Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2576 to 2600 of 4943 results

2576. It’s About Time!

Drama

Sarah Walton Miller

You will recognize the many scriptures on which this skit is based. Suggestion: if this is done in a study group, get some good concordances. Let the students search out the scriptures used. They all relate to time. At stage back, on risers or other levels, are three characters: TIME PAST, TIME PRESENT, TIME FUTURE. Perhaps they are similarly dressed. Downstage left are two high stools. On one is CHRISTIAN-WITH-EXCUSES, on the other NON-CHRISTIAN. At downstage right is a small lectern for the READER. ...

2577. TAX COLLECTOR

Matt. 18:17; Luke 5:27

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Modern taxes are a recent development, but the practice of taxation is an ancient one. The comment, "There is nothing more sure than death and taxes" has won sympathetic agreement down through the ages. Now, certainly, any thinking person will agree that taxes are a necessity of governmental life, but we seldom approve of the methods for collecting such taxes. We are always sure that there just has to be a better way! And this has been the attitude throughout recorded history. Away back at the time of the ...

2578. Divine Alka-Seltzer

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

This sermon’s subject is one of the tough ones; in fact, the toughest: human suffering. What persuades here more than any individual characteristic is that which pervades all - compassion. After first tracing some of his own evasive, hidden, superficial, though genuine response, the preacher then moves to instances of his own and his parishioners’ sufferings which will not budge, unless. Concreteness of language and example - the specifics will not let the listener escape. Suffering can shrink a vision and ...

2579. I've Got a Strong Case of the 'Can't Help Its'

John 1:35-42

Sermon

James W. Moore

One of the great celebrative anthems that comes to us out of African-American culture is the powerful spiritual “Ain’t Got Time To Die.” It was written by Hall Johnson and it has these joyfully dramatic words: “Been so busy praising my Jesus, Been so busy working for the Kingdom, Been so busy serving my Master… Ain’t got time to die. If I don’t praise him, If I don’t serve him, The rocks gonna cry out Glory and honor, glory and honor… Ain’t got time to die.” In this inspiring and wonderful spiritual song, ...

2580. Marriages That Last

Ephesians 5:22-33

Sermon

King Duncan

Liz was sure her boyfriend Martin would make a great husband, especially when she met Martin's parents. "They're so nice to each other," Liz remarked. "It's great how your dad brings your mom coffee in bed every morning." Eventually, Martin and Liz got married. As they were heading for their honeymoon destination, Liz spoke of the loving home they would have, and mentioned once again Martin's father's habit of bringing his wife coffee in bed each morning. Liz asked jokingly, "And does this trait run in the ...

2581. A Service the Church Will Never Forget

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

King Duncan

Churches are funny places. Have you ever noticed that? Burt Kettinger tells about a small church in Rocky River, Ohio, just west of Cleveland where he grew up. This church had a small restroom behind the pulpit with a door right behind the pulpit for the convenience of the pastor. There was also a door on the other side of the restroom that led out to the church parking lot. One day the pastor was waxing eloquent on Rev. 3:20. With great pathos he exclaimed that the Lord is standing at the door of our ...

2582. What About the Weeds?

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

King Duncan

According to Pastor Charles Yoost there is a well-known saying in rural areas in the late summer. The saying is this: “Make sure you lock your car doors when you go into church.” Now in urban areas we are often told to lock our cars even in church parking lots because something might be stolen while we are worshipping, perhaps even the car itself. But there’s an entirely different reason in rural areas. It’s just that when you come out of worship in rural areas, if you have unwittingly left your car ...

2583. Living With Pizzazz

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

What a story! This is the strangest story Jesus ever told! At least it's the strangest one we have in the Bible! There are some other rather strange stories that appear in collections like the Gospel of Thomas. But they didn't make it into the Bible! Think about it! If we're reading this thing correctly, Jesus is telling us to imitate a crook! A downright scoundrel! He cheats on his employer. He lies to his business associates. And yet, says Jesus, here's somebody from whom we need to learn! How could he ...

