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Showing 2951 to 2975 of 4914 results

2951. Trinity

John 3:22-36, Matthew 28:16-20, 2 Corinthians 13:11-14, 2 Corinthians 13:1-10, Exodus 34:1-28, Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Genesis 1:1-2:4a God the Father created the universe. In this first of two creation accounts, God, the first person of the Trinity, causes the entire universe to come into existence with humankind, made in God's image, as the crown of creation. How did he do it? By the power of his Word. How did he feel about his work? It was good. Old Testament: Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9 God gives his people another chance. Epistle: 2 Corinthians 13:(5-10) 11-14 Paul concludes his ethical exhortations ...

2952. Road Rage

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

When our children were small, a nice church lady named Chris made them a child-friendly creche. All the actors in this stable drama are soft and squishy and durable - perfect to touch and rearrange - or toss across the living room in a fit of toddler frenzy. The Joseph character has always been my favorite because he looks a little wild - red yarn spiking out from his head, giving him an odd look of energy. In fact, I have renamed this character John the Baptist and in my mind substituted one of the ...

2953. True Reformation

John 8:31-36

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

The key idea in this passage in the Fourth Gospel is truth. Jesus says, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." Truth has taken a beating in the past century. We have come to a supposedly post-modern era in which a lot of people think that there isn't any real truth that's true for you just as much as it's true for me. We're told that there are no grand narratives about reality that are true for everybody - just "whatever ...

2954. The Lost and Found Son

Luke 15:11-24

Sermon

James W. Moore

We have a young man in our church family who is in the military. He is now on his second tour of duty in Iraq. Every now and then I drive down the street where his mom and dad live here in Houston… and I’m always touched to see that they have yellow ribbons on all of the trees in the front yard. The “yellow ribbon” is a dramatic part of our culture now. It means: - “We love you!” - “We miss you!” - “You are wanted and treasured and welcome here!” - “Please hurry home!” … The yellow ribbon is a powerful and ...

2955. A Mother's Love

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

James W. Moore

Dr. Tony Campolo is a well-known and highly-respected, inspirational speaker. Over the last several years, Tony Campolo has spent much of his time traveling around the world on speaking tours. Meanwhile, his wife, Peggy, has chosen to stay home and give herself and all that she has to the "Bringing Up" of their two children, Bart and Lisa. On those rare occasions when Peggy does travel with Tony, she finds herself engaged in conversations with some of the most accomplished, impressive, influential, ...

2956. Glory Guaranteed

Jude 1:24-25

Sermon

James Merritt

Before Woodrow Wilson became President of the United States, he was President of Princeton University. One day he had to endure an hour-long interrogation by an anxious mother who wanted to be sure that Princeton was the best place to send her son. He patiently tried to answer every one of her questions, and assuage every one of her doubts, but finally, his patience came to an end. He held up his hand and looked at her and said, "Madam, we guarantee satisfaction, or you will get your son back."1 There is ...

2957. On the Mountainside

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

Words...words...words. Recently I read that last year, 100 new words were added to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary-words like bikini wax, brain freeze, chick flick, hazmat and Wi-Fi. Whether the world will be a better place because of it is yet to be seen, but we are overwhelmed with words. Words...words...words. The constant stream of rapid-fire raging rhetoric on talk radio; the unending stream of words on e-mail, i-Pod and spam; printed words, shouted words, confusing and contradictory words. To those ...

2958. A Clock or a Compass?

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

David T. Ball

Do you all have your compasses with you? What? You don’t have compasses? Well, I guess neither do I. How about your watch? Okay! A much better response that time. I have my watch, too — but don’t get your hopes up that I’m planning to keep a closer eye on how long my sermons are taking! I really just wanted to make a point about how much we rely on our watches in comparison to our compasses. And I doubt that very many of us have a compass that we can carry around — we may have one on our car. We know our ...

2959. Speaking the S-word

1 Samuel 16:14-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

This week's texts give you the opportunity to address aloud the S-word - Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, Evil. The church's reluctance to even admit the existence of genuine evil has usually played right into the hands of this demonic side of existence, leaving people frightened and confused when confronted by these forces in themselves and others. "Equipping the saints" for good and evil encounters, the stuff of daily life, is the focus of this week's material. "Saint Anthony wrestled with him, Luther taunted ...

2960. Wounding Love

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

What do you think of clergy who lived through the bubonic plague and never addressed it pastorally with their people? We are precisely in that situation today with ministry in "the AIDS era" - the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic, perhaps the worst disaster to have befallen humanity since the Great Plague of 1347 to 1350, where close to one-third of the population perished. Mother Teresa, who established an AIDS hospice in New York City and an AIDS home in San Francisco, believes that "God is ...

2961. Out of the Box Gifts

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Three days before the first big winter storm hit, the phone rang. It was “Odie,” the local plumber, volunteering to come over and do some work. He offered to drain out the hot water tanks and outside pipes ahead of the blast of arctic air headed our way. “Odie” wasn’t trying to drum up any business for himself. In fact, if all our pipes burst he would make a lot of money repairing the damages. He was simply thinking of others and offering the gift of his unique talents to help out a family with a man with ...

2962. Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The significance of Paul's conversion experience along the Damascus road is evident by the fact that it is described in three separate places in Acts (9:1-22;22:3-16;26:4-18). Both the remarkable, miraculous nature of this event and the personal transformation of Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle that results from this encounter make it a tale worth telling and retelling. This first and most succinct version of the event that changed Saul into Paul reveals more than the identity of the voice and ...

