Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 3201 to 3225 of 3314 results

3201. The Lighted Path

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of years. For many, it’s a sign of hope in the world that things will soon be better. Light for us signals something inside of us that triggers joy, hope, and even faith. In John the Baptist’s witness to the coming Messiah as told by John the apostle, he uses the metaphor of “light” to talk about the presence of God coming into the world to renew it, change it, give it hope. John tells his listeners that he has come to testify to the light. What he is saying is that he has seen it, witnessed ...

3202. The Clues Are There

Luke 2:22-40

Sermon

Michael L. Sherer

... anymore. Luke presents them to us as individuals who have something to contribute, even in — or perhaps, especially because of — old age. (This concern for the vulnerable elderly surfaces again in Luke’s second book of scripture, the Acts of the Apostles, where the first faith community, in Jerusalem, devises a system to care for aging widows.) But the story of Simeon and Anna contains another clue to this gospel writer’s priorities. Luke wants to introduce to his readers and hearers, including ...

3203. The Foot-board of the Pulpit and the Floor of the Parlor

Ephesians 3:1-12

Sermon

Ron Love

... regarding religion. What we do need is a sincere faith that can express what Jesus means to us personally. If we share the gospel with heartfelt sincerity, then the individual to whom we speak will be able to accept our lack of biblical knowledge. The apostle Paul began our lectionary reading for this morning by saying he was called to preach the gospel message. Paul wrote, “Of this gospel I have become a servant…to bring the news of the boundless riches of Christ.” Paul understood that his role was ...

3204. Get the Picture?

John 18:1; 19:42

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

... . You felt the pain of the loss, you’ve witnessed their approach to death, and you grieved when it finally came. Grandchildren and children have watched as a loved one expired after a painfully long period of slowly dying. You understand. The apostle John stood next to Mary, Christ’s mother, steadying her in this moment of anguish while he felt his own tremendous depression and pain. Others stood there too — some mocking some jeering, some in pain, some just waiting for the afternoon’s entertainment ...

3205. Celebrating the Virtue of Humanity

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... 8:1-11), the sinful woman who anointed Jesus feet with oil, (Luke 7:36-50) and the forgiveness he offered to the woman in Samaria (John 4:1-43) are only three examples of the compassion of Christ. When Jesus called Matthew to be one of his apostles he reminded the self-righteous Pharisees, “Go and learn what this means, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For you have come to call not the righteous but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). Jesus’ compassion were shared with all; so should it be with all of us. Humbling ...

3206. How Faithful Are We?

1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... from the people was a lie. As Paul wrote, Jesus, although God, chose to humble himself to take on the human state, to suffer and die so that we could find eternal life. On this Maundy Thursday, when Jesus eats his Last Supper with his apostles before his suffering and death, Saint Paul, in the earliest chronological account of the institution of the sacrament of Communion, describes the fidelity of Jesus in leaving behind his presence among us. While God, like Mrs. Dowson, has ever been faithful to us, we ...

3207. Rising to New Life

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... way of life as a persecutor of Christ and his followers, he did not deem himself worthy of such an honor. Because Paul was granted this meritorious honor, he realized that it was incumbent upon him to work harder than others in his role as the apostle to the Gentiles. From his own experience, Paul understood what resurrection meant. From the perspective of Christ and his followers Paul was dead until Jesus came to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). Because Paul understood what it meant to move from ...

3208. Fever Pitch

Mark 1:29-39

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... as Jonah did, sit under a tree and wait for things to pass. But Jesus instead tells us, now more than ever, this is the time for mission. This is your chance to proclaim a hope and a different future. Don’t let the doldrums keep you from being the apostle Jesus designed you to be. Don’t let the familiar keep you from doing the spectacular.

3209. The Love Cloud

Mark 9:2-9

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , we need to allow Jesus to shine His holy light into our lives and hearts, so that our very souls are transfigured into a vehicle and a beacon of His light and hope. To be the hands and feet of God, to be Christian healers and disciples and apostles to a world in pain, a world that struggles to love, we need to pull ourselves back, and allow Jesus instead to shine. When we are “in love” with someone, we call that “having our heads in the clouds.” It’s not exactly in our culture a compliment ...

3210. All Wrapped Up

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... therefore a miracle and a significant statement in itself that Jesus chose first to make himself known to a woman, to Mary Magdalene, a woman apparently with faith much deeper and more convicting than any of Jesus’ other disciples. She is the first apostle, the first witness to the resurrection and to the risen Jesus. Even in resurrection, especially in resurrection, does Jesus turn the tables upside down on cultural expectations and the bias of his day. In delivering this message to Mary and appearing to ...

3211. I Doubt It!

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

... does not commit themselves to that sort of future unless they are loyal and truly brave. He obviously believed in his master and also believed that Jesus was the Messiah. What caused this brave and loyal follower to doubt the statements by his fellow apostles that Jesus was risen from the dead and that they had seen him? Psychologists who have studied doubt tell us that there are various reasons. It could be an emotional reaction to a disappointing event. It is like that old saying goes, “Burn me once ...

3212. Don't Fall

Luke 22:39-46

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

... It says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” According to the apostle Paul we must first realize that temptation is going to come. Even if you put one at bay another will raises its ugly little head. It is common for every one of us. Then know absolutely that God is faithful and will strengthen you. He will not allow ...

