Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2801 to 2825 of 4962 results

2801. A Lamp Shining In a Dark Place

2 Peter 1:17-21

Sermon

Will Willimon

... which is to assume that the Bible knows more than we do. And though we only play the game for about an hour on Sundays, my hope is to get you so utterly disoriented in my remaining time with you that you might leave here today profoundly diseased with your modern world ... you to step back from the Bible, examine it, raise questions about it, dissect it like a cadaver, rummage about it in the hope of finding something in it with which you can agree. The Enlightenment has taught you to read in that way and it is ...

2802. Chief Among Sinners

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

... sick, unethical, oppressive system. He ate with the rich while the hurting crowd clamored outside at the gate and begged for help. You too, Jesus? But we thought you were the one to save us. We thought you were the one who cared about us. We had hoped you were the one to set us free. No wonder we grumble. But Jesus knew something we couldn’t yet see ― perhaps because we are so desperate for relief. Jesus saw divine possibility, even in those people and places we thought unredeemable. Jesus saw at every ...

2803. Becoming A Faithful Witness

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... him. She conveyed unconditional love and warmth to him in heavy doses. Slowly he began to feel worthy of love again. This woman cared about him and she conveyed that to him by the way she talked to him and the things she said to him. It gave him hope that, in time, others too might care for him. As ambassadors of God's kingdom, we listen for God's message and we speak to one another in ways that offer encouragement and affirmation. If we will be faithful in this regard we can fulfill these words of Isaiah ...

2804. God's Vision For The Church

Acts 11:1-18

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... God's direction for our lives, we will discover blessings and new meaning for our lives that far surpass our greatest expectations. Expect God's Blessings That brings us to the third insight this biblical passage offers. We must learn to live with expectancy and hopefulness about what God has planned for us. If we genuinely trust in God's provision, we will be excited about what the future holds for us. Regardless of the circumstances of our lives, we can look to the future with great anticipation about the ...

2805. A Call To Community

Acts 16:6-10

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... . They intentionally selected what looked to be the littlest and skinniest dog in the world. They named him Cocoa but more often than not the father referred to him as their "wimp-dog." They had wanted a dog that would be gentle with the children but secretly Dad had hoped for a "man's dog" (whatever that is). It was a little embarrassing to have a dog that was afraid of its own shadow. Cocoa was afraid of other dogs. He was afraid of other people. He was afraid of cars. He was even afraid of cats. It took ...

2806. Topsy-turvy Christianity

Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

... person yourself, but if not, wouldn't you like to be? In such a situation we could declare that life is good, that we are content, and that the future looks bright. Do you know anyone who is poor, hungry, grieving, hated, excluded, reviled, and defamed? I sincerely hope you are not such a person. We consider anyone who has all these woes as an extremely unfortunate individual indeed. And yet, did you hear the words of Jesus as recorded in the passage we read from the Gospel of Luke? "Woe to you who are rich ...

2807. One Bride For Seven Brothers

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

... . They are trapped in a rigid and unbending stance from which they choose not to escape. But the more pressing question is: Do some of us have concepts of the resurrection life which need clarifying by Jesus' interpretation of scripture? I have a friend who says he hopes heaven has a large video room where he can see any place in history at the height of its glory. He is especially interested in seeing Corinth and Ephesus when Paul was in those cities. Jesus' word that God is the God of the living does not ...

2808. Unfair - The Prodigal Son

Luke 13:1-9

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... wanted to raise turkeys and Johnny had the idea he wanted to raise minks, too. As it all turned out, I got pregnant and I guess Johnny couldn't face that change in our future. It all happened so suddenly. I don't blame him. I love him. I just hope he remembers me someday. HOST: John's brother, William, still works on the family farm. WILLIAM: What made Johnny run off? I'll tell you what made him do it -- greed. Johnny was always greedy. Always wanted more than he had. Usually got it, too. If Dad didn't give ...

