Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2751 to 2775 of 2844 results

2751. The Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

This morning, I want you to imagine with me for a moment. Close your eyes if you will. Sit back. I’m going to take you to another place. But first a warning: during a big chunk of this sermon, you will have your eyes closed. You can tell your friends that you went to church this Sunday and the preacher told you to shut your eyes and keep them shut for a long time. Where else can you go to church and be encouraged to shut your eyes? Are you ready? Let’s take a trip in time. [pause] You’re driving home from ...

2752. Mending Fences

Luke 16:1-15, Luke 16:16-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) It’s almost Halloween, the time of costumes, candy corn, and above all, creepy movies. One of the movies that made a life-long impact with me came out at Halloween in 1990 --Joel Schumacher's horror-thriller, “Flatliners.” “Flatliners” followed the lives of four young medical students, who manually induced “near-death” experiences in order to find out what lay beyond the grave. What they found was ...

2753. The Birth of the Bridegroom

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Israel is my son, even my firstborn.” (Exodus 4:22) “For I am married unto you.” (Jeremiah 3:14) One of the first things we learn as a young child is our name. Even pets learn to recognize their names. Names call us into relationship with others. Names anchor us to families and places. Names are powerful. Names are markers of identity that sometimes signify a change in relationship, identity, meaning, or mission. When some of you married, your name changed. Some wives will take the surnames of their ...

2754. Even in Our Hiding

Matthew 2:19-23, Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In Haarlem, Holland, 1837, a man named Willem ten Boom opened a watch shop. His family lived in the rooms above the shop. Later, the home and business was passed on to his son, Caspar ten Boom, and then later to Caspar’s daughter, Cornelia, who went by the name of Corrie ten Boom. The ten Boom family were devoted Christians, and their home was always open to anyone in need. The family served their community in Haarlem for many years; however, they would become well-known for their kindness and humanity ...

2755. Ten Pounds of Mercy, One Pound of Faith

Luke 19:11-27, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In the early days of WWII, Navy pilots were so afraid of crashing in shark infested waters that it became a prime cause of pilot error. The Navy’s response was to issue shark repellent, which the Navy knew had no impact on sharks, but enabled frightened pilots to fly with greater confidence. Sometimes you hand people some shark repellent rather than argue with them about their fears. Fear. It’s paralyzing. Ever hear a sound in the dark, and your whole body stops ….and freezes? Especially when you’re in ...

2756. The Sound of Joy

Genesis 17:1-27, Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 18:16-33, Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Rejoice in the Lord always….again I say rejoice!” (Phil 4:4) “I grieve if my brother dies because I no longer have personal communion with him. But I can have a deep, abiding joy, for I know that death does not have the final word. It has been conquered in Christ’s death and resurrection.” (2 Tim. 1:10) We are a people born of laughter! Literally, we are all as Christians part of God’s holy people, in a covenant begun with Abraham and Sarah many years ago, when this elderly couple was granted an ...

2757. The Mustard and the Cedar

Ezekiel 17:1-24, Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: Photo or painting of an image with multiple figures within it. [You can start out interactively showing people the picture and asking them to find the image within it.] Anyone look at a photo of an art piece with multiple image possibilities? Our eyes are trained to see one familiar image. But if someone points out another, all of a sudden, our vision takes in the new image, and our whole perspective on the photo is radically changed. Take a look at these. What do you see? How many see a face? How ...

2758. Tale of the Tares

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 9:35-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Summer and fall are the times when we love to bond with the land. Even if we are not farmers, in the summer, we get a little closer to our agricultural forbears –we pick strawberries at our favorite nearby orchard, we garden and grow vegetables or flowers, we gather apples or other fruits, we go on excursions to find wild berries or wild mushrooms. The problem of course with venturing out of our neighborhood market and into the wilds of the woods is that identification of tasty food versus poisonous food ...

