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 2826 to 2850 of 3314 results

2826. The Lamb

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Argile Smith

... of Revelation. The story in that grand Bible centers on the Lamb. The story of the Lamb intersects the story of Polycarp. And their stories intersect our stories as we worship the Lamb ourselves. Most scholars say that John was the last of the twelve original apostles to die. His life came to an end at about the same time that the first century AD came to a close. Somewhere along the way, perhaps in his last years, he met Polycarp and discipled him in the Christian faith. Apparently he mentored Polycarp ...

2827. Powerless People

Judges 4:1-24

Sermon

Argile Smith

... that no oppressor can stand against him. God will enable you to know his wisdom and to walk in his ways. Accordingly, God will work through and in you in ways that will surprise you. So turn to him. And don’t forget the question that the apostle Paul raised in Romans 8:31: If God’s for us, who would dare be against us? And don’t forget the answer either: nobody. Amen. 1. Tex Sample, Ministry in an Oral Culture: Living with Will Rogers, Uncle Remus, and Minnie Pearl (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster ...

2828. 2 Timothy 2:8-15

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the bad news?” The good news is that there is some gloriously good news. The bad news is that some genuinely bad news goes along for the ride. That is the good-news/bad-news message brought by Paul in this week’s epistle text. The apostle both prepares his protégée for what he might expect, and encourages Timothy, and future generations of Jesus followers, to persevere. At the beginning of this section of his letter, Paul implores Timothy, “my child,” to “be strong.” Now he gives his stalwart ...

2829. The Right Reason

Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

David O. Bales

... us and free us to respond wholeheartedly. God has found us in the handicap of our sin and loved us, or “liked” us if that makes more sense to you. Maybe the message of Jesus’ death for us seems a little crazy or weak as the apostle Paul said. Or maybe it’s the impossible dream come true that finally focuses all our devotion to God. 1. Jeremy Bernstein, “The Merely Very Good,” in Cynthia Ozick, ed., The Best American Essays 1998 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998), p. 40. 2. Jean Strouse, “The ...

2830. A Faith that Leaves a Legacy

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

King Duncan

... Worlds). 3. W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. 4. Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Vol. 5, p. 849. 5. (New York: Berkley Books, 1999), p. 97. 6. Robert Orben, Current Comedy. 7. Heaven: Your Real Home (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), p.41. 8. The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to Timothy and Titus, p. 371f.

2831. The Faith of a Saint

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... at those called to be his disciples. Luke tells us that this scene was preceded by a night of prayer. Then, after this all-night prayer vigil, Jesus calls a larger group of “disciples” to him, from which he chooses twelve, designating them as his apostles. Perhaps the larger group from which the twelve were selected was the group of seventy that was sent out two by two in chapter 10. But it’s difficult to separate the selection of the twelve from Jesus’ teaching on the plain. For example, when ...

2832. Duuuh!

John 14:15-31

Sermon

David O. Bales

... from our original source of life. Jesus, however, promises in verse 18, “I will not leave you orphans.”[1] You can think of Jesus’ family relationship with us in a couple of ways. You could consider us adopted as Jesus’ brothers and sisters, as Paul the apostle does. Or you can consider that Jesus has entered into your life, into your flesh and blood, and that way you and he are now family. Whichever way we think of it, the consequences of our relationship to God through Jesus is that we now live ...

2833. Dancing for Joy (Thanksgiving)

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation.” What a beautiful statement, and I want you to ponder it for just a moment: “It’s a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation.” That is a sentiment with which the Apostle Paul would agree without any hesitation. Listen to Paul’s words from today’s reading from the Epistle: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious ...

2834. Only Time Will Tell

James 5:7-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... s strategies in a Hindu culture reflected the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Christian church. Even though E. Stanley Jones was “the Billy Graham of his day,” as someone called him, or “the most important missionary force in Christian history since the Apostle Paul,” as another person celebrated him, Christ of the Indian Road went over like a sack of stale bread. It bombed. Sales were nil and the feedback was deafening in its silence. Jones felt that the publication was his least successful book ...

2835. A Miracle Story

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . And in today’s Acts text we learn another “still” still Peter doubted the all-encompassing power of God’s love and acceptance, even after the resurrection. Until he received a special divine message. Acts 20:34-43 is the first-form of the Apostle’s Creed, which is less a “creed” than a biography a short story form of Jesus’ life, mission, death, and resurrection. As Peter stands in a new and unknown environment, in the household of Cornelius the Gentile, he gives testimony of what he final ...

2836. The Christian's Royal Jelly

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... earliest of the Christian communities, whether they were flourishing or floundering, he never failed to spoon the “royal jelly” of the gospel liberally over his words, and wounds. Even when he himself was imprisoned, chased out of town, threatened with death, the apostle’s first concern was to encourage others in continuing their walk with the risen Christ. When is the last time you offered an unscripted word of encouragement to a friend, a co-worker, your spouse, your child, your parent? When did you ...

2837. In the Shadow of His Brother

John 1:35-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... the love of Jesus and say, ‘He died for all.’ “There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; / There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul.” Andrew couldn’t preach like his brother Simon Peter; neither could he pray like the Apostle Paul. But he could “tell the love of Jesus and say, ‘He died for all.’” And so can you and I. 1. @Doc’s Daily Chuckles - go here http://family-safe-mail.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=55 to subscribe. 2. Wendela Whitcomb Marsh in Reader’s Digest ...

