Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3126 to 3150 of 4943 results

3126. Behold The Man Who Taught By The Sea

Mark 4:1-20

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

It was the end of the school year and a first grade teacher was saying good-bye to her students. One little boy said to her, "Teacher, I sure do like you. I'd like to stay in the first grade forever, but I've been promoted. Boy, I wish you knew enough to teach me in the second grade."1 So many people who are successful are able to look back at a person who first turned on a light inside the mind, who quickened the thinking, who first stirred the desire to learn. Behind every successful person there is the ...

3127. Prayers for Memorial Day, Election, Thanksgiving

Bulletin Aid

Rolland R. Reece

Memorial Day Today, Creator God, we remember. We remember the courage of our forefathers who decided they could no longer bow to England's crown, so they went to war to gain our country's independence. We remember the agony and blood-letting of that war that pitted American against American, the north against the south. Even to this day the wounds of that fighting are yet to be healed. We remember that many years ago we sent our troops to "fight the Kaiser" in a war that was to end all wars. Then less than ...

3128. Why Do People Suffer?

Mark 15:33-41

Sermon

David O. Bales

Susan Ingraham was late for worship, but no one could tell she was hurrying -- regular, sharp gait, everything about her seemed shiny and healthy. At 34 Miss Ingraham was startlingly beautiful, especially to twelve year old Chrissy Dillenburger. Chrissy was captivated by her since the day Susan came to worship wearing a plain black dress, black shoes, perfect lipstick and a gold brooch. First thing in the car going home Chrissy said, "Did you see Miss Ingraham? That dress -- and the lipstick was just right ...

3129. Good Friday

John 18:1-11, Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Genesis 22:1-19, Hosea 6:1--7:16, Hebrews 10:1-18, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, John 19:17-27

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme For Lenten Series: Christ Confronts Death. Theme: The passion and death of our Lord. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 52:13--53:12 This sublime poem of the Suffering Servant lifts up an idea that is featured prominently in Christian theology: suffering, pain and sorrow can be redemptive. Biblical interpreters have traditionally identified the servant in this poem with the nation of Israel. The nation had undergone profound humiliation and disfigurement through their ordeal in Babylon. Yet, the ...

3130. Seder Service: The Passover Haggadah

Bulletin Aid

Robert L. Linder and Rabbi Sol Ester

The Passover "A program of fellowship for adults and/or youth in Christian congregations desiring a better understanding of the heritage and the meaning of the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion." This work was inspired and initially written by Rev. Robert L. Linder while pastor of First English Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio. He was assisted by Jewish leaders of the community. It has since been revised by others, including Rabbi Sol Oster of Lima, Ohio. BLESSING OF THE FESTIVAL CANDLES Before ...

3131. Bread of Unwavering Commitment (Bread of Life V)

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

There was this man who had a disability in his leg, but he was determined to walk. And so he walked, slowly, but often long distances. Once he was out in the countryside rolling hills, rough, rocky, and uninhabited. He was a couple miles from home. He felt exhausted, more than usual. He hoped someone would come along soon who could offer him a helping hand. Eventually, he saw someone riding a donkey. He whistled his attention and the man came to him. He was the ranch owner making his daily round of the ...

3132. What’s Going on at Your House?

Mark 3:31-35

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

What’s going on at your house? Words like family, house, brother, sister, mother, nation, church ring special in our ears. They are bonding words, words that signify relationship, words that serve as labels for our deepest loyalties personal, familial, national, religious. What did Jesus really say? He said: A family divided into groups that fight will fall apart. A house divided into groups that fight will fall apart. A nation divided into groups that fight will fall apart. Let’s take an overview of these ...

3133. As Is

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

Mark J. Molldrem

Once upon a long time ago, a friend of mine owned a yellow Datsun. It was a neat little car that took him over the hills and through the valleys of southern Wisconsin. With "five on the floor," it was fun to drive, shifting up and down, turning left and right, accelerating and stepping on the breaks. The yellow Datsun kept him happy for a couple years, until one day it died. The head cracked and the engine decided not to turn over any longer. It was a sad day for my friend, his only consolation coming from ...

