Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3126 to 3150 of 4963 results

3126. Heaping Coals and Virtues

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Jeff Wedge

... easy assumptions and remind the congregation of some hard facts to be quite important to the on-going life of the congregation. But even a congregational catfish is still bound to try to fulfill this injunction to "love one another with mutual affection." The remaining items in the list continue to clarify the way that Christians are to live, particularly together. "Outdo one another in showing honor" sounds a little foreign to most people, but it seems that Paul is using a fancy way to remind Christians of ...

3127. Struggles, Death, and Christ

Philippians 1:21-30

Sermon

Jeff Wedge

... easily, as the end result of that sacrifice would be to his gain. This life is something that might be nice, or comfortable, or full of opportunities to serve Christ, but it is something that also keeps us away from Jesus. While Paul finds it necessary to remain in the flesh, to stay alive for the moment, he regards it as far better to be able to live with Christ, in other words, to die. Paul's attitude toward death is something that most Christians find difficult to accept. Our difficulty is sometimes used ...

3128. The Day of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11

Sermon

Rick Brand

... Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is supposed to comfort us. It is a vision of the coming of the Lord that is supposed to comfort the faithful who have been waiting for the coming of the Lord and yet some of their members have begun to die off and those remaining have been worried that because they died before the coming of the day of the Lord in victory, those who died would not have a chance to celebrate the victory. Of course, the next question is one that we are always trying to figure out. When is all of ...

3129. A Tale of Two Dancers

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... Christians the scriptures and the creeds become like an ark, holy and untouchable. And it turned out that the Christians, just like all those before them who possessed holy things, are tempted to be blinded by the fact that though God may be with them, they remain sinful human beings. I don't know if you've ever discussed religious matters with anybody who believed that they were in the possession of God's infallible word, but I have. You cannot enter a discussion with them. You try to share your opinion ...

3130. Body Language

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... a Christian in China. His parents were Christians. When he came to America as a student, he put behind him his childhood religion and became an atheist. In mid-life he came back to the Church. He said it happened while attending church with his wife. His wife remained a Christian and was a member of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. Lin Yutang said that it was a quality of life on the part of the members of that church, and the preaching of David H. C. Reed, that brought him back to ...

3131. Can't Help Dreaming

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... classic novel about an old man who decides to become a knight, and live the life of chivalry. Cervantes wrote that book in the 17th century, long after all the knights were dead and the age of chivalry forgotten. It was read as a satire, and has remained a popular story for over two hundred and seventy-five years. Don Quixote is a gentleman with a great deal of leisure on his hands. He sits around the hacienda all day, reading about knights and romantic tales about the Middle Ages, and the time of chivalry ...

3132. Even God Can Change His Mind

Exodus 32:1-14

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... he's a mountain God. All the gods in ancient times lived on mountains, inaccessible. It was believed that they were apart from us, so they were believed to dwell on top of mountains. But what is so amazing is that from here on, through the remaining chapters of Exodus, there is a description of the construction of the tabernacle, or the tent of meeting, and the Ark of the Covenant. All of which constitute the place where God will dwell with his people. God, after this incident, will come down from the ...

3133. Eye Exercises

Matthew 6:25-33

Sermon

Mark Trotter

3134. Family Matters

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... will be next year. Which is the way it should be. Those requests represent vision, what we ought to be doing to expand and improve our ministry to this community and to the world. So the requests are in, the forecasts from the finance people are in. What remains is the third ingredient--the stewardship of the members and the friends of this church. That's what it boils down to--we're able to do what you are able to give. We also believe that stewardship is more than simply giving money to an institution. In ...

3135. For Those Who Can't Pray

Genesis 32:22-31

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... purpose and worthiness, he must call upon God. He must pray to God. Now look at the scene. His caravan comes to the River Jabbok. He sends his family, servants, his possessions, his animals, all across the other side of the river, as if to safety. He remains on the near side, alone. The text says that he wrestles with a man until daybreak. But this is an ancient story. It comes from a time when they did not make the distinction between the inner world of spiritual experience, and the outer world of physical ...

3136. Hosea's Marriage Troubles

Hosea 2:14-20

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... was seen as something like a contract. If one party violates the agreement, then the deal is off. The offended party has no obligation to the offender. But the revelation that came to Hosea revealed that if Israel breaks the covenant, God will remain faithful. That revelation came to him through his own painful, personal experience. All prophets interpreted the meaning of the covenant, our relationship with God. But Hosea did it in a most dramatic way. He personalized it. He meditated in his own life on ...

3137. Like None Other

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... , and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went from me. Which is to say, in spite of being chosen and loved by God, Israel went its own way, did not live the life that God wanted it to live. But God remained faithful in spite of Israel's disobedience. Then these beautiful words. I taught Ephraim to walk, I took Israel in my arms; I took care of them while they were sick and I healed them. [That's a mother talking.] I led them with cords of compassion, with the bands ...

3138. Reflections on a Bumper Sticker

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... get rid of guilt. In fact, if anything, the incidence of guilt has increased in that time. Only now people use another language for it. They use the language of science. They use the language of psychology. But whatever language they use to describe the symptoms, they have remained the same in every age. What you don't hear in this age is a religious diagnosis of the problem, you are separated from God. Which in the Bible is what is meant by sin. And what you need is to hear that you are forgiven, which in ...