2584. Things That Make Jesus Angry

John 2:12-25

Sermon

King Duncan

Jesus was a very gentle man. Right? We sing “Fairest Lord Jesus . . .” Or “Gentle Savior Meek and Mild . . .” Jesus was Mr. Nice Guy, the prototype sensitive male. Respectful of women. Loved little children. Kind to his mother. What is he doing, then, in the temple courts during the holiest season of the Jewish year, overturning tables and scattering coins and using a whip, of all things, to drive both people and cattle out of the courtyard? Imagine if someone came into our church and disturbed our service ...

2585. What Really Matters

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The big issue in life is to settle what really matters. If we can decide that, what really matters. If we can be clear about that, then the rest of life will either fall into place or we will be able to cope with it with grace and overcoming strength. My father and mother-in-law have been with us for a few days, they left early this morning. It’s been a good time, and my father-in-law shared with me a funny story the other day that has some relevance to the truth I’m going to try to communicate today. Now ...

2586. The Witness of Being

Genesis 1:1—2:4a

Sermon

James L. Killen

Things are. The world is. The universe, whatever that is, is. I am. You are. That didn't just happen. Some people believe that is the result of an awesome succession of accidents but I just can't believe that. All of this didn't just happen. It must have been the result of some kind of a miracle. And if there was a miracle, there must be some miracle worker. Nothing that Darwin or anyone else has discovered can deny that. As a matter of fact, for those who are perceptive, the discoveries of modern science ...

2587. Out of Conflict

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

James L. Killen

Today, we are going to talk about conflict. How do you feel about conflict? I suspect that most of us don't like it. Yet, conflict is a nearly constant part of life as most of us experience it. It surrounds us in many ways in every aspect of our living. People who believe in God know that they must live through every interaction with life as an interaction with God. One of the big questions that people of faith must answer is: "How can we live through the conflict situations of our lives as interactions ...

2588. The Paraclete Is Not a Bird

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The reason the title of this sermon is, "The Paraclete Is Not a Bird," is because I never met a pun I didn't use. But it needs explanation. A parakeet, you know. It's a cute, little bird. But the word "paraclete" is probably a word you are not familiar with. It is a rather esoteric word. It is a technical term found mostly in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John. We read only a portion of that chapter this morning, but the word "paraclete" appears there several times. It is a Greek word. The New ...

2589. Confused as Pigeons

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It seems that every weekday morning, before tourists and schoolchildren descend on London's Trafalgar Square, city-authorized volunteers toss more than a hundred pounds of bird seed to a swarm of hungry pigeons. Then, four hours later, the city pays for a trained hawk to fly around the square and chase the pigeons away (Wall Street Journal, 11 February 2005). Anyone identify with those poor pigeons? Not since the first century has the Christian church faced a culture as confused and confusing as ours. Just ...

2590. Proper 22

Exodus 20:1-21, Matthew 21:33-46, Philippians 3:1-11, Psalm 19:1-14

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 20:1-20 is the account of the revelation of divine law to Israel that occurred at Mount Sinai. Psalm 19 is a hymn in praise of law. Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 - "The Gift of Law" Setting. The most prominent event in Israel's wilderness journey is the revelation of law at Mount Sinai. After Israel is led out of Egypt in Exodus 15 their initial wilderness journey is described for 3 chapters ( Exodus 16 -18). In Exodus 19:1 the journey stops and the reader is informed that Israel ...

2591. The Sin of Silence

1 John 1:9-10

Sermon

James Merritt

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights?" If you've ever seen a TV show, or a movie, or if you've unfortunately been arrested, you are familiar with what is known as the Miranda warning. Now where does this warning come from? Well, many believe it's not from the Constitution or common law, but it was simply a ...

