Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3076 to 3100 of 4884 results

Isaiah 52:7

Sermon

James Merritt

... translated "suitable" or "appropriate." Three thousand years ago Isaiah saw feet, he saw footmen, he saw the glittering hooves of horses, he saw the wings of birds. But today he might see the wings of a modern jet skimming over the mountains for a perfect landing, carrying missionaries around the world to present the gospel of Jesus Christ. He might see towers of powerful radio transmitters carrying the message around the world. But even though God's message is still the gospel, and God's mission is still ...

3077. Just a Closer Walk With Thee

James 4:8

Sermon

James Merritt

... is our purpose in life. Why are we on planet earth?" I said, "I can answer your question in three words—to glorify God." That's what happens when you have that quiet time—God is glorified. Secondly, faith is fortified. Isa. 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." When you make the time, and you take the time to have that quiet time, where all you do during that time is focus on God, there will be a peace like a river that will flood your ...

3078. Why?

Job 3:11-12, 16, 20, 23

Sermon

James Merritt

... for His purpose and His plan for this world. Now don't miss the importance of that statement. The fact that God allows or ordains that there be evil, means He deems it good to allow it. He only ordains what he wills should take place; His will is perfect and absolutely good and righteous. If God wills that evil should exist, and it could not possibly exist if He did not will it, then we must conclude that in His counsel and purpose and plan, He has good reasons that evil should exist. I freely admit that ...

3079. Pour the Salt and Turn on the Light

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

James Merritt

... sermon ever preached in the history of the world—the Sermon on the Mount. A Chinese Christian came to a missionary one time and said, "I have learned to quote the entire Sermon on the Mount by memory." He stood before the missionary and perfectly quoted the sermon word-for-word. The missionary said, "That is wonderful. How did you do it?" The Chinese Christian said, "I spent the last year trying to live it." Dr. James Stewart, a great British preacher, once said: The greatest threat to Christianity ...

3080. You Had Better Get It Right

Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon

James Merritt

... absolute is found in the word of God. Now we continually hear today that because times have changed, the Bible no longer fits our world. But the truth is really the opposite. The Bible always fits because, as you are going to see, the Bible is God's perfect, eternal, infallible, inerrant Word. In fact, it is the standard by which any true "fit" is measured. The problem is not that the Bible does not fit the world; the problem is the world does not fit the Bible. Not only because the world has changed, but ...

3081. Murder in the First Degree

Matthew 5: 21-26

Sermon

James Merritt

... and said, "Have you ever thought about divorce?" She said, "No, but I have thought about murder on a number of occasions." It is possible to have the seed of murder in your heart whether or not you ever actually sow that seed and let it bear fruit. A perfect illustration is the prodigal son. You remember the prodigal son comes to his father and says "I want my share of the inheritance and I want it now." Well, in Bible days, the only way that you could get a share of the inheritance was if the father died ...

3082. It's Time to Go to Work

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

James Merritt

... something I think you will like." She said, "Well, what could it be?" He said, "Well, I bought you a burial plot in Highland Memorial Park. The cemetery is beautiful, the bronze markers are placed even with the surface of the earth. They always keep it perfectly manicured, and I feel like you deserve the best burial plot money could buy." Well, the wife agreed that the present was very appropriate. One year later they're sitting at the breakfast table having a morning cup of coffee. She says, "Do you know ...

3083. Why You Should Be Afraid of Sin

Numbers 32:23

Sermon

James Merritt

... ." What we're really saying is we don't care if we wear a piece of dirty clothing as long as nobody else knows about it. The only thing that really matters is that no one else can see the dirt that is all over us. Isn't that a perfect parallel of our attitude toward sin? You know the more we think we can hide a sin the more likely we are tempted to commit that sin. What matters to a lot of people is not whether or not they can commit some sin, but whether or not they can ...

