Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3176 to 3200 of 4935 results

3176. Screaming at the Television

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever been so angry that it caused you to do something really stupid? I mean, really stupid! One guy said he saw two men literally pummeling each other over a parking spot. Both cars had nosed into this particular parking spot. Fortunately they stopped just before colliding. Now the owners of both cars were violently swinging at one another. What amused the man observing these fisticuffs was a sign over the intended parking spot. It said . . . you guessed it . . . “No parking.” (1) I wonder if the ...

3177. Work Like the Who?

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

Dan Miller in his book No More Dreaded Mondays tells a delightful story about a farmer many years ago in a village in India who had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the village moneylender. The old and ugly moneylender fancied the farmer’s beautiful daughter, so he proposed a bargain. He would forgive the farmer’s debt if he could marry the farmer’s daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal, but the cunning moneylender suggested that they let providence decide ...

3178. Breaking News: A World Gone Wild

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

James Merritt

The media called 2010 “The Year The Earth Struck Back.” Take your pick–tsunamis, typhoons, and tornados. What is called “Natural Disasters” killed a quarter of a million people in that 12 month period. More people were killed world-wide by natural disasters in 2010 than were killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.[1] When it comes to Breaking News you can always count every year on some natural disaster interrupting your regularly scheduled programming. Let’s just take four of them and ...

3179. Look and Live

Isaiah 44:24--45:25

Sermon

James Merritt

Just outside Gatlinburg, Tennessee is a theme park called “Dollywood” that is owned by country music legend, Dolly Parton. Besides being a singer and a theme park owner, Parton is also an author. Her autobiography is entitled Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business. On the back of that book is this quote: “I am not a very religious person – although I grew up with a very religious background. ‘Let every man seek his own salvation’ is one of my favorite scriptures. . . .” Well, by all indications ...

3180. God Will Provide the Resources

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a time-honored story about a pastor and his wife who decided to invite the church council and their spouses over for dinner. It was quite an undertaking, but this devoted couple wanted to be a good example for the leaders of their church. When it came time for dinner, everyone was seated and the pastor’s wife asked their little four-year-old girl if she would say grace. The girl said, “I don’t know what to say.” Her mother said, “Honey, just say what I say.” Everyone bowed their heads and the ...

3181. How to Hug

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

King Duncan

The world has changed so much that even certain jokes don’t work anymore. For example, there is a time-honored story of a man who was in love with love that is, romantic love. He bought every book he could find on the subject. One day he was in a book store when he spied a book titled How to Hug. He didn’t have time to thumb through it and find out what it was about, but from its title, he knew he had to have it. He paid for it quickly and took it proudly out of the store. It wasn’t until he got home that ...

3182. The Right Connection

John 15:1-17

Sermon

James Merritt

It is amazing how valuable a vine can be. The vines, like the ones we saw here at Chateau Elan bring in $40 billion of business a year in the United States. Americans this past year bought 267 million cases and drank 800 million gallons of its fruit and that number increases every year. Wineries and vineyards are the second most popular tourist attraction in California after Disneyland. The United States is the largest retail wine market in the world and this industry employs 35,000 people. As important as ...

3183. Eyes Fixed Upon the Goal

Philippians 3:8-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Paul W. Powell in his book, The Complete Disciple, describes a picture painted by a famous artist. It is a picture of a wagon train in the old West. Nighttime has fallen. The wagons have been circled for protection. In the center of the circle of wagons is a campfire and a group of rugged men are gathered around it. The wagon master, a muscular man with an uncut beard, has a map spread before him. On the map is a heavy black line which zigzags across the map showing the course they have taken to this point ...

3184. Where Did He Get Such Authority?

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

Today’s lesson from Mark’s Gospel is one that troubles many modern Christians. Jesus and his disciples are in Capernaum. Capernaum was a fishing town located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was a fairly large city of about ten thousand people and lay along a major trade route. When Jesus began his public ministry he made Capernaum his home. Our story takes place on the Sabbath. Jesus has gone into the synagogue and begun to teach. The people are amazed at his teaching, because he taught ...

