Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 276 to 300 of 747 results

276. Praying for a Whole New World

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

William G. Carter

... Do over!” They are small scenes, to be sure, and easily justified to our friends and children. Yet they are signs that can shake the heavens and prepare us for what God has in store. In personal moments like these, the Holy Spirit is God’s subversive Advocate. We can expect the Spirit to disrupt us until we are ready to receive what God has prepared for his beloved children and a cherished creation. As Walter Brueggemann goes on to say: Advent asks if we are bold and sharp enough to speak the hurt that ...

277. In, But Not Of, The World

Jeremiah 29:1-23

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... moral standards are breaking down. There is a sense in which all societies are rooted in or held together by such self-seeking. When it gets out of hand, though, Christians and their Church need to get their hands dirty in social and political movements, advocating and witnessing to an alternative lifestyle — to a life that does not care about self-fulfillment or power. That is the kind of lifestyle to which Jeremiah is calling you. Work for the good of society as a whole, not just for yourself or your ...

278. A Fresh Start

Joel 2:28-32, Joel 2:18-27

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... felt. What did Joel say to them? What does he say to us and to those without hope in our society? First Joel told the Judeans and us to lament for our situation, to repent, and to worship (Joel 1:13-14). (Joel himself was apparently a great advocate of Temple worship in Jerusalem and its cult of sacrifice.) Joel’s point, like those of most Old Testament prophets, was that what was going wrong for the Hebrews was in some sense their own fault. They had sinned, like you and I sin. “Wait,” you say. “Is ...

279. Life's Not Always Fair, But God Will Straighten It Out

Habakkuk 2:2-20, Habakkuk 1:12--2:1, Habakkuk 1:1-4

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... song is about us. It is a song every one of us has sung when life gets tough, when it is not fair. What do we do without disappointments and despair? Give up and retreat further into the private sphere, abandoning public agendas? A lot of so-called advocates of the ’60s social justice and peace have done that. As one of the elders in my family has put it: “The [old] radicals are too busy on Wall Street today to care about the poor.” The author of Habakkuk did not let despair and lethargy prevail. He ...

280. Do You Know?

Hosea 11:1-11

Sermon

John W. Wurster

... from a friend, a cheerful conversation with a stranger, a good night’s sleep. I reside in the simplest of places: a phone call from your sister, a meal with your family, a few moments of silence. I am there. Do you know me? “It is I who continues to advocate that justice and righteousness be done. It is I who insists that those cast out and left out not be forgotten. I have seen your prosperity, but I have also seen what you have not done. I will not move from my concern. I know well that it’s easy ...

281. What If What They Say Is True?

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

John W. Wurster

... . And then there’s no limit to what God can accomplish through you. God’s word to Jeremiah though is not just to tear down; it is also a call to build up. Maybe that is what God is calling you to do. To start something new, to advocate a fresh approach, to put forward a different perspective. I sensed among all those Presbyterian young people at the Youth Triennium that there is a new church being born in our midst, a church that worships with heart as well as mind, with body as well as soul, with ...

282. Blind Man's Bluff

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... and the feeling of regaining fully restored sight. So the report is true. It is not a bluff. The blind man has had his sight restored and is a new creature for Christ. No longer a persecutor of followers and an ally of the devil, he is now an advocate for the followers and an enemy of the adversary. For it is Christ Jesus who confronted him, challenged him, and converted him. It is only through the power of Christ that we can have our sight taken and restored. It is only through the power of Christ that we ...

283. Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen

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

Sermon

Brett Blair

... good enough to get into heaven, I guess I’m in worse shape than I thought.” Then Bill Hybel drew a cross right across the middle of the chart. Underneath that cross he wrote these words from I John 2:2: “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Underneath that verse he drew a line and said to the man beside him, “Just sign here if you would like to be covered by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Then ...

