Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2526 to 2550 of 3852 results

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... what the young lovers hoped for. It is a theme as old as humanity. What's your name? Who do you think you are? There was an old African-American gospel song, which I first heard sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary, but which turns out to have had its origin clear back in times of slavery: There's a man going around taking names. There's a man going around taking names. He took my father's name, And he left my heart in pain. There's a man going around taking names. There's a man going around taking ...

2527. I Went Down to the River to Pray

Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... what God has chosen about us, and his word about us is always, "child of the covenant...." That is one reason baptism matters. Scholars remind us that in Genesis,1 the opening of that great first book of the Bible is no abstract statement about the origin of the universe. Genesis was committed to writing around the sixth century BC, and was addressed to despairing people, exiled in Babylon, words telling of the God who comes to them, who can make what is good out of what is chaotic. Scripture gives voice to ...

2528. Weed and Feed

Sermon

John Smylie

... of the plants I had just trimmed was a gift from a friend. It was green and it was growing tall and it looked like a weed to me. She then proceeded to tell me that the plant was growing better than it ever had. She hadn't noticed my original unintentional pruning job. But because of cutting back the plant, it now had grown fuller and thicker than it ever had been before. She then took me over to the plant and showed me how well it was growing while also educating me in a way so that I wouldn ...

2529. Tough Talk for Tentative Disciples

John 6:56-69

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... outset, Brown claimed that his book had merit in its historical accuracy. In fact, it is nothing more than a speculative novel in the style of so many before it, written by one who rejects the claims of Christ and of the ancient scriptures. Moreover, it is not original in its attacks on the gospel. Rather, it is one of the latest volumes in a long list of heretical writings. There are others among the crowd who seem blind to truth no matter how obvious it is. They see and benefit from Christ's miracle with ...

2530. The Heart of the Matter Is the Heart!

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... their hands and then dry them with a cloth. Nevertheless, being seen going through the ritual is very important to them because the tradition of ceremonial washing was passed down orally from one generation to the next for perhaps a thousand years. Originally, this washing began because the Pharisees of old felt a need to rid themselves of any defilement they might have received from their contact with the "dirty" Gentiles when they visited the marketplace. For many, cultural tradition has become the master ...

2531. The Inconcealable Christ!

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

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Micah even revealed the place, "Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" (Micah 5:2). The angel Gabriel came to Mary while she was still a virgin and told her she was the one whom God had chosen for the most vital of missions: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power ...

2532. The Great Inescapable Question of Eternity

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... .' " That was Steve Jobs speaking about attempts to get Atari and Hewlett-Packard interested in a computer model later called Apple! Imagine, computer giants like Atari and Hewlett-Packard missed it! In1876, an internal memo circulated among Western Union executives. It originated with the head of that company and read in part, "The so-called ‘telephone' device is a fad. It has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value." Fred Smith ...

2533. Oh, The Things We Worry About!

Matthew 6:25-33

Sermon

... just laid him on the garage floor for you. Have you found him yet?" Like I said, we each have our Thanksgiving disasters. It occurs to me that we have come a long way since that first Thanksgiving Day. You probably remember the story on Thanksgiving's origin. In 1620, a boatload of 110 people left Holland for the New World and freedom. Forty-four of them were religious, so they were referred to as "the saints." The other 66 were not at all religious, so they were called "the strangers." But together, these ...

2534. Faith vs. Good Works

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... make that step. We need help. We need God's grace in order to respond by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving offerings, and praying to God. Augustine seemed to correct the ladder theology of Pelagius by understanding human nature, the bound will and original sin. Then people began asking the question, "Just how do you get the grace to climb the ladder?" Over time, the church taught that grace was dispensed by the church. The church had the power to grant or withhold that grace. If you paid your ...

2535. The Season of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

... be reminded of the primary relationship in our lives. We have this opportunity to return to the Lord our God. The words from 2 Corinthians clearly set the theme: "On behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (5:20b). The word "reconciled" is an interesting one. Originally, it was actually an accounting term, a word used in the business of currency exchange. We still use it in that way when we talk about reconciling finances, meaning we need to account for what has been saved and spent and the numbers need to ...

2536. The Width and Depth of God’s Grace

Romans 6:3-5, 1 Peter 3:18-22

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

... other dead people, not just to visit, but to share the good news with them. This doctrine is one that the church has taught for a long time. The wording of the Apostles' Creed says, "He descended to the dead." If you've ever wondered where that idea originated, it came from 1 Peter. Peter's letter was written in a time when Christians were convinced the end was rapidly approaching. Soon Jesus would be returning and it would all be over. That meant that time was running out; there wasn't going to be time to ...

2537. On The Night When He Was Betrayed

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

... 's words about eating and drinking in an unworthy manner to heart. Despite the fact that Paul was speaking to a particular church that was having a particular problem in the way its people celebrated holy communion, he still gives us a picture of the sacrament in its original context. Our Lord Jesus took bread, he gave thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body broken for you." He took the cup and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood." He did this "on the night when he was betrayed." It was ...

2538. Flesh and Spirit

Romans 8:12-17

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... connected in the church for a long time, however. The strongest connection was made by the most influential theologian in the history of the church since Paul — an African named Augustine. Augustine connected sinfulness with sexuality. He asserted that original sin was passed from one generation to the next through sexual intercourse. Ever since then, Christians have tended to portray sinfulness in its most powerful form as sexuality, and thus "flesh" and "sex" came to be synonymous. For Paul, however ...

