Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3151 to 3175 of 4935 results

3151. Living In Sin Or Synergy?

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

King Duncan

One of the most exciting buzz words in business today is the word "synergy." According to the principle of synergy, when two or more people work together, the total effect of their work is greater than if they had been working independently. For example, one horse can pull 2 tons by itself. That means two horses working separately will be able to pull 4 tons, 2 tons per horse. But when two horses are teamed together, we are told they can pull 18 tons. That's synergy. Here's another example. Suppose you ...

3152. A Victory For The Angels

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Baseball, which used to be America's pastime, finally hit a home run this past week--a truly outstanding World Series. You don't have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the drama. In fact, with a little imagination, we can envision a conflict of biblical proportions--the Angels against the Giants. The Angels were characterized as a group of no-names, re-treads, journeymen ballplayers while the Giants had their very own Goliath--Barry Bonds, already a baseball legend. The Angels were so close to losing. ...

3153. With a Little Help from My Friends

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

There was an interesting article in People magazine recently. It was about a young man, eighteen-year-old Kevin Hines, who, in September of 2000, decided to give up his fight with depression by jumping off San Francisco’s Golden GateBridge. As he paced and cried along the bridge sidewalk, Kevin looked for someone who would talk him out of his crazy decision. If even one person expressed concern for him, then Kevin was prepared to back down. But not one passerby gave Kevin a second glance, with one ...

3154. A Forgiving Presence

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I think it is significant that these young people have been confirmed in the midst of the particular series of sermons that we are preaching these days, because hopefully, in this sermon series, we are providing that which will sustain them and give them a clear vision of what the possibility is for their life in Christ. Let us pray. Take the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts, make them acceptable in your sight, because you are our strength and our redeemer. Amen. The promise of the gospel ...

3155. Soul Drain

Psalm 63:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Some time ago, I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across an article by Herbert Gold. Now I don’t know who Herbert Gold is, but he wrote a marvelous article about his visit to the Soviet Union and his sharing with the dissenters that Soltzeneitzen after __ defection. Gold was disturbed, as I was when I was in the Soviet Union a few months ago, about the abandonment of hope he found among the people of Russia. There was a tremendously morbid sense of despair. He closed his article by sharing a personal ...

3156. Christ Signs The Letter Of The Church

Colossians 1:15-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Donald English is one of the most outstanding Christian communicators I know today. He was in our church a couple of years ago, and many of you have heard him. He is providing dynamic leadership for the renewal of the church in Britain, and plays a dynamic role in the World Methodist Council. Donald tells a quaint English story that will speak to us this morning. "In Birmingham, England, there is a store called Lewis's. It's a great chain store in one of the main streets, and wanted to extend. Right in the ...

3157. Power For Christian Living: Am I On My Own?

Romans 3:3-5

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The glorious good news of the gospel is not only are we pardoned by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as “new creatures” – “everything old has passed away…everything has become new” (II Cor. 5:17). We are not on our own. After expressing the truth that we are justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus Christ, (Romans 12:1). Then states a heartening aspect of the gospel: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that ...

3158. Being More than Civil

1 Corinthians 1:1-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The trial of a president is a terrible thing for a country to endure. We can be grateful that in the Senate, at least, the proceedings have been conducted in a more civil manner than we have been subjected to over the last several years. Although we have been told that just underneath the surface, in the Senate as well, there are deep divisions and the same partisan acrimony that has characterized the investigation and the impeachment. There has always been division in the world. In our own society, in ...

3159. Once More with Feeling!

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

It's that holiday season again. Friends and loved ones are making plans for a visit. Christmas decorations are out in the store windows. Once again people's hearts are swelling with optimism. Jack Frost has left his calling card. The smell of wood fires curls from the chimneys, and inside, mothers work their magic as fathers are heard to say, "Make some of those sugar cookies that you made last year, the ones with the sprinkles." Yes, it's Thanksgiving week, and I'm supposed to preach on gratitude. And you ...

