Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2726 to 2750 of 4957 results

2726. Respect: Lesson for Victorious Living

Ruth 4:1-12

Sermon

... final goal: God." Only God has the opportunity to observe and be a part of all this entails. Christian unity loves to trace its witness throughout the Judeo-Christian heritage. Abraham is the father of both Christians and Jews; our Islamic relatives also claim him. To practice convenanting, in our quest for unity, is to borrow a marvelous understanding from God’s Word to us early in Hebrew Scriptures. The Apostle Paul, in good rabbinical style, says to Timothy, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a ...

2727. The Coming of the Lord

Luke 21:5-38

Drama

... information? 1: You most certainly may ask. My information came directly from [There is a trumpet blast, 1 turns to indicate the entrance] the Angel of the Lord! Angel: [Enters from behind the people, they turn] He’s absolutely right, folks, and here I am to verify his claim. [Goes to 1 and shakes hands] Hello, again. I hope you realize that I don’t do this very often. 1: I know - thanks. Angel: Quite all right. [Goes to 3 and shakes hands] It’s true, you know. The coming of the Lord is imminent. 3 ...

2728. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Daniel 2:24-49, Daniel 2:1-23

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... this teenaged Daniel before the most powerful man on earth. The King asks, "Are you able to tell me what I dreamt?" Daniel's inspired answer was, "No I cannot, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." He doesn't try to bluff or beg. He claims no greater wisdom than the other advisors. No, he just gives glory to God and reveals the dream. And if you skip ahead to the end of the chapter, verses 46 and 47, the King falls prostrate before Daniel and declares, "Surely your God is the God of gods ...

2729. Kingdoms In Conflict

Daniel 2:24-49

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... parts of the statue represented kingdoms that would come after him. Four man-made kingdoms were predicted. Then a rock not made with human hands would destroy the statue and become a huge mountain filling the whole earth. By the way, Billy Graham claims that the book of Daniel represents the ABC’s of biblical prophecy, and the book of Revelation contains the XYZ’s of biblical prophecy. It is amazing that these predictions, written down almost 600 years before Christ, were fulfilled so precisely. Notice ...

2730. An Unhappy Homecoming

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Word of God. Many refuse to believe in the miracles of the Bible, including the resurrection. If the people of Europe and America will not receive the Gospel, God will send it elsewhere. There is no guarantee that God will give us another chance if we reject the claims of the Gospel. When the risen Christ met Simon Peter long ago at the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he asked him a deeply personal question. He asked, "Simon, do you love me more than anything else?" The Christ question for each of us is not ...

2731. Leading a Friend to Jesus

Luke 5:27-32, Luke 5:17-26

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... tells us that Jesus was impressed by the faith of the paralytic’s friends. On the basis of their faith, Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven." The Pharisees and teachers of the law were watching for Jesus, like Democrats watch Republicans or vice versa. Jesus’ claim to forgive sin outraged them. "Only God can forgive sin," they fumed. "This man is talking like he is God. That is blasphemy!" Jesus sensed the outrage of the Pharisees. So, he asks in verse 23, "Which is easier, to forgive sin, or to enable ...

2732. A Brass Cross and a Barometer

Luke 6:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... tells us that Jesus laid down a new law: The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. "Son of Man" was a title from the book of Daniel that clearly referred to the Messiah, the Christ. That title was Jesus' favorite self-designation. Jesus was claiming the right to remake Jewish law to serve the purposes of the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees were unreasonable about Sabbath observance. But I wonder if the pendulum has not swung too far in the opposite direction. Now in many parts of America, Sunday is no different ...

2733. If You Are A Disciple of Jesus Christ

Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:12-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... . Reggie is a good example of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is our theme today. Our scripture is about the naming of Jesus' twelve disciples or apostles. The word "disciple" just means "learner." Surely all of us who have claimed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord regard ourselves as learners, being taught daily by the Holy Spirit. Look with me at Luke, chapter 6, beginning with verse 12. At this point early in Jesus' ministry, he had perhaps seventy-five to one hundred disciples ...

