Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2651 to 2675 of 4986 results

2651. Marriage is Forever

Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 19:1-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... . Success in marriage is not so much finding the right person as being the right person. The greatest marriages on earth are not the so-called "perfect fits," those "never had a cross word," silky smooth, slurpy sweet couples. Any dim wit could stay married in those circumstances. The greatest marriages are those between people who can honestly say, "If Christ were not the boss of this marriage, we would not be together. We have had our difficulties. We have had our differences. But Christ has enabled ...

2652. That Horse Called Style

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Once a man attended a fair and saw another man leading a fine, well-groomed horse. He asked, "Is that a saddle horse?" "No," the owner replied. "This horse will buck off a saddle. Nothing can stay on its back." "Well," the man asked, "Is he a driving horse?" "Nope," said the owner. "He was hitched up once to a cart, but he tore it all to pieces." "Well, what is he good for?" the man asked. The owner replied, "Style, man, style. Just look at the ...

2653. No Retaliation

Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... our two purposes: To win every person to Christ, and to transform the world into the Kingdom of God. Has retaliation ever served those purposes? Do two wrongs ever make a right? Jesus is not forbidding self-defense. He is not telling people to stay in situations where they suffer physical or emotional abuse. Jesus did not mean that we should become doormats. I recall that Jesus' disciples carried swords for the purpose of self-defense. I believe in a strong national defense because it deters aggression. We ...

2654. When The Word Became Flesh

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... . We've got plenty of room." The audience, especially Ralph's mother and the director, gasped. Joseph and Mary were stunned. But the young man playing Joseph was equal to the occasion. He looked around and said, "Hey, this place is a dump. We'd rather stay in a stable!" The world into which Jesus was born was a dump in the worst sense. Slaves outnumbered free people. A human life, particularly if poor or female, was dirt cheap. Fidelity in marriage was rare. The practice of homosexuality was common. So, why ...

2655. A Prophet in a Panic

1 Kings 19:9-18

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... pursuit. When we give in to anxiety and begin to panic, it's like a runaway train hard to bring under control. Many years ago, when I was fresh out of high school, I worked as a lifeguard at a state park on the beautiful South Carolina coast. Our pool stayed open long after the beach was closed down. It was well after dark before I was through. The little hut in which I resided was a mile and a half up a dirt road, through a wooded area. We knew that there were lots of poisonous snakes in the area ...

2656. I Love You But I Don't Like You

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... that anger becomes sin only when it is nursed into resentment. Therefore, Paul advised, "Don't let the sun go down with you still angry." Resolve it promptly. Phyllis Diller, that ageless comedienne, offers this advice: "Don't go to bed mad. Stay up and fight." St. Paul offers better guidance: Don't go to bed mad. Instead, face your conflict honestly, carefully, and lovingly. With God's help, even conflict can become creative. Now, let me offer five guidelines for a caring, clean confrontation, relying ...

2657. Written On God's Hand

Isaiah 49:8-26

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Mom has a pretty good grip on her son's hand, she needs to use both hands occasionally, to handle merchandise, find a credit card, and to sign the purchase slip. So, at one of those times he manages to snatch free. She glances at him, assuming that he will stay close by until she can grab his hand again. But four-year-olds hold the Olympic record for the 5-meter shopping mall dash. In a crowded store, lots of big people can obstruct a mother's view as she searches for a little person. Suddenly he is lost ...

2658. The Greatest Story Ever Told

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... that is to regain consciousness. That brings us to Act III of the Prodigal's drama. Verse 20 is the heart of the story. "And he arose and came to his Father." Hey, that was tough to do, to go back and face the old man. That boy could have stayed in the pigpen for 20 more years, saying to himself, "One of these days I'm going to go back home, but I'm not quite up to it yet." All the good intentions on earth are worth very little until we act on them. Someone told me last week ...

2659. Aiming at Perfection

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... into his office feeling very proud of himself for having handled that matter. But the next day the van was right back out there in its old place. Dick is convinced that God is involved in this matter. Dick says, "God is going to let that van stay there until I love that guy more than I care about the church grass." What a challenge it is to love as Christ loved! To shed those unseen vestiges of racism and prejudice; to love that person practicing homosexuality or adultery even as we pray for his liberation ...

2660. 'Nevertheless': A Word of Faith

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... we read, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Max Lucado says that "faith is the grit in the soul that puts the dare into dreams." Faith is hanging tough when the evidence would have us bailout. Faith is launching forth when everyone but Jesus says, "Stay put." What a glorious faith word is "Nevertheless"! Are you willing to say it today whatever your circumstances may be? An 80-year-old man says, "Lord, I have cancer and my chances of beating it are almost nil. I really would like for my doctor ...

2661. God's Design for Marriage

Ephesians 5:22-33

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... you and your wife are employed, but one of you needs to take junior to the dentist, we husbands are supposed to take the first service calls. That means if she has a sick relative who needs a visit, your golf game ought to be skipped in order to stay with the kids. As hard as this is for me to say personally, that means that the washer and dryer have no warning label reading, "Use by husbands is hazardous." Husbands, we are supposed to be the top servants in the home. That's how you spell "leadership" in ...

2662. The Forgiving Father (Father's Day)

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Brett Blair

... that the father never stopped looking down the road for his return. When the son finally returns we are told that the father sees him from a long distance. That’s because he was watching and hoping. His love was a patient love. The point is clear. A person cannot stay away so long that God’s love is no longer offered. In the same way God waits patiently when you leave for a season of sin. He does not sit and scheme about what he is going to do if you ever come back. His desire is not revenge but ...