3139. Stirring Things Up

Mark 13:1-8, Hebrews 10:11-25

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... done. Boswell, the biographer of Samuel Johnson, used to plague Johnson for reassurance about his love and esteem. Finally, Johnson got tired of all this nagging for reassurance, and said, "Take out your notebook. Write this down. You are held in my highest esteem. That, sir, remains until I tell you to erase what you have written." 1 The Bible is there to tell you that it is written down, God will forgive you, never to be erased, ever. Then this line near the end of the passage. "Let us consider how to ...

3140. The Big Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... ought to be our hymn as we journey to Good Friday and Easter. This is our pilgrim song. Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to your God to order and provide; In every change God faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: your God will undertake To guide the future, as in ages past. Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

3141. The Cathedral Within

II Corinthians 9:6-15

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... responsibility, so the second, and then following generations in that family became philanthropists. For a hundred years now they, and other families like them, have given millions and millions of dollars to the social welfare, the well being of all people. It remains to be seen if this generation, with so much more, and so many more capable of doing it, will feel the same responsibility. This generation is largely secular, raised without religious training. Most of them have been raised by television, and ...

3142. The Messiah

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Mark Trotter

Tonight the Chancel Choir, the Masterwork Chorale, and orchestra, will present the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah. The Messiah remains one of the venerable traditions of Christmas. I imagine many of you have sung it in church choirs, or community choruses, or Messiah sing-alongs. Let me ask, how many of you have sung in the Messiah? Almost everybody. That's wonderful. It is a great tradition. Joseph Sittler recalls ...

3143. The Source of Self Esteem

Romans 8:14-25

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... you. So Samuel rejected Eliab, the oldest son. Then he rejected Abinadab, the next oldest. Then he reject Shammah, and on down the line, all seven sons are rejected. Samuel turns to Jesse, and asks, "Do you have any more sons here?" Jesse says, "Yes. There remains but one, the youngest, out guarding the sheep." Jesse says, "Go fetch him." "And he went, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. And the Lord said to Samuel, `Anoint him; this is he.'" What a wonderful ...

3144. This Is a Test

Genesis 22:1-14

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... upon it. Because the text that we read this morning is not designed to answer that question. It is designed to make one affirmation only: we are to trust the Giver of the gift of life, and not the gift itself. So if the gift is taken away, the Giver remains. If God gave life to us once, he can do it again. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord Will Provide." Maybe not the way we want. Maybe not the way we desire. But the Lord will provide. The Lord will give life again. Jesus said, "Ask ...

3145. This Nation, Under God

2 Samuel 7:1-9

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... . You could see the first crack in a sordid affair in the king's house. Followed then by warring factions, the fragile bond that held this diverse people together fell apart, and the wonderful kingdom of David was no more. David's Israel is gone. But the idea remains that there might some day be a time when all people can live happily and prosperously, and in peace with one another. That was Israel's dream first. That is where we first read about it. But it is the dream in the heart of all people everywhere ...

3146. When Saying No Means Yes

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... that it wasn't going to leave until 10:30 p.m. They have eight monitors at the airport in Salt Lake showing all of the departures. I watched each monitor go dark as the night went on. At the end, the last monitor showed four remaining departures. Mine was one of them. I finally realized during that experience that there was nothing I could do. But that didn't help. I was still distressed. I tried to keep busy. I went through my briefcase, reading everything that was there. I did some correspondence ...

3147. A Discussion Among Angels

Matthew 24:36-44

Drama

Matthew Powell

Cast Storyteller The Archangel Michael The Archangel Uriel The Archangel Raphael The Archangel Gabriel (The Storyteller stands off to one side. Michael, Uriel, and Raphael are seated in the center and stand when they speak and remain standing. Gabriel sits slightly farther back from the others. He stands and comes forward when he finally speaks) Storyteller: A company of angels, returning from their various labors on earth, was sitting in friendly conversation. There were three of the company who seemed to ...

3148. Two Babes In The Manger

Luke 2:1-14

Drama

Matthew Powell

Cast Storyteller 1 Storyteller 2 Teacher Misha (Storytellers 1 and 2 stand at left and right. The Teacher stands in the center. Misha remains seated until he "enters." An adult can play the part of Misha, but the piece is more effective if a child takes the role) Storyteller 1: Soon after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian Department of Education invited two American Christian teachers to give a series of courses ...

3149. Million Dollar Christmas

Matthew 19:21

Drama

Matthew Powell

... and thought of immediately. Edgar 1: Three minutes, four minutes passed, and just as the clock was about to strike nine, we both used our pencils simultaneously, and wrote something on our papers. Now you may believe in divine providence, as you please, but the fact remains that both of us had written the same word. And that word was... Helene & Edgar 2: Mothers! Edgar 1: At last we had something to start on. We were agreed that the mothers of the world were the people who denied themselves the things they ...

3150. Advent 1

Isaiah 2:1-5, Matthew 24:36-44, Romans 13:8-14

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... alert and ready for Christ's return whether it be tomorrow or in the distant future. 2. One (vv. 40, 41). When Christ returns, people will be judged. In this passage, Jesus declares that of two people, one will go with him to heaven and the other will remain. It suggests a fifty-fifty ratio. The sheep and the goats will be divided. Does this suggest that at the Return, half will be saved? Why not all? Apparently, universalism was not in Jesus' mind. 3. Ready (v. 44). To be ready for the Parousia is a "must ...

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