Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3276 to 3300 of 4914 results

3276. Time to Come Home

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

Family reunions are amazing things. I don't know if you've ever had the experience, but in these days with families flung far and wide, they are at once, increasingly rare and increasingly important. Some may remember that in the not too distant past, families lived relatively close to one another. But today, for a host of socio-economic reasons that we won't explore, families are often spread out over thousands of miles. Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and parents often don't see one another for years ...

3277. Surprised Saints

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

King Duncan

Over many decades, the little magazine Reader’s Digest has been a reliable source of humor drawn from everyday life. In one issue several years ago a nurse wrote in to tell about what was then a new piece of equipment. The nurse worked in a gynecologist’s office and they were beginning to use a battery-operated device called a mini-dop on expectant mothers to listen to the heartbeat of their babies. The problem with these early devices was that sometimes they picked up interference from the radio or ...

3278. John 17:20-26

John 17:20-26

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

John 17 is what we should rightfully call "The Lord's Prayer." The prayer which we recite every week and call the Lord's Prayer is actually the Disciple's Prayer - the words Rabbi Jesus gave to his followers who yearned for some prayer of their own. But here in John 17 is Jesus' own prayer, prayed on the eve of his betrayal and death, prayed with all the hope and love and intensity and anguish of that moment in his life. This week's Gospel text focuses on the concluding sentences of this lengthy soliloquy ...

3279. Romans 5:12-19

Romans 5:12-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Much of our understanding of Paul's discussion on "sin" in Romans 5:12-19 is colored by centuries of church history and theology. For instance, nowhere in today's text or anywhere else in the New Testament is there any reference to something called "original" sin. That phrase was derived from the Vulgate's Latin translation of Paul's Greek text - a translation which makes a much stronger grammatical case for a causal connection between Adam's sin and the resulting sinfulness of all future generations of ...

3280. John 17:20-26

John 17:20-26

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

3281. Advent 3

Psalm 126:1-6, Isaiah 61:1-11, John 1:6-8, 19-28, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 126 First Lesson—The prophet brings glad tidings of relief and renewal. Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Second Lesson—Paul urges cautious optimism as Christians give thanks and pray while waiting for the second coming of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Gospel—John the Baptist, though a lesser light, is a light widening the eyes of people to see the brighter light of the Christ. John 1:6-8, 19-28 CALL TO WORSHIP Pastor: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you ...

3282. Thorns of Grace

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a calendar titled The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said. Each day features a stupid statement from somebody. A page in the calendar had this amazing quote. Listen closely: “If you bought our course, ‘How To Fly In Six Easy Lessons,’ we apologize for any inconvenience caused by our failure to include the last chapter, ‘How To Land Your Plane Safely.’ Send us your name and address and we will send you the last chapter posthaste. Requests by estates will be honored.” (1) If you are a pilot, I hope you ...

3283. Easter 4

Psalm 23:1-6, John 10:22-30, Acts 9:32-43, Revelation 7:9-17

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 23 First Lesson—A remarkable healing gives us the names of an early church member known for her good works and acts of charity. Acts 9:36-43 Second Lesson—John sees vision after vision of triumph and hope for those who have been persecuted and martyred for the faith. Revelation 7:9-17 Gospel—Jesus pictures himself as shepherding all who believe that he has been sent to do the work of God. John 10:22-30 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People ...

3284. Proper 9

2 Kings 5:1-27, Psalm 30:1-12, Luke 10:1-11, 16-20, Galatians 6:1-16

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 30 First Lesson—A commander of the army discovers that humility is a prerequisite for divine mercy and healing. 2 Kings 5:1-14 Second Lesson—Paul ends his letter to the Galatians with warnings and his own witness to survival despite suffering. Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16 Gospel—Seventy disciples are sent in pairs to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ. Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Sing ...

3285. Proper 10

Psalm 82:1-8, Amos 7:7-17, Luke 10:25-37, Colossians 1:1-14

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 82 First Lesson—The prophet sees God judging the uprightness of the nation like a mason with a plumb line in his hand. Amos 7:7-17 Second Lesson—Paul begins his letter to the Colossian church with great eloquence. Colossians 1:1-14 Gospel—In a parable Jesus uses a foreigner despised by some of his own people as a worthy example of loving one’s neighbor as one’s self. Luke 10:25-37 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. ...

3286. Proper 20

Psalm 79:1-13, Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, Luke 16:1-15, 1 Timothy 2:1-15

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 79:1-9 First Lesson—The prophet laments the sad state of affairs among his people. Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 Second Lesson—The apostle Paul outlines a prayer list for Timothy. 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Gospel—Jesus tells an enigmatic parable about the dangers of wealth. Luke 16:1-13 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Praise the matchless One, servants of God. People: There is none like our sovereign God in heaven or on earth. ...

3287. Proper 18

Matthew 18:15-20, Psalm 149:1-9, Exodus 12:1-30, Romans 13:8-14

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 149:1-9 First Lesson - The passover is planned and prepared in readiness for the exodus of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Exodus 12:1-14 Second Lesson - Paul's moral admonitions are a bridge from the Old Testament to the New. Romans 13:8-14 Gospel - Jesus outlines ways to reconcile differences between members of the church. Matthew 18:15-20 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Be assured that ...

3288. Name Dropping

Exodus 20:7

Sermon

James Merritt

God's Name is so important to Him that it makes the "Top Ten" of the commandments He wants his family to live by. Most every one of us here very likely have some type of an alarm system in our home. We have that because we want to make sure our homes are secure. That is why we are in the middle of a series on the Ten Commandments that I have entitled "Homeland Security." Remember that the Ten Commandments are God's rules for His family. The Ten Commandments were not given to establish a relationship with ...

