Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2976 to 3000 of 4972 results

2976. A Mother's Love -- A Godly Passion

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... death about not only Jerusalem, but about all of us. Like a mother, Jesus sees far more clearly than do we, the children, the danger we are in. Like a mother, Jesus knows we tend to over-estimate our powers and are prone to go off on our own, leaving the protective wings, to seek our own excitement and adventure. And like a mother, Jesus chases after us. Do you see the image? Like a mother, Jesus' love is so great that his all-consuming passion is to sweep us up into his protective arms. And although there ...

2977. The Peace That Invades

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... Those disciples sat in stunned silence. What Jesus had just said to them shook them to the timbers of their faith.And so, they probably never heard his words of promise; they were probably too confused to comprehend the gift he gave them when he said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you... Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." And I will dare to say that we can identify with those disciples. How many of us, upon receiving shocking news, hear well-meaning neighbors ...

2978. A Promise Is Given

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... it all in the first place. But this time ... this time they heard the promise given, and it filled then with hope and joy and excitement. Maybe we can understand this in our own human way as well. Ever have someone go away for a time, but they leave something with you to remember them? It is like the object which is left -- a picture, a shirt that carries the scent of the person's favorite perfume or cologne, a favorite object of that person -- it's like that object makes the person present, there, even ...

2979. When Did Jesus Pray?

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

John G. Lynn

... and jealousies and their discomfort with success. "Thy kingdom come." Thy kingdom -- that's wherever you act on our behalf, wherever your light burns out our darkness, wherever your hope destroys our despair, wherever your faith enables us to believe in a future and leave behind our fear and terror of success. "Give us each day our daily bread." Whatever we need to nourish our faith, hope, love, and our talents to serve you. Father in heaven, give us that. "And forgive us our sins." Because you have first ...

2980. Ashamed To Beg

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

John G. Lynn

... told him they were glad he was fired. "At least you are your old self," they said. "And you'll find something. Just go for it." He did, and now he's doing better than he ever could have in the position he once felt he could never leave. The steward in today's gospel lesson is like both Sandra and Steve. Sandra was not herself in that relationship. Steve was not himself in that job. Both were wasting away, losing that which was most precious to them both: their proper identities. Both felt they could not ...

2981. Milestones And Mustard Seeds

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

John G. Lynn

... mustard seed is not like that. If you chew on a mustard seed, you don't have a decrease of feeling, you have an increase. If you put enough mustard seed into a soup, you won't taste anything else! "Have faith like a mustard seed," said Jesus. "Leave behind your fondness for the dull tastes of betrayal and denial. Rather, let the hot, stinging taste of faith be on your tongue, and let that be what directs you in your life -- fidelity not betrayal, loyalty not denial -- and you will begin to see the symcimine ...

2982. Breakthrough!

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

... sort things out. The forest had beckoned, inviting her into its secret hidden spaces filled with noises that were gentle to the soul. Birds, insects, small scurrying creatures, each added their soothing sounds to the forest's melody. The satisfying crunch of leaves beneath her boots offered counter-cadence as she wandered deeper and deeper into places the forest only offered those who came to mend crisis-burdened psyches and shattered hearts. The trees had seemed to step aside as she walked, creating a path ...

2983. A Double Recipe

John 6:25-59

Illustration

CSS

... night meal as a congregation. Finally, several parishioners, including the teenage author of the play, enacted the scene of the last supper, creatively, reverently and thoughtfully. It concluded by the departure of the disciples and Jesus to the Mount of Olives. As Jesus turned to leave he asked who had provided the bread for their meal. Two young women stepped forward and said they had. Jesus smiled and said, "Your bread filled us and has strengthened our spirits. Remember how much I enjoyed it."

2984. Mirror, Mirror ON The Wall . . .!

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... fall broke man. It broke him utterly. And one of the first ways Adam and Eve found themselves broken was in their self-image. No longer were they accepting toward their bodies. They became alarmed at their appearance. And so they clothed themselves with fig leaves. Gone was their self-assurance. Missing was their self-worth. \n This break is still within us today. And one's inability to love himself affects nearly every area of his life. It affects one's relationship with God. If you hate yourself, it is ...

2985. No Freudian Slip!

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... which we all want to avoid. It exposes something of which we may not even be aware. It exposes something which we may be too embarrassed to admit: our lack of faith in God. The lectionary editors who chose this passage from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount decided to leave out verse 24. I think that was a big mistake. Verse 24 sets the context for Jesus' comments on worry. In verse 24 Jesus makes a claim about what is really going on in our hearts and minds when we worry about what we will eat or what we ...

2986. Miracle Three: Healing A Leper

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... heal him. However, he was not certain that Christ would do so. After all, he had been cast out of society. When Jesus said to the leper, "I am willing," he spoke words of encouragement to us. We need to remember God's promise to us that he will never leave us nor forsake us. How reassuring are the words in Psalm 50:15 where God assures us: "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you." Faith plays an important part in our relationship to God. The Value Of Reverence · The leper fell on his face ...

2987. Miracle Four: Healing A Paralytic

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... a year of failed crops. The same means is used when they wish to appeal against the actions of a tyrannical governor. It is said that crowds will gather outside the Shah's palace and there set up a continual howling. They refuse to be silent, or to leave when threatened by guards, until they have had the opportunity to air their grievances. They are known even to surround the Shah's car when he is out driving. Often it works, for the Shah will grant their request, not from his love of justice, but because ...

