Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2501 to 2525 of 4977 results

2501. Christ the King

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Aid

... and thirsty. Proclamation of the Word Consider these ideas: "I'm hungry ... I'm thirsty." Ghandi once said, "To the millions who have to go without two meals a day, the only acceptable form in which God dare appear is food." The Scripture is quite clear that our own judgment is based upon how we respond to the poor and powerless, those who cannot defend themselves. Offer some specific ways by which people can respond, as for example: 1. Write letters to Congress, but first, get a sophisticated understanding ...

2502. The Devil Quotes Scriputure, Too

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

... at Jesus one last time - which proves the truth of the old saying I have used as the title of this sermon. And it is interesting, though I don’t know exactly what it means, that while Jesus quotes Deuteronomy loosely, the devil quotes Psalm 91 quite accurately. What is the temptation here? What possible appeal could there be for Jesus to throw himself off the pinnacle of the temple? To know that he is invincible, that nothing could ever hurt him? If you knew that, what would you ever have to fear ...

2503. Good News for Exiles

Psalm 137:1-9, 2 Chronicles 36:15-23, Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

... subjugated peoples. A wise policy! Their empire lasted some two hundred years, until Alexander the Great assembled an even greater one. Significantly, the Edict of Cyrus, which authorized the Jews’ return to the Holy Land and the reconstruction of their Temple, came quite suddenly and unexpectedly. Out of the blue, it caught everyone by surprise. The Hebrews had surely done nothing to deserve it, nor expect it. But there it was! And, most amazing of all, the arm of God’s grace was Cyrus, an unbeliever ...

2504. The Fashioning of Christians

Ezekiel 36:1-38

Sermon

... of foxes, slung over their shoulders, like the trappers of old. There they were, complete with head, eyes, and fangs bared wide. Everywhere I looked, there were foxes, and everywhere I went, their eyes followed me. When you’re only two years old, you’re not quite sure whether such things are dead or alive. I could only draw marginal comfort from the fact that they were chained up by a clasp, so they couldn’t get away. I was okay as long as they kept their distance. However, there’s something in ...

2505. Leadership: the Moses Model

Numbers 27:12-23

Sermon

... it has those leaders who will persist. Perfect planning and impeccable academic degrees do not necessarily see us through the quicksand of ecumenical dialogue; it always takes persistence. At any of many points in his ministry, the Lord of the universal church could have quit. He didn’t. The often errant Peter could have chucked this whole thing with a Jewish fellow who told him a lot more about himself than he wanted to know. He didn’t. Paul could have built a personality cult around himself and pushed ...

2506. Respect: Lesson for Victorious Living

Ruth 4:1-12

Sermon

... own "Jewishness" may account for the fact. The church universal approaches this lineage as a part of salvation history. Generally, there is no problem with the two accounts, Matthew and Luke, even though they differ in some details. The two Gospels are quite different in themselves, one would assume, primarily because of the personalities and aims of the authors. Respect for life, while it has many connotations in today’s world, shows us the abiding ideal, for those of us professing Christ’s name, that ...

2507. Success: Ultimate and Unlimited

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

... well as other services, captures the essence of sainthood and the participation of the whole church in a total way. Heaven and earth are brought into union with the mystical Body of Christ, taking on meaning which other liturgies and worship services never quite seem to bring about. There is an appeal to all five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch. Timothy Ware, in his book, The Orthodox Church, says it this way: "Worship, for the Orthodox Church, is nothing else than ‘heaven on earth.’ The ...

2508. Security: Deeply Personal

Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon

... of the Eucharist," helps us come to grips with terminology by saying, "Very early in the ancient church, ‘Eucharist’ became the established name for the sacrament ..." Eucharista means thanksgiving. Bernard Cooke, in The Eucharist: Mystery of Friendship, says quite simply, "The Eucharist is the supreme expression of man’s unity with Christ and with his fellow man." In the classic Introduction to Christian Worship by James F. White, there is further acknowledgment: "The eucharist is the most ...

