Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 226 to 250 of 1285 results

226. “The Words of the Lord Are Flawless, Like Silver Purified in a Crucible”

Psalm 12:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... ” is a violation of the ninth commandment (Deut. 5:20 [shaw’]; cf. Exod. 20:16 [sheqer]). The phrase “harbor deception in their hearts” is literally “with a heart and a heart,” which means “double-minded.” The Septuagint translates the expression quite literally (“with heart and with heart”). The Greek dipsychos (“double-minded”) of James 1:8 and 4:8 (it does not occur in the LXX or elsewhere in the NT)5 renders the sense of this expression quite well. However, for James it is ...

227. The Lord's Answer

Habakkuk 1:5-11

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... is as if they are all to stand on the city wall and watch the military hordes sweep across the horizon. The plural “nations” often refers to the empire or superpower, and so it is here. The people will thus be utterly amazed: Habakkuk emphasizes the point by doubling up the verb (tamah), preceding the regular qal form by the hitpaʿel form of the same verb (it is the only occurrence of the hitpaʿel in the OT). What is so amazing? Habakkuk (the poet) and Yahweh (the speaker) heighten suspense by first ...

228. Return To God

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... . We have not reached the end of our journey when our relationship to God has been restored. God desires that we be in fellowship with one another as well. Sometimes this becomes a real stumbling block for people. It is almost as if we pursue a double standard for our spiritual lives. We seek the grace and the forgiveness and the unconditional love of God. Yet, we become hard-hearted when we are asked to extend those same qualities to others. Somehow we perceive that we are more deserving of these blessings ...

229. Becoming A Faithful Witness

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... lack the ring of truth that comes from someone who has experienced the things about which he talks. A man recently told me of the problems his church had endured. Their minister was married and had small children. Then it became apparent that he had been living a double life for many years. He had a gay lover. He also had used close to $100,000 of the church's money providing an apartment and other things for his lover. In another church, a minister, who was married with a young child, had an affair with ...

230. A Maturing Faith

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... was married with three children. He had grown up going to church. He wanted to do the right thing and he could not understand why, no matter how hard he tried, he kept slipping up. He could not bring himself to tell his own pastor the awful truth about the double life he had been living. That is why he came to see this minister whom he did not know. Gary had gotten paid the day before and immediately he went on a cocaine binge. He stayed out all night. Now the money was all gone. He had bills to pay ...

231. A Great Prophet Has Arisen Among Us

1 Kings 17:8-24; 2 Kings 4:1-37

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

... its prophets! Elisha's prophetic forerunner, Elijah, was the first prophet to raise a young man to life. It happened in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-24). Perhaps it is not surprising that Elisha also raised a young man to life. We are told, after all, that Elisha inherited a double share of Elijah's spirit! In a story told in 2 Kings 4 we hear that Elijah came to Shunem one day and had a bite to eat at the home of a wealthy woman. Since there were no fast food restaurants in Elisha's day, he stopped quite often ...

232. Joseph's Friend

Matthew 2:13-18, Matthew 2:19-23

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... James, I think it was. Jesus said it wasn't ready yet, so James tried to trick Jesus away from the fire so he could steal a bit of stew. Jesus wasn't being fooled though. Jesus walked into the woods and acted like he was tricked and then doubled back and caught James sneaking a bit of the stew. Jesus tackled him and they wrestled on the ground rolling over and over, and do you know what? They rolled right into the stew, spilling it over James. Well, Jesus gets up brushes himself off and says, "Well, that ...

233. Which Way To Jesus?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... Sunday the people had given Jesus a stirring welcome and applauded him with the kind of acclamation normally reserved for a king. The excitement put a glow on the city and the company of Jesus in particular. The city had undoubtedly better than doubled its population with all the visitors. Crowded in and among them were the followers of Jesus who must have also grown in number as Jesus received the ovation and outstanding recognition on Sunday. No doubt anyone who had claimed any association with Jesus ...

