Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3226 to 3250 of 4935 results

3226. Holy Quail!

Exodus 16:1-36, Numbers 11:4-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Anyone here have cravings? What are your cravings? Coffee? Chocolate? Ice Cream? Truffles? Did you ever have that feeling when you just have to have something decadent? Your mouth wants to be naughty! Your eye catches that chocolate cake across the room! You watch it, you try not to, but you do. You can’t help yourself. And then, after all the restraint you can muster, you go for it. You eat the biggest piece you can. Later, you clutch your stomach all night long in pain. Too much chocolate!!! As a people ...

3227. A Personal Question Deserves a Personal Answer

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Roy Howard

One warm August night and only two of us standing on our neighbor’s deck. The others had gone inside to escape the heat and eat the dessert waiting in the cool kitchen. Alone on the deck in the descending darkness of early evening my neighbor asked, “So, how did you find the Lord?” It was not a question I was expecting at a neighborhood dinner party, or any party for that matter, where politics, religion, and conviviality don’t mingle with one another. It made me uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed. ...

3228. A Quantum Decision

Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you will remember that, on April 18, 2006, a new word entered our lexicon when President George W. Bush made a comment referring to himself as “the decider” during a press conference. A fine, decent man, Mr. Bush was simply asserting that he was the one who ultimately made important decisions in his administration. Let me ask you something: do you consider yourself a decisive person? I’m not talking about routine decisions like what to wear in the morning or which restaurant to choose for lunch. ...

3229. We Would Like to See Jesus

John 12:20-36

Sermon

King Duncan

If you could spend an evening hanging out with a celebrity, who would you want to hang out with? An organization named CharityBuzz is an online auction site that allows people all over the world to bid on exclusive experiences with world-famous celebrities. All the money raised goes to support various charities. You can bid on a private tour of the Vatican, or a golf game with a professional golfer and caddies, or a behind-the scenes tour of Conan O’Brien’s show with Conan himself as your tour guide. In ...

3230. Patience

Matthew 11:2-11 · James 5:7-10

Sermon

Will Willimon

"Be patient, therefore,...until the coming of the Lord." I begin this Third Sunday in Advent here in the Chapel preaching on the necessity for Christian patience. Advent is the Christian season of waiting and expectancy. Therefore it is also a season of patience, because what we really need in life can't be ours merely by wanting it. It must come as a gift from God, in God's own good time. Patience is needed. I will end today in the Chapel celebrating a wedding of a couple who waited until they were past ...

3231. Jesus' Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Will Willimon

As a young man, Jesus was led into the wilderness. There, the devil met him and tempted him. It is a tradition in the church to begin the forty days of Lent with Jesus' forty days of testing in the wilderness. It is fitting that we recall this story in a university chapel because (don't you agree?) it is at the beginning of your life, when one is a young adult, that one is most preoccupied with, "Who am I?" The who-am-I identity question is behind this strange, shadowy meeting with the devil in the ...

3232. Abiding by the Word

John 6:51-58

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Language is a fascinating medium. Without it, we cannot effectively communicate with each other. Language is our means for connection with the world, with each other, and also with God. For Christians and many other religions, sacred writings, for us the scriptures, not only give us a history of our faith and the people who came before us, but they also give us a window into what we believe about God, a measuring stick for truth, and a basis for how we wish to live. That said, language is an imperfect ...

3233. After Everyone Had Gone Home

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

John Jamison

It was over. The shepherds had gone back to their flocks. The three wise men had gone to wherever they were going, the other visitors that had come to see what was going on had drifted away to other things, and the animals had begun to settle back down in the straw. Mary was resting and the baby was sleeping soundly. Joseph looked around the room and let out a long, deep breath. “It was over.” He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, looking forward to a much-needed long night’s sleep. Then the ...

3234. The Debt of Love

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Let me ask you what for some of us might be a painful question. How genuine is your commitment to Christ? Is it primarily a Sunday morning exercise or does it encompass your whole life? I’m not asking this to make you feel guilty. My goal is to help each of us discover the full joy of our commitment to Christ. Our lesson today from St. Paul’s letter to the church at Rome gets right at the heart of our Christian faith. Listen closely to his words: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt ...

3235. The Inverting Promise

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 · Genesis 25:21-34

Sermon

Will Willimon

We're at the beginning of a new school year. And here, at the beginning, I plan to preach a series of sermons from Genesis, the first Bible book, whose title means "the beginning." Such a series is risky at the beginning. For one thing, if you don't like the first sermon in the series, will you return for more? When I was a child, our preacher announced a series of sermons on The Lord's Prayer. First week his text was "Our." Next week it was "Father." Then "Who Art." On and on. By the fifteenth sermon in ...

3236. Growing Into Our Scars

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Mary Austin

There’s something about a scar that begs for a story. When I see someone with an intriguing scar, I always want to know how they got it. It would be rude to ask, and so I don’t, but I keep hoping it will come up in conversation. I wonder what lesson is behind the stitches on the knee …what adventure brought the scar on the forehead…what happened right before the mark on the arm? Sometimes it’s a story of challenge and triumph. Other times it’s a painful reminder of a past hurt. But there’s always a story. ...

3237. “Lord, Our Lord, How Majestic Is Your Name in All the Earth!”

Psalm 8:1-9

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: God wrote his character into the world of nature, but as awesome as that is, it is no match for the mindful care of his human creation. Understanding the Text Psalm 8 immediately follows the pledge of Psalm 7:17 to sing praise to “the name of the Lord Most High” (7:17). Now the psalmist does that in majestic words that honor the majesty of the Name. As in the creation narrative of Genesis 1, the psalmist employs an economy of words that stylistically reveals the Creator’s orderly manner and ...

