Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2676 to 2700 of 4884 results

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

King Duncan

... out into space. Simply look at the wonder of our own physical being and it will take your breath away. Whittaker Chambers was a Communist. But one day his young daughter smeared porridge on her face. Chambers found himself looking at her “intricate, perfect ears.” He saw immense design, not a chance coming together of atoms--and “at that moment,” he wrote, “the finger of God was first laid upon my forehead.” (4) How absurd that anyone would say this wondrous universe happened by mere chance. I ...

2677. Preparing the Way

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... ’t intrude on my life.” “God is the Good Shepherd who pats our woolly heads and makes everything right again.” “God is a judge whose sole purpose is to condemn and forgive; we do not encounter him until we die.” “God is an infinitely distant and holy perfection. He is the reason behind things, but he is too pure to muddy himself in human life and its concerns.” “God is the pal at my elbow who goes along with anything I choose to do.” (3) False gods. Who is God? The Bible is very clear ...

2678. Praise the King with a Song of Joy

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... you mop the floor. And we all know the frustration of getting an annoying song stuck in our heads, so that we hum it obsessively.** And music has the power to change our mood in an instant. What song evokes memories of your first love? What’s the perfect song for driving down a long stretch of highway at night? What song best captures the mood of your teenage years? What song always puts a lump in your throat? What songs did your parents teach you when you were a kid? What’s your favorite hymn? Just ...

2679. Rebellion in the Vineyard

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

King Duncan

... modern techniques of chemical engineering. It was an impressive structure that was very well kept up. The interior was bright and shining. The workers were proud to be part of such a company. They made sure that the plant was clean and everything was in perfect working order. In fact the oil refinery soon gained a world-wide reputation. One day, some visitors asked to have a tour of the oil refinery. There was a reluctance at first to allow any guests. The visitors insisted. They had traveled a distance and ...

2680. Living with the End in Mind

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11

Sermon

King Duncan

... grieve. He simply tells us that we need not grieve in the same way as people “who have no hope.” Christ has conquered death. When we are absent from this body, we will be given a new spiritual body, a glorified body. Not like Barbie perhaps, or Ken--but a perfect body nonetheless. Grieve not as those who have no hope. He easily could have said, “Fear not” as those who have no hope. I won’t ask you to raise your hand, but is there anyone in this room who is afraid of death? I don’t want to sound ...

2681. MONEY MATTERS

Amos 5:18-27

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... people in this church like that. There are so many temptations for young people today, and when you run into a young person who comes through it all with head high you want to salute, don''t you? Someone once noted that an astronomer can predict with perfect accuracy just where every star in the heavens will be at 11:30 tonight. But he cannot make such a prediction about his teenage son and daughter. The astronomer may admit that the universe is complicated, but he might tell us that his teenagers are ten ...

2682. The Scariest Drug on the Market

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... a carnation, throw your pocketbook." The woman replied, "Preacher, you have just calmed the wind and put out the fire." (1)This morning I may calm the wind and put out the fire. A survey of church members once revealed that most lay people feel it is perfectly legitimate for their pastor to preach about money. However, most of them believe once a year is sufficient. This morning is that morning, and I want to speak in stronger terms than I ordinarily do about a subject that is more serious than most of us ...

2683. Maturity in Stewardship

2 Corinthians 9:6-15, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... that we are stewards of everything not just our possessions. We are stewards of life itself and all of life’s experiences. Lawrence Furgin reminds us, "Christian stewardship is the matching of gift for matchless gift our life and its whole substance for the gift of perfect love." That is the inexpressible gift Paul speaks of and the grace of God in us. "Though God’s son and his death are matchless, our gift is made sufficient by Him, my all for His all." The Christian steward makes Christ the Lord of ...

