Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2976 to 3000 of 4914 results

2976. A God Who Suffers with Us

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Lee Griess

Sometimes you have to wonder. Sometimes all you can do is shake your head about the things people say and the things people think and the things they reveal to us about them. A friend of mine has multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease that gradually weakens and paralyzes the body. She tells me the things people say to her, the advice she gets, and you wouldn't believe it. Here a short sampling: "You must really like being sick; you bring so much of it on yourself." That comment came to her from a close ...

2977. The Unsilenced Voice

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

There is a book on my shelf titled Texts of Terror. Phyllis Trible, the author, has a lot of courage. In this book, she has examined the most awful texts in the Old Testament. These are the pages from the Bible we wish we could accidentally drop between our desk and the wall, lost forever. For example, there is the heart-wrenching story of Jephthah's daughter in the book of Judges. The little girl loses her life because of her father's foolish promise. There is another horrific story in Judges about a ...

2978. I’ve Got a Home in that Kingdom

2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

I've got a home in that kingdom — ain't that good news. I've got a home in that kingdom — ain't that good news. I'm gonna lay down this world, I'm gonna shoulder up my cross, I'm gonna take it home to my Jesus, ain't that good news.1 These words from an African-American spiritual remind us that there is something about us that longs for home, a longing to feel that we belong. Saint Augustine located this longing in our restless hearts: "Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are ...

2979. Is God Fair?

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

An old “Family Circus” comic strip shows the two boys Jeff and Billy squabbling over the size of the slices of pie their mom has placed before them. “They aren’t the same,” Jeff pouts. Mom tries again, evening-up the slices. Still Jeff is upset. “They still aren’t the same!” he whines. This time Mom uses a ruler and absolutely proves that both slices of pie are the exact same size. “But Mom,” Jeff complains, “I want mine to be just like Billy’s . . . only bigger!” We all tend to think we deserve a bigger ...

2980. Being Prepared

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Hurricane Bob was bearing down on the Atlantic coast. Safe in his home on that same coast, a man named J. R. thought he was well prepared. The power failed, but that didn’t faze him. As night fell, he simply fired up some oil lamps and placed his Coleman camping stove on top of the electric range in his kitchen to cook his dinner. So what if he had no electricity? He was able to enjoy a delicious meal thanks to his Coleman stove. He commended himself on his foresight. He went to bed secure in the knowledge ...

2981. Put on Some Clothes

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Baptismal rituals are very different today than they were in the early church. There is a fourth-century rubric that instructs the bishop to enter the baptistery and give this command in a loud voice: “Take off your clothes.” Whereupon our ancestors were immersed in the water of the font, with the men and women separated. Did you ever imagine that those words “Take off your clothes” were part of Christian worship? Everyone knows the Hans Christian Andersen story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” A couple of ...

2982. Blessed Are Those Who Believe

John 20:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Harold F. Bermel tells of driving through Pennsylvania Dutch Country with his daughter and seven‑year‑old grandson. They passed an Amish horse and buggy, and the grandson asked, “Why do they use horses instead of automobiles?” Bermel’s daughter explained that the Amish didn’t believe in automobiles. After a few moments, the grandson asked: “But can’t they see them?”(1) I’d say that’s a reasonable question, wouldn’t you? Once you’ve seen something with your own eyes, it’s hard not to believe in it. That’s ...

2983. Looking for Ducklings: Kissing the Sidewalk

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Sermon

Tony Everett

Poor Daryl. One moment he was enjoying a beautiful springtime walk looking for ducklings along a lakeside nature trail. The next moment he was lying face down on the sidewalk, wondering where all the blood came from. As he was struggling to his feet a park ranger rushed over with a towel and first aid kit. After cleaning blood from Daryl’s face and making sure that Daryl was not seriously injured, the ranger said, “I noticed that when you tripped you were looking out at the lake instead of at the path. ...

2984. The Apostles Persecuted

Acts 5:17-42

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Such was the impact of the Christians on the city (they were not necessarily numerous, but they were in the public eye; see note on 4:4), that the city fathers, chiefly the Sadducees, decided again on overt action against them, or at least against their leaders. The broad similarity between the arrest and trial of the apostles described here and the earlier arraignment of Peter and John has already been noted, as has the parallel between their escape and Peter’s escape in 12:6–19 (see disc. on 3:1–11). ...