3238. Living By The Calendar Instead Of The Clock (New Year's)

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

This is the time of year that we look toward 2016 with new resolve, or observe how far we have wandered from last year's resolutions. Have you ever noticed that New Year's resolutions look strangely familiar? As a matter of fact, don't they most often look exactly like last year's resolutions? Too often in this season we look at the resolutions we made for our lives that we never got started. I was in a spiritual life retreat once with a group of clergy who were talking about the joys and pains of parish ...

3239. The Giver Becomes The Receiver

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sermon

Harold Warlick

The text for today lifts before us Yahweh's choice of the family of David as the vehicle for God's divine gift to humankind. Yet the message marked a transition in David's status. According to the passage, David wanted to build Yahweh a "house." He proposed to do what all self-serving rulers in that ancient world would have done. Much of Israel's worship life was well established at that point. The tent which housed the Ark of the Covenant was a recognized institution. A conviction began to emerge that God ...

3240. Service And Reward

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Social status may be determined by many factors. Some of these may be given by birth, genetics, or for reasons other than the achievement of the person. These include such things as color of skin and eyes, kind of hair, height, body build, gender, national origin, family's social position, inherited wealth, and age. Other factors may be determined by achievements through a person's efforts. These include such factors as level of education, employment, development of skills, hard work, wise investment, or ...

3241. Trinity Sunday

Romans 5:1-11, Proverbs 8:1-36, John 16:5-16

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 Wisdom was with Yahweh when he created the earth. Before the earth was created, Wisdom, a female figure, was created and observed Yahweh's bringing the world into shape: the earth, heavens, the boundaries of the sea, and the foundations of the earth. According to this passage, Yahweh did not create out of nothing, but ordered creation. The climax of creation is humanity in whom Wisdom delighted and rejoiced. In the Old Testament wisdom is used to express God' ...

3242. The Final Questions

John 6:60-71

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

We are all being taught by God. Jesus cited that in one of the lessons from John's gospel we have heard on the last four Sundays. We have been taught. We have learned. Today we have the final exam. The gospel poses a number of questions. They seem to be rhetorical, asked simply for effect. No answer seems to be expected. But how successful would a student be who, seeing his final examination, looks up and says to the instructor, "I assume all these questions are rhetorical"? Are you ready? Give answers to ...

3243. Eating Living Bread

John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Most Americans eat well. Three square meals a day is not uncommon. Indeed, many eat five or six times a day if coffee breaks, evening snacks, and other times of eating are counted in addition to breakfast, lunch, and supper. Drive through a town of any consequence and count the number of fast food places and restaurants that are found. At some corners of major roads or along a block or two of a busy thoroughfare you may find five to ten feeding establishments. It is not uncommon to find in close proximity ...

3244. Proper 14

Ephesians 4:17--5:21, 2 Samuel 18:1-18, John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Jesus is the Bread from heaven that truly satisfies us. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 David's son, Absalom, rebels against his father to gain the crown for himself. David splits his army into three parts and surprises Absalom's troops near a wooded area. The rebellious army is put into panic and Absalom flees into the woods on his donkey where his hair is caught in the thicket of a tree. He is left hanging there but is still alive. David had charged his men prior to battle not ...

3245. A Faith That Burns

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

"Conflict" is a dirty word in most churches. As Christians, we seek to avoid it at all costs and do so in the name of Christian love. We call it, "seeking the peace, unity and purity" of the church. And then Jesus comes along and says, "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34)," or as Luke has it, "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!" The words send us scurrying for explanations to reduce their caustic effect. But who is this whose words intrude ...

3246. Reformation Sunday

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

George Paul Mocko

A Book Misunderstood; Jerusalem the Great and Jerusalem the Golden; Away With the Sea and Tears and In With Love; and Faith in a God Who Can Do Anything. One of the best comedy routines I've ever seen on TV took place in the waiting room of a veterinarian. Among those gathered was a man with a huge box which shuddered and lurched about from the struggles of the creature inside. Strange growls, fur, feathers, and dust all came belching out. At one point the top flew open. The owner grabbed an umbrella, ...

3247. Your Spiritual Check up

2 Corinthians 13:1-10

Sermon

Erskine White

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are holding to your faith ... Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?" (2 Corinthians 13:5) We all know that having a physical checkup is important for our health and well-being. We're supposed to get one every year. But what about a spiritual checkup? Why shouldn't they be even more important and when was the last time you had one? "Examine yourselves," says Paul, "to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus ...

3248. Advent 1

Mark 13:1-31, Mark 13:32-37

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Theme: Signs of the end - The return of Christ symbolized by the fig tree. Liturgical Color: Green THE COMMUNITY GATHERS Consider this: Welcome to the party! How have you prepared for this party today? How we prepare for this weekly party will determine partly, how we prepare for the final one. The Scripture gives us signs; God gives us Spirit; the Church gives us symbols. Continue with this litany between pastor and people: Pastor: Here is God's Word to us. Don't get stuck in the past; Update your faith. ...

3249. How To Bring Tears To Jesus' Eyes

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not." And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that even today, you knew the things that make for peace." (Luke 13:34; 19:41-42) Bill and Judy were traveling across the country with their six children, ages three to thirteen. They made a rest stop, and everyone jumped back into the car, ...

3250. Trinity Sunday

Jn 16:12-15 · Rom 5:1-5 · Prov 8:22-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Proverbs 8:22-31 Wisdom was with Yahweh when he created the earth. Before the earth was created, wisdom, a female figure, was created and observed Yahweh's bringing the world into shape: the earth, heavens, the boundaries of the sea, and the foundations of the earth. According to this passage, Yahweh did not create out of nothing, but ordered creation. The climax of creation is humanity in whom wisdom delighted and rejoiced. In the Old Testament wisdom is used to express God's self-disclosure in ...

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