Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 326 to 350 of 1409 results

326. Till Death Do Us -- Unite

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

Praise be to the Death Conqueror! God had done miraculous things for the widow and her family through the Prophet Elijah. Enough flour and oil to live on through a drought. Then this widow's son became sick. He eventually died. "Why, O prophet, have you let this happen?" she asked. But God wasn't done bestowing miracles on this family. Elijah, harboring the same question for God, stretched himself on the boy three times -- and he became a fence-climbing, dog-chasing son again! A second widow had heard ...

327. Open Grave, Open Hearts

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

As the Cadillac owner walked to his car, he saw a boy about ten years old staring intently through the windows. Wondering what he was up to, the man put his hands on the youngster's shoulders, pulled gently and asked him what he was doing. The boy said he was interested in cars and had read a lot about different models. The owner talked with the boy for a while explaining to him details about this particular model and style. After a little while, the boy asked, "Mister, how much did you pay for this car?" ...

328. 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 ...

329. God's A Catcher

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

Amid all the exotic sights and excitement of a circus there's one moment which for me holds more daring, beauty and grace than any other. A moment when the clowns cease their pratfalls, while tigers pace and snarl in their cages, elephants shift their bulk from side to side, the ringmaster hushes the crowd, and cross-pathed spotlights illumine upturned faces in scattered circles around the arena as they focus high, high above the ground. The moment is this: an aerialist lets go of the trapeze and sails and ...

330. Be A Good Building Block

1 Corinthians 3:10-17

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A pile of bricks Lesson: Do you not know that you are God's temple. Good morning, boys and girls. How is everyone today? (Let them respond.) I'll bet you are wondering why I have this pile of bricks here! When I read Paul's letter for today, it made me think of brick and stone and all the things we do with them. What are bricks used for? (Let them answer.) Good. We use bricks to build all sorts of things, don't we? Fireplaces, houses, all kind of buildings, like libraries and banks and churches. Do ...

331. Follow The Man With The Plan

Sermon

Richard Hasler

In the July 25, 1993, issue of the Cleveland Plain Dealer a fascinating article appeared about secret agent Varian Fry. He was an eccentric, bookish and shy man, one who hardly fits the picture of a secret agent. Nonetheless, this Harvard-educated writer left New York City in 1940 to begin a life of intrigue in France worthy of a Le Carre novel. His mission was to rescue artists, writers and musicians whose lives were in jeopardy because of Hitler's hatred of the Jews. Fry was successful in liberating 2, ...

332. Let's Live

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon

Richard L. Sheffield

Then let's get with it! Thus says the Lord our God, speaking through the mouth of his prophet Isaiah, to his people: people who didn't get it then and people who "still don't get it now." Actually I think we do get it; we just don't get around to getting it done, do we? Living as God says to live? God says: "... Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:16-17). (If you don't) "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?" ( ...

333. Mother's Day

Romans 16:1-27

Sermon

Brett Blair

I must candidly confess that when I was in seminary the 16th chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans didn't do much for me. It struck me as being boring nothing more than a long presentation of people's names, most of whom I could not pronounce; I usually skimmed over that part so I could get to what I considered to be the real Gospel. Over the years I have greatly changed my attitude about this particular chapter and I have discovered that there is much more to it than I had first imagined. For example, it ...

334. A Salute to Mothers

Romans 16:1-27

Sermon

Brett Blair

335. Why A Cross?

John 19:17-27

Sermon

Robert Beringer

Why A Cross? Some years ago the motion picture industry did a great service to the cause of Christianity with its epic production of Lew Wallace's Ben Hur. The crucifixion scene in that film is unforgettable, and recreates a truer picture of our Lord's death than almost any other dramatic production I have ever seen. Looking at that movie, you can feel the injustice, the callousness, and the sheer brutality of Calvary. Executioners pound home huge spikes into quivering hands and feet. Rivulets of blood ...

336. A Friend Indeed

1 Corinthians 1:9

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A screwdriver, knife, pack of cigarettes, pile of money Good morning, boys and girls. You are probably wondering what I am doing with all of these things! Well, I want to tell you a story about a boy named Billy. Some people used to call him "Bad-Boy Billy" because he was always in trouble! For instance, Billy would use this screwdriver to pry the hubcaps off cars! He loved to steal as many as he could. Then he would use this knife to slash tires because he thought that was great fun. Billy ...

337. A Lesson From A Mirror

James 1:23, 24

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

Purpose: To encourage children to be willing to accept help. Material: A hand mirror. Special Procedure: Before your time with the children, stick a piece of paper on your face. Lesson: Most people use a mirror like this every day. They will look into it to see if their face is clean, or their hair looks all right or maybe to check out a sore on their face. You see, we cannot see our face like we can see our hands or feet. Now, when you look at my face what do you see? ... Well, thank you for telling me. ...

338. Bubbles

2 Timothy 2:5 · Prov 17:17; 18:24

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

Purpose: To learn that making certain choices in life can make a difference in what happens to us. Material: Four small glasses. In one glass place a small amount of flour. In the next glass place a little baking soda. In the third glass pour some water, and in the final glass add a little clear vinegar. I suggest you identify each glass with a letter or notation on a piece of masking tape. Lesson: Today I would like you to watch a simple experiment. First, notice what I have in these four glasses. In two ...

339. Learning To Behave

Psalm 119:4-8

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

Concept: We can spray hair spray on our hair to make it behave and do what it's supposed to do, but we have to make ourselves behave by making good decisions and doing what is right. Preparation: A container of hair spray. Does anyone know what this is? (Hold up hair spray. Children respond.) It's hair spray. What do you do with hair spray? (Children respond.) You spray it all over your hair and the hair spray makes it stay in place. The hair spray makes your hair behave. Some days I get up and get dressed ...