2759. Seeing with Eyes Closed

Exodus 34:1-28, Exodus 34:29-35, John 1:1-18, Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Lori Wagner

When Joe Campos left for work on Long Island during heavy rains Monday a week ago, he never imagined he would return home entirely changed. Joe worked for Ramon Stone Construction Company. He had just lifted a heavy metal chain when he saw lightning hit the ground about 20 feet in front of him. It took less than a second to travel from there to him, knocking him to the ground. Joe described the experience as numbing his entire body at first, so that he couldn’t move. Eventually, he got up, went inside, and ...

2760. Deliverance

Isaiah 49:8-26, Isaiah 44:24--45:25, Exodus 15:22-27, Exodus 13:17--14:31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” (Exodus 14:15) One of the unique experiences of our culture today is the innovation of the “escape room!” Has anyone here participated in an “escape room” experience? [You can invite people to share if you wish.] Anyone know what an escape room is? You have these pretty much in every town now. Basically, you pay money to be locked into a room for one hour either with friends or with strangers. You are given clues and puzzles that will help you find a way to ...

2761. The Well Watered Soul

Ezekiel 17:1-24, Ezekiel 47:1-12, Matthew 12:1-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

One of the strangest, mysterious, and most resilient trees in the world is the Pacific Madrona tree. The madrona is a tree that doesn’t know how to be a tree. It’s an evergreen that has cinnamon-red bark, twisting branches, and beautiful red berry clusters. It produces these berries when no other tree is bearing fruit. It’s one weird, but wondrous tree. The tree grows in western Washington, Oregon, in the San Juan Islands, and on Vancouver Island. The tree only grows at the most unlikely places for a tree ...

2762. God Has Not Forgotten You

Jeremiah 29:1-23

Sermon

Lori Wagner

"’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”(Jeremiah 29:11) “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Parable: An elderly man sat at North Port, where he sat each day for many years. One day, a stranger came by and asked him what he was waiting for. “I’m waiting for my ship to come in,” replied the man. “I don’t see any ships round here,” exclaimed the man. “Why don’t ...

2763. Trust Your Intuition

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Ever drive down the road, your wind wandering, and suddenly you realize you are much further along than you thought you were? You’ve taken turns, made stops, but realize that you’ve actually been driving toward your destination on autopilot? Your brain instinctively kept following the path you knew, even though you were not consciously plugged in nor was the the rubber of your rational mind hitting the road. That’s called intuition. Intuition. The ability to understand something without the use or need of ...

2764. Raison d’Etre

Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

“The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent...” Most people think that it was Don Draper, the main character in the TV series, Mad Men, who first introduced and spoke of the idea of an indifferent universe, and he did, in fact, use that phrase. But he wasn’t the first. Others believe that the first was Carl Sagan, and he did say that “the universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent.” But he was only paraphrasing another great thinker. ...

2765. Our Strange, Strong Peace

John 14:15-31

Sermon

David & Marian Plant

Reflecting on her experiences with the Holy Spirit, pastor and educator Marian Plant once wrote, “There are times when the last thing I need in my life is the activity of the Holy Spirit. That “presence” of God which has a way of seeping into the psyche and unsettling one’s accepted ways of carrying on life. That manifestation of the Holy which alights on one with the innocence of a summer firefly, but whose motive is to transform the unsuspecting believer into something akin to a fiery dragon on behalf of ...

2766. True Colors

John 14:15-31, Psalm 66:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Anyone ever have a chameleon as a pet? The chameleon (the word means “ground lion”) is an unusual “old world” creature with independently movable eyes, a helmet head, and fused toes. It is known primarily though for its ability to change color on the rotation of a dime, according to its mood. The chameleon uses this ability to blend into its surroundings, to hide from predators, or to silently approach prey. We use the word chameleon in the English language also to indicate a person who is prone to change ...

