Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 301 to 325 of 606 results

301. Opening and Closing Doors

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... the end of the book, Dr. Fisher became very serious. This is what he said. “What was needed, I felt sure, was some new and enlightened recipe for living a sane and satisfying life — a recipe compounded from all the accumulated scientific knowledge acquired through study and research. I dreamed of writing a handbook that would be simple, practical, easy to under stand and easy to follow, It would tell people how to live —— what thoughts and attitudes to cultivate, what pitfalls to avoid in seeking ...

302. Characteristics of the Church

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... leading us to a secular society has been the educational factor. Our schools may not teach Johnny to read properly, but the fact that Johnny is in school until he’s 16 tends to lead toward the elimination of religious superstition. The average child now acquires a high school education, and this militates against Adam and Eve and all other myths of alleged history.” (The Commercial Appeal, Aug 5, 1986, an article by Dr. D. L. Cuddy.) Do you catch the spirit of that? A kind of arrogant, snide reference ...

303. Knowing When To Run

Genesis 39:1-2, 6b-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... eyes on him and said come to bed with me." This goes on for days. It is all about lust, but not much about love. It is all about intensity and desire, but hardly anything about intimacy. Lust dehumanizes persons turning people into things to acquire, prizes to win, objects to control. Intensity empowers the desire, but it lacks the common ground of intimacy. “What's love got to do with it?" we might ask out of this Old Testament episode and we might rightfully say, “Absolutely nothing." The tragedy of ...

304. The Difference Disciples Make

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the moment. In fact, you usually don’t know it is there unless it happens to be missing. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” You don’t have salt, you don’t spread salt, you don’t share salt, you don’t buy salt, you don’t acquire salt—you ARE the salt of the earth. The second simile is like the first. II. YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A city set on a hill shall not be hidden. Several years ago I hired a pilot with a one-engine airplane to fly Sandy and me ...

305. Can the Rich Be Saved?

Mark 10:17-27

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” Money has a way of controlling us. The super wealthy seldom think they have enough and the middle class, who are really quite cared for, continue to buy bigger houses than we need, acquire more cars than we can drive and have more clothes than we can ever wear. Too many of us spend money we don’t have to buy things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like. We are forever and endlessly drowning in debt ...

306. From Lust to Love

1 Corinthians 13: 1

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... early part of the 20th century a Jewish philosopher by the name of Martin Buber tried to distinguish between human connections that are mainly "I-It" relationships and those interactions which are primarily "I-Thou" relationships. In "I-It" relationships we seek to acquire and possess. In "I-Thou" relationships we seek to connect with the mystery of another's being. Therein lies the primary difference between love and lust, a problem according to Jesus as serious as adultery. Let's take a closer look. How ...

307. Lessons from a Fool

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... the rich landowner in Jesus’ parable, we have to build bigger houses and bigger garages just to hold our stuff. Some of us even have so much that we rent mini-warehouses to hold it all. Does it make us happy? No. We’ve simply become addicted to acquiring. Randy Alcorn in his book The Treasure Principle describes our problem like this: “It’s a matter of basic physics. The greater the mass, the greater the hold that mass exerts. The more things we own the greater their total mass the more they grip us ...

308. A Just and Simple Lifestyle

Lk 12:13-21

Illustration

King Duncan

... rich landowner in Jesus' parable, we have to build bigger houses and bigger garages just to hold our stuff. Some of us even have so much that we rent mini-warehouses to hold it all. Does it make us happy? No. We've simply become addicted to acquiring. Randy Alcorn in his book The Treasure Principle describes our problem like this: "It's a matter of basic physics. The greater the mass, the greater the hold that mass exerts. The more things we own the greater their total mass, the more they grip us, setting ...

309. Cheering from the Stands

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... of another generation, Mario Lanza. Following school, Merrill Womach married his college sweetheart and started a music company. He also established himself as a Christian singer and performed concerts in churches across the country. While doing all this, Womach acquired a pilot’s license. He often flew himself to his concerts. In November 1961 while flying from San Diego to Spokane, Womach’s plane developed mechanical problems over southern Oregon. Womach did his best to make an emergency landing ...

310. Letting Go of Our Nets

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... lies ahead of us when we respond. Not only do the four men leave quickly when Jesus calls them, but they leave everything behind. Even though fishing was hard work, it was their livelihood. They had invested time in learning the trade, acquiring fishing rights, procuring boats and equipment. A person didn't become a successful commercial fisherman overnight. In both cases, Jesus calls the new disciples in the middle of an important activity. Simon and Andrew had just cast their net. Apparently, they did ...

311. With a Firm Foundation, Application Is Second Nature

Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... -mud." What is new and fresh and customized to your needs is what attracts us and makes us yearn. America and a lot of its religious convictions teach us that you've got to be flexible and think about what's in your own self-interest, about acquiring or being in the presence of what makes you seem like a winner.13 Martin Luther put it just right one time while explicating today's gospel lesson. It is as if he understood contemporary American dynamics: I am convinced that if someone were to arise here today ...

312. The Land Where Our Fathers Had Lived

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... :7; 13:14-17; 15:18-21; 17:8). Abraham lived out his days as an alien there in that land of Canaan. By the time he died, the only plot of land that he could claim as his own was a field he had purchased so that he could acquire the cave within it as a burial ground for his wife, Sarah. But while only an acre or two may have been registered in his name at the county courthouse, God had promised to give his descendants possession of that whole land, as far as the eye could see. Abraham ...

