Sermon and Worship Resources

Ephesians 6:1-4

Sermon

James Merritt

I read something recently about childbirth that I had never thought about before. But when you think about it, it is extremely profound. The pain of childbirth is twofold: there is the pain of bringing the child into the world, and there is the pain of bringing that child up in the world, and the latter is greater. The physical pain of bearing a child is tremendous, but usually lasts only a few hours. But the pain of rearing that same child lasts a lifetime and never lessens.1 Every time I preach on the ...

2702. Nobody's Perfect--Except Jesus

Hebrews 4:15-16

Sermon

James Merritt

One of America's favorite pastimes is making excuses. We all love to make them, and some people are especially creative in cooking up excuses when they are in the kitchen of trouble. The following are some true excuses offered to police officers in relation to automobile accidents. I think you will find them interesting: "An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and then disappeared." "I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment." "The ...

2703. How to Deal with Friends, Foes, and Fools

Proverbs 27:6

Sermon

James Merritt

"I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than any other ability under the sun." John D. Rockefeller1 Relationships: we all have them. John Donne was right: "No man is an island..."2 I have learned early on that one of the most important lessons a father can teach his children is how to establish and maintain proper relationships with the right people. According to a report by the American Management Association, an overwhelming majority of the two hundred managers who participated in a survey, ...

2704. Focus on the Finish

Galatians 6:7-10

Sermon

James Merritt

You will be far down the road to success in life if you will look at life as a race. The Apostle Paul compared his life to a race. As he came to the end of his journey on earth, he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7) Every morning when you get up you have several choices concerning your race. First of all, you can choose not to run. But if you don't run you can't win. Secondly, you can choose to run, but not run your best. If you don't run ...

2705. When the Pressure Is On

John 6:1-14

Sermon

James Merritt

Is there anybody here under pressure? Do you ever feel like you live in a pressure cooker? Did you know that it takes longer to cook food at high altitudes, because at high altitudes the air pressure is much lower than in the lower plains? Because of that the boiling point of water is lower, and therefore it takes much longer to cook food. But in a pressure cooker high pressures are built up within the vessel, which raises the boiling point of water, and food can be cooked within minutes. In fact, the ...

2706. Why You Should Trust In God

Proverbs 3:5-6

Sermon

James Merritt

Have you ever wondered "Why people ask why?" Here are some "Why?" questions that I think are worth asking. Why are there Interstate highways in Hawaii? Why are there floatation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes? If a 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors? Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM? Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways? Why is it that when you transport something by car it's called a shipment. But when ...

2707. No Place Like Home

Psalm 128:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

The year was 1852, and if you had been standing on the street corner of Washington, D.C., as this funeral procession made its way down the street, you would have been extremely impressed. First of all, you would have seen standing on that same street with you, with his head bowed, his hat removed, and tears in his eyes, the President of the United States. Next to him you would have seen his cabinet, most of congress, and dignitaries from Berlin, London, Tokyo, and Africa. The crowds lined the streets by ...

2708. The Near Edge of God

Jn 1:1-3, 14

Sermon

When I was three years old, I used to think that the true measure of things was how big they were in comparison to how big I was. There were Billy-sized things. And there were bigger things. But when I was three, almost everything fell into the category of "bigger things." Most everything was huge when I was small, but seems to have shrunk, now that I have become huge. Whenever I go back to the house in which I previously lived ... the school in which I previously studied ... the fields in which I ...

2709. The True Feng Shui Life

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Our world has been shaped by one image. It may be the most powerful image to come out of the 20th century. If you were asked about the most important image of the 20th century, what would you pick? Here is my pick . . . [if you use screens]. The one picture that did the most to transform our perception of this world was that look-back at Earth from the tiny port-hole window in the first Apollo mission to the moon. Dangling in the bleak blackness of space was this beautiful blue-ball planet — with swirling ...

2710. Great Is Your Faith - Sermon Starter

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

Brett Blair

What would you think if I told you that on your tombstone would be inscribed a four-word epitaph? Well, you might respond, it would depend on who would write this epitaph an enemy or a loved one. It might also depend, you might say, on how well this person knew and understood you. If a newspaper critic wrote of a concert pianist the four words: "He was a failure," you could always say: That was his opinion. But if one of the world's great musicians wrote, "He was a genius," then you are apt to take the ...