3084. He's Everything I Need

Psalm 23:1

Sermon

James Merritt

... was a gathering in London years ago of a group of people having a party. In that party was a noted actor and a very old gospel preacher. Someone suggested that the gifted actor recite the 23rd Psalm. This actor with a beautiful voice, perfect articulation and great drama recited the psalm. When he finished the crowd exploded with applause. Someone then asked that the old preacher also recite the psalm. Well, the pastor was very embarrassed to try to follow what this actor had done. But he finally yielded ...

3085. No Fear

Psalm 23:4

Sermon

James Merritt

... , carve it and whittle it down with great care until the enlarged base of that sapling where the trunk join the roots, was shaped into a smooth rounded head of hardwood. That sapling about two to three feet long would be shaped to fit the shepherd’s hand perfectly. That rod became an extension of the shepherd’s right arm. It was a symbol of his strength and his power. The purpose of the rod was to guard the sheep. That shepherd would take that rod and he would drive pieces of metal into the knob, and ...

3086. Final Destination

Psalm 23:6

Sermon

James Merritt

... good. What He did then, He is doing now. The Good Shepherd is still doing good for His sheep. Now I want you to think about something concerning goodness. Nothing good ever comes except from God. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights.” Furthermore, nothing except good ever comes from God. Ps. 52:1 says, “The goodness of God endures continually.” In one sense, God is good to everybody. The psalmist said, “The Lord is good ...

3087. Why You Should Spend Time with God

Psalm 37:4-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... a race he had run, to compete in a race he had never trained for. The account of the race July 12, 1924 by the Times of London, conveys the tremendous way God moved in that situation. Liddell had the outside berth, generally considered the worst place. There was a perfect start and from the first jump-off, the pace looked and was terrific. Two of the six men fell….but that made no difference for there was never more than one man in the race and it was the pace he set that fairly ran them off their legs ...

3088. The True Feng Shui Life

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of motion. Remember: our God first created with the Spirit blowing over the face of the primeval, chaotic waters (Genesis 1:2). If we willingly step out of our status quos to follow Jesus, we had better anticipate getting wet. Christians are not called to be perfectly coiffed. If we are really living life in the Spirit, we should have wind-blown hair and be wet behind the ears. The reason Peter lost his nerve, the reason Peter lost his buoyancy, was not because he feared the water, but because he feared the ...

3089. The True Olympians

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... breastplate of gold medals draped across his chest? Is it the first-ever gold/silver finish in women’s gymnastics? Is it the pictures of athletes who, unlike me and you with our bellies and bulges and barnacles, represent the peak of human perfectibility? Is it being part of the largest electronic crowd ever watching a sporting event, the USA vs. China basketball game? Is it the snapshots of the vastness of the city of Beijing itself? Is it close calls, gut-wrenching defeats, stunning victories, or ...

3090. Tricked Into Forgiveness

2 Samuel 14:1-33

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... to a cross in order to be able to forgive us. A second excuse is this—THAT OTHER PERSON SHOULD APOLOGIZE FIRST. Then I would be willing to forgive. The only one who has a right to demand an apology first is God, because he is the only perfect one. We are not. Therefore, it is presumptuous of us to demand an apology before forgiving. Another excuse sounds like this—I’LL WAIT UNTIL MY FEELINGS CHANGE. THEN I’LL FORGIVE. Don’t count on your heart mellowing with time. Anger that is deposited in the ...

3091. Almost Persuaded

Matthew 19:16-30

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Lord). Now back to our Scripture. In verse 21, Jesus makes both diagnosis and prescription. Since the signs of wealth were all over this young man, Jesus suspected that his soul might be in the bank with his stocks and bonds. So Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” That gives me a slight touch of the "willies" every time I read it. What if Jesus were to tell you or me in a vision too real to ...

3092. The Blessing Of A Godly Mentality

Genesis 18:16-33

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... in America. The respected sociologist George Barna estimates that committed Christians constitute less than 30 percent of the population. (2) But that should not cause us to despair. God has a marvelous history of doing great things with faithful minorities. Genesis 18 offers a perfect example. Let me set the scene for you. Abraham, the father of the Hebrew people, was living as a nomadic shepherd in the land of Canaan. This territory today is part of Israel and the West Bank. The time is about 2000 years ...