2734. The Dogmatics of Aluminum Foil

Luke 20:27-38

Illustration

Brett Blair

... Chronicle Editorial column: Ask any great cook about aluminum foil and you're bound to get an opinion on which side is "best." Some swear the shiny side must always be on the outside of a baked potato, while others condemn such nonsense and emphatically claim exactly the opposite. Meanwhile, the manufacturer stays amused and gives a good lesson in dogmatism and tolerance. When foil is made, it is rolled. One side of the foil gets shiny because it comes in contact with the heavy roller. The other side stays ...

2735. Mugwumps

Luke 6:1-11

Sermon

... Our familiarity with these traditions and rules can lend us a sense of comfort, and I doubt that any of us could function very efficiently without some comfort and assurance. But Christ reminds us that each has its subtle dangers - dangers which claimed the human need sensitivity of the scribes and Pharisees and could threaten our sensitivity as well. I am reminded of a young seminarian on a fieldwork assignment to a suburban congregation. One Sunday afternoon, two dirty, poorly-dressed boys were sitting on ...

2736. The First Council

Acts 15:1-21

Sermon Aid

CSS

... and threats! Now the same sudden storm comes to Antioch. Some men came down from Judea - from Jerusalem itself, in all likelihood - and renewed an old argument. "Unless you are circumcized according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." These people claimed to be Christians, but still saw Christianity as a Jewish sect, fettered by the ancient law. Their arrival cast a dark shadow over the Antioch church, with its gentile majority. We can only wonder why they chose this particular time to come ...

2737. Striking Silversmiths Start Riot

Acts 19:23-41

Sermon Aid

CSS

... has attracted big crowds to the Great Theater and he is said to be a powerful magician. Scarves and handkerchiefs which he has blessed are said to have crowded statues of Diana off the shelves in some of the magic shops. Paul also is said to claim that the Jewish god is the only true god. Earlier this year, followers of Paul participated in a public burning of magic books and charms. Many people also donated their silver statues of Diana to Paul’s synagogue. One source placed the value of this donated ...

2738. Paul in Chains

Acts 21:27-36

Sermon Aid

CSS

... citizen?" he demanded. Paul said, "Yes." Then the tribune said, "I bought my citizenship for a large sum." But Paul was able to answer, "I was born a citizen!" The tribune had no choice but to accept Paul at his word, for to make a false claim to Roman citizenship was in itself cause for execution. For Paul to assert that he was a freeborn Roman was a frightening revelation to the soldiers. The squad that had planned to "examine" Paul promptly withdrew and the tribune was worried because he had let things ...

2739. Paul’s Midnight Ride

Acts 22:30--23:11

Sermon Aid

... intrigue in Jerusalem in the light of current conditions in the Middle East. Names and places may have changed, but the spirit of the people has not. Questions 1. How long was Paul kept prisoner by the Romans? Was he actually in prison? 2. What special claim about Jesus were the orthodox Jews most unwilling to accept? 3. What encouraging vision came to Paul as he slept? 4. A mysterious plot against Paul’s life was being hatched in Jerusalem. What was the plot and who was behind it? 5. To whom was ...

2740. "I appeal to Caesar!"

Acts 24:1-27, Acts 25:1-12

Sermon Aid

CSS

... Christ was the first to rise from the dead in accordance with the ancient prophecies of Israel. Festus and Agrippa were clearly held spellbound by Paul’s oratory. Festus was the first to react. Here was a well-educated, fluent, literate Jewish orator who claimed that his whole life was devoted to the proposition that some Jewish messiah had actually risen from the dead and was still around. "Paul, you are mad," said Festus. "Much learning has made you mad." Gently, Paul turned aside the comment by Festus ...

2741. Oh, Now I Understand

Illustration

Staff

... a small employee contribution. The company was paying nearly the full amount. The problem was that one hundred percent participation was needed, and unless Sam signed up, the deal was off. His fellow workers cajoled, begged, and pressured Sam to sign, but to no avail. He claimed the plan would never pay off. The president called Sam into his office. "Sam," he said, "here is a copy of the plan, and here is a pen. I want you to sign. If you don’t, you’re fired!" Sam signed without a moment’s hesitation ...

