Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 251 to 275 of 662 results

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... , or proud! But think of what love is: Tough, Hard, Eternal (it goes on and on and on and on against impossible odds), Taking people where they are, as they are, Being kicked, and not kicking back, Patient, longsuffering, and kind, Real (not fake, or imitation, or put-on, or make-believe, or pretend), Unprejudiced (you will help the person who needs it even if he is: under 30 - or over 30, Republican or Democrat, Methodist or Protestant or Catholic or no church at all!, Grateful or ungrateful, a somebody or ...

252. While We Watch for the Coming

Matthew 24:1-35

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... effort to drive these leaders out of town!’ " The country that fails to take God into its strategy and concern is bound to fall, says Jesus. In the United States Senate, Peter Marshall prayed: "Help us, our Father, to show other nations an America to imitate - not the America of loud jazz music, self-seeking indulgence, and love of money, but the America that loves fair play, honest dealing, straight talk, real freedom, and faith in God. Make us to see that it cannot be done as long as we are content ...

253. Embalmed Leaders

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... raucous clamor, in all of this strident, unintelligible shouting, who can hear the quiet and insistent and eternal words of him who stands before us and says: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." He speaks of the imitation shepherds of the hirelings, the man who is in business or leadership only for the pay, only for what he gets out. When trouble looms, the hireling flees. Why? Because he doesn’t care for the sheep. Why the world revolt against its own leadership ...

254. The Narrowness Of The Christian Way - 1950 (date estimated)

Matthew 7:13-14

Sermon

Kent Moorehead

... her through it into a broad life so splendidly expansive that most mortals, even though amply endowed with all their physical senses, find it difficult even to dream of such divine dimensions. In that familiar story I think I see a valid imitation of what this thing called Christianity is all about. This sad, sick, old world has been smitten with a blinding, deafening, desensitizing disease. Most human beings are groping about in the dark, bewildered, disillusioned, desperate. They have gone down the broad ...

255. Getting Under Your Neighbor's Skin

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... ." I find a second truth in Jesus' fifth Beatitude: Not only is merciful understanding the key to dealing with other individuals; It Is Also Socially Contagious and Redemptive. Jesus said that if you hand it out, you will stimulate others to imitate and reciprocate. Merciful understanding is the lubricant of community. Let's look at the difficult and sensitive area of race relations. A columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News wrote several months ago: "The ugly truth is that colleges and universities ...

256. The Beauty of a Childlike Faith

Matthew 18:1-9

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... , the Bible urges us toward maturity, to grow up. "When I was a child," wrote Paul, "I thought and acted like a child. But when I became a man I put away childish ways." There are lots of characteristics of children that should not be imitated. The temper tantrums so typical of "the terrible two's" are one example. People who never outgrow such behavior become baseball managers. To understand what Jesus meant when he urged us to become like little children, we must look at the context. Jesus and his ...

257. A Mother Who Could Let Go

1 Samuel 9:1--10:8

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... fondest parenting memories have to do with putting our boys to bed. I didn't help with their baths as much as I should have, but I was in charge of bedtime stories and prayers. Dr. Seuss and I were on close terms. I became an accomplished Uncle Remus, imitating the sounds of Bier Bear and all the other animals. Many times I related how the little train engine chugged up the hill, saying, "I think I can, I think I can..." Then I would read one of the little paperback Bible stories, as our son would check out ...

258. A Shepherd To Lead Us

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Brett Blair

... had bad shepherds. That the nation has been put in danger because of these leaders and he says, “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” You can’t argue with that. That is true leadership. We all will spend our lives trying to be imitators of Christ whether we are leaders or we are followers. We all want a leader. A shepherd to lead us. Someone we can trust. Someone who has our best interest at heart. Someone who will not disappoint. I offer you Christ. He is the Good Shepherd. May God ...

