Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2876 to 2900 of 4943 results

2876. By Heart

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8, Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

I remember reading a few years ago that the fear that ranks number one in the minds of the majority far above the fear of death and the fear of cancer or snakes is the fear of public speaking. We all want to be a star. But we're all afraid of the spotlight. I have a thesis why this is so. Who doesn't know the meaning of public humiliation? And when was our first public humiliation? Everyone of us has a painful childhood memory of the first time we had to recite something by heart in front of an audience. ...

2877. A Sign or a Son?

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If you've ever driven across this great country of ours, you've undoubtedly heard of a place called Wall Drug Store. Not Wal-Mart Drug Store. Wall Drug Store. Though located in Wall, South Dakota (pop. 800), this little business starts advertising its distant presence while you're at least a dozen states away. Especially on interstate 90 somewhere around Idaho to the West and Iowa to the East, strange little signs start popping up every couple hundred miles. "Only 2314 miles to Wall Drug." Or "Just 829 ...

2878. Atlas or Jesus?

1 John 1:1-4

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Ever have one of those days? The mortgage payment is due. The car is making an ominous, expensive-sounding noise. The kids are suddenly having trouble in school, with friends, and with faith. Deadlines from work are stacking up and toppling over. Your spouse needs some extra care and attention. Then you know what it is to feel as though the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Anyone remember where that saying "the weight of the world" comes from? Recall some long-ago learned mythology and remember ...

2879. Wrestling for a Blessing

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

James McCormick

The all night wrestling match with God reveals much of the meaning of Jacob’s life. The verses I just read report the events of only a few hours, but in those hours we see the meaning of his whole life. Jacob’s entire life had been a struggle. From the very beginning, he struggled with his twin brother, Esau. Jacob was his mother’s favorite. But he knew that Esau, his brother, was his father Isaac’s favorite. It was a classic sibling rivalry which resulted in tragic consequences. You remember the story: ...

2880. The Church on Main Street

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

James McCormick

During my years of ministry, church buildings have been located in a variety of places. There was Monterey Road, Clinton Boulevard, Culver Avenue, Gibbs Street, Duarte Road, Hardy Street. And in 1982, for the first time I became pastor of a church on Main Street. I’ve always thought that is where the church should be – not off on some side street somewhere - but on Main Street. Of course, you know, when I talk about Main Street, I am not talking primarily about geography. I am talking about ideas and ...

2881. Proper 8

Matthew 10:1-42, Romans 6:15-23, Psalm 13:1-6, Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS The Old Testament texts for this Sunday are about divine testing. Genesis 22:1-14 is the story of how God tested Abraham in commanding the sacrifice of Isaac, while Psalm 13 is a lament that provides liturgical language for how we approach God during times of testing. Genesis 22:1-14 - "To Fear God Is to See God" Setting. The story of Genesis 22 is sinister. God's command for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in the opening verse is outrageous, and, even though the narrative progresses to a ...

2882. How to Live a Sizzle-When-It-Drizzles Life

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

When the sun went down, life slowed down. That’s how it used to be. When illumination after dark meant a smoky oil lamp or a dangerously dripping tallow candle, there were limitations on activities. Forget all those Hollywood movies. The rich might have had enough candle-power (and servants) to light up a ball room or a banquet hall. But for common, everyday people, the light of one or two lamps and the glow from a small cooking fire was all that brightened the night. Even the faintest light was far more ...

2883. Living as Orphans

John 14:15-31

Sermon

King Duncan

A church official in Canada tells a disturbing but true story about a hunting party that ventured into the woods in the northern part of that country. As the other members set up camp, two members of the party wandered off. It was a clear, warm, day in autumn. Northern Canada at its best. The men were captivated by the beauty of it all, but, after a while, they found themselves absolutely lost. When the two men did not return to the camp, an emergency protocol went into effect. By the next day, a large ...