2539. The Vision of God

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... . Again, Paul shifts the ground on us — he suggests that our focus should not be on the nature of the thorn but on its meaning for Paul, and he suggest that it has at least three levels of meaning for him — and for us. Paul understands first that the origin of his thorn is God. It is a way to keep him humble, as a shield to protect Paul from some of the detrimental effects of his powerful ego. Paul senses that his suffering from this thorn ultimately comes from God (even if it is administered by Satan ...

2540. The Ear, the Tongue, and the Temper: A Lesson in Spiritual Anatomy

James 1:17-27

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

... blessed our lives? Think twice before you speak, and then stop to reconsider. This high dignity that we are given as Christians, the greatest of the gifts that come from above, the gift of speech, carries with it obligations. Christians must live up to their heavenly origin. The first test comes in speech. The writer of Proverbs says: "He who guards his mouth preserves his life. He who opens wide his lips comes to ruin" (Proverbs 13:3 cf). Finally, Be slow to anger. An old rabbi is credited with the saying ...

2541. Make a 119 Call

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... follow him “day by day.” “Following” is a series of small steps, one after another, over the entire course of our lives. There is a heated exchange between Franny and Zooey (1961) in J.D. Salinger’s novel of the same name, stories which appeared originally in the New Yorker. Franny has tried every gimmick and guru around to produce within her heart a sense of the presence of God. Zooey makes fun of her antics, and uncovers the solution to her problem: “if it’s the religious heart you want, you ...

2542. Jesus Would Do What?

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... I missing?” (6) When St. Paul looked at Jesus, the first thing he saw was Christ’s humility. Do you understand how important humility is to anyone who would do something of lasting value? Christian thinkers have always rated Pride, or hubris, to be the original and most serious of the seven deadly sins, and the source of the other sins. Why? Because pride leads invariably not only to the swelling of one’s own ego, but also the loathing of others. Dictators rule from pride; leaders lead from humility ...

2543. Whose Birthday Is It Anyway?

Matthew 24:36-51

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... 2: A man owned a mouse that could talk, sing, and play the piano. One day he put the mouse up for sale along with a talking bird for $10,000. A buyer came. The owner agreed to sell the two together. When the deal was done, the original owner said, “I sure tricked him. That bird couldn’t talk, it was only a ventriloquist mouse.” (Players cry as scene fades.) Narrator: All in all, it was a strange sort of place. Now on Jason’s birthday, as usual, the unusual happened. Jason’s grandparents came from ...

2544. Prepare: An Advent Play

Matthew 24:36-51

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... “Prepare The Royal Highway”) Santa: (describes some new Christmas items that are current bestsellers while John is singing) Well, I see my bag is almost empty. I wonder if I’m missing anything. John: This is ridiculous! You ought to know better, Santa. Why your origin and roots go back to Saint Nicholas that kindly, generous bishop of Myra. He was a Christian. You don’t prepare for Christmas simply by seeing how many gifts you can buy or lights you can put up on your house or place of business. It ...

2545. Get the Monkey off Your Back

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... .” Perhaps not physical violence but the arts of hurtful gossip, general nastiness, and spiteful meanness, as they are being played out over the air waves. The overwhelming message from these shows: “You will be popular if you are nasty and mean.” Unlike the original soaps, these shows are not modern day morality plays because the “good guy” doesn’t win. The “baddest guy” does. One of the most popular songs today is by Foster the People. It’s a sweet tune with an upbeat rhythm that goes by ...

2546. Baptism: The Light Shatters the Darkness

Genesis 1:1-5

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... be stunted. The world would have never existed. Baptism, the premier sacrament that unites us as Christians, is a celebration of one's movement from the darkness into the light. When we are born we enter into the human community — our family, national origin, racial background, and ethnic sensibility. While, as the book of Genesis says, we are made in the image and likeness of God, still something significant is missing from human birth alone. Baptism supplies what we need. We no longer are simply members ...

2547. The Renewal of Life

Isaiah 43:18-25

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... away to the delight of all who passed by. The tree learned that it was necessary to move on, not to dwell on the past, but rather to place one's faith in the future. If the tree had concentrated on what happened with the first blow from the original carver, that first mistake, it would never have become a beautiful object to behold. Similarly, God, through the prophet Isaiah, tells the Hebrews in exile and all of us by extension that we must move beyond the past and look to the future. God looks at us today ...

2548. Troubled Waters

Genesis 9:8-17

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... others here, on any subject desired." The man from Johnstown said, "I think I'll talk on the Johnstown flood." Saint Peter replied, "I think it's all right but I'd better warn you; Noah will be in the audience." The story of Noah's ark has its origins in ancient history, but the story itself did not take on its present form in the literature of the Hebrews until the time of a literary renaissance during the reigns of David and Solomon about 1000 BC. The writers of the story seem to have recast an ancient ...

2549. Hope Lifted Up

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... the temple. Encouraged by the prophet Micah, Hezekiah wanted to restore and strengthen the monotheistic religion of his forefathers. The veneration of such a "graven image" was inconsistent with the worship of the one God, the God of Abraham and Moses. No one knew the origin of the thing. Hezekiah didn't research the matter. He ordered that the snake be destroyed. That was the end of idol worship on the side within the very walls of the temple. Much later, some Jewish rabbis took the dusty case records out ...

2550. Finding the Right House for God

2 Samuel 7:1-14a

Sermon

William J. Carl, III

... son, the one we Christians call the Christ, the one who is of "the house and lineage of David." He will be the fulfillment of God's promise to David. So, you see, finding and building the right house for the Lord is not as easy as we might have originally thought. Why? Because we aren't the ones doing the building. God is the chief builder all along. But who is really surprised to hear that? Amen.

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