2838. The Lifesaver App

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... we cannot know how formal these factions were within the Corinthian community, there was enough of an angry buzz going on between those who clamored and claimed “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” to get the apostle’s attention and cause him to raise an alarm. Paul reminds the contentious Corinthians that they were not baptized in the name of anyone but Christ. It is only the love of the crucified, risen and regnant Christ that has made possible the new life ...

2839. "Before" and "After"

Psalm 31:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... t true” bothered Philip Yancey. It seemed somehow wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on the problem. He finally located the source of his discomfort in 1 Corinthians 15, the Bible’s central chapter on resurrection from the dead. There, the apostle Paul stakes his faith on the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. With remarkable bluntness he argues that if Christ has not been raised, his own preaching would be useless, as would our faith. Furthermore, he adds, except for the resurrection “we are to be ...

2840. Claimed, Framed, Changed

Acts 2:14-41

Sermon

Tony Everett

... However, the crowds who were listening to Peter did not ignore their emotions. They did not express them in violent outrage. Instead, the crowds acknowledged them and asked for help. In other words, they asked for a game plan saying to “Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ ” (Acts 2:37). This is also a crucial question for us today. God has claimed us as God’s own children in baptism. With the out-stretched embrace of the crucified Christ God has framed us at the center of ...

2841. Can These Bones Live Again?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... . But after a meal with the Master, Zacchaeus became a new person. Or how about Peter? Impetuous, ineffective, indecisive, quick to anger, the disciple who denied his Master, and yet he became the leader of the early church. And even more grandly, the Apostle Paul who persecuted the early Christians, but he had a vision of the risen Jesus and was transformed to become the greatest missionary who ever lived. You think your life is hopeless, that your marriage is hopeless, that your future is hopeless? You ...

2842. Honk If Something Falls Off

Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. Peter Barnes tells about a radio preacher that he listened to while he was in college named the Rev. Apostle J.R. Chambers, Jr. Quite surprisingly for a radio preacher, Chambers had a decided speech impediment. Each week he recited the verse from the Bible on which his entire ministry was based. It was Matthew 5:48, “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Because of his ...

2843. Apron Up (Mother's Day)

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... one of us “may have life and have it abundantly” (v.10). For many of us one of the symbols that bring together port, patrol and portal is the apron. Shepherds wear a leather apron when shearing and bathing sheep to protect their legs. The apostle Paul, a leather worker, wore an apron. Glass blowers and farriers (that is, horseshoe placers) are among the many professions that have worn this safety gate for protection from the hurtful and harsh experiences of daily life. But the apron of humility and ...

2844. A Prayer for Persecuted Christians Everywhere

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... International” for persecuted Christians everywhere: Sovereign God, we worship you and acknowledge that you know all of those who suffer in your name (1). We remember those who are imprisoned for their faith (2) and ask that they would join with the Apostle Paul to see that even though they remain captive, their chains have furthered the gospel, not frustrated it (3). May they inspire and embolden their fellow believers to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly (4). God of all comfort ...

2845. Waking the Giant

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... been gathering for regular prayer after Christ’s ascension, it is doubtful that Pentecost would have occurred. Certainly the young church was sustained by prayer after Pentecost. The forty-second verse of this chapter reads like this: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Prayer was at the heart of the church’s life from the very beginning. It reminds me of a comment that Lawrence O. Richards once made. He noted that sponge ...

2846. A Holy Kiss (Father's Day)

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... by some of the non-Christians of the time regarding Christian communities. The “love” they were referring to is the way in which the early Christian churches cared for each other, especially the poor. We know from reading the Acts of the Apostles that many Christian communities shared their material possessions in common. They also shared freely with those in need who were not part of the Christian community. We in the church today need to be more intentional about our love for one another. Business ...

2847. Appetites and Desires

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and wild honey, baptizing people in the river, not fitting in with the first century dress code. He too, was “wrong.” Both life-styles of fasting and feasting were refused and rebuked by the mainstream. In the Pauline text, his letter to the Roman Christians, the apostle’s lament was about how much he wanted to do something better than what he did every day. Paul, the Pharisee who had lived his whole life according the letter of the Law, wrote with regret that, “I do not do what I want, but I do ...

2848. Be A Good Virus

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... people who have no personal convictions, no compelling passions, no “take-it-to-the-front-line” faithfulness. Instead, like liquid gelatin, those who have no backbone pour themselves into whatever mold is put before to them for the simplest, easiest gain. The apostle Paul was definitely not a “lukewarm” or “wishy-washy” kind of guy. In fact, he warned the church at Rome “Do not let the world squeeze you into its mold” (Romans 12:2, Phillips translation). Of course, the church can “squeeze ...

2849. Family Re:Union - Great Expectations

Ephesians 5:22-33

Sermon

James Merritt

... other the glue that can cement a marriage together? The answer is found in three simple verbs that are found in Ephesians 5. I. Spouses Should Submit Humbly To Each Other “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21, NIV) The Apostle Paul in this passage is about to launch into, perhaps, the classic text on marriage in all of the Bible. He begins by setting this ground rule. In one sense, in a marriage, submission is mutual. I know to some people “submission” is a dirty word ...

2850. The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Acts 20:13-38

Sermon

James Merritt

... . I wish he had known and learned the truth of something that Jesus said. It is a direct quote and it is the only direct quote of something Jesus said not found in the four gospels. It is found in the Book of Acts. It was quoted by the Apostle Paul and it was obviously something that Jesus had said so many times that the early Christian community had memorized it and remembered it. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35, NIV) Quite frankly, that just doesn’t sound logical. If I give ...

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