Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 3076 to 3100 of 4942 results

3076. The Secret Of Our Confidence

2 Timothy 1:11-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Hear we are on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and I wonder if you feel very thankful. Some would reply, “Brother Bill, some of us are more thankful than others. It depends on one’s circumstances.” You know, it’s easy to celebrate Thanksgiving when your family is healthy, your income is ample, your stocks are ascending, your favorite team is headed to a bowl game, your sinuses have overcome the Memphis grunge, and your aches and pains are minimal. But that kind of thanksgiving can be awfully superficial. ...

3077. Not Bad, Just Too Busy

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

When I was a little boy, Papa and Mama had a way of teaching me things when I didn’t even know that school was in session. One of those lessons concerned Christmas and the Hewitt boys. The Hewitt boys were like stair-steps, about a year apart in age, about 6, 7, and 8 years old. They were being reared by their overworked mother who had at least two jobs. The boys were often unsupervised and definitely undisciplined. Papa insisted that we transport the boys to church on Sunday mornings. Then on the Sunday ...

3078. Holy Habits

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

For better or for worse, we are creatures of habit. I learned this early when I was a newspaper delivery boy. A customer would tell me that he was going to be on vacation for a week and would not need a paper. Nevertheless, out of sheer habit, I would fling a paper up on his porch each day and then have to pay for that paper myself. Habits can be frustrating. Have you ever done this? You need to stop by the grocery store on the way home. But as you drive homeward your mind is on other things, and you drive ...

3079. I Believe In The Holy Spirit

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

A few years ago in the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, a float stalled. Frustrations increased quickly because other floats could not move, and this event was televised around the world. Mechanics quickly descended upon the stalled float, searching all over for the problem. Finally, someone had the presence of mind to check on the fuel level of the vehicle. It was empty, out of gas. This became even more embarrassing when the crowd realized that the float’s sponsor was one of the major oil companies. (1) Did ...

3080. When Religion Becomes a Laughing Matter

Genesis 18:1-15

Sermon

John E. Harnish

This is not how we usually think of worship (image of newspaper ad): "The splitting of the gut, the slapping of the thigh, and the peeing of the pants." But if the topic is Sarah and Abraham, it makes perfect sense. I can't do better than to share Frederick Buechner's description of the scene: The place to start is with a woman laughing. She is an old woman, and after a lifetime in the desert, her face is cracked and rutted like a six-month drought. She hunches her shoulders around her ears and starts to ...

3081. The Magna Carta of the Human Soul

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In 1215 the English barons, fed up with the wimpy, weak‑willed rule of King John, forced their way into London. They brought with them a new document for the king to sign. Wisely, the King signed and sealed it at Runnymede, a water-meadow about twenty miles southwest of London. We know this document today as the “Magna Carta,” the “Great Charter,” or literally, the “Great Paper.” This ground‑breaking document forced the King to acknowledge limitations on his ruling rights, forced him to accept the ...

3082. Romans 13:8-14

Romans 13:8-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Today’s epistle text breaks into two distinct parts: verses 8-10 and 11-14. Verses 8-10 continue the theme Paul introduced in chapter 12, here masterfully connected to the more mundane matters of the disciple’s relationship to civil authorities. Paul accomplishes this high-wire walk with one balance-beam line: “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” The fiscal accountability the apostle advocated in 13:7, “pay to all what is due them,” is transformed into an ethical mandate for everyone. “All” ...

3083. No-fault Religion

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13), 14-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

It happened in a church parking lot, and my friend saw it happen. A lady, backing out of her parking space, rammed my friend's car, causing considerable damage. My friend was able to talk to the woman before she drove away. She was distraught and he was distraught. But, after exchanging the appropriate information, they departed to leave it in the hands of the insurance people. When it got into the hands of the insurance people, the no-fault insurance clause went into effect. Yes, the woman's insurance ...

3084. Engage Mind before Putting Mouth in Gear

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Richard Gribble

When we were children our parents often quoted us the expression, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Generally this was a welcome comment that brought significant comfort, especially after the callous and thoughtless words of one of our friends or classmates hurt us. As children this expression works well and alleviates many problems, but as we mature we begin to see that this catchy phrase really does not help, for it simply does not apply. The reality is that words can ...

3085. God’s Wisdom or the World?

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once upon a time there was an old man who lived on the outskirts of town. He had lived there so long that no one knew who he was or where he had come from. Some thought that he had been a very powerful king, but that was many years ago. Others suggested that he was once famous, rich, and generous, but he had lost everything. Still others said that he was once very wise and influential. There were even some who said he was holy. The children in the town, however, thought he was an old and stupid man and ...

3086. Christ’s Twin

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to begin by stating categorically that Christ did not have a twin brother, in case you were misled by today’s sermon title. There are so many people around who are conspiracy theory buffs that you can’t be too careful. I can see the author of The Da Vinci Code weaving a complete novel out of the idea that Jesus secretly had a twin. So let me state categorically that Jesus did not have a twin. However, today’s lesson from Philippians provokes an interesting question. If Christ had a twin what would ...

3087. Baptism: The Common Call To Holiness

Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once upon a time long ago a young man decided to become a saint. He left his home, family, and possessions and journeyed into the hot sands of the desert where he eventually found a dark cave. He thought, "I can find God here. I will be alone and nothing will disturb me." He prayed day and night in the cave, but God sent him many temptations. He imagined all the good things in life and wanted them desperately, but he was determined to give up everything and be with God alone. After many months, the ...