2809. The Trinity

John 16:5-16

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... Costumes: Contemporary, casual Time: The present Cast: Wayne Douglas Steve WAYNE: (WAYNE, DOUGLAS AND STEVE ENTER) You know what my question is going to be, don't you? DOUGLAS: Probably the same question I have. WAYNE: About the Trinity? STEVE: That's it. We can never hope to understand it, can we? WAYNE: I'm not sure. DOUGLAS: I can't grasp the fact that there are three of them. STEVE: God, the Father, and the Holy Spirit were persons to Jesus, separate persons. WAYNE: But they are all God. Think how that ...

2810. Take Up Your Cross

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... Christians. He unabashedly confesses that he is beholden to a unique point of view. What he sees as different is that his stance is less optimistic than some Christian perspectives. This is not to say that the Christian operates without hope. However, the hope must be placed in God and not in people. Pointedly, Tinder says that Christianity is consistently skeptical about political ideals and plans, because of what people are. Christianity must employ language and ideas that are not attractive to the world ...

2811. It's OK To Stir Up God

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Richard Patt

... there is no reason to stop trusting God and believing in God when we are in a jam. In fact, especially then God will be the good Father who knows what gift will be best for us. We live in a time when people seem to have given up such hope and trust. Little in life seems worthwhile; much of life doesn't seem worth the effort. Some are not only resigned to the future, but they have also resigned from the future. Their forward thrust is gone. Faith has petered out. Prayer appears to be an anachronism. But this ...

2812. Keep Things Flowing

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Richard Patt

... that most of the man's blessings got clogged in his own hand and rarely flowed through his life to others, except by accident. Jesus describes it: "There was also a poor man, named Lazarus, covered with sores, who used to be brought to the rich man's door, hoping to eat the bits of food that fell from the rich man's table" (vv. 20-21). Surely part of the reason Jesus tells this story is to appeal to us to keep things flowing in our lives. Today Christ wants every Christian to pray, "Lord, as your blessings ...

2813. A New Kingdom Coming

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... duty, we can be sure we have fixed our priorities on something else than the kingdom of God. Like all great leaders and teachers, Jesus often has a problem with his followers. Karl Barth, the late well-known and influential theologian of Switzerland, once said, "I hope I shall never become a Barthian. May God spare me from Barthianism!" Barth didn't want to be hemmed in or trapped by the smallest of his own followers who wanted to package him, market him, and profit from him as a safe product. Unable to ...

2814. Called To Pull Down; Called To Rebuild

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... and tear down, but to build and to plant. God said to the people, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built." We can hear this message of hope when we acknowledge that we are burdened with insecurity and anxiety, fear of illness and dread of death. There are the wise who are tired of their wisdom, the powerful who are unsure of their little kingdoms, the average who cannot accept themselves, the destitute who ...

2815. Tiny Town: Promised Power

Micah 5:1-4

Sermon

Tony Everett

... The River And Dying Of Thirst"; "Why Don't Your Dog Bite Nobody But Me?"; "There's A Light At The End Of The Tunnel; Lord, I Hope It Ain't No Train." God tells us in today's text that there is indeed a light at the end of the dark and dreary ... a wrecked vassal state with Assyrian forces at its borders. Micah saw corruption among political, business, and religious leaders. He saw no hope in military efforts. Micah saw a coming destruction. However, he also saw that a remnant would be gathered by the Lord ( ...

2816. Gifts: Rejected And Exchanged, Accepted And Shared

1 Samuel 2:12-26

Sermon

Tony Everett

... 1 Samuel 1 and 2). Remember that Samuel's mother, Hannah, had been barren for many years. In spite of being the object of ridicule and scorn (1:6) and suffering from deep sadness (1:16), Hannah remained in faithful relationship to the Lord. Hoping against all hope, she continued in prayer to God. And the gift was given. A son was born. A relationship was offered, accepted, and shared. Hannah dedicated the young child to the Lord. After Samuel was weaned, Hannah and her husband, Elkanah, presented him to Eli ...

