Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: simon, simeon, caphas, disciple, evangelist, the 12, the twelve, apostle, fisherman, petros, rock, stone

Showing 251 to 275 of 2105 results

Genesis 9:8-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... parents are prone to say, we don't come into the world. We come out of it, as both creation stories in Genesis 1 and 2 make plain. Nature is not our resource, our tool, our commodity, our machinery, our stage. It does not speak our language. ... created things that God re-establishes an enduring covenantal relationship, unmindful of the sins and shortcomings this life brings with it. 1 Peter 3:18-22 reminds us of the miraculous continuation of God's commitment to this covenant through the redeeming nature of ...

252. Being What We Are

1 Samuel 8:4-20

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... ourselves wanting to make the church into something different from what it is. What got me thinking about this was today's reading from 1 Samuel. In last Sunday's sermon, we read about Samuel as a young boy hearing God's voice and receiving the news from ... it, and welcome others to be part of it. 1. See Essentials of Christian Theology, William C. Placher, ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), pp. 221-226. 2. See, for example, Romans 9:6-8; 1 Peter 2:9-10; and Galatians 3:29. 3. This ...

253. Prescription on a Pole

John 3:1-21

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... says that he was made “to be sin.” So, again, the remedy recalls the malady. Alternative Applications Numbers 21:4-9; Ephesians 2:1-10. “A Good, Healthy Appetite.” “I just don’t have much of an appetite.” I have heard that lament countless times ... Romans 7 and 8; Galatians 5). Nor is a spirit vs. flesh paradigm unique to Paul (such as Mark 14:38; John 3:6; 1 Peter 2:11). All of fallen humanity, it seems, needs to regain a good, healthy appetite. Not because we have lost our appetite, but ...

254. Known By Our Love

John 13:31-35

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... what is evil, hold fast to what it good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” 1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” Galatians 6:10: “So then ... of Jesus Christ by our love. Thanks be to God for the blessing that comes with loving one another. Amen and amen. 1. William McNeill, Plagues and People (Garden City, New York: Anchor Books, 1976), p. 108. 2. James McDonough, James Lee, Chattanooga — A ...

255. Redeemed

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... 12: A Woman’s Purification Sacrifice Numbers 3: God’s Firstborn Requirement Numbers 18: The Levite’s Responsibility for God’s Sacrifices Psalm 55: The Anguished Heart Psalm 74: The Desire of the Lord to Save Psalm 68: The Desire for God to Prevail 2 Peter 1: On Prophecy Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple and the Prophecies of Simeon and Anna When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written ...

256. One Stone Faith

1 Sam. Chapters 16-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... story, metaphors such as living water (brook/stream), stones (5 of them), one stone David chooses, 5 cities of Philistine of which 1 Goliath is the representative, the shepherd’s staff and pouch, the spear, javelin, and sword, the sling, the WORD of God ( ... the type of stone we see as David –and using one smooth stone (only that one act of faith), God slays evil.** In 1 Peter 2:5, we are said to form living stones in God’s Temple (Jesus’ spiritual Temple). Discipleship then is a process of immersing ...

257. Good for What Ails Us

Matthew 9:35-38

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... devil, who is compared to a roaring lion, sneaking and prowling around to find someone to at- tack and devour (1 Peter 5:8). Harassed, helpless, and confused: sounds like symptoms that fit our time and world, don’t they? So many ... taught in his explanation of the Lord’s Prayer: whenever we pray that God would do something, we first of all pray that God would begin with us.1 We are Christ’s hands and feet, now, today, in our world. We are part of God’s answer to the prayer for laborers to bring in the ...

258. Mirror, Mirror ON The Wall . . .!

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... are not an end in themselves. They are like frames. They should draw attention to the character within.\n Listen to what 1 Peter 3:3-4 says about this: "Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing ... that is temporary so we will be certain to concentrate on the beauty that lasts, spiritual character!" This is true. "God," the Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, "sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." God is not as ...