3134. Were We Surprised!

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Alexander H. Wales

There is nothing like success to make you unsure of yourself. Perhaps the greatest obstacle to making a go of a project is the process of doing something so well that you never do anything else for fear of failure. If a writer makes it to the best-seller list the first time out, every novel to follow will be judged by the first. If a baseball player gets a home run the first time at bat, every time he or she comes up to the plate, the stands will be judging the performance in light of that first hit. If a ...

3135. 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 ...

3136. The Greatest Wonder Of All!

John 14:5-14

Sermon

John M. Braaten

The celebration of Pentecost, with its mighty demonstration of power by the Holy Spirit, is a good time to reflect on some of the mighty deeds of God, because God’s awe-inspiring acts aren’t all locked back there in the memory banks of Bible history buffs; they are still happening all around us. Discovering them is a real adventure because we all, young and old, tend to be impressed by that which is uncommon, unusual or extraordinary. I recall seeing a youngster holding a popcorn kernel in his fingers; he ...

3137. That All-Pervasive Snake

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Joann Hary

Do you believe in original sin? If I asked, some of you might answer quite cutely, "Yes, I believe in original sin, in fact I have always thought that if I was going to sin, I might as well be original about it." Then, of course, there are the many stories, such as the one about the church billboard that said, "If you desire to be done with sin, come on in." As the people read more closely, they discovered that someone had written in lipstick, "But if you are not quite sure, call 555-5271." What is ...

3138. Sunday of the Passion

Lk 22:14--23:56 · Isa 50:4-7 · Php 2:6-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Isaiah 50:4-7 Yahweh's servant faces suffering confident of his help. This pericope constitutes the third of the four Servant Songs in Isaiah. Yahweh's servant hears his voice and is therefore fortified with determination to suffer mental agony in terms of ridicule, false accusations, humiliation, and shame. He suffers confidently because he believes Yahweh will vindicate, help, and pronounce him innocent. Philippians 2:6-11 Jesus' humiliation and God's exaltation of him. Paul is pleading for ...

3139. Proper 18 & Pentecost 16

Ezekiel 33:1-20, Psalm 119:1-176, Psalm 95:1-11, Psalm 115:1-18, Exodus 19:1-25, Romans 13:1-7, Romans 13:8-14, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 18:15-20

Bulletin Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The eschatological framework of the church year remains in place, but it does little or nothing to reveal any theological clue for worship and preaching or any specific theme for this Sunday. The church year does exert biblical and homiletical influence, however, in continuing to set aside September 21 as St. Matthew's Day. Those who have been preaching on the Gospel of St. Matthew may wish to take advantage of the opportunity to connect the man and his message in a sermon. It might be ...

3140. Good Morning, Jerusalem!

Drama

Notes on the Service Set within the framework of an Easter morning worship celebration, the following drama script intends to bring to the worshiper’s mind the sound and style of a familiar weekday morning American network television news/talk program. Any steps which the worship planner(s) can take to create this atmosphere will add to the effectiveness of the presentation. Depending upon the physical arrangements in the chancel area, it might even be possible to set up a comfortable living room setting ...

3141. EPISODE 2: THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT

Drama

Robert Clausen

EPISODE 2: THE SECOND WEEK IN LENT JESUS PETER JOHN JUDAS THOMAS MAN WOMAN FIRST CLERGYMAN MARY MAGDALENE [JESUS, PETER, JOHN, JUDAS present. THOMAS enters.] THOMAS: Lord! JESUS: Thomas? THOMAS: I’ve brought someone to see you. JESUS: Who is it? THOMAS: A lady ... and her husband. JESUS: Bring them in. THOMAS: [Turning] You can come in. [A WOMAN enters, pushing a MAN in a wheelchair. The FIRST CLERGYMAN follows, observing.] There, that’s good. WOMAN: Is this him? THOMAS: This is the man you’re looking for ...

