Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2876 to 2900 of 4943 results

2876. All Is Restored?

Job 42:1-17

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... that Christ exercises is far superior to the Levitical priesthood. In this lesson, the first point of superiority is longevity. "Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever" (Hebrews 7:23-24). This means that he is eternally available as our intercessor. "Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to ...

2877. God Begins Anew

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... gospel lesson for Reformation Sunday (John 8:31-36) as follows, "Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.' " Jesus says, "the ... is not more divine than he is in this humanity."2 It is the truth of this cross that sets us free. As Jesus says, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31b-32). We ...

2878. Living to Please God

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... door selling books. Robert further noticed that the boy was headed for his house. Robert turned to his wife and said, “Just watch me teach this kid a lesson about selling. After all these years of writing books about communication, lecturing all over the country,” Robert continued, “I might as well share some of my wisdom with him. I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but I’ll get rid of him before he knows what’s happened. I’ve used this technique for years, and it works every time. Then I’ll ...

2879. Building In Bondage

Hebrews 2:15

Illustration

... , Sarah sought out a medium to contact her dead husband. The medium told her, "As long as you keep building your home, you will never face death." Sarah believed the spiritist, so she bought an unfinished 17-room mansion and started to expand it. The project continued until she died at the age of 85. It cost 5 million dollars at a time when workmen earned 50 cents a day. The mansion had 150 rooms, 13 bathrooms, 2,000 doors, 47 fireplaces, and 10,000 windows. And Mrs. Winchester left enough materials so ...

2880. Negotiate the Corners

Illustration

Dr. M. Scott Peck

... . I had been unwilling to suffer the pain of giving up my ecstatic speed in the interest of maintaining my balance around the corner. I learned, however, that the loss of balance is ultimately more painful than the giving up required to maintain balance. It is a lesson I have continually had to relearn. As must everyone, for as we negotiate the curves and corners of our lives, we must ...

2881. A Constant Reminder

Illustration

Thomas Lindberg

... she exclaimed, "He's alive! My husband is still alive!" So it was when Jesus ascended. He was gone, but the disciples clung to his promise to send them the Holy Spirit. What joy, then, when the dove-like Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost. The disciples had with them the continual reminder that Jesus was alive and victorious at the right of the Father. This ...

2882. Matthew 23:1-12

Matthew 23:1-39

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Pharisees, increasingly separating themselves from those who were deemed less pure, could not be less helpful in finding a way to make these burdens more bearable. In fact, Jesus declares that they refuse to do so much as “lift a finger” to help. Jesus continues his critique, noting next that what condemns them is not only what the Pharisees don’t do, refusing to help those who would be faithful, but the actions that they do take. By intentionally doing “all their deeds to be seen by others,” the ...

2883. The Easy Road

Illustration

Staff

... has probably been responsible for more shortcuts, not to mention valuable inventions, than we are ready to admit. Most of us are continually on the lookout, at least subconsciously, for easier ways to perform onerous or routine tasks. An example of imagination spurred on by ... silence, the wife said: "Jed, I think it's raining. Get up and to outside and see." The old mountaineer continued to gaze into the fire for a second, sighed, then said, "Aw, Ma, why don't we just call in the dog and see if he's wet."

2884. Marriage's Daily Adjustments

Illustration

Michael Grant

... to adjust to each other, adjustments will never stop because each of you will continue to grow and change. Both of you will always be different. You think of anniversaries as a time for roses and dinner; she prefers Mexican food and a movie. For Halloween she thinks apples are a good treat; you say, since when did Halloween have anything to do with nutrition? ...

2885. Who Are You Following?

Illustration

... The executive hadn't eaten for hours and hinted that he would like a cracker. But Black acted as though he hadn't heard him and went on with the business meeting. After a while, Black placed a cracker and cheese on the tips of his fingers and continued to talk. Several moments later, Black placed the cracker on the executive's plate and then blocked the rest as before. It was clear that Black was in charge, manipulating others as he pleased. When you play "follow the leader," check to see who is at the head ...

2886. Reduced In Value

Illustration

Staff

... little indulgence in dishonest or lustful thoughts; and so when the time comes for our character to be appraised, we are greatly reduced in value. Our purity, our strength is gone. We are just part and parcel of the general, shopworn stock of the world." Yes, continual slight deviations from the path of right may greatly reduce our usefulness to God and to our fellowman. In fact, these little secret sins can weaken our character so that when we face a moral crisis, we cannot stand the test. As a result, we ...

2887. A Life Without Clouds

Psalm 30:5

Illustration

Staff

... the tall mountains to the east. Each noon it shines brightly overhead, and every evening it brings a picturesque sunset. Although storms are often seen rising high in the mountains, and heavy fog banks stretch their gray curtains far over the sea, Old Sol continues to shed his warming rays upon this "favored" and protected strip of territory. One might imagine this area to be an earthly paradise, but is far from that! It is a sterile and desolate wilderness! There are no streams of water, and nothing grows ...

