Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3101 to 3125 of 4943 results

3101. God's Call for All

Acts 9:35-43

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

A church in Pennsylvania reported the death of one of their members recently. Though this woman and her husband, who had died a few years before, had been immensely wealthy, people spoke not of their wealth, although they were very generous, but of what this woman did. They talked about the cookies she would bake for church functions, the in-home visiting she did, the leadership she provided for the youth, and the soapsuds that lathered her arms as she did dishes after every church dinner. People felt the ...

3102. When “Vocation” and “Vacation” Are One

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If you want to guarantee you will never win public office or be appointed to public service, just say these words: “America is no longer the greatest nation in the world.” It used to be the US led the world in almost any category you could think of. But in the past 50 years we’ve fallen to 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number four in labor force, number four in exports. I’ll stop there. You’ve got the ...

3103. Habakkuk’s Prayer

Habakkuk 3:1-19

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

A Plea and a Vision: Chapter 3 opens with a new heading that is even comparable to that of the book as a whole (1:1), and the chapter closes with its own concluding footnote (v. 19b). The heading designates it as a “prayer,” which takes the narrow form of a plea (v. 2) and of a declaration of trust in Yahweh (vv. 16–19). The main body of the chapter (vv. 3–15) comprises a description of Yahweh’s coming which is both an answer to the plea and the basis for the declaration of trust. While the book would not ...

3104. Saved by the Bell

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It's one of the most powerful images in the history of Christianity: Jesus on the cross, flanked on either side by two thieves. Or if you were a first-century gawker at Golgotha, here are three criminals lifted up for humiliation on three crosses. In the final hours of their lives, these three criminals formed a community of the dying. They entered into relationships with each other, shared intimacies, and conversed with each other about matters of life and death. If you listen carefully to this dialog of ...

3105. How to Preach a God-Sized Message to a Media Filled World

2 Timothy 4:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

I hope I will be forgiven, because I have slightly changed the title of the message that I was assigned. I was originally asked to preach on the topic, "How To Prepare A Media-Sized Message", but first of all, most of us do not have our messages broadcast in what is known as the media, per say. Beyond that, I really felt the topic was a little too small. The truth of the matter is - whether you are in the media or not, you can preach a God-sized message to a media filled world. Furthermore, I do not want ...

3106. Love Without Limits

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

The epitaph on the grave of Albert Camus, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, reads: "Here I understand what they call glory: the right to love without limits." In our gospel lesson we see two people who love without limits. Neither of them seem very glorious. One is a tired itinerant preacher named Jesus. The other is a woman who has no name -- only a racial designation: a Canaanite woman. "Canaanite" was to the Jews of Jesus' time what "Native American" is to the majority of North Americans. ...

3107. Proper 27

Psalm 17:1-15, Psalm 9:1-20, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, Zechariah 7:1-14, 1 Chronicles 29:10-20, Job 19:1-29, Luke 20:27-40

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The so-called "new" church year and lectionary make a significant contribution to liturgical and theological order in the last three Sundays of the year. Those churches, which employed lectionaries before the ORDO was developed, were not in agreement about the necessity for providing separate propers for these last three Sundays. The Roman Catholic Church had propers for 24 Sundays after Pentecost. In the years when there were 26, 27, or 28 Sundays after Pentecost, the propers for the ...

3108. Sunrise Surprise

Drama

Cast (in order of appearance) NARRATOR MARY MAGDALENE JOHN PETER JESUS Production Note At the beginning, and then at the close, of "Sunrise Surprise," it is suggested that the scene be changed by "revolving the stage." This option is possible in a stage or theatre setting where such mechanics can be attended to. For those planning to present the drama in a chancel setting, the stage setting could be changed by manually moving the props; by the use of lighting; or by suggestion on the part of the actors. ...

