Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3201 to 3225 of 4946 results

3201. The Good Samaritan (Revised Edition)

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

"Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." — Luke 10:36-37 It was a dark, rainy summer night on a remote road. David was driving home to his lake cottage after a movie in the resort village. Going around a corner he thought he saw it. He slowed, wondering if he had seen correctly. He stopped, backed up in the driving rain, then moved his car toward the edge of the road ...

3202. Final Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Generally speaking, the report brought by Timothy concerning the church in Thessalonica was most heartening, and when Paul heard it, he offered thanks to God for their faith and love, for their hard work and hope. But in some respects there was room for improvement. Of particular concern was the relationship between the leaders of the church and the other members. Due perhaps to a restlessness provoked by uncertainty about the Parousia or by some other factor (see disc. on 4:11; 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6–13 and ...

3203. Submission to Rulers and Masters

1 Peter 2:13-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

Respect for Authority 2:13 What living the Christian life entails is now spelled out in some practical detail. Peter applies the admonition Submit yourselves to a series of relationships: to civil government (vv. 13–17), to slavery (vv. 18–20), to Christ himself (vv. 21–25), and to marriage (3:1–7). The relationship of Christians to the state was one which soon became problematic, for in the early centuries of the church all states not only were governed by pagans but included pagan worship within their ...

3204. Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites

Judges 1:1-36

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Judges 1:1–21 sets the stage for the book. It focuses upon the primacy of Judah, which will appear again at the close of the book, as a lead into the story of the united monarchy. Judah, in response to divine guidance, takes the lead in obeying God’s command to possess the land and is for the most part successful. The themes of leadership, unity, and land are especially highlighted, along with an introduction of the theme of disobedience (sin), which will develop into a dominant theme in the rest of the ...

3205. Jephthah

Jud 10:6–11:40

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Jephthah: Ammonite Oppression · Jephthah is not mentioned by name, but this section sets the stage, both generally and specifically, for his entrance on the scene. The author describes Israel’s deteriorating spiritual condition and interaction with God about their circumstances (vv. 6–16); more specifically, he begins to focus attention upon the events that directly led to Jephthah’s rise to leadership (vv. 17–18). The obvious emphasis in this section is upon the general, spanning as it does eleven verses ...

3206. The Last Passover

John 12:1-11

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

For the third time in John’s Gospel, the Passover is near (v. 55; cf. 2:13; 6:4), and for the second and last time (cf. 2:13), Jesus travels to Jerusalem to keep the festival. The early visit to Jerusalem involving the cleansing of the temple (2:13–22) had given the impression that Jesus’ Passion was about to begin, but it did not. Now the Passion is soon to begin, and the narrator creates an atmosphere of expectancy for his story. He does not immediately state that “Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (2:13), but ...

3207. Joy at Believers’ Walking in the Truth

3 John 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

Salutation and Good Wishes Third John is the shortest letter in the NT. The opening passage of 3 John identifies the writer and the reader, and includes, as was common in ancient personal letters, a health wish. Unlike 2 John, in which “the chosen lady and her children,” a local congregation, are addressed, 3 John was written to an individual. Third John 1, with its mention of love and truth, closely parallels 2 John 1, but the health wish (3 John 2) appears in place of the more traditional Christian ...

3208. Hezekiah’s Illness

Isaiah 38:1-22, Isaiah 39:1-8

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

A More Equivocal Response to Two Further Challenges: The background of these two further events is, again, Judah’s rebellion against Assyrian sovereignty. Yahweh’s promise of healing for Hezekiah also includes deliverance from Assyria (38:6), and an alternative chronology to the one presupposed in the Introduction does have Hezekiah living on for fifteen years after the Assyrian invasion, until 687/686 B.C. But a number of considerations suggest that the events in chapters 38–39 took place before those in ...

3209. The Coming of the Kingdom of God

Luke 17:20-37

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: The kingdom of God is already here, but there will be a future appearance of the Son of Man for which people will be unprepared. Understanding the Text The kingdom (reign) of God has been at the heart of the preaching of Jesus and his disciples since 4:43 (see note there). In 10:9, 11 it was said to “have come near” (cf. 11:20), while in 11:2 Jesus taught his disciples to pray for it as apparently something still future (cf. 9:27). Now a question from Pharisees invites Jesus to clarify this ...

3210. The Beast from the Sea (Antichrist)

Revelation 13:1b-10

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: Christians are called to faithful endurance when confronted by the beast from the sea, an evil force empowered by the dragon and determined to deceive the world, blaspheme God, and persecute believers. Understanding the Text As we continue through the interlude of 12:1–14:20, chapter 12 closes with Satan standing on the shore of the sea (12:18 in the Greek text but moved to 13:1 by some translations). Chapters 12 and 13 must be seen together. Having been prevented from reaching the woman, the ...

3211. The Census and Duties of Levites

Num 3:1–4:49

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: That which is holy must be guarded. Understanding the Text The census of Israel (Num. 1–2) is followed by the census of the Levites (Num. 3–4). The priests and Levites are not counted in the census of Numbers 1–2 because they are not to participate in the conquest in view of their sacred duties (see the sidebar). But in Numbers 3–4 they have their own census on different principles. In Numbers 3 they count every male from one month old and above who serves as a substitute for Israel’s firstborn. ...

3212. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

Daniel’s Success and Darius’s Decree (6:1-9): Big Idea: God may allow those who remain faithful to him and his word to experience jealous opposition from unbelievers in a hostile environment. Understanding the Text Daniel 6:1–28 is woven into the book’s overall literary structure in two ways. First, it advances the narrative of chapters 1–6, in which the first four focus on Nebuchadnezzar (chaps. 1–2 with historical markers and 3–4 without) and the last two show the transition from Belshazzar of Babylon to ...

