Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3351 to 3375 of 4938 results

3351. God Is Not Dead

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

If there is one commandment that is usually thought to be irrelevant, it is the second commandment. However, it may be second in position because it is second in importance. This commandment is one that is probably the most easily ignored and, yet, the most blatantly broken. In case you doubt that idolatry is alive and well right here in America, picture a newspaper article entitled, THE DEIFICATION OF ELVIS: Those who worship ‘the king’ practice their own form of religion. This newspaper writer thought at ...

3352. Restoration of Israel

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

30:1–3 The Book of Consolation begins with a general statement of hope for the people of Judah who have so far heard a message predominantly of judgment. It is identified as a divine oracle to Jeremiah (This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD and This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says, vv. 1–2a). Jeremiah is further instructed not only to speak this message, but to write in a book all the words that God has spoken to him. Such a command underscores the importance of the message as well ...

3353. The Promise of Prayer

Luke 1:5-25

Sermon

Lori Wagner

All of you know “The Blabber!” You know, the guy or gal who always “by mistake” blurts out the news about the “surprise party” planned for your friends. Or the one who gives away what’s inside of the large box with too many unsubtle hints. Or the one who deliberately guesses the gift you got and ruins your surprise. Or what about the smart aleck older kids who snidely remark about the identity of the one and only Santa Claus right in front of your toddler! The Blabber is less interested in honoring you or ...

3354. Truth and Consequences

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Last week, we talked about Jesus’ parable of the shrewd manager and the Jewish idea of “mitzvah,” carrying out God’s commandments to do good on behalf of others, which really is a way of “bonding” with both God and our neighbors in relationship. As the elite men in the crowd who were listening to Jesus were scowling, Jesus told yet another parable back-to-back with that one. Today’s scripture continues Jesus’ interchange with the parable of the “rich man and Lazarus.” This is the only time that Jesus uses ...

3355. Transforming Love

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

Edwin Markham's little poem has so much to say to us about the ability of love to transform. He drew a circle that shut me out -- Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in.1 One of the most amazing stories to come out of the Bible is the account of Saul's life. Through this story we see a leading opponent of the church being transformed into the church's greatest advocate. In today's passage of scripture, we encounter the conversion experience of ...

3356. Close Quarters With A King

Jeremiah 23:1-8

Sermon

Thomas G. Rogers

It was quite unusual for Susan to do something so frivolous. Perhaps it was the combination of depression and stress that prompted her to take a break from her daily responsibilities. There was quite a bit of tension in Susan's relationship with her husband. Also her teenage children seemed to have become almost completely out of her control. She felt frustrated and helpless. She felt that she needed something. In fact, when she tried to think of a word to describe how she was feeling, that was the word ...

3357. Holing Out

2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

The time of my departure has come. -- 2 Timothy 4:6b My dad holed the second ace of his half-century golf career on November 10, 1998. He became a low single digit handicapper not too long after picking up the game as an Army drill sergeant at New Jersey's Fort Dix just after World War II. Knowing perfectionist Ben Hogan had only one ace in his entire competitive career, a hole-in-one requires good providence -- luck in the secular mind. But as my dad always counseled me about every sport, "The harder you ...

3358. Ascension Day

Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:36-49, Luke 24:50-53, Mark 16:1-20, Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: The crucified and risen Jesus has ascended to the Father. His disciples are to wait for empowerment from the promised Holy Spirit. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Acts 1:1-11 (C, RC, E) The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are the only two books in the Bible addressed to an individual (Theophilus). In this introduction, Luke informs Theophilus that he is taking up where his gospel ended. The Gospel of Luke concludes with the witness to the resurrected Christ and Acts begins by putting to a close this forty- ...

3359. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part V)

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Today, we are concluding our Lenten sermon series on Feasting and Fasting for Lent. It has been good for us to examine the Word of God each week to see how we can rid ourselves of those values, attitudes, and lifestyles that are an insult to the Holiness of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit to replace them with values, attitudes, and lifestyles that honor God and build us up to maximize our potential as disciples of Jesus Christ. We have been fasting to deny ourselves things that render invalid our ...

