Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2951 to 2975 of 4937 results

2951. Proper 13

Ephesians 4:1-16, 2 Samuel 12:1-31, John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Receiving the true bread of life, Jesus Christ. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a This text continues the story of David's sin with Bathsheba and spells out the consequences. After Bathsheba's period of mourning, David brings her into his household and marries her. He might have thought that he had gotten away with his crime when Nathan the prophet tells him the story of the rich man who took the poor man's little ewe lamb to slaughter for a feast. David unknowingly pronounces ...

2952. Prayer: Our Crosses into Victories

Mark 8:31--9:1

Bulletin Aid

At first the words Our Lord speaks to us seem like very hard words: we must pick up our cross for His sake, and follow after Him. If we are at all normal human beings, our first objection would be this: no one wants a cross; none of us wants to suffer; none of us wants to carry burdens; none of us wants to struggle. And yet the strange truth of our lives is this: all of us in this life have a cross. At times in our lives these crosses may vary: for some it may mean living with a drunken spouse; for others ...

2953. The Secret Ingredient Of Success

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

You would think that people would want to put their very best foot forward when submitting a resume. You would think they would at least check for typo's. Yet, according to the firm Accountemps, here are some real-life excerpts from real people's resumes: "Dear sir: I am a rabid typist." Well, I hope she doesn't bite anyone. "I'm a quick leaner." Probably his last job was with the highway department. "I seek challenges that test my mind and body because the two are usually inseparable." That was probably ...

2954. A Perfect World

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Sometime back, John Gratton in the Drexel, Missouri STAR gave us a description of what it would be like to live in a perfect world. Here are a few of his thoughts. In a Perfect World. . . a person should feel as good at 50 as he did at 17, and he would actually be as smart at 50 as he thought he was at 17. In a Perfect World. . . you could give away a baby bed without getting pregnant. In a Perfect World. . . pro baseball players would complain about teachers being paid contracts worth millions of dollars ...

2955. What's Your Hospitality Quotient?

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

A certain county agent had to go to a farm in his jurisdiction to talk with the farmer about a matter of county business. Walking up the dirt road leading to the farm, he encountered signs that read things like: “Trespassers will be shot,” “Beware of Dog,” “Keep Out . . . This Means You!” Finally arriving at the door, he was greeted by a smiling, congenial farmer. When the county agent was ready to leave, the farmer said to him, “Come and see me again sometime. I don’t get many visitors up this way.” Well ...

2956. God Knows Exactly How You Feel

John 19:28

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most powerful pieces of prose that I have read in a long time is a little playlet entitled: "The Long Silence." Listen to it: "At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God's throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them, but some groups near the front talked heatedly not with cringing shame, but with belligerence. ‘Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?' snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed ...

2957. You Had Better Get It Right

Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon

James Merritt

Even little children understand that there are some things you had better get right and understand to be true, or you can get yourself into big trouble. For example: I came across a little document entitled "Great truths about life that little children have learned." Here are some of them: No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats. When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair. If your sister hits you don't hit her back; they always catch the second person. Never ask your three- ...

2958. Heaven: One Way And One Way Only

John 14:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

There are so many songs about heaven; so many thoughts about heaven. One song just asked the question, "How far is heaven?" The answer is that heaven can be as close as your heart or it can be an eternity away. Contrary to one world view that says that the only heaven there is, is the happiness that we experience here on earth, Jesus Christ definitely believed in a place called heaven. In the very passage that we are looking at today, He told his disciples - "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; ...

2959. For Troubled Hearts

John 14:1-4

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a silly story about a couple who were on their honeymoon. They are staying at the Watergate Hotel, made famous by White House shenanigans during the Nixon Administration. Remembering what happened in that dark time, the new bride was concerned and asked, “What if the place is still bugged?” The groom said, “Hmm . . . Good point. I’ll look for a bug.” He looked behind the drapes, behind the pictures, under the rug. “AHA!” he shouted! Sure enough, under the rug was a small disc shaped plate, with ...

2960. One-Way Street

John 14:5-14

Sermon

James Merritt

It is one of the most photographed streets in America. It is one of the most famous streets in America. Amazingly, it is only one block long, yet tourists will come from all over the world and rent a car just to drive on this street. You may not recognize the name of the street, but you will most probably recognize the picture of it. [Show photo of Lombard Street in San Francisco] This is Lombard Street in San Francisco. The hill is so steep that it would be too dangerous for most vehicles to travel in ...

2961. When Mickey Mouse Recognizes You...

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you of a certain age may remember when Journalist Howard K. Smith was the co-anchor of the ABC Evening News along with Barbara Walters. Anyone remember her? In his post as a network news analyst Smith had the opportunity to interview some of our society’s most fascinating people as well as various Presidents. Yet in spite of having a job that most of us would consider high status, he complained that his children never considered him very “hip,” as [they/we] said in those days. In fact, they seemed ...

2962. Can The Church Count On Me?

1 Chronicles 29:3

Sermon

James Merritt

An article came out not too many years ago entitled, "What The World Needs Now" and it reported the results of a Gallup Poll which reported the seven basic needs the average American said he or she had. Here they are: The need for shelter and food The need to believe life is meaningful and has a purpose The need for a sense of community and deeper relationships The need to be appreciated and respected The need to be listened to and to be heard The need to feel one is growing in their faith The need for ...

2963. Holiness of Heart and Life

Romans 2:21-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

At Stanford University there is a psychologist named Festinger who has a theory which he calls “cognitive dissonance.’ If you teach at a university like Stanford, you are supposed to use big words like that. As strange and new as it may sound, it’s very simple. It means that there is a big gap between my ideals and my actions, what I believe and what I do, my goals and my deeds. There is a difference between the image I have of myself and the image I try to project for other people and that discrepancy is ...