3142. Stewards of Creation

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

About the second Sunday in November each year, after mailing out a flood of brochures, putting up posters, twisting arms of the faithful to make visits, and designing a banner, there comes from this pulpit what I like to call, "The Sermon on the Amount." Members sit in the pews and squirm on their billfolds, hang onto their checkbooks and purses, fill out a pledge card reluctantly, and sing the hymn: "Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold." For biblical justification of this once-a-year ...

3143. Martin Luther: the Shape of Grace

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

Martin Luther died in the upstairs bedroom of a little house in the town of Eisleben, Germany. He had been taken there from St. Andrew’s church across the street where he preached his last sermon. On February 18, 1546, he died. From the window of that little East German bedroom you can see St. Anne’s church, where he was baptized at the age of one day, and the house where he was born. Hans and Margaret Luder were on their way to Mansfield to look for work in the copper mines. As they traveled through ...

3144. The Gift

Drama

Esther Lense

If the church’s seating arrangement allows, have all the children of the pre-school through the sixth grade sit together on one side of the chancel, with the junior choir on the other side. As the program opens, the children of the pre-school through sixth grade face the congregation and sing Come and Hear the Grand Old Story. As they sing, the "family" characters enter and arrange themselves on the chancel or stage. The school children are seated, and the spotlight focuses on the chancel. A mother and ...

3145. Behold! Chariots of Fire!

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Richard L. Eslinger

Elisha had been with Elijah for what seenied like a long time. It began in the most dramatic way: Elijah lamenting that the people of Israel had all forsaken the covenant, everyone in Israel bowing the knee to false gods; Elijah complaining, "And I, even I only, am left." But the Lord God refused to let the prophet just hide out there in the wilderness. So Elijah was sent back to do battle against the idolatry of Israel and to anoint a new king. And Elijah was also given a successor who would be anointed ...

3146. The Shadow Ascending

John 21:15-25

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

I. Denial by Any Other Name John 21:15ff GREG JOHANSON is a United Methodist minister who has brought to ten years of parish experience a special training and interest in Clinical Pastoral Education and Pastoral Counseling. He has worked in a variety of clinical settings, taught in a number of colleges, served recently as Chaplain and Director of Counseling Services at the Plaza Santa Maria Hospital, Ltd. in Baja, California, and led workshops as a certified trainer in Hakomi Therapy. He presently lives ...

3147. Why Prophets Get Under Our Skin

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

To tell you the truth, you might not like him if you met him. Chances are you would not invite him for cocktails at the club or for dinner at home with some of your prestigious friends. The likelihood is your children would think him curious and your teenagers would scorn him as not worth an autograph. The tabloids might attempt to puff him up as an oddity or curiosity piece for the sake of profit. But the respectable newspapers might think the news he had was not fit to print. I speak, of course, of John ...

3148. It Happens In The Best Of Families

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

King Duncan

We give God thanks today for another New Year. We are eternal optimists, are we not? We somehow expect that this year will be better than last year. Deep in our hearts we agree with Lucy in the PEANUTS cartoons when she says, "I don't want ups and downs. I want ups and ups and ups!" We are more realistic than that. Still, we hope for more ups than downs. There is an old Eskimo blessing that goes like this: May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart. That is my New Year's ...

3149. All You Need Is A Miracle

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

Writer Adele Hooker remembers a point when she and her family were going through some rough times. They had very little to eat, but one day her husband unexpectedly asked some friends over for dinner. Adele was dumbfounded: there was no food in the house! How could she possibly feed guests? So she went into her bedroom, knelt down and asked God what she could do. As she prayed she seemed to hear a voice telling her, "You have meat in the freezer." Right. Half a pound of hamburger. That wouldn't go very far ...

3150. Empowered

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A family driving a large camper pulled up in front of the church just as the pastor started toward home. Desiring to be friendly, the pastor introduced himself and expressed his admiration for the camper. The man of the family told him rather proudly: "This camper sleeps eight people." Then he asked: "What is the capacity of your church, Pastor?" The beleaguered pastor replied rather glumly, "Oh, it sleeps about eighty." It is embarrassing sometimes how little the modern day church resembles the church ...

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