2684. Forgiveness: Human and Divine

Matthew 6:12-15

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... there if God did not take this matter seriously, if we did not need his forgiveness, his cleansing and his renewal? The major theme of the Bible is that God created this world to be a beautiful place in the beginning, a place without any sin, with perfect harmony between humans and God and between humans and each other. But people became proud and decided to take the place of God, and spoiled everything for everybody. The story goes on to say that God loved his creation so much that he would not allow that ...

2685. Yes, Virginia, There Is a Hell!

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... refuse to love their wives. Then they wonder why their wives take to drink and why they become so wretched and so miserable. Wives sometimes don''t love their husbands. They develop distorted priorities. Sometimes it is something as simple as keeping a perfect house, and they don''t want their husband around because he messes up that house.Fault-finding becomes incessant. Compliments are few and far between.Then they wonder why he turns to other women for companionship. "I never cheated on him," they say ...

2686. The Question That Will Not Go Away

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... . A story is told of a young couple on a fast track in their social life. As the season approached, they went to the social matriarch of their city, an old friend, and asked her to loan the ambitious young woman her priceless necklace of perfect, natural pearls. After some thought, the matriarch of society loaned the pearls for the duration of the season. The very first night they were stolen. But more than that, the young couple on the fast track knew that their life''s ambitions for fame, visibility ...

2687. Because He Lives

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... _______________. She is in the eternal presence of Christ. She loved her church. One of her fondest wishes was to be back with her friends in the worship of God one more time. Now she has gone to a far better church, that church of the just-made perfect and to the continual worship in the presence of the Lord himself. We who are left can go forward to live courageously and victoriously because of His promises: "Because I live, you too shall live." And, "I will never leave you nor forsake you...I am with you ...

2688. Every Exit an Entrance

Isaiah 20:1-5

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... . The poet said, Think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven! Of taking hold of a hand and finding it God''s! Of breathing a new air and finding it celestial air! Of feeling invigorated and finding it immortality! Of passing through storm and stress to perfect calm! Of waking and finding it Home! (2) ______________ has now found herself Home. In his book THE BEST IS YET TO BE, Henry Durbanville told the story of a man who lay dying. He was fearful, even though he was a Christian. He expressed his ...

2689. On Not Losing Heart

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Eulogy

Edward Inabinet

... before the baby was born, she heard it cry in her womb--an ill omen. A healthy baby girl was born, but the queen did not recover. As she lay dying, she whispered a final wish to her grief-stricken husband: "Build for me a monument so pure and perfect that anyone who comes to it will feel the great power of love." She paused and then added, "...and the even greater power of death." (1) The Taj Mahal is a beautiful monument to love, but there is a monument far more beautiful, for it reveals that the queen ...

2690. Confronting Hypocrisy with Humility

Matthew 23:1-12

Sermon

Brett Blair

Politicians in Washington play the gotcha game to perfection. To make matters worse the news media feeds on it. Not only do they feed on it, they feed it, hoping for a national scandal to make themselves appear relevant. These various political events are a fitting context for our scriptural text about hypocrisy. Listen to what Jesus says about ...

2691. Where Meek Souls Will Recieve Him Still

John 3:22-36

Sermon

Darrick Acre

... groomsman of our time. Their task went beyond carrying the bride’s ring and making sure it wasn’t lost, or signing the marriage certificate when the ceremony was over. An attendant was responsible to make sure everything about the wedding celebration went perfectly. The attendant was personal servant to the groom, present and attentive, ready to serve in any way necessary. His purpose and joy were only fulfilled as he participated in the joy of the bride and bridegroom as they came together. John the ...

2692. IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Drama

Angela Akers

... than anybody else around Him. There was nothing special or handsome about Him that would cause people to notice Him." Dottie: "I suppose you''re right. But if that''s true, then you''ll have to get rid of His high cheekbones and perfect nose. He looks a little too good." Maynard: "I can tell you right now what''s wrong with Him." (Everyone looks amused and interested.) Walter: "And what''s that, Maynard?" Maynard: "He''s got no experience." Dottie: (scandalized) "Maynard! You''re ...

