Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3451 to 3475 of 4490 results

3451. He Came, He Is Coming

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A man was running down the pier, heading for the ferry boat, afraid he was not going to make it. Here was a man of some status, a man who was concerned about his dignity. He wore a pin-striped suit, carried a black umbrella in one hand and a black boler hat in the other, which he was waving at the ferry boat, and yelling at the boat to stop so that he could get on it. He ran all the way to the end of the peer, furiously jumped and landed safely on the deck of the boat. Very proud of himself, he ...

3452. My Name Is Legion

Mark 5:1-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Many of you know that old poem: Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd There’s one that’s humble and one that’s proud. There’s one that’s sorry for his sins, There’s one that unrepentant sits and grins. There’s one that loves his neighbor as himself. There’s one that cares for naught but fame and pelf. From much corroding cares, I would be free. If I could once determine which is me. Our Gospel story today is of a man who could have written a far more powerful poem than that: “My Name if Legion,” he ...

3453. Luke 13:10-17

Luke 13:10-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Playground etiquette is strict. The “top kid” – whoever they may be gets to make the rules. No matter how strange and convoluted the rules are, everyone has to abide by them. The alpha dog on the playground could declare the ball had to be bounced twice before hitting it, unless your last name ended with a vowel, in which case you had to bounce the ball three times before hitting it back . . . and everyone would obey. Why? The punishment for not following the rules was always swift and sure. You were ...

3454. and Forgiveness Come Easy When You’re Filled with The Spirit

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

It's Pentecost Sunday, a day when we celebrate the birth of the Church and the giving of the Holy Spirit, as our lesson from Acts (2:1-21) reports. But the Bible makes it clear that it was not just on that first Pentecost that the Holy Spirit was given. It happened to some in Old Testament times (Judges 6:34; 1 Samuel 11:6; 16:13). However, the Spirit was also given during Jesus' own life on earth. Here's the story. The disciples were still pretty much in despair that Sunday evening over the events of Good ...

3455. Masks

Matthew 23:1-12

Sermon

Chris Ewing

There are going to be a lot of people running around out there with masks on this week. People pretending to be something they're not — or maybe trying on something that in part they are, or want to be. (put on mask)1 Masks are interesting things. We all wear them, you know, and not just on Halloween. We put on the brave smiling mask when our hearts are breaking. We put on a gruff mask to keep people at a distance. We put on a wild and crazy mask to get attention or to avoid responsibility. We put on an " ...

3456. Caught in the Middle

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

John N. Brittain

It has become very popular to talk about how stressed out we are because we (both individually and collectively) are caught in the middle of too many demands and stretched too thin. For some years, we have heard about the "super-mom" syndrome of trying to juggle a full professional life with the many duties of motherhood. More recently, there is a lot of talk about the increasing time demands the workplace is putting on everyone, creating conflicts not just between work and family but between work and ...

3457. The Way Things Are

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Sermon

John N. Brittain

The other day I stumbled onto a Discovery Channel show about underwater archaeology (not basket weaving). The archaeologist described the process of identifying the probable location of an underwater wreck site, the grueling work involved in beginning the process, and the same kind of methodical work that characterizes all scientific archaeology. But then her eyes twinkled as she described the joy of uncovering the first artifact, or recognizing a significant discovery. And that of course is what it is all ...

3458. Will It Last?

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Sermon

John N. Brittain

A quarter-century ago, the little college at which I worked offered a scholarship for one year of study to a church official from Liberia who needed updating in business and accounting practices. Since this was a mature individual with a wife and children to support, leaving them for a whole year was a big deal, particularly since the scholarship covered his expenses at school but little else. Nonetheless, this was an important opportunity, and he prepared diligently so that when he set off for America it ...