259. How to do Extraordinary Things

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... that the Holy Spirit is capturing our hearts with the vision and will motivate us to make sacrificial commitments, I am expecting great things. I believe that we will exceed all stated goals. If you want to do extraordinary things and live an extraordinary life, imitate Jesus’ principles: Use what you have; commit what you have to God; and expect great things. I love a story about two fortune hunters named Sam and Jed. They learned that up in Canada, $5,000 was being offered for each wolf captured alive ...

260. Solomon and the Outline for Renewal

2 Chronicles 7:11-22

Sermon

Don Yocom

... ’s fellowmen, we must be the least. To be the minister, we must be the servant. Humility is what it takes. Methodist Bishop Edwin bit Hughes, in a pastorate before becoming a bishop, conducted a prayer meeting one night in which the subject was "The Imitation of Bible Characters." One person said he would like to have been Simon Peter; another said Andrew; others named other names. Then a person stood up and said he would rather have been Simon of Cyrene because he carried the cross for Christ. That’s ...

261. Chapter II

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Frank H. Seilhamer

... man to use the potential for goodness that God had built into him. Like the prophets and John, Jesus glimpsed an important element within us. He knew that while we have often distorted ourselves because of the loveless acts we so frequently commit, God stills calls us to imitate the One in whose image we were created! This is so vividly pointed out in the Old Testament in the Holiness Code in the Book of Leviticus. There in chapter 19:2 the challenge is laid out, "You shall be holy for I the Lord your God ...

262. Having Fun with Jesus

John 2:1-11

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... and see if it gets any better? Would you like to wait? (Ask some of the children if they would like to have it now or wait) Okay, all of those that could wait, sit together. (Move that group over to one side) Now watch. (Take out ice cream or imitation whipped cream and add to the top of pie) Oh boy, doesn't that look good? How many in the first group wish they had been in the second group? That's what I thought. The pie was good, but the whipped cream made it even better. (Take pie away ...

263. DANCER

Judges 21:23; Psalm 87:7

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

... in you.’ " Dancing has formed a part of religious rites and has been associated with war and hunting, with marriage, birth, and other occasions, since the recorded history of man. It grew out of three basic human reactions: 1. the desire to imitate the movements of beasts, birds, even the sun and moon; 2. the desire to express emotions by gestures; 3. gregarious impulses. Throughout past ages dancing has been associated with worship. Closely related to religious praises was the sacramental dance in which ...

264. Even The Bosses Wash Feet!

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... to taking turns with the foot-washing duty. But earlier that very day, they had been arguing about who would be greatest in Jesus' coming kingdom. Imagine that! While Jesus agonized about his coming death, his disciples were engaged in a Mohammed Ali imitation. Ego is that self-seeking intruder who sabotages the Kingdom of God. You see it everywhere. A player in the National Basketball League is not in the starting lineup, so he explodes in a courtside, public confrontation with the coach. A pastor is ...

265. The Mission of Christ Church

Nehemiah 6:1-14

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... The evil one would like to distract us, to get us arguing among ourselves about something, like whether traditional worship is holier than contemporary worship, or vice-versa. Anything to divert us from making, maturing, and mobilizing disciples. But I call us today to imitate Nehemiah, to claim our mission and to refuse to be distracted from it. FIRST, WE ARE TO MAKE DISCIPLES. That is the great commission in our Bible: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." It is the sole purpose of the united ...

266. How Could A Love So Right Go Wrong?

Genesis 24:1-67, Genesis 27:41--28:9

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... ’t get into heaven if he uses his bowling words in the house?” That Dad needs to work on his bowling words, just as some of us need to work on our golf words and our TV words. Little ears are listening and will surely imitate. Parents, look for opportunities to share with your children how you discovered a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Your personal faith story is your most convincing testimony. If your children never hear it, they will assume that you don’t have one. A second reason that ...

267. How to Handle Criticism

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... we’re having a funeral, but they don’t want to do that either. People are just contrary, critical, hard to please.” Despite all that, Jesus did not despair or become bitter. His life was a beautiful, resounding response to his critics. Today I invite us to imitate our Lord in how we deal with critics. After all, Jesus came not only to save our eternal souls but also to show us how to live effectively here on earth. With Jesus’ words as our guide, let me share a strategy for handling criticism. FIRST ...

