Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2726 to 2750 of 4914 results

2726. Being Christ

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

What Christ has been and done for us we must do and be for others. Our life in Christ and our ministry in his name are inseparable. A spirituality that does not lead to active ministry becomes an indulgent preoccupation with self, and therefore grieves the Holy Spirit and violates the presence of the indwelling Christ. Paul's powerful prayer in Ephesians is a profound expression of our call to live a life in Christ. It is an amazing affirmation of God's power working in us to fulfill that ministry. Listen ...

2727. God's Say-So

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I don’t know how many times I have used Oswald Chambers’ devotional classic, My Utmost for His Highest. At least every three or four years I go back to it for resourcing my daily spiritual reading and always -- without fail -- I am ministered to, receiving challenge and insight not received before. I remember the experience I had the last time I used it. The meditation began with this sentence from Hebrews 13, verses 5-6: “He hath said . . . so that we may boldly say.” Then came these two sentences: “My ...

2728. A More Perfect Union

Habakkuk 2:1-5

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The prophet Habakkuk is not considered to be one of the major prophets. He is known primarily for one line, which was read for us in the Old Testament lesson. "The righteous shall live by faith." That is the source of Paul's famous phrase found in his Letter to the Romans particularly, "The just shall live by faith." It became a battle cry for the Reformation, and it came originally from Habakkuk. But in this same passage is a wonderful phrase that I thought was appropriate for the Fourth of July: "For ...

2729. The Sin of Being Less

Colossians 3:1-14

Sermon

Mark Trotter

There is a story about a woman who rode the same bus to work every morning. One day an old man got on the bus. He was shabbily dressed, obviously down and out. She thought about what she could do to express Christian love to this poor man. How could she reach out and help him? She got up, took a dollar out of her purse, went over to the man, pressed the dollar into the palm of his hand, and said, "Never despair. Just remember, never despair." The next day the woman was on the bus again. The man got on at ...

2730. God Will Take Care of You

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

During the long, hot days of summer, dinner-time seems to get pushed back further and further into the evening. In some places it's just too hot to think about cooking and eating a big meal until well after the sun has slid below the horizon. Families who have kids running a hundred different directions - to day-camps, to the pool or the lake, to friends' houses - can't seem to get everyone collected back home for a meal until the evening is well advanced. But maybe we can all stand to wait for dinner a ...

2731. Away In a Manger

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

I want to share with you three stories, that take place in three different nations, that illustrate a central truth about Christmas. The headline read "Japan Goes Wild for Ho-Ho Holiday." A nation, made up almost entirely of Shinto and Buddhist believers, has taken to celebrating "Kurisumasu" with the heartiest of Ho-Ho-Hos. The season is marked by extravagant gift-giving, with shoppers lined up for blocks outside of expensive department stores. Red-garbed choirs give enthusiastic if uncertain voice to " ...

2732. God’s Wisdom or the World?

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once upon a time there was an old man who lived on the outskirts of town. He had lived there so long that no one knew who he was or where he had come from. Some thought that he had been a very powerful king, but that was many years ago. Others suggested that he was once famous, rich, and generous, but he had lost everything. Still others said that he was once very wise and influential. There were even some who said he was holy. The children in the town, however, thought he was an old and stupid man and ...

2733. Healing Aerobics

2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There's healing for you today. Getting sick is so easy. Consider the dreaded winter "flu season," when all you have to do is encounter one school-age child or shake hands with someone in order to suddenly be the new home base for some exotically named virus that has dismally familiar symptoms. Summertime colds are similarly transmitted, but are much sneakier - they prefer to wait until you are on your long-anticipated fun'n'sun vacation to remind you that sinusitis flourishes in tropical as well as in ...