2711. Healed By The Great Physician

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

If I mention the word “healing” here in church, what comes to your mind? Oral Roberts? Professional healers on TV? The Christian Scientists? A place in France where lame people seem to have been made well? Jesus giving sight to a blind man? Perhaps none of the above. If you are at the grocery store and you glance at one of those tabloid magazines and see the word “healing” on the front page, what do you think of? New-fangled diets? Miracle drugs? Perhaps. We tend to compartmentalize healing. If something ...

2712. Stop Fuming, Start Forgiving!

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

The late Bishop Lance Webb used to tell a story about a little five-year-old boy who misbehaved. His mother decided to give him some quiet time. She had a large closet. So, she pushed back the hangers in the closet so there would be room for his chair. She turned on the light and told him he would have to stay in the closet for 30 minutes. She heard strange sounds inside the closet and then everything got quiet. The mother was curious, so she opened the door. “Jimmy, “she asked, “what on earth are you ...

2713. Never Say What You Won't Do!

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

The well-known pastor, teacher, and writer, Chuck Swindoll, has observed that dating couples are often less than honest with each other. This is even true when they are engaged. For example, a man may tell his wife-to-be how much he loves the symphony. He eagerly escorts her to these performances, grinning like a mule eating briars, trying to impress his fiancée with how much he loves the arts. She is thinking, oh boy, I finally found a really cultured man! However, when they return from the honeymoon, he ...

2714. Joseph: Don't Bury Me Here

Genesis 50:22-26; Exodus 13:19-22; Joshua 24:32

Sermon

John E. Harnish

So Abraham and Sarah sojourned in the land of promise. They lived in tents, looking for a city. And when, as God had promised, a son was born, they named him Isaac. Isaac produced sons...twins in fact, Esau and Jacob, whose name actually means "heel-grabber" because he was born hanging onto his brother's heel. As a second-born twin, I am not sure it's a compliment to be compared to Jacob, but I do tend to identify with this story. And if you ever want to read a tale of classic sibling rivalry, take a look ...

2715. A Circle for Dorothy

Ephesians 2:11-22, Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

"If you only had one sermon to preach..." Well, we made it through the first one, and you came back! So what's the theme of the second Sunday? The church, of course. This week and next, we will explore two images of what it means, for me, to be the church. This week, we look to one of the most important books in the New Testament: Paul's letter to the Ephesians. I discover that I have preached from this book more often than any other book in the New Testament. It offers Paul's clear statement of the core ...

2716. Bart and Homer, Father and Sons

1 Samuel 20:24-42

Sermon

John E. Harnish

The statistics abound and the statistics are not good: One of the chief predictors of youth crime is the role of the father in the home. Seventy percent of adolescents charged with murder and seventy percent of long-term prison inmates are from fatherless homes. Children who live absent their biological father are at least two to three times more likely to be poor, use drugs, be victims of child abuse and to engage in criminal behavior. Twenty-four million children live absent their biological fathers and ...

2717. Worship and Wonder

John 1:1-14

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...

2718. Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...

2719. Gifts: Standing on the Promises

Malachi 4:10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...

2720. Will The Real Saints Please Stand Up

Esther 4:1-17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...

2721. Gathered In, Sent Out

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...

2722. Growing Up

1 Corinthians 13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...

2723. Called to be a Christian Community: Cracked Pots and Clay Jars

2 Corinthians 4: 1-18

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...

2724. Grasshopper Religion

Numbers 13:25-33, 14:1-10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...

2725. Praising God on an Oatmeal Box

2 Samuel 6:12-23

Sermon

John E. Harnish

It seems my little jaunt into English grammar, and especially the proper placement of prepositions, produced more response than almost anything I have written in Steeple Notes. I suppose that, in itself, is amazing. Several of you sent me Winston Churchill's famous quotation: "This is a situation with which I will not put up." But the best one came from a couple of my Wednesday morning Arbon Dennis buddies. It's the story of the little girl, already in bed, who berated her father when he came to read to ...