Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3076 to 3100 of 4943 results

3076. Putting Ourselves into the Picture

Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A doctor and his nurse responded to the anguished plea of a farmer, who was calling the doctor to attend to his wife who was desperately ill. The doctor with his ever-present black bag along with his nurse, were ushered upstairs to the bedroom where the woman was. The farmer stayed with his family in the parlor downstairs. After a few minutes, the doctor came down the stairs with a kind of troubled look on his face and asked for a screwdriver. After some time had passed, the nurse came down the stairway ...

3077. Saturday: The Week Of The Cross: Lazarus, Come Forth

John 11:1-7, 17-44

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There was a guy riding in a cab one day. He was new to the city and was looking for a good place to eat, so he leaned forward, tapped the cabby on the shoulder and said, "Hey, Buddy." The driver let out a blood curdling scream and lost control of the cab. He nearly hit a bus, jumped the curb and stopped just inches from going through a huge plate-glass window and into a crowded restaurant. For a few minutes, there was dead silence in the cab. All you could hear was two hearts beating like bass drums ...

3078. John the Baptist: Parable and Prophet

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The other day I received a very flattering and enticing letter, offering me what was called a “highly valued” membership in a very select group. Let me share with you a part of that letter. Dear Dr. Dunnam: I believe you’ve earned this privilege. You’ve worked hard and have been recognized for your efforts. Now it’s time for you to carry the card that symbolizes your achievements - the Gold Card. Only a select group of people will ever carry the Gold Card. So it instantly identifies you as someone special ...

3079. The Fellowship of Kindred Minds

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A cartoon, in a Saturday Evening Review, features a young boy sitting under a tree taking inventory of his relationships. “So far, I have 14 people who love me, 22 people who like me, six people who tolerate me, and I have only three enemies. I’d say that’s not bad for a little kid.” When it comes to relationships, how are you doing? We are made for community; we will never be satisfied to be self-reliant. We need one another. The friendships in the fellowship of the first century Church were so focused ...

3080. The Servant Leader

John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Actress Mae West produced many memorable quotes, some of them quite naughty. It was she who said, “Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before” and, “Any time you’ve got nothing to do and lots of time to do it come on up.” Her most revealing quote however is the theme of many celebrities today, “I never loved another person the way I loved myself.” That is a typical celebrity attitude. However it is not true of every celebrity. Veteran television star Tom Selleck seems to have avoided the ...

3081. On the Road with Jesus

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

David O. Bales

Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove is about a cattle drive from Texas to Montana in about 1880. The novel includes the preparations for this 1,000-mile journey and a myriad of adventures along the way. A woman is taken on the drive: Lorena. This isn’t just out of the ordinary. It’s unique. She’s brought along by a man who abandons her. She’s then kidnapped and terribly abused by outlaws. Finally, Lorena is rescued and continues with the cattle drive, but she’s deeply traumatized ...

3082. Envision: The Great Commission

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

James Merritt

I am absolutely convinced after having lived my life to this point, that there is nothing more powerful than a vision. Every great institution, every great invention, every great innovation known to the human race has been the result of somebody’s vision. This past month we have asked you to envision a church filled with followers of Christ, who give everything they have and everything they are to doing three things 24/7: Love God, Serve Others, sharing Jesus. It all begins with loving God. We have learned ...

3083. Don’t Be a Trender - Be a Trendsetter

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“Trending” as in “what’s trending?” is a social networking term used to describe what latest “hot new thing” is gaining popularity online and in our TGIF (Twitter, Google, Instagram, Facebook) culture. If you know what is “trending” then supposedly you’ve got your finger, or at least your texting finger, on the pulse of “what’s happening” in the world today. What have you heard is trending? Anyone?...This would be a great time for you to enter the congregational space and interact with your people about ...

