Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2626 to 2650 of 3852 results

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Williams in question being the religious reformer who founded the colony of Rhode Island. It seems that a local historical society decided to dig old Roger up and rebury him in a more suitable place. But they discovered that an apple tree had grown up through the original burial plot and much of Roger Williams had ended up in apples ... and of course the apples ended up in a lot of other people. Whatever became of Roger, and with what body will he be raised? There is one aspect of the heavenly life that ...

2627. God's Plans

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to Christians that every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection, the Lord's Day, the day on which the Lord has acted and is still active. Indeed, in that amazing event, the world's plans were definitely not God's plans. Hallelujah! The original situation of this psalm of thanksgiving is lost to history, but it may very well have royal associations. It is easy to hear it as the song of a victorious king - perhaps King David himself - entering the city in triumphal procession after defeating Israel ...

2628. Year-Round Christmas

1 Kings 17:1-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"When elephants fight, the grass suffers." So goes an old African proverb.[1] The elephants in question here, Yahweh and Baal — gods competing for a nation's allegiance with the original weapons of mass destruction. Drought and disaster, the grass, this widow and her son, were caught in this cosmic struggle between fertility and famine. We meet one of faith's greatest heroes as this story begins. With Elijah there is no question whose side he is on; his name means ...

2629. The Incomparable Christ

Colossians 1:15-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... moves at the head's bidding. Through history we can see some strange (and even awful) things that the church has done in the name of its head, but overall, the record of the church's accomplishments in making life on this planet more as God originally intended is remarkable. Paul says Christ is the "firstborn from the dead" (Colossians 1:18). This Christ is not some fascinating figure of history through whom we learn by old example; no, this Christ not only lived and died but rose again and meets us and ...

2630. Good Gossip

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of faith. The source of this deadly infestation is nothing less than the “fire of hell” — all those powers that are set against God’s kingdom and God’s intentions for the world. James builds his argument with language that recalls the creation — the original state of the world versus the fallen state that exists post-Eden. In 3:7 James recites a litany of the creatures of this world, as designed by God, and reminds his readers that they were put under human dominion. Yet while this vast cast ...

2631. James 3:1-12

James 3:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

2632. Proper 10

Deuteronomy 30:9-14, Psalm 25:1-10; 82:1-8, Amos 7:7-17, Luke 10:25-37, Colossians 1:1-14

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... “Good Samaritans,” as people who care effectively for others. As we read the scriptures, we examine our motives and our ability to stick to our goals. Give us strength and courage to meet the challenges that come to us. Fathering God — remember our origin and do not challenge us beyond what our talents are. For those of us in pain, speak encouragement; for those of us struggling with disease, speak healing; for those of us who are depressed and disillusioned, speak hope. For those of us whose burdens ...

2633. Mary's Song

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... brought his daughter down so she could see her surprise. Under the tree was the most beautiful doll Phyllis had ever seen. For years she would recall that doll as the best gift she’d ever been given. Years later, Phyllis learned the secret of the doll’s origins. Phyllis’ mother had taken one of Phyllis’ old, ragged dolls and washed and painted it. Then she took her one and only dance gown, the prettiest dress she owned, and cut it up to make a dress and booties for the doll. Finally, she cut off a ...

2634. Mark 10:35-45

Mark 10:35-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... for far longer than there has been adolescent slam books. In today’s gospel text we read about the “sons of Zebedee” and yet these disciples of Jesus come across as nothing less than “Mean Girls.” Biblical historians suggest that the origin of this week’s exchange between James, John and Jesus finds its source in Peter. James, John, and Peter were the unofficial “inner circle” within the Twelve — noticed and present at such momentous events as the Transfiguration. Yet in the exchange in ...

2635. Not So With You

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2636. The Lost Five Commandments

Mark 12:35-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... for all to obey!’ Or watch if for yourselves: [You can show the clip of the movie: here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TAtRCJIqnk Of course, it never really happened that way. But what if it had? What if God had originally meant to give us fifteen commandments, and five got lost?” What are the “Lost Five commandments,” the “Other Five Commandments?” We can all wonder what was on that “lost tablet” and can nominate whatever five commandments we would like to add to God’s ...

2637. Ambassadors of The Lord

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... from them. He never made it to Bethlehem. For many years he sought the Christ Child and in the process had many adventures and assisted many people, including dying beggars and frightened mothers, to whom he gave two of the three great jewels he had originally planned to give to Jesus. He even traveled to Egypt, hearing that Jesus and his parents had gone there, but was again frustrated in his quest. Now, after 33 years of searching he arrived in Jerusalem, hoping at last that he might find the child ...

2638. Responsibility Comes with Privilege

Acts 8:4-8

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... gift that Jesus sent, the Holy Spirit, with others. Like the youngest daughter in the story, they understood that responsibility came with the privilege of carrying the message of Christ. Fortunately, through the efforts of people like the original apostles, Saint Paul, and many other brave men and women of that early Christian community, the message has been preached throughout the world. The Christian community has taken its responsibility seriously. Baptism, the common denominator for all Christians ...