3213. Written In Stone

Luke 24:36b-48

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... third day, according to the scriptures, that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve, then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, the majority of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as it were to one born at the wrong time, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) Paul will spend his entire ministry proclaiming that first and only important hallmark of what it means to be Christian: Christ Jesus ...

3214. Love Is a Verb

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

... town that wants it. Volunteers come from every church in town to help out. This is the verb love. It is the act of loving one another. Why would Jesus tell the disciples on his last night with them that they needed to love another? Why did the apostle Paul say in First Corinthians the “greatest of these is love?” When difficult times come we sometimes need someone to help us cry. When good times come we need to celebrate with people who actually care about our joy. In his excellent book, The Mark of a ...

3215. The Power to Witness

Luke 24:44-53 · Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... not only in the here and now, but in what being a Christian will mean in your future and in the future of the world. Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? Prove it. [Here you may optionally recite the Apostles Creed.]

3216. Together In One Place

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... Jewish people from all over the eastern world came to Jerusalem to participate in the festival. And it was at this time, under these conditions, that the Spirit of God was poured out upon the followers of Jesus. Luke describes it in The Acts of the Apostles, like this: He begins by briefly setting the stage. It’s the day of Pentecost and “they were all together in one place.” They were all Jews so, presumably, they had all come together to celebrate the Feast of Weeks with other Jews in Jerusalem at ...

3217. Walking with God

Acts 2:1-21 · John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... our advocate and guide, has been sent to each and every one of us to guide us and comfort us, advocate on our behalf, and lead us into the future, proclaiming Christ risen, calling for repentance, and granting forgiveness to all God’s people wherever they reside. To be an apostle of Christ is to be a traveler, not to be in our homes or buildings or behind closed doors, but to be a traveler on the roads and byways of life with the Holy Spirit by our side, our eyes and ears and our compass in the world, so ...

3218. Walking in the Way of Love

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sermon

King Duncan

... alone. (2) I hate to disagree with world travelers and endurance athletes, but I think the hardest walk any person will ever take is the walk mentioned in our Bible passage this morning: walking in the way of love, in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Ephesus to teach them in practical terms how to be the Church. But how do you describe something that is brand-new, that has never existed before? The early church was made up of rich and poor persons, Jews ...

3219. The Dean's Dilemma

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... , if an angel suddenly appeared to you and offered you the choice of infinite wealth, infinite beauty or infinite wisdom, which would you choose? The choice gets a little easier now, doesn’t it? Our Bible passage this morning was written by the Apostle Paul, who understood “The Dean’s Dilemma” better than most of us. Before he became a follower of Christ, he had been a member of the Pharisees, an influential Jewish sect that practiced strict, legalistic observance of Jewish traditions and religious ...

3220. How to Beat a Stress Test

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... made me think about how useful a stress test really is. What if you could get a dress rehearsal that would prepare you for the challenges and heartbreaks and battles of life? Two weeks ago, I talked about a passage from Ephesians 4, and how the apostle Paul was trying to get people from every segment of ancient Roman society to envision a new kind of community, a community based on equality and sacrificial love, something that had never been seen before. Ephesians 4, 5 and part of 6 also challenge believers ...

3221. Not Your Lips, but Your Life

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... are-you-a-fan-or-a-follower-kyle-idleman-sermon-on-commitment-to-christ-150356?ref=SermonSerps. 7. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/brennan_manning_531776. 8. Dennis Davidson, https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/beholding-the-glory-dennis-davidson-sermon-on-apostle-paul-187874?ref=SermonSerps. 9. Frank Cox, “Take Your Burdens to the Lord,” pastorlife.org. Cited by Dr. Steve Andrews, https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-kingdom-living-seek-first-righteousness-matthew-6. 10. “Living Inside Out ...

3222. The Organic Gospel

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... achieving recognition, growing the church. Even Paul never speaks about growing the church. He only speaks about spreading the good news and loving each other. The growth of the kingdom, the growth of the church, happens organically when disciples and apostles take their role as “nurturers,” “fruit-bearers,” “spreaders,” and “seeders” seriously. And it not for us to worry about, fret about, strategize about, or attain through our various own means. But God is a God of resurrections. And God ...

3223. Christ and the Magic Cloak

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... person, from your church, from among you, so that when anyone comes near to you or into this space, they know in their very souls that God is here in this place, that Christ resides in you. And that’s a powerful witness. When Jesus sent out his apostles to minister and carry out His mission of the gospel, he instructed them to heal. The Holy Spirit blew amidst them and within them and filled them with Christ’s glory, presence, and power. And they too were able to heal and proclaim Jesus to everyone who ...

3224. Feasting on Love

John 6:24-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... him to nurture you, fill you, and infuse you with God’s promise now and always. And remember, you are filled not only so that you can expand your life but that so you now can expand and nurture the lives of others. Go out and be the disciples and apostles you were called to be. Be fulfilled. And be blessed, so that you can be a blessing to others, all of God’s children. Feed them. Keep them safe. Nurture and love them. And guide them to the Bread that is Christ Jesus.

3225. Abiding by the Word

John 6:51-58

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . Not only that, in doing so, we lose the depth of spiritual truth that the scriptures were meant to convey about God, Jesus, and ourselves. This is what Jesus is experiencing in his encounter with his contemporaries as told by the apostle John today. Jesus is explaining something spiritually and metaphorically. His contemporaries –whether purposefully or not—are taking what he is saying factually and literally. Jesus is explaining to them an important truth about God and himself. They are missing the ...

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