2734. A Say-so Spirituality

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

As God sent Jesus, so Jesus sends us. We minister in the world under God's "say-so." Comedians Dan Akroyd and the late John Belushi teamed up to create a host of memorably wacky characters. But few could top the absurdity of Jake and Elwood, the Blues Brothers. These two genially corrupt, amiably amoral bozos are sent out on an ill-fated fundraising mission for their old parochial school by a fierce old nun. As they blundered through a series of larcenous schemes and made movie-mayhem, Jake and Elwood ...

2735. Acts 2:1-21

Acts 2:1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The familiar yet fantastic story of Pentecost is told by Luke in this week's text from Acts. Considerable scholarly ink has been spilled over precisely how Luke put together his account of this event much of it focusing on just where Luke got all the various components his version weaves together. Rather than investigate all the possible threads that Luke may have used, we encourage you to help your people view the completed tapestry Luke created to picture in living color the birthday of the church. The ...

2736. Proper 12

Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15, 2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Here is the story of a tragedy of a great man's downfall, of one who committed two crimes both worthy of death. And can it be that one who killed a giant in the strength of the Lord, who by his playing stilled the nerves of a mentally ill king, one who was anointed king by God's prophet, one who could write, "The Lord is my shepherd," one who could offer a most beautiful prayer? David had reached a plateau of success, power and wealth. He lived a life of luxury ...

2737. Testing Time

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

To live the Christian life is to be tested. As day follows night and night follows day, we experience it all of our days. The deeper we go, the more testing comes upon us. So, there is nothing unique about all of this. If we expect our daily walk with Christ to be any different, we are guilty of self-deception. Sometimes it is really severe and we wonder about its cessation. Patience becomes virtually non-existent. Strength seems to go out the window and we languish not only in pain but borderline ...

2738. Characteristics of the Church

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In one of his novels, William Faulkner wrote, “That which is destroying the church is not the outward groping of those with in it, or the inward groping of those without, but the professionals who control it and have removed the bells from its steeples.” (quoted by Dr. Lovitt H. Weems, Jr., at his Inaugural Address as President of St. Paul’s School of Theology, December 11, 1985.) I don’t know everything that Faulkner meant by that. He may have been talking about the fact that the professionals within the ...

2739. My Name Is Legion

Mark 5:1-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Many of you know that old poem: Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd There’s one that’s humble and one that’s proud. There’s one that’s sorry for his sins, There’s one that unrepentant sits and grins. There’s one that loves his neighbor as himself. There’s one that cares for naught but fame and pelf. From much corroding cares, I would be free. If I could once determine which is me. Our Gospel story today is of a man who could have written a far more powerful poem than that: “My Name if Legion,” he ...

2740. Luke 9:51-62

Luke 9:51-56

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

During the summer, do you go on “road trips” or “destination vacations?” With the cost of gasoline so high, and the construction-congestions choking our interstates, most of us opt for the get-there-as-fast-as-possible vacation. Going round-about on the blue-highways, winding and wandering from one location to the next, making the journey as much a part of the experience as the destination — that is a real “road trip.” Today’s gospel text marks the beginning of Jesus’ “road trip” to Jerusalem. The Galilean ...

2741. What About the Baby?

Isaiah 9:2-7

Sermon

Tony Everett

Brian had just received a major job promotion that required a 2,000-mile cross-country move during the Christmas season. As a dutiful father, Brian was very concerned about how this sudden move would affect his children, particularly his six-year-old son, Adam. When it was Adam's bedtime, Brian spent several minutes giving a carefully rehearsed presentation about the impending family relocation. He described the new city, their new house, and all the new friends Adam would meet at school. He even told Adam ...

2742. You Are in Good Hands with God

Isaiah 40:21-31

Sermon

Richard Gribble

The SS seemed more preoccupied and more disturbed than normal. The idea of executing a young boy in front of hundreds of spectators was no light matter. The commandant of the camp read the verdict. All eyes were on the child. He was extremely pale, almost calm, and he bit his lip. The gallows threw its shadow over him. This time, the Lagerkapo refused to be the executioner. Three SS soldiers replaced him. The three victims were seated next to each other on chairs. A single noose was placed around each man' ...