284. The Healing Of Simon's Mother-in-Law

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

James W. Moore

... her incredible record of service to our church and for her compassionate “can-do” spirit. Since becoming part of our church family (and years before that in other churches), Jackie has been an exemplary servant of the church. Teacher, counselor, mentor, advocate, leader of workshops and seminars… and caller of first time visitors… Jackie is all of those and much, much more. The Women’s Tea honoring her was held on a Sunday afternoon. The following Wednesday morning, she checked into the hospital ...

285. Three Small Steps in Our Journey of Faith

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

Brett Blair

... Disciples. There are many names with varying nuances of meaning but in the end they all describe the same thing. We are a people of Faith, faith in Christ to be sure, but faith nonetheless. We are not a business or institution. We do not sell or produce anything. We advocate no earthly cause. We serve no worldly authority. We come to a church building made by men. And to do what? Practice our faith. But we just as well could have met on a hillside or cave. Our leader is not here, not so that I can show him ...

286. Remembering the Good Old Days

Numbers 14:1-10a

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... memory of those ancient Israelites who wanted to return to slavery in Egypt is a problem we Presbyterians also share. Yes, we wish dear sweet Mrs. Johnson who taught Sunday School so faithfully for a half century could have kept her women's-rights-advocate daughter in the church. But we forget that Mrs. Johnson was never allowed to participate in the life of the church much beyond teaching Sunday School simply because she was a woman. A vast pool of commitment and talent was left untapped...so some ...

287. Growing in Faith

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... faith and support and nourish one another; 6. holds life-affirming values including a commitment to racial and gender equality and affirmation of cultural and religious diversity, which includes a personal sense of responsibility for the welfare of others; 7. advocates social and global change to bring about greater social justice; and 8. serves humanity consistently and passionately through acts of love and justice. These are the eight dimensions of a mature faith according to the study. Does that sound ...

288. Remember!

Deuteronomy 31:30--32:47

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... biographical sketch of a man, the Rev. Samuel Suther, a minister of the German Reformed Church in North Carolina in pre-revolutionary days. He had been born in Switzerland in 1722 and emigrated to America in 1739. Apparently, he was quite the fire-brand in advocating a break with the English king, and as such, got himself in all sorts of difficulties. He sounded like an interesting character, but I doubt that I would have given him much more than passing curiosity except for the fact that there was included ...

289. There's No Such Thing as Too Much Sugar

Psalm 91:1-16

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... his sheep. He said, "I came that they may have life, and have it ABUNDANTLY."(8) ABUNDANT LIFE. Joy! That is part and parcel of Christ's gospel. I can easily imagine Jesus saying, "There is no such thing as too much sugar." Please be aware that I am not advocating some sickening sweet, pie-in-the-sky bye-and-bye, attitude that ignores or denies what is amiss in the world and sees life through rose-colored glasses. Jesus never did that. I do not want that any more than I want folks who view the same world as ...

290. I'm On a Mission from God!

Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

... as the author and giver of life..." You see, we who are the church not only CAN say, we MUST say, "I'm on a mission from God!" As many of you know, there is one person above all others in the Presbyterian Church who is a vital and vocal advocate for mission, our former Moderator, and speaker here in Warren for our 175th anniversary, Marj Carpenter. In her most recent book,(3) Marj says, "I admit I am sinfully proud of being Presbyterian. It's a sin to be proud but we don't waste that one much. When anybody ...

291. Rejoice

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... 's novel Cry, The Beloved Country that reflects this kind of joy. An old South African pastor, Stephen Kumalo, has gone to Johannesburg to find his son Jonathan. When he finds him, Jonathan is in jail for killing a white lawyer named Arthur Jarvis, who was an advocate of black rights and had written a book about the urgency for justice in that hate-filled country. Kumalo then goes to the elder Jarvis, the lawyer's father, to apologize for his son's crime. Instead of refusing to see him or berating him for ...