3160. Christmas Eve\Christmas Day

Luke 2:1-7, Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 96:1-13, Titus 2:1-15, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Many of the Advent themes reappear in the Christmas Eve lessons as present realities rather than as future hopes. Isaiah 9:2-9 picks up the imagery of the light of Zion that was hoped for in Isaiah 2:1-5 and turns it into a present time celebration, while Psalm 96 does the same thing with the royal theology of Isaiah 11:1-10. Taken together our Old Testament lessons describe the new reality that God ushers into our world. Isaiah 9:2-7 - "Seeing the Light" Setting. Isaiah 9:2-7 is a ...

3161. Abundant Life

John 10:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

The college faculty gathered for their weekly meeting. A professor of archeology brought with him a lamp recently unearthed in the Middle East. It was reported to contain a genie, who, when the lamp was rubbed would appear and grant one wish. A professor of philosophy was particularly intrigued. He grabbed the lamp and rubbed it vigorously. Suddenly a genie appeared and made him an offer. He could choose one of three rewards: wealth, wisdom, or beauty. Without hesitating, the philosophy professor selected ...

3162. Ten Days of Prayer

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

In his book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of The Boat, Pastor John Ortberg tells a wonderful true story about the power of prayer. It involves a Christian leader in Washington, D.C. named Doug Coe. Doug became a spiritual mentor to a new Christian whose name was Bob. One day, Bob came in all excited about the verse in the Bible where Jesus says, “Ask whatever you will in my name, and you shall receive it.” “Is that really true?” Bob asked. Doug answered with a qualified yes, it is ...

3163. Love Them Before You Leave Them

John 19:25-26

Sermon

James Merritt

A businessman wanted to send a floral arrangement to a friend who was opening a new branch office. His friend called later in the day to thank him for the considerate gesture, but he was a little bit confused about the card which read: "Rest in peace." The businessman apologized for the mix-up and quickly called to chastise the florist. The florist tried to brush it off, and said: "Look, it could be worse. Somewhere in the cemetery there is a bouquet with a note reading, ‘Good luck in your new location.'" ...

3164. Let Me Tell You about the Birds and the Bees

Proverbs 5:15-23

Sermon

James Merritt

A little third grade boy named Johnny came in from school one day, walked up to his daddy and said, "Daddy, there's something I need to ask you." "What is it son?" "Daddy, where did I come from?" Well, the father very nervously reached over and picked up some diagrams and pictures, because he had been planning for just this moment. He spent the next forty-five minutes explaining the process of birth. With a smug look on his face, inwardly congratulating himself on his great job, he said, "Son, does that ...

3165. The Family That Prays Together Stays Together

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

James Merritt

I don't have to tell you that families are falling apart, and that is born out by the following statistics: There has been a 200% growth in single parent households since 1970 - from four million to eight million homes. The number of married moms leaving home for work each morning rose 65% from 10.2 million in 1970, to 16.8 million in 1990. Married couples with children now make up only 26% of US households, down from 40% in 1970. 36% of children said their chores included making their own meals in 1993. ...

3166. Why You Should Be Afraid of Sin

Numbers 32:23

Sermon

James Merritt

I was fascinated to read recently about the boomerang. A boomerang is like two spinning airplane wings joined in the middle. It weighs about 12 ounces, it is somewhere between 12 and 30 inches long, and it is an incredible aerodynamic marvel to behold. When an expert throws a boomerang, it is released practically vertical to the ground. But because it is spinning so rapidly (typically about 10 revolutions per second) with the top blade moving through the air faster than the lower blade, there is more lift ...

3167. The Compassionate Christ

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

A few years ago, flight attendants for Southwest Airlines began spicing up their pre-flight instructions to passengers with humor. Soon other airlines followed suit. After all, why talk to passengers when they’re not listening? Here are a couple of classics: One flight attendant began her routine this way, “In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your ...

