Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 226 to 250 of 1522 results

226. Facing Up To The Giant Task Of Life

1 Samuel 17:1-58

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... God-given ability to use those skills for God's purpose. When you have a dynamic combination of faith in God and faith in yourself, you also can go out to defeat the enemies that work against the kingdom of God. We read in Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please God without faith. You will recall that our Lord Jesus Christ said, "If your faith were the size of a mustard seed, it would be large enough to uproot that mulberry tree over there and send it flying into the sea." (Luke 17:6) And again Jesus ...

227. Be Careful What You Call Me

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

King Duncan

... to be called Rabbi,'" we could just as easily say, "They love to be called Dr.,'" or they love to be called "Reverend." PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE. PRIDE IS PRIDE. There was once a scientist who discovered the art of cloning himself so perfectly that it was impossible to tell the reproduction from the original. One day, he learned that the Angel of Death was searching for him, so he produced a dozen copies of himself. The angel was at a loss to know which of the thirteen specimens before him was the scientist, so ...

228. Who? Me Worry?

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... ; I was strapped to a smelly canvas Stryker frame that was both confining and claustrophobic. The darkness in my heart was as dreary as the hospital walls that surrounded me. In my bitterness, in my anger and resentment in my suffering, I felt as if it were impossible to thank God. I thought I could never thank God again. "Another year passed, and my heart had time to mellow. Thanksgiving, 1968, came. My spirit had begun to soften and my ears were open and once again I was thankful. No more fox hunts for me ...

229. What Would Jesus Really Do?

1 Peter 2:13-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... our place, confronting the dilemmas you and I face each day? Some people--including some theologians--think it is a silly question. It is impossible, they say, to know what Jesus would do in every situation. And they're right, of course. We are not Christ. Our logic ... has made a list which he or she called, "Our Thinking vs. God's Promises." Let me share it with you: We think: "It's impossible" God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27) We think: "I'm too tired" God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11: ...

230. So, You Want To Know About Love?

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... knees in front of her daughter, wrapped her arms and body around Cecelia, and then would not let her go." (4) That sounds to me like a metaphor of the love of God. She wrapped her arms and body around her daughter and would not let her go. It is impossible to overstate how great is a child's need to know that he or she is loved. To know as a child that one is loved provides a lifetime of inner peace and security. Unfortunately, there are children who are deprived of that knowledge. In Chicago there is a ...

231. What Love Looks Like

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... I won't get caught, there's a better-than-average chance that I will break the speed limit again. Jesus' new commandment demanded a change of heart and mind and character. You can only fake love for so long before the strain shows through. And it is almost impossible to fake self-sacrificial, agape love; it demands too high a price. As Pastor Tony Evans writes in his book Who Is This King of Glory?, "God's kind of love is sacrificial. If you haven't loved someone to the point of paying a price for that ...

232. Money Matters

Amos 5:18-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... tonight. But he cannot make such a prediction about his teen-age son and daughter. The astronomer may admit that the universe is complicated, but he might tell us that his teenagers are ten thousand times more complicated and almost impossible to predict. Well, they are not all impossible to predict, are they? There are some fine noble Christian young people in this world, and we love them. Just as Jesus looked upon this young man and loved him. But Jesus, who could see right through the best of intentions ...

233. Please, I'd Rather Do It Myself

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

King Duncan

This is Trinity Sunday. The Trinity is an interesting and puzzling concept--God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But it fits in nicely with our theme for the day which is interdependence. It is impossible to think of God as Father without also thinking of God as Son and God as Holy Spirit. It is also impossible to think of creation without a Creator, and a Creator without created beings. And thus we come to our lesson for the day. You are probably familiar with the modern telling story of the creation from ...

234. Praise the King with a Song of Joy

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... of God, she broke into a song of praise: “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior . . .” French author Victor Hugo remarked, “Music attempts to express what cannot be said about something on which it is impossible to remain silent.” And it was impossible to remain silent on that magnificent night 2,000 years ago when Jesus was born. What song did the angels sing on the night of Jesus’ birth? They sang a song of hope. First and foremost, the message of Christmas is the ...

235. MONEY MATTERS

Amos 5:18-27

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... be at 11:30 tonight. But he cannot make such a prediction about his teenage son and daughter. The astronomer may admit that the universe is complicated, but he might tell us that his teenagers are ten thousand times more complicated and almost impossible to predict. Well, they are not all impossible to predict, are they? There are some fine noble Christian young people in this world, and we love them. Just as Jesus looked upon this young man and loved him. But Jesus, who could see right through the best of ...

236. Yes, Virginia, There Is a Hell!

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... this world or God''s intention for them. The light and the joy in the rejoicing of heaven which could have been theirs will be forever taken from them. Just as the rich man in his torment experienced that impossible gulf between Lazarus in his joy and he in his misery, so they too will experience that impossible gulf between God and all his love, and hell and its loneliness.The picture of Christ with outstretched arms as he reaches out to them, pleading with them to come to him and find his life, find his ...

237. Believing Isn’t Easy

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... faith in God is the presence of evil and tragedy in our world. It is a fact that many Jews, believing in a just God, became atheists after the holocaust. A recent article in the New York Times suggested that it is difficult, if not downright impossible to hold onto one’s faith in a world of violence. The article consisted of an interview with Hugh Nissenson about his new book THE ELEPHANT AND MY JEWISH PROBLEM. Nissenson spoke about a meeting with a French Jesuit priest during the trial of Klaus Barbie ...

