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Showing 3226 to 3250 of 4490 results

3226. Proper 13

Luke 12:13-21, Psalm 49:1-20, Ecclesiastes 2:17-26, 2 Kings 13:10-25, Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Liturgical purists might call this "skin them alive" Sunday, according to the long-standing tradition that St. Bartholomew, whose day may be celebrated near this Sunday, depending on the lectionary followed and calendar year, was actually skinned while alive. Of course, that is only conjecture and the truth is that no one knows for certain when he died, or how, or where. In iconography, St. Bartholomew is represented by a skinning knife and a book, and sometimes he is pictured holding a ...

3227. Proper 14

Hebrews 11:1-40, Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Genesis 15:1-18, Luke 12:35-48

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The kerygmatic theology, which is built into the church year framework for the liturgy, is almost imperceptible by this Sunday, the middle of the Pentecost cycle/season. There are more evident signals coming to the church from the calendar year. Summer is nearly over. Labor Day sees the beginning of fall activities - the end of vacation time, back to school and college for students, rally day in Sunday church schools, resumption of rehearsals, and planning for stewardship programs in less ...

3228. Christ Is Coming…

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

James Garrett

Today is the start of the season of Advent. A season of anticipation. A season of hope and waiting. It is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. It has been said: “The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment.”1 Jesus shares with his disciples concerning his second coming. An extraordinary thing… matched only by the extraordinary moment before it happens. A strange text for the season of ...

3229. Act III, Scene 2

John 21:1-14

Sermon

John M. Braaten

Each year we in the church are involved in a great drama. Although the script is ancient, thousands of years old, its message is as new as today and as hopeful as tomorrow. It has been played out on countless stages throughout the world, and the story is so incredible that in spite of its constant retelling, it never grows stale, is never irrelevant. It is always fresh, always worth hearing and it always brings healing and strength. Act I, Scene 1 of this churchwide drama began with the season of Advent as ...

3230. A Sign Of Divine Protection

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

There is an American insurance company whose advertisements seek to convince consumers that they are in good hands when insured by them. All companies, including insurance companies, are in business to make a profit, not to do the consumer a favor. They may receive a benefit as a result of your doing business, but if the company is not profitable, it ceases to exist. Capitalism is at the heart of the American society. The cost of protecting houses and contents, automobiles and boats as well as life itself ...

3231. An Our Good Works And Generosity

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Jesus was giving his famous Sermon on the Mount. In the middle of it he looked at the disciples from his sitting position (as was customary for Jewish rabbis of the first century when they were teaching). And Jesus said: "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 6:1)." To whom was Jesus referring with these words? He was probably talking here and at other points in the sermon about the Pharisees. ...

3232. A Plan For Difficult Times

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

Appropriately Impressed! They were impressed! Mark's gospel quotes the comment Jesus overhead in the opening of today's lesson: "Look Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" The contemporary Roman/Jewish historian Josephus writes that the temple "appeared from a distance like a snow-clad mountain, for all that was not overlaid with gold was of purest white." This temple built by Herod was as massive and awesome up close as it was at a distance. Though called the Second Temple to this day, it ...

3233. Don’t Be Alarmed

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

In the Des Moines Register was a story titled, “Man, Believed Killed by Log, Sits on It.” “It happened in Hamburg, Wisconsin. William Bartelt, 71, of Hamburg, was recovering in a Wausau hospital Saturday after friends gave him up for dead after a log struck him on the head. Bartelt was hit by a limb cut down by his hired hand at his central Wisconsin farm, officials said. The limb knocked him out and the hired hand, Gerhardt Stueber, determined that Bartelt was not breathing and called relatives to the ...

3234. Deaths, Our Teacher

Psalm 90:1-17

Eulogy

Allen Puffenberger

Part 1. Peaceful Death For an Eighty-four-year-old Woman The outline of this meditation has enabled me to address a number of the vital issues that are raised by death. The message is wide enough that it can be comforting to the bereaved, regardless of the circumstances of their loved one's death. The four points are greatly strengthened by references to the deceased's life - here, that of "Eve, " who was one of my parishioners. Even if the pastor has not known the deceased, an interview with his or her ...

3235. For a Cancer Victim

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Eulogy

James W. Robinson

Mary at the Party Mary, for thirty years a recovering alcoholic, and afflicted with cancer, "kept on keeping on" with faith, hope, love, and unquenchable cheer, until she crossed life's final finish line. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." So said Paul in his letter to his young friend, Timothy. In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul also referred to a race. He wrote, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." ( ...

3236. Peacemaker -- A Liturgy

Drama

Thomas A. Renquist

Dag Hammarskjold Date: September 18 The Entrance Rite The Prelude The Opening Plainsong (Solo Voice): “Grant Peace, We Pray, In Mercy, Lord.” Hymn: “God The Omnipotent” The Greeting: P: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. The Theme Of The Day Reader 1: Dag Hammarskjold died ________ years ago today -- September 18, 1961. At the time of his death he had been Secretary General of the United Nations for eight years. He died in a ...

3237. Stairways Of Heaven

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Justin Tull

Our narrative begins with Jacob’s sending his family across the Jabbok stream while staying behind to spend the night alone. Tomorrow he must face his brother, Esau, whom he has not seen since he escaped after stealing Esau’s blessing and having fleeced him out of his birthright. Jacob does not know how his brother will receive him… but several possibilities have occurred to him -- none of them positive. It should come as no surprise that Jacob got little sleep that night. Who could sleep well, knowing ...