3185. Lost in the Wonder of God

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Visuals: Mountain scenes “Jesus wept” . . . over Jerusalem, not just over the Temple. Place matters. We've made non-places of our neighborhoods and "places" of our temples. I am a product of a “place,” a “place” called mountain culture. More specifically, my “place” is the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, and the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York. That means I grew up with grits and gravy, pinto beans and stewed tomatoes, biscuits and apple butter. We ate supper, not dinner. And we said ...

3186. Godstruck

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: Instead of the whale song suggested, you can use as your opening image a dandelion (aka “lion’s teeth” in spore stage), a horn (trumpet or actual shofar–which you can find on amazon for about $30), or a balloon (and some helium if you dare). You may also want to scroll some Hubbel space photos on the screen along with some cosmic music if you begin your sermon with “creation.” We are not the only creatures that sing. Has anyone heard the voice of an Orca whale? It sounds a lot like an erratic ...

3187. Shepherd Dreams

Jeremiah 23:1-8, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 80:1-19, Psalm 23:1-6, John 10:22-42, John 10:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: shepherd’s staff (invisible cloak / rock of salvation / living water / sling and staff) We all have dreams for our children! We set them free to make their own decisions in the world, but at the same time we take care to guide them, pray for them, dream for them, envision a future for them in which we play a relational part. We so want them to live fulfilling and satisfying lives, filled with life, love, and happiness. Anyone want to dispute that? Being a parent is a kind of higher calling, in which ...

3188. Faking It or Making It?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

Last winter AT&T unveiled an amusing commercial in their “Just Ok is Not Ok” series. Many of you will remember it. The commercial features a sleazy tax preparer named Phil who is talking with a young woman who has come for help with her taxes. Phil says to the young woman, “Leave it to me. I’ll get your taxes in an O.K. place.” The young woman says, “What?” Then with the back of his hand beside his mouth, he adds, “Just as soon as my ‘audit’ is over, this gets my undivided attention.” The young woman looks ...

3189. The Joy Of Being Found

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

Richard Hasler

D. L. Moody tells the story somewhere of going to a jail to preach and when he began to preach he saw a sign in the back of the hall that read in large bold letters: DO NOT PREACH ON THE PRODIGAL SON. Apparently, the prisoners had had enough sermons on that particular parable, even though it is one of Jesus’ most powerful parables about God’s redeeming grace. Fortunately, our lectionary text Luke 15:1-10 does not include the parable of the prodigal son. We do have two similar parables: the lost sheep and ...

3190. Why Pass By?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) Why didn’t they stop? Why did they pass by? One was a priest and one was a Levite, a member of the priestly class. Their high status was that of the holiest, most revered men in their community. It wasn’t that they didn’t see him there, bleeding, perhaps moaning, dying by the side of the road. That is made clear in the story. They saw him and, intentionally passed by on the other side. Why? Why did they pass by? Maybe ...

3191. Veiled Glimpses of God's Glory

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

I've read that in one of Von Schlegel's avant-garde plays, the curtain rises to show the dimly-lit interior of a theater. There on the stage sit a group of people waiting for a curtain to rise. A ripple of amused laughter washes across the auditorium at the obvious irony of watching actors engage in the very activity which had occupied the audience only moments earlier. However, when this second curtain is lifted, it displays still another group sitting in front of yet another curtain. People begin to grow ...

3192. Heaven's Wait

Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

Some things in life are inevitable. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, or what you do. It makes no difference how powerful, how popular, or how prominent you've grown. One's accumulated wealth or wisdom is of little, if any, significance. Regardless of effort or endeavor, there are truths so tightly woven into the fabric of human existence that they become unalterable and absolute -- sureties which each and every one of us will encounter sooner or later. Benjamin Franklin, for instance, may ...