2743. Three O’Clock at the Temple

Acts 3:12-19

Sermon

Ken Lentz

A church caught on fire. An elderly man came running to join the others who had come to throw water. After the fire was under control, the minister said to the old gent, "Why, John, this is the first time I've ever seen you at church!" John replied, "This is the first time I've ever seen this church on fire." Many have reduced the number of visits to the neighborhood church. They are, perhaps, tired of unpolished, irrelevant sermons. Perhaps the worship is done by rote and boring, not inspirational, but ...

2744. The Place beyond Revenge

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22

Sermon

Donna Schaper

A custom is begun! Because of the vengeance that the king took against Haman for Esther, the Jews are to remember their salvation. On the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month they are to send gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor. Oh, God, help me to understand violence! Help me to understand vengeance. I am pretty good at the other sins, like lust and greed, pride and gossip, but violence I just don't understand. I also don't really understand the tribalism that is beyond it. Is that ...

2745. Job Is for Real

Job 1:1, 2:1-10

Sermon

Donna Schaper

We find Job on the edge of town, his money gone, his children dead, picking at his innumerable sores and scabs. In the Joni Mitchell version of his sorrow, Job speaks of how the children of the wicked frisk like deer while his are dead and gone. In her version, we are also told that Job sees the diggers waiting, leaning on their spades, at the site of his grave. Job's three friends, Eliphas, Bildad, and Zophar show up to comfort him but they do so in a way that only pours iodine on his wounds. God is just ...

2746. How Can I Keep From Singing?

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There is a story of a Vermont farmer who was sitting with his wife one evening on the porch, looking at the beautiful valley laid out before them. Everything about the moment was filled with peace. At last the farmer spoke quietly, as if reluctant to break the spell. “Sarah,” he said, “we’ve had a lot of ups and downs together during these forty years, and when I’ve thought of all you’ve meant to me, sometimes it’s been almost more than I could do to keep from telling you.” Sometimes things just “leak” out ...

2747. No Other Name

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

We want to begin with a little trivia contest. Can anyone tell me the name of the 33rd President of the United States? The 33rd President of our country was Harry S Truman. Question number two: what was Truman’s home state? That’s right, Missouri. Last question. We remember him as Harry S Truman. What did the “S” stand for? Trick question: the middle initial of Harry S Truman’s name did not stand for anything. Both his grandfathers had names beginning with S so he was given the bare initial S to avoid ...

2748. Bridge Builders

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

As the three cousins ran through the woods, jumping over fallen trees, zigzagging through knee-high ferns, and pushing branches out of their way, a chorus of laughter rose in the still air. "Don't be so pokey, Michael," teased his older cousin. "Watch out for that rock on the left," Sam warned the boys. A yelp went up as Jeremy stumbled. "Come on, come on. We're almost there," Sam hollered. "I can hear the river now and there's the bridge to Uncle David's camp." The boys lined up along the edge of the ...

2749. Breaking News: God and Government

Romans 13:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

No matter what your politics might be, whether you are Democrat, Republican or Independent, by common consensus one of the wittiest and funniest presidents in human history was Ronald Reagan. I came across some of his famous one-liners the other day and I thought you would get a kick out of them. It is true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure why take the chance? I’m not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself. I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of a ...

2750. God Writes Straight with Crooked Lines

Mark 1:35-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Even if you are not a “senior” whether you’re in prepubescence, adolescence, middlescence, elderescence, or senescence all of us experience “senior moments.” You intentionally set out on a mission to get something — forgotten car keys, replacement printer paper, a fresh cup of coffee — and suddenly you get waylaid by some wayward distraction. You encounter a co-worker with a sudden crisis. A kid has a meltdown. (These two “crises” can be eerily similar). Someone texts you, while another someone arrives at ...

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