Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 226 to 250 of 4915 results

226. Through The Back Door

Drama

Karren Boehr

Theme: The Power Of Prayer When Christians pray, the forces of evil tremble. This simple production brings forth this very powerful concept in a very unique manner. Setting: Inside of a church Characters:DEVIL: Mature man; he should be forceful and devious, yet smooth in his presentation. He is educated, "one of the guys," someone totally trustworthy, who is able to switch from soft spoken words to anger in the same sentence WOMAN: Mature woman (can also be a man if desired). Non-speaking part. A bright ...

227. Crossing the Great Divide

Matthew 27:11-26

Sermon

Michael J. Anton

"It’s his fault. It’s her fault. It’s their fault." "It’s not my fault. The devil made me do it." Since the first bad trip in the Eden garden, humans have made it a regular practice to pass the buck. From the man who pointed to his questionable helpmate and said, "The woman you gave me, she made me eat that fruit," to the woman who could literally say, "the devil made me do it," to Herod who could make no decision but send Jesus back to Pilate, to Pilate who thought he could absolve himself by a little ...

228. The Remnant Year

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

With this Sunday we leave the Christmas Season and enter into a New Year. We all go through a peculiar sadness as we put up the ornaments, eat up the leftovers, and silence the sounds. Perhaps we have already put away the openness and ready affection that marked us during these weeks. If the house looks bleak and sterile, maybe we do a bit ourselves. We are in the process of shaking our heads and getting back to regular living as we meet the year ahead. How nice it would be if we could take some of the ...

229. When Walls Shift and the Ceiling Collapses

John 8:31-36

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

A retired minister colleague says he feels as though he has been dropped into the present from an ancient era. "So much has changed. I hardly recognize the world in which I live," he laments. "When I walk the aisles of an electronics store I am bewildered by the products. Entire generations of technology come and go before I understand what it is, how it works, or why I might want to buy it. I tell my grandchildren that, technologically speaking, I am a middle twentieth-century kind of guy trapped in the ...

230. Uncovering Cover-Ups

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. — John 16:13 For some it is ancient history. But for others it is as fresh as yesterday. I speak of 1972 when the word "cover-up" came into our consciousness in a big way — the cover-up by then-President Richard Nixon regarding the Watergate scandal. Assured of a landslide victory in his election for a second term, Richard Nixon, overborne with anxiety, apparently felt that was not enough. So he authorized the so-called "Watergate ...

231. The Sacred Power of a Listening Heart

1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19

Sermon

King Duncan

Over 80 years ago, Jed Harris was a successful producer of plays. One of his successful works was the production of Thornton Wilder’s play, “Our Town.” In the middle of a lengthy season mixed with the intense pressure of many details, Harris began to lose his sense of hearing. He could not even hear what other people close to him were saying and so he was missing crucial details during conversations. As a result, Jed Harris decided to pay a visit to a renowned audiologist who listened attentively as the ...

232. The Source of Power

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

There are two important assurances Jesus gave to his followers, which are repeated and reconfirmed in this lesson. First, Jesus told his followers that, being fully human, he would die but that they should not let their hearts be troubled. God would raise him from the dead and he would ascend to the Father from Whom he had come. There, Jesus said, he would prepare for each of us a place in the eternal habitation of God. Second, he told his followers that, even though he would no longer walk on the earth ...

233. Christian Courage

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

Durwood L. Buchheim

"You will go to prison for six months," said the Judge. So John Bunyan went to prison for nothing worse than preaching in the little Bedford Baptist Church. "Baptist" preaching was against the law. But Bunyan persisted in breaking the law. He told Justice Keeling, "If I was out of prison today, I would preach again tomorrow, by the help of God." So it was back to prison. This time for twelve years. And again for six months. John Bunyan, who gave us the great classic, Pilgrim’s Progress, spent one fifth of ...

