Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2601 to 2625 of 4935 results

2601. With Jesus In The Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

This is not exactly camping season. Nevertheless, over the six weeks of Lent we are going into the wilderness as we prepare for Easter Sunday. And while we make our journey through the wilderness, we’re going to tell stories, wilderness stories, from the Bible. To get you in the mood, I found a list of camping tips by a man named Bruce Cochran which was printed in the Sept. ‘96 issue of Backpacker magazine. The list is too long to read in its entirety, so I’m only going to mention a few: When using a ...

2602. Irrevocable Gifts

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

Sermon

Jeff Wedge

People have had a wide variety of reactions to the idea of politically-correct language. One of the more interesting is a series of books by James Finn Garner. A look at the contents of the volumes gives an insight into the way things are handled. The stories include such titles as the politically-correct bedtime story of "The Three Codependent Goats Gruff," and the holiday story of "Rudolph, the Nasally-Empowered Reindeer." Under the humorous approach there lurks a problem that can cause us real ...

2603. The Big Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Mark Trotter

Lent is a journey of six weeks, from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday and Easter. It is a pilgrimage for those who want to renew their lives. I have been on tours where the tour leader, at the beginning of the journey, gives an outline of what you can expect to see and how to prepare for it. That is what I want to do as we begin the Lenten journey this morning. The story of Jesus' temptations is to be read on this Sunday, because it provides for us the pattern for Lent. Jesus went to the desert for forty days ...

2604. Christmas Is Love

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

Years ago the cartoon strip “Family Circus” carried a cartoon that illustrates what happens so often to Christmas. It showed a little girl holding her baby brother in her lap and telling him the story of Christmas. Here is how her account read: “Jesus was born just in time for Christmas, up at the North Pole, surrounded by tiny reindeer and the Virgin Mary. Then Santa Claus showed up with lots of toys and stuff and some swaddling clothes. “The three wise men and elves all sang carols while the Little ...

2605. The God of Grace and Glory

Psalm 84:11

Sermon

James Merritt

Let me ask you a question. What is God to you? Sometimes you ought to just stop and really think and meditate on that one question. Or maybe I should say, Who is God to you? Without question, the psalmist who penned Psalm 84:11 had a deep relationship with God. He knew what God was; He knew who God was. I love this verse. Whenever I am asked to sign a Bible, I'll put this verse at the end of my signature. Listen to it: "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing ...

2606. Strong in Faith: A Little Dab'll Do Ya

1 Corinthians 16:13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

Have Faith: Everything changes. Some things never change. I grew up in the nostalgic days, the "Happy Days" of the 1950's. Our fathers, without a doubt the "Greatest Generation," returned from a world torn by war to build a new world out of their hopes and dreams. They began by giving birth to the largest generation in history, the Baby Boomers. Born in 1947, I was one of the first. It was a time of great vitality and optimism, a time of peace after the trauma of two world wars. And it was a time when a ...

2607. With Friends Like These ...

Job 38:1-7 (34-41)

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a favorite book of children and adults alike. Things are always going wrong in Alexander's life, and we can identify with his laments. Alexander goes to bed with gum in his mouth and wakes up with gum in his hair. His teacher likes his friend Paul's sailboat picture better than Alexander's invisible castle, which she can't quite see. At the lunch table, while others are enjoying various delicious sweets, Alexander discovers that his mother is ...

2608. Get Real

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

To "Get Real" ultimately means to "Get Spiritual." Any parent here not yet heard these words: "Get Real"? So how, after all, does one "Get Real"? What is the really real reality? When Samuel sat reviewing that parade of Jesse's sons, he was tempted to use all the old "Get Real" standards in order to pick a new king. But God reminded Samuel that the divine perception of reality differs significantly from our limited human view. When Samuel stopped using just his eyes and relied instead on the spirit of God ...