259. The Apostles' Creed: I Believe

Mark 9:14-32

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... ... [As one commentator notes,] Most of us are cursed with a sense of the impossible, and that is precisely why miracles do not happen."(1) The father's response has been repeated over and over ever since: "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." What had kept this man there ... ," Associated Press, Greensboro News & Record, 8/11/98, A-1, 4 3. John Killinger, You Are What You Believe: The Apostles' Creed for Today, (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990), p. 11 4. 1 Peter 3:15 5. Jack Rogers, Presbyterian Creeds: A Guide ...

260. What Fragrance Are You Leaving?

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... we are leaving with the world? Are we offering up the fragrance of complete devotion to Christ and to the world for which Christ died? Or are we still standing off at a distance calculating whether Christ is worthy of our devotion? 1. Peter Hay, MOVIE ANECDOTES (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990). 2. William Barclay, THE MIND OF JESUS, Harper and Row Publishers, 1961, page 197. 3. William Barclay, Daily Studies Bible Series, THE GOSPEL OF MARK, Westminster Press, 1975, page 326. 4. Malcolm Muggeridge ...

261. Want to Be Happy?

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... from Isaiah’s prophecies declaring that God will place God’s Spirit upon God’s servant (Isaiah 11:2; 42:1;61:1). Matthew’s description of the Spirit’s descent “like a dove” concludes when it “came” or “alighted” upon Jesus. For Matthew ... ) Culture Crossers (think Gwen Stefani) Karma Queens (think Christy Turlington) Middlemen (think Johnny Knoxville) Denim Dads (think Peter Saarsgard) E-litists (think Al Gore) Ms. Independents (think about the women from Lipstick Jungle or Cashmere ...

262. Nothing but the Blood

1 John 1:7

Sermon

James Merritt

... not have taken my guilt, because He would have had to have dealt with His own. The reason He could die for my sin is because He did not have to die for His sin. Peter said in his epistle, "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ." (1 Pet. 1:18-19) The word precious literally means "valuable." Now the value of something is determined by several things. I was taught when I took Economics 101 in college that one of the things that determines ...

263. The Sin of Silence

1 John 1:9-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... we all have faults and we all sin. John said in 1 John 1:10, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." The best people in the Bible sinned—Moses, Abraham, David, Peter; they all sinned. But they all overcame their sin and ... a "Volume-related production-schedule adjustment." A recent publication claimed that jumping off a tall building could lead to "sudden deceleration trauma."1 If you're going to deal with sin, you've got to call it what it is. If it's lust, call ...

264. Modeling a Necessary Future

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... than ever before, we realized our common humanity and that we are all in this together. This is the vision of our text written over 1,900 years ago — a vision of a common humanity, united on a common planet for peace, productivity, and hope. The writer of the text calls ... . Certain Protestant churches exclude other Protestants from their communion tables. But the writer of Ephesians, like the writer of 1 Peter, envisions quite a different kind of holy temple. This temple is to be built not of stones, but of ...

265. Being Good ... for Nothing

Job 23:1-9, 16-17

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... is all about. Faith is believing what we cannot see. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). We can take great comfort in knowing that suffering is not God's will. God may know about our suffering, and God may be present in ... , as your guide and your comforter, offering all the strength you need to face tomorrow. 1. Peter J. Gomes, "Storm Center: When Bad Things Happen," The Christian Century 120, no. 11 (May 31, 2003), p. 8. 2. Harold S. Kushner, ...

266. Don’t Tempt Me—But If You Do I’m Ready

1 Corinthians 10:13

Sermon

James Merritt

... , the ground will suddenly disappear and the child will be sucked away from shore by a rip which is a strip of rough murky foamy water moving directly away from the beach.[1] Well, I am dealing today with a spiritual rip known as temptation. You can think you're standing in a safe place, but before you know it the riptide of temptation can ... of temptations." Yes He does, and when you trust Him He will do it every time. [1] Peter Benchley, Shark Trouble (New York: Random House, 2002), pp. 69, 76-77.