2817. The Spirit Of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... came together of one mind and one spirit? This is exactly what is needed today: the spirit of outpouring and anointing; the spirit of people speaking in tongues of fire as a united entity for Christ; the spirit of consensus; the spirit of joy, hope, and power; the spirit of love and heightened expectations of what God can do through the people of God; the spirit of reconciliation; the spirit of transcendence, transportation, and deliverance; the spirit of the power of the Holy Spirit! This is the spirit ...

2818. How Long Will You Limp? (Because God Is Tired Of The Bull)

1 Kings 18:16-46

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... we cannot waver between a God of possibility and disability. We must have a positive faith in the power of God to make good on God's promises. This is the cornerstone of our faith and belief. The God we serve is one of raised expectations, high hopes and enormous possibilities. Second is the God of Appeasement versus the God of Atonement. The priests of Baal presented their bull as a means of appeasing their God in order to evoke a specific response and to prove a point. Israel presented bulls to please and ...

2819. Lent 3

Luke 13:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Psalm 63:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... has come to make one more attempt to call the people to repentance and to fruitful living in the kingdom of God. He still has hope that the people will respond to his message and that the Jews can be saved from destruction. 11. "If Not, You can Cut It Down." ( ... King David. He would become the anointed ruler whom God would install in office. Jesus rejected both the methods of the Zealots and hopes of the Pharisees. He announced the coming of the kingdom of God, but it was to come by the change of the people ...

2820. The Results Of Resurrection

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

... in a room behind closed doors sat the disciples. Fright was the prevailing atmosphere in that room. At any moment the Roman soldiers might come to take them to court. Already one betrayer had been found in their group. They all wondered about each other, hoping that no other betrayer would give them away. Any knock at the door brought trembles. Any word from outside brought terror. And then Jesus came and stood in their midst. His presence with that group was like that of a parent with a frightened child ...

2821. Let Me Explain: A Sermon By Judas Iscariot

Matthew 26:1-5

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

... Yes, they were just like you. They would sin, then repent, and then sin again. But they kept trying to be God's people. The claw of Rome had taken control of my country's government about 150 years before I was born. Its grasp had seemed to cancel the hopes of many of our people -- many, but not all. A group of Jews remembered the promises which God had made: the promise to bless all people through Abraham; the promise to lead a group of slaves into their own land with Moses; the promise to be their God if ...

2822. The Peace That Invades

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... world; scared by the economic times and the uncertainties it has brought; shocked by personal tragedies happening in lives all around us daily. Jesus says to you and me: "My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." There would be little hope for us today if there wasn't a grave distinction between the peace the world gives, and that which comes from the "Prince of Peace." How often the ears of the world have heard the vain promises: "This is the war to end all wars." How could we have ...

2823. Easter Joy

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... about what people should or should not do. The message our Lord shared was in essence much more. Jesus offered a message of hope and relief for people as they lived amid trials, temptations, and hardships. Jesus lived out his own message in singular fashion. Jesus believed ... in the light of the faith that recognizes how our Lord grants us his Spirit so that we might live in the trust and hope of the mercy and love of God as our Father. You Are Appointed With all that Jesus shared with the disciples about our ...

2824. Expanding The Boundaries

Ruth 3:1-18

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... of ever marrying again, no future. You need to go back to Moab and your people. You should not be hanging around an old lady like me. Go back to your people where you belong. Go to your people where there is some hope for you. It is hopeless if you follow me to Bethlehem. You are Moabites not Israelites." Orpah leaves and returns to Moab, but Ruth "clings" to Naomi. In one of the most beloved speeches in the Bible she says to Naomi, "Entreat me not to leave you or to return ...

2825. How To Treat Your Enemies

2 Samuel 18:1-18

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... , found six copies of a 900-page boring historical novel on a bargain book table. The book was written by some other author who also happened to be named James Clark. So, he bought all six copies and mailed them to six of his enemies with the note enclosed, "I hope you enjoy this and won't mind the slight reference to you. James Clark." Ah! Sweet Revenge! Then there's the one I read about in "Dear Abby." A divorcee wrote to say that her newly married ex-husband threw a big party at his home. And she was ...

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