Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3101 to 3125 of 4935 results

3101. Wedding Sermon - You Are What You Wear

SOS 8:6-7; Col 3:12-17

Sermon

Erskine White

From the announcement of their engagement to the day of their wedding, a young couple can be put through an incredible amount of stress. A cynic might say that society intends this period as a kind of torture test to see if the couple is really ready for the rigors of marriage. With the countless decisions to be made and the numerous other people whose interests and wishes must be accommodated, a young couple needs the tact of a diplomat, the patience of a saint and the endurance of a marathon runner when ...

3102. Words As Images

Sermon

Michael Rogness

... we are addressing a generation accustomed to acting primarily on visual stimuli ... In our modern age the preacher must therefore translate the biblical message into one that awakens all the senses, into words that cause a congregation also to see and feel and smell and taste. Otherwise the people listening may never hear the words in which the gospel is framed.15 -- Elizabeth Achtemeier The printed word communicates by a line of thought. Television communicates by images. Clearly we must use language ...

3103. Easter 5

John 13:31-38, Revelation 21:1-27, Revelation 19:1-10, Acts 14:8-20, Leviticus 19:1-37, Acts 14:21-28, Psalm 145:1-21

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The Fourth Sunday after Easter, in the classic lectionary, carried the title of Cantate Sunday, from the introit, which began "O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things, alleluia (Psalm 98)." In parts of the church, it became known as Church Music Sunday, an occasion for special musical presentations, choir concerts, and the general promotion of the church music. This was not all bad, except that the singing of the "new Easter song" sometimes got lost in the ...

3104. He Preached Good News

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

James Garrett

Last Sunday we examined the beginning of John’s sermon where he said the King is coming, prepare! Today we continue with that sermon. Hear the words of John, the son of Zachariah, recorded in Luke 3:7-18. John, austere preacher, calls for the multitudes to prepare the way for Christ’s coming with severe earnestness. His message is a call to repentance with actions that demonstrate an altered life. “Bear fruits that benefit repentance,” he says. “We have Abraham as our father,” is not a valid claim or an ...

3105. Good News From A Graveyard

John 20:1-9

Sermon

John M. Braaten

If wild applause was ever in order in the church, Easter is the time. It is a day for Christians to cheerfully celebrate Christ's victory over death. Clearly the dominant mood in our worship this morning is joy. It is a day for breaking out the band, clapping hands and singing, "Hallelujah!" But if you ever read the gospel accounts of the resurrection, you discover an unusual thing; the first reaction of the men and women who came to the tomb was not joy - it was bewilderment and fear! The immediately ...

3106. “Lucky” Is The Saddest Word

Jeremiah 20:7-18

Sermon

Keith Hammer

I race off to the convenience mart a few blocks from my home to pick up some milk for cereal for breakfast. I hurriedly go to the dairy case and snatch two plastic gallon jugs and turn for the checkout to pay for them. Suddenly I am confronted by “The Machine.” “The Machine” in this case isn’t a machine at all. It’s a huge display which overpowers everything else near the checkout, telling me that I can get all of the tickets for all of the state lottery games now at this store. All I have to do is hand ...

3107. Good Works Will Not Save You!

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Jesus was still in the middle of his farewell discourse to his disciples. He was trying to comfort the despair that they were feeling when they had first heard the news (during the last supper) that Jesus would be leaving them (John 13:21, 33; 14:1). He had comforted them with the good news that he was on the way to God the Father, that in associating with Jesus, the disciples had been in fellowship with the Father (John 14:6-11). Whoever believed in him, Jesus said, would be able to do the works that he ...

3108. What Is God Like?

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Robert Beringer

There is an old story about a little girl who was one day drawing a picture. She was so engrossed in her work that her mother asked, "What are you drawing?" "Oh, it's a picture of God," said the youngster. "A picture of God?" "Darling, no one knows what God looks like!" "No," said the little girl, "but they will when I get through." What is God like? How can I find God? These are questions that men and women have asked across the centuries and still ask today. In some inspired words, the prophet Isaiah ...

3109. Wounded Glory

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Erskine White

When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. (John 20:20) Have you ever wondered what Jesus really looked like? The Bible is no help whatsoever in telling us, since it doesn't say a thing about the physical appearance of Jesus. Not a single word. We don't know if He was tall or short, skinny or fat. We don't know if He had a straight nose, crooked teeth, long hair or a beard. Everyone has a portrait of Jesus somewhere in their home, but no one knows what He looked like in the flesh. Have ...

3110. Rag Doll #37

Drama

Edward Long

Production Notes Simple props are used. A flashlight may suffice for illuminating the scenes as the Rag Dolls appear. The Rag Dolls' costumes may be made by tacking small squares of cloth over blue jeans, etc. Blush or rouge may be used on cheeks to give the appearance of a simple, rag doll. Cast of Characters NARRATOR MR. McKENZIE: A shopkeeper in his late 60s. Beginning to be a little stoop-shouldered. Wears glasses. MRS. McKENZIE: Helps in the shop and makes the dolls. GERALD: Young man about sixteen. ...

3111. Step Ten - Perseverance

Lk 12:35-48 · 1 Cor 10:1-13 · Ps 15:1-5

Sermon

John A. Terry

Step ten: "Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it." The 12 steps are a long journey, and the texts for today are ones that help us continue on the long journey. This passage from Corinthians is one I think should be a history teacher's delight. It is a mode of scriptural interpretation known as "typology." It is a form of historical study. This method sees events in the history of Israel as "types" of events like other events. Here the redemptive events in Israel' ...