2509. BROTHERS

Drama

... had a meal in weeks - and look at this. [Drinks] That was a hell of a welcome. Brother: He’s a hell of a guy. Prodigal: Why didn’t you come in? Brother: I was busy. [Puts the wine bottle down and moves away from his brother] You got around quite a bit. Prodigal: I saw a few places. [Rises, goes to the window] We’ll have a good harvest this year. Brother: We’ve done a lot of work around here. [Pause] Prodigal: The herd looks good; he took me out to see it before. Brother: [Silence] Prodigal: [Walks ...

2510. A DRAMA OF LOST WORDS

Drama

... 2 who are still arguing; faces the audience for a moment] Words. [Silence] WORDS! [Silence] [Very softly] Lost words. [Slowly moves stage right; as the Person gets closer, the words of Man 2 and Woman 2 get louder.] Man 2: You’ve got to be kidding. You just won’t quit, will you? Woman 2: What do you mean by that? Man 2: Why don’t you ask me for the world on a yo-yo string or something? Woman 2: Okay, baby, you can cut the sarcasm. I don’t need it right now. Man 2: Oh, well, I’m ...

2511. The Coming of the Lord

Luke 21:5-38

Drama

... Angel of the Lord! Angel: [Enters from behind the people, they turn] He’s absolutely right, folks, and here I am to verify his claim. [Goes to 1 and shakes hands] Hello, again. I hope you realize that I don’t do this very often. 1: I know - thanks. Angel: Quite all right. [Goes to 3 and shakes hands] It’s true, you know. The coming of the Lord is imminent. 3: That’s wonderful. Angel: Yes, I know. [Goes to 2 and shakes hands] And you three lucky people are the first to know. [Looks at 1] It was only ...

2512. HEAR OUR PRAYER, O LORD

Drama

This sketch takes a bit of rehearsing, with someone who is quite familiar and adept with a tape recorder. The recorded speeches must be taped properly and be played back at the right places within the action. The Person (make or female) is generally intimidated by the Group until the end - head bowed, shoulders stooped, etc. The Group, as indicated, comes directly ...

2513. NO HELP WANTED

Drama

... problems which face women trying to be whole persons in our society. No Help Wanted is an abstract and stereo-typed look at the problem of being yourself, without guidance or direction from others. Amazing Grace is a type of comic strip and, therefore, also quite stereotyped. Character descriptions are given for most characters; when they are not, character type is not vital to the production. Sets for both of these plays may be as simple or elaborate as one can afford to be. NO HELP WANTED There are nine ...

2514. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Daniel 2:24-49, Daniel 2:1-23

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... no normal partitions among the four parts. The doctors doubted that the little fellow could survive long enough to try heart surgery. But somehow he did. I remember going with the family to Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. The surgeon there was quite honest. He said, "Folks, the odds are against this little boy surviving this surgery, but we have to try because he cannot live unless the problem is fixed." So, we prayed with the surgeon and then all during that lengthy operation. Allen survived ...

2515. Kingdoms In Conflict

Daniel 2:24-49

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Teresa. Princess Di was the star of the jet set, the glamorous but tragic consensus queen. The other woman was tiny and very plain. The Princess had unlimited possessions. Mother Teresa could put all her possessions in a suitcase. Princess Di was quite involved in the kingdoms of this world; Mother Teresa was totally devoted to the Kingdom of God. I wonder which of those women was happier and more fulfilled. In which kingdom is your heart invested? 1. Justice Goldberg’s dissenting opinion in Abington ...

2516. From Beast to Believer

Daniel 4:28-37, Daniel 4:19-27, Daniel 4:1-18

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... my advice: renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." In other words, repent, Neb, before it’s too late. Maybe God will change his mind. Verses 28 and 29 are quite revealing. Neb did nothing. A week went by, then a month, then six months, then a year. Perhaps Neb forgot the dream. Then, verse 29 tells us, Neb was walking on the roof of the royal palace one day. He puffed out his chest and said, "Is my ...

