Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2851 to 2875 of 4933 results

2851. Faith in the Son of God

1 John 5:1-12, 1 John 4:7-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

God’s Love and Our Love There is little agreement among those who have made a serious study of 1 John as to how to divide 1 John 4:7–5:4, but most have understood 4:7–12 to center around God’s love for us and, in response, our love for one another. It is likely that the opponents of the Elder had stressed their love for God (cf. 4:10, 20), their devotion, piety, and mystical spirituality (cf. 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9; 3:18; 4:1). But the Elder thinks that it is God’s love for human beings which is ...

2852. Job’s Reply to Zophar

Job 12:1--14:22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

Job’s Equal Wisdom 12:1 Undeterred by Zophar’s stringent warnings, Job answers Zophar’s harshness with equal venom. 12:2 Doubtless. Job begins his reply to Zophar with the same word with which he began his response to Bildad (ʾomnam, “surely, certainly, without a doubt,” 9:2), but here the word drips with intentional sarcasm. Job clearly has his doubts about the wisdom of the three friends—especially after the rather unfeeling rebuke that Zophar has just pronounced. He directs his reply at all three ...

2853. The Seven Last Words of the Church

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Tradition – what a concept! What do you think of when you hear the word tradition? Exactly what is tradition? Mr. Webster’s dictionary defines the word tradition as "the transmission of knowledge, opinions, customs, doctrines, and practices from generation to generation, originally by word of mouth and personal example." We have all inherited traditions from our ancestors, which we will in turn pass on to future generations. And traditions are important. Even now we’re looking forward to Thanksgiving and ...

2854. With All Your Heart

Joel 2:12-17, Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

The poignant words of the prophet Joel should have deep relevance and meaning for this Ash Wednesday, for it is a clarion call to remembrance and reflection. The prophet calls the people to repentance and urges a sincere return to God. The various passages of the prophet’s entire oracle to Judah, whose language is reminiscent of Isaiah, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Malachi, and Jeremiah in their reference to the “Day of the Lord,” “the enemy from the North,” and “judgment on foreign nations,” contains a heightened ...

2855. The Three-fold Journey

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

King Duncan

There is an old story of a man sitting on a dock with a fishing pole and his line in the water. A passerby inquires, "Fishing?" The man on the dock replies, "Nope, just drowning worms." Writer Robert Fulghum admits that he's no fisherman, although he says he does sometimes enjoy it. Well, one summer day he, a friend of his, his nephew, and his friend's son decided to go fishing. His friend said that he knew a certain lake nearby that was absolutely teeming with fish, and they'd be sure to catch something ...

2856. Christ the King

Psalm 100:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, Matthew 25:31-46, Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 As the shepherd for his people, Yahweh will seek the lost, gather, and feed his sheep with David as the prince among them. A popular metaphor for a religious-political leader in Judah was "shepherd." False shepherds, says Ezekiel, led Judah to ruin and captivity. So, Yahweh will be her shepherd who will bring his sheep out of captivity in Babylon, feed them with justice, and restore them to their former homeland. The nation will be restored under a davidic ...

2857. Mark 7:24-37

Mark 7:24-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Finishing up his lesson on what is "defiling" and what is not, Jesus sets off to a region that might be considered "defiled." The text explains Jesus' presence in that disreputable corner of the countryside as part of his effort to lay low and remain anonymous. Certainly in the midst of this primarily Gentile region of Tyre, tucked away in the quiet of a private home, Jesus might have expected to snatch a few days of solitude and silence, avoiding the constant recognition and perennial crowds. But Jesus " ...

2858. You Bring Me Great Pleasure

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

How many of your New Year’s Resolutions have made it intact through the first full week of 2011? Have you missed a day of exercise yet? Have you stuck to your diet? Are you texting less, talking more, always telling the truth? Most “resolutions” we make are self-directed: get thinner, work smarter, be stronger, take control of your life. We want to make changes that will help us, improve us, and bring us good feelings about ourselves. Jesus said to be “in” the world but not to be “of” the world. So let’s ...

2859. The Mystery of God’s Will and God’s Threefold Blessing

Ephesians 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1–2 · Opening and Greetings: The author identifies himself by name and calling and greets his readers in the manner typical in the Pauline Epistles, but without the usual companions. Whether the addressees live specifically in Ephesus is unclear. Re-creating the Human Family: What God Has Done (1:3–3:21) 1:3–14 · This opening section, setting the agenda for the rest of the letter, is itself opened in verses 3–6. God, who in Jesus Christ originated the solution to the dilemma of our sin, is praised ( ...