3093. From Worry To Trust

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... or when you have a tough decision to make. This is what St. Paul meant when he advised us to “pray continually.” (I Thess. 5:17) It is amazing what peace this God-consciousness can bring. The prophet Isaiah knew it. He declared, “(God) will keep in perfect peace that person whose mind is stayed on (him).” (Is. 26:3) The third key to living in day-tight compartments is to end each day with God. Before you go to sleep, say, “Thanks, Lord, for walking through this day with me. Thanks for helping me ...

3094. Why Is Life So Unfair?

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... We live in a sin-marred world. That leads to a second question: WHY DO WE FEEL THE PAIN OF THIS UNFAIRNESS SO SHARPLY? BECAUSE GOD PLANTED IN OUR HEARTS A YEARNING FOR JUSTICE AND EQUITY. There is a vision, however bright or dim, of what a perfect world would look like. Even hardened criminals, who make a living from stealing, get very angry if their partner in crime steals from them. God planted a vision in our heads and hearts of his Kingdom in which there is no unfairness and all injustices are corrected ...

3095. I Believe In God The Father Almighty

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... with his or her earthly father, then references to God as “father” might be an obstacle. But in my counseling experiences, the people who have had most trouble with their earthly fathers are the very ones who yearn most fervently to know the perfect heavenly father. I refer to God as Father for several reasons. First, Jesus did. Indeed, Jesus taught us to refer to God as “Abba” which is an exceedingly intimate term meaning “Daddy” or “Papa.” In our New Testament, Jesus used that expression ...

3096. A Purse and Two Swords

Luke 22:35-38

Sermon

... me, Ritter. You've never pondered or preached me before." But they do. Jesus turns to the disciples and says: "Remember when I sent you out without a purse….without a knapsack.…without sandals. Was there anything you lacked?" Well, even Jesus didn't remember it perfectly. He got the words right. But he didn't get the audience right. He is presently talking to the twelve. But when he first sent a group out, telling them not to worry about money, supplies (or even shoes, for that matter), he was talking ...

3097. Hearing the Voice of God

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

John R. Brokhoff

... a deep voice they answered, "Howdy, Jim, I am here." Well, Jim dropped his hat and took off, and never again was he seen at the barn. When we confront the holiness of Jesus as Peter did, we will have a sense of awe and unworthiness before the purity and perfection of Christ. Peter fell on his knees and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." Haven't we in the church lost something of this unworthiness in the presence of the holy Christ? It is not uncommon to hear no confession of sins in a ...

3098. FEAR NOT! You've Got To Be Kidding!

Luke 1:26-37

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... incredible monotony throughout the Advent story, the same greeting, the same command, repeated over and over again: "Fear Not!" And the logical, sensible, responsible, first century or twenty-first century response is: "You've got to be kidding!" 1. The command sounds perfectly absurd. Mary had every reason to be afraid. Just imagine…an angel, no less, with word of an unexpected, unplanned and probably unwanted pregnancy. I realize there is a time and place for all the debates about abortion, but just for ...

3099. Moses: A Traveling God in a Pop-Up Camper

Exodus 13:17-22, 33:7-11

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... breaks into our worship in new ways: I used to hope for such moments of presence every time I conducted worship, even knowing full well that the most I could expect was maybe once in five Sundays. But at times I could never predict, the space of the sanctuary would perfectly meet the time of our worship and we would become a congregation. At some time out of time, in this space out of space, we would become one body in the presence of each other and of the Holy One. If I knew how to package that sort of ...

3100. The Lord's Song in a Foreign Land

Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... , happy, rewarded. McKibben says: Not that any of this is so bad in itself. We do have stressful lives, and you should pay attention to your own needs. Clearly I do need help in being more positive… it's just that these authors, in presenting their perfectly sensible advice, somehow manage to ignore Jesus' radical and demanding focus on others. At the moment, the idea of Jesus has been hijacked by people with a series of causes that do not reflect his teachings. The Bible is a long book, some of it ...

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