Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2626 to 2650 of 4490 results

2626. The Day of Atonement: Preparation

Leviticus 16:1-34

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: The high priest must be purified before conducting the Day of Atonement sacrifices. Understanding the Text Leviticus 16, on the Day of Atonement, is a transitional chapter, giving a general remedy for the problem of uncleanness described in Leviticus 11–15. It also prepares the way for the laws of holiness that follow (Lev. 17–27). Leviticus 16 is arguably the most important chapter in Leviticus, introducing the Day of Atonement, the highest and most sacred day in the Israelite calendar. Its ...

2627. Selfishness of the Transjordan Tribes Corrected

Numbers 32:1-42

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: We must avoid and resolve misunderstandings among God’s people. Understanding the Text Many dangers have been circumvented. God has thwarted Balak’s attempt to use Balaam to curse Israel (Num. 22–24). God’s punishment of idolatry and immorality is offset by Phinehas’s bold actions (Num. 25). Balaam and his Midianite allies who have deceived Israel are killed (Num. 31). Now Numbers 32 introduces another potential crisis. The tribes of Reuben and Gad announce their desire to settle in the ...

2628. Eliphaz

Job 4:1-5:27

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

How Eliphaz Explains Job’s Adversity Big Idea: Eliphaz explains Job’s adversity as a standard case of God’s retribution for sin. Understanding the Text Job’s three friends, who arrived on the scene in 2:11–13, wait until after Job’s opening lament in chapter 3 before they speak. From chapter 4 through chapter 27, the friends and Job speak alternately, as they all try to explain Job’s adversity. Eliphaz is the lead speaker in each of the three cycles of speeches, and his words introduce the key points that ...

2629. Job Feels under Attack by God

Job 16:1-17:16

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Job feels exhausted under God’s attack, but he still dares to hope for God’s justice. Understanding the Text In his rebuttal to Eliphaz in Job 16–17, Job begins by countering many of the charges made previously by his friends. He vigorously rejects their claims to possess knowledge that is superior to his, and he dismisses their arguments as irrelevant to his specific case. Job’s strong language indicates that he is indignant and disgusted with them (16:1–6). Job then addresses God directly, ...

2630. Job’s Hope against Hope

Job 19:1-29

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: In a situation that seems hopeless, Job maintains a ray of hope in God. Understanding the Text In chapter 19, Job responds to Bildad’s second speech. Job uses a mixture of lament and legal language to express how abandoned he feels by his friends (19:1–6), by God (19:7–12), and by the full range of people in his community (19:13–19). In the final verses of the chapter, Job pleads with his friends for compassion (19:20–22), he articulates his hope for a redeemer to take up his cause (19:23–27), ...

2631. “Their Violence Comes Down on Their Own Heads”

Psalm 7:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: While God’s justice is ultimately the solution to the problem of evil, evil also carries in itself the gene of self-destruction. Understanding the Text Psalm 7 is an individual lament, as are Psalms 3–6. The two ingredients that constitute this type of psalm are the lament and the reasons for lament.1 The lament is against David’s enemies, expressed in 7:1, 6, 14, 15, and 16. Whereas the innocence of Psalm 6 was more implied than explicit, here the psalmist is so convinced of his innocence that ...

2632. “Within Your Temple, O God, We Meditate on Your Unfailing Love”

Psalm 48:1-14

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Jerusalem, like Jerusalem’s God, generates awe in her worshipers and terror in her enemies. Understanding the Text Like Psalms 46 and 47, Psalm 48 is a hymn that belongs to the subcategory of Zion songs (Pss. 46; 47; 48; 76; 84; 87; 122). It is an appropriate companion to Psalm 47 in that Psalm 47 is addressed to the nations, acclaiming Yahweh as King of the nations and announcing God’s kingly acclamation. Psalm 48 idealizes Mount Zion (Jerusalem), but it capitalizes on the fact that Mount Zion ...

2633. Weeping at Christmastime

Matthew 2:13-23, Hebrews 2:10-18

Sermon

James L. Killen

The scripture lesson we read today is certainly not our favorite part of the Christmas story. But I suppose we really need for it to be in there. We have surrounded our Christmas traditions with such beauty and serenity that we may sometimes wonder if those traditions have anything to do with the real world in which we live. Sometimes, as we stand gazing at the baby in the center of the manger scene or tearing up during the children's Christmas pageant or as we sing "Silent Night" by candlelight at the end ...