234. Power over Illness and Death

Luke 7:11-17, Luke 7:1-10

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: Jesus has unique authority to heal, which extends even to raising the dead. Understanding the Text After the controversies of 5:17–6:11 and the collection of teaching on discipleship in 6:12–49, Luke now resumes his account of Jesus’s public activity in and around Capernaum with two instances of Jesus’s spectacular healing power. These two healings are of men, one of whom is already dead; in 8:40–56 Luke will tell of the healing of two women, one of whom is already dead. Luke often likes to ...

235. Gospel Through The Person

Philippians 1:12-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Carl Joseph is a young black athlete who comes from a little one-horse town down in Florida. It’s a very poor town. There’s one road in and one road out, one old hotel, one fairly decent restaurant, one high school, one dilapidated theatre that shows ten year old movies, one grocery store, just one of everything. From that town, Carl Joseph entered the University of Pittsburgh on a four-year football scholarship. Strangely enough, he will never play in a single game for the Panthers. But then Jackie ...

236. Through Moab into the Transjordan

Num 21:10-35

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God helped Israel overcome obstacles and enemies to reach the brink of the promised land. Understanding the Text Rapid progress and victories follow the healing of sinful attitudes seen in preceding sections. Moses, Aaron, and the people had sinned, and Miriam and Aaron have died (Num. 20:1–13, 22–29; 21:1–9). Yet unlike the old generation, this one shows a willingness to quickly repent (Num. 21:7). Edom denies Israel easy and direct passage toward the promised land (Num. 20:14–21), but the ...

237. Over the River and Through the Woods

Luke 2:1-7, Psalm 121:1-8

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Over the River and Through the Wood” is mostly associated with Christmas. But it was originally a Thanksgiving poem written in 1844 by one of the strongest abolitionist advocates and women’s rights supporters of the 19th century, Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880). Her grandparents' house made famous in this song was restored by Tufts University in 1976 and stands near the Mystic River on South Street, in Medford, Massachusetts. Lydia Maria Child also supported native American rights, opposed colonialism, and ...

238. Loving Through Action

1 John 3:14-24

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Vincent Capodanno was born on February 13, 1929 on Staten Island in New York. His early life was characterized by service to his family and the community where he lived. Always trying to help out, especially when difficult economic times stretched the family’s budget, Vincent was the one to whom people went for many needs, for they knew that he would be present to them in every way possible. He completed his initial education and then entered Fordham University, but God was calling him to a higher form of ...

239. Creation Reborn

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

When I was a pastor in rural southern Alberta, we held our Easter Sunrise worship services in a cemetery. It was difficult to gather in the dark, since neither mountains nor forests hid the spring-time sun, and the high desert plains lay open to almost ceaselessly unclouded skies. Still, we mumbled in hushed whispers as we acknowledged one another, and saved our booming tones for the final rousing chorus of “Up from the grave he arose…!” We did not shake the earth as much as we hoped. But we were confident ...

240. All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Durwood L. Buchheim

In the middle 1960s, a seminary student interned in a Lutheran congregation in Berlin, Germany. This intern was much interested in the history of World War II, since he was born about the time his father was fighting in Germany. However, he soon discovered that most of the members of that congregation did not want to talk about the war. It was too painful. But one day, an uncle of one of the intern’s friends came to see him and shared this personal story.1 He was an engineer on the train from Amsterdam to ...

241. A Deliverer Is Born

Exodus 1:1-22, 2:1-10

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

The River Nile is the longest river in the world, snaking 4,160 miles from Burundi, Africa, to the Mediterranean Sea. And in this beautiful, exotic, life-giving river lives one of the most fearsome creatures in the world -- the crocidilus nilocticus -- the nile crocodile. Twelve species of this strong, ferocious creature watch from the shoals ready to spring and devour an unsuspecting animal or human. Hardly a place to hide a child -- a beautiful child. In fact, nowhere in Egypt was it safe for a Hebrew ...

242. The Power to Be Saved

Acts 4:5-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In the church of my childhood, the opportunity to get saved came once a year at the annual Revival Meeting. Skilled evangelists came to the protracted meetings loaded with all kinds of bait to reel in the least and the lost. Being a sensitive teenager, I was always fair game, so I usually got saved about once a year. Over the years I've expressed my share of cynicism about such manipulative evangelism. But I have not come to criticize but to connect. It would be easy to strike up a strong debate right here ...