3360. Jedi Christians

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Who's your favorite superhero? We've got a lot to pick from this summer. Everybody loves a superhero. Just look at the movies. Our kids' heads are filled with dreams of superhero-dom, as we fill their toy chests with action figures, costumes, and props so they can pretend they're the latest champion of the universe. This summer opened with George Lucas' newest installment in the Star Wars saga: Episode II Attack of the Clones. It re-energized the lore and lure of that extraterrestrial epic our nonlinear, ...

3361. A Theology of Linguistic Linguini

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Let’s begin with a little survey. How many of you have you have taken down your Christmas tree and packed up all the festive decorations until next December? How many of you are still living with your Christmas bling-bling? I thought so. There are not too many of us who hold on and hold out until the passing of Epiphany to take down our Christmas décor. This year Epiphany, January 6, falls on Tuesday, a nondescript day of the week. We are back at work. Kids are back at school. Post-Christmas and New Year’s ...

3362. Liar, Liar

Exodus 20:16

Sermon

James Merritt

In the movie, Liar! Liar!, Jim Carrey plays the part of Fletcher Reid, a fast talking attorney and habitual liar. He is always lying to his son, Max, and he lied to him when he told him he would attend his fifth birthday party. When he didn't show up, as Max is blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, he has only one wish, "that his dad would stop lying for twenty-four hours." His wish comes true and for twenty-four hours, this man can no longer lie. Every word that comes out of his mouth is the truth ...

3363. The Trial Before Felix

Acts 24:1-27

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Paul’s removal to Caesarea began a two-year imprisonment in that city. During these years he stated his case (and therefore the case for the gospel) before two governors and a king, thus further fulfilling the ministry to which he had been called (9:15). These were days of high drama as well as of tedious confinement, but through it all Paul maintained his unswerving purpose to serve Christ and the gospel. 24:1 The first of the two governors to hear Paul’s case was Antonius Felix, the brother of Pallas, ...

3364. Failure to Enter the Land

Num 13:1–14:9

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: Trust that God can overcome great difficulties. Understanding the Text The people had begun complaining at Taberah and Kibroth Hattaavah (Num. 11). At Hazeroth Moses’s own sister and brother had expressed resentment against Moses and undermined his spiritual authority (Num. 12). In each of these cases God had intervened with a mixture of punishment and grace. Now they come to Kadesh (or Kadesh Barnea) in the Desert of Paran (Num. 13:26) just south of the land of Canaan. Israel has not learned its ...

3365. Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts

Daniel 7:1-14

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Four Beastly Kingdoms and God’s Kingdom: Daniel 7 is centrally located in the book; it is also of central importance. It functions as a transitional unit, providing a hinge that connects the two halves of the work. Chapter 7 is tied to what precedes by its language: it is part of the Aramaic section, which runs from Daniel 2:4b through 7:28. It is also part of the chiastic structure of chapters 2–7 (see “Stage Three” under “Language Problem and Literary Development” in the Introduction), which have ...

3366. The Catch

John 21:1-14, John 21:15-25, Acts 10:1-8, Acts 10:9-23a, Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props and visuals: fishing boat / fishing net / tablecloth and stick / backpack / diaper bag / purse or satchel You know how some dreams won’t let go of you? Sometimes God has a message for you, and speaks in this “forgotten language” of dreams. Sometimes God needs to prepare you for something that’s hard for you to hear. In our scripture story today as told in the Acts of the Apostles, God was preparing Peter for his visit with Cornelius. And for something even greater! But as everything goes with Peter, ...

3367. Song of Promise

Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Sermon

Lori Wagner

I have a confession to make: I love Christmas carols. I mean, really LOVE Christmas carols. Can I get a witness? On the radio….on CDs….in the stores….in the car….they just uplift our spirits in this season, don’t they? There’s something about Christmas Carols that just seem to warm the heart and stir the soul. I know you’re not supposed to listen to them until after Advent, but I admit it before God and all of you: I cheat. I listen to Christmas carols before the 12 days of Christmas. Now I know how ...