292. Been There, Done That, No Thanks!

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... . No thanks." He reminded his listeners that his own credentials as a Jew were impeccable. As an infant he had been circumcised on the eighth day. He was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews. He had been a Pharisee, a zealous advocate of his faith, so zealous that he persecuted Christians. But that was then; this is now. Something had happened to Paul. He had encountered the living Christ. What was it that Paul found in his new faith that he did not find in the faith of his fathers ...

293. What On Earth Is The Trinity?

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... translation of the Greek word "parakletos." You may have heard preachers use the English form of the word: "Paraclete." (Not parakeet! There's that "honorable bird" again!) A "parakletos" was someone found in ancient courts of justice, a legal assistant, a counsel for the defense, an advocate, one who pleads the cause of another. It also was the Greek word for one who runs alongside a fainting soldier and cheers him on. We could all use a bit of cheering on, from time to time! That's what the Holy Spirit is ...

294. Walking On The Water

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... lie in bed and worry." There is a great therapeutic value at the end of the day in letting go of our problems, our frustrations, our resentments, our fears and laying them at the feet of Jesus. This is one of the great benefits of prayer. That great advocate of the Social Gospel, Walter Rauschenbush once wrote, "When I am with God my fear is gone in the great quiet of God. My troubles are as pebbles on the road. My joys are like the everlasting hills." "Fear not," this little story tells us. "Keep your eyes ...

295. You're A Good Kid!

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... will become. If people prophesy success for us then success is probably what we will attain. There was once a very lonely and sad young man named Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). When Arthur was a boy, his father died by drowning. His mother, an advocate of free love, virtually abandoned him. Schopenhauer grew to young manhood groping for an understanding of life. Once when he thought he was alone he bent over a rose and began speaking lovingly to the flower. A gardener came by and said in all earnestness ...

296. I'm Mad And I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore!

John 2:12-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... , Aristotle, once said, "Anyone can become angry that is easy, but to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way this is difficult." It is difficult. And certainly we are not advocating anyone to become a Stokely Carmichael. We are simply saying that anger can be a great motivating force in our lives. Sometimes that anger can be constructive. God has used angry people to cure some of the worst injustices and to solve some of the most ...

297. The Wondrous Possibility Of Change

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Is it possible for us to change? The answer is, "of course." We can change. Millions of people have experienced change in their lives. Consider for a moment St. Paul. Paul by his own admission persecuted the early Christian church. He was a zealous advocate of the Jewish faith. Rather we should say that he was so fanatically attached to a particular kind of orthodoxy that he could not tolerate conflicting views. It is important to make that distinction because it is possible to have the same kind of ...

298. Is There Any Wind?

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... hiding somewhere fearing for his own life. In Jesus’ hour of need Peter was nowhere to be seen. All of this changed, though, once the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers. Peter and the others were transformed from a band of cowards into courageous advocates of their faith. Once timid and afraid, Peter was now bold and outspoken. Pentecost was Peter’s great moment. He heard the remarks about the believers being "filled with wine." Peter stood before the throng and declared, "Men of Judea and all who ...

299. Whatever Became of Sin?

Romans 6:23

Sermon

Lowell D. Streiker

... lasting significance. Actions motivated by guilt are so centered in the needs of the guilty person that they often have little to do with the needs of the party on whose behalf they are undertaken. Assuaging a guilty conscience by acts of charity is not what I am advocating at the moment. When I recognize that I am guilty, that I have acted in ways that are harmful to others or to myself, it matters little whether or not I feel guilty. The recognition of guilt leads to wholeness if and only if I admit my ...

300. The King Of Ifs

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Richard Andersen

... an If." "Your If is the only peacemaker; much virtue in If," says the clown.(2) It's not such a funny argument, for it is no joke that Jesus is the King of Ifs. Placed in His hands, if becomes an adventure rather than an adversity. He becomes our Advocate rather than our adversary. King James I of England, who was no fool nor clown, had his own set of ifs. He spoke to the dons at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and said, "Were I not a king, I would be a University man. And if it were so ...

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