2592. From a Distance

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Faith requires distance for it to be true faith. No distance, no faith. Most of us know that the technical term for nearsightedness (which, ironically, means we can see things that are near to us but cannot see those that are far away) is myopia. It's a handy word with an interesting sound that wordsmiths such as writers and preachers find highly useful. Not many of us, however, are probably familiar with the medically correct term for the opposite vision condition: farsightedness (that is, the ability to ...

2593. The Five Habits of Highly Spiritual Leaders

1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There are five habits of highly spiritual people: They dream, scheme, team, lean and beam. Business leadership guru Steven Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990) has been on the New York Times bestsellers list for over 220 weeks. It has sold more than four million copies. Corporate America has snapped up Covey's books and tapes and lined up to attend his seminars as though he were offering them secret insider-trading information. So what is Covey selling? The ...

2594. Advent 1

Mark 13:32-37, Mark 13:1-31, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 63:16b-17; 64:1-8 This pericope comes from the third section of Isaiah (chapters 56-66). It was written by an unknown author(s) in the period of 540-500 B.C. The Jews returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile. The exiles find a pathetic situation: Jerusalem is desolate and the temple has been burned to the ground. This passage is a lament and a cry for God to come and help them. The people are despondent and are impatient for God to come and do something about their ...

2595. Life on the Rock

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

James Merritt

If you could take a world-wide poll and ask this question: Who was the greatest spiritual or religious teacher who ever lived? Without question, hands down, I am convinced the winner would be Jesus Christ. There is almost a universal consensus that Jesus was indeed a great, if not the greatest teacher who ever lived. That is exactly the way people who actually heard Him teach felt. Because as we come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we read – "And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that ...

2596. Why Am I So Lonely? (Series: Real Faith For Real People)

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Why am I so lonely? Do you ever ask yourself that question? On Google’s “Lonely Life” website, a lady by the name of Amanda made this entry: “I am living in NYC. I miss my family really bad. My boyfriend dumped me. I lost my job. I am feeling very, very lonely tonight - lonely enough to Google loneliness.” Loneliness is increasing in America. IN 1985, 10% of Americans said they had no close friends. By 2004, that percentage had increased to 24.6%. Loneliness is an epidemic. And I think I know the reason ...

2597. Embracing an Endless Line of Servants

1 Corinthians 3:5-23

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

All the world’s a stage and all men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. And one man in his time plays many parts, said William Shakespeare. The Apostle Paul put it this way: I planted a seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. On this All Saints Sunday, let us consider this stage of life where many have played their parts upon our lives and have made a dramatic difference. What I want to say to you is really contained in two simple statements. We are recipients; we ...

2598. Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief

James 2:1-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There's an old story about two crows sitting on the handles of an old plow, on the edge of the field next to a country road. An old pick up comes bouncing down the road. The pick is just coming back from town and the bed of the truck is filled with a months worth of groceries. As it gets alongside the two crows sitting on the handles of the plow, something bounces out of the back of the truck. Crows being crows, the both fly down to see what it is. After some discussion and some tasting they decide that it ...

2599. Whistling Jesus

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

No one casts a longer shadow throughout the course of one’s life than a mother. Will all our mothers stand? We honor and celebrate you for the sheltering shade of those shadows. Back in the mid‑1950’s Theodor Geisel railed and revolted against the boringly banal primers forced on first time readers. His books, penned under the now famous name of “Dr. Seuss,” transformed reading to our little ones from dull and dreary tales of “Dick and Jane” to the lyrical fun of “The Cat in the Hat.” Adding to this new ...

2600. From Slave to Brother

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

We often shortchange love. We think of it as sweet and sentimental, something that is good for children and family members. We think of love as sort of soft and cuddly, nice in its place, but not very useful in the things that really matter. Do we think of love as tough, transforming, powerful? This little book of Philemon, tucked into the back of the New Testament at the tail end of Paul's letters, teaches us about the potential of love. Thomas Long, who teaches preaching at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, ...

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