3368. That Horse Called Style

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Once a man attended a fair and saw another man leading a fine, well-groomed horse. He asked, "Is that a saddle horse?" "No," the owner replied. "This horse will buck off a saddle. Nothing can stay on its back." "Well," the man asked, "Is he a driving horse?" "Nope," said the owner. "He was hitched up once to a cart, but he tore it all to pieces." "Well, what is he good for?" the man asked. The owner replied, "Style, man, style. Just look at the picture he makes." That same man attended a church the ...

3369. Entertaining Tips for Christians

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Alex Gondola

Imagine this situation, if you will: a husband comes home from work on a Friday night, say the Friday of Labor Day weekend. And as he drives into the driveway, he sees that there is a rented tent in the back yard. Under the tent are tables and chairs for about forty people. A bandstand and dance floor are assembled in one corner of the tent. Paper lanterns are hanging all around. Now mind you, none of this was there when the husband left for work that morning! Seeing all these preparations and having them ...

3370. Joy Songs, Trumpet Blasts, And Hallelujah Shouts!

Joshua 5:13--6:27

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

The Israelites have come to the end of a long, long journey. They had wandered in the wilderness for forty years and now have come to the valley of their dreams. Finally, after years of false starts, dark detours, and dashed hopes, they have come to the land which God had promised. They could have toiled out of the wilderness in forty days, but took forty years because of discontent, disbelief, and disobedience. But now God was willing, because they were willing, to move them into a paradise oasis - a land ...

3371. Improving Your Serve

Isaiah 49:1-7

Sermon

Robert Beringer

Charles Swindoll in his popular book, Improving Your Serve, tells of how he was at first haunted and then convicted by the Bible's insistence that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)." The more he studied what the Bible says about servanthood, the more convinced Swindoll became that our task in this world, like that of Jesus, is not to be served, not to grab the spotlight, and not to become successful or famous or powerful or idolized. Our calling ...

3372. One Commandment is Enough!

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Rules, commandments, and laws are nothing new. For instance, everyone knows Murphy's Law: "If there is a possibility that something will go wrong, it will." Or how about the Law of Gardening: "You get the most of what you need the least." Jones' Rule of the Road is: "The easiest way to fold a map is differently." I like Erma Bombeck's Rule of Medicine: "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died." One of my favorites is Agnes Allen's Law: "Almost anything is easier to get into than out of." But no ...

3373. Proper 15 & Pentecost 13

Isaiah 56:1-8, Psalm 67:1-7, Psalm 78:1-72, Exodus 16:1-36, Romans 11:11-24, Romans 11:25-32, Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The phrase used in the title for the day, "after Pentecost," reminds the church and its preachers that the journey to Christ the King Sunday is roughly half-completed. The Holy Spirit is still at work in the church, bringing people to the Lord, undergirding the faith of the believers, and inspiring the people of God to devote themselves to good works and loving service in the name of Jesus Christ. Of itself, the church year "theological framework" has little direct influence upon the ...

3374. Right on the Money!

Proverbs 10:1-32

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

One day a mother was having a deep discussion with her 12- old daughter about values. She said, "Honey, What you need in order to survive in this world is faith in God and a good sense of humor." The daughter thought about that and then, with a twinkle her eye, said, "It also helps to have a credit card." How thoroughly American is that 12-year-old. We are a credit culture. Partly because of the credit cards, many of us have le irresponsible and undisciplined in our finances. If the average 65-year-old ...

3375. Take a Close Look (At the Widow)!

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

James W. Robinson

Mark is a marvel when it comes to storytelling. He is the O. Henry of the New Testament, a magician with words, who squeezes a novel into a paragraph or two. His skill is nowhere more evident than in his account of the widow with the two coins at the temple treasury. It is a gem of a short story. He makes it so easy for us to visualize the woman as she waits patiently in line to drop her offering into the chest with the trumpet-shaped tube. Without going into a detailed character study, he makes us feel ...

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