2634. The Life You've Always Wanted

Acts 5:27-32

Sermon

Charley Reeb

The other day I came across some interesting epitaphs. There is one in Nevada which reads: “Here lays Butch, we planted him raw. He was quick on the trigger, but slow on the draw.” This one is in Georgia: “I told you I was sick!” What about the one in Mary- land: “Here lies an atheist, all dressed up and no place to go.” There are two worth noting in South Carolina: “He fought a good fight, but his knife was dull”; “Where she is, is better than where she was.” But there is one in England that hits too ...

2635. Elephants in the Room: Addiction

Romans 7:15-22

Sermon

Charley Reeb

As kids we often wondered if monsters existed. We would look under our bed to be sure there wasn’t one hiding there. Well, a monster does exist and it is often kept hidden. That monster is addiction. That’s how Hunter Thompson described it. Thompson was a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. He had a wonderful job and all the opportunities a person could ask for. The problem was that he was addicted to drugs and alcohol for most of his life. He committed suicide in 2005. Shortly after his death, his first ...

2636. Introducing Job

Job 1:1-5

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

1:1 The first chapter serves as a prose prologue to the dialogue sections that form the core of the book. The focus from the very first word is on the main character. Hebrew word order (lit., “a man there was in the land of Uz”) intentionally emphasizes the man, Job. This word order signals that the reader should pay particularly close attention here to the introduction of this man and his circumstances, for he will play an important role in what follows. Because the OT elsewhere associates Uz with Edom, ...

2637. Job's Reply to Eliphaz

Job 6:1–7:21

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

Impatience Justified: The first chapter of Job’s response to Eliphaz divides into three parts. Initially (vv. 1–13), he defends the sense of growing impatience with his circumstance that Eliphaz has attacked (4:1–6). Job then turns to a counterattack on the fickleness of some friendship (vv. 14–23). He concludes chapter 6 with a pointed demand to know where sin resides within him that is commensurate with the punishment he bears (vv. 24–30). 6:1–4 Job’s impetuous words are the consequence of unbearable ...

2638. Applause for the Ascending King of All the Earth

Psalm 47:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Applause is something most of us associate with a football stadium, not a church, but in this psalm we are directed to applaud God. This is not a quiet psalm—it also includes “shouting” and trumpets (vv. 1, 5)—but for good reason: it celebrates the great King over all the earth (v. 2). We cannot make sense of Psalm 47 in isolation; it is one of the psalms of Yahweh’s kingship and must be interpreted in light of the others. Particularly puzzling is the expression, “God has ascended” (v. 5). To what could ...

2639. Walking in the Light and the Problem of Sin

1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 1:5--2:14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

Walking in the Light and the Problem of Sin The next two sections of 1 John are on the theme of walking in the light. The first section, 1 John 1:5–2:2, addresses the theme in relation to the issue of sin, while the second section, 1 John 2:3–11, focuses on walking in the light in relation to obedience, especially to the love command. The terms walk, light, and darkness occur throughout the section (1:5–7; 2:6, 8–11) and unify it. The Elder’s opponents are always present in the background. They have made ...

2640. Jacob Wrestles with God

Genesis 32:1-32

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Jacob’s Enigmatic Wrestling Match: Before Jacob’s wrestling match (vv. 24–30), he has a vision of angels at Mahanaim (vv. 1–2). On the surface this brief report seems to be disjunctive. Nevertheless, several terms tie these two passages into the flow of the Jacob narrative. Jacob meets the angels or messengers of God (mal’ake ’elohim), and he sends “messengers” (mal’akim) to meet Esau. There is a play on “camp” (makhaneh; 32:2, 8, 10, 21) and “gift” (minkhah; 32:13, 20; 33:8, 10). Two terms for grace ...

2641. Crisis Management

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

It is a newspaper image I will never forget. And for me it is an image of Advent. The time was the early 1990s. The place was Sarajevo — the gutted, bombed out epicenter of the Balkan War — when ethnic violence had destroyed beauty and buildings and any sense of human community. One day, a man put on his tuxedo, picked up his cello and a chair, and went and sat at the central intersection of town — in the cross fire of hatred and brokenness and devastation — and there he played his cello for hours — ...

