Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 326 to 350 of 4968 results

326. Did You Come Here to Die?

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... tell anyone about him. Then Jesus began to teach them that he must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. This was horrifying to his disciples, as you might expect. They loved Jesus. He was not only their teacher, but he was their best friend. It was Peter, of course, who began to rebuke Jesus for even mentioning the possibility of dying. I can hear him now, “Don’t say things like that ...

327. A Stupid Question

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... demons, feed the multitudes, and calm storms. They had seen him die and return to life. But now it was time for them to stop just watching him do things. He was about to return to his Father; now it was time for them to start doing things. The disciples' question was about what Jesus would do next. But that was the wrong question, for his answer was about what they would do next. The mantle of ministry was being placed on them, and the next phase of God's work in this world was theirs to do! Finally, the ...

328. John 21:1-19

John 21:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... failed to follow through on the commission that they had been given in 20:22-23. They have returned to Galilee, of course. But it was their home. They are fishing, of course. But fishing had been the full-time occupation of some of these disciples. Neither of these actions suggests apostasy. Even as Paul continued to be a tent-maker, these metaphysical “fishers” also continued to cast their nets for the real deal. After all, they still needed to eat and feed their families. The author of chapter 21 sets ...

329. Luke 17:5-10

Luke 17:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... labor, so it would have been as normal for Jesus to use master/slave images as for us to use shopping stories. Jesus is speaking to both those who believe his words and to those who belittle his words. Behaving, believing and belonging as disciples is not about earning rewards, or even receiving a “thank you” for remaining faithful. In the first-century hierarchy of social status relationships, to offer a “thank you” to another put one into a state of indebtedness to the one being thanked. In Jesus ...

330. Supernatural: Taken By Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

James Merritt

... the other side.’” (Mark 4:35, ESV) Did you hear what Jesus just said to them? You say, “Sure. He said, “Let’s go to the other side of the lake.’” That was not just a statement. That was a promise and that was a prophecy. When Jesus told the disciples to cross to the other side there was no way they were not going to make it, because Jesus never tells us to do something He doesn’t give us the power to do. He never prophesizes anything that doesn’t come true and He never makes a promise that ...

331. Come One, Come All

Luke 5:27-32

Sermon

James Merritt

... He did it is the same way we are to do it. I. We Are To Ask Everyone To Follow Jesus “After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, ‘Follow me’”. (Luke 5:27, ESV) The disciples thought they were just out taking a nice little stroll on a beautiful day. They had passed by this tax booth many times, but unlike Jesus they most likely had turned their heads and refused to look at the man sitting there. We are told that Jesus saw Levi. The ...

332. The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

Acts 2:1-13

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... named if it were indeed their place of meeting. 2:2–3 This much at least is certain: something happened that day to convince the disciples that the Spirit of God had come upon them—that they had been “baptized with the Holy Spirit” as Jesus had said they would be ... Spirit was intended for Gentiles as well as for Jews (10:46; 11:15ff.) and later still would be a sign to the Ephesian “disciples” that the Holy Spirit had indeed come (see disc. on 19:2; cf. 1 Cor. 14:22 where they are thought of as a ...

333. Sabbath Controversies with the Pharisees

Matthew 12:1-14

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... Jesus is not part of the comparison being expressed here, although some have read it this way (e.g., NIV 1984; NLT).1In the context of Jesus’ comparison between the situation of David (and the Old Testament priests) and the current situation of Jesus and his disciples (and in the wider context of 11:11–12; 12:25–28), the most likely referent for the “something greater” is the kingdom. 12:7 I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Matthew draws upon Hosea 6:6 for the second time in his Gospel (see 9:13 ...

334. Spiritual Blindness and the Way to Overcome It

Mark 8:22-26, Mark 8:14-21

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... this passage is framed by a healing of a deaf person in 7:31–37 and of a blind person in 8:22–26. The message is a profound truth: the same Jesus who could heal the physically deaf and blind can also heal the spiritually deaf and blind disciples. Interpretive Insights 8:14 forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf. The absence of bread except for one loaf is emphasized and provides a bridge from the small amount of bread in 8:5 to the imagery of bread and yeast here. There were five loaves in 6 ...

