Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 276 to 300 of 4943 results

276. Do(n't) Rock the Boat

Mt 14:22-36, Mk 4:35-41, Lk 8:22-25, Jn 6:16-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ’s people may have “new life” according to God’s promise. In the Noah story, dry land is discovered (by a dove ..the Holy Spirit messenger no less) as emerging from the receding seas. Humankind is rescued from a sure death to forge a new covenant. Moses is take up from the river into a new life in Egypt and rescued from a sure death only to save God’s people. Jonah is rescued from a sure death in order to deliver God’s message to the Ninevites and to give Jonah too, a second chance at following ...

277. Striking Silversmiths Start Riot

Acts 19:23-41

Sermon Aid

CSS

... this trend toward Christ continues, the temple of Diana will fall into decay and the whole community will be destroyed. Diana herself will be deposed from her magnificence!" When they heard this, the silversmiths became enraged and mob psychology took over. Taking up a familiar rhythmic chant, they shouted, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" They streamed through the streets, arousing the whole populace. Many who joined the procession did not know what the fuss was about. People of the city were accustomed ...

278. Coming For The Right Reasons

John 6:25-59

Sermon

King Duncan

... made all the corrections he needed to. (5) Tom's change of life is a far cry from the man who prayed, "Oh God, let me get away with it just this once." Many people come to Jesus for the wrong reasons. They seek to flee responsibility rather than to take up a cross. Giving your life to Christ involves allowing him to make some real changes in our life. But here is the good news for the day: He Gives us power to make those changes. The people once again asked Jesus a question, "What must we do to perform the ...

279. This Is Not the Race I Entered

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... , and that's the end of it. That's what Peter thought. And that is why Peter is shocked at what comes next. He is "blown away," is the way we would put it. He never expected this. Jesus says, "OK, now that you have make that confession, prepare to take up your cross and follow me to Jerusalem." Only the way it is in this gospel is, "The Son of Man must suffer and be crucified, and after three days rise from the dead." But what that means is, "I'm heading for Jerusalem." Peter said, "Wait a minute. I thought ...

280. Nothing Great Happens Without It

Luke 14: 25-35

Sermon

James Merritt

... speaks of bearing a cross, you have to understand what a cross represented 2000 years ago. Today we would talk about the electric chair or the gas chamber, because a cross was the symbol of one thing—a symbol of death. There was only one reason that a man would take up the cross, and that is because he was going to die. Jesus not only wants you to live for Him; He wants you to die with Him. That's why He goes on to say in verse 26 that you must love Him more "than your own life." If you ...

281. Korah, Dathan and Abiram

Numbers 16:1-50

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

More Rebellions: While chapter 15 provides a brief respite from the narratives of rebellion in the wilderness, chapter 16 takes up that theme again with vigor. It also brings the Levites back into the picture. Like the story of the spies in chapters 13 and 14 (see note on 13:1–14:45), chapter 16 is a narrative with a complicated literary history. Within the book of Numbers, the narrative serves ...

282. How to Beat a Stress Test

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... 17 in our passage reads like this, “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Effectiveness in life so often is determined by the twin qualities ...

283. Take a Close Look (At the Widow)!

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

James W. Robinson

... The old man’s retirement income sufficed only for the necessities of life. Yet, he skimmed the top from his limited income and reserved it for his church. His health declined rapidly after his wife of many years passed away, and he was forced to take up residence in a nursing home. Somehow, even there, he managed to sacrificially set aside a modest weekly offering for his church. He would hand it to his minister when he called, "not reluctantly or under compulsion," but like the widow, gladly. He and she ...

284. The Whip of War

John 2:12-25

Sermon

Brett Blair

... for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” I take this to mean that God’s new people, the Church ... of God are out of the war making business. There never was and never will be a reason for the Church to go to war, to take up arms and fight. For what do we have to defend or conquer? Nothing. The people of God are no longer a political kingdom. We are a ...

285. Let's Get Serious

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... told everybody that you are the most generous church in Christendom. So don't embarrass me. And don't humiliate yourself. But, of course, I want you to know this is a free-will offering. So if the ushers will lock the doors now, we will take up the offering." What is Paul doing here? This is not the way you raise money. You raise money with your hat in your hand, asking politely, thanking profusely, and never offending. It occurred to me, Paul is not raising funds. Paul is recruiting Christians. And he is ...

286. Changed Lives: Adam and Eve

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... boy had been bitten on the hands and fingers many times, and since the venom of a baby rattlesnake is every bit as poisonous as that of an adult, the young boy died soon after. “How many little, ‘innocent,’ sins,” asks Nelson Chamberlain, “do we take up in our hands because we mistakenly think that they will serve a purpose and can do us no harm?” There is something in the human heart that is not quite right. Left unattended, that which is not quite right within us, can destroy us. Even worse ...

287. Where Is Your Pebble?

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... years ago. The crisis of the church today is not one of resources. Most churches have more resources than Peter and Paul ever dreamed about in their lifetime. The crisis of the church today is one of commitment. Jesus said, “If anyone would be my disciple, he must take up his cross and follow me.” That is another way of saying that we must find that unique ministry that Christ has called us to offer to the world. It will not be preaching for most of us; it won’t even be teaching or singing in the ...

