Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3101 to 3125 of 4884 results

1 Peter 2:1-10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... of the ordinary" all depends on what you consider "normal." In Lord of the Rings, Sam and Frodo were amazed to discover that their traveling companions had never heard of "second breakfast," and in the world of Hogwarts, what is "odd" for muggles is perfectly normal for Harry Potter. But the dictionary also offers a more positive spin on the word "peculiar." It means: "Special, particular, distinctive, belonging to one thing and not another." And I think that is the definition Peter has in mind when he says ...

3102. The Revelation Code III: The Mark on Harry's Forehead

Revelation 13:11-14:7

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... St. Paul sends to the Christians in Rome struggling with the same issues: I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God... Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what is good and perfect and acceptable as the will of God. (Romans 12:1-2) Or my favorite translation of this verse is from J.B. Phillips: "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its mold." Don't allow the world to determine your values and priorities. Don't ...

3103. In the Upper Room

John 17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... disciples, "but for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one." St. Paul will pick up the theme when he calls the Ephesians to "the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace with one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and in all and through all ...

3104. Are You Ready for the Journey?

Mark 8:27-9:1

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... become so accustomed to the cross, so used to seeing everyone from rappers and rock singers to athletes and fashion models wearing crosses around their necks or dangling from their ears, so familiar with steeples and bumper stickers, cemeteries and skylines. We are perfectly comfortable with silver-plated crosses and finely-polished crosses and plexaglass crosses, we are hardly shocked any more. We are no longer surprised by the word of the cross, so it is hard for us to put ourselves in the place and time ...

3105. A Matter Of The Heart

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... new heart. And, of course, Brother Charles Wesley would put it to song: O for a heart to praise my God, a heart from sin set free. A heart that always feels thy blood so freely shed for me. A heart in every thought renewed and full of love divine. Perfect and right and pure and good, a copy, Lord, of thine. [2] If hardness of heart is the diagnosis and open heart surgery is the cure, then a heart strangely warmed, a new heart, is the result. And that brings us to the text for the morning, Psalm 51. It ...

3106. 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 ...

3107. The Magna Carta of the Human Soul

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 1 song: “I Believe . .that the world should revolve around ME”? Every morning I call up my e‑mail and I have hundreds of messages. Of course, I don't really. I have hundreds of “Spam.” Computer‑generated, mass‑produced, impersonal spam is the perfect example of our inauthentic world. Spammers know your address. Spammers may even know “something” about you (I tend to get a lot of stuff about pets, books, linens, and somebody really wants me to go on a Cancun vacation!). But spam is without ...

3108. Whose Side Are You On?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... ’s intention that we would think of ourselves with self-disgust worms of the dust, of no value, hopeless sinners. We are of ultimate worth. Christ gave his life for us. This is where positive self-esteem comes from. It comes from knowing that even though we are not perfect, we are loved. We are loved by the Creator God who sent His son to die for us. There is a story of a young boy from the slums of London named James, whose only refuge from the squalor of poverty was the Roman Catholic school he attended ...

3109. Training for a Purpose

Titus 2:11-14

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... . We know who and what we are. The babe in Bethlehem is elevated for all to see how beautiful it is! Now it can be said and felt that those Christians have something I don't have and I want it! The stars in the heavens sing out in perfect harmony that Jesus Christ is born, and that everlasting love, as practiced in human relations, is possible because we witness it in action. 4. A wholesome sense of service is among those few essentials of the faith. The long and short of it is we are intended to be ...

3110. Looking Out for Others

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... and yet left unsolved! We are to look out for others, especially if we are more mature in the faith. However, this can be an open door to tragedy, unless we remember to keep a close eye on our imperfect lives. But Paul makes his point about as perfectly as it can be made. We walk away from it and discover Satan is staring us in the face. Charity for one another is the way great and powerful congregations are built. It is also the way we as individuals become more than private disciples, ministering mostly ...

3111. Gift of Positive Thinking

2 Corinthians 1:18-22

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... to think in certain ways, the cornucopia intended for the Father's children is at hand. Do I hear there is a celebration in order? If there isn't, there should be. Our God's vision is total and complete. Prayers born and implemented with providential perfection in our spiritual makeup enables us to participate in the greatest of all adventures: the will of God. What more could we possibly ask? 4. Success and failure are in the eyes of the human beholder. As we go through life, we learn the dividing line ...

3112. Making Disciples

2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... of the Living God? That's a tough question, isn't it? Some who claim to be led seem all too often fumbling and stumbling with little to show in a factual sense. Efforts are made, perhaps with sacrifice, and all appears to be in near perfect order. Then something or someone moves out of kilter, at least, in our assessment and our balloon bursts with an embarrassing bang. We become encouraged, only after we discover, the moment is simply a means to where the Spirit desires to take us. Our faith is tried ...