3238. Altered Expectations

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

We’ve talked a little these past weeks about family Christmas traditions, how different families have different rituals or things they just do every year because that’s what they’ve always done. Well, churches have Christmas traditions, too, don’t they? One of Snow Creek’s Christmas traditions, for example, is the annual Christmas program. The church I grew up in had a Christmas program every year, too. They called it a Christmas PAGEANT, and the centerpiece of the Christmas pageant was a reenactment of ...

3239. Does Love Make You Sorry?

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

Are you one of those who thinks that a true Christian is always happy? A drummer in a Salvation Army band hit his bass drum with all his might - BOOM, BOOM! The band leader suggested that it might be better if he did not hit the drum so hard. "Bless ya, sir!" explained the drummer. "Ever since I was converted, I am so happy that I could just bust this bloomin' drum!" The truth is that a Christian has times when tears are in order. In Ecciesiastes, we are told that there is "a time to weep and a time to ...

3240. I Cried All the Way Home

John 16:17-33

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice." (John 16:22) "Parting is such sweet sorrow" is a common saying. When parting comes for us, we may have our doubts about the "sweet" part, but we are sure of the "sorrow." It is sorrow for the one leaving. A certain man and woman were deeply in love, but they lived a thousand miles apart. Because of their work, they got to visit each other only at three-week intervals. They took turns flying to each other. After one such visit ...

3241. T.G.I.F

John 1:43-51

Sermon

William Luoma

[A Message for Good Friday. Bulletin outline found below.] Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see. Early in his Galilean ministry, Jesus invited Philip to follow him. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth." Nathanael responded somewhat sarcastically, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip's simple answer was the challenge that is still given to ...

3242. Encounters With Christ IV: Jesus and the Woman at the Well

Sermon

James W. Moore

James W. Moore of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Houston tells a story about one of his minister friends. His name is Tom and he does a fascinating thing each month. Even though he has an extremely busy schedule (because he serves as pastor of one of the finest churches in our nation)… still he makes the time each month to go down to the homeless shelter in his city to work in their soup kitchen. After the homeless people have been fed, he then invites them to join him in a service of Holy Communion ...

3243. A Pilgrim Recounts

Psalm 107:1-43

Drama

Edward G. Hunter

A Dramatic Monologue My name is Silas. I am one of the original 103 pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower from England to America, in the year of our Lord, 1620. I have now been in the new world for ten years, and each year since we first arrived we have celebrated three days of Thanksgiving in November. It is on that first day of thanksgiving, November 29, 1630, that I wish to recount some of the trials and tribulations we underwent in our journey to this new land. I need to tell you why we made the 10- ...

3244. An Empty Tomb

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Robert Allen

Perhaps you saw the story on the news about a couple who had adopted a little girl when she was only two or three weeks old. They accepted the child into the home. They grew to love the child. They watched her grow and develop. But, for some reason, the little girl didn't grow and develop normally. She is now two-and-one-half years old and the doctors have told these adoptive parents that their little girl is mentally retarded and she will never be the normal child they wanted. The reason this story made ...

3245. To See Your Face Is Like Seeing The Face Of God

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

James Angell

If you could deliver one sermon, what would you speak about? Though the question sounds trite, it has sometimes been asked of most preachers - usually in a half-serious way. What text, truth, or character has come to fill your heart's imagination, changed your life, or made you eager to use one big chance to share it with others? For me, the answer is in the story of the reconciliation in the desert between Esau and Jacob, years after the stealing of the birthright, where, comforted by Esau's forgiveness, ...

3246. The Stewardship of Money in the Modern Church

2 Corinthians 9:11, 12

Sermon

Dr. John Thompson Peters

For the Christian Church the problem of money, its need and her attitude towards money, has been an ever present one from New Testament days forward. Some of our Lord's sternest and sharpest teachings, as for example the incident of the widow's mite, the parable of the talents, the alabaster box, and many others deal with money. In the early church the tragedy which overcame Ananias and Sapphira was a money matter and an example of how many who started out to follow Christ fell out over money and its use. ...

3247. The Call of the Disciples - James, A Fisher of Men

Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Drama

Thomas Blowers

A Dramatic Monologue My name is James and I was one of the twelve selected by Jesus to follow him. I still remember the first time I saw him. I looked down the shore of the lake down to where Simon and Andrew were fishing and I saw a stranger approach. Usually Dad, my younger brother, and I were first to reach the shore of the lake to begin a day of fishing, but for some reason that morning Simon and Andrew had a head start. So while we were still mending our nets, they were already off shore casting for ...

3248. Remember That You Are Not Alone

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Robert V. Dodd

You have a wealth of resources in Christ! We had just moved into our new parsonage and we were right in the middle of unpacking when the doorbell rang. I went to the door, and there stood two women who engaged me in a friendly but general conversation. Supposing that they were members of my new congregation, I invited them inside. But as it turned out, they were Jehovah's Witnesses who were in our community to make evangelistic calls. During our conversation I learned that one of the women had formerly ...

3249. Why I Believe In The Resurrection

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Brett Blair

You probably do not remember the name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin. During his day he was as powerful a man as there was on earth. A Russian Communist leader he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution 1917, was editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda (which by the way means truth), and was a full member of the Politburo. His works on economics and political science are still read today. There is a story told about a journey he took from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly on the subject of atheism ...

3250. The Footwashing

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

It was an audacious act on her part, wasn’t it? Imagine an uninvited guest crashing a dinner party, throwing herself at the feet of the guest of honor, and washing his feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and anointing them with precious ointment. Not only that, she was a woman with a reputation; everybody knew that she was a "sinner." But that knowledge didn’t stop her from entering Simon’s home uninvited and unannounced; rather her self-knowledge - her awareness of her sinful estate and her ...

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