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Showing 3401 to 3425 of 5000 results

3401. A Glory Revealed in Liberty

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, ‘You will be made free’!" They answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not continue in the house for ever; the son continues for ever. So if the Son makes ...

3402. A Glory Revealed in Truth and Faithfulness

John 19:28-37

Sermon

"It is finished." - John 19:30 (RSV) Tonight we are confronted with the culmination of Jesus’ life and ministry. Last night we saw how Jesus knew that his death was imminent, that he was about to be betrayed, tortured and publicly executed. Even though he knew it, he did not give in to panic or cowardice, but calmly, with all the aplomb of a king, he faced the personal disaster head-on. We read that "he loved his own ... [and] he loved them to the end." He loved them to the end of his earthly life with a ...

3403. The Devil Quotes Scriputure, Too

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

I will always remember the immortal words of Flip Wilson’s "Geraldine:" "The devil made me do it!" She said those words with a gleam in her eye which let you know just how enjoyable yielding to temptation really was. Temptation has come on hard times in our day. It has come to mean little more than resistance to a hot-fudge sundae when you are on a diet, or turning down a piece of chocolate cake. At most, resisting temptation seems to mean no more than the self-discipline it takes to stay away from ...

3404. The Passover Meal Of The Last Supper

Mark 14:12-26

Bulletin Aid

MAUNDY THURSDAY The Passover Meal Of The Last Supper A Communion Service This communion may be celebrated around tables or in the pews. It is possible for a meal to be served as part of the celebration, but not necessary to the service. This is not, strictly speaking, a Seder in the traditional sense, for many of the Seder traditions are rooted in the diaspora of post-biblical times. Rather, this is a celebration of the Lord’s Supper which includes some traditional Hebrew Passover prayers and symbolic ...

3405. Bloody Hands, Troubled Soul

Mark 14:12-26

Drama

Setting: The nave should be dark, except for the dim light in the chancel area. There is an altar or table in the center of stage, on which a chalice and loaf are placed. Judas should appear out of the darkness, using a side door close to where the people are sitting, and begin his opening remarks from there. Throughout the rest of the drama he may roam freely throughout the chancel. Judas should be darkly, but not shabbily, dressed. Text: Mark 14:(10-11), 17-50 Cast: Judas Iscariot, a man, probably in his ...

3406. True And False Prophecy

Mark 14:27-31

Drama

Setting: The temple courtyard of the high priest. Caiaphas, entering from the sacristy or the front, will be at a podium or pulpit in the chancel throughout the drama. Everything about his posture and voice should suggest authority edged with arrogance and pomposity. He will be dressed in elaborate vestments or robes, ideally with a Velcro fastening which will make a noticeable tearing sound at the end of the play. Peter will enter from the rear of the nave, and will stay outside the chance! throughout the ...

3407. The Precepts of the Lord

Exodus 20:1-21, Psalm 19:7-14

Sermon

The Covenant is a Covenant of Law. WHOA! Isn’t the Christian Covenant a covenant of grace, as opposed to works? Doesn’t Saint Paul complain that the Law, the "dispensation of death," kills, while only the Spirit gives life? (2 Corinthians 3:6-7) "Law" has often gotten bad press among Christians. While not arguing for the kind of legalism that rightly offended Jesus and very nearly made a neurotic out of Saint Paul, there are some positive features of God’s Law. 1. Martin Luther, who waged a famous quarrel ...

3408. Sunrise Surprise

Drama

Cast (in order of appearance) NARRATOR MARY MAGDALENE JOHN PETER JESUS Production Note At the beginning, and then at the close, of "Sunrise Surprise," it is suggested that the scene be changed by "revolving the stage." This option is possible in a stage or theatre setting where such mechanics can be attended to. For those planning to present the drama in a chancel setting, the stage setting could be changed by manually moving the props; by the use of lighting; or by suggestion on the part of the actors. ...

