Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3301 to 3325 of 4935 results

3301. The Second Step

Romans 6:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Francis X. Bushman, the first of the old-time movie idols, started as a sculptor's model. He won "the most handsome man" contest sponsored by Ladies' World magazine. He was working in 1915 for the Essanay studio in Chicago for $250 a week. His agent David Freedman, however, knew that in the gold-rush atmosphere that prevailed among the competing film studios in those early days of movie making, the sky was the limit for talent with a proven following. How to prove it was the problem, and Freedman conceived ...

3302. Answers To Life's Three Critical Questions

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

Darden K. Caylor, a pastor in Cedar Rapids, IA, says that the day he decided to become a minister is still clearly etched in his brain. He was sitting at his Grandma Rula's house when he heard a voice speak to him from a distance. At first it was muffled, but then it became clearer. It said, "You should become a minister." Caylor couldn't believe it. Was this divine intervention? Was God really speaking to him? Did God really want him to become a minister? He was so shocked he couldn't move. The voice ...

3303. Taking You Up with Him

Colossians 3:1-4

Sermon

Richard W. Ferris

"If I go down, I'm taking you down with me." We've all heard that line. It's been used in movies and on television shows. We've seen it written in books and even in real-life news articles. Maybe we've even had it said directly to us. Somebody is in big trouble, and they are not going to face the punishment without involving someone else in their suffering. Sometimes there's even a line that follows: "That's not just a threat; it's a promise," just to let us know that they are not bluffing. If they are ...

3304. Proper 15

Genesis 45:1-28, Isaiah 56:1-8, Romans 11:11-24, Romans 11:25-32, Matthew 15:1-20, Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Genesis 45:1-15 Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. Because of a famine in Canaan, Jacob sent his sons to buy food in Egypt. None of them knew Joseph was the prime minister of Egypt and was responsible for selling food. In this passage, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, gives God the credit for his being a top ruler, and urges his brothers to tell Jacob that he and his family and herds should come to Egypt so that Joseph could care for them. With this reading we ...

3305. You've Got Mail!

John 10:22-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Our extremely elderly American Eskimo dog Signe knows her family and their movements better than she knows what dogs do. Lying at her master's feet she knows whether to get up and follow Elizabeth when she rises or to stay put because Elizabeth is just getting a cup of tea and will be right back. · She's right at the door even before we can grab the car keys, but doesn't budge if we head for the laundry room. · The sound of the refrigerator door opening coupled with the crinkling sound of something being ...

3306. Our Ultimate Destination

Revelation 21:1-6a

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

On U.S. Route 40 just west of New Concord, Ohio, stands an S-shaped bridge spanning a creek on the old National Road. Standing uphill from that bridge a traveler can simultaneously observe five historic transportation links that helped to build a nation: •The original trail blazed by Ebenezer Zane, also known as "Zane's Trace." •The brick roadbed of the old "National Road" that followed. •The train tracks of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which nearly made that early highway obsolete. •U.S. Route 40, built ...

3307. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Here we have probably the best known words Paul ever wrote. Paul has just spent the last chapter convincing the Corinthians that spiritual gifts come in many forms, and that each form is as valuable and worthy as any of the others. Using his famous "body" analogy, Paul has made a strong case for the interdependence of all manifestations of the Spirit. Suddenly, as though afraid the Corinthians might miss something obvious, Paul abruptly re-directs his focus. Having validated the equality and equanimity of ...

3308. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

3309. First Sunday in Lent

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Psalm 32:1-11, Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 5:12-19

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter--Psalms 32 First Lesson--The freedom to know good and evil is also the opportunity for temptation and disobedience by our first parents. Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Second Lesson--As we share in the disobedience of the first Adam, we may also share in the self-sacrificing obedience of the second Adam, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:12-19 Gospel--Human temptations for Jesus and for us include sins of the flesh and the spirit, hunger, pride, and idolatry. Matthew 4:1-11 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace ...