2963. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Just who Paul is arguing against in the beginning of Philippians 3 has been rich fodder for many scholarly debates. There is no indisputable evidence identifying these opponents. Still, some logical and probable extrapolations can be made. Paul's derogatory reference to these opponents in verse 2 as "dogs" strongly suggests they are Gentiles, not Jews. These Gentiles have apparently adopted the rite of circumcision, possibly as a semi-magical initiation ritual. Obviously this group understands neither ...

2964. Proper 18

Proverbs 22:1-16, Mark 7:24-37, James 2:1-13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 It is obvious that this pericope was chosen because of its close relation in content with Lesson 2 which cries out against the unjust treatment of the poor. The most precious value of life is a good name which should be desired more than wealth. Yet, the rich are not to be condemned, for they, too, have been created by God. The person who shares what he has with those who have little is promised God's blessing. Epistle: James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 The ...

2965. Who's Number One?

Exodus 20:1-3

Sermon

James Merritt

9/11 - All of us know that date. Because of that date, another cabinet level department was created to serve the President of the United States - Department of Homeland Security. Note the keyword in that department which is home. The greatest way to protect the homeland is to protect the homes in that land. That is why I am beginning a series of messages I am entitling "Homeland Security." We are going to be dealing with the Ten Commandments, because the greatest way to protect our homes is to teach our ...

2966. Does Jesus Have a Health Plan?

James 2:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Back-to-school time is lay-down-the law time. As all the kids go back to school, Moms and Dads are busy laying down the ground rules to help make it a successful year. Little ones get instructions on crossing the street, holding hands, and eating their lunch. Middle-school kids get cautionary tales about bullying behavior, harder homework, and budgeting their time. High school students get lectures on safe driving, curfews, and the looming threat/promise of college — which means “buck down and buckle-down ...

2967. A Clear and Present Danger

Nehemiah 5:1-19

Sermon

James Merritt

There are always two sources of conflict any leader or any organization faces - external and internal. Believe it or not, by far and away the most dangerous type of conflict is internal. We have already seen how the enemy tries to attack from the outside and one of his primary weapons is criticism, but when he attacks from the inside, he uses an even more powerful weapon – selfishness. In the first four chapters of Nehemiah we saw how the enemy tried several things to stop the rebuilding of the wall. First ...

2968. Bethlehem: Where Extremes Meet

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

Every year at this particular season, I am amazed all over again at the impact that the old, old story of Christmas has on people. In light of how "fad-conscious" we tend to be in this country, it is a wonder to me that we have not grown weary of this ancient story and the figures of the babe and the manger and the shepherds and all the rest. After 2,000 years of exhaustive repetition, why do you suppose the events of Bethlehem still lay hold of our depths and continue to intrigue us? Is this simply the ...

2969. History Hangs in the Balance

Luke 23:1-49

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

One would be hard pressed to find a historical event with so many ramifications equal to these words from Saint Luke's Gospel. In fact, for the devout Christian there is no other! It is a moment when the universe seems to come to a standstill and the angels watch in troubled awe. You and I observe from afar, indeed, a great distance. Unless we figuratively or literally read the passage on our knees, we are not apt to catch this sublime, serious moment. Yes, and our appreciation may very well remain at ...

2970. God Is Rock Solid

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

The phone rang in the pastor's office. On the other end of the line, a still, small voice was asking for help. The unidentified woman didn't say much. She simply said that her world had been turned upside down and she didn't know where else to turn. Many of us can identify with that woman. We have lived it at times. One day your husband comes home and announces he wants a divorce. You get a phone call that your son has been in a car accident. Your daughter tells you she is moving in with her boyfriend and ...

2971. Amazing Authority

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Maybe you've heard the story about the High School teacher who injured his back and had to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body. It was form fitted, fit under his shirt and wasn't noticeable at all. The first day of school he still had the cast on. He looked at his class roster and realized he'd been assigned to the toughest students in school. He walked into the classroom, which was already rowdy and noisy. All the students were talking and laughing and either acted like he wasn't there ...

2972. Assurance: The Privilage of All Believers

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

One of my favorite writers is Loren Eiseley. He is an anthropologist and naturalist who can blend scientific knowledge and imaginative vision, and record his findings with the perception of a painter, the words of a poet, and the heart of a prophet. I share one of his stories in his own words, because the way he puts words together is powerful and inspiring. “The sound that awoke me was the outraged cries of the nestling’s parents, who flew helplessly in circles about the clearing. (A raven had raided ...

2973. A Gallery of Mirrors

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Somewhere I read of an art show that featured a unique introduction. The entry area of the gallery featured what appeared at first to be four paintings. Actually the paintings were on mirrors and as you looked at each of them, it was your mirrored image that became dominant. It was an imaginative statement about the nature of art. It was an invitation to enter the paintings —— not to remain aloof to an indifferent viewer, but to identify. I want us to look at our scripture lesson today as a gallery of ...

2974. He Leadeth Me

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There was a story being circulated back in the days when President Carter was in the White House. He was meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel about the negotiation of a peace in the Middle East. Since both were religious men and worshiped the same God they thought it would be a good idea to consult God on the matters that were before them. Carter offered to use his private phone to do it, pay the charges. So they placed the call, talked to God for five minutes. When the call was completed Carter asked ...

2975. Colossians 1:1-14

Colossians 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

There is disagreement among scholars over the authorship of Colossians. Was it was written by Paul or composed by Timothy for Paul. Maybe it was authored by some other close companion of Paul’s who wrote in the apostle’s name and style? The current debate over authorship was not a concern for first century Christians, nor for the subsequent generations of Christ followers. Whether the author was Paul or one of his companions, the letter to the Colossians was presented under the authority of “Paul, an ...

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