234. The Sending Plan (Alternate title: Our Human Predicament)

Mark 6:7-13

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... and helps me to control diabetes, a disease I have had since 1986. I find that I play better when I have a partner. In singles, I have lost a step or two (or three) in recent years, and I am not as quick as I used to be. In doubles that is still a problem, but my partner helps cover for my mistakes. My partner covers my errors. I always play better when someone is playing with me as a partner. The same thing holds true for the Christian life. We need one another to do the work we are ...

235. Cheers For The Healed

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

... that in Christ Jesus we are new creatures. What we have become by God's grace is something to cheer about. The Word has changed us. Think about the changed life of this man who had been deaf. He was transformed by, literally, a word: Ephphatha, a double word in English: "Be opened." Actually his whole life was changed by the Word-made-flesh. He was changed by the Son of God who had emptied himself, had turned his divinity inside out and become an earthly pedestrian, like us, who was walking from the region ...

236. Sabotaging The Sabath

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Richard Patt

... was not allowable on the seventh day. Healing was considered work, and, as every good Jew knew (how could they forget it?), the sabbath means no work. Jesus, of course, is stirred up by this heartless interpretation. He reminds the religious leaders of their double standard in this matter: how they regularly go about caring for their own animals on the sabbath by giving them water, but are seemingly unable to accept a similar propriety of caring for sick human beings on the sabbath. In the eyes of the ...

237. Dinner Parties With A Difference

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... past, she may have been sexually abused, or she may have lacked love, or may have fallen into self-loathing, and then desperately sought some kind of warmth or affection. Or it might be she was trying, in her own way, to conquer a male-chauvinist, double-standard society. If she had been widowed or divorced, she might have turned to the only means of livelihood open to her in those days. We can assume she gave few alms. Fasting would not be good for her profession. Attendance at religious services was rare ...

238. Made New By Interior Design

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

... chemical in nature. Some people have an imbalance in their systems that makes them feel as if there is a great cloud over their heads even if they have everything and every cause to be happy. Because there is nothing apparent to be depressed about, a double bind occurs. The person has no reason to be depressed and has everything that should make one happy and is still depressed. Thank God we have lived long enough to know that something chemical is happening here which needs the good guidance of a competent ...

239. They Didn't Have To Do It, But They Did

Genesis 14:1-24

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... being healed by Jesus, returned and gave thanks for his blessing. King Melchizedek didn't have to say "thank you" to Abram but he did. So, delighted and overjoyed with Abram's heroics, he brought out bread and wine and blessed him and blessed God. Abram received a double blessing for his deeds. It is important that we learn to say "thanks" to the people who go out of their way to perform the good deed and the heroic act. It is important that we thank them while they are living instead of after they die. Don ...

240. Prepared Servants

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... comes and serves us in many ways. A. In Times of Grief and Suffering B. Through the Sacraments C. Through the Fellowship of the Church D. Through the Service and Witness of Christians 5. If the Owner Had Known. (v. 39) A double thrust would be first through the theme of adequate preparation and second through the readiness to respond as opportunities present themselves. A. Christians Should not be Ignorant B. Christians Live by Faithfulness C. Christians Have a Hope in Christ CONTACT Points of Contact ...

241. Proper 19

Psalm 14:1-7, 1 Timothy 1:12-20, Jeremiah 4:5-31, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:1-7

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... to leaven in dough. In Luke 14:28-32 the comparison of people considering the cost was illustrated by the building of a tower and a king facing an enemy in battle. It seems quite likely that Jesus regularly drove home a point by a double illustration. Does that suggest something for a preaching technique? 2. Escalating Worth. In the two parables in today's lesson and a third following them in chapter 15 (considered separately -- see above in chapter 4), you have increasing worth. In the parable of the Lost ...

