Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2576 to 2600 of 3926 results

2576. You Can Know What to Do With Your Life

Proverbs 3:5-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... Me. Only when you trust Me will I direct you. II. Identify God's Thinking Initially The next piece of advice is, "Lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5, NASB) The word there for "lean" is the Hebrew word, "shan-ann" which literally means to "support yourself by leaning on something or someone else." It is pretty obvious if you think about it, why Solomon would say this, because the very first thing all of us tend to do when we are facing a big decision is this - we really ask ourselves, "What ...

2577. When Nothing Is Sacred

Isaiah 6:1-8

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... kids, and have a life. Ray was a modern, conflicted character who sometimes questioned the existence of God and how to preach his word in today's world. The show, which by the way was created by a Catholic priest, was opposed by some Catholic groups and supported by others. But in my opinion, despite the show's name, Nothing Sacred, it did far more than most of the portrayals of religion on television to affirm that there are things that are sacred. On this show, unlike the Father Dowling Mysteries of a few ...

2578. The God of War and Peace

1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... CBS, NBC, and ABC television news. The latter network even flew in a news crew to interview the hymnal editor. Between mid-May, when the deletion was announced, and July 1, the committee's office received over 11,000 pieces of mail, of which only 44 supported the committee's decision. So many phone calls came in about the matter that the staff was forced to make their outgoing calls on pay phones in the lobby. Many of the denomination's annual conferences meeting that June could not even proceed with their ...

2579. The Underlying Mercy

Job 1:1, 2:1-10

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... raging waters. Regrettably, stories of families perishing in floods, house fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other disasters are not that unusual, but in this particular case, the surviving father made some remarkable faith statements to the press and those who gathered to support him following the crushing loss. By all reports, this was a solid, loving, faith-filled family. According to a neighbor who talked to Mr. Rogers, as the water rose in the car, the parents tried to keep the children calm by praying ...

2580. Putting God to Work in Your Life through Peas, Squash, Lettuce, Thyme

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , and abandoned teenagers found joy and purpose in their lives as they put the divine to work and planted peas . . . peas of mind, peas of heart, peas of soul, and in planting peas they learned to trust each other, depend on each other, support one another. The next thing way these girls put God to work in their lives was to, no groaning now, “Plant four rows of squash” Squash gossip Squash indifference Squash grumbling Squash selfishness Before Jesus revealed the true nature of his messianic mission ...

2581. If You Really Want to Be Number One

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... hitchhikers, they may knock us on the head; we don’t stop to help someone with a medical emergency because we might get sued; we don’t want to give the homeless man any money because he is going to spend it on drink anyway. We don’t want to support people on welfare because they shouldn’t have had all those babies in the first place. Now to be sure, there may a grain of truth to some of these rationalizations, but the hard truth of our lives is that we would much rather be served than to serve to ...

2582. Woe to the Blessed

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... have and everything that I don't have, everything that I am and everything that I am not, I bring to you." And you say, "Preacher, that sounds great, but I can't enter a convent. I can't join a monastery. I have bills to pay, a family to support, and a life to live! Don't talk to me about that kind of stuff. I can't live up to it. Life is not meant to be a joyless parade," and you are exactly right. In fact, the Talmud, a commentary on Jewish Scriptures, says, "We will be brought ...

2583. The Two Prodigals

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... forgive his once-decadent brother. But, wait a minute. Wouldn't you be angry, too? Dumb-dumb little brother threw away what his family had accumulated for him. He displayed disdain for the very people, especially his father, who had loved him and supported him. What does anyone owe this degenerate? Oh, yes, unquestionably yes, there is a legitimate point provided here. It would take many adjectives with strong negative tones to describe this guy. When we apply a common standard of fair play, this hedonistic ...

2584. A Frightening Friday

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... we have all been tempted to betray somebody. The evil one tells us that is not the way something should be and we are led into a trap. To correct the situation, the evil spirit skillfully sells us on betraying someone we have loved and supported. So, the question becomes one of accepting or rejecting the bait made to look necessary for all concerned. Simon Peter showed his cowardice. Peter invariably seemed to get the attention of the gospel writers. He was the dominant apostle, regardless of whether he was ...

2585. Compassion Can Do More Than You May Think

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

... Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep' " (Luke 7:13). Spontaneously and without so much as a thought, Jesus' heart goes out to this woman. Jesus knows that she has not only lost her only son, but also the sole means of support in her old age. Later, on the cross, Jesus will repeat a similar act of compassion with his own mother. He will turn to John, the disciple, and make sure that John will look after Mary when he's gone. As the funeral procession passes by, so moved is ...

2586. How Not to Become Distracted

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

... really what Jesus meant. What he meant to say was something like this. "There are different ways to serve the Lord. We all have various talents to offer. We need both Marys and Marthas in the church." And we do. It's just that this is not the scripture to support that. There are others, to be sure, but this is not one of them. What I do not want us to overlook, however, is that Jesus is just as concerned about Martha as he is Mary. But not in the way Martha may think. Jesus is more concerned about Martha ...

2587. Prayer - What’s in It for You?

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... the Pharisees. Although they, like later Christians, believed in the resurrection of the dead, the similarities pretty much end at that point of agreement. Much like strong religious figures of our own time, the Pharisees and their scribes enjoyed a good deal of popular support. In one way, this is surprising, since the Pharisees kept pretty much to themselves. They always seemed to be ready to criticize others for not keeping the laws, and they often looked down on those who showed no interest in God's Law ...