340. Stain Remover

1 John 2:2

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

Object: A bottle or stick of laundry stain remover. Lesson: We put stain remover on clothes to get rid of the dirt and grime, but the only stain remover that will get rid of our sin is Jesus Christ. Do you know what this is? (Children respond. Offer help if needed.) It's stain remover. What does Mom or Dad do with this? (Children respond.) They rub it on the stains we get on our clothes. Have you ever gotten a stain on your shirt or your pants? What makes the worst stain? (Children respond.) How about ...

341. Meeting Our Needs, Not Our Greeds

Exodus 16:1-36

Sermon

Steve Burt

Once upon a time there lived a farmer who raised chickens, wonderful, plump, juicy chickens that cooked up beautifully. But one summer a problem arose. It seemed that a fox had found a way to sneak into the pen where the chickens were kept, and it carried off a chicken every night. The farmer tried setting traps, but the fox was too smart to take the bait and get caught in the trap. The farmer tried staying awake and watching over the chicken pen, but he never did spot where it was that fox got in. No ...

342. Emmanuel: An Advent Dayenu

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Mark Radecke

In the Jewish tradition there is a liturgy and accompanying song called "Dayenu." Dayenu is a Hebrew word which can be translated several ways. It can mean: "It would have been enough," or "we would have been grateful and content," or "our need would have been satisfied." Part of the Dayenu is a responsive reading that goes like this: O God, if thy only act of kindness was to deliver us from the bondage of Egypt, Dayenu! It would have been enough. If thy only act of deliverance was to divide the Red Sea ...

343. Christ the King

Psalm 100:1-5, Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Actions Determine Judgment The parable brings us to the end of the parables in Cycle A of the lectionary. It is also the end of the last block of teaching material in the Gospel according to Matthew. It is appropriate that the parable points to the final judgment, the outcome of all that Jesus was trying to teach and demonstrate about the meaning of the kingdom of heaven. The parable contains some rich contrasts in the imagery it uses. On the one hand is the image of the king and the hosts of heaven. It is ...

344. Demon-Possessed Child

Matthew 15:1-20, Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

First Point Of Action After the miracle of walking on the water (see Cycle A, Miracle 8), Jesus leaves the land of Gennesaret and goes to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Second Point Of Action A Canaanite woman from that region comes out and shouts at Jesus for mercy because a demon torments her daughter. Third Point Of Action Jesus ignores her. Fourth Point Of Action When the disciples urge Jesus to send the persistent woman away, Jesus tells them God sent him only to save the lost sheep of the house of ...

345. Brainstorms

Sermon

John R. Bodo

1. Hosea While only the first three chapters of the Book of Hosea are clearly autobiographical, his prophecies furnish a great deal of additional information about him. The story of Hosea and Gomer, of course, presents a tantalizing and ultimately insoluble puzzle. Did Hosea seek out a prostitute in order to dramatize his message? Did he marry a "good girl" who deceived him and eventually became a prostitute? Did he ... and so on? The Four R's. Hosea, a man of God, acts very much like God toward the ...

346. "Unless A Grain Of Wheat ..."

John 12:20-33

Sermon

Elaine M. Ward

Moon had a message for man and woman and called Insect to come and carry the message to earth. The message of Moon was, "As I die and in dying, live, so you in dying will live also." Insect took the message of Moon to earth and on the way met Hare. "Where are you going?" asked Hare. "I have a message from Moon to man and woman. Moon said, 'As I die and in dying, live again, so you in dying will live also.' " "Insect, you are so slow. Let me take it," insisted Hare. Insect gave the message to Hare. Hare ran ...

347. Jesus, The Servant

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Elaine M. Ward

When a brother visited the hermits in the desert and saw them working, he asked, "Why do you work for the bread that perishes? Mary has chosen the best part, to sit at the feet of the Lord without working." The Abbot told his disciple to give the brother a book and a cell and there he left him all day to read. At the ninth hour he looked out to see if the Abbot was going to call him to dinner and at last set out to find him. "Did the brethren not eat today, Father?" "Oh, yes, we have just eaten," the Abbot ...

348. Hailing The King Of Chaos

Job 12:13-22· Matthew 27:32-44

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

It was one of those gorgeous spring days. There were daffodils blooming, tulip trees bursting out in color, a warm sun, and a clear blue sky. One felt like singing that descriptive song from the musical Oklahoma, "Oh, what a beautiful morning! Oh, what a beautiful day." Then I picked up the morning newspaper and the first sentence in the article cautioned me not to read it unless I had a strong stomach. It was an editorial by the columnist, Anthony Lewis. Uniformed government soldiers, arriving in a ...

349. "Ascribe To The Lord The Glory Due His Name ..."

Sermon

John N. Brittain

Psalm 96:8 Twenty years ago I was the young minister of children and youth at a large United Methodist church on the east coast. The semi-retired minister of visitation was the Reverend Walter Donoway, who was approaching his ninetieth birthday. He made regular hospital and home rounds and on Sunday mornings often said the prayer or received the offering. He had never been a tall man and was now somewhat stooped. But when it came time for the offering he stood erect. Unlike most ministers I've heard, he ...

350. Words, Words, Word

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Alex Gondola

Let me begin by reading a few announcements from church bulletins. These are actual announcements. I hasten to add that none of them appeared in our church bulletin. One read: "This being Easter, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar." Another: "Thursday night Pot Luck Supper. Prayer and medication to follow." Still another: "This afternoon there will be a meeting in the South and North ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends." And: "Thursday at 5:00 p.m. ...

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