2767. The Magic Ingredient

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

King Duncan

I don’t know if any of you ever read the obituaries. My guess is that the older you are the more likely you are to let your eyes drift over to that section of the newspaper. As the comedian would say, “just to make certain your name’s not printed there.” Of course, some of our younger members are asking, “What’s a newspaper?” An interesting obituary appeared in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press recently (12/18/2019) that, in my estimation, was good for a chuckle or two. It was for a Katie McDonald, 80 years ...

2768. God’s HS Smart App is Always Watching

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In the 1991 movie, “Defending Your Life,” lives of the deceased are examined in a court-like setting to see how they have successfully overcome their difficulties in life, especially their fears. The movie suggests that life on earth is a kind of practice ground that teaches us how to successfully navigate ourselves, our responsibilities, and our relationships. While the movie is fictional, it does sound strikingly close to some of Jesus’ most famous parables, particularly the parables of the vineyard. In ...

2769. In diem natalem

Titus 2:1-15

Sermon

Ron Love

John Wesley was the founding father of the Methodist denomination. Even though he had been leading his followers throughout England for several years preaching repentance, Wesley himself still questioned the validity of his own faith. While leading and inspiring others, Wesley’s was consumed with doubts regarding his own salvation. Wesley felt depressed and dejected for his seeming lack of faith. Realizing this, a few friends compelled Wesley to accompany them to a Moravian society meeting in a room on ...

2770. Your Wake-up Call

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

One of the small luxuries that used to be available in most hotels was the personal wake-up call. Remember when the hotel clerk would ask you when you checked in, “Would you like a wake-up call?” Most major hotels offered this service. The next morning, right on time, you’d get a call from a real live person who woke you up with the words: “Good morning, (Mr. Jones or Miss Jones) this is your wake-up call.” And then you’d decide whether to go back to sleep or not. That task, like everything else, is now ...

2771. How Could We Possibly Forget?

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

King Duncan

I’m taking another poll this morning, and I’m asking everyone to participate. Don’t worry, it’s not difficult. In fact, it only has one question and there are no wrong answers. Here it is: what are you most likely to forget in the course of your day or your week? Everybody forgets something on a fairly regular basis. Some people forget the names of people they just met. That’s awkward. Some people are famous for forgetting where they put their glasses—even when those glasses are on the top of their head. ...

2772. Wake Me Up!

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In 2013, Swedish DJ Avicii wrote the highest charting dance track of the decade, “Wake Me Up!” You can find the song on youtube along with an accompanying music video. The lyrics about living a dream and waking up to realize a new and better reality were written by Avicii as a result of his success, which thrust him into a life he never imagined. The video took the lyrics further however, suggesting that we all need to leave behind those places and people who don’t accept us for who we are in order to ...

2773. House Rules, Forgiveness, and Why Rat Poison Is not Good for You

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Roy Howard

I have two public school elementary teachers in my family. I’ve learned a great deal about what goes on behind the scenes long before the students arrive and long after they have left: the seating chart, the reading corner, the attractive posters, imaginative strategies for teaching difficult concepts, and much more. There is a lot to teaching. The same can be said for those people who teach congregations of every size every Sunday. There is so much that happens behind the scenes from Monday to Saturday ...

2774. Be Reconciled with the Lord

2 Corinthians 5:20b--6:10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Two brothers who lived on adjoining farms developed a bitter dispute. It was their first serious rift in forty years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as necessary. They had never had a quarrel until now. It began with a small misunderstanding but eventually mushroomed into a major difference, and finally exploded into a war of words, followed by separation and silence. One morning there was a knock at the back door of the elder brother’s door. He opened the door and ...

2775. The Catch

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Outside a local fire company in Pennsylvania stands a sign advertising for volunteer firefolk. The sign reads as follows: Members Wanted Cool Hat Sweet Ride No Pay Odd Hours While the sign concedes the volunteer nature of the job and its unpredictability, it also tries humorously to play up the “cool” aspects of being a firefighter. Who wouldn’t love the idea of riding in a cool fire engine!Or sounding that bell! Or wearing that awesome gear! But it’s more than that. Actual members of local fire stations ...

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