Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 251 to 275 of 4508 results

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In 1889, the artist Vincent Van Gogh, while enduring one of the saddest and loneliest times of his career, looked out of his iron-barred sanatorium window and painted the masterpiece we know today as “Starry, Starry Night.” Today, that painting is named his “magnum opus.” He wrote in a letter prior in 1888 that the “great starlit vault of heavens is what we commonly call God.” I can’t help but be...

252. Bittersweet

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh / Anointing Oil – Frankincense and Myrrh Animation: youtube of the Seinfeld clip on re-gifting The term “re-gifting” was coined by Jerry Seinfeld in an episode of the comedy show Seinfeld in 1995 called “The Label Maker.” Elaine is horrified to discover that Jerry has received a gift (a label maker) from someone. But it’s the same “label maker” that she origi...

253. The Order of the Magi

Sermon

Lori Wagner

I hope you’ve all had a happy New Year! Now is the time when you can pick up those issues of Time or Newsweek or some special edition of Discovery magazine that reads: the top 100 technological insights of 2016, or the most surprising discoveries of 2016. Anyone here love to read those? Do you save them? I do, and I always find something science or technology is up to that I had no idea about. So...

254. Babushka

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: Some Christmas wrapping paper Good morning, boys and girls. Sometimes we get very busy at Christmastime buying gifts and wrapping them in pretty paper like this and forget the true meaning of the season. There is an old Christmas story from Russia that tells about a lady who also made that mistake. It's called BABUSHKA. According to this tale, a Russian peasant woman named Babushka was vi...

255. Epiphany

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Leader: I’m so glad we’re here together! Today’s the day we want to be wise and know just where to locate God. People: This is Epiphany, the day when we are magi and bring our best gifts to God. Leader: God quite clearly is here — People: in each of us! Leader: We have hopes that when the stars shine just right, we will find the baby who grows up to be our teacher and guide. People...

256. The Epiphany Of Our Lord

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Opening Prayer/Invocation Leader: Your light has come upon us, O God, and your glory in the cries of an infant. Rule now in our hearts, that we might look to you and be glad. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All: Amen. Offertory Prayer Leader: We open our treasure chests, O God, and place before you all the gifts befitting a king. All: Make us to be as wise as th...

257. The Flight From Light

Sermon

Erskine White

"And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way." (Matthew 2:12) The other day I called someone to compliment her on a job she had done exceedingly well. We had worked on a project together which became a great success, in no small part because of the leadership she provided. As I spoke with her, I went on and on about how much her work had b...

258. A New Star

Illustration

John R. Brokhoff

In October, 1989, a new star was added to the 1900 stars on the famed sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard. The new star was placed near the stars of Julie Andrews and Wayne Newton. The new star, as curious as it seems, was evangelist Billy Graham, who has preached the gospel to more than 100 million people around the world. Forty years ago he refused to have his name on a star, but he reconsidered it ...

259. The True Story of The Magi

Illustration

Brett Blair

There is a beautiful old tradition about the star in the East. The story says that when the star had finished its task of directing the wise men to the baby, it fell from the sky and dropped down into the city well of Bethlehem. According to some legend, that star is there to this day, and can sometimes still be seen by those whose hearts are pure and clean. It's a pretty story. It kind of makes y...

260. The Star

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

Back during World War II a little boy and his daddy were driving home on Christmas Eve. They drove past rows of houses with Christmas trees and decorations in the windows. In many of the windows the little boy noticed a star. He asked his father, "Daddy, why do some of the people have a star in the window?" His daddy said that the star meant that the family had a son in the war. As they passed the...

261. Epiphany Of Our Lord

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

THIS WEEK'S TEXT Revised Common: Isaiah 60:1-6 · Ephesians 3:1-12 · Matthew 2:1-12 Roman Catholic: Isaiah 60:1-6 · Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 · Matthew 2:1-12 Episcopal: Isaiah 60:1-6, 9 · Ephesians 3:1-12 · Matthew 2:1-12 Lutheran: Isaiah 60:1-6 · Ephesians 3:2-12 · Matthew 2:1-12 Seasonal Theme: Gifts of God's Spirit Theme For The Day: The Gift Of Guidance. The Magi were guided to the Christ by th...

262. About Those Magi

Sermon

King Duncan

Jean Rodenbough tells about a friend of hers whose brother and his family drove to Thomasville, North Carolina just before Christmas. They made this long trip because their cousins and aunts and uncles lived there. Their family was getting together for a Christmas season celebration. As they passed by the Episcopal Church where a manger scene was in the yard, her friend’s 5-year-old nephew asked ...

