Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 226 to 250 of 2844 results

226. Week Four Of Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Monday Week FourIsaiah 65:17-21John 4:43-54 God Restores Hope In 1935 Bill W. and Dr. Bob lived on the fringes of society. They were drunks spending their nights and many days drinking away the cares of life. Both men needed someone who could help them to regain their dignity and self-worth. They found that special person in each other. The story of the sobriety and recovery to productivity of these two men is the story of the beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), an international organization which ...

227. U-Turns Permitted

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Rodney Thomas Smothe

Let's just see where this road will take us. These words often spoken when we make a wrong turn, give a false sense of comfort. Our hope is that if we drive long enough we will come to a familiar place and once again regain our bearings. Sometimes our confidence in our own abilities and unwillingness to admit that we're lost, causes us to drive several miles out of the way before we stop and ask for directions. Although the signs along our journey confirm that we are headed in the wrong direction, we ...

228. Wedding Sermon - The Solid Rock On Which We Stand!

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

__________ and __________: The occasion of any wedding always confronts a preacher with the challenge of finding a middle ground between two extremes. On the one hand, it would seem, down through the years, that everything worth saying about a rich and rewarding relationship has, in some way or another, already been said -- most memorably perhaps by the world's poets. On the other hand, the two of you are the only ones who can actually voice what needs to be said here today; and I honestly believe that the ...

229. Step Eleven - Spirituality

Mt 26:36-46 · 1 Thess 5:12-22 · Ps 25:1-15

Sermon

John A. Terry

This past week I had a new adventure. I did some plumbing work I had never done before. But I got out my handy homeowner's guide, and followed along step by step. It took longer than I thought it would. But at last it was almost complete. Close to the very end came the time when I put on the nuts and bolts that held it all together. As we reach toward the end of this series, we are approaching the step that tightens down and holds in place all the other work. The 11th step is: "Sought through prayer and ...

230. Some Women's Stories

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Carl Jech

Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. (John 8:7) This story of the woman caught in adultery might be described as a "second-class story" - because it seems to have been added to John's Gospel as an afterthought. It does not appear in any of the older and more original versions of John, and some experts on the New Testament even think it may belong in Luke. The second-class status of this story is, unfortunately, also mildly appropriatein light of the fact that ...

231. An Everyday Theology

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

There are two major ways of talking about the Christian gospel. One of them is a learned style, with terms and concepts forged by the scholar and the classroom. The second way of speaking theologically is to use the situations and relationships of everyday life. Every Christian works out his or her understanding of the gospel, using something of both of these approaches. Even the ordinary, uneducated Christian knows something of the learned theological style, for many passages of the New Testament are ...

232. Respect: Lesson for Victorious Living

Ruth 4:1-12

Sermon

Christian unity teaches respect for the whole Body of Christ. The ancient Hebrews learned ways of doing things and the necessity of valid transactions; this gave the early Christians a format from which they could move forward in the faith. Repect was at or near the top of the list. The characters of Boaz, the elders, Naomi, Ruth, and the others in our passage evidence this in ways that do not seem to be present in today’s striving for equality. Could they have known something that we don’t? As one reads ...

233. Salvation: Authentic and Powerful

Amos 5:18-27

Sermon

King Duncan

Christian unity elevates authentic and powerful salvation. The fiery and abrasive Amos said many things his listeners did not want to hear! He was about as rugged as any individualist could be. Continually at odds with the power structures of his day, the prophet spoke directly, with no regard for those who tried to compromise his message. Our Lord’s plea for his church to be One is not a way of reducing denominations and Christians to forms that are listless. Ecumenism, by its very nature, seeks integrity ...

234. THE WITCH OF ENDOR

Drama

Marcia Miller

This is a play about necromancy, the art of communicating with the dead to predict the future. The actual story appears in 1 Samuel 28:7-25. But the period of history is not important, in that witchcraft has remained more constant than other religions throughout the ages. Costuming should be simple. The Witches should be in the traditional dark (black) colors, whereas Saul and his aides should be in bright reds, purples, and blues. Saul is not dressed as a king or a soldier, but as a peasant. When Samuel ...

235. Coming Down The Mountain

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Frederick C. Edwards

There is a story that a university in Scotland once wished to honor a scholar who had done some significant inquiry into the life and work of one of its own most illustrious former scholars, the 16th century Scottish reformer, John Knox. The tradition in that and several other universities was that, if possible, a cap belonging to the subject of the study - in this case John Knox - would be given to the person being honored, if such a cap could be found. In that way the honoree would have something ...

236. Stewards and the Hungry

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

So God called into existence his creation and then, according to Genesis 1:28, he said to us humans, "I’m putting you in charge." That makes us caretakers of all which God has given to us. That includes the Earth and all its natural resources. In the days ahead, we’ll discover that being a caretaker and steward involves a lot more than whether we tithe or not and what we put in the church offering plate. It involves our caring for our bodies, how we use our skills, how we apportion our time, and what we do ...

237. Resurrection: From Burn-Out to New Vision

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

Elijah’s feet pounded on the trail. His legs stretched out to cover the miles. He outran the king’s chariot. He outran the wind blowing up the storm-clouds overhead. Strength to run like this after the day he had been through was a gift from God. God had been giving him strength like that all along; strength that had always amazed him. There had been the strength to tell King Ahab that he was a fool and a blasphemer. There had been the strength to prophesy that there would be no more rain until Israel ...

238. A Man Who Was a Lion-Tamer

Daniel 6:1-28

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

In our consideration of the favorite men of the Bible, we have looked at them in chronological order, trying to retell the story of God’s redemption of his fallen creatures. We have followed God’s chosen people (through Abraham) into the land of promise (Moses) and have seen the building of a mighty kingdom (David). Then came the division of the nation - between the north and the south - and the captivity of God’s people. During this time, the great prophets of Israel appeared. Their primary purpose was to ...