2884. America in the Mirror

2 Kings 17:5-23

Sermon

James Merritt

Oftentimes the question is asked, "Is America in the Bible?" Well, the answer to that question is both no and yes. No, I do not find America directly in the Bible; I know of no Bible prophecy that can be directly traced to United States. But on the other hand, I do believe we see in the Bible a parallel to America. I see a nation, which in many ways, pictures the past, the path, and the problems of America. Israel was born supernaturally, and almost instantaneously. Like America, Israel was at one time the ...

2885. Away In a Manger

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

I want to share with you three stories, that take place in three different nations, that illustrate a central truth about Christmas. The headline read "Japan Goes Wild for Ho-Ho Holiday." A nation, made up almost entirely of Shinto and Buddhist believers, has taken to celebrating "Kurisumasu" with the heartiest of Ho-Ho-Hos. The season is marked by extravagant gift-giving, with shoppers lined up for blocks outside of expensive department stores. Red-garbed choirs give enthusiastic if uncertain voice to " ...

2886. Our God Is an Awesome God

Psalm 139:1-18

Sermon

James Merritt

Robert Wells wrote a book entitled: Is A Blue Whale The Biggest Thing There Is? It is a children's book to help little ones see just how big the universe really is. The largest animal on earth is the blue whale. Just the flippers on its tail are bigger than most animals on earth. But a blue whale isn't anywhere near as big as a mountain. If you could put one hundred blue whales inside of a huge jar, you could put millions of those whale jars inside a Hallowed-Out Mount Everest. But Mount Everest isn't ...

2887. Pour the Salt and Turn on the Light

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

James Merritt

I am beginning a brand new series of messages today on the Sermon on the Mount that I have entitled, "The Only Way to Live." The reason I have given it that title is because that is exactly what Jesus tells us in the greatest sermon ever preached in the history of the world—the Sermon on the Mount. A Chinese Christian came to a missionary one time and said, "I have learned to quote the entire Sermon on the Mount by memory." He stood before the missionary and perfectly quoted the sermon word-for-word. The ...

2888. Overcoming Fear

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Many years ago when I was a young preacher, I noticed one day that a new family had moved into a neighborhood not far from my church. So I dropped by late one afternoon. I noticed that one car was parked in the carport. I went to the side door, the one opening onto the carport. I had rung the door bell only once when I heard a deep, bass growl that sounded like the rolling of thunder. It was coming from the back of the carport and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. I glanced to my ...

2889. The Secret Of Our Confidence

2 Timothy 1:11-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Hear we are on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and I wonder if you feel very thankful. Some would reply, “Brother Bill, some of us are more thankful than others. It depends on one’s circumstances.” You know, it’s easy to celebrate Thanksgiving when your family is healthy, your income is ample, your stocks are ascending, your favorite team is headed to a bowl game, your sinuses have overcome the Memphis grunge, and your aches and pains are minimal. But that kind of thanksgiving can be awfully superficial. ...

2890. Why Is Life So Unfair?

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Sunday a week ago, the newspaper headline was just sickening. We saw the picture of State Trooper Calvin Jenks, age 24, whose body had been found beside his cruiser in rural Tipton County. Two suspected drug dealers have been arrested and charged with his murder. Calvin moved to the Memphis area last July to be near his fiancé, a student at the UT Medical School. They married in September and absolutely adored each other. After just three months of married life, Calvin was gunned down by criminals. (1) ...

2891. Gutsy Joy

Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

However many your fears and failures; however many times you must pick yourself up from the hurts and pains of life and go on; however difficult it is to get through each day - the joy of the Lord can be yours. A cartoonist successfully divided the entire human race into two types with one telling illustration. The cartoon pictured two women at a well. Each has a bucket with which to draw water. One woman, looking sad and bitter, remarks, "Life is terrible. Every time I fill this bucket up, it is empty ...