2642. Understanding Outrageous Grace

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Let me ask you a tough question this morning: how many of you have been accused of being a poor listener? Or should I call it “selective listener”? We hear what we want to hear. Most of us have been guilty of this at one time or another. Maybe we’re easily distracted. Publisher Thom Rainer has collected stories over the years from his pastor friends of some of the strangest distractions they’ve dealt with while preaching. For example, one pastor had a bat fly into the sanctuary during his sermon. In ...

2643. Recognizing Who God Is

Job 42:7-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Series on the Book of Job, #4 Suggested video clip: "Rudy" This is the last sermon in our series on Job. Maybe you are relieved, as I am relieved. This is heavy stuff. We ended last week's service by pondering the question: What has Job learned from his encounter with the Almighty God? For an answer, I want to turn to the movie Rudy. Rudy is based on the true story of a young man named Rudy Ruettiger whose only goal in life was to play football for Notre Dame. Rudy is small and he lacks athletic ability. ...

2644. Same Ol’, Same Ol’

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

Herod I or Herod the Great was born in 73 BCE, the son of Antipater the Idumaean, a high ranking court official. Through a series of intrigues and coups more complex than we have time to unravel, here, he was declared King of Judea by the Roman Senate in 37 BCE. He would rule as “King of the Jews” for about thirty years until his death in 4 BCE. Historically, he is remembered mostly for his building projects. In 20 BCE he undertook the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple which had fallen into disrepair from ...

2645. Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: a skunk (if you dare) or a stuffed animal that looks like a skunk [don’t show them what’s in the cage until they come up to see] I have here a friend I’ve brought with me today. He’s here in this cage, and I’m going to take him out for a bit. Come on up some of you. Here he is. His name is Sandy. [Take the skunk out of the cage ….make sure it’s a de-fumed one J….and hold him out to those gathered] What! You are backing away. You don’t want to hold this skunk? [Walk down the aisles with him ...

2646. Fleeced

Judges 6:1-40, John 20:24-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8) Prop: Fleece / lamb’s wool Shalom! Peace of the Lord be with you! I have here some genuine lamb’s wool. The wool of a lamb is called “fleece.” And it’s very soft, and very thick. Would anyone like to touch it. [Some can come up…..or you can walk it around and allow people to touch it.] We see something soft, or interesting. We want to touch it. It’s ingrained in us as humans to want to see, to touch, to feel, to ...

2647. Rain of Grace

Hosea 6:1--7:16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

[You may want to use the sound of rain….like you get from a rainstick; or if a rainy day, call attention to the sound of the rain outside.] The sound of rain. That steady, pattering on windows and spouting, sidewalks and cars. It can almost lull you to sleep. It’s a comforting sound. It’s almost a lullaby sound. If you’re a farmer or a gardener, you may keep rain barrels. Years ago, people would catch rain in buckets. Why? Because rainwater is gentle, free of chemicals, clean, and fresh. Plants and crops ...

2648. The Mustard and the Cedar

Ezekiel 17:1-24, Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: Photo or painting of an image with multiple figures within it. [You can start out interactively showing people the picture and asking them to find the image within it.] Anyone look at a photo of an art piece with multiple image possibilities? Our eyes are trained to see one familiar image. But if someone points out another, all of a sudden, our vision takes in the new image, and our whole perspective on the photo is radically changed. Take a look at these. What do you see? How many see a face? How ...

2649. Formed by the Potter's Loving Hand

Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, John 8:48-59, John 9:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Anyone here own an animal? A pet? Or let me put that better than “pet owner:” Any pet parents here? Pet partners? [Give people time to answer.] True pet lovers know that animals have a kind of freaky sense about people. They seem not only to sense if someone is afraid of them or not (they smell fear, we say). They can also instinctively sense a person’s spirit –whether that person is friend or foe, approachable or not, even happy or sad. Have you ever noticed how cats like to cuddle up to those strangers ...

2650. Shepherd Dreams

Jeremiah 23:1-8, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 80:1-19, Psalm 23:1-6, John 10:22-42, John 10:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: shepherd’s staff (invisible cloak / rock of salvation / living water / sling and staff) We all have dreams for our children! We set them free to make their own decisions in the world, but at the same time we take care to guide them, pray for them, dream for them, envision a future for them in which we play a relational part. We so want them to live fulfilling and satisfying lives, filled with life, love, and happiness. Anyone want to dispute that? Being a parent is a kind of higher calling, in which ...

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