2588. The End of Time

Luke 21:5-19

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... much to the disciples as it did to anyone else. Every church, from time to time, needs to "clean the rolls." It is always a difficult task and one without many rewards. Sometimes it is hard to hear why people stop attending worship and why they stop supporting the church in other ways, as well. Generally churches have by-laws or a constitution to guide them in this process. There are several ways to approach the job. One is to send out a letter asking the member what he or she intends in terms of continuing ...

2589. Triumphing over Obstacles

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... jungle was a lush tropical paradise with plenty of fresh water and edible fruit. It was a place where one could live with relative ease. What Spencer discovered, however, was that the jungle was neutral; it was not preset to destroy him, nor was it structured to support him. He learned that his survival was based completely on the amount of effort he put into his survival. Spencer was able to make the jungle the environment he wanted it to be. Often people say the world is a jungle, but is it? As Spencer ...

2590. Standing Tall in the Lord

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... be nonnegotiable in our life. If prayer is central, we can keep our focus on Christ. We must use the community of faith to assist us as well. The community must make the commitment, as individuals and a collective, to seek out the lost, guide the wayward, and provide support to fight the battles we all face. We must seek guidance from the scriptures and use them as our rule of life. In short, as Paul suggests in a passage in Phesians: "Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against ...

2591. God’s Grammar

Galatians 3:23-29

Sermon

John Jamison

... places where they hung out, and had the nerve to even touch them, was just too far beyond the comprehension of our good collection of disciples. Of course, they knew about Romans. Every Jew knew about the Romans. Unless you were a Sadducee, making a good living in support of the Roman authority, there was not one positive word in the entire Jewish vocabulary that could be used to describe a Roman. That one group of Jews, known as the Zealots, had as their number one goal in life to take the life of a Roman ...

2592. Something to Whistle About

Colossians 1:1-14

Sermon

John Jamison

... who have been there for him. He has spent time running from mobs, defending himself from other church members who were threatening to destroy everything he had created, and had already spent more than enough time in prison. Throughout it all, the Colossians had supported him, cared for him, listened to him, and truly followed him. That created a warmness in Paul that he found almost nowhere else. The point is, my friends, that sometimes, like the Colossians, we do it right. Sometimes, in the midst of all of ...

2593. We Are One in Christ

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... for the future, the government has been taking care of the poor and the disenfranchised. While the church has been talking about sin and pointing fingers at those who live in the shadows of society, AA groups and mental health agencies have been providing counseling and support groups to provide a lifeline to those who might otherwise be lost. It is no wonder society looks upon the church as something frivolous today. The church is a place to have your wedding or a place to go to when someone you know dies ...

2594. The 300th American

Mark 10:17-31

Illustration

... , it is also a time to reflect on what our obligations are as individuals blessed with the ability to feed and clothe ourselves. Many of us live in cities and towns which include neighbors who need help to make ends meet. Are we doing everything we can to offer support where it is necessary? What are our obligations to our own nation's poor and to the world's? Are we living up to these obligations? These are daunting questions and we can feel sympathy for the young rich ruler in Mark's Gospel, but we should ...

2595. Saying Nothing at All

Mark 10:17-31

Illustration

William G. Carter

... said absolutely nothing at all." It is tempting to keep silent in the church when it comes to money. We dance around the issue with large, general steps. The church talks in generalities about the electric bill, the rising cost of church school curricula, and mission projects worthy of our support. Those are worthy topics of conversation. That's usually where the conversation remains with the list of the good services the church provides. Any actual mention of money seems distasteful.

2596. Service

Mark 10:35-45

Illustration

James W. Moore

Have you heard the beautiful children's story about the three trees? The trees were talking in the forest one day about their dreams for the future. The first tree said it would like to be made into a cradle, so that it might go on living as a support for the fragile life of a tiny new baby. The second tree wanted to be made into a big ship, so that it might go on living, carrying important cargo and influential people to exotic new lands. The third tree longed to stay right where it was, existing only as ...

2597. A Prayer for a Unity of Love

Illustration

Thomas Lane Butts

... of religious spokespersons who are absolutely certain about everything and who leave no room for the essential element of mystery in the human quest to know God. It is often difficult to know who is right and who is wrong in the noisy den of competition for support in public religion. But there is a way to avoid having to struggle with these two slippery labels of who is right and who is wrong. Just make sure you are on your journey the journey for which you came into the world. While it is true there ...

2598. Having a Life Purpose

Mark 10:35-45

Illustration

... the worst of circumstances. Frankl, who survived the Nazi concentration camps, described how prisoners who felt they had nothing to live for succumbed, while those who perceived themselves as having a mission to complete, struggled to survive. Deprived of all external supports that might give life meaning, these survivors came to realize that, in Frankl's words, "It did not really matter what we expected of life, but rather what life expected from us." Their sense of an inner purpose pulled them through ...

2599. The Boy Grows Up

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... believes that kids can do anything they set their minds to. Jason helped care for trees, became a tree-planting supervisor, did data entry, ran errands, responded to children's letters, and even assisted with fundraising. He wrote the cover letter in support of a government grant for $63,000, which Tree Musketeers received. Jason's first speaking engagement was to city council. Everyone cheered as he finished, and the mayor said he expected Jason to hold his office in the future. Jason was elected ...

2600. Sowing Eternal Seeds

Isaiah 55:10-13

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... , where we are given dominion over creation. Recycling cans, glass, and paper on an earth that is becoming an extensive pile of waste matter is one expression of that responsibility. Driving less and purchasing more gas-efficient automobiles is another. Supporting legislation that leads to clean air and fresh water is still another. Protecting and enhancing this earth may require changes in our lifestyles. When we plow our fields, fill our gas tanks, set our thermostats, and choose between paper or plastic ...

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