267. The Light of Christ

Isaiah 9:2-7

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... faithfully to Jesus, the holy child born within your hearts this night. You are the light-bearers who have answered the call of the gospel and whose task it is to "proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). As we leave here tonight, we become light-bearers to a dark and troubled world. Keep your lights burning brightly so others can follow as you illuminate the path to salvation. May others find Jesus, the light of the world, through you. Go shine ...

268. When Nothing More Can Be Done

Amos 8:1-12

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... cross — "Father into your hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46) — and it is ours. Commending ourselves to God is what can be done — the only thing that can be done — when nothing more can be done. Thank God! ____________ 1. Peter C. Craigie, Twelve Prophets, Vol. 1, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1984), p. 181. 2. I gleaned Sweeney's story from several accounts of her actions on 9/11. One is a notice published in The Boston Globe, September 14, 2001, www.legacy ...

269. He Descended Into Hell

1 Peter 3:18-22

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... since we already have a word saying he was "crucified, dead, and buried." Either way, at some point, some theologian in some church council, somewhere, called for a vote, and the result is what we have now. Again, we ask why. The answer goes back to our text from 1 Peter where we read, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who ...

270. The Vision of God

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... primitive. The Bible is not ashamed of such visions, whether it is Moses at the burning bush or Mary at the annunciation or Peter on the rooftop in Joppa or Paul on the road to Damascus. In chapter 12 of 2 Corinthians, Paul discusses a vision that ... Corinthians from the very first chapter of his first letter to them: "God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:27). In this passage he closes with the same emphasis: "for whenever I am weak, then I am strong" (v. 10). Paul's purpose ...

271. After the Parade

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... it with his own eyes. I mean, getting such a phone call on an April Fools’ Day would make you suspicious. (1) Many who witnessed Jesus riding into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday probably thought they were witnessing an April Fools’ prank ... courage. His courage evidently had an effect on his followers after Pentecost. We read in Acts 4:13 that when contemporaries of Peter and John noticed their courage they ascribed it to the fact that they “had been with Jesus.” The courage which they possessed ...

272. Christmas Grass and Easter Tinsel

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... seasons. * Song clue: "O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how pretty are your branches." * Song clue: "Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail." Can you guess what they are? Answer: Easter grass and Christmas tinsel. When ... block, and to the Gentiles, utter foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). "This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength" (1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT). These are signs with definite meanings ...

273. Which Parade Are You In?

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... and prestige. Jesus’ entrance into the Holy City was consistent with everything he lived and taught. Remember how offended Simon Peter was when Jesus sought to wash his feet? That was a job for a servant--not for a distinguished rabbi. ... him I’m here today.” Then Edith Zirer quoted a verse from the Talmud which says, “To save one life is to save the world.” (1) Sometimes when we think of the pope we associate him with the pomp and circumstance of his lofty office. We forget that many of the modern ...

274. I Wonder if God Exists

Genesis 1:1-5

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... the universe and is active in the world today. For them, it is an issue of faith, as it should be. However, when they find themselves in conversations with people who have serious doubts about the existence of God many are unable to “to make their defense” (1 Peter 3:15) as to why they believe in the reality of God. Some are left with the same doubts as those who don’t believe. Their faith is challenged. Most of you who are reading these words probably can identify with one or all of the people ...

275. Precocious

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... when it’s raining cats and dogs. Mary Martin was a famous Broadway musical star who was beloved by all for her role in “Peter Pan.” She was known for being cheerful and happy and always non-plussed. Her good friend was the famous actress Helen Hayes. At ... Solomon (2): The precocious fig tree and the vision of love Young Samuel’s Call (1 Samuel 1-3) Young David’s Anointing (1 Samuel 16) Young Daniel’s Commitment to God (Daniel 1-2) Acts (16): Timothy is Chosen by Paul to be his Protege Luke’s ...

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