2639. An Uncomplicated Gospel

Galatians 1:1-10

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... from his usual practice? Was there a problem in his relationship with this young church? It seems as if Paul had a chip on his shoulder from the outset. In his opening words identifying himself, he immediately asserts that his authority is not from any human origin but comes directly from God. He is anxious to remind his readers that he does not rely on them or on anyone else, and this assertion is again repeated at the end of our text for today — Paul received the gospel directly "through a revelation of ...

2640. God as a Consuming Fire

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... Bible messages of God's love and forgiveness, mercy and care are intertwined with messages of God's judgment and punishment. We cannot separate them out, keeping only what we want. In the movie Wall-E, the little robot finds a diamond engagement ring in its original box. He throws the ring away and keeps the box! We might wish we could throw the judgment passages away and keep the love, but that would not be the best thing for our souls, for our spiritual development. The passages about judgment are there ...

2641. No Work, No Food!

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... (or how little) they are contributing. But is this really the way we ought to proceed in our faith? Should productivity be the measure by which we decide whether or not a person is deserving of food? I grew up in a family that could not stand idle time. They originated the saying, "Don't just sit there — do something!" It was most apparent when one of us got the flu. When one of us got sick, we were handed a sleeve of saltine crackers and a liter of Seven-Up and sent to our rooms until we could become a ...

2642. A New Name

Isaiah 62:1-5

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... 's perception. The latter are names that you know or have known personally. They have intersected your life either positively or negatively. Charles Swindoll reminds us that in Pilgrim's Progress the pilgrim's name throughout the book is Christian, but that was not his original name. At the start of the allegory, the scene shows the pilgrim talking with a porter: Porter: What is your name? Pilgrim: My name is now Christian, but my name at the first was Graceless. "The same could be said for all of us today ...

2643. Anatomy Of A Testimony

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... in their faith. He continued to walk with them and lead them through their forty-year sentence of wilderness wandering. He led them through hunger and thirst, through worship and battles, through births and deaths. And now, some forty years after the original generation left Egypt under Moses, their adult children stand poised to enter the promised land across the Jordan River. Finally, old Moses will pass the baton of leadership, having completed his very long leg of the journey. Before Joshua succeeds ...

2644. Heisman In The Hudson

Isaiah 43:16-21

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... in the ministry of Jesus. The people around him were so tied to what they had seen and known in the past that they were unwilling or unable to recognize fully who and what Jesus was. The people of Nazareth were so locked into Jesus' family of origin that they couldn't receive him as anything more than the ordinary son of Mary and Joseph. Herod was so burdened by the guilty memory of John the Baptist that he could only imagine that Jesus was John come back to haunt him. The speculating crowds could ...

2645. Prelude To A Sacrament

Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... on Friday afternoon. The table that is before us this evening has an antecedent. Our table here is an extension of that table in Jerusalem, where Jesus and his first followers shared the bread and cup, 2,000 years ago. Even that table was not the original. That famed table where the disciples gathered for Jesus' Last Supper had its own predecessor. When they sat down to eat, they had an eye on a still different table from long before. That Thursday night was no ordinary evening meal. It was the Passover ...

2646. God All Along

Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... that it is hard for us to imagine him as one of the earliest and fiercest opponents trying to extinguish it. We read a dozen or so books in the New Testament written by Paul to encourage the believers — all from the same hand that originally endeavored to arrest them. And the one, whom we eventually see traveling great distances in order to win people to Christ, we observe here hitting the road in order to persecute and prosecute those who already believe. Those early followers of Jesus were the target ...

2647. The Good Works We Leave Behind

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... and generosity, tokens of thoughtfulness and sweetness. Where Peter had been, he left behind life and health, gladness and rejoicing. We consider the example of Tabitha, and we observe that the good works she left behind remind us of her Lord. For he is the original artisan, after all, and he has generously shared his handiwork with us. We see both his skill and his sweetness in what he has made. The works of his hands inspire our praise and adoration. Likewise, we consider the example of Peter, and we ...

2648. The Man Who Wasn’t There

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... Diegan in the middle of the night? Of course not. Yet Paul and company instantly pulled up their stakes in Asia Minor, hopped on a boat, and sailed across the Aegean to Macedonia. It was a major move. Asia Minor was Paul's home turf. He was originally from Tarsus, and virtually all of his missionary work to-date had been in that larger region, which we know today as Turkey. To make the move to Macedonia, therefore, was to travel into a more foreign territory. Furthermore, it was a major move culturally and ...

2649. The Place of Prayer

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... asked. "We're looking for the place of prayer." It was Paul's first visit to the city of Philippi. He, Silas, Luke, and some other companions had come there to share the good news about Jesus. They wanted to start by going to the place of prayer. Originally, you recall, Paul and his companions had not intended to go to Philippi at all. They had been traveling and preaching exclusively in Asia Minor, when one night Paul had his vision of the man from Macedonia pleading, "Come over and help us!" Taking it ...

2650. On Loan From God

1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a

Sermon

Stephen P. McCutchan

... know and we will all benefit." Should Sally accept the deal? After all, who is it going to hurt? And she and her neighbor will benefit. In Sally's situation, we begin to feel the tug at our conscience. She would be taking advantage of the original owner, who, after all, had been very generous in the lease agreement. She would also risk dishonoring the friendship of her grandparents with the owner. Even if no one ever found out, the profit that she would make on the deal would be based on deceit. And ...

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