2860. Going Hard against the Grain

Matthew 5:33-37

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

Perhaps you have heard the story of the star-thrower, first published by Loren Eiseley in his 1969 book The Unexpected Universe. He tells of walking along a beach "littered with the debris of life.... Along the strip of wet sand that marks the ebbing and flowing of the tide, death walks hugely and in many forms. In the end the sea rejects its offspring. They cannot fight their way home through the surf which casts them repeatedly back upon the shore. The tiny breathing spores of starfish are stuffed with ...

2861. If Christ Had Not Come

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.” (John 15:22) What strange words are these! Especially the part where Jesus says, “If I had not come...” What would it be like, I wonder, if Christ had not come? Would it really make that much difference? Are we right in dating all human history from the birth of Christ, so that everything that has happened before He came is called “B.C.” (before Christ) and everything that has happened since then is ...

2862. God Gives the Pharisees the Finger!

John 7:25-44, John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop (Animation): Scale or coins (three types) and blackboard with the words: mene, mene, tekel, upharsin; clay pot Judging. It’s something we do almost without thinking. Judging. And justifying. And we’re so GOOD at it! We love to sit on our holy thrones (or in the case of football, cause it’s the season now –lounge in our armchairs) and cast judgments upon those people who are on tv, in the spotlight, on trial, or in any way aren’t in our circle of friends. Many of us judge our friends too! All you have ...

2863. What Is Required of Us?

Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

“I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” In a message titled Seizing Your Divine Moment Erwin McManus speaks of his son Aaron: “One summer Aaron went to youth camp. He was just a little guy, and I was kind of glad it was a church camp. I figured he wasn't going to hear all those ghost stories.... But unfortunately, since it was a Christian camp and they didn't tell ghost stories, because we don't believe in ghosts, they told demon and Satan stories instead. And so when Aaron got home, he was ...

2864. The Trial Before Felix

Acts 24:1-27

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Paul’s removal to Caesarea began a two-year imprisonment in that city. During these years he stated his case (and therefore the case for the gospel) before two governors and a king, thus further fulfilling the ministry to which he had been called (9:15). These were days of high drama as well as of tedious confinement, but through it all Paul maintained his unswerving purpose to serve Christ and the gospel. 24:1 The first of the two governors to hear Paul’s case was Antonius Felix, the brother of Pallas, ...

2865. Pressing on Toward the Goal

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

Paul's Ambition Whatever others may claim for themselves, Paul knows that he has not attained perfection yet. So long as mortal life lasts, there is further progress to be made. Not until the end of the race is the prize awarded. 3:12 Paul now passes from the language of accountancy to that of athletic endeavor (cf. 2:16). He is running a race; he has not yet breasted the tape or won the prize, and he must keep on running until he does so. Some of his converts elsewhere imagined that they had attained ...

2866. Mary's Complaint

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

David E. Leininger

I suppose you have had the chance to watch at least a little television during these busy days before Christmas. Have you noticed that the news programs are carrying more stories about unfortunate people these days...people who have lost their homes, people who are facing debilitating disease, people who seem to have had their whole world fall in on them? Have you noticed that? I understand why: somehow the plight of desperate folks seems all the MORE desperate in the midst of what should be a season of ...

2867. Mary's Complaint

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

I suppose you have had the chance to watch at least a little television during these busy days before Christmas. Have you noticed that the news programs are carrying more stories about unfortunate people these days... people who have lost their homes, people who are facing debilitating disease, people who seem to have had their whole world fall in on them? Have you noticed that? I understand why: somehow the plight of desperate folks seems all the more desperate in the midst of what should be a season of ...

2868. Recovering From the Blahs

1 Kings 19:9-18

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

There he came to a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the people of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thy altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." And he said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great ...

2869. Good Old What’s-His-Name

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

In the fifth century, St. Jerome called the apostle we are considering in this sermon “Trinomius,” which means “the man with three names.” In Mark he is called Thaddeus (3:18), in Matthew he is called Thaddeus or Lebbaeus (10:3), and in Luke he is called Judas, the son of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). If the Gospels cannot agree on this man’s name, how can we ever hope to get it straight? Well, I have recently read an advertisement from one of those sheets which fall out of the Sunday newspaper, an ...