3168. An Exquisite Attitude of Gratitude

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

On a grey Friday in January 2007, during the peak of the early morning commuter rush, an unassuming young man entered the L’Enfant Plaza train station in Washington D.C. As the crowds rushed by, the man found a place to stand out of the way of the foot traffic. He opened the violin case he carried. He threw into the case a few coins and dollar bills to “prime the pump.” And then he proceeded to begin playing. But this was no ordinary street musician. The anonymous violinist in the train station was Joshua ...

3169. God's Christmas Gift

Luke 2:10-14

Sermon

James Merritt

There is a word that you have heard more in the last twenty-four hours and you will hear more in the next twenty-four hours than you will probably hear in all the rest of the year combined. The most used word in this time of year we call the Christmas Season is the word "gift." Some of you spent today, frantically searching for gifts, trying to find the right gift for the right person at the right price. So often, I hear the question "What do you get for the person who has everything?" I did some research ...

3170. The Power of Purpose

Proverbs 16:4

Sermon

James Merritt

I spent four years of my life in Deland, Florida about twenty miles west of Daytona Beach at StetsonUniversity. Not long after my freshman year started, I began attending StetsonBaptistChurch and attended there all four years. One of the reasons why I was attracted to the church was because of a pharmacist that worked with college students there named Dean West. Mr. West was (to say the least) a unique individual. He was very unconventional in his thinking on a lot of things, but he had a gift to really ...

3171. It's Tough to Be God

Exodus 32:1-33:6

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

It’s tough to be God. Does that thought shock you? It’s tough to be God. How do I know? Well, it’s tough to be a parent. Most of us could tell at least one story that would bring lumps in the rest of our throats, tears to our eyes, as we remember our own sleepless nights, our own painful experiences, seeking to be parents. And God is our parent, our eternal parent. That was Jesus’ favorite title for God, “Abba, Father” - Daddy. That’s really what Jesus called God Daddy. Now, if you think its tough rearing ...

3172. John the Baptist: Parable and Prophet

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The other day I received a very flattering and enticing letter, offering me what was called a “highly valued” membership in a very select group. Let me share with you a part of that letter. Dear Dr. Dunnam: I believe you’ve earned this privilege. You’ve worked hard and have been recognized for your efforts. Now it’s time for you to carry the card that symbolizes your achievements - the Gold Card. Only a select group of people will ever carry the Gold Card. So it instantly identifies you as someone special ...

3173. Getting Through the Grief

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27

Sermon

William J. Carl, III

Getting through grief may be one of the hardest things we do as human beings. One of the best ways to begin the process is to find it within ourselves to stand up and say something in a public setting that puts into words both the personal and collective feelings of all who have gathered to mourn. History is replete with stunning examples. Pericles' Funeral Oration as recorded by Thucydides in The Peloponnesian War is certainly one of them. At the end of the first year of war, the Athenians held, as was ...

3174. Finding Our Roots in God and Country

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 6-10

Sermon

William J. Carl, III

It's a scary thing to go back and explore your roots. You never know what you might find — some errant ancestor who was a brigand or a pirate. Maybe one of them spent a fortnight in the stocks or was strung up on the gallows. Nevertheless, Alex Haley and genealogists around the world encourage us to book a ticket and take our chances traveling back in time. In a way, that's exactly what we do every Sunday when we open the Bible and step carefully like Alice into a biblical wonderland or the children making ...

3175. After the Parade

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Welcome to this celebration of Palm Sunday. Today is a joyous occasion as we remember the crowds of people who lined the streets of Jerusalem to welcome our Master into their city. Ironically, today is also, of course, April Fools’ Day. Maybe that is more appropriate than ironic. For, after all, didn’t St. Paul teach us the Gospel is foolishness to those who do not believe? “A stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles . . .” is the phrase he used (1 Corinthians 1:23). So perhaps April Fools’ Day ...

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