Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2526 to 2550 of 2844 results

2526. The Total Gift

Romans 1:1-17

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

It is easy to get so caught up in the sentimentality and nostalgia of Christmas that we neglect the true reason we celebrate. We receive Christmas cards portraying a cute infant Jesus lying in a manger filled with straw. The Baby Jesus is pictured in the center with Mary and Joseph on one side, the shepherds and Magi on the other. We know this scene: animals are in the background, in the distance angels can be seen hovering, as a star shines brightly overhead. However, there is more to Advent and Christmas ...

2527. Lift High the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

There might be times in our lives when we are confused and unsure about what direction to go next. We live in the information age with readily available knowledge literally at our finger tips. There has been more information generated in the last thirty years than during the past 5,000. Having an abundance of information available does not always solve our problems. We are told that to improve our health we should try different foods, new drugs, or vitamin supplements, only to discover a couple of years ...

2528. He Ascended Into Heaven

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

David O. Bales

After John Glenn was the first American astronaut to orbit the earth, he met with the Soviet astronaut Titov. The Russian asked him sarcastically if he had somehow met God in his spaceflight. Glenn responded that he believed in a God that you couldn’t see from the window of a space capsule. And so John Glenn spoke for modern Christians, because when you consider what Christians have believed about God for 2,000 years, the idea that you’d go up in the air and not see God is a modern idea indeed. In the ...

2529. A Man of God

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

King Duncan

It was the day after Christmas. Dad was trying to take a nap, but his young son kept finding ways to interrupt his siesta. Finally the father lost his patience and said sternly, “Go to my room, and go now!” Hearing this, the boy’s mother asked, “Why did you tell him to go to your room and not his?” The father replied: “Are you kidding? Did you see all those Christmas presents the kid received? In his room he has a TV, an iPod, an iPad, an Xbox and 3 new electronic games. If we want to punish him, we have ...

2530. A Faith that Will Bring You Alive

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

King Duncan

Brian Rice of Maple Grove, Minnesota writes that recently his wife asked the question men most dread: “Honey, do you think I look fat in my new dress?” Brian was up to the test. Pointing to what he was wearing, he replied, “Do I look stupid in this shirt?” (1) It’s not easy to be married. Comedian Wendy Liebman says she went through a messy divorce. She says, “My divorce was messy because there was a child involved. My husband.” I expected to hear an “Amen” from some of the women. One of the surprise off- ...

2531. Stuck in Park

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

Tony Everett

Martha had lived alone for several years, except, that is, for her dog, Otto, a three-year-old miniature Shih Tzu. Martha and Otto went everywhere together. Even where dogs were not permitted, Otto was content to wait patiently in the car for Martha to return. One particular sunny afternoon Martha had to make a quick stop at the corner grocery store. As was her custom, Martha rolled down the windows to make sure the inside of the car would be comfortable. Otto curled up on the backseat, and Martha started ...

2532. Soiled Faith and Watered-Down Churches

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Some of us are born with green thumbs — able to water and plant barren landscapes into lush gardens. Some of us are born with gangrene thumbs — unable even to grow a “Chia Pet.” Some people are born with the ability to take things apart and put things back together. They are handy-dandy, fixer-uppers from the get go. But in the most shallow part of the wading area of that “fixer-upper” gene pool, there are those of us who should never be allowed to handle hammers, screwdrivers, or saws. There are those ( ...

2533. Honk If Something Falls Off

Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. Peter Barnes tells about a radio preacher that he listened to while he was in college named the Rev. Apostle J.R. Chambers, Jr. Quite surprisingly for a radio preacher, Chambers had a decided speech impediment. Each week he recited the verse from the Bible on which his entire ministry was based. It was Matthew 5:48, “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Because of his impediment each week the verse came out like this: “Yyyyou must . . . You mmmmust be . . . You must bbbe . . . You ...

2534. Fear of Missing Out

Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Robert Valentine once compared Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft as presidents. He said, “The difference was that when you left Teddy Roosevelt’s presence you were ready to eat bricks for lunch, and when you left Taft you felt what’s the use.” (Felix Frankfurter, Felix Frankfurter Reminisces [1960], 85.) We’re hoping that when you leave church this morning, you’re ready to eat bricks for lunch. But I hope you have something more wholesome. Remember as a kid . . . you didn't want to go to bed while ...

2535. The Voice-activated Life

2 Peter 1:12-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

When parents are trying to teach their very young children basic social skills one of the first big lessons is “Use your words.” Instead of grabbing, hitting, screaming, or crying, we teach our children to communicate their needs and desires through the use of words. Instead of snatching a toy away from another child we teach our kids to say “May I please play with that for a while?” Instead of screaming and throwing a tantrum, we teach our children to say, “I’m really mad,” or “He was mean to me,” or “She ...

2536. A Prayer for Persecuted Christians Everywhere

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In elementary school we all learned the ditty: “In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Convinced by Christopher Columbus that a new, faster route to the rich spice regions of India could be found by sailing east instead of south, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain financed an exploratory mission for this new route. Instead of India, Columbus found the New World — the lands that lay across the Atlantic ocean from Europe. In the long run it was a very good deal for ...

2537. Pastor, Don't Talk About That!

Romans 6:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

It is very difficult to reconcile the attitudes of modern day society, including modern day church goers, with the teachings of the Gospel. For example, in a recent survey of church goers, a majority of those surveyed said that the church is very important, but a majority of that majority said, and I quote, “the church should never try to influence my thought or behavior.” (1) That’s a bit worrisome. “The church should never try to influence my thought or behavior.” That means many of you want me in my ...

