Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 251 to 275 of 4935 results

251. No Longer Afraid

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Daniel G. Mueller

It’s amazingly easy to make people feel guilty and afraid. Say to a child, "Dad wants to talk to you about something!" and immediately a worried look will come across the child’s face as he begins to comb through his memory for something he may have done wrong. The same thing happens when a student is told, "You have to go to the principal’s office." When an adult hears, "The boss wants you in his office right now!" rarely do we anticipate a bonus or a pat on the back. Instead, the first thought that ...

252. The Lord's Prayer: "Our Daily Bread"

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"Give us this day our daily bread." Is that really a concern of yours? Are you truly worried about whether or not there will be food for you to eat today...or tomorrow or the next day? Probably not. We who live in America know very well that there is MORE than sufficient food for all OUR citizens - TOO much for many of us. Granted, we have a problem in getting the food properly distributed (as in Bosnia), but the food IS there. That would make it sound as though our prayer for daily bread is irrelevant. ...

253. Blood Sprinkled On A Modern Altar

Exodus 24:3-8, Mark 14:12-16, 22-26, Hebrews 9:11-15

Sermon

King Duncan

Wesley Tracy tells about a letter he once received. “I have hundreds of biblical photographs,” the letter said, “including several of the Garden of Eden.” “Wow!” says Tracy, “I have seen and taken a lot of photos of biblical places—tiny mustard seeds on the Mount of Olives, the Temple courtyard, and the Lord’s supposed birthplace guarded by a soldier with an automatic weapon—but Eden? Did they have cameras in [Eden]?” “Where was Eden anyway?” he asks with tongue firmly in cheek. “Though a headline in a ...

254. Sine Qua Non

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

I read somewhere that a new Guinness World Record has been set for the world’s shortest sermon. An Episcopal priest stood up one Sunday morning, walked to his pulpit, stood there for a moment, and said one word: “LOVE.” Then he sat down. I know, some of you would like me to attempt a sermon like that one day. But it is not that easy. The word “love” is capable of many different meanings. Love is what a mother gives to her children. Love is what a thrice-divorced Hollywood actress is supposed to have for a ...

255. To Be a Christian

Acts 11:19-30

Sermon

James McCormick

In the earliest days of the Christian movement, the followers of Jesus were not called Christians. They were called “followers of the way”. Jesus had said, “I am the way”, so they were followers of “the way”. The book of Acts tells us that the disciples were called Christians for the first time in Antioch. We use that term, “Christian” a lot. But what does it mean? That’s what this sermon is about. First, let’s talk about what it does not mean. It does not mean simply that you have been baptized and you ...

256. You're A Good Kid!

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Harriett Beecher Stowe was a most successful writer. She achieved her first triumph as an author at the age of twelve. She was a student at Litchfield Academy. With the other Litchfield students she was required to submit an essay at the end of the term. Her essay was awarded first prize by the unanimous vote of the judges and was one of two read at the graduation exercises by the headmaster, John Brace. So outstanding was her paper, the audience applauded when it was read. When it was revealed that ...

257. Yes, But How?

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon

King Duncan

I believe that every one of us can identify with St. Paul when he cries out in anguish that the good that he would do, he does not; and the evil that he would not do, he does. You might even be tempted to say, "He sounds a lot like me!" We all have good intentions. But we also know where the road that's paved with good intentions leads to! One pastor tells about a man who borrowed a book from an acquaintance. When he read it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined, with the letters YBH in ...

258. The Door of Forgiveness

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Ernest Hemingway wrote a story about a father and son who had a serious misunderstanding. In the story, the boy finally runs away from home. The father however, is not content to let his son go. In an effort to find the boy, the father puts an ad in the Madrid, Spain newspaper. It contained these words: Dear Paco, Meet me at the town square at noon on Sunday. All is forgiven...Your father That Sunday, 800 males by the name of Paco showed up at the town square. They all came seeking forgiveness from their ...

