Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 2776 to 2800 of 4967 results

2776. The Empty Tomb

Matthew 28:2-6

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... they ran to the Temple to tell what had happened. The Jewish leaders did not know what to do. They finally agreed that they had to have a different story, so they promised the soldiers some money if they would only tell everyone that the disciples of Jesus had stolen the body while they were asleep. The soldiers finally agreed if the priests promised to stick up for them when the governor questioned them. That was the final agreement made between the Jewish leaders and the soldiers. But for Christians, the ...

2777. Which Jesus Do You See?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Brett Blair

... and dialogue on theological philosophical issues of the day. Even if they are God Fearers they are perhaps noncommittal. Jesus draws a line in the sand now that this is Passion Week and, in effect says, the time for debating is over! Those who would be my disciples must lose their life and hate their life in this world in order to save it. Unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Whoever serves me must follow me wherever ...

2778. The Crowing of a Rooster

Matthew 26:31-35, Matthew 26:69-75

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... to die, if necessary. He had made a commitment and he swore that he would live up to it. His appearance the next morning in the yard outside the court of the high priest was evidence that he meant what he said. All the other disciples, except John, had disappeared after Jesus was arrested. They were fearful for their lives, knowing that if they were identified as his followers, they would have to answer some uncomfortable questions. Peter might be ready to put a noose around his neck, but they weren ...

2779. How To Bring Tears To Jesus' Eyes

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... Jesus is king of your purse. Is Christ really king when it comes to your family? Once Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Jesus is not saying that to be a Christian one must hate his/her family, but he is saying that he should come first before family. As a parish pastor, I called upon a young mother who was holding a baby. I tried to persuade her to come to church ...

2780. I Cried All the Way Home

John 16:17-33

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... to the ship. Before boarding, they knelt down and prayed together. They all wept, hugged, and kissed Paul, "sorrowing most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more." Jesus did not have that kind of farewell with his Disciples. He promised they would see each other again and then their tears would turn to smiles. Likewise, we can have a parting with our friends and family like Jesus had. Even at the death of a loved one, we can say, "I will see you again." A Christian ...

2781. Tears on Easter?

John 20:10-18

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:11-18) What a way to begin the most important day of history - tears! For Mary Magdalene, Easter was a day of tears - tears of sorrow that turned to tears of ...

2782. Erasers are for Mistakes

John 20:19-23

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

... In the Church, the season of Easter goes on for several weeks and there is another Easter story to tell. The disciples were all in a room and they locked the door because they were afraid. Then something wonderful happened; Jesus appeared right ... say, "I forgive you" and then give them a big hug. You might have them practice saying it. Extra prop: The first thing Jesus asked his disciples to do was forgive. Handing out the erasers: He gave them erasers and told them to go into all the world and erase people's ...

2783. T.G.I.F

John 1:43-51

Sermon

William Luoma

... them down. Was it all for nothing? Nathanael's question was immaterial now; "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" What seemed to the disciples as one of the worst days in their lives is to us a very special and sacred day. We call this day Good Friday ... Christ Jesus? If so, declare it by saying, I DO SO TRUST. Do you intend to serve Christ to the best of your ability as his disciple in the world today? If so, declare it by saying, I DO WITH THE HELP OF GOD. Absolution If you confess your sins, God who is ...

2784. Monologue: Mary Magdalene - Liberated Woman

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18

Drama

Robert F. Scott

... the Sabbath, as soon as the shops were open, we bought spices. Early in the morning we went to the tomb, brokenhearted. Then the sunlight of God flooded our souls, and life changed forever. The tomb was open, empty, and an angel said Jesus had risen! We ran to the disciples. Then I returned. I was standing in the garden, near the tomb, when Jesus came to me and called me by name. It was he! He had risen, as he said! He was alive! Why should I be the one to see him first? Why not his mother, or John ...

2785. When Life Closes In

Matthew 26:17-30, Matthew 26:36-46

Sermon

Robert Allen

... of time. He was facing the cross of Calvary. He felt life was closing in on him. And he sought the fellowship of his friends. So can you! II. When Life Was Closing In, Jesus Sought Fellowship With God. Catch the setting in your mind. Jesus and his disciples had just celebrated the last supper in the upper room. Judas had slipped off to betray Jesus for only 30 pieces of silver. Jesus knew what was lying ahead. Life was closing in on him and he wanted to go to the Garden of Gethsemane. Quietly, they slipped ...

2786. The Butterfly Rock

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Carl Jech

... . He had been given this new name by Jesus (his original name was Simon) but it has taken quite a while and some profound experiences for the meaning of his new name to sink in! The name Peter means "the rock," but for most of his time as a disciple of Jesus, Peter had been anything but a rock. He had been fearful and insecure. When the chips were down, he denied he even knew Jesus. In the book of Acts we finally see Simon transformed into Peter. How appropriate that perhaps the most famous church in the ...

2787. Winning Isn't the Only Thing ... It's Irrelevant

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Carl Jech

... wanting to hold their own and win at all costs, only to end up losing what is most precious to them. While the story of the transfiguration of Jesus has its element of glory, its hint of the resurrection of Jesus, it is also a story about the disciples' failure to understand the true nature of what it was that Jesus "was to accomplish at Jerusalem." The Gospels are full of incidents in which people mistakenly expect Jesus to "be a winner." We are in the process of looking at ways in which our efforts at ...

2788. Throw Your Heart at the Sky

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Carl Jech

... at least three major revisions) are using this story to show once again that the full impact and meaning of the resurrection of Jesus dawned upon his followers progressively, in stages, over time. By saying that this was the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead (v. 14), by combining it with an element of confusion over whether they recognized Jesus or not (vv. 4 and 12), and by setting the whole episode in the context of the dawning of a new day, the editors ...