2609. John 1:29-42

John 1:29-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

While all the gospels record the event of Jesus' baptism, each does so with an eye turned toward the specific community and situation the gospel writer is addressing. Thus, while there are tremendous similarities between all four versions of the Baptism, there are also subtle and theologically important differences. Not surprisingly, John's gospel gives us the most unique perspective on Jesus' baptism. Here, John the Baptist is actually the central character throughout the active record. The magnificent ...

2610. Learning to Listen

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Mike Ripski

Mary Ann Bird has writes this story from her childhood. It’s entitled, “The Whisper Test.” I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it. I was born with a cleft palate, and when I started school, my classmates made it clear to me how I must look to others: a girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth and garbled speech. “When schoolmates would ask, ‘What happened to your lip?’ I’d tell them I’d fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an ...

2611. The Gifts of Word and Table

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Mike Ripski

Turn in The Hymnal to the very front – where the pattern for worship is located. Note the title given to the way we Christians worship together. Our worship is a Service of Word and Table. This morning’s text illustrates how the risen Christ meets us through Scripture and Sacrament. PART I (Luke 24:13-28 is read.) It is Easter evening. Two who’d been part of the Jesus Movement were heading home to Emmaus, about 7 miles outside Jerusalem. They are trying to make sense of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion. ...

2612. A Violent Wind

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

In May of 1997, a powerful tornado swept through parts of Texas, flattening buildings and overturning cars. Shoppers at the Albertson’s supermarket in Cedar Park, Texas, were in a state of panic. Then a commanding voice come over the intercom, the voice of Larry Fore, the manager of Albertson’s. This is what he said: “Don’t leave the store or you will die . . . Your only chance of survival is to do exactly what I tell you.” Fore then directed the shoppers to enter the nearest meat locker. They did just as ...

2613. Belling the Cat

John 6:60-71

Sermon

King Duncan

Aesop once told a fable about a group of mice who lived in a barn. Life was wonderful, except for a sneaky cat. Hardly a day went by without a poor mouse being chased or even eaten by the cat. Finally, the head mouse called a meeting. “Ladies and gentlemen, youngsters and baby mice,” he stated. “The time is now come to resolve our problems with the cat. Does anyone have any solutions?” The mice were abuzz with ideas and suggestions, but none seemed to solve the problem. Then a young mouse got up, took the ...

2614. Calamity and Hope

Joel 2:23-32

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

The little book of Joel has a big part to play in the overall story of the Hebrew Scripture. Its purpose is to warn of God's impending judgment against the people of Judah because of their sins, and to urge them to turn back to God. The book is written by Joel, the son of Pethuel, and it is directed toward the southern kingdom, and God's people everywhere. The book itself is one of the literary gems of the Hebrew Scriptures. It is written and built up with care and dramatic effect. There are surely other ...

2615. The Greatest Gift Of All

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

The family is gathered, all the characters in place, waiting for the guest of honor to arrive. And as much as the children anticipate, the guest of honor is NOT Santa. The guest of Honor is the One about Whom the Angels sang. The One Whom the Wise Men came bearing gifts. The One for Whom the shepherds left their flocks to run and see. The guest of Honor is this tiny, helpless baby who shed the throne and all the raiment of heaven and is now lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. Listen to Luke ...

2616. Resurrection Living

John 11:1-45

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

About ten years ago I read an article about a judge in Yugoslavia who was electrocuted when he reached up to turn on a light while standing in the bathtub. He was zapped fell out of the tub. His wife called the doctor who pronounced him dead. In accordance with government health regulation, the judge's body was immediately placed in a vault beneath the cemetery chapel. In the middle of the night, the judge regained consciousness. He had no idea where he was or what had happened. When he DID realize where ...