3289. How to Make Heaven Happy

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

James Merritt

For two days in October of 1987, not just a community, not just a state, not just a nation, but the entire world was watching with bated breath the drama of a little girl named Jessica McClure. We all learned all over again just how valuable the life of one person can be, as we watched the monumental rescue efforts that were focused on this eighteen-month-old little girl who had dropped twenty-two feet through an eight-inch opening in an oil pipeline at a daycare center. For fifty-eight solid hours over ...

3290. Minority Report

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23

Sermon

James Merritt

Put on your thinking caps for a moment; become an amateur pastor or theologian, if you will, and see if you can give an answer to the following three questions: 1. If the gospel is the power of God—why doesn't everybody that hears the gospel become a Christian? 2. If the Bible is the Word of God—why doesn't the Bible have the same effect on everyone who reads it? 3. If Jesus is the Son of God—why doesn't everyone believe in Jesus? We can even narrow those questions. Why don't most people who hear the ...

3291. A Stone’s Throw From: The Harvest

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A long time ago, I remember hearing a story about a young boy who was helping his grandfather dig potatoes. After a while, the little boy began to get tired and bored. "Grandpa," he asked wearily, "what made you bury all these potatoes here anyway?" How many of you have ever planted anything? We all have. When we plant potatoes we expect to get potatoes right? I remember a time when Mary and I were gardening. We went to the nursery and bought a number of different starter plants. One was Bell Peppers and ...

3292. Rahab: Seven Minutes To Midnight

Joshua 6:15-25

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

How many of you are interested in genealogy? Then you've probably heard the story about the prominent individual who discovered that one her grandfathers was a murderer who had been executed in the electric chair in one of the State Penitentiaries. She was mortified and went to one of the leading genealogists and asked what she could do. The genealogist thought for awhile and then wrote: "Mrs. Smith's grandfather occupied the chair of applied electricity in one of our best-known state institutions. He was ...

3293. A Chance To Dance

Luke 5:17-25

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

He was born Fredrick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska in 1899. His stage and film career spanned a total of seventy-six years, during which he made thirty-one movie musical. He's generally acknowledged to have been the most influential dancer in the history of film and television. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute. In 1932, a Hollywood talent agent made this note on his screen test: "Can't act. Can't sing. Can dance a little." The screen test was clearly ...

3294. Your Face Gives You Away

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

Welcome to worship on this Valentine’s Day, 2010. That’s a reminder to the husbands in the congregation, just in case you forgot. According to one source, it is easy TO TELL YOU FORGOT VALENTINE’S DAY. Here are some dead giveaways: The kids tell you that Mom “went to bed early” and “locked the door” . . . while you were taking out the trash. Hallmark calls, offering discounts on apology cards. You wake up with a florist’s ad stapled to your forehead. (1) Just a friendly warning. And I also need to say ...

3295. Style: Some Distinctive Marks of a Methodist

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Circumstances sometimes call us to do strange things — things-we would not otherwise do. Circumstances also cause us to do things we should have done but never got around to doing them before, like learning that we might have cancer, might provoke us to write a will. That’s really too serious an illustration for the story I’m about to tell. Two out-of-town visitors were walking along a street in New York City late one night. One of the pair, wary of the reputation of city streets at night, kept glancing ...

3296. An Invitation to Christian Discipleship

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Day by day they arrive in the mail. We call them invitations. A new store is opening for business and you are invited to see. A friend is getting married and you are invited to share in the celebration. Your class is having a reunion and you are invited to attend. Hardly a day passes, but someone requests the honor of your presence. There is an invitation of a divine kind that cuts through history and transcends time. It comes from Jesus Christ. It has your name on it. It is an invitation to Christian ...

3297. Why Doesn’t God Do Away With Evil?

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In John Updike's novel, Rabbit Run, Harry and Janice, the parents of a newborn baby, find themselves in an argument. Harry leaves in a huff and Janice proceeds to get drunk. In her drunken stupor she tries to give the baby a bath. That's when the horrible happens. Somehow, Janice manages to drown her own child in the bathtub. Harry returns a few hours later, confronted with the unthinkable truth. In the terrible shock of the moment, Harry rolls up his sleeve, pulls the stopper from the tub and groans.[1] ...

3298. How To Triumph Over Terrorism

Ephesians 6:10-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A year has now gone by and those of us who live and work outside the Northeast have gotten on with our lives. After all, isn’t that what you are supposed to do when you face a tragedy or a great loss—go on! But will we ever be able to simply go on? Something changed that September day that will never simply go away. We now know that we are vulnerable. We now know that the threats of terror are no longer a half a world away. We now know things change — and not always for the better. Will the stock market ...

3299. Positive Living

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar calls it “stinkin’ thinkin.’” He’s talking about people who approach life with a negative attitude. Do you know anyone like that? Whether or not it’s justified, New York cabdrivers are notorious for having a bad attitude. A man approached one such driver in New York. “Take me to London,” the potential fare said. The cab driver told him that was not possible. He couldn’t drive across the Atlantic. The customer insisted it was possible. “You’ll drive me down to the pier; we’ll ...

3300. A Spiritual “Re-formation”

Romans 3:19-28

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Elizabeth Strout's novel, Abide with Me, is set in a small town in Maine in the 1950s, where the Reverend Tyler Caskey is on top of the world. He feels overwhelmed by the love of God, his socialite wife, Lauren, and two young daughters. Tyler appears oblivious to Lauren's unhappiness over his low salary, the absence of like-minded friends, and their dilapidated parsonage situated out in the middle of nowhere.1 As is typical of the 1950s, the church serves as a significant gathering place in the life of ...

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