2538. Envision: The Great Commission

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

James Merritt

I am absolutely convinced after having lived my life to this point, that there is nothing more powerful than a vision. Every great institution, every great invention, every great innovation known to the human race has been the result of somebody’s vision. This past month we have asked you to envision a church filled with followers of Christ, who give everything they have and everything they are to doing three things 24/7: Love God, Serve Others, sharing Jesus. It all begins with loving God. We have learned ...

2539. Up Close & Personal: Drawing Near

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

James Merritt

There is no substitute for 20/20 vision whether it is corrected or uncorrected. Everybody wants to be able to see everything. That is true, not just in the physical world, but that is true in the spiritual world. There is nothing like getting “up close and personal” with God and seeing Him in HD and hearing Him in surround-sound. We are in a series we are calling “Up Close & Personal,” because that is the kind of relationship we can have with God. God sent His son to remove every barrier, tear down every ...

2540. Prison Theology: Bait and Bail

Philippians 1:12-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In a world more inclined to take up the sword than take up the cross, let’s begin today with a recognition of the power of the cross, the most recognizable symbol of Christianity. When you think of Islam you think of a crescent, even though technically Islam does not have a symbol – the crescent is the symbol of Pakistan. But still, when you think of Islam, you think crescent. When you think of Judaism, you think star of David. When you think of Christianity, you think . . . cross. The Logos has a logo ...

2541. An Announcement about Our Future

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

King Duncan

The Reverend Richard L. Pearson at one time served the Crescent Park United Methodist Church in Sioux City, Iowa. For several years that church had a living nativity scene. On one particular night it was Pastor Dick’s job, along with a man who had a pick‑up truck, to get a pregnant ewe, which was bedded down in the parsonage garage, to the church. They went to get her about a half hour before performance time. Due to her delicate condition they carefully lifted her into the bed of the truck, and Dick rode ...

2542. Still Surprised After Christmas

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

David J. Kalas

The Christmas story is so familiar to us and to our people that we may no longer see it clearly. Specifically, I wonder if we can fathom how full of surprises was that event — and the days preceding it — for Joseph and Mary. Between the two Christmas accounts (both Matthew and Luke offer versions of the story), we see both Joseph and Mary having angelic visitations and communications. Likewise, the shepherds outside of Bethlehem and Zechariah in the temple were visited by angels. Assuming such appearances ...

2543. Why Matter Matters

2 Peter 3:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The 1935 comedy “A Night at the Opera,” starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx, has been given the honor of being selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. A smash hit at the box office, “A Night at the Opera” was the first film the Marx Brothers made after Zeppo left the act, and the first film they made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after leaving Paramount Pictures. There is a moment in the film when Groucho Marx, in the character Driftwood, says, “It’s all ...

2544. A Watery Grave

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

David J. Kalas

A photograph of the earth from outer space reveals how much of our world is water. Indeed, that cosmic view prompted folks to refer to the Earth a “blue marble in space.” Scientists report that approximately seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. Genesis, meanwhile, reports an occasion when 100 percent of the Earth’s surface was covered with water. This is the familiar story of Noah and the flood. Archaeologists have discovered other ancient flood narratives that bear striking ...

2545. A Personal History

John 18:1—19:42

Sermon

David J. Kalas

A junior high school student sits down with his world history textbook, and he wonders what all this stuff has to do with him. Clearly, people like Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Charlemagne, and Napoleon had a great impact on the world in which they lived, but what do the Rubicon and Waterloo have to do with that thirteen-year-old American boy? When he gets to senior high school, that same student may find a greater sense of relevance in his American history textbook. It is easier for him to see the ...

2546. Personal History

John 18:1-11

Sermon

David J. Kalas

2547. When You Drop the Ball, What Next?

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There are two things we absolutely crave in our lives: predictability and spontaneity. We crave the comfort of predictability. We work long and hard to grow life in a steady job, a certain career, a consistent source of income. We earn degrees, save money, buy insurance, invest for retirement. We have a home, a family, a schedule, which gives structure and meaning to our days and nights. We build our lives on the secure foundation of predictability. But conversely, we also crave spontaneity. We hunger for ...

2548. Peacemaker

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

James Merritt

Every Christmas I ask myself a question that I bet you ask too. “What will I get this year that I can’t use, don’t need, or would love to pass on next year to someone else?” Most of us if we’re honest have “regifted something to someone else that we didn’t want. I confessed last week I have and most of you have too. We are in a series we are calling “regifted.” One of the things we are learning as we look at the Christmas story is that some things are worth regifting—the gift is just too good to keep to ...

2549. What Do You See?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

A businessman was returning to the U.S. from Asia and had a connecting flight in Iran. After deboarding the plane he stopped by the bathroom. After washing his hands he looked down to realize his bag had been stolen. That is a problem for anyone, but for him it was a disaster, because his wallet and passport were in it. He rushed out into the terminal to see if he could spot someone running away, but he found no one. He was relieved that at least he was traveling with a co-worker, but his supposed friend ...

2550. To the Rescue

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

James Merritt

Some of you may remember the most famous advice communist of all time. Her name was Ann Landers. For decades, her answers to every question you could imagine from all over the country was read in hundreds of newspapers. Her byline “Dear Ann”, became famous all over the world. Towards the end of her career, she sat down for an interview with NBC and she was asked this question, “Of all the questions you have received over all of your years what is the most frequent question you have been asked?” Her answer ...

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