3193. Proper 19

Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 14:1--15:13, Exodus 13:17--14:31, Psalm 114:1-8

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Unlimited Forgiveness The parable uses the analogy of a reverse comparison. On the one hand a huge, almost inconceivable debt is forgiven. The amount of the debt of the first character in the parable is staggering. To the person hearing the parable it would be scarcely possible to imagine a debt so monumental, perhaps as hard as to try to imagine today the size of the national debt in the United States. The second character has a relatively trivial debt. It is more the size one might run up on a credit ...

3194. The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The parable has given us a new meaning for talents. At the time of the parable it was a unit of measure for silver or gold. Now we have talent shows, talent searches, talent contests. The beauty pageants that came under attack from feminists for being sexist with their emphasis on bathing suit competitions have tried to shift to the talent of the women. Scholarships are offered as prizes so that talented competitors may continue to develop their talents. Some people still put the emphasis on the monetary ...

3195. Behold The Man Who Takes Away Sin

John 1:29-34

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

G. K. Chesterton was once asked the question, "Why did you join the church so late in life?" He answered, "To get rid of my sins."1 That is a wonderful answer. It is still the solution for so many of the world's problems and the problems of people everywhere. So many of us know that there is something wrong, something which must be set right at some point along the way. And we want someone to set things right. Yet, many times we have the feeling that we cannot break through, cannot make the connection, ...

3196. Moving At The Speed Of Light: Unknown Apostles

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

How many people are helpful to us in a given stretch of time? How many are helpful to you in a given stretch of time? Folks whose names you may not know who go out of their way to help you out. A while back a mother was driving home, and an eruption of discontent came from the back seat -- two little boys who could not get along. She pulled off to the side of the road and stopped. Sensing there might be a mechanical failure, a police cruiser with two officers pulled up next to her inquiring if she needed ...

3197. Easter 5

Jn 13:31-35 · Acts 11:1-18; 13:44-52; 14:21-27 · Rev 21:1-6 · Ps 148

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 11:1-18 ; 13:33-52; 14:21-27 Peter reports the acceptance of the Gospel by the Gentiles. To understand this pericope, one needs to read chapter 10 concerning Peter's preaching to a Roman centurion and his household in Caesarea. The news of Peter's preaching to these Gentiles and their acceptance of the Gospel apparently came to the ears of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. When Peter explained what happened, the Jewish Christians praised God for admitting Gentiles into the Kingdom. ...

3198. Epiphany 6

Jeremiah 17:5-10, Luke 6:17-26, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Jeremiah 17:5-10 The heart of a human determines good or bad conduct. Biblical scholars are not agreed whether this pericope is by Jeremiah because the material is wisdom rather than prophetic literature. Corresponding to the Gospel lesson, the passage gives the woes (curses) and beatitudes (blessed) of those who do or do not trust Yahweh. It is a contrast of the shrub in the desert and the tree by the riverside. Verses 8-10 consist of a proverb with theological interpretation. ...

3199. Lent 5

John 7:45--8:11, Luke 20:9-19, John 12:1-11, Philippians 3:12-4:1, Philippians 3:1-11, Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 43:16-21 Yahweh promises to do a new thing for his people in exile. The "new thing" (v. 19) Yahweh promises is a new exodus from bondage in Babylon. The "former things" (v. 18) refer to the exodus from Egypt. As in the first exodus, Yahweh will make a way through the wilderness and provide water as the people cross 600 miles of desert from Babylon to Jerusalem. A third exodus is the sacrifice of Christ who redeemed us from the bondage of sin and who now provides food and ...

3200. The Babel Disaster -- You Are There

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

July 25, 1982 Comment: Up to this time, I had tried to handle thestory sermons myself. With the encouragement shown for mydramatic efforts of the earlier weeks that summer, I decidedto try to involve the congregation in a more direct way. That year, a large hotel in a major U. S. city hadcollapsed, killing scores and injuring hundreds. I saw thestory in a periodical which, unfortunately, I did not keep.The first interview in the script, the woman's experience,comes from that. With a few bits remembered ...

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