3084. Unity in the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

The Appeal and Pattern for Unity Chapter 4 begins what often is referred to as the ethical or practical section of the epistle. If chapters 1–3 provide the theological basis for Christian unity, then chapters 4–6 contain the practical instruction for its maintenance. Unity has been established (the indicative); now it becomes the duty of the believers to strengthen and maintain unity in their fellowship (the imperative). This generalization does not mean that chapters 4–6 are devoid of theological content ...

3085. The Shepherd and His Flock

John 10:1-21

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The brief exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees in 9:39–41 is only the beginning of a discourse extending (with one interruption) through most of chapter 10. The pattern found in chapters 5 and 6, a miracle followed by a discourse interpreting it, is maintained here as well. What chapter 10 interprets, however, is not the healing of the blind man as such but the events that followed the healing, that is, the former blind man’s expulsion from the synagogue and his confession of faith in Jesus. Two ...

3086. Timothy and Epaphroditus

Philippians 2:19-30

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

Timothy’s Forthcoming Visit In 2:19–30 we have a section that has been called the “apostolic parousia” or “travelogue.” Paul announces his intention of paying his readers a visit before long (v. 24) but plans to send Timothy in advance of himself. 2:19 I hope in the Lord Jesus, in which “in the Lord Jesus” may have the same “incorporative” force as similar phrases with “in” have elsewhere in Paul (cf. 1:14, 26). Paul and Timothy, as fellow Christians, participate in the risen life of Christ. Their hopes ...

3087. Parables Discourse: Importance of Response to the Kingdom Message

Matthew 13:1-23

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Though the kingdom has a hidden quality so that some do not see or understand it, Jesus teaches his disciples the importance of receiving the kingdom message and bearing fruit. Understanding the Text The third major Matthean discourse, the Parables Discourse (chap. 13), explores through teachings and parables the varied responses that have been narrated in chapters 11–12. Matthew’s two previous discourses have introduced the kingdom—its covenantal nature (chaps. 5–7) and its mission (chap. 10). ...

3088. The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:1-3

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: Jesus Christ has revealed to his servant John a prophetic vision about God’s plans for consummating human history, a vision that will bring blessing for those who hear and obey its message. Understanding the Text The introduction to the book of Revelation, which runs through verse 20, begins with a statement of the book’s title: “the revelation from Jesus Christ” (1:1a). Next, we are told how the heavenly vision was communicated to John (1:1b) and how this resulted in John’s testimony (1:2). The ...

3089. In Remembrance

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon

King Duncan

Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant men who ever lived, at one time lived in a small frame house in Princeton, New Jersey. One day Einstein was asked for his telephone number. He looked puzzled for a minute, then asked for a phone book (I know. Those of you under 25 are wondering, “What’s a phone book?” Ask one of our older members after the service.) Anyway, I think it is interesting that Albert Einstein, a very smart man, did not even know his own phone number. Was he simply forgetful? Not ...

3090. Signs of the End of the Age

Matthew 24:1-35

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

24:1–2 In Matthew’s Gospel the first two verses of chapter 24 are closely related to the last two verses of chapter 23. Jesus had said, “Your house is left to you desolate” (23:38) and now adds that not one stone of the temple will be left on another (24:2), Mark’s intervening account of the widow’s gift (Mark 12:41–44) is omitted. As Jesus was walking away from the temple (hieron, the entire complex), his disciples called attention to the buildings. In 20–19 B.C. Herod the Great obtained permission from ...

3091. Dangerous

John 12:12-19, Zechariah 9:9-13, Zechariah 9:14-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Are you dangerous? Are you sure? Today, I want to ask you, what does it mean to be a “dangerous” follower of Jesus? What does it mean to live “dangerously” in this world as a follower of Jesus? Would Jesus want us to live dangerously, or to be dangerous? Let’s put it another way…. How many of you feel that your faith is a dangerous force that can disrupt the powers and principalities of this world? How many of you believe that Jesus is a dangerous force? That the Holy Spirit is a dangerous force that can ...