243. Step One - Honesty

Luke 8:26-39 · Proverbs 23:29-35

Sermon

John A. Terry

This past summer I read an article that caused me to make a significant change from my usual practice of preaching from the lectionary. The article, titled, "Coming to Grips with Drug Abuse," made the point that neither clergy nor parents need to be experts on drug dependency, though we do need to be well informed. We need to understand what it means to describe chemical dependency as a disease. Therefore I am going to talk about addiction for a time before I talk about today's Scripture readings. But what ...

244. The Right Spirit Within Us ...

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Durwood L. Buchheim

Today, in our Old Testament journey to Easter, we make a significant adjustment both in time, geography, and attitude. We are at that momentous year of 587 B.C. (or slightly beyond) when the country of Judah is no more. The beautiful temple, built in the great days of King Solomon is no more. This holy, awesome temple has been sacked and its priceless art treasures carried off to the wicked country of Babylon. The monarchy, reaching back to the golden days of King David is no more. The holy city of ...

245. You Can Depend on It

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

I was standing on a street corner. A man, slightly under the weather, came up and started talking, "Hey, buddy, you know that an alligator lays 10,000 eggs. And, you can depend on it." I didn’t reply, hoping he’d go away. But, "And, out of that, 9,000 float away. The fish eat ‘em." "So ..." I started. "And you can depend on it." He continued, "Out of the 1,000 left, other alligators eat up 900." Sarcastically I said, "And, I can depend on that, I suppose." "Yup, you sure can. Furthermore, of the 100 left, ...

246. The Healing Power of the Cross

Luke 23:26-43, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-49

Sermon

James W. Moore

Each year on Good Friday here at St. Luke’s, our Chancel Choir gives a magnificent performance of Dubois’ sacred cantata, “The Seven Last Words of Christ,”… a moving musical presentation of the seven sayings of Christ while He was being crucified on Good Friday. How many of those seven last words can; you remember? First, He prays for His executioners – “Father forgive them, they know not what they do." Second, He says to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise." Third, He provides ...

247. Forgiveness and Reconciliation at Last!

Genesis 45:1-15

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

It happened to a rural Lake County, South Dakota, Lutheran church in August of 2000. Vandals attacked the fieldstone St. Peter Lutheran Church building with vengeance -- breaking windows, smashing light fixtures, flipping over the baptismal font, slashing a large "Jesus the Good Shepherd" painting, scribbling, and carving obscenities into the sanctuary walls and fixtures. The golden altar cross had been swung like a bat to gouge pews and walls. In the basement, kitchen dishes were broken and objects flung ...

248. The Power of a Vision

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Exactly three years ago today, we introduced the vision of Touching Hearts and Transforming Lives as the guiding light of our life together. People’s hearts are being touched and lives are being transformed. One middle-aged man walked into this church about 14 months ago and walked out a changed person. God is capable of instant conversions. For others the transformation has been like a precious flower coming to full blossom. Slowly but surely their lives are being formed into the image of Christ as they ...

249. House Rules, Forgiveness, and Why Rat Poison Is not Good for You

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Roy Howard

I have two public school elementary teachers in my family. I’ve learned a great deal about what goes on behind the scenes long before the students arrive and long after they have left: the seating chart, the reading corner, the attractive posters, imaginative strategies for teaching difficult concepts, and much more. There is a lot to teaching. The same can be said for those people who teach congregations of every size every Sunday. There is so much that happens behind the scenes from Monday to Saturday ...

250. Metaphors Be with You

John 6:35, 41-51

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

His name was John Davis, he was my neighbor, and he was a peculiar person. Don’t get me wrong. I liked him but even his wife said John was an “acquired taste.” I sometimes think that, had he been born thirty or forty years later, he would have been correctly diagnosed as having Asperger’s Syndrome or some other condition associated with the higher functioning end of the Autism spectrum. He was a gifted man, to be sure, a tool designer and metallurgist who worked for a big corporation, very smart and very ...

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