2985. Not One is Upright

Jeremiah 5:1-31

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... people in their traps as a fowler traps birds. They use deceit, just as bird traps, hidden in the environment, catch birds unaware. Those caught are killed and used for the profit of the fowler. These wicked men have become very rich and powerful through their evil behavior. In particular, sins against the fatherless and the poor are listed as especially egregious. These two classes of people were powerless in the society and were dependent on those who possessed power to protect them. God’s law insisted ...

2986. The Promised Glory of the New House

Haggai 2:1-9

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

September: The remaining three sections of Haggai contain no more concrete exhortations but focus on further motivating the community to get on with the rebuilding of the temple. 1:15b–2:2 Seven weeks have passed since Haggai’s first message; halfway through this period the people began the actual work on the temple. That first message came on a day of special observance, it being the first day of the month; this second message came on a very significant day, the last day of the week of Sukkot, the eve of ...

2987. The Future Glory of Zion

Isaiah 54:1-17

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

An Invitation to Sing: Once again a return to a focus on Ms Jerusalem follows the servant passage, as happened after 49:1–6 and 50:4–11. There were hints there that Ms Jerusalem’s restoration was the correlate of Ms Babylon’s humiliation in chapter 47. Chapter 54 is the systematic exposition of that theme. The prophet takes up five images of Ms Jerusalem which once again resume the themes of the people’s prayers (we are like a childless and abandoned woman, the victim of angry abuse—literally, we are a ...

2988. The Disciples’ Insufficient Faith to Heal as Jesus Heals

Matthew 17:14-23, Matthew 17:24-27

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Jesus, now revealed as the suffering Messiah, continues his kingdom ministry of healing, while his disciples demonstrate their “little faith” by their inability to heal as he does. Understanding the Text Matthew’s emphasis in the account of the healing in 17:14–20 is on the disciples’ inability to heal (17:19–20) in spite of the authority given them by Jesus to do so (see 10:1, 8). Their inability is tied to their little faith (17:20), already attributed to the disciples at 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16: ...

2989. Challenge and Counterchallenge

Luke 20:9-19, Luke 20:1-8

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: Jesus’s dramatic arrival in Jerusalem provokes the religious leaders to question his credentials, but Jesus in turn uses a parable to challenge their legitimacy. Understanding the Text After the long journey southward (9:51–19:44) Jesus has deliberately entered Jerusalem as the Messiah, and his actions and teaching in the temple have thrown down the gauntlet to the religious authorities of Jerusalem (19:45–48). Now they take up the challenge, and the rest of chapter 20 will continue the public ...

2990. Wisdom and Foolishness

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: Christians cannot use the commonly accepted wisdom that guides the surrounding culture as the standard for their thinking and living. Understanding the Text In the ancient world, “wisdom” was not an abstract concept unrelated to daily living. To the contrary, it was a way of living based on a given understanding of life’s purpose and of what actions reasonably would accomplish such purpose. Various philosophers (lit., “lovers of wisdom”) competed to gain a following for their particular brand of ...

2991. Condemned to Wilderness Wandering

Numbers 14:1-45

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: Disobedience can bring about forfeiture of God’s blessings. Understanding the Text Numbers 14 constitutes the tragic climax of the Israelites’ grumbling and rebelliousness. They send scouts into the land (Num. 13), but the majority have concluded that the enemy is too powerful to conquer. The people are again in revolt and ready to go back to Egypt (Num. 14:1–9). This rebellion will come to be listed as pivotal in Israel’s failure to live up to its calling and achieve its goal of entering the ...

2992. “You Laugh at Them, Lord; You Scoff at All Those Nations”

Psalm 59:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Although the enemies of our personal world—sickness, slander, uncertainty, and so on—may roam as scavengers of the night, in faithful trust we will sing God’s morning song of love. Understanding the Text In terms of traditional categories, this psalm is an individual lament, for the suppliant’s character has been maligned by his enemies, to which he attests his innocence and confesses his faith in the loving God. Judging from the titles of Psalms 56–60, we see literary threads that connect these ...