3213. Beyond Judgment

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

James L. Killen

One day in 1957 Dr. Albert C. Outler, a prominent theologian who was not at all prone to sensationalism, returned from a White House-sponsored conference of theologians and scientists and announced to an assembly of students at his seminary that the industrial civilization as they knew it had only a few more years to live. The subject of the conference had been the nuclear arms race. The participants were informed that the United States and the Soviet Union had both built up huge arsenals of nuclear ...

3214. Here's Mud In Your Eye

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

"Just the facts, ma'am!" That phrase, often attributed to Sergeant Joe Friday of Dragnet fame, even though it did not originate with him, goes straight to the point. Now here is another "just the facts personality": Julius Caesar was admired for his ability to make uncluttered summations of his great achievements. In a few words Caesar could lay bare the story of his accomplishments. Perhaps none of his statements is any better known than that famous terse tricolon that has followed Caesar since his quick ...

3215. Come and See

John 1:29-42

Sermon

James L. Killen

"Come and see." Jesus spoke those words to two of the disciples of John the Baptist (John 1:39). Scholars have learned that the author of the fourth gospel often loads words with meanings that go far beyond what they might mean on the surface. That must certainly be true of this statement. John tells the story of the calling of the disciples a little differently from the way the other gospel writers tell it. John tells us that soon after Jesus was baptized, John was talking with some of his own followers ...

3216. In the Event of Power Failure

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Charley Reeb

A friend of mine once shared a story about his first visit to Niagara Falls. He said it was magnificent — the rush and roar of the water — the display of raw power. But as he looked upon the water gushing forth, he remembered a picture in a textbook. It showed Niagara Falls in the middle of winter, and much of the water was frozen. Big lightning-shaped forms of water were at a standstill. There was no movement, no action, no power. As my friend reflected on the picture, he thought how disappointing it ...

3217. The Transjordan Tribes

Numbers 32:1-42

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

Reuben and Gad: In the final chapters of Numbers, Israel is on the verge of entering Canaan. This chapter actually begins some of the distribution of the land. Questions of settled life become more pressing. 32:1–5 The chapter opens with a request that generates something of a crisis on the edge of the land. The tribes of Reuben and Gad seek to settle in the Transjordan and not to continue on across the Jordan River into Canaan. Verse 1 describes the Reubenites and Gadites as having very large herds and ...

3218. Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

6:5–6 A second important religious duty among the Jews was prayer. In the morning and in the evening the devout Jew would recite the Shema (three short passages of Scripture from Deuteronomy 6 and 11 and Numbers 15), and at nine in the morning, noon, and three in the afternoon he would go through the Shemoneh Esreh (the Eighteen Benedictions). Acts 3:1 notes that Peter and John went to the temple “at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.” According to Jewish custom, if you were in the streets at ...

3219. Nebuchadnezzer’s Dream of a Tree

Daniel 4:1-18

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The King Becomes a Beast-Man and Then Recovers: In terms of form, chapter 4 starts out as a letter from King Nebuchadnezzar addressed to all people everywhere. It begins in the first person with praise to God (4:1–3). Next, the king relates in his own voice the story of his dream (4:4–18). Then the account shifts to the third person for Daniel’s interpretation (4:19–27) and for the narrative of how the dream was fulfilled (4:28–33). Finally, the text reverts back to the first person as Nebuchadnezzar ...

3220. Laban Pursues Jacob

Genesis 31:22-55

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

31:22–24 Three days later, after Jacob left home in a secretive manner (31:17–21), Laban is informed that Jacob has fled. Immediately he gathered his relatives and pursued Jacob. After seven days, possibly a symbolic number for several days, Laban caught up with Jacob in the hill country of Gilead, close to four hundred miles away—a journey of more than seven days for one driving small herds. The night before Laban overtook Jacob, God warned Laban in a dream, restricting any hostile action he might be ...

3221. Deathbed Confessions

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Did you know that Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis and one of the most important figures of the early 20th century was a teller of jokes? He was. In fact, way back in 1915 he told a joke about a minister who was summoned by a group of anxious relatives. They wanted him to extract a deathbed conversion from an atheistic and unrepentant insurance salesman. The meeting between the minister and the insurance salesman took place, and the longer the meeting continued behind the hospital's closed ...

3222. Fake News? No! Fake Religion

Matthew 23:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

Best-selling author and popular Bible Study leader Liz Curtis Higgs tells about a lady from Texas named Mae who confessed to doing something that was quite embarrassing. She says that a few years ago she and her husband invited a couple to their home for dinner. The couple brought a pot of tulips as a gift. She says the tulips weren’t particularly pretty. They were in a clay pot with the bulbs partially sticking up out of the soil and they were an ugly color, but these were friends whom they saw often, ...

3223. Are You in the Right Place?

Matthew 6:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

Do you recall Ash Wednesday, 2018? Ironically, last year Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. I said at the time that it seemed to be a strange juxtaposition--Valentine’s and Ash Wednesday. But Valentine’s Day 2018 was different for another reason. It was the day when a shooting took place at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students and staff were fatally shot and seventeen others were wounded in that shooting, surpassing the Columbine High School ...

3224. Can We Really Love Our Enemies

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

I am often uncomfortable when someone tells me they love me. I am not talking about an honest affirmation, but about a critic who has just taken my hide off and concludes the shellacking with an account of her godly affection. "Brother Bayer, you are a rotten, no good, pagan, secular-humanist, but I want you to know that because I am Christian and I love you." Thanks just the same, but I'd rather be despised. Occasionally someone that I have a difficult time loving will cross my path. When I'm honest I ...

3225. Redemption

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (John 12:23-26) Prop: Seeds wrapped in wedding pouch ...

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