2964. Who is That Crouching at Your Door?

Genesis 4:1-26

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“If thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.” — Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil Envy is perhaps the deepest root of all evils. Envy is the desire to have what someone else has, to be like someone else, to be given what someone else has received, to obtain what one perceives one deserves. Envy is the opposite of satisfaction in and surrender to God. And it’s at the core of human nature. It’s stimulated by the eye, and desires of the gaze. The gaze here is not the feminist concept of ...

2965. Proper 4

Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

In the first part of 1994 heavy rains in California sent mud slides down the hills near Los Angeles. Houses were ruined by the slides. Heavy rains falling on areas that were denuded by earlier forest fires caused the slides. The persons who were affected by the mud slides looked to the government to help them rebuild their houses. Should these people rebuild in the same locations? If they do, should those who have suffered by the mud slides get government help to rebuild in the same locations? Are they ...

2966. Two R-Rated Stories

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

John M. Braaten

We are going to look at two R-rated stories from the life of Christ this morning. I use the term "R-rated" in the sense that when some people observed the behavior of Jesus in these events, they were so morally incensed that in each case they felt he should be censured. The opening scene of the first story begins with a woman who had been dragged out of her house by a couple of her pastors; they had not even given her time to comb her hair or properly dress. She had been caught red-handed, found committing ...

2967. The Most Exciting Moment of Your Life

1 Cor 5:1-13, Rev 21:1-27, Rev 6:1-17, Heb 12:14-29, Rev 22:7-21, Phil 1:12-30

Sermon

James Merritt

The great Bible teacher, John MacArthur, told the story of how recently his sister died of cancer, and went to be with the Lord. One of the last times John saw his sister was at the hospital. She was suffering terribly. They talked very candidly about the future. She looked up at him and said, "John, I am going to die very soon and be with the Lord." Dr. MacArthur looked at his sister and made this statement. He said, "Sis, just remember, the worst thing that can happen to a Christian is the best thing ...

2968. What Do I Do When My Prayers Go Unanswered?

Deuteronomy 3:1-11, 23-26

Sermon

James Merritt

I have been a follower of Christ ever since I was nine years old. For over four decades, I have followed Jesus Christ and I have spent most of those years studying the Word of God and learning more about the God of the Word. I have literally been on mountaintops and I have been in valleys. There have been times in my life that God was so real it was as if I could literally reach out and touch His face. There have been other times I've felt like God was so far away that I could not see Him with the Hubble ...

2969. The Shared Life of the People of God

Galatians 6:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Here again chapter divisions do not adequately communicate content and continuity. Verses 24—26 of Chapter 5 could easily be a part of this chapter because Paul is talking about how the Spirit governs our lives in our social relationships. As indicated in our commentary on Gal. 5:13—15, Paul calls us to be servants. This requires more than service when, where and to whom we choose; it is a style of life. We willfully become servants. The constraining force of Christ love replaces the binding force of law ...

2970. Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:1-5, John 17:6-19, John 17:20-26

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

If chapters 15–17 are viewed as an expansion in reverse order of the three pronouncements found in 13:31–35, then chapter 17 is built on Jesus’ solemn reference to glorification in 13:31–32. Glorification is at any rate the theme of verses 1–5. In verse 1, Jesus prays, Father, … Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. In verse 5, he prays again, And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. Superficially, it appears that these two petitions ...

2971. The Priority of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: Unless Christ’s loving character becomes evident in the use and application of any and all of the Spirit’s gifts, their practice becomes worthless for God’s kingdom and mere demonstration of Christian immaturity. Understanding the Text Although God grants his gifts as an act of grace and not on the basis of merit, there is a dynamic relationship between the effectiveness of the gift and the life of the Christian.1Paul treats this connection between spiritual gifts and the quality of the believer’ ...

2972. The Woman, the Son, and the Dragon

Revelation 12:1--13:1a

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: God protects Jesus Christ and the messianic community against satanic attack. Understanding the Text As well as being the start of a new major section, Revelation 12 stands as the theological heart of the book because it shows why the church faces spiritual hostility in this world and how God provides the victory. Revelation 12:1–14:20 forms a grand interlude detailing the cosmic conflict between God and the forces of evil, as well as God’s vindication of his people and judgment of the ...

2973. The Curriculum of God’s Kingdom

Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We can do startling new things because God has drawn near enough to enable them." Matthew 4:17b It was an awful time in London. In December of 1952 a toxic mix of dense fog and thick black smoke killed four thousand in four days. Coffins ran out, as did funeral flowers. It was one of the deadliest environmental disasters in English history. Here is what happened: “As smoke pouring out of London's chimneys mixed with fog, the air turned colder. In response, ...

2974. Getting The Face We Deserve

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

It has been advised that we always approach God quietly because God speaks in a whisper. While we are busy getting more of what we have enough of, while we are so noisy as a society, we don't hear the voice of God because we've been too loud. We must learn to receive God's whispering voice. The season of silence is the season of Lent which begins this week, but we're not into that season yet. We're in a season of bright light, the end of Epiphany. In the Old Testament Moses goes up on the mountaintop, ...

2975. Divorce-Proofing Your Marriage

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion to help him." So he took some soil from the ground and formed all the animals and all the birds. Then he brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and that is how they all got their names. So the man named all the birds and all the animals; but not one of them was a suitable companion to help him. Then the Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one ...

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