2993. “You Have Given Me the Heritage of Those Who Fear Your Name”

Psalm 61:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: In prayer we are led to God our Rock, and to a higher plane of faith and trust. Understanding the Text Psalm 61 is an individual lament.1The reader is not informed about the problem, except that it is evidently, like the occasion for Psalms 42–43, related to the psalmist’s “foe” (61:3b). Not generally included in the royal psalms, it nevertheless contains the beautiful prayer on the king’s behalf in verses 6–7, or a prayer prayed by the king. A backward glance at Psalm 60 and a forward glance at ...

2994. Paul and Silas in Prison

Acts 16:16-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Lydia’s status as a wealthy and independent woman is contrasted with that of the “female slave” who is manipulated by her owner (16:16–18). In this first explicit exorcism account in Acts, one finds a surprising confession by the evil spirit through this girl (16:17). While she is a slave of the evil spirit, she recognizes that the apostles are “servants of the Most High God,” a title that points to the supreme authority of God and the risen Lord (cf. Acts 7:48). The word “way” in “way to be saved” also ...

2995. Can You Hear It?

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

Charley Reeb

There is a monastery in Europe which was built in a most difficult location. To get to it, you must climb into a basket that is connected to a long rope and be pulled up over 500 feet. It is a long way down, and the only thing that keeps you from falling is a rope. So if you are afraid of heights, it is not a very pleasant ride. Years ago, two women were making their first visit to the monastery, and while riding in the basket, they noticed the rope was frayed and torn in places. One of the women nervously ...

2996. The Temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4:1-11

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4:1 The baptism of Jesus, which culminated with the voice from heaven declaring divine approval, is followed immediately (Mark 1:12 has “at once”) by a time of temptation. The parallel account in Luke indicates that Jesus was tempted by Satan throughout a forty-day period (Luke 4:22). Matthew describes the dramatic conclusion of this period (“after [Jesus fasted] forty days and forty nights … the tempter came to him,” vv. 2–3). It is not at all uncommon for temptation to follow closely our times of ...

2997. To the Church in Philadelphia

Revelation 3:7-13

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

3:7 Located near to Sardis, Philadelphia was a relatively new city, founded during the second century B.C. by Attalus II Philadelphus. This may be in John’s mind when he writes to the Philadelphian church about the new Jerusalem (3:12). The “new” Philadelphia had been planned as a center for the hellenization program that was encouraged and financed by Attalus. The more conservative voices of the vibrant Jewish community in Philadelphia no doubt tried to thwart such a program and may have resisted ...

2998. The Offer of Life or Death

Deuteronomy 30:11-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Summary and Renewal of the Covenant: In terms of the rhetorical nature of the book, Moses’ third speech to Israel begins at 29:2 (which is 29:1 in the Hebrew text). In terms of the concentric structure of the book, we are still within what Christensen calls “the inner frame” (chs. 27–30), which is in a position corresponding to chapters 4–11 (cf. introduction, p. 4). And in terms of the message of the book, this section picks up and summarizes much of the earlier material, setting it once again within a ...

2999. Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: a skunk (if you dare) or a stuffed animal that looks like a skunk [don’t show them what’s in the cage until they come up to see] I have here a friend I’ve brought with me today. He’s here in this cage, and I’m going to take him out for a bit. Come on up some of you. Here he is. His name is Sandy. [Take the skunk out of the cage ….make sure it’s a de-fumed one J….and hold him out to those gathered] What! You are backing away. You don’t want to hold this skunk? [Walk down the aisles with him ...

3000. Apostles of Hope

John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

If you want to stay out of the rain, you need to invest in an umbrella. So the saying might go. Or in our world right now, if you want to stay clear of the “cloud,” you need to wear your mask. For what you can’t see, CAN hurt you! We can’t see it. We can’t feel it. We can’t hear it. We can’t touch it. And yet, we cower in our homes for fear of the viral invader we call COVID-19. This invisible “force” is changing the world, changing the way we do life, changing people. But not necessarily all for the worse ...

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