259. The Knot: Tied

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

James Merritt

There are two topics a pastor can talk about that are guaranteed to generate emails, letters, phone calls, discussion, and debate. Those topics are money and marriage. I knew that this series we are doing on marriage would generate a lot of interest, reveal a lot of anguish, and strike a lot of nerves. There is an old joke about marriage that goes like this: “Marriage is like a deck of cards. In the beginning all you need is two hearts and a diamond. At the end you wish you had a club and a spade!” ...

260. The Footwashing

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

It was an audacious act on her part, wasn’t it? Imagine an uninvited guest crashing a dinner party, throwing herself at the feet of the guest of honor, and washing his feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and anointing them with precious ointment. Not only that, she was a woman with a reputation; everybody knew that she was a "sinner." But that knowledge didn’t stop her from entering Simon’s home uninvited and unannounced; rather her self-knowledge - her awareness of her sinful estate and her ...

261. The Penalty for Betraying God’s Trust

Numbers 27:12-23

Sermon

It was when the people of Israel were almost within sight of the Promised Land that Moses received the biggest disappointment of his life. He had been their prophet and leader from the beginning of their departure from Egypt right up to the very border of the land God had given them. It had been a difficult time, forty years of dealing with the fear and faithlessness of the people. There were so many crises during that time that he probably had forgotten, at least the incident must have been tucked away in ...

262. Do You Know?

Hosea 11:1-11

Sermon

John W. Wurster

“ ‘It was I who taught Ephraim how to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them’ (11:3). They did not know me. Do you? “‘I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.’ (1:4). But they did not know me. Do you? “I fashioned a world in love, bringing forth order from chaos and light from darkness. I filled the seas and the land and the air with life. As the climax of my ...

263. Who Did He Praise?

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

There was once a young businessman in Germany named Neckerman who had a burning ambition to build his small retail store into a large chain of department stores. His problem was that no one knew his name. He couldn't attract customers. He had only limited capital. This was shortly after World War II. As you might imagine there were shortages in Germany of almost everything. Thus, the existing big department stores saw no reason to cut prices. They sold whatever they could get at healthy margins. Neckerman ...

264. Can You Smell the Perfume?

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A group of men celebrated on and on in a sports bar. "Here's to 94," one of them toasted. "Hip-94-Hooray," another of them cheered. "Ninety-four, Ninety-four," "Ninety-four," they chanted in unison. The waitress could take the mystery no longer. When one of them left for the men's room, she intercepted him and asked, "Why the big deal about 94?" "It only took us 94 days to finish this puzzle we've been working on." "What's so special about that?" He replied, "Hey, the box reads 5-7 years." Puzzles are not ...

265. Every Member Matters

Hebrews 10:24-25

Sermon

James Merritt

Thinking about a body, and the various parts and organs of a body, helps us to answer two very vital questions about the church: What does it mean to be a member of a church? and Why is being a member of a church different from being a member of any other institution or organization in the world? Well you will understand why membership matters and every member matters if you will begin to see the church as a body, and the members as the vital organs. In fact, that is what we are told in Rom. 12:5,"In ...

266. A Miracle Child

Exodus 2:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I’m sure that our parents here today would identify at least with the sermon title today, A Miracle Child. The truth of the matter is that every child is a miracle. Where did you come from baby dear? Out of the everywhere into the here. Where did you get those eyes so blue? Out of the sky as I passed through. Whence that three cornered smile of bliss? Three angels gave me at once a kiss. Where did you get this pearly ear? God spoke and it came out to here. Where did you get those arms and hands? Love made ...

267. When the Going Gets Tough ... the Tough Start Praying!

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

Ever since the sign went up on our property that our church was coming I've gotten phone calls from people asking when we'll have a church. I can be a smart aleck as some of you will attest and so I'm often quick to respond that we already have a church, we just don't have a building. "Well," they usually say, "give me a call when you get the building done; I'm not going to worship in a high school cafeteria." Before I can give my canned speech about the difference between a church and the building I ...