3409. Respect: Lesson for Victorious Living

Ruth 4:1-12

Sermon

Christian unity teaches respect for the whole Body of Christ. The ancient Hebrews learned ways of doing things and the necessity of valid transactions; this gave the early Christians a format from which they could move forward in the faith. Repect was at or near the top of the list. The characters of Boaz, the elders, Naomi, Ruth, and the others in our passage evidence this in ways that do not seem to be present in today’s striving for equality. Could they have known something that we don’t? As one reads ...

3410. Salvation: Authentic and Powerful

Amos 5:18-27

Sermon

King Duncan

Christian unity elevates authentic and powerful salvation. The fiery and abrasive Amos said many things his listeners did not want to hear! He was about as rugged as any individualist could be. Continually at odds with the power structures of his day, the prophet spoke directly, with no regard for those who tried to compromise his message. Our Lord’s plea for his church to be One is not a way of reducing denominations and Christians to forms that are listless. Ecumenism, by its very nature, seeks integrity ...

3411. Success: Ultimate and Unlimited

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Christian unity believes in immortality and the promise of heaven. The victorious stories of the saints in the early centuries of the church can hold anyone spellbound. The heroism and total commitment to the faith of their resurrected Lord have provided permanent images in the Body of Christ for all time. In a sense, they are very much our brothers and sisters in Christ, even at this moment. Their flesh and blood left an aroma which rose above all the crudities, bestialities, and horrors that animal-like ...

3412. A Place Is a Place

Luke 14:1-14

Drama

[Note: This sketch takes place in an imaginary room of undefined proportions. The audience should, however, get the feeling of a great hall, where the characters wait for some grand function to begin. The ages and sexes of characters 1 and 2 may vary, which will allow for some fascinating interpersonal studies for the actors and audience. (For example, a production with 1 as a young man and 2 as an older woman would be much different, I would think, than one in which 1 and 2 were both middle-aged men.) ...

3413. TWO CAN BECOME ONE

Drama

Pentecost - and a Wedding Celebration Two people, a man and a woman, stand on opposite sides of the stage from one another. They each speak with dignity and authority. They are stating strongly felt opinions. 1: I speak wisdom! 2: Truth is mine to share! 1: Wisdom is the thought that ... 2: Truth carries its own weight ... 1: In joy, which eventually becomes ... 2: Bombs, which have always been the only way to ... 1: Happiness causes life to ... 2: Lose its meaning in a swamp of ... 1: Affection, which ...

3414. The Touch of the Master's Hand

Luke 5:12-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Although we have heard it many times, the poem about the old violin never fails to touch my heart. Myra Brooks Welch penned this masterpiece entitled, "The Touch of the Master’s Hand." "Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin, but held it up with a smile. ‘What am I bidden, good folks,’ he cried. ‘Who’ll start the bidding for me? A dollar, a dollar’; then, ‘two! Only two? Two dollars, and who’ll make it three? Three dollars, ...

3415. Celebrating with Jesus

Luke 5:33-39

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Someone told me recently about a Methodist man who lived in a traditional Catholic neighborhood. Every Friday the Catholics were driven to distraction because, while they were sadly eating fish, the Methodist was outside grilling steaks. That wonderful aroma from the grill was bothersome to the Catholics. They worked on the Methodist, attempting to convert him. Finally they succeeded. They took the Methodist to the priest who sprinkled Holy Water on the man while saying, "Born a Methodist, raised a ...

3416. Don't Let the Parade Pass You By

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

America’s great child-philosopher, Dennis the Menace, offered this observation as his mother washed his dirty hands: "Margaret’s Mom must like me. I heard her say, ‘I just wish he was my child for five minutes.’" The people of Jerusalem had a similar kind of love/hate attitude toward Jesus. They cheered him on the first Palm Sunday as he entered Jerusalem, but then shouted "Crucify him" the following Friday. The Palm Sunday crowd was enthusiastic but fickle. As the politicians would say, Jesus’ support was ...

3417. If You Are A Disciple of Jesus Christ

Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:12-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

We are blessed to have many deeply committed, very capable people on our church staff. One of them is our chief of security, Reggie Johnson. He does so much more than just keep the church campus safe. Reggie learns and remembers the names of our worshippers. In fact, he knows your children and what kind of cars you drive. When a funeral takes place, Reggie grieves with the family. If your left front tire is a bit slack, Reggie will notice and let you know. If a soccer ball is kicked over a fence, Reggie ...