2617. On the Road with the Little Children

Luke 18:15-17

Sermon

James W. Moore

Let me begin this morning with three quick stories. Story #1: We took our two youngest grandsons to lunch in a local Italian Restaurant. As the waiters brought the food to the table I asked Dawson (age 6) and Daniel (age 4) if either one of them would like to offer our prayer of thanks for the meal… or if they would like for me to do it. They both pointed to me, so I prayed a brief prayer of gratitude for our meal and for our family. When I finished the prayer and said “Amen,” four-year-old Daniel opened ...

2618. Let Go of the Stone

Mark 16:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A friend and colleague of mine was declared dead by the IRS a few years ago, even though he was very much alive. Due to MS, Jim was confined to a wheel chair and depended on disability Social Security for survival. So you can imagine the shock of being informed you are dead and no longer eligible for benefits. Jim called the IRS. They asked him multiple questions, but could not by conversation declare Jim to be alive. He wrote them letters and sent them pictures, but such correspondence did no good. It was ...

2619. News Too Good To Tell

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Did you hear the story about an inattentive, workaholic husband who suddenly decided to surprise his wife with a night to remember? He went down to the department store and bought her the expensive dress she had been admiring. He bought her a large bottle of perfume to go with it. He ordered tickets to the Broadway play she had been wanting to see and made reservations at their favorite restaurant. On his way home he stopped by the florist and bought two dozen red roses which he carried home under his arm ...

2620. The Joyful Provider

John 2:1-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

The season of Lent has arrived. It's time to repent and believe the Gospel. We are encouraged to remember that we are mortal, as if our bodies would ever let us forget. Lent is a 40-day period of self-examination and self-denial — except for Sundays. Tucked into these forty days are six “little Easters" — days to remember that God in Jesus Christ gives us the victory over sin, over death, over all that destroys our relationship with Him. So this First Sunday of Lent, I invite you not to the wilderness of ...

2621. Three Basic Attitudes about Life

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

King Duncan

A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan. She told how the man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama. Then she asked the class, “If you saw a person lying on the roadside all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?” A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence. “I think I’d throw up,” she said. Well, she was being honest. There are many adults who do not respond well to such a ...

2622. Burned Beef

Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon

Tony Everett

Jenny was employed as an emergency room nurse in a busy urban hospital. Often she worked many hours past the end of her shift, providing care to trauma victims and their families. Jenny was also a loving wife and mother, and an excellent cook. On the evening before starting her hectic work week, Jenny would prepare a huge pot of soup, a casserole, or stew; plentiful enough for her family to pop into the microwave or simmer on the stove in case she had to work overtime. At 5:30 p.m. one evening, Jenny's ...

2623. Character Approved: Stand Up or Stand Out?

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

August is county fair time. Hooray! Who doesn’t like a county fair? Yes, we are sophisticated, urbane, high-tech people. But there is something about a good old-fashioned county fair that is like catnip. County fairs still draw us to our local fairgrounds like cotton candy draws us to paper cones. Who can resist taking just one ride on the Ferris wheel? Who can resist eating deep-fried something (this summer’s new something hamburger with a deep fried doughnut for its bun!). Who can resist walking through ...

2624. Epiphany: All about You!

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

Is it just my imagination or have we really become more self-absorbed over the past decades? Look at the progression for magazines. In the 1950s, we had Life magazine, which pretty much covered everything around us. In the 1960s, we narrowed that scope down to People. We weren't too concerned about other forms of life, just our own. In the 1970s we had US Magazine. Not them. It's all about us. In the 1980s, we specialized. We wanted our uniqueness featured so we started buying Teen magazine, Active Living ...

2625. The Last Compact

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Ken Lentz

A man, seriously ill in the hospital, requested a visit from his pastor. "Pastor," he said, "if you pray for me and I recover, I will give $25,000 to the building fund." The pastor prayed and the patient recovered completely. The pastor tactfully tried to remind his parishioner about the promise. Stonewalled, the minister put it on the line, "Jim, you promised to give $25,000 to the building fund when you became well." "Did I?" answered the newly recovered man. "Well, that should give you some idea of how ...

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