268. The iPod Vs. The Larynx

Revelation 5:11-14

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

The book of Revelation is a vision that occurs on the Lord's day. When you read the book, it feels like a worship service. In fact, in the historic liturgies and worship services of the church (regardless of one's denomination or tradition), more passages from the book of Revelation are used than from any other book in the Bible. The book is filled with hymns, sections of hymns, colorful and vivid images, and metaphors that simply beg to be used in a service of Christian worship. Today's reading is one ...

269. Being Thankful for the Right Reasons

John 1:14, Colossians 1:11-20

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to begin with a Thanksgiving riddle for our boys and girls. What do you get when you cross a centipede with a turkey? The answer: Drumsticks for everybody! When you get a hungry family around the table Thanksgiving Day, you might wish that you could cross a centipede with a turkey. A group of Moms got together and composed a list of things they are thankful for. They wrote that they were especially thankful: “For automatic dishwashers because they make it possible for us to get out of the kitchen ...

270. The Spice of Death

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

Good Friday draws us to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ that we might concentrate and meditate on our Lord's suffering. We dwell on each of those words that we hear from out of the darkness that we might wring the fullest meaning we can from that awe-filled scene where heaven and hell, judgment and salvation, God and man meet. What cannot be overlooked is the manner in which our Lord was buried. We do take note with considerable concern and care the manner in which friends and dear ones are buried. It ...

271. Lent 1

Lk 4:1-13 · Rom 10:8-13 · Deut 26:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Upon entering the Promised Land the people are to present the first fruits and to rejoice in Yahweh's goodness. Deuteronomy deals with the time of King Josiah's reforms in 621 B.C. One of the reforms was the centralization of worship in Jerusalem's temple. One of the three compulsory pilgrimages to Jerusalem was the Feast of Weeks when a basket of first fruits was presented to the priest, placed before the altar, and the worshiper responded by re-telling the account of the ...

272. Counting The Cost?

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

"Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing ... she out of her poverty has put in everything she had ..." (vv. 43-44) It has been called the world’s greatest business transaction. A widow’s gift of two copper coins - perutas, the smallest of Jewish coinage, having the value of two cents, or less - will be remembered for all time. What is it about this familiar scene? It tugs the heart. Are we sorry for the woman? Oh, some like to dwell on sentimentality and ...

273. Justified By What?

Romans 3:19-28

Sermon

King Duncan

Florence Littauer was speaking at a Church Growth Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Florence was winning the crowd with her great sense of humor and anecdotes of everyday life. She told one delightful story about a speaking engagement during which she was focusing on the sinfulness of humankind and the need for God's grace. Spontaneously, Florence asked, "Does anyone here know what grace means?" A 7yearold girl on the front row, all decked out in a white dress, stood up and raised her hand. "I know, Miss ...

274. Still Sinners, Still Forgiven

Romans 5:1-8

Sermon

William G. Carter

I have an announcement to make. Today's sermon is not for everybody. It was not planned for a general audience. It was not written to whom it may concern. No, today's sermon is intended for people who have a hard time feeling forgiven. The rest of you can listen in. Once in a while, I run across somebody who has difficulty feeling that the good news of the gospel is for them. They don't have any problem believing all the outrageous things that church takes to be true, like God becoming a human or the ...

275. Before You Start Ripping Your Clothing

Joel 2:12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

I don’t know about you, but it feels a little strange to me to celebrate Ash Wednesday on St. Valentine’s Day. It puts some of you who are romantically inclined in a real bind. “How shall we celebrate Valentines, dear? How about we go to an Ash Wednesday service where the pastor will read from the prophet Joel telling us to ‘rend your hearts and not your clothing?’” Does that put you in a romantic mood? It doesn’t sound that romantic to me. I can hear some of you men now. “Honey I’ve decided to treat you ...

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