3418. All the More Reason

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

Brett Blair

It is interesting to note that it wasn't until we were at war, the Civil War to be exact, that our Thanksgiving holiday was officially recognized by Congress. It had started in the small Plymouth Colony in 1621 when the English Pilgrims feasted with members of the Wampanoag (Wam·pa·no·ag) Indians who brought gifts of food as a gesture of goodwill. The custom grew in various colonies as a means of celebrating the harvest. In 1777, over 100 years later, the continental congress proclaimed a national day of ...

3419. Jailbreak at Midnight

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon Aid

CSS

Twice Paul’s ministry brought him into direct confrontation with commercial interests. The first such incident took place at Philippi, the second at Ephesus. Both of these were Graeco-Roman cities with a materialistic western culture, different from that of the Orient. In the East there was a slower pace of life and a greater accommodation between religion and commerce. Jesus had often lashed out at the selfish rich and even physically drove the money changers from the temple without arousing the kind of ...

3420. Return to Jerusalem

Acts 20:7-12

Sermon Aid

CSS

Times have changed. It took Paul and his company five days to travel from Philippi to Troas, a journey past some Greek islands that can now be negotiated by steamer in five hours. Ancient Troas or Troy is well remembered because of Homer’s epic stories of its great early glory. Helen of Troy, the beautiful goddess who became an enchanting woman; the long Trojan wars; the episode of the Trojan Horse - what a wealth of mythology and history surrounded the group as they climbed from the ship up the hill and ...

3421. Paul in Chains

Acts 21:27-36

Sermon Aid

CSS

Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem was inauspicious. Although "the brethren received us gladly," the elders were fidgety and fearful. Not one word of gratitude is recorded for the gifts which Paul and his companions brought with them to alleviate the poverty of the church at Jerusalem. One wonders why? Perhaps those who came with Paul to bring the gifts were too evidently "Gentile Christians." These Gentiles must have felt rebuffed, finding prejudice against them where they might have anticipated brotherly ...

3422. Paul’s Midnight Ride

Acts 22:30--23:11

Sermon Aid

The arrest of Paul at Jerusalem took place during the Feast of Pentecost, in the late spring of A.D. 58. It marked the beginning of a five-year period often referred to as the "Passion of St. Paul." Luke, who told the story of the Lord’s passion in his Gospel, now relates at what seems disproportionate length the events that finally led Paul to Rome. These five years were an important segment in Paul’s missionary career. Yet, aside from the opportunities to witness to people in high places and his display ...

3423. Shipwrecked on Malta

Acts 27:1-12, Acts 27:13-26, Acts 27:27-44

Sermon Aid

CSS

Festus was a good administrator. Once the decision had been made to send Paul to Rome, he acted quickly. Yet it was a peculiar transferral. Agrippa and Festus are reported to have concluded that Paul had done nothing that was likely to undermine the security of the Roman Empire or otherwise be of interest to the high courts at Rome. They must have attached some bill of complaint to the military orders under which Paul was transported, but its contents are not known. The official charges against Paul never ...

3424. A Missionary to His Captors

Illustration

Emerson Colaw

The attack of Pearl Harbor was led by Captain Fuchida. Later in the war, when General Doolittle carried out his famous raid on Tokyo, one of the American men shot down was Sergeant Jacob De Shazer. He spent the rest of the war in a Japanese prison camp and received brutal treatment. After the war, he returned to the states, entered seminary, and prepared himself to go as a missionary to Japan. There he and Captain Fuchida met. The Captain was puzzled as to why anyone would come back to Japan after what the ...

3425. You Figure It Out

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

Several of the recent texts in this series of gospels from Matthew (the lectionary "A" cycle) have focused on collisions between Jesus and the Jewish church power structure, focused in the Pharisees. Today’s text is another in the series. As the movement in Matthew races inevitably to the final showdown and the crucifixion, the confrontations become more pointed, the accusations more shrill. In this text the Pharisees are actually described as plotting to entangle Jesus. The short-term goal was to ...

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