288. Submission to Rulers and Masters

1 Peter 2:13-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... we ought” (Barclay [DSB], p. 207). 2:17 Show proper respect to everyone (pantes timēsate). The Greek imperative is in the aorist tense, yet it is followed by three present imperatives, love … fear … honor. The meaning seems to be: Take up once for all (aorist imperative) as a permanent stance the attitude of respect for all. In practice this works out as continuously (present imperatives) loving the brotherhood of believers, fearing God, and honoring the king. Christians may increasingly appreciate ...

289. Good News/Bad News

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... response to Simon Peter was as harsh as any words in the New Testament: “Get behind me Satan!” Jesus said. “You are not on the side of God but of man.” “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange ...

290. Let It Go!

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Elaine M. Ward

... be killed -- and rise again. Peter rebuked him, but Jesus to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." He called the crowd and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross and follow me." Recently, I ran away like a child escaping the "no's" of life. Caught between a 93-year-old mother who wants to die and can't and a 42-year-old son who wants to live and can't, for two weeks I escaped ...

291. Are You Pentecostal?

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Brett Blair

... dead and exalted to the right hand of God. He then repeated the accusation one more time in verse 36: “Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When he had finished giving his sermon, which takes up the last half of chapter two, the people ask of him: “What shall we do?” His response: Repent. John Wesley preached more sermons on the text: “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand,” than any other text. It is the basic requirement for ...

292. Transfiguration

Psalm 2:1-12, Matthew 17:1-13, 2 Peter 1:12-21, Exodus 24:1-18

Sermon Aid

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

... eyes and bow my head: this is a split in history. Almost the whole plan is seen in shadowed light." Indeed, Matthew's careful crafting of this narrative connotes the span of God's saving work: The story has a rich Moses typology; it takes up the heritage of Israel's scripture; it recalls Jesus' baptism; and it anticipates the cross, the Resurrection, and the Parousia. The opening words, "Six days later," recalls the theophany at Sinai in Exodus 24 —especially in relation to the ascent of a mountain where ...

293. O Holy Night

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... . Jesus Christ is God. If the FBI had the fingerprints of the Lord Jesus, you would have the fingerprints of God because He was God. But that raises a great question. Why did Jesus leave the glory of Heaven for the grief of earth? Why would He take up the cloak of humanity along with His deity? All He had known for all eternity was glory, honor, praise, adoration. Why would He leave that to come to a planet where He would be ridiculed, rejected, and crucified as a common criminal? Well, the only reason He ...

294. Dress For Faithfulness

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the wiles of the devil. [12] For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. [14] Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness ...

295. Sleeping in on Sunday

Ephesians 6:10

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

... . We may, for a while, give our hearts to those things that do not satisfy our hearts. In order to follow the narrow path of faith, we may have to abandon old friendships for a while. In order to take a gamble on the gospel, we may have to take up a shield and extinguish the flames of old habits and disastrous behavior. We will have to fit our feet with readiness and become like Abraham, who went out, not knowing where he was going. We will have to take our stand against the devil's schemes and become like ...

296. The Road To Emmaus

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Brett Blair

... vent to my tears; and the floods of mine eyes gushed out…So was I weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when, lo! I heard from a neighboring house a voice, as of boy or girl, I know not, chanting and oft repeating, "Take up and read; Take up and read." Instantly, my countenance altered, I began to think most intently whether children were wont in any kind of play to sing such words; nor could I remember ever to have heard the like. So checking the torrent of my tears, I arose; interpreting it ...

297. Don't Apologize For Success (but Give Thanks)

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... to share. There are no happy misers. AND, OF COURSE, WE ARE TO RETURN A SHARE OF OUR BLESSINGS FOR USE IN GOD’S WORK IN THE WORLD. A new convert to the Christian faith was put to work ushering and taking up the offering, and was very enthusiastic in his duties. One day, while taking up the offering, he stopped in front of the town’s old miser, who was known never to put anything in the plate. This man paid no attention to him, but the young fellow remained standing, with the plate under the miser ...

298. The Time of Waiting Is Over

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... Christ. You are the Son of God. You are the one we have been waiting for. You are the ruler of this world." Now they are ready for the third call. It comes immediately after Peter's confession. Jesus says, "If you would come after me, you must deny yourself, take up a cross, and follow me. Anyone who would save his life will lose it, but anyone who will lose his or her life for the gospel, will find it." Peter, who sank when he stepped out of the boat, now stumbles when he takes his first step as a full ...

299. Proper 8

Genesis 22:1-19, 2 Kings 4:8-37, Romans 6:1-14, Romans 6:15-23, Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... and preservation. By its very nature, life must be given away. Each person chooses how he will spend it. He can lose his life by wasting it on secondary causes, or he can invest his life in the cause of Christ. The one who invests his life takes up his cross and follows Jesus in service. 4. High reward (vv. 40-42). There are many rewards - reward of a prophet, or a righteous man, of a spokesperson and ambassador of Christ. "He who receives you receives me." To accept a follower of Christ is to accept ...

300. Super-Size Your Faith

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... was but a commentary on a victory that had already been won. It may have taken years, or even lifetimes, for that Goliath to come tumbling down. That was not the victory. The victory was won when David had the faith to step out and take up the mission. Christians are not promised triumph on the battlefield. Christians are promised the triumph of faith. Followers of Jesus find victory in trusting and obeying God. We are “great faith” people. I want to end with as politically incorrect an image as Mary ...

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