3092. Good-Bye

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Will Willimon

My wife and I have this running argument - discussion. We differ on how to say good bye, how to bid farewell after say, an evening at someone's home. I decide when it's time to go. I say, "Well, this has all been wonderful, and we wish we could stay, but it's late and we should be going." I then rise and move toward the door. She sits there. She knows it's late, that it's time to go. She also wants to go. But she feels that its rude to just get up and go, so she sits there, continuing to visit, acting as ...

3093. Hope Rises

Mark 9:30-37, 42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Have you ever been in a dilemma and had difficulty making a decision about something or someone? The best advice I’ve gotten is to take out a sheet of paper and create two columns. Make a list on the right side of your paper of all of the positive qualities or perspectives about the decision or the person in question, and then on the left side, make a list of all the negatives. The list helps you to see your options more objectively. It helps you see your relationships more truthfully. It provides you some ...

3094. Speaking of Us

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Steve Molin

He was, by all accounts, a successful man. This builder of fine homes in an upscale American suburb was known to all as a creative craftsman, a shrewd businessman, a fair-minded employer, and a generous benefactor. But he was aging now, and before he set out for Florida for the winter, he approached his top superintendent and told him that he was retiring. “I want you to build me a home, the finest home this company has ever built. Spare no expense, use the finest materials, employ the most gifted ...

3095. Doing What Matters?

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

John B. Jamison

Let’s begin with a question. If you met someone who was hurting, who had lost their job, or were maybe afraid of losing their home, or were worried about their children, if you truly wanted to show God’s care for that person, what could you do? While you think about your answer, let’s remember the story Luke tells us today. A lot has happened in a very short time. Jesus was baptized, he began gathering disciples, he performed a miracle at a wedding in Cana, he went to Jerusalem and caused a major ...

3096. Determined Discipleship

1 Timothy 6:11-21

Sermon

King Duncan

Fact is often stranger than fiction. When authorities in Baldwin, Wisconsin finally caught some local cattle rustlers recently, it turned out that the men had been carrying off calves and yearling heifers in the back of a Chevrolet Chevette. That meant loading a cow of up to 600 pounds through the rear hatch of a tiny, tiny car. You have to admire their determination. Those rustlers were willing to work hard for what they stole! While a number of people might be tempted to load stray cattle into a pickup ...

3097. Bloody Lintels — Broken Bread

Exodus 12:1-14

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Two Russian surgeons and an anesthetist took turns lying on an operating table beside a critically-ill patient, according to the then government newspaper, Izvestia, and saved the patient's life with direct transfusions of their own blood. Fresh blood was needed because the patient's own blood had ceased to coagulate. In such a case, conserved blood, would not be effective. The three women practitioners each gave what they could -- a half pint of blood. A television show depicts a traveler lost in the ...

3098. Keep on Praying

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Anyone here this morning trying to housebreak a new puppy? If you've ever tried to housebreak a new puppy, you know that the key to success is consistency. You must always take the puppy out the moment it wakes. You must never let it whine and look like it needs to go without whisking the little creature outside. And if you let the puppy get away with any indoor accidents, you can bet that it will return to the scene of the crime for a repeat version of its indiscretion. The same absolute consistency is ...

3099. Love Them Before You Leave Them

John 19:25-26

Sermon

James Merritt

A businessman wanted to send a floral arrangement to a friend who was opening a new branch office. His friend called later in the day to thank him for the considerate gesture, but he was a little bit confused about the card which read: "Rest in peace." The businessman apologized for the mix-up and quickly called to chastise the florist. The florist tried to brush it off, and said: "Look, it could be worse. Somewhere in the cemetery there is a bouquet with a note reading, ‘Good luck in your new location.'" ...

3100. From Father Failure to Divine Father

Romans 8:12-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

One of the most significant steps in our growth as human beings is the discovery that our earthly parents, contrary to our childish notions, are imperfect. A friend remembered well an incident in that process of discovery in his own life. He always thought his father was the perfect driver and that he was absolutely safe riding with him until one day he almost hit the side of a bridge. His father was a very good driver, but he was not, he was discovering, perfect. Eventually, the discovery of the ...

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