3112. The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Brett Blair

This morning we are going to be talking about a story that is so familiar to you that when I read to you the first line, most of you will immediately recognize it. The first line reads: And there was a father who had two sons. Immediately we recognize it as the parable of the Prodigal Son. Is there anything new that we can squeeze out of this familiar story? You remember the story as Jesus told it. There was a certain landowner who had two sons. As these boys grew up they began to show the difference in ...

3113. When The Cheering Stopped

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

Brett Blair

Some years ago a book was written by a noted American historian entitled “When The Cheering Stopped.” It was the story of President Woodrow Wilson and the events leading up to and following WWI. When that war was over Wilson was an international hero, There was a great spirit of optimism abroad, and people actually believed that the last war had been fought and the world had been made safe for democracy. On his first visit to Paris after the war Wilson was greeted by cheering mobs. He was actually more ...

3114. Weed-Pulling

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

Richard Patt

"Jesus told them another parable: 'The Kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. One night, when everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the plants grew and the heads of grain began to form, then the weeds showed up. The man's servants came to him and said, "Sir, it was good seed you sowed in your field; where did the weeds come from?" "It was some enemy who did this," he answered. "Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?" they ...

3115. A Crippling Spirit

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Brett Blair

I want to encourage you to do something. If you have never read Victor Hugo’s memorable novel the “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” pick up a copy and read it. Hugo uses an interesting literary technique in the story. The reader is allowed to see the basic decency and humanity of Quasimodo, the hunchback, while the crowd sees him only as a monstrous freak. The story, in its essence, is part tragedy, and part hope. Our text this morning, not surprisingly, comes from Luke’s Gospel. This story also, is part tragedy ...

3116. Good News for the Multitudes

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

Thomas C. Short

Now great multitudes accompanied him; and he turned and said to them, "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of yon, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid afoundation, and is not able to finish ...

3117. Easter 7

Jn 17:20-26 · Acts 7:55-60; 16:16-34 · Rev 22:12-20

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Acts 16:16-34 The experience of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail. Paul's exorcizing a demon from a slave girl leads to a riot formented by her owners because their business was threatened. Paul and Silas had their clothes torn from them, were beaten, and then thrown into solitary confinement with their feet in the stocks in the Philippian jail. While singing hymns at midnight, an earthquake occurred and the jailer, scared to death, asked how he could be saved. He and his family were ...

3118. SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Deuteronomy 30:11-20, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 5:21-26

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Theme: Choose God and live Call to Worship Pastor: God has created life in such a way, that evil cannot give the blessings which God gives to those who follow him. People: Those who follow the commandments of God are blessed with joy and happiness now and forever. Pastor: But the choice is ours whether we follow evil and perish, or choose God and live. People: We choose God. May we witness to that fact by our love, our obedience, and our discipleship. Collect Almighty God ...

3119. Communion Is Reformed

Luke 22:7-38

Sermon

Then he took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me." (TEV) In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Martin Luther was reared by very strict Catholic parents. They rightly believed that the devil was real and constantly present. They believed that God was to be feared and respected. So anytime young Martin or any ...

3120. I'm Sorry

Luke 3:3

Children's Sermon

Object: A big paddle that you can use for spanking. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever done something that you feel really bad about? (Let them answer.) Are you sorry? (Let them answer.) Would you like to say that you are so sorry that you will never do it again? (Let them answer.) Have you ever done something so bad that you knew when you did it you would be spanked by your mom or dad if they found out about it? (Let them answer.) I brought along something to show you. I am ready to ...

3121. What kind of Cup Do You Bring?

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Sermon

Various Authors

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? (v. 16a) The Christian faith at times expresses itself in strange ways. It talks about persons losing their life to find it. "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25b) It talks about persons finding strength through acknowledging their weaknesses. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) It talks about persons finding their freedom through ...

3122. Proper 24 & Pentecost 22

Matthew 22:15-22, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Ruth 1:1-22, Psalm 96:1-13, Isaiah 44:24--45:25

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Since this Sunday will fall on the first Sunday in November in 1990 - and it doesn't really matter whether it is celebrated as the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost or All Saints Sunday, or even as one of the Sundays in the annual stewardship campaign in many congregations - the eschatological framework of the church year will be obvious for those who are liturgically informed. The climax of the church year - Christ the King Sunday - is only three weeks away; on that Sunday and on into ...

3123. Let Yes Be Yes!

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

A popular folk song among Christian youth in the 60s went like this: And God said Yes! Yes! Yes! Said Yes to the world once more! Said Yes with a cosmic roar! Said, Open that Other Door! Said Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! In one word, that’s God’s message for this planet. It’s the gospel. It’s the hope we need, the doorway to the future. Each of us has asked ourselves and one another and the silent stars at night: "Must there not be a better world than this? Must our lives not have been meant to be put right, ...

3124. A Person Approved by Christ

John 1:43-51

Sermon

George Bass

Jesus, according to the information that John gives us in the beginning of his Gospel, had a strange system of recruiting his disciples. Two of John’s disciples left the Baptizer when he identified Jesus for them as "the lamb of God" and spent the rest of the day with Jesus. Andrew was one of the two, and he recruited his brother, Simon, whom Jesus immediately labeled "the Rock." The next day Jesus encountered Philip and said to him, "Follow me!" - and he did. Philip went out and found Nathanael, or ...

3125. What Are You Going to Do About Death?

Mt 10:28 · Lk 12:4

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

Emerson once wrote words that sound almost like an invitation to death: And now my chains are to be broken; I shall mount above these clouds and opaque airs in which I live ... Life will no more be a noise; this day shall be better than my birthday; for then I became an animal; now I am invited into the (experience) of the real. - The Poet Recently a college student wrote me, "I think it is probable that the death of the body implies the total cessation of being." This fear is not only a problem for ...

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