2663. The Burden Bearing Christ

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Brett Blair

... well, he jumped up and defiantly shouted: “Its none of your business you old cripple.” He then ran behind the house, free, or so he thought, from the accusing stare of his aunt. He later walked quietly into the house, past the door of the room where she was staying. As he walked by he starred in and saw her lying across the bed--cut and stung by the thoughtless words of a little boy. Totally unprepared by what he saw, he was drawn to her by some strange, unexplained grace. He walked over to her, and she ...

2664. Jesus and Judgment

Romans 2:11-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Bible. One day when Sam's name was called, he stood and with a big smile quoted Psalm 119, verse 99, which says, “I have more understanding than all my teachers.” The rest of the class laughed heartily, but the teacher was not pleased. She made Sam stay in after school and memorize a lengthy poem. When he protested that the verse he had quoted was indeed in the Bible, she replied, “Yes, I know, but you must still be punished because you did not quote it with reverence.” Like that teacher, God will ...

2665. My Colors Will Be Clear

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. "I won't give up, shut up, or slow up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till he comes, preach till all know, and work till he stops. "And when he comes to get his own, he'll have no problem recognizing me...my colors will be clear."

2666. Making a Name for Ourselves

Genesis 11:1-9

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... be scattered.” This was man’s first attempt to build a humanistic society, one that was man-centered and left God out. God’s command was for man to be fruitful and to cover the earth. That order was ignored. Instead, those ancient people decided to stay where they were and to make a name for themselves. So they built the tower of Babel, a monstrous exercise in self-promotion. Making a name for ourselves…is that really all bad? Surely there is a place for legitimate ambition. If a young person wants ...

2667. How to Handle Criticism

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Maxwell tells a story about a salesman who went to his barber for a haircut. He told the barber about his upcoming trip to Rome. The barber had only negative comments to make about the airline the salesman had chosen, the hotel where he was going to stay, about Rome in general, and even about his hope of having an audience with the Pope. A month later the salesman returned to the barbershop. He said, “I had a wonderful trip. The flight was perfect and the hotel service was excellent. And I got to meet ...

2668. Using our Special Talents

Romans 12:6-8

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... get it up simply ask them to hold it there for a few minutes.] My, this is a heavy sack, isn't it? It would be hard for any one of us to carry it for a long distance, wouldn't it? Now, if one of our volunteers would please stay here we are going to try something else. You are going to lift it this time but I am going to help you and we will see if it goes any easier. Are you ready? Lift. Wonderful! Terrific! Now you can see how much easier it is when we get ...

2669. The Temple

John 2:12-25

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... worship God, but this place was special to Jesus and all people who loved to worship God. When you look at the temple and you remember how much Jesus loved to come there, then you will understand the story that I am going to tell you. Jesus stayed outside the city walls at night, but he came into Jerusalem during the day to worship at the temple. These were very exciting times in Jerusalem. Many people believed that Jesus was the person whom God had promised would come and make them a mighty nation, afraid ...

2670. The Streets

Luke 19:28-44

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... a big day in the life of Jesus. It was the Sunday before the biggest day in the Jewish year. The next Friday was the time when Passover began and so many Jews who lived out of the city were arriving for the holy days. Jesus had been staying with his friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha at their home in Bethany. The disciples enjoyed these visits most of the time, but this visit was filled with danger. Jesus had been warned not to return to Jerusalem because the leaders in charge of Jerusalem thought that he ...

2671. The Garden Tomb

Luke 23:50-56

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... the friends of Jesus had placed him in the tomb, under the watchful eyes of the Roman guard, they left before the night darkness came. As they were leaving they saw the Roman guard roll a very large and heavy stone across the doorway. That’s the way it stayed until Easter Sunday morning. Some women who were followers of Jesus came back to the tomb to finish what they did not have time to do on Friday night. But when they arrived at the tomb they found things to be much different than when they had left ...

2672. Advent I - Children’s Sermon

John 3:16

Children's Sermon

Susan Hedahl

... that someone special was coming. Then God sent an angel to a young woman named Mary and told her, Mary, you will have a baby who will be important to everybody in the world. And finally, God sent a star, bigger than all the others in the sky. This star stayed over the place where Jesus was born. So the prophets, the angel and the star were all ways that God said, "Do I have some good news for you!" A baby is a very special gift. You all are very special gifts to your parents and to us. And when ...

2673. Advent IV - Children’s Sermon

Matthew 2:19-23

Children's Sermon

Susan Hedahl

... church we have another service of welcome to let people know how happy we are that they are our friends and neighbors. When Jesus was a baby he and his parents went to live in another country for a while. He was about three when they came back and they stayed in a little town in Israel. Do you know the name of the place where he grew up? Yes, Nazareth! Jesus grew up in Nazareth and he did many of the things that you do. What are some everyday activities that you enjoy? Yes, Jesus probably also did some of ...

2674. To Our Heart’s Content

Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

Susan Hedahl

... of us bear in our hearts the desire for lives made meaningful by the Bethlehem Child. We leave with the gifts, accompanied by this Child, for adventures whose conclusions we know nothing of. What places will we journey to and through? Where will we choose to stay and what will we avoid? The holy places of which we have heard and sung, pondered and prayed about over the past several Sundays lead to only one final place - the individual heart. God’s promises sanctify and make holy all the places we inhabit ...

2675. Preparing for the Wrong Thing

Luke 12:13-21

Illustration

Larry Powell

... was completed, they invited me out to see what they had accomplished. Understandably proud, they pointed out the neat, solid blockwork of the exterior and called attention to the more than adequate drain-offs. Inside, every provision was made in the event of an extended stay. It was an exceptional storm cellar in all respects, and in every sense of the word, they were more than prepared for a storm. However, in a few short weeks, both of them were killed by a speeding motorist as they attempted to turn from ...

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