242. Proper 25

Psalm 65:1-13, Luke 18:9-14, Joel 2:28-32, 2 Timothy 4:9-18, 2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... B. A Reality Check. Persons need the critique and support of others to know their real condition. C. Fulfilled in Fellowship. Persons find their fulfillment when they love God and their neighbors. 3. Standing Far Off. (v. 13) The sermon could have a double thrust: when a person feels alienated; relating to the alienated. A. Reconciled by Christ. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. B. Overcoming Alienation. Persons overcome a sense of alienation by changing behavior by God's help and by accepting ...

243. Bowing Before The Mystery

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... ,000 miles a second, doomed to move on that dead-cold trajectory forever. How is it that the great creator God of the universe, who by whatever process we will eventually discover, flung the stars and planets into space, and created the inner intricacies of the double helix and the genetic code; how is it that God loves us? That is not a problem we can take into our laboratories and solve; it is a mystery before which we bow. A very bright sophisticated woman recently said to me, "The virgin birth, the star ...

244. God Remembers

1 Samuel 1:1-20

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... is a result of Hannah's barrenness. Hannah's husband loves her and treats her with kindness. When they traveled to Shiloh on the day of sacrifice, Elkanah would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to her sons and daughters, but he would give a double portion to Hannah, and the text tells us he did this because he loved her even though she was barren. The conflict in the story is the result of Peninnah's verbal abuse of Hannah. Peninnah would constantly chide and "provoke her severely" because of her ...

245. Telling The Truth

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... church was peddling a conglomeration of lies and half-truths which ultimately undermined and corrupted its very essence. In a sense the church is an island of truth in a sea of lies! The truth which the church has to announce to the world is twofold, two-sided, double-edged. The truth is this: On the one hand, as Jesus says in today's Gospel, we are slaves to sin. We are trapped, broken, evil, perverse, and at odds with God! And despite our best intentions, we can't help being anything different. But on the ...

246. Miracle Nine: Healing A Deaf-Mute

Mark 7:31-37, Mark 7:24-30

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

BACKGROUND MATERIAL It is rather strange that Mark is the only Evangelist to record this particular miracle of Jesus. It is believed that the other Gospel writers had Mark's writings in hand when they wrote their Gospels. And this was a double miracle, a healing of both deafness and of a speech impediment. All the more wonder that Mark is the only one to relate this action. Another area of conjecture concerns the man's speech impediment. Although he is often called a deaf-mute, the scriptures refer to his ...

247. No Shortcut To Glory

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

William L. Self

... is that vacuous. Many a young preacher wants to begin at the cathedral church on Easter Sunday. He does not want to preach in the jails and mission stations, lead youth groups, or visit hospitals and hospice centers. Elisha requested that he be given a double portion of the spirit of Elijah. This is not a request to exceed his mentor, but rather a request for the portion of the inheritance that would be given to the firstborn. After making the journey with Elijah, he still wanted to succeed his mentor ...

248. The Fruitful Vine

John 15:1-17, 1 John 4:7-21, Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:1-31

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... v. 1) Usually the symbols chosen in the "I am" statements were qualified by some adjective that indicated Jesus' greatness beyond the symbol itself; thus it was "living" water, "good" shepherd and "true" vine. The symbol of the vine may have resulted from a double occurrence that night: they had drunk of the fruit of the vine at the supper in the upper room; the experience in Gethsamene, with its vineyards nearby, lay just ahead of them. 3. "The Vinegrower." (v. 1) The Old Testament frequently alluded to ...

249. The Seventh Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

... love of God. Thanksgiving, to mean anything, has to be more than words. Thanksgiving in Zacchaeus' house was a time for action. He began with repentance; next came restitution, a generous restitution. (The law required a thief, if caught, to pay back double; Zacchaeus, repentant, paid back fourfold.) Then there could be renewal. Zacchaeus' whole life-style changed from me-first money-grubbing to an outgoing care for others, "Half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor." Palm procession in Jericho ...

250. The Eighth Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

... them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." Jesus' words express unusual emphasis, doubling the word for desire; they might be translated, "With desire have I desired to eat this passover with you."This is the central supper, found in all four Gospels; it is a supper for which Jesus had a definite purpose. The Gospel of Luke shows Jesus at ...

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