3109. Are You Ready For Your Inheritance?

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

The December 11, 2002, online issue of Forbes magazine carried the story of a family feud in one of the richest families in America. The Pritzker family of Chicago owns the Hyatt hotel chain. They also own many other businesses, including cruise lines, railroads, and banks. In 2002, 18-year-old Liesel Pritzker sued her father and other family members, claiming that they drained her trust fund of more than $1 billion. Because of their mismanagement, Liesel claims, her inheritance has been greatly reduced. ...

3110. There's God In Them There Hills

Psalm 19:1-14

Sermon

James Merritt

On September 27, 1998, Philip Ozersky went to a baseball game and saw his life changed forever. With one swing of a bat, and in two twinklings of the eye, he caught not just a baseball, but a gold mine. Now a lot of fans have caught home runs, but this was no ordinary home run. A lot of batters have hit home runs, but this was no ordinary batter. On that day, Mark McGuire came to the plate and hit his record-breaking seventieth home run. The ball was launched over Ozersky's head, hit a wall and bounced ...

3111. Seeing God In The Ordinary: Family

Luke 4:16-30

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Frank had his own very successful company. He employed about 20 people who were all paid well and happy. One day at work one of the critical pieces of equipment broke down and Frank was right in the middle of helping make repairs. After just a short time, they got it back up and running but he was all hot and sweaty. On top of that, on the way home, he had a flat tire. So when he got home he decided to jump in the shower. He was just stepping out of the shower one when his wife called and asked him to run ...

3112. The Serpent

John 3:14-21

Sermon

John Smylie

Growing up in the northeast, I didn't have a lot of exposure to snakes. There may have been a small garter snake or the threat of a dangerous serpent down at a local pond near our neighborhood. But honestly, there wasn't much of a threat of snakes that I was aware of to be found in northern New Jersey. Wyoming, where I presently reside, is a different story. While serving as a consultant for the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, I had the opportunity to visit the northeastern part of the state. There was a new ...

3113. Unstoppable Joy!

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

‘The Lord is like a song to which you sing along!’ In a way, that’s what being a disciple is really about. Singing along to the Lord’s Song, and being an original version of that song.* When a young child hears music for the first time, the response is to sing and dance. It’s automatic. No one has to teach them. They simply hear the music, and then they bob, they sway, they bounce, they sing along, “la,la,la,la,la!” Even in the womb and in the crib, we love music. As parents, we encourage this as we ...

3114. Let 'Er Rip

Mark 13:1-31, Mark 13:32-37, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Wake up, world! The world is waking up. The world needs to wake up. We’ve been asleep for a good long time, and the time has come for the Rip Van Winkles of the world to wake up to the signs of God around them. God is working in our midst. Can you see the signs? The watcher in the tower is the prophet. And you are all watch people. You are all prophets of the Lord! There is not just a priesthood of all believers. There is a prophethood of all believers. The call is coming in! Sound the message to everyone ...

3115. Proper 22

Luke 17:1-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13, Lamentations 1:1-22, Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Servant's Duty Question is sometimes raised about the lack of condemnation of slavery in the New Testament. Jesus never seems to have opposed it. In fact, in the parable about the servant's duty, Jesus uses the duties of a slave as a model. Elsewhere he uses the term for the proper relationship among persons, though it is frequently translated as servant rather than as slave. In a time when governments did not provide a safety net for the unemployed and people without land to farm or other means of ...

3116. Look Inside and Discover Life

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Oscar Wilde's short novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, written in the early part of the twentieth century, describes the life of a tortured man who is unable to look honestly at his life. He refuses to look inside and accept who he truly is. Dorian is a physically handsome young man who possesses power, wealth, and prestige, the three great assets and temptations of contemporary life. An artist, Basil Hallward, who is enamored at Dorian's presence, paints a portrait of him, which is indeed a master work. ...