3310. Living In The Spirit Of Faithfulness

Galatians 5:22-25, Hebrews 10:23-24

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A church secretary spent her vacation at the beach. As she sunned herself, a little boy in his swim suit approached her and politely asked her a series of questions. "Miss, do you believe in God?" The woman was taken aback a little but said she did. Then the little boy asked, "Do you go to church every Sunday?" The woman told the boy that she went to church every Sunday and even worked at the church during the week. The little boy persisted with his interrogation and asked, "Do you read your Bible every ...

3311. The Time Is Right

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

‘Twas the night before Jesus when all through the earth Every creature was stirring for a savior's new birth. Christ was on earth, all things were like new. Now people could see what God wanted to do. When it's the night before Christmas From the ground to the sky God's glory is near, and Jesus comes by. It's Christmas eve. There's a song in the air. There's a star in the sky. Our bodies may be calling us to sleep, but our souls are shaking us awake. The clocks may reveal the hour, but our spirits are ...

3312. Ready for God’s Reign

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Chris Ewing

This parable has to be one of the least liked in the whole Bible. It speaks stern words to those who are not ready for the moment of truth — and it leaves uncomfortably vague just what "being ready" might entail. To understand what Matthew interprets Jesus to mean by readiness for the final judgment, we have to read his whole gospel, and in particular the final third of this chapter, that famous scene of the sheep and the goats, which we'll be reading in another two weeks. But already today there is an ...

3313. Soup Like Bread and Wine

Luke 14:1,7-14

Sermon

William A Ritter

I love Fred Craddock stories and I haven't told you one in a long time. So here goes. A few years back, Fred was invited to lead some kind of preaching mission in Winnipeg (Friday night ... Saturday morning ... Saturday evening ... twice on Sunday ... you know the drill). When he finished Friday night, he noticed that it was spitting snow. His host told him not to worry, given that it was only mid-October. "Good," said Fred, "because all I brought from Atlanta was this little, thin jacket." Fred went to ...

3314. I Am Counting with You

John 14:1-14

Illustration

Mark Trotter

Robert Drake is a Tennessean who writes stories about growing up in that part of the country a generation ago. He told a story about Miss Caroline Walker, who was a music teacher. She had been doing it for as long as anybody could remember. She was something of a legend in her county in Tennessee. She had two goals in teaching. One was to teach her girls to be ladies. So she taught them manners as much as she taught them music. She also taught them to play one piece perfectly for the May recital. She ...

3315. Blizzard Stories

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Steven Molin

Everybody loves to talk about the weather. Garrison Keillor loves to talk about "the winter of '65." He says that in describing the storms of that year, truth is only the starting point. The snow, the wind, the cold temperatures, yup, it was a miserable year, 1965. Keillor said that one night, it snowed so hard that he had to drive with his car door open so that he could follow the tracks in the snow; and he drove two miles before he realized that the track he was following was made by his own front tire. ...

3316. Our Magnificent, Mysterious, Mischievous God

2 Kings 5:1-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

This is a fun story, one of many in scripture that is good for giggles if we allow ourselves that reverent freedom when we encounter them. Engaging characters, international intrigue, and finally a denouement that is just pure fun. It is one more affirmation that our God is not only magnificent and mysterious but occasionally mischievous, as well. The cast. Naaman. His name means charm or pleasantness. Apparently, a relatively nice fellow as standards of his day would define nice. A powerful personage, too ...

3317. Job Is for Real

Job 1:1, 2:1-10

Sermon

Donna Schaper

We find Job on the edge of town, his money gone, his children dead, picking at his innumerable sores and scabs. In the Joni Mitchell version of his sorrow, Job speaks of how the children of the wicked frisk like deer while his are dead and gone. In her version, we are also told that Job sees the diggers waiting, leaning on their spades, at the site of his grave. Job's three friends, Eliphas, Bildad, and Zophar show up to comfort him but they do so in a way that only pours iodine on his wounds. God is just ...