3459. A Winning Life

Hebrews 13:1-25

Sermon

King Duncan

If you could win an Olympic medal, which would you prefer the silver or the bronze? The answer appears obvious, doesn’t it? The silver is for second place; the bronze is for third. Or is it as simple as it sounds? Kent Crockett, in his book I Once Was Blind but Now I Squint tells about a surprising study of Olympic medal winners. You would assume that the silver medal winners would be happier than the bronze medalists since they received a higher honor, but that isn’t always the case. The bronze medalists ...

3460. Out Into The Deep Water

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

How many of you like to fish? It's a great sport isn't it? It's a great way to relax and if you like to eat fish like I do, it's a great way to get really fresh fish. But sometimes fishing has some different kinds of results. I'll never forget the time a friend and I went fishing. He was the former pastor of the church I was serving. We were in seminary and car pooled to classes when possible. He didn't have a whole lot of opportunity to go fishing where he was serving, so I invited him out to go fishing ...

3461. Why Are You Here?

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. William P. Barker once told a beautiful story about the isle of Iona. Iona is off the west coast of Scotland. It seems that in the sixth century A.D. St. Columba sailed from Ireland to the Isle of Iona. Ever since then Iona has been considered a holy place by many Christians. The focal point of Iona, says Barker, is the magnificent Abbey Church. The foundation of this gem of early Christian architecture is over 1,400 years old. The church has been lovingly rebuilt, stone by stone. Once the exterior ...

3462. Going the Second Mile

Matthew 5:38-42

Illustration

James Merritt

Bill Walton learned that to play basketball for John Wooden you had to give up some rights. Coach Wooden had a rule against facial hair. If you played for him no facial hair was allowed. After a ten day break from school, Bill Walton came to practice wearing a beard. Coach Wooden walked up to him and said, "Bill, have you forgotten something?" Walton replied, "Coach, if you mean the beard, I think I should be allowed to wear it, it's my right." Coach Wooden said, "Do you really believe in that?" He said, " ...

3463. Surprise!

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Do you like surprises? Some folks do. Not me, I do not like bad surprises at all and only tolerate good surprises. In general, I prefer no surprises. I realize that life is full of surprises though, so they will come whether I want them or not. Some surprises will be bigger than others, of course. Ask Mary. She surely got a major surprise. There she was, doing the dishes or sweeping the floor or sitting engrossed in the latest Harlequin Romance, or whatever young Israelite girls did in those days, when the ...

3464. God's Day Off

Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon

David E. Leininger

We know the importance of taking breaks. "You've got to stop and smell the roses." "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy — and Jill a rich widow." Even the Bible affirms the premise — one of the Ten Commandments: "Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy ... Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work ..." (Deuteronomy 5:12-14). And it is not a suggestion; it is a command! To be sure, many, through the years, ...

3465. Being a Christian “Survivor”

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Survivor — after all these years on television, you are familiar with the concept — castaway contestants on an isolated beach in search of adventure and a $1-million grand prize — sort of Gilligan's Island meets Regis Philbin. They compete in twisted survival games, jungle obstacles, swimming relays, and larva eating. Even more harrowing, they gather for a "tribal council" at the end of every episode, and after, "the tribe has spoken," one more contestant is booted off the island. The last person to ...

3466. A Disaster of Biblical Proportions

Job 42:1-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Christmas is such a beautiful time of the year. Physically beautiful with the color and light; spiritually beautiful with story and song. Then there is the special baby - a baby whose birth was greeted by angels, a baby whose birth meant tidings of joy for all people everywhere, a baby who would save the world. We gather for worship, enjoy familiar company, exchange holiday wishes, then go home, drink eggnog, and eat Christmas treats. God is in heaven and all is right with the world. Or so it often seems. ...

3467. Can Anything Good Come out of Our Town?

John 1:43-51

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

Well, good, old Nathaniel. In a way, he's the mystery disciple of the New Testament. His name doesn't even rate a mention in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Only in John's gospel do we hear about the disciple with the parochial ideas about Galilean towns. Picture, if you will, our man Nathaniel. Like Peter, he is a fisherman by trade. He hails from Cana, another in a long line of undistinguished little hamlets in the Galilean region. The region itself is rather undistinguished. It was like what Newark is to New ...