2870. Joy Giver

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

James Merritt

[Open gift of stopwatch] Christmas is my favorite time of the year, but like many of us it is absolutely one of the busiest times of the year. If there is ever a season where you always feel like you are short on time, where you get frustrated and angry in having to wait in line, and where you almost feel like right up to the holiday you are trying to enjoy, you still can’t get it all done - it is Christmas! Christmas is so different when you are a child as to when you are an adult. When I was a child, it ...

2871. Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ

Colossians 2:6-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

A Summons to Steadfastness 2:6 The Greek text begins with “therefore,” indicating that what the apostle is about to say is linked with his preceding discussion on the content of the mystery which is Christ himself. As someone has said, “Whenever you see a therefore in Scripture, go back to see what it is there for!” To stand firm does not mean to stand still. Paul is aware that the best defense is a good offense. Consequently, he admonishes his readers to continue in their faith. By receiving the gospel ...

2872. Led By The Shepherd

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Decisions, decisions. Life is full of decisions. In fact, a number of philosophers and psychologists tell us that the decisions we make (or our behavior) largely make us who we are. Life is nothing but decisions. How do we make them in a Christian manner? We Christians believe that by his resurrection on Easter, Christ has given us new life (1 Peter 1:3). You have been given a new life! Now that we have that new life, how does it affect the way in which we make decisions? At least two of our Bible lessons ...

2873. Do You See the Light?

Romans 1:16-20

Sermon

James Merritt

From the time you get up in the morning until you go to sleep at night you see many things. You see computer graphics, sunrises and sunsets, a blue sky with white clouds, sparkling stars, maybe even a rainbow or two. You look into the mirror to make sure you are presentable. You see a beautiful diamond ring on the finger of some lady. But did you ever stop to think that when you look at any of those things what you are really seeing is light. Light that somehow has left those objects and reached your eye. ...

2874. Only Matthew…Only Joseph

Matthew 1:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

If you only had Matthew's Gospel, what would you have? Last week we looked at the opening of Luke's Gospel and his version of the Advent narratives, his "orderly account." He begins with Zechariah and Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist who would come to prepare the way, then on to Mary and the miracle birth. But if you only had Matthew, what would you have? No Annunciation to Mary No visit to Elizabeth and the Magnificat No detail on John's miraculous birth No enrollment calling people to ...

2875. Whatever Happened to those Mansions?

John 14:1-4

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

When the Revised Standard Version of the Bible was first published in 1952, a pastor in North Carolina was so disturbed by the new translation that he gathered up all the copies he could find and had a public Bible-burning. What upset the pastor so much was that while the King James Version of John 14:2 says, “In my father’s house there are many mansions,” the RSV translates it “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” The North Carolina pastor was infuriated at the “cheapskates” who translated the RSV. He ...

Showing results

Showing 2851 to 2875 of 4933 results

2851. Faith in the Son of God

1 John 5:1-12, 1 John 4:7-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

2852. Job’s Reply to Zophar

Job 12:1--14:22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

2853. The Seven Last Words of the Church

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

Johnny Dean

2854. With All Your Heart

Joel 2:12-17, Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

2855. The Three-fold Journey

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

King Duncan

2856. Christ the King

Psalm 100:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, Matthew 25:31-46, Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

2857. Mark 7:24-37

Mark 7:24-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

2858. You Bring Me Great Pleasure

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2859. The Mystery of God’s Will and God’s Threefold Blessing

Ephesians 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

2860. Going Hard against the Grain

Matthew 5:33-37

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

2861. If Christ Had Not Come

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

2862. God Gives the Pharisees the Finger!

John 7:25-44, John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

2863. What Is Required of Us?

Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

2864. The Trial Before Felix

Acts 24:1-27

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

2865. Pressing on Toward the Goal

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

2866. Mary's Complaint

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

David E. Leininger

2867. Mary's Complaint

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

I suppose you have had the chance to watch at least a little television during these busy days before Christmas. Have you noticed that the news programs are carrying more stories about unfortunate people these days... people who have lost their homes, people who are facing debilitating disease, people who seem to have had their whole world fall in on them? Have you noticed that? I understand why: somehow the plight of desperate folks seems all the more desperate in the midst of what should be a season of ...

2868. Recovering From the Blahs

1 Kings 19:9-18

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

2869. Good Old What’s-His-Name

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

2870. Joy Giver

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

James Merritt