3318. The Namless Last Student

Illustration

Staff

The setting is Ohio State University about six or seven years ago in a huge lecture hall (approximately 1000 students) for a Calculus final. Apparently this particular calculus teacher wasn't very well liked. He was one of those guys who would stand at the front of the class and yell out how much time was remaining before the end of a test, a real charmer. Since he was so busy gallivanting around the room making sure that nobody cheated and that everyone was aware of how much time they had left before ...

3319. Fit the Picture

Luke 4:21-30

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

It was the History Day Parade at James T. Jones Elementary School. Each class picked a period of time to portray. The sixth grade chose the medieval days. Every student was to design a costume, and, of course, mom, auntie, grandma, or another family member - female or male - was to create it. Those who couldn't sew could make a placard or paper bag costume or wrap themselves in universal duct tape. Teddy and Mike were to be the front and back of a horse, translated into a spirited, knight's mighty steed. ...

3320. Divine Dynamite

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"You will receive power ..." (Acts 1:8). Here was a ragtag bunch of people with no power, no position, no influence, no clout, being given the promise of their risen Lord that things were about to change for them. Not in the way that they might have wished, to be sure. After all, the power they were about to get was not political (even though that is what they wanted) — there was no promise of an earthly kingdom. Just divine power. And we celebrate the coming of that power every year on Pentecost, the day ...

3321. Born in Bethlehem — Light

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Have you ever awakened in the early hours before dawn? Thick darkness covers the earth. Trees, rivers, and houses obscured. Silence reigns supreme. Chill, as cool as melting ice, fills the air. Then slowly a faint flush of gray begins to roll through the blackness, forms take shape. Hazy colors appear. Suddenly, as a rocket explodes into space, the sun rises on the horizon. There is a glow on the hills. The leaves on the tree sparkle as they flutter in the soft breeze. The birds greet the new day with ...

3322. God’s Chain Reaction

Romans 5:1-5

Sermon

April Yamasaki

In 1980, NBC introduced a new television game show called Chain Reaction. Since then, the show has appeared in different forms, but the main idea has always been for different teams to fill in a chain of words. For example, the first word in a four-word chain might be "light," the last word "spring," with the team needing to guess the two words in-between. In this case, "light" comes from a light "bulb," and out of the bulb grows a "daffodil," which comes up in the "spring." It's a chain reaction of words ...

3323. Real Heros

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

King Duncan

Those who are into Xtreme sports know that there are cameras that will allow you to film your exploits. You have probably seen ads for these cameras. It is specially designed for bikers, surfers, snowboarders, scuba divers, dirt track drivers, skiers, auto racers or participants in any other action sport. The name for one of these cameras is the HD GoPro HERO camera. You can mount the HERO camera to your helmet, handlebar, windshield, car bumper or any other place you can think of where you might capture ...

3324. In Lystra and Derbe

Acts 14:8-20

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

It would appear that there was no synagogue in Lystra. The fact, then, that Paul and Barnabas preached in this city, even if they had not gone there expressly for this purpose, marks yet another important departure for the church. Moreover, since there was no audience prepared for their message (see note on 13:14), a new approach in its presentation was called for. Something of what this was is evident in these verses, which include a brief impromptu speech addressed to a pagan audience. The speech is ...

3325. An Exhortation Inspired by the Exodus

Hebrews 3:7-19

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

The powerful exhortation offered by the author at this point depends upon an illustration drawn from Psalm 95:7–11 (cf. Num. 14:22ff.), and in particular upon an analogy that is drawn between the experience of Israel and that of the church. We encounter in this passage, therefore, an example of exodus typology* that effectively directs the readers’ attention to the seriousness of rejecting Jesus. In the extended exegesis and application that follow the first quotation the author again reveals skillful ...

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