268. Fear

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Brett Blair

... sixties. Simon Peter is out in the boat crossing the lake of Galilee after a long day with the crowds. Earlier that day he saw Jesus take the bread and fish and feed 15,000 people. Now he is stepping out of the boat into the storm trying to imitate his Master walking on the water. Tempestuous Peter tempting the storm. He’s successful for a moment but the situation gets the best of him. Fear rises and his body sinks. Over and over again the message of the Bible is clear: Fear not, fear not. Over seventy ...

269. The Passover and the Passion

Drama

Denny C. Wise

... many of the disciples were more than a little embarrassed by the Master’s demeaning behavior. It was bad enough that he spoke with such a strong Galilean accent. It was bad enough that he spent so much time with common people. But now this lowly imitation of a slave. It was not only hard to take - it was also hard to understand. Nathaniel: (Philip stands with Nathaniel.) My name is Nathaniel. Some call me Bartholomew. This is my friend, Philip. We were not from the sticks like most of the disciples. I ...

270. God’s Chosen Country

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Susan Hedahl

... thing. He would do justice for those who had suffered injustice and insult. The godly gifts were given in abundance in the presence of the poor in spirit and the poor in material wealth. In turn the Holy One would expect all of Israel to imitate this giving and abundantly pour on others what would be given to them first. The Gift Giver would be gentle and loving towards those in need and fiercely uncompromising towards those who refused to care for either God or the humanity around them. Odd gifts. Ones ...

271. Is There Life After Christmas?

Luke 2:21-40, Isaiah 12:1-6

Sermon

Erskine White

... to repay their enormous debt. When they finally did pay off the debt, Mathilde told her friend about the replacement necklace and how they had suffered the last ten years. That is when the friend told her that the necklace Mathilde had borrowed that night was itself an imitation, made only of paste. It was barely worth 500 francs, not the 36,000 they had slaved so long to repay. Of course, there is a part of Mathilde in all of us. We spend years slaving away for things which are only made of paste, while ...

272. Remember Who(se) You Are

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Frederick C. Edwards

... ! Theologians have differed as to why Jesus came to John to be baptized. Yet by doing so he invites each one of us to our own fulfillment of the baptismal covenant, and to live as people who know we belong to God. He goes before us so we may imitate him and be bearers of the light to all those who suffer in the darkness of adversity or oppression, pain or grief. That’s another part of that early creation story; the Word of God once again bringing forth light from darkness. So the fulfilling of our baptism ...

273. John Wesley: Religion of the Heart

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... for the children, the poor, and the downtrodden. He claimed we should even love our enemies as much as we love ourselves. Wesley’s general rule of life was, "Whenever you are to do an action, consider how God did or would do the like, and do imitate his example." A week before John Wesley died, he wrote a letter to the young abolitionist William Wilberforce: "... go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, ‘til even American slavery, the vilest that ever saw the sun, shall vanish before it ...

274. The Forgotten Virtue

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... fine Christian lady, I did see him. But I also remember someone else who started out as a baby, smelling like He had slept in a STABLE - BECAUSE HE HAD - AND HE WENT TO THE CROSS FOR YOU, MY FINE, PROUD CHRISTIAN FEMALE! God forgive us! You want to imitate Christ? Paul wanted to, and he had a struggle with it, because he knew his weakness, his pride. He said to the Philippians and to himself, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being God himself, did not grasp at the prerogatives ...

275. Prepare The Way

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Brett Blair

... him in her arms like a baby. Suddenly the hovel became heaven because love was there.” He was overwhelmed by the goodness, which he saw. The world has no answer to the Godly life. The only appropriate answer is to try and find the secret of it, imitate it, and hope others will come to know it themselves. That’s how John prepared. He lived a godly life. Let me ask you, is God preparing the way this Advent through the influence of your life? II Secondly, John the Baptist prepared the way by challenging ...

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