2517. Is Jesus Still in the Healing Business?

Luke 4:38-44, Luke 4:31-37

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

In a city where I pastored years ago, a clergyman caused quite a controversy. When visiting his church members in the hospital, he would not pray for healing. He believed that the laws of cause and effect are constant and could not be swayed by prayer. It put me in a tight spot because his members began to ask me to come ...

2518. "Gone Fishing!"

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... what his will is for you, it pays to be obedient. We might not even have a Methodist Church today if our founder John Wesley had followed his preferences rather than God’s call. Wesley wrote in his diary one day in May, 1738, "I went quite unwillingly to divine services on Aldersgate Street." Well, that night on Aldersgate Street, John Wesley’s heart was strangely warmed and the Methodist movement was launched. When your "want-to’s" don’t agree with God’s directions, go with God. III. God Doesn't ...

2519. Leading a Friend to Jesus

Luke 5:27-32, Luke 5:17-26

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... . He threw a party at his house in honor of Jesus and invited other tax collectors and friends. Can’t you imagine Levi circulating at the party, making sure that everybody had enough food and drink? Some of his guests probably asked him, "Is it really true that you’ve quit your job?" "You bet it’s true," said Levi, "and I’ve never been happier in my life. I was sick and tired of looking at a thief every morning in the mirror. I was tired of having people avoid me or curse at me in public. I didn’t ...

2520. Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Brett Blair

... through Jericho, the city of palms. Writes Luke: “And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.” In one sentence we are told the story of a human life. Here’s the background. Nothing in first century Judea was quite so hated and despised as was the Roman tax. It not only reminded the Jews that they were a subjugated people, it also represented a theological affront. To the Jew there was only one King, and that was God, not Caesar. Paying tribute to an earthly non ...

2521. Zacchaeus - Sermon Starter

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Brett Blair

... through Jericho, the city of palms. Writes Luke: "And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich." In one sentence we are told the story of a human life. Here's the background. Nothing in first century Judea was quite so hated and despised as was the Roman tax. It not only reminded the Jews that they were a subjugated people, it also represented a theological affront. To the Jew there was only one King, and that was God, not Caesar. Paying tribute to an earthly non ...

2522. The Yestermorrow Eclipse

John 10:1-21

Sermon

... , leaving him alone. To coin the song phrase, man felt "lost out here in the stars," with no one to light his way or give him warmth. But that’s all past now. Science has introduced us to saros, corona, chromosphere, and a host of other terms; and we know quite a bit about the solar eclipse and when it will occur. It’s all figured out down to the minute of the day. All that’s left to do is to sit back and snicker a little bit at the Medes, Lydians, Greeks, and all the other peoples who sensed ...

2523. The First Council

Acts 15:1-21

Sermon Aid

CSS

... on their divisive agitation. They must have been the instigators of the problems to which Paul refers when he writes to the "foolish Galatians" who were "bewitched" by false teachers who tried to shake their adherence to the doctrine of justification by faith. Quite possibly Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians while he was at the council in Jerusalem, since he would have been unable at that moment to return to Galatia to offset the Judaizing influence of the "men from Judea." Arriving at Jerusalem, the ...

2524. Jailbreak at Midnight

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon Aid

CSS

... make money from her affliction was gone, so they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace. You would think that the owners of the girl would be happy that their servant had been cured and could live a normal life. Quite the contrary! They were not concerned about the girl’s condition, but only about their pocketbooks. Bringing Paul and Silas before the magistrates (these were praetors, Roman officials who ranked below a consul and who were charged with hearing and deciding minor cases ...

2525. Revival at Corinth

Acts 18:1-17

Sermon Aid

CSS

... persecuted throughout all of history, so the action of Claudius constituted only a small incident in this continuing saga. The Roman historian Suetonius says that the reason for the expulsion of the Jews was that disorders had been stirred up by "Chrestus." It is quite possible that this is a misspelling of "Christus" and that the disorders at Rome had been caused by friction between Jews and Christians. Bearing this out is the fact that Paul made no effort to convert Aquila and Priscilla, which leads us to ...

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