one person at the hands of another.
Kingdom of God—The kingly rule of God in the lives of people and nations.
Knowledge of God—The knowledge that God possesses.
Last Judgment—The final judgment which occurs after Jesus’ return.
Law—Instruction; rules of conduct.
Laziness and Apathy—Idle; apathetic; slothful.
Leadership—The capacity to guide, mentor or lead others.
Legalism—Having a strict outward conformity to moral and religious practices and an expectation that others have the same.
Loneliness—Feeling alone and not wanting to be.
Lord’s Supper—An act that commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples and his death on the cross; eucharist.
Love—Strong affection for another.
Love of God—The love that God shows.
Lust—Passionate, inordinate desire for something, usually sexual in nature.
Marriage—The state of being united to another person as husband or wife.
Memorial Day—Any day set aside to honor veterans or the military.
Men—Male human beings.
Mercy and Compassion—Human pity or kindness.
Mercy of God—God’s compassion on people.
Messianic Prophecy—Prophecies about Jesus—his coming and events in his life.
Millennium—The thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20.
Miracles—An unusual event that manifests God’s direct intervention on the world.
Miracles of Jesus—Miracles performed by Jesus.
Mission—The continuation of Jesus’ mission through his followers. This normally includes evangelism as well as humanitarian service.
Money—Something accepted as a medium of exchange.
Mother’s Day—A day set aside to honor mothers.
Mothers—Women who have children.
Music—Ordering tones or sounds in succession, whether with an instrument or singing.
Neighbors—Anyone encountered in life.
New Year’s Day—A day set aside to celebrate the coming of a new year.
Obedience and Disobedience—Compliance with the demands of another.
Parables—A story that is intended to illustrate an attitude or principle.
Parents—Collective term for a father and mother.
Passion of Jesus—This theme includes events from Holy Week from Palm Sunday through the Last Supper up to the crucifixion.
Patience—The ability to wait without becoming hasty or impetuous.
Peace—A state of tranquility or wholeness; shalom.
Persecution—To be singled out for harrassment, including violence and martyrdom.
Perseverance—Persisting or enduring in spite of opposition.
Philosophy—An understanding of reality; worldview.
Poverty—Lack of money or resources.
Power—Authority and influence, as well as strength or ability.
Power of God—The power that God possesses, and displays of that power.
Prayer—Addressing God directly.
Prayer (Intercession)—Prayer on behalf of another person or group of people.
Prayer (Petition)—Prayer that makes a request of God.
Prejudice—Preconceived judgment or opinion, whether positive (favoritism) or negative (discrimination).
Presence of God—God’s presence with people as well as his omnipresence.
Pride—Inordinate self-esteem; arrogance.
Profanity—Foul language. Biblically, the concept is very close to blasphemy. In the modern world, they are separate.
Promises—A declaration that one will do something.
Prophecy—Communication of a divine message through a human. Used, for example, when a person says, “Thus says the LORD.”
Providence of God—God’s activity of providing his creatures with what they need. It is a function of God’s sovereignty.
Purity—Having the characteristic of being spotless; clean; innocent.
Reconciliation—Restoration of friendship; resolution of conflict.
Redemption—To buy back; release from bondage.
Repentance—A change of mind leading to a change of action.
Responsibility—Liable to be called to account for one’s actions.
Restoration—Returning something or someone to its original state.
Resurrection—The act of rising from the dead.
Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus—Anything to do with Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and its celebration on Easter.
Revelation—God’s act of revealing something to humans.
Revenge—Retaliation for some injury, whether real or perceived.
Reverence—To show awe or respect.
Revival—Making something alive again; renew.
Righteousness—What is right and pleasing to God.
Sabbath and Rest—Day of rest laid down for God’s people.
Sacrifice—An offering of something to God.
Salvation—Deliverance from the power and effects of sin.
Sanctity of Life—The inherent worth of human beings; includes references to abortion and euthanasia.
Satan—The one who opposes God and accuses his people; the devil.
Scripture—The writings collected in the Bible.
Second Coming—The return of Jesus to the earth.
Service—Helping or assisting others.
Sex—Sexual intercourse.
Sexual Immorality—Sexual activity contrary to biblical commands; fornication.
Sickness—Poor health; disease.
Sin—Transgression of God’s will, either by doing what he forbids or failing to do what he requires.
Singleness—Not being married.
Slander—Idle talk or rumor about others.
Slavery—The state in which one person legally owns another or one person is excessively dependent on another person or thing.
Sovereignty of God—The fact that God is free and able to do what he wants.
Speech—The communication of thoughts using spoken words.
Spiritual Warfare—The struggle against forces of evil, including personal forces like demons.
Stealing—Wrongfully taking the property of another; theft.
Stewardship—Responsible use of wealth, land or possessions.
Stress—Feeling physical or mental pressure; worry.
Submission—An attitude of yielding or surrender.
Substitution—Putting one person or thing in place of another; replacement.
Suffering—The endurance of pain or affliction.
Suicide—Killing oneself.
Superstition—A belief or practice that results from belief in magic or chance; a false understanding of causation.
Tabernacle—A physical space that serves as God’s dwelling place; refers to both the tabernacle and the temple.
Temptation—To test or to entice to do wrong.
Ten Commandments—The particular laws known as the Ten Commandments or Decalogue.
Thankfulness—Conscious of benefit received; gratitude.
Thanksgiving—A day set aside to show thankfulness.
Tongues—A spiritual gift that involves ecstatic utterances.
Trinity—God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Truth—Something which is in accordance with fact or reality.
Union With Christ—The state of believers being “in Christ.”
Victory and Defeat—The overcoming of an enemy; success.
Violence—A use of physical force so as to injure or abuse.
Vision—A visual form of revelation through which God communicates.
War—Armed hostile conflict between groups of people.
Watchfulness—Being carefully observant, attentive or aware.
Weakness—Lack of strength.
Wealth—Abundance of material possessions; prosperity.
Wisdom—Insight, knowledge and good judgment.
Wives—Married women.
Women—Female human beings.
Work—Labor or occupation, whether it is a person’s primary means of livelihood or not.
Worship—Praise, adoration and reverence of God, both in public and in private.
Wrath of God—God’s anger.