239. God's Not Done With Us Yet!

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Abraham. Everybody knows old Abe. I doubt that any individual in history is more widely recognized and revered. Abraham is patriarch to history's three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the Bible, of all the incredible people of faith we find there, the only one called the "friend of God" is Abraham. You learned great stories about Abraham from your earliest days in Sunday School. You met him as ABRAM - the name would be changed to Abraham later. You heard about God calling ...

240. What Is The Question?

Job 38:1--41:34

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

I have to tell you, I generally ask myself a lot of questions. And when I have the opportunity, I ask questions of others. But today I am asking, "What is the question?" What is your question? If you were offered one wish that would be granted, one question that would be answered, one priority that would be fulfilled, right now, at this time in your life, what would it be? What is the question? The untimely death of Michael Landon recently caused me to ask myself, "What would I do...what would I say...with ...

241. Why Do You Stand Looking Into The Sky?

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Right after World War II, a U.S. Army officer and his wife were stationed in Japan. That country had been devastated by the war. The post-war economy was in shambles. Unemployment approached 60%. People came to the Army wife's door daily looking for work. One man said that he could do wonders for her garden if she would only give him a chance. So, for the first time in her life, this young Army wife hired a gardener. He spoke no English, but the wife, through sign language and pencil and paper gave him ...

242. Offer Them Christ

Romans 9:30--10:21

Sermon

King Duncan

After listening to pastor Chuck Swindoll on the radio, 8 year-old Debbie asked 6 year-old brother David, "Do you know about Jesus?" Expecting a new slant on the old gospel story, David replied, "No." Big sister continued: "Sit still, 'cause this is real scary." After explaining the gospel as only an 8 year-old could, she popped the question: "Now David, when you die, do you want to go to heaven to be with Jesus, God, your mommy and daddy and big sister, or do you want to go to the lake of fire to be with ...

243. All That From A Little Bit Of Water?

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

[While King Duncan is enjoying a well deserved retirement we are going back to his earliest sermons and renewing them. The newly modernized sermon is shown first and below, for reference sake, is the old sermon. We will continue this updating throughout the year bringing fresh takes on King's best sermons.] Original Title: All That From A Little Bit Of Water? New Title: All That From A Little Water There was the Baptist minister who, at his first baptism, became stage-struck. Standing in the baptismal pool ...

244. The Curriculum of God’s Kingdom

Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We can do startling new things because God has drawn near enough to enable them." Matthew 4:17b It was an awful time in London. In December of 1952 a toxic mix of dense fog and thick black smoke killed four thousand in four days. Coffins ran out, as did funeral flowers. It was one of the deadliest environmental disasters in English history. Here is what happened: “As smoke pouring out of London's chimneys mixed with fog, the air turned colder. In response, ...

245. The Way Up Is the Way Down

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

Potato chips, cheese curls, and candy may be some of your favorites, but for twenty-four mule deer in the Grand Canyon National Park, these indulgences proved deadly. Park rangers were forced to shoot more than two dozen mule deer who became hooked on junk food left by visitors. It was death by Cheetos and suicide by Snicker bar! Why eat twigs or chew bark if a Twinkie is nearby? Once deer taste the sugar and salt of snack foods, they develop an addiction and will go to any lengths to eat only junk food. ...

246. Are You Living the Three Advents?

Romans 13:11-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Theme: The Christian tradition invites us to celebrate 3 advents the 4 weeks of advent. It would help your sermon if you wore some kind of “garment” that signified your ordination or calling. The Word-Made-Flesh . . . Exegesis of Romans 13:11-14 It seems strange that as the church’s calendar enters into its most hopeful, anticipatory season, the first of our four Advent readings turns once again towards that final Day of Judgment and end-time scenarios. Yet the eschatological words from Paul to the Roman ...

247. The Lonesome George Church

Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Theme: Here is a sermon on evangelism that doesn’t use the word “evangelism” once. The text for this week’s gospel reading is a combination of three pericopes which portray the beginning of Jesus’ public Galilean ministry. While Matthew’s description mirrors much of Mark’s version, Matthew’s unique focus on theological nuances and precise historicity bring added details and depth to Jesus’ actions and words. In the first section (vv.12-17) Matthew takes more than a glancing interest in the “whys” and the “ ...

248. Proper 14

Genesis 37:1-11, Matthew 14:22-36, Romans 9:30--10:21, Psalm 105:1-45

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS The Old Testament texts explore the power of God in history. Genesis 37 introduces the story of Joseph and Psalm 105 reviews Israel's entire history of salvation. Genesis 37:1-4, 12-36 - "The Power of Oppression" Setting. The Old Testament lessons for the next two Sundays come from the story of Joseph. The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 provides a hinge between the preceding ancestral stories of Abraham and Sarah-Hagar, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Rachel-Leah Genesis 12-36), and ...

249. Sleep With the Lions Without Being Eaten

Daniel 6:1-28

Sermon

James Merritt

I read something recently that blessed me and inspired me, and I hope it will you too. It is entitled: THE WORLD NEEDS MEN...[AND I MIGHT ADD WOMEN] Who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocation; who do not hesitate to take chances; who will not lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be as honest in small things as in great things; who will make no compromise with wrong; whose ambitions are not ...

250. Experiencing God

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Stan Purdum

Today is Pentecost, the anniversary of the day nearly 2,000 years ago when the Holy Spirit came powerfully upon the followers of Jesus who were gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem. They were so inspired that they rushed out into the streets and began preaching about Jesus. Some 3,000 converts were made that day alone. Most Bible scholars mark that day as the beginning of the church — the birthday of the church. Very likely, none of this comes as news to you. You've heard this all explained before. Even ...

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