3117. Someone to Watch over Me

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Anybody here remember how much you always wanted your parents to watch you when you were little? Go back in time. Remember swimming at the local pool as a child? No matter how poor or perfect your swimming skills, you always kept on eye on Mom or Dad so you could catch their attention. Whether you were diving, dog paddling, or just hanging on the edge practice-kicking, your refrain was a constant "Watch this!" "Watch this!" "Watch me!" "Watch me again!!!" All of us were anxious to gain parental approval, ...

3118. The Scarlet Letter

Exodus 20:14

Sermon

James Merritt

Probably the mother of all misprints in any book, came in the misprint of a Bible. In 1631 someone discovered a word that was missing in a newly published version of the Bible, called The King James Version. The missing word was "not" in the seventh commandment which then made the Authorized Version to read, "Thou shalt commit adultery." From then on, this 1631 addition of the Bible became known as the "Wicked Bible."[1] Well, this seems to be the Bible the world is wanting to read today. Without question ...

3119. To Catch a Thief

Exodus 20:15

Sermon

James Merritt

I have to admit it and I can't hide it. One of my favorite characters in fiction and one of my all time favorite movies is Robin Hood. Whether it is the version with Errol Flynn (who you baby-boomers will remember) or the version with Kevin Costner (who some of the younger generation will remember), I really loved the action, the swashbuckling fights, the romance, and the legendary archery skill that is displayed. Let's face it - they are fun movies and Robin Hood is a fun character. When you think of ...

3120. This Little Light of Mine

Matthew 5:14-26

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Do you know how many T.V. evangelists it takes to change a light bulb? “One, but for the message to continue, send in your donation today." How many Episcopalians does it take to change a light bulb? “What? Change a light bulb? My grandmother donated that light bulb." How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb? “At least 109, one to change the bulb, 100 to serve on various committees to decide what company should supply the bulb, and 8 to decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken." ...

3121. Worthy Is the Lamb Who Was Slain

Revelation 5:1-14

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: Jesus, the crucified and resurrected Lion-Lamb, is worthy to carry out God’s plan of redemption and judgment for the world. Understanding the Text Revelation 5 continues the throne-room vision that began in 4:1. Following the worship of God as sovereign Creator, the scene shifts to the Lamb as Redeemer. John sees a scroll in God’s right hand, and the heavenly worshipers fall silent as the mighty angel asks, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” (5:2). This brings us to a ...

3122. Family Ties and Good-byes

Mark 3:31-35

Sermon

Ron Lavin

Jesus experienced family ties and good-byes. So do we. According to Mark 3:20-35, Jesus was about to be confronted by his frustrated and conflicted family as crowds gathered around him to hear his stories, behold his miracles, and observe with great interest the conflicts he had with religious leaders from Jerusalem. Conflict. But there were also good, tender, and beautiful joys in Jesus' family. Look at the tenderness at the time of his birth. Good-byes and ties. All families have stress, as well as ...

3123. Leveling the Landscape

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

The road to the manger is not an Interstate. Nor is the journey sentimental. The path is decorated neither with candy canes nor red-nosed reindeer. There are no shortcuts. The Advent journey begins in a darkness so deep you can see the stars. From there it leads by the Jordan River and its stern prophet, John. If we could only get to the babe without having to hear the Baptist cry, "Repent!" But we cannot see Jesus without first hearing John. Repentance is hard unChristmasy stuff. This strange man, dressed ...

3124. Miracles Seven and Eight: Healing An Issue Of Blood & Healing The Rulers Daughter

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

BACKGROUND MATERIAL Jesus' performance of miracles was now assuming a rapid pace. Great crowds now came to meet him wherever he went, and they brought with them their sick and lame to have the Master apply his healing powers. Here Jesus sets out, in response to a plea from one of the rulers of the synagogue, who asks him to come to his home to heal a sick daughter; on the way, still another miracle comes to pass. The interruption was unusual. A miracle was performed without a request. A woman who had ...

3125. Held In His Arms

Isaiah 51:17--52:12

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for collecting art. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and many others adorned the walls of the family estate. The widowed elderly man looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they ...

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