3088. Accepting the Unconventional in Life

Mark 2:13-22

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once upon a time there was a great teacher, a guru, who had many followers. People came from far and wide to listen, learn, and be enlightened by this man. There were one-on-one classes and apprenticeships for those who came to learn. When the students had finished with their lessons, the guru sent them into the world to share their knowledge with others as masters in their own right. Just before each student left, the guru would give each a special gift -- the teacher taught each student the mantra of ...

3089. Claiming a Do-Over Faith

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

What do you think of when you hear the word "jubilee"? If you're like me, the first thing that comes to mind is sales. There's the big sales jubilee at the Chevy dealer, or the jubilee marathon sale of freezers and refrigerators at the local Sears. Those are just the things that come to my mind, but there are quite a few things that bear the jubilee label. Let me just list a few that came from recent search on the Internet. There is the annual Calaveras County Jumping Frog Jubilee in Angels Camp, ...

3090. Great Expectations

2 Kings 5:1-14

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

I suspect that if pressed, we would all be able to list at least one person we could name as a hero. Mine is Martin Luther King, Jr. His ministry, his life, and his death have had a profound influence on me. He is, in my life, a giant. I read and reread his works and have made a point of finding people who knew him so they could tell me about his work. As part of my exploration of the life of one of our greatest saints, I planned and took a pilgrimage to Atlanta, Georgia, where Reverend King is buried. I ...

3091. What Part of “You Shall Not” Don’t You Understand?

Exodus 20:1-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

Ethical relativists have moved into our lives like a horde of invading barbarians threatening to conquer the land. Increasingly, people seem to be succumbing to the enemy. Many today say, "Nothing is absolute, not God, not the Bible, not the Ten Commandments." The only absolute for many people today seems to be the statement, "There are no absolutes." Guess again. The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) are biblical correctives for a society that too easily has been overcome by the ethical relativists who ...

3092. What’s New?

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Ron Lavin

"What's new?" is a common greeting. There are many answers people give: "A new car." "A new house." "A new boat." "A new suit ... a new dress ... a new coat." Others focusing more on relationships than things answer: "A new boyfriend or girlfriend." "A new husband or wife." "A new friend." Jeremiah, the prophet, focuses not so much on things of the earth or human relations but on a personal relationship with the eternal Lord, a new covenant with God. "The days are surely coming, says the Lord, When I will ...

3093. The Author Who Wipes Away Sins

Acts 3:12-19

Sermon

Ron Lavin

The pastor was very frustrated. It was almost time for the worship service to begin and he couldn't get the microphone to work. He paced back and forth by the baptismal font and stewed and brewed. He tried everything he could think of. Finally, he said, "This blankety, blank microphone doesn't work." At that precise moment, the head usher, who had gone to the master control box for the sound system, turned the switch to "on." The pastor's words were broadcast to the people. The shocked congregation ...

3094. God’s Surprises

Acts 10:44-48

Sermon

Ron Lavin

The initiating incident in the story of Peter and Cornelius is reverse anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is prejudice against the Jews. Reverse anti-Semitism is prejudice by the Jews against Gentiles. Gentiles are non-Jews. In the first-century church one of the biggest problems was the big question of what to do with Gentiles who wanted to become Christians. Some Christians insisted that the Gentiles could only become Christians if they were circumcised and became Jews first. Others, including Peter and Paul, ...

3095. Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 25:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Today’s gospel parable is the third and final of Jesus’ lessons on keeping alert, being ready, for the return of the Son of Man. This parable of the ten maidens with its concluding warning to “watch” doesn’t quite seem to fit the details of Jesus’ illustration, but this third lesson does fit well into the flow of Matthew’s organizational pattern. The parable describes details that would be familiar to any first century Jew for whom the traditions surrounding a wedding celebration were some of the ...

3096. Stand Together or Fall Apart

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The time is long overdue for Christians to think in terms of "We" rather than "I." The biblical focus is on the community. God's answer to the human predicament was to create a new community, to start a family. Individuals gain their identity by belonging to the community, and the community finds fulfillment in the individual. Among all the miracles contained in the books of the Second Testament, perhaps the most astounding is the emergence out of a scattered, disheartened, confused, and weak collection of ...

3097. The Job Description of a Leader

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If the church is to make a difference in the world, every one of its members must begin to act and think like leaders. Leadership is not for the few and the special, the exception rather than the expected. Whether this mysterious thing called "leadership" comes naturally or is an acquired talent, every Christian must come to terms with it. A biblical style of leadership and language of leadership must become endemic in the church. In the Old Testament and Gospel lessons for this week both David and Jesus ...

3098. How to Play Fair in Foul Play

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We have all felt the sting and bite of unjust treatment and criticism. Sometimes it feels like no matter what we do, we can't win. So why try? What's the use! The people who are criticizing you aren't out there on the road, spending their time and money in trying to do the right thing. They're just sitting around, holding meetings, and backbeating one another. How can the Christian play fair amid foul play? Sitting down in a civilized manner to determine just how brutal we may act during the uncivilized ...

3099. Church Slugs

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Most of us subscribe to the theory that we like all types of people - as long as they are all our types. But the Church has been called to celebrate her diversity, not her conformity. There is no one right way to express the presence of Christ or the welling up of God's Spirit in your life. E Unus Pluribum, "out of one, many," should be the joyful affirmation of a Christbody community. Though you are reading this in the dead of winter, publication schedules demand that this writing take place during the ...

3100. A Lovehope Faith

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A nuclear explosion is the result of a high-speed collision between atomic particles. The resulting blast can erase the landscape. But these technologically orchestrated smash-ups are a pale imitation of what happens when God brings together the most powerful entities that exist and allows them to explode within our lives. This sermon arranges and argues for a collision between your people and the greatest forces in the universe: faith, hope and love. At his retirement, a college professor was asked what ...

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