3468. Silence and Darkness

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

John Smylie

Over the last 25 years, I have experienced many different Good Fridays. A few of them stand out and point out my own humanness and inability to embrace the fullness of what the Lord was offering. In answer to the hymn, my answer is, "No, I wasn't there when you were crucified, Jesus." And I have made vain attempts of entering the experience of that awful day, yet there have been glimpses of grace along the way. Today I hope to share a few of those glimpses and in the sharing perhaps you will find a glimpse ...

3469. They Call It Grace

2 Peter 3:8-15

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

What do you hear in Paul's words? Grace or judgment? Law or gospel? Hope or despair? Advent is a time of waiting. Often we wonder, "How long? How long can I wait for his coming? How long can I look off to the horizon? How long can I proclaim his return?" When we see Paul's words through the filter of grace, we realize the answer is just a little bit longer. During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to Christianity. They began ...

3470. Eyes on the Prize

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

"I believed, and I spoke." Paul begins this passage with a reference to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It is from Psalm 116:10 in which the psalmist thanks God for saving him even in, and especially in, the midst of his conflicts and struggles: "I kept my faith, even when I said: 'I am greatly afflicted.' " Paul knows the feeling! He has had many struggles in his journey to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the church at Corinth is one of the main sources of those ...

3471. Admitting the Real Truth

Romans 3:21-31

Sermon

Patrick J. Rooney

It does seem a bit unfair, putting me in the same category as Hitler, Stalin, or some of our more recent bad boys such as Osama bin Laden and his cronies. It does seem unfair to equate my own few failings with the level of their crimes against humanity. It is unfair to say that my sins can in any way be compared to theirs. They are evil and I am just a simple, frail human being, hardly worthy of being lumped with them into the same category. Yet, it is the apostle Paul, a man who knew a few things about ...

3472. How To Play the Game...of Life

Illustration

Staff

A little boy went to visit Grandma's house. While he was there Grandma pulled out her game of Monopoly, spread it out on the dining room table, and the two of them sat down and began playing Monopoly. Now Grandma was a killer Monopoly player. She rolled the dice, started whipping around the board, buying up all the properties and accumulating huge sums of money. Within a short period of time her grandson was slammed. He was bankrupt and the game was over. Eric asked Grandma if she wanted to play again? She ...

3473. I Was Born In A Small Town

Humor Illustration

It's a really small town! How small is it? Well, it so small that: The exterminator is a guy with a rolled up newspaper. They're going to get their first traffic light. They don't have the money yet, but they have picked out the colors. The McDonalds only has one Golden Arch. The 7-11 is a 9-5. You are related to more than half the town. Your car breaks down outside of town and news of it gets back to town before you do. Without thinking, you wave to all oncoming traffic. You don't buy all your vegetables ...

3474. The Four Scents of Adventing

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A traditional accounting of the number of “senses” the human body registers is five: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. We now know there are between 9 and 21 actual senses, depending on who’s counting. But still there are five main ones, and two biggies in the five: sight and sound. Even those of us with poor vision and tin ears still rely heavily on sight and sound to get around. Taste and touch are less obviously used, but absolutely necessary. Our sense of touch keeps us from absent-mindedly leaning ...

3475. How Can I Know God's Will?

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

Wesley D. Tracy tells about a woman whom he calls Kate Dowd. That is not her real name, but she is a real person. Kate, a dedicated wife and mother, volunteered at her church, helped with Cub Scouts, tatted lace, and knitted scarves. Then she discovered something that was more exciting than all the rest of her activities combined riverboat gambling. Almost immediately her life was completely changed and not for the better. Kate would cross the river daily to Illinois and board either the Alton Belle or the ...

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