2789. Divine Liturgy, Divine Play, Divine Comedy

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Carl Jech

... impressionistic portrayal of the suffering Jesus. Obviously thinking that the artist had produced something more like a betrayal of Jesus than a portrayal, one reader wrote to the editor: "What have you done to my dear, sweet Savior?" The Jesus portrayed in John 13:33 tells his disciples that they cannot and must not hold onto him too tightly. "I am only to be with you a little longer." Our desire to "have" Jesus just as we want him is a desire that must be resisted. John's theme is that Jesus is gone away ...

2790. A Holy Hunger

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Carl Hoefler

... of a new covenant is appropriate for us to hear this evening. Especially, it is appropriate as we gather to celebrate the birth-event of the sacrament of communion. In the reading of the Gospel, we hear once again the familiar words that our Lord spoke to his disciples and to us: "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." Even more important for an understanding of what we are about to do, when we come to the altar-table to partake of communion, is Jeremiah's prophetic insight ...

2791. A Baptism of Blood

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Carl Hoefler

... at his right hand and who should be at his left. As they argued, our Lord asked them, "Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism that I am to be baptized with?" And the dumbfounded disciples answered, "We are able." Generally, we do not associate baptism with the cross. Oh, we hear the words of the baptismal service which declares that in our baptismal experience we die with Christ and are raised with him to a new life. But baptism is associated with babies ...

2792. Keeping Alert

Luke 9:28-36

Illustration

John A. Stroman

... and he was an American citizen. The tragic part was that he slept through a revolution. While he snored, oblivious to his surroundings, fantastic, earth-shaking events had taken place. This is what happened to the disciples. They were oblivious to all that was taking place. Don't be too critical of the disciples at this point. Many times we have our heads in the clouds, enclosed in our own little world and losing sight of the larger world, and sleep through great events. How many times are we preoccupied ...

2793. Only A Phone Call Away

Matthew 4:18-22

Children's Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... on the phone, of course. But He spoke to them and asked them to follow Him. The Bible says He called them, meaning He asked them to be His disciples. And they agreed to go with Him, to follow Him. They did become His disciples. That changed their lives. He still calls us to follow Him. He wants us to believe in Him, to love Him, to follow Him, to be His disciples still today. When we say yes to Jesus it changes our lives forever. It makes our lives better than they would ever be any other way. To live with ...

2794. The Unjust Steward

Luke 16:1-15

Drama

Robert A. Lehmann

Theme: A parable of honesty and love for God Characters: Narrator Rich man Accountant, Three solo voices (the narrator doubles as Jesus) Narrator: Now Jesus told this story, Solo 7: To his disciples. Solo 2: To his disciples. Solo 3: To his disciples. Jesus: Once there was a man, Solo 1: A very rich man, Solo 3: A wise man, Solo 2: A man of position. Jesus: He hired an accountant to handle the books. Solo 3: The accountant was an average man. Solo 1: He was like you. Solo 2: He was ...

2795. Filled With God's Spirit

Acts 2:4

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... me whether I passed or failed. Let's see what it says, Oh, boy, I passed and next year I will be in the fourth grade! It means a lot to know that I have passed. That's the way Jesus wants us to feel, too. He spoke to his disciple, John, and told him that someday everybody who loved God would pass into a new world, God's new world. That's kind of the way it is when we die here on earth. When we die Jesus says we are passed into a new life in heaven. Not many ...

2796. Sermon Opener - New Wine

Acts 2:1-13

Illustration

Barbara Brokhoff

... many years ago." In other words, the Holy Spirit is New Wine and it cannot make you drunk. The Spirit will not cloud your mind, it won't cause you to talk stupidly, it won't make you an unsafe driver, and it won't give you a hangover. The disciples were not inebriated, but rather filled with God the Holy Spirit. They had not imbibed on the fruit of the vine, nor had they drunk the nectar of the gods, but they had been filled with the Divine Nectar, the New Wine from heaven. This Spirit will be a wine ...

2797. People Get Ready!

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon

Brett Blair

... something so true, very positive, and ominous about that song. You see, it is the very message that Jesus is giving to his disciples. They are to be ready. They are not to be afraid; they are to sell their possessions—don’t need no baggage. They ... grain of corn. It is better, therefore, Jesus concludes, to be rich toward God. Jesus then turns away from this young man to address his disciples and he says, this fellow is worried about his life and how it will all turn out. I don’t want you to worry about ...

2798. Watching Jesus

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... until after the pain of the crucifixion. C. H. Dodd once said that in Scripture the encounter with God was most likely to occur at a point of great pain and tension with the real world. The cross was painfully real; but it became the instrument that bridged the disciples from watching and partial seeing to a full vision of God in Christ. Is the pain of life our chance to see the love and power of God in Jesus? As I was lying on the table preparing to give blood, the attendant said, "Now look at the ceiling ...

2799. The Man, the Message, and the Mission

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon

George Bass

... want to become a great, renowned artist and avoid that laziness in your fingers, you must never touch a drop of wine or alcohol.’ I obeyed him faithfully all my life." Jesus, you see, never calls us to ministry and mission under false pretenses. When the disciples wanted places of honor next to him, he asked, "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?" and "Are you able to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" Mark reports that he said, "You will be baptized ..." - die for the faith ...

2800. The Season of the Spirit

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

... is the Lord and giver of life. The season of the Spirit is an on-going life of living under God's forgiveness, knowing that Christ has died and paid for all our sins, and then turning the focus of our lives outward in loving service to all people. The disciples were all filled with that Spirit and we pray today that as we hear the message of the Cross the same Spirit would proceed into our hearts. III. In the Nicene Creed we note this final statement about the Spirit. It says, "The Holy Spirit spake by the ...

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