2988. Miracles Seven and Eight: Healing An Issue Of Blood & Healing The Rulers Daughter

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... needed. This is a lesson for all of us. We need to accept the spirit of the hymn which describes us in the phrase, "that saves a wretch like me." What We Miss Through Indifference To Christ · Those who scoffed at Christ were asked to leave and could not be present when the miracle was performed. They could see the result, and they did not witness the remarkable act. We, too, lose great advantages by indifference to or rejection of Christ. A few: 1. the companionship of the Divine 2. the conviction ...

2989. Miracle Nine: Healing A Deaf-Mute

Mark 7:31-37, Mark 7:24-30

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... one generation is passed on to the next. In other circumstances, the massage relies on the use of hands as a therapeutic action. In response to the plea for help, Jesus went aside with the man who had been stone-deaf. As has been pointed out previously, leaving the crowd behind would separate Christ from those who came out of idle curiosity just to see a miracle performed. It has also been suggested that Christ stepped out of the sight and hearing of the crowd because his time for public acclaim had not yet ...

2990. The Waiting Place

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

William L. Self

... . Welcome to God's waiting place. It is the necessary place of preparation. Christmas is God's response to the cry of our hearts. It is Jesus Christ, God's future, taking hold of our hearts -- hearts that have confessed that they are falling leaves before the winter wind, hearts that are now ready to become molded like clay. This could not have happened without the waiting place. The waiting place changes our eyes. Before the waiting place, Israel saw Babylon as their problem. But during the waiting place ...

2991. Getting In Tune Again

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

William L. Self

... , thought that if he could get out of Israel, he would be free of God. So he was going to go as far west as he could in order to get away from him. He got to the shore of the Mediterranean, bought passage on a ship thinking, "I'll leave God in Israel," but God followed him even into the belly of a specially-created sea monster. So he repented, was delivered, and started to go east, not really believing God could go across the Jordan River, and God followed him even to the pagan city of Nineveh and did ...

2992. Famous Last Words

Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon

William L. Self

... . Somehow their whole lives are measured by their words at the end of their lives. From their words we can measure our understanding of the world. This fourth Sunday of Epiphany brings us to some famous last words -- those of Moses as he was preparing to leave his people. For forty years he had led Israel across the Red Sea and the burning desert. For forty years he had suffered their rebellion, immaturity, ingratitude, and complaining. Now it was time for him to say good-bye. After the long course his task ...

2993. What It Takes To Be A Winner

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

William L. Self

... ten" in gymnastics. When she returned to her home in Romania, she immediately became embroiled in political turmoil because the repressive government would not give any kind of concessions to her as she tried to build a life around gymnastic exhibitionism. She had to leave the country and her life was very difficult. Finally, she was able to put her life together in this country. Olga Korbut, also a gymnast, fell off the bar in Olympic competition. This was a dark moment for her, and everyone said that this ...

2994. No Shortcut To Glory

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

William L. Self

... . Elijah said no, but Elisha immediately slaughtered his yoke of twelve oxen and offered them up as a feast for the people to show that he was forsaking his past and literally "burning his bridges behind him." Elisha had the opportunity to leave Elijah many times, but he steadfastly remained with him. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington had an abundance of soldiers volunteer to fight during the summer months, but as winter came, with rations in short supply and blankets being scarce, they began ...

2995. Lighting A Fire In A Cold Room

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

Harold Warlick

His name was Father Dominic. He spoke English fluently and he was on a sabbatical leave from his post in France to study in America. He was old beyond his years, a man whose physical resemblance was that of an eighty-year-old instead of his rightful age of 58. At once you knew something was not quite right about him. Father Dominic's teeth ground ...

2996. Point Of Origin

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... then students took exams. After the exams, everyone took off for home or snow skiing or warmer climates. When students turned in an exam, they gave the professor a stamped, self-addressed postcard. The professor would mail the grade. The day before this student was to leave for home, he received the postcard in his dormitory mailbox. It said A. He was an A student. Well, actually he wasn't quite. You see, all the others had departed on their trips. As the dormitory proctor, he had to stay there and lock up ...

2997. A Bad Temperament Can Kill You

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... way over here?" I can dip in beautiful rivers in my own land. Why do I have to dip in this muddy little Jordan?" In today's idiom, he would say, "Man, I can stay home and watch better stuff than this on television!" In a rage, Naaman turned to leave. He decided that he would not surrender his heart. If he could not have healing on his own terms then he would not have it at all. Better to go home and rot and still have your pride than to be humiliated and get well. Now that's a real ...

2998. Forsaking All Others

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

... for mercy. When the church leaders and people mocked Jesus on the cross, they echoed Joel's words and said, "Where is your God?" God was nowhere. He'd left his Son to die. Now no one may ask that about you. God is your best friend, who will never leave. A wayward son left home at age seventeen to make it on his own and get out from under the thumb of his dad. His parents only heard from him each Christmas. In time, after all the inheritance money the boy had received from his grandpa was spent and he ...

2999. Our Jealous Husband

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

... stole 7,000 dollars in jewelry, old coins, and cash from a widow. The items taken were all she had left from her husband's estate. In sorting through his loot, the thief came across several church envelopes containing money the woman intended to give to the Lord. Leaving their contents inside, he put them in another envelope, addressed it to the woman's church, and then dropped it in the mail. Hmmm. It's okay to steal from a widow, but not from the church? How morally confused our world is! Who is the god ...

3000. Open Grave, Open Hearts

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

... , and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to him." "Yeah, well, okay, lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food? I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery ...

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