2892. Healing in His Wings

Acts 14:8-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Jesus spent his entire ministry doing three things: preaching, teaching and healing. This sermon explores the three steps to a healing ministry and healing church. The reign of modernism in our culture has been shored up by a very powerful myth we long to believe: that we can be in control through technological manipulation and mastery. The quest to control nature has led to an explosion in scientific knowledge - allowing us to splice genes, wipe out pathogens and multiply our food supply. Likewise our ...

2893. Soul-Scrubbing

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

God hates nothing more than spiritual pride and arrogance. God loves nothing better than humility in the people of God. The fireworks are over. But the smell of sulfur still lingers in the air, and every now and again, the sound of one lonely, leftover firecracker snaps the sound barrier. Many of us no doubt stuffed ourselves at a big Fourth of July picnic and got sunburned watching a Fourth of July parade. On the fifth of July, the whole country is somewhat bleary-eyed from staying up late to watch the ...

2894. Freedom in Bondedness

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There is a paradox at the heart of the Christian faith that we are most free when we are tied to Christ and surrendered to the Spirit. Americans love to celebrate Independence Day, to flaunt their freedom before the whole world. Thomas Jefferson's bold assertion that each individual has an "inalienable right" to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" still sounds sweet to our freedom-loving ears. Despite the imperfections and foibles of our political system, we still enjoy tremendous economic freedom ...

2895. Life's Two Pockets

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Every one of us needs to be reminded constantly of our smallness and our greatness. Some days everything goes right. Some days everything goes wrong. Some days it's "Good morning, God." Other days it's "Good God, it's morning." Every now and again, you wake up to sunshine and blue sky, your favorite shirt is clean, commuter traffic flows along like a river, the boss loves all your ideas at work, you finish early, you discover a $20 bill folded up in the corner of your pocket, dinner is a culinary ...

2896. Matthew 16:21-28

Matthew 16:21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

One mark of the Synoptic Gospels is how they carefully divide Jesus' ministry into two definite stages. Matthew and Luke follow Mark's lead by having Jesus remain in the region of Galilee, preaching, teaching and healing for the first half of their gospels. Only after Jesus makes his explicit passion prediction does his one and only journey toward Jerusalem begin. Our gospel text today offers Matthew's version of that crucial "hinge" moment when Jesus reveals to his disciples the shocking nature of the ...

2897. 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

As the Israelites struggled to establish themselves and their faith in the midst of the Promised Land, it was difficult for them to keep a clear distinction between developing Yahwistic monotheism and the animistic polytheism of the Canaanite's Ba'alism. The Hebrews' assertion that there was only one true God meant that Yahweh was a mobile God. Yahweh could come and get the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt, travel with them through the wilderness, and guide them into a new land. Ba'al worship was based on belief ...

2898. Advent 1

Psalm 25:1-22, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Luke 21:25-36, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 25:1-10 First Lesson—The prophet promises justice and righteousness in the days to come that will bring salvation and safety to God’s people. Jeremiah 33:14-16 Second Lesson—The apostle Paul hopes specifically for the return of Christ with his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Gospel—Jesus is not only a teacher, but on occasion an apocalyptic prophet, making dire predictions. Luke 21:25-36 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with ...

2899. The End of Time

Luke 21:5-19

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

No reading of Luke is complete without coming to realize that Luke is concerned that the world understands that Jesus is the hope of the world and that any teaching that leads away from that fact is a false teaching. No matter what, no matter when, Jesus will be there to give us life. In our own time, there have been those who have predicted that the end was near because of some tragedy that has shaken our world. Each time some doomsday people took from that awful event that God was getting ready to shut ...

2900. My Earlier Life

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

John Jamison

You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. Trust me on this one, everybody had heard about Paul's earlier life in Judaism. It was one of the most common topics of conversation whenever members of the new church got together. And the opinions about that earlier life were mixed, especially when it came to how it compared with the Paul that was converted. Those opinions were so mixed that it threatened to split apart and destroy the church itself. So when people read Paul's opening line — You ...

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