3113. Proclaiming Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... hard work? Employers are not looking for intellectuals who have no practical judgment, so let's play it safe. Just who are we attempting to fool? The Christian is to be in a growth pattern all of his/her life. Our real mission of making Christ known can be perfected, until the day the death angel greets us. While we know this is true, there is invariably the temptation to avoid and evade by methods both subtle and not so subtle. The aim is never a better place in heaven. However, some of us who strive to be ...

3114. Birthpangs of the New Age

Romans 8:22-23

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

3115. The Paradoxical Power of Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... have been curtailing his growth by congratulating himself on his mediocrity? Paradoxically, insistence on his own power would have made him weak, whereas confession of his weakness made him stronger and stronger and stronger. The more he acknowledged his faults, the more perfect he became. The more he owned up to his smallness, the bigger he became. Strange power — weakness. How correct Soren Kierkegaard was when he remarked: "Consider how poor a man would be if he could pass his whole life without ever ...

3116. Like a Child

Hebrews 4:1—5:10

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... , too. Odd, isn't it, that our healthy physical and emotional growth toward maturity involves moving from infantile dependence to adult autonomy; but our spiritual maturation requires movement in the opposite direction? Those to whom we would point as saintly, or "perfected in faith," display as the hallmark of their lives a total trust in God's benign providence, a recognition of their own absolute dependence upon that providence, and the intimacy to "take it to the Lord in prayer." Growing up spiritually ...

3117. What Good Is That?

Acts 4:5-12

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... gave birth, but those spiritually gave birth to Christian disciples. We pray as well that you will dwell in our midst and guide those who are now engaged in this vital task of giving life and nurturing lives. Bless us as we seek to mirror your perfect loves in our imperfect lives. These things we pray in your mighty name. Amen. Prayer Of Confession God of history, we know that to reject the world is to be rejected by the world. But that which the world rejects becomes the cornerstone of your kingdom ...

3118. Litmus Test

1 John 4:7-21

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. All: Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. One: No one has ever seen God; All: if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. Collect God, we have never seen you. God, we always see you, reflected in the eyes of this congregation, when all are present, all are welcome, all are loved. Amen. Prayer Of Confession If we do not love each other, then what will the world think of the ...

3119. Easter 5, Easter 6

Psalm 98:1-9, John 15:9-17

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... in our love for each other and our love for you. Amen. Prayer Of Confession Lord we come before you, some with no love in our hearts, some with false love, misdirected love, restrictive love, no love at all. Would that we knew the things that make for perfect love. Let our love be made manifest in action, in laying down our lives for others, here and around the world, rather than in empty words and phrases. This is the day that you have made. We will rejoice and love your world, your people, and you. Amen ...

3120. Drained To The Dregs

Philippians 2:5-11

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship At the name of Jesus, let every knee bow. Come, God's people, glorify God! Collect Look at this cup, drained on the altar, a perfect sacrifice. Now the cup is empty. How shall we fill it? Our Lord will fill it, and invites us to drain it again, this time filled with the fruit of the vine. Come, God's people. Let us share this walk together. Amen. Prayer Of Confession This week, Lord, we ...

3121. Cracked Pots

2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... cracked pots for business receipts, wedding invitations, personal letters. A broken pot was not a useless pot. There's hope in that. Come, God's hopeful people. Come to worship. Collect Lord we strive as your people to witness through our flaws to display your perfection. Bear with us, and bear us all together to our reward. Amen. Prayer Of Confession God, are we truly afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down? Do we truly bear on our bodies the death of Jesus? Then if it must be so, we pray that the ...

3122. Come Away And Rest A While

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... sanctuary of service and prayer. Collect God of time, timeless Creator, we struggle with distractions, priorities, and the peace that eludes us. Calm our hearts with your Spirit, cleanse our minds with your living word, call us as Lord to join you as living sacrifices perfected in your love. In our gathering and our going, help us to balance the needs of the moment with the desire for eternity. Amen. Prayer Of Confession Lord of our hours, you have set aside a special time for us to withdraw from the world ...

3123. Embarrassed Enough To Finally Listen?

Proverbs 1:20-33

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. All: Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. One: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; All: the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; One: the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord ...

3124. Life In A Dead End

Ruth 1:1-22

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... , I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die — there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you! Amen. Hymns Joyful, Joyful O Perfect Love God Be With You

3125. Life Beyond The Dead End

Ruth 3:1-18

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... Lord, we as a church and as a nation have harbored ill will toward the stranger in our midst, the immigrant, the downtrodden, the risk takers, the handicapped, the developmentally disabled. We have resented their rightful place in our midst as those who more perfectly demonstrate your steadfast love. We recognize and praise them for in those on the margins of society we most clearly see you, Christ, Messiah, Savior. Amen. Hymns Come, Now Is The Time To Worship Great Is Thy Faithfulness In Christ There Is No ...

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