335. The Passover as Eucharist: Jesus’s Body and Blood Given for Us

Mark 14:27-31

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... (vv. 12–14); B he prophecies Judas’s betrayal (vv. 15–21); A? as the meal progresses, he interprets the elements to show his coming death as a new exodus, a redemption event (vv. 22–26); B? he prophecies the desertion of the rest of the disciples (vv. 27–31). Interpretive Insights 14:22 Jesus took bread. This is the fifth stage of the meal (see on 14:18). Mark details the actions of the family father with the blessing, breaking, and distribution of the loaves, like the feeding miracle in 6:41 ...

336. The Healing of a Boy With an Evil Spirit

Mark 9:14-32

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... the course of ministering in his name. 9:27 Lifted him to his feet is literally “raised him,” the same term used to describe the action of God in raising Jesus from the dead, e.g., Mark 14:28; Acts 3:15; 4:10; 5:30. 9:28 His disciples asked him privately: Here again, there is the Markan theme of the special instructions given to the Twelve. Cf., e.g., 4:10–12, 33–34; 7:17. 9:29 Only by prayer: In some manuscripts there is the addition of “and fasting” after these words, but this reading appears ...

337. Reading the Last Chapter First

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... a mission from God, but the respondents are kind of vague on the details. But on the second question—who do you say that I am?—everybody got strangely quiet. Do you think they made eye contact with Jesus? If they had cell phones back then, all the disciples would probably be looking down at their cell phones, pretending that they had just gotten a really important text. All but Simon Peter. He was the only one to speak up: “You are the Messiah,” he said, “the Son of the living God.” And at this ...

338. Lord of the Sabbath

Luke 5:33-39, Luke 6:1-11, Luke 7:18-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... Ezekiel 20 and 36: Warning and Promise in Keeping God’s Sabbath Job 38-41: Job’s Confession of Faith in the Creative Power of God Matthew’s Witness to Jesus’ Breaking of the Sabbath and the Questions of the Pharisees and John’s (the Baptist’s) Disciples (9:14-17 and 11:2-12:21) Mark’s Witness to Jesus’ Breaking of the Sabbath, calling himself God, and the Questions of the Pharisees (2:18-3:12) John’s Witness to Jesus’ Breaking of the Sabbath, calling himself God, and the Accusations of ...

339. The Funeral Crasher

John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14, John 14:15-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... The psalm, written for the dedication of the palace of David, celebrates now for us the dedication of the Palace of the Everlasting Son, in which we are all given a condo, in which to live in community with Him in eternal abundance. In the midst of his disciples’ greatest fears and grief, Jesus talks about joy and life and the future. He IS the savior. He is the covenant maker. He is the ark. Jesus is the crasher at every funeral. Even his own! And Jesus wants to be YOUR Funeral Crasher. He’s YOUR Noah ...

340. Beautiful

John 20:19-23, Song of Songs 4:1-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... actions, our mistakes, our fears, or our doubts. Jesus sees beyond all of that right into the depths of our hearts and minds. Jesus sees us as beautiful. He sees the beauty within us, that beauty that causes us to beam with recognition at his presence, as his disciples did when he appeared to them in that locked room. We may block others out --those whom we fear, those who would harm us. But Jesus can never be blocked from our lives. He can always find us, even when we are in the farthermost places of the ...

341. Living a Jesus Powered Life

Genesis 9:1-17, Genesis 6:1-8:22, Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... who came after them, Jesus too offers us a different kind of life than the one we’ve been living. Jesus offers us not an escape from the world, but a place with God that defies and commands the storms. What happens when Jesus is in the boat with His disciples? The storm of their stress is calmed, and they are safe in the boat with Him. What happens when Jonah tries to run away from God, and the storms of his guilt and shame start rocking his boat? God swallows Him up and spits him out on dry land. What ...