263. The Epiphany of Our Lord

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

Prayer of the Day: "Lord God, on this day you revealed your Son to the nations by the leading of a star. Lead us now by faith to know your presence in our lives and bring us at last to the full vision of your glory." Theme of the Day: Christ is for All People Gospel - The Gentile world worships the Christ. Lesson 1 - Nations come to the light of God's servant. Lesson 2 - Gentiles are included in...

264. The Epiphany Season

Sermon Aid

A History of Epiphany Next to Easter, Epiphany is the oldest season of the church year. In Asia Minor and Egypt, Epiphany was observed as early as the second century. The Festival of the Epiphany fell and still falls on January 6. It was observed as a unitive festival - both the birth and baptism of Jesus were celebrated at this time. January 6 was chosen as Epiphany Day because it was the winter...

265. A Misplaced Holy Day

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: Get a piece of white or light-colored construction paper. Cut out 2 stars from the construction paper. Color one star a very pale blue. Color the other star reddish-orange. Good morning, boys and girls. This morning we're going to talk about stars. Have you ever gone outside at night and just looked up at the stars? They're beautiful, aren't they? Did you know that we can see about 2,000 ...

266. O Christmas Tree

Children's Sermon

Dale Bringman

Object: A Star Ornament Lesson: The decorating of our tree is still not finished. I purposely saved one spot for a special decoration I have brought. It is something for the top of the tree. What do you think it is? Of course, a star! We shall put this star on the top of the tree. The reason for the Christmas star is the story of the wise men, a story we tell after Christmas, in the season we ca...

267. Where Is He?

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Most parents are at some point familiar with children who hide when they’ve done something that they know they weren’t supposed to do. In fact, as a parent, you know something is up when your usual inquisitive, under-foot child has gone entirely missing in the house, nowhere to be found. At that point, it’s best to check the cookie jar, take note of windows and vases, make sure the cat is still sa...

268. Advent II - Children’s Sermon

Children's Sermon

Susan Hedahl

The Lighting Of The Second Candle: The Star Candle In the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, it tells how God made the world and everything else. It also tells us that God created the heavens and the skies. God has made the sky full of light both in the day and at night. What do you see in the sky at night that gives light? Yes, and we human beings have even looked at the stars and ma...

269. A History Of Epiphany

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

Next to Easter, Epiphany is the oldest season of the church year. In Asia Minor and Egypt, Epiphany was observed as early as the second century. The Festival of the Epiphany fell and still falls on January 6. It was observed as a unitive festival -- both the birth and baptism of Jesus were celebrated at this time. January 6 was chosen as Epiphany Day because it was the winter solstice, a pagan fe...

270. Which King Do We Worship?

Sermon

King Duncan

Think about the last trip you took to a new place. Maybe you went on vacation or maybe you just went across town. Did you notice that it seemed to take more time to reach your destination than it did to return home? This sensation of seeming to take longer to make a trip than it is to return home is universal and even has an official scientific name. It is referred to as the “return trip effect” b...

271. The Wisdom of the Magi

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Wisdom is an interesting word. Wisdom is a kind of combinatory faculty of the human mind which uses knowledge, experience, comprehension, common sense, insight, intuition, the senses, perception, compassion, and understanding of signs and oracles, mysteries and miracles to discern what is true about something or a situation. For the wise, knowledge is not limited to facts and figures but can comp...

272. The Bridge

Drama

H. J. Hizer

Narrator: Opening: Genesis 3:8-15 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him "Where are you?" And he said "I heard the sound of thee in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself...

273. A Sign in the Heavens

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Perhaps you’ve heard of the passenger sitting relaxed on an airplane. A man appeared with a parachute. The man asked the passenger, “Would you like to join me?” “No, thank you,” said the passenger, “I’m very happy where I am.” The reply came back from the man with the parachute, “Do as you like, but I should tell you, I’m the pilot.” I don’t know about you, but if I saw a man on a plane carryin...

274. Guiding Star

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near: A star shall appear from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. . .” Numbers 24:17. “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6 [1] In the Catacombs of Priscilla you will find one of the oldest paintings of the early church –a depiction of Mother Mary...

275. A Sign in the Sky

Humor Illustration

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Showing 251 to 275 of 4508 results