Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2601 to 2625 of 4933 results

2601. Abraham Justified by Faith

Romans 4:1-25

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

Abraham as the Model of Faith Chapter 4 is a test case of righteousness by faith. In 3:21–31 Paul presented a position statement on salvation through faith in Christ’s sacrifice of atonement. In chapter 4 he sends the class to the laboratory, as it were, to test that thesis. Here we find the compressed and nuclear thesis of 3:21–31 developed in the discursive style of Jewish midrash. Midrash was the name given to a form of rabbinic exposition in ancient Palestine which sought to penetrate the meaning of ...

2602. God Outwits Us

Psalm 31:1-24

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Many of you know the name, Brother Lawrence. If you have not read his book The Practice of the Presence of God, you have probably heard a preacher or teacher speak of Brother Lawrence. He served in the kitchen of his monastery and said he experienced the presence of God as clearly in washing pots and pans as in the Blessed Sacrament. Though known as Brother Lawrence, his name was Nicholas Herman. He was born into a peasant family in Lorraine, France, in 1611. At the age of eighteen, he awakened to the ...

2603. God Is the Hound of Heaven

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Students of American history have always been fascinated by the life and career of the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe, as his Kentucky and Illinois peers knew him, is the subject of history lessons from primary school through graduate school education. Lincoln was the stereotypical backwoodsman who felt the call to public service on local, state, and national levels. He became well known for his anti-slavery political and moral stance and saw his goal as president to ...

2604. The Keys to Effective Praying

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to begin with a true but incredible story. Back in September 1996 a man named Edouardo Sierra, a citizen of Spain, was on a business trip to Sweden. He was driving through the Swedish countryside when he came upon a Catholic church. He decided to stop in for a few moments to say a prayer. The church was empty except for a coffin with a body lying at rest inside it. Edouardo decided to take a few moments to stop and pray for the man who lay in the coffin. Then he signed a book of remembrance left by ...

2605. Reconciliation

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Burton F. Blair

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deseive for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Luke 23: ...

2606. The Agony of Defeat

2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Kings 15:5

Sermon

James Merritt

He was elected on his first try as a United States Congressman. He was elected on his first try as a United States Senator. At 39, he became one of the youngest men elected as Vice President of the United States. He went on to be elected as President of the United States, and then re-elected in the third largest landslide in U. S. history. But that is not how you remember him. I can say just one word, and everyone now, and probably for centuries, will know instantly who is being spoken of. The word is ...

2607. Finding Faith In Unlikely People

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

One of the continuing delights of life is the joy of the unexpected. Highly scheduled as we are, and rigorously regimented, occasionally we are extraordinarily pleased with interruption and variation. When out-of-town friends turn up unannounced, rather than having scheduled themselves weeks in advance, we experience a certain excitement. How pleasant to have a business deal grow into undreamed proportions. What joy in having a surprise verdict from judge and jury. What a thrill to see surgery and ...

2608. Final Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Generally speaking, the report brought by Timothy concerning the church in Thessalonica was most heartening, and when Paul heard it, he offered thanks to God for their faith and love, for their hard work and hope. But in some respects there was room for improvement. Of particular concern was the relationship between the leaders of the church and the other members. Due perhaps to a restlessness provoked by uncertainty about the Parousia or by some other factor (see disc. on 4:11; 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6–13 and ...

2609. A Man Under Authority / A Centurion's Faith, An Elder's Love

Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Let it be done for you according to your faith.” Props: Centurion helmet or any military helmet and stick Hope pulls you forward. Faith pushes you forward. Love keeps you moving forward. A story recently made the news whereby a visitor from Israel to the US had a serious heart condition, and needed a heart transplant immediately or he would die. He was older than the recommended age for surgery, and had multiple other medical conditions that made any surgery problematic. Only two specialists in the world ...

2610. Something To Brag About

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

King Duncan

You already know the story, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded. The second and third Presidents of the United States were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. These men were good friends in their youth, but after Adams was replaced by Jefferson, political disagreements separated them and they never saw each other again. They were eventually reconciled in the last 14 years of their lives and exchanged many affectionate letters. When John Adams died at the age of 91, his last words were, "Thomas Jefferson still ...

2611. Walk By Faith Not By Sight

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

This sermon covers Philippians 1: 1-6 and II Corinthians 5 1-7. Barbara Brockhoft tells us that a few years ago in DeKalb County down in Georgia, a school had a mock drill as a part of the Civil Defense program. In the test drill there was a fourth grade boy who was chosen to be "hit". He was listed as one of the casualties. In the mock test he was struck down by glass, debris and rubble. An ambulance was to be called to the elementary school where the test was conducted, and at the call of the ambulance, ...

2612. On the Ropes: Round 3 - Defending God

Habakkuk 3:1-19

Sermon

James Merritt

It is a man that I have never heard of before until I came across his name preparing this final message in Habakkuk. You would know him very well if you were a devote Anglican or if you knew very much about South Africa. He was the founder of the South African Mission Society. An Englishman, he felt the call of God to go to an unreached tribe in one of the most remote parts of the world to preach the Gospel in the middle of the 19th Century. Alan Gardiner set sail in 1851 with five other missionaries. ...

2613. Trouble Brewing In The Kitchen

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Graham M. Bingham

A distraught woman tried many times to contact her minister only to discover that it was his day off. She made contact with him the next day and scolded him severely. "Pastor, I needed you yesterday," she said, "and you were not there for me. You have let me down. I cannot believe you would take a day off when so many people like me need you." Then she added, "The devil never takes a day off." The minister, a little irritated and with tongue in cheek, responded, "And if I didn't take a day off I would be ...