2888. Be Prudent or Productive?

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... therapy?” Since birth we’ve been taught and told that consuming more feels good and is good. “When the going gets tough, the tough . . .go shopping.” As our economy struggles and our individual bank accounts get more anemic, we are continually told that only if we spend more, will things get better. Ours is a culture based upon one mantra: “consume, consume, consume.” Jesus demands something different from his disciples. Jesus demands “fruitfulness.” Our faith is not defined by what we are ...

2889. Can You Hear Me Being Good?

Humor Illustration

... distraction in church, surprised the congregation one Sunday when most of the service had passed and he had barely moved, much less made any noise. He softly said, "Daddy," just as the pastor got near the end. A little later he repeated it a little louder, "Daddy," but the father continued to ignore him. The audible but not disturbing "Daddy" kept up as the sermon continued. When his patience was exhausted, the boy shouted, at the top of his voice, "Daddy, Daddy I'm being good."

2890. Louder In the Back

Humor Illustration

... pastor who was delivering his sermon when a gentlemen in the back pew turned his head to one side, put his hand to his ear, and said, "Louder." The preacher raised his voice somewhat and continued with his sermon, which was not too interesting. After a few minutes the man said again, "Louder!" The preacher strained even more and continued on, but by now the sermon had become quite boring. The man said again, "Louder!" At this point a man on the front row couldn't stand it any longer and yelled back to the ...

2891. A Greek Testament

Humor Illustration

... the Greek version of the New Testament, and Wilde began accurately translating the story of the Passion. His examiners told him that he had passed and could stop, but Wilde went on reading. They again interrupted, but Wilde continued translating. Finally, they got him to cease and asked why he was so insistent on continuing. "Oh, do let me go on," Wilde said. "I want to see how it ends." (from Frankly, My Dear . . . edited by Katherine and Richard Greene, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1996, p. 100).

2892. The Cubits of the Ark

Humor Illustration

... pages of the pulpit Bible together. On the next Sunday the preacher got up to read his text. "Noah took himself a wife," he began, "and she was..." He turned the page to continue, "...300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high." He paused, scratched his head, turned the page back and read it silently, turned the page and continued reading. Then he looked up at the congregation and said, "I've been reading this old Bible for nigh on to fifty years, but there are some things that are hard to believe ...

2893. The Little Heckler

Humor Illustration

... all your jokes before - and they weren't even very funny." That bothered me a bit, but there were still people in line, so I continued shaking hands and greeting the ladies. Then I noticed that this young boy was in line for a third time. He got up to me, ... . I figured he was too little to hit, and I was too big to cry - so I shrugged it off as an occupational hazard and continued greeting the ladies. Wouldn't you know it, a little while later I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, this bratty little kid ...

2894. John 1:6-8, 19-28

John 1:1-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... it, and confessed” turns this negative statement into a positive witness. John’s “confession” that he is not the Messiah, the “Christ” (“christos”) points forward to a confession of the true Christ. The inquisitors are not satisfied with John’s answer and continue to pelt him with questions in an attempt to pin down his identity and authority. In Malachi 4:5 God promises to send Elijah back to earth “before the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.” In Deuteronomy 18:15-18 there ...

2895. Bear the Light

John 1:19-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2896. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... and who it is that offers the invitation to “follow me.” It is possible to assume that the subject of all this activity is still Andrew (from v.40). If that is the case, Andrew makes the decision to take the jaunt to Galilee where he continues to offer invitations to others to join him in his discovery of the “Messiah” in Jesus (from v.41). Such a translation is less popular, yet it does suggest the reason behind the text’s next assertion, the detail that Philip was from Bethsaida, the same ...

2897. Mark 1:40-45

Mark 1:40-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... and community, and the assumption by others that the lesions and sores on the skin were evidence of some divine punishment for personal sins. In the first century, the label of “leprosy” was far more than a medical diagnosis. It was a continual state of spiritual crisis. For that reason it is hardly surprising that this particular miracle is presented more like an exorcism than a typical healing, and Jesus’ own actions seem more confrontational than comforting. This scene between Jesus and the leper ...

2898. How Can I Keep From Singing?

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... authoritative words, his depth of knowledge, his good news of the kingdom. The volume of the crowds continues to increase throughout Jesus’ ministry. The greatest theologian America has produced pastor, scholar, shepherd of the First ... inaccessible places I could find. "I kept the little mirror, and as I went about my growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child's game but a metaphor for what ...

2899. Let Your Diamond-Light Shine

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... some of you”] celebrated Valentine’s Day with a little bit of “bling!?” The holiday that elevates the warmth of our love and the softness of our hearts also pushes us to do so with something cold and hard — a diamond. Diamonds, we are continually reminded, are forever. That’s why they are worthy of a significant financial investment. Diamonds are expensive because they are rare, elusive, and found only in tiny bits and pieces. Yet if you could travel 50 light years away from Earth, to star BPM ...

2900. The Simplex Faith of 3:16

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... any doubt was raised about the world’s final judgment. With the coming of the Son a new situation arises, a new choice is possible: “Those who believe in him are not condemned.” Those who choose not to believe “are already condemned,” as they continue as full participants in a broken, sinful world. Long before the official day of judgment the fate of those who refuse to believe is already sealed. The final image John leaves with his listeners in today’s text challenges them to stop looking at ...

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