342. Therefore Go

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... socioeconomic class belong to God’s family. We all belong. At last. Finally, Jesus sends us out to live by a universal ethic, the ethic of love for God and love for others. Let’s focus on the last part of Jesus’ instructions: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” “. . . and teaching them ...

343. Broken

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... you a gift! It’s a gift of everlasting life. You don’t need to earn it. You don’t need to arrange it. You don’t need to do anything other than believe it! Jesus’ gift was not a one-time thing for his own disciples, either those in a locked room or disciples on the way home from the greatest tragedy in history. His gift was meant for every single person until the end of time. Let their stories be your witness. Let their jolt of realization be the one that sets you free. Jesus’ wounds mean your ...

344. Competition In The Kingdom?

Matthew 20:17-19

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... Or perhaps they were beginning to believe it. Is not that the way it is with us? At first we are stunned by the shocking news. We hurt with the one afflicted. But eventually we become hardened and not so sensitive. We really are fickle people. Perhaps the disciples were not so fickle according to Matthew's account. Perhaps their silence was an indication that they had begun to come to terms with God's will. Perhaps their silence was a testimony to their faith in God and their trust in the wisdom of his ways ...

345. When God Disappears

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Robert Allen

... little prince asks, "Why is it so important for you to know the exact time?" The fox replies, "Oh, if you say you will come at 4:00, then I will begin to be happy at 3:00." There was joy and happiness in the hearts of the disciples because they were anticipating his coming again. They were expecting the coming of his Holy Spirit. They believed the promise that Jesus would not leave them alone. I was teaching a Bible class several years ago and a sweet little old lady raised her hand and asked, "Dr. Allen ...

346. "On The Way To The Cross"

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

... drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying: ‘Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace’ (Mark 19:41-41)." What happens on Palm Sunday if we listen to Jesus for a change, instead of the crowds; Jesus, instead of the disciples? It is not an empty question. We are celebrating our Lord entering Jerusalem. Without pushing the image too far, I think it is fair to say we are also celebrating Jesus entering our lives as well. We are trying our best, with trumpets and palms, to do it ...

347. A Matter of Life and Breath

John 20:19-23

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... a second step of using. the power which comes from the Spirit. In our text, just before he breathed the Spirit upon the disciples, Jesus gave the church the greatest task and challenge ever given to a group of people. He said, "As the Father has sent me ... is the church’s birthday. Because we are the church, it is our birthday, too. Is it not appropriate for us to be like the Disciples in the Upper Room to await again the presence and words of Jesus giving us anew the Spirit? Since he comes to breathe on ...

348. A Man Who Wanted to Burn a City

Luke 9:46-50

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

... her; be as a son; let her be as your mother." And he spoke to Mary and said, "Mother, behold thy son: look on John as your own son; he will take care of you" (John 19:25-27). It was this man, this Son of Thunder - of all his disciples and followers - whom Jesus trusted enough to ask him to care for his mother. His Patience With Peter I like to picture John as a man of great understanding and solicitude. And I like to illustrate this with a story that isn’t scriptural - that is, it isn’t actually ...

349. Doubting Thomas

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

... call forth from you the confession to Jesus: "My Lord and my God." This birth of faith is not an easy matter. The birth of faith in the midst of doubt is really the birth of a new creation. After all, we do not have the advantage that the disciples had. We cannot walk with Jesus down the dusty trails of Palestine. We cannot put our hands into his wounds. The confession we make to Jesus, "My Lord my God," comes to birth in the midst of our doubts through great struggle. Jesus, in fact, speaks a special word ...

350. Jesus Says, 'Just Do It'

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

Dr. Chane M. Hutton

... faith. We always tend to think we need more faith, too. If we just had more faith we would be better Christians, we say to ourselves. We would volunteer to serve in mission projects or be more committed to the everyday ministry of the church. So, we pray as the disciples did, "Give us more faith." What we may not realize is that we are not praying for faith at all. What we are really praying for is for God to make things easier for us. We are asking God to snap His fingers and make it happen for us. Some ...

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