2693. JUST ANOTHER BABY, JUST ANOTHER DAY

Drama

Angela Akers

... your wife into the delivery room and get her prepared." (After a minute of Joseph pacing back and forth, the nurses come back out.) Nurse: "Mr. Joseph, congratulations. Your wife just had a baby boy. He looks healthy and normal." Joseph: "He''s perfect." Nurse: "New fathers always say that. We''ll get him cleaned up, and then you can come see your wife." Joseph: "Thank you, thank you so much. This is a day we will never forget." (Joseph walks off, excited.) Nurse: (with a discouraging ...

2694. ENRAPTURED OR INSANE?

Drama

Angela Akers

... You see, your Honor, the joy, the sheer revelation of it all filled us to such an extent that we probably appeared to be drunk. It was certainly an intoxication of no earthly origin." Man 1: "Your Honor, we can stand straight as the trees and speak with perfect clarity. When have you seen a drunk man who could do that?" Judge: "I''ll have to admit, never. Alright, I''ll drop the public drunkenness charge, but what about the rowdy behavior?" Man 2: "We did not mean to be rowdy at all. We only ...

2695. AN ACT OF WILL

Drama

Angela Akers

... and knocks on it. Mr. Ramos answers the door) Maria: "Hello, Mr. Ramos." Ramos: "Hello, Maria, come in. It is so good to see you. And here you are blessing me with all this delicious food. So sweet of you. This will make my Thanksgiving perfect." Maria: "Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?" (She realizes what she has said, and quickly, awkwardly tries to cover it up) "Oh, um, I mean, that''s nice that you''re looking forward to Thanksgiving." Ramos: (He gives her an amused look) "I know ...

2696. In the Meantime: Between the First and Second Comings

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

David Busic

... Jesus Christ. He is the suffering servant who takes on our sins. He is the second Adam who forms us into new creations. And yet, shouting from the rooftops does not take us out of the land of the living. We live life, and life is not perfect. We are redeemed, but the world remains fallen. And its fallenness comes to fruition in agony at times, hostility and strife, pain and bloodshed. The Incarnation did not bring this to an end. It was a new beginning, in which we participate. But the complete fulfillment ...

2697. On Doing the Truth

John 3:14-21

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... happen would be for some of the babes in Christ’ to grow up.” He reminded his listeners, who happened to be Methodists, that one of the distinctive messages of the movement known as Methodism is not the new birth, but the “going on to perfection”...that is, growing up in Christ, living the new life we have professed to receive. Then he said, “When times are difficult as they are now, the church needs mature Christians, men and women who have come to full stature. Many churches waste their strength ...

2698. Is Suffering Punishment for Sin?

John 9:1-12

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... , now I see!” Perhaps John, through this story, is telling us that many people who were once in spiritual blindness have now come to see into the heart of God because Christ has come; but perhaps also he is saying that many people who think that they see perfectly are, in truth, blind to the truth of God which is to be found in Jesus. Again I say, read the story with imagination. Jesus sent the man to the pool of Siloam to wash. That pool is the result of a remarkable feat of engineering skill. Some seven ...

2699. One Commandment, Slightly Used

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34) It’s that last part that makes all the difference. Christianity does not have a monopoly on love. It has often been noted that adherents of other religions and of no religion at all are perfectly capable of acting in a loving manner, sometimes in ways that put Christians to shame! Christianity does not have a monopoly on love. But the New Testament does claim uniqueness when it points to the love of Jesus. “Ideas,” wrote George Eliot, “are often ...

2700. Does God Give Out Blank Checks?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... thorn in the flesh was a nagging wife! Whatever it was, Paul says that he prayed to be released from it three times, but the problem never left him. But there did come the still, small voice of God within, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (II Corinthians 12:9) God did not answer the prayer in the way Paul wanted, but God did answer the person, and that is far more ...

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