2614. How to Love God

Matthew 22:34-46

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

In the rock opera Jesus Christ: Superstar, Mary Magdalene sings, "I don't know how to love him." You see, Christ had saved Mary from prostitution and demonic possession, and now she wanted to live to please Jesus, to offer him her lifelong devotion. But how could she express her love? In her earlier years she had easily known how to please men. But Jesus was different. What did he want from her? How could she serve him? Isn't Mary like most of us? Here we are saved and wanting to be devoted to God, but not ...

2615. Personal Accountability

Ezekiel 18:1-32, Ezekiel 19:1-14

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

The introductory formula The word of the LORD came to me in 18:1, and the concluding formula declares the Sovereign LORD in 18:32, clearly demarcate the first unit of this section. Unconventional, but equally clear, markers set off the second unit, 19:1–14. In 19:1 the Lord commands the prophet: “Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel.” The final verse of the chapter repeats this identification: “This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.” The common theme connecting the sermon in chapter ...

2616. Focusing On The Possibilities

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. Robert Schuller, who is known for his emphasis on positive thinking or possibility thinking as he calls it, tells about a man he once met on a flight to Los Angeles. The man was a mathematician named George Dantzig. Schuller made the observation to Dantzig that this was the first time it had occurred to him that there was a field of endeavor to which positive thinking didn't apply. Mathematical problems have only one right answer, so they can't be affected in any way by how a person thinks. Dantzig ...

2617. Jumping through Hoops

Acts 11:1-18

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a place where the old ways matter. The Amish still ride their buggies up and down the green hills. Most churches have spires, and they frame the landscape with the proclaimed piety of their people. Change comes slowly. Sometimes that's good, especially when we're talking about the basics of the faith. Sometimes that's bad. Like when people refuse to change the little things. A lot of the churches, especially the Plain People like the Amish, Brethren, and Mennonite, ...

2618. A Chance To Start Over

John 8:3-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

In the movie, "With Honors," Joe Pesci plays Simon Wilder a homeless man slowly dying from asbestos poisoning. Brendan Fraser portrays Montgomery 'Monty' Kessler, who is a student at Harvard who has reluctantly befriended Simon. In one of their conversations Simon pulls out a leather pouch and says, "There it is. That's it, my life." He dumps a bunch of stones out in his hand, picks up one and says, "I got this one on a beach in Bali. Best night's sleep I ever had." Monty asks, "You remember one night of ...

2619. Good Works Will Not Save You!

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Jesus was still in the middle of his farewell discourse to his disciples. He was trying to comfort the despair that they were feeling when they had first heard the news (during the last supper) that Jesus would be leaving them (John 13:21, 33; 14:1). He had comforted them with the good news that he was on the way to God the Father, that in associating with Jesus, the disciples had been in fellowship with the Father (John 14:6-11). Whoever believed in him, Jesus said, would be able to do the works that he ...

2620. When Mountains Are Not Moved

Mark 11:20-25 (26)

Sermon

James McCormick

I read the story in the newspaper. Over a period of two years, a young man wrote over 700 love letters to his sweetheart, each one proposing marriage. His persistence finally brought results. She married the mailman who delivered all the letters! Life is often like that, isn’t it? We want something so badly we can taste it. We dream about it, we pray for it, we work to get it, but it doesn’t come. We all know the disappointment of that, don’t we? The disappointment of dreams unfulfilled…of prayers ...

2621. Take Your Job and Love It

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A company president was addressing her employees: “I know you’ve all heard that we’re going to be automated,” she said, “and you’re worried that these robots will take over your jobs. Well, I’m happy to tell you that not only will no one be laid off, but you will only be required to come to work one day a week for a full week’s pay. That’s right, you’ll only have to work on Wednesdays but you’ll still receive your full salary!” And then a voice piped up from the back of the room. Someone asked, “Do you ...

2622. There's More To Thanksgiving

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Thomas G. Rogers

As Christian people we have come together to observe a time-honored American tradition. We have gathered for worship on Thanksgiving Day. Consequently, it may surprise you a little to learn that I plan to begin this sermon by telling you a story that could be labeled as downright un-American and blatantly non-Christian. Interestingly enough, it is possible that, if I had not said anything about it, you might have listened to this story and not have noticed anything unusual. In fact, even though I've now ...

2623. What Do You Mean 'Born Again?'

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Ron Lavin

"Unless one is born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." John 3:3, RSV Saul the persecutor of Christians became Paul the great witness for Christianity through his Damascus Road experience. Consider this poem as you consider Paul’s life and your own. Only one life 'Twill soon be past Only what’s done for Christ Will last. Recently as I looked over the list of deaths in our parish for the year, I remembered this little poem as the favorite saying of one of our members who died recently Vicki Tannous ...

2624. Reevaluating Our Mission for Christ

John 17:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once there was a village with a chief who had three sons, each of which possessed a special talent. The oldest was skilled in his ability to raise and care for olive trees. The second was a shepherd, but when the sheep got sick, he possessed special abilities to make them well. The third son was a great dancer. When there was a string of bad luck in his family or in the village or if anyone needed some cheer added to their lives, he would dance and bring them joy. One day the father told his sons that he ...

2625. Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

God’s Peculiar, Powerful Way This paragraph is crucial, both in the context of this particular letter and for the overall understanding of Paul’s theology. Here he delivers the heart and essence of the gospel he believed and proclaimed. Paul’s lines reveal that God works in a most peculiar way—first, God works in defiance of the standards of this world as they are understood or construed by humanity, and second, God’s work is powerful so that it incapacitates, reverses, even turns upside down the values of ...

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