238. The War of Malchus’ Ear

John 18:1-11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... as an “absolute pacifist,” believing that I simply had to take Jesus literally when He said that we must love our enemies. In seminary, my reading of theologians such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer convinced me that such a thing as a “just war” might be impossible. Bonhoeffer, you remember, was a German pastor who felt that it was his Christian duty to participate in a plot to assassinate Hitler. He was imprisoned and executed for his efforts, but he said, “If you see a mad dog coming down the roads, you ...

239. God’s Strange Arithmetic

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... . The fact that it is mentioned at all in this passage reflects the fact that Mark was written against the background of Roman, as well as Jewish, Law. Jewish Law at the time made divorce almost impossible for a woman. Deuteronomy said that a man could put away his wife if he found “some indecency” in her. Now, there were two schools of thought about what constituted a sufficient “indecency.” One school, that of Rabbi Shammai, said that only adultery was cause for divorce. Another school, that ...

240. Opposite the Treasury

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... Baptism, the “New Birth,” the so-called “Second Coming,” the Church, or Heaven, or Hell. In the first three Gospels, one verse in six mentions money. Of the 38 parables recorded in the Gospels, 16 deal with the subject of money. It is simply IMPOSSIBLE to deal with the Gospel and not mention money. Jesus Christ is profoundly interested in the subject. WHY WAS JESUS SO INTERESTED IN MONEY? Because He was a realist. He knew that where people put their money is a pretty good indication of their true ...

241. Bedlam or Bethleham?

Titus 2:1-15

Sermon

Fredrick R. Harm

... person as one. The third aspect of our Advent behavior involves our relationship with God, "Live a life that is godly." Me, godly? It sounds as though we are being asked for the impossible. But is it really so far beyond the reach of possibility, for you, for me? Surely we are not to view godliness as Don Quixote's impossible dream! Recall Browning's advice: "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Or what's a heaven for?" Perhaps it will be helpful to view the word "godly" as meaning "Godliness ...

242. The Right Word For Memorial

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... -- dying the week before Easter. John was 80 -- and very sick -- fluid around his heart made it almost impossible to breathe. My friend, John, died this week -- what a time today, and how John would celebrate that -- dying the week before Easter. John was ... 80 -- and very sick -- fluid around his heart made it almost impossible to breathe. Our letter exchange has been a great source of joy and strength for me -- And I'll miss that. But ...

243. Reflections On A Calling (ten-year Anniversary Sermon)

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... leads me to my next line of reflection. I like the way Paul puts it. In verse 1, "Since it is by God's mercy we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart." It is impossible for me to contemplate my call and examine my ministry without my heart beating faster. And it is almost impossible for me to enter into this kind of reflection about ministry without verse 5 of our lesson coming to mind: "For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus ...

244. Your Dreams Are Too Small

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... them to lay down their lives for the ultimate dream, a kingdom where God reigns in every heart. In their influential book, Built to Last, James Collins and Jerry Porras coined the term BHAG (pronounced “bee-hag”). BHAG describes a bold, well-nigh impossible vision. BHAG stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal, B-H-A-G. Common sense would tell you that a BHAG would intimidate many people and discourage them from trying. But BHAGs are paradoxical, according to Collins and Porras. The idea of attempting the ...

245. God's Anxiety Reduction Plan

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

John P. Jewell

... not alone. Three times in Matthew six, Jesus says, "Do not worry." [vv.25,31,34] Amazing! Don't you think? If you listened closely, the way Paul expressed the imperative that we are not to worry takes us to what would seem to be the realm of the impossible. It isn't simply that he says, "Do not worry..." It is, "Do not worry about anything!" How, pray tell can that be accomplished? The fact is that there is a very clear and specific set of instructions in the epistle reading. The Preface There is a kind of ...

246. When God Comes with a Blessing

Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

John P. Jewell

... a fresh dusting of snow and they refresh our spirits with the wonder of a God who comes to us with blessing when we hear them. Many of the phrases in these verses of scripture are some of the most beloved gems in all of the bible. "...nothing will be impossible with God." [1:37] "...let it be with me according to your word." [1:38] "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." [1:42] "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..." [1:46] And then in the midst ...

247. All This and Heaven Too

Luke 18:18-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation. And an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” Along with Luther, Wesley had finally gotten Jesus’ message: “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.” But the lesson from Scripture doesn’t end there. Peter presses the issue. He reminds Jesus of all the sacrifices they have made—they have left their homes, they have left everything to follow Jesus and here is the ...

248. Why Being A Christian Has Worn You Down v1

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... shock of what they had done to each other and the awareness of what they were losing had come home to them, they desperately sought help – help that was so difficult to give, for selfish patterns of relating were so galvanized that they found it almost impossible to see the problem, much less act to resolve it. That’s the way it is when you really care. You will lie in sleepless anguish, wishing that you were three or four people rather than one, wishing there were forty hours rather than twenty-four ...

249. Torn Curtain

Luke 23:44-49, Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... in pain behind the curtain that separated the two beds. He was ranting and raving quite loudly. This was quite an interruption for the man in bed A. His plan was to enter the hospital for surgery, heal, and go home, with no fuss or bother. It was impossible for him to ignore what was happening in the bed next to him, however. In his ranting, the man in bed B mentioned his experience in the military. The man in bed A, instead of retreating into his own cares and concerns, decided to strike up a dialogue ...

250. Love without Limits

John 13:31-38

Sermon

John K. Bergland

... But woe be unto us whenever we reek of such arrogance! For when we try to restrict God's grace to ourselves, we cut ourselves off from that very grace. Why? Pierre Teilhard de Chardin may have said it best, "It is impossible to love Christ without loving others, and it is impossible to love others without moving nearer to Christ."3 I first learned about God's limitless love through a man named Walter. I met Walter while serving as a hospital chaplain during seminary days. Walter was a patient on the floor ...

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