313. Eat and Run

Exodus 12:1-14

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... . Jesus and his disciples were in the midst of celebrating that commemorative holiday meal, when Jesus embarked on words and actions so familiar to us, but undoubtedly strange and troubling to the disciples. The Jewish observance of the Passover meal had acquired layers of symbolic elements and practices, and from its inception it was clearly understood as a teaching tool — "When your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this observance?' " (Exodus 12:26). But in Jesus' association of the bread with ...

314. Sentimental Slaves

Exodus 16:2-15

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... "good old days." I think it comes naturally to us as human beings. I don't believe that every yesterday is better than every tomorrow, but I do think that it is part of our nature to long for former times. Perhaps that was an instinct the human race acquired when our first parents were evicted from Eden. Perhaps it has been part of our emotional DNA ever since to long for better days gone by. If you've found yourself in a group of people who share a common past, you know the group dynamics of reminiscing ...

315. Not All of This Is Me

Deuteronomy 8:7-18

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... from the elements ... enough was a little help for a friend in need and debt to no one. There is something perverse about more than enough. When we have more, we never have enough. It's always somewhere out there, just out of reach. The more we acquire, the more elusive enough becomes." In our materialistic world, we never seem to have enough, we always want more, we never seem to be satisfied. The question for us to ponder this Thanksgiving is, "How can we remain faithful when we have so much?" Most of us ...

316. Boast in Our Suffering

Romans 5:1-8

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... endure, then you grow in character. And if you grow in character, then you can have hope. And if you have hope, then you will not be disappointed. No, on the contrary, Paul reverses it all. This amazing ability to boast in his suffering is not an acquired skill but a gracious gift. Paul reminds us, "Because God's love has been poured into our hearts" (v. 5), this amazing attitude and disposition is possible. Then Paul reminds us of the basis of his optimistic conviction about the love of God. It has nothing ...

317. Mentoring Matters

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... dignity and acceptance as he transforms his physical weakness into strength of heart, mind, and spirit. Morrie worries about leaving his family impoverished with his overwhelming medical bills, a real and practical concern. As a successful and proven writer, Mitch acquires a substantial advance for his book Tuesdays with Morrie, enabling him to relieve Morrie of financial concerns and to extend financial assistance to Morrie's wife. Morrie Schwartz dies, but lives on in the hearts of his family and friends ...

318. Tomb It May Concern

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... , don't we? We all know that losing a loved one is never easy under any circumstance. We can walk through cemeteries and learn a great deal about families from reading grave markers. We discover dates of birth for those of you who have already acquired your grave markers, and we know whose family members were veterans. Tragically, we learn of those who have had to bury young children. We also know, of course, that at the time of death, the healthy grief process requires many tears, many words, many embraces ...

319. How, Then, Shall We Live?

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... buff, and after retirement, he enjoyed spending his free time as a guide at the Museum of American History. He began to portray historical figures at the museum while guiding school children through the exhibits. Shopping on-line, Ben had acquired a few period costumes, complete with white wigs. He delved into the lives of these figures, sharing their trials, tribulations, and achievements with the visiting students. Benjamin Franklin was Ben's favorite character, possibly because they shared the same first ...

320. Legacies of Power

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... or ingratiate himself with the powers-that-be in order to use their influence. Instead, he defies and insults them. Jesus intentionally makes friends with those who have no power at all. He befriends the homeless, the destitute, the lepers, the prostitutes, and the ignorant. Jesus acquires no wealth, and his notoriety is closer to infamy than to fame. This is no way to control the events of history. This is no way to stop the mighty power of Rome or the terror of Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah. Yet, the power Jesus ...

321. The True Marks of Success

Luke 14:1-14

Illustration

R. Robert Cueni

... "success": the ability to discern and appreciate beauty, the ability to see the best in others, and a commitment to leaving the world a better place. Notice that Emerson does not say that success comes in having the best seat at the table, acquiring more material possessions, or in belonging to the best clubs. Emerson contends that success comes with appreciating God's world, developing loving relationships with God's people, and with working to improve God's world. Jesus would agree heartily. In fact, our ...

322. Shrewdness in Business

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

King Duncan

... . They sold whatever they could get at healthy margins. Neckerman saw this as an opportunity. If only he could position his store as the low-cost, high-value leader, he could build the enterprise of his dreams. As it happened, Neckerman managed to acquire a large shipment of spools of thread. Thread was in great demand in those days. Clothes also were in short supply. Women were constantly repairing their families' old garments. The obvious step for Neckerman would have been to sell these spools of thread ...

323. No Black Dots

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Illustration

When Benjamin Franklin was 27 years old, he decided he would take control of his life. He selected 12 virtues he wanted to acquire, and kept a daily chart of his progress in the development of each one. Whenever he missed the mark, he put a black dot beside that virtue. His goal was to ultimately have no dots on the chart. This method contributed to Franklin's success as an inventor, publisher, and statesman.

324. A Small Man Who Was Given a Big Heart

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... tax collector and later became bishop of Caesarea. That’s an ancient legend. We’re not certain it is true. But it very easily could be. We know that something dramatic happened in Zacchaeus’ life. This man who had lived only for himself and what he could acquire reached out in restitution to those he had cheated and he shared half of everything he had left with the poor. If it could happen to a man as sleezy as Zacchaeus, it could happen to you and me. Nancy Leigh DeMoss once put it like this: “When ...

325. When the Church Becomes a Culture of Complainers and Crusaders, What To Do?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... every amount of money imaginable. She has spent half a lifetime on touring the sights and galleries of the world’s greatest art. And she has now become bored and weary. Then she meets a Frenchman who has no money but a love for beauty and a self-acquired knowledge of art. And in his company, suddenly things became different. In her words, “I never knew what things were like until you taught me how to look at them.” Paul never stops telling everyone he meets that life is like that. When we see life in ...

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