2742. This God’s For Real!

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

... Thomas Jefferson, believed that god, the organizing principle, "wound up the clock" of his creation then went away and let it function, like a well-oiled time-piece, but one that would run down in time. I would wager that if Gallup would re-survey all the people who claim to affirm belief in God and ask them whether they conceived of God the way the Deists did, he’d find a great majority of moderns would say "Yes." Not so with Israel nor with Simon Peter. Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" And ...

2743. For Freedom!

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

... live on the outside. That is our condition. God could have held us accountable for everything we have and need but cannot afford and cannot ever hope to pay him for. But God does not. Instead, (and we might imagine him a foolish God for doing so) he cancels every claim against us, so that we may live and love and proper in his care. 3. What Shall We Do With It? What happens when you cancel someone’s debt and set him free? What happens to that person? Either of two things can come of it. The individual can ...

2744. Do It For the Joy of It!

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

... who finds it impossible to believe in a loving God, or even in the reality of any god at all, will have a fighting chance to give it another thought and possibly to come to faith. The difficulty with many in our world has been that the claims they’ve heard made for the God we know have not matched the reality of their experience. They hear God loves the world but seldom find anybody loving them. They hear God’s love is unconditional, but they’ve never had an experience of unconditional good extended ...

2745. Let’s Face It

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Michael L. Sherer

... This text may be a good reminder for us that God may draw history to an end at any moment, and we don’t dismiss that possibility. But it can prove salutary, also, as a preparation and a word of caution for us to be ready for the grave, which claims both kings and commoners, the millionaire and those of modest means. We can’t escape the grave. What’s more, we can’t tell when death will come for us. Like the virgins in this parable, we must be ready, even when we’re sleeping, for the possibility of ...

2746. Naming the Divine Baby

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... lives in this world and separate us from God forever. The good news is that a cure has been found for the sin virus. God sent it through a baby, His Son, born into a Bethlehem manger. How do you appropriate the cure? Repent of your sin, declare your need, claim this Jesus by faith as your Savior and Lord. The devil is not happy at all because the cure is so free and available. So, in order to mislead us, he suggests that we don’t need to be saved and changed by God. The devil reminds us of our ...

2747. The Blessing Of Bondage

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... Truth will set you free." Humans are always declaring their freedom, wishing for more "space," announcing that they belong only to "themselves." We want to be free from the enslavement of the kitchen, or from confinement of a job we don’t like. Airplane companies claim to set us free, and Datsun says the same. There are deodorant companies which promise to set us free from the worry of underarm wetness and odor; a certain toothpaste declares we can be set free from dull teeth. Then we are promised freedom ...

2748. Bitter-Sweet Recollections

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... . The prophets wrote better than they knew when they described the suffering servant, for we, with hindsight, find it a perfect description of Christ and what he suffered and how he reacted to the shame and torture. The words of the prophets, we claim, were perfectly fulfilled in Christ. He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises! In our Bitter-Sweet Recollections, we recall - The Shame of His Death (verse 7) He was humiliated by being spit upon, right in the face. Not many things so completely ...

2749. The Triune God

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works, Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves." (John 14:8-11) (RSV) Many people, like the blind men with the elephant, claim to know God, but in reality they do not know the real God apart from Jesus Christ. Christ Jesus was the only one to leave heaven, come to this world, and reveal to us the true God. The God he has revealed is vastly different from the 2,000 gods ...

2750. Laborers Needed for the Harvest

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... of our witnessing efforts. The fact is that most have never initially or understandably heard the gospel! Nor can we even blame the ninety-nine percent within the church, the socalled "delinquents," the "dead wood," the noncommitted or the lethargic! If just we who claim to be the remnant, the throb, the heart beat, the core, the bonafide Christians, were doing what God has called us to do, the Great Commission would be fulfilled within the life time of most of us. The crimes committed by the unbelievers ...

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