Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3501 to 3525 of 4884 results

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to the Royal Vienna String Quartet. The caravan church he likens to a barbershop quartet. Both, he points out are dedicated to making music, but with the Royal Vienna the emphasis is on the quality of the performance — that it be perfectly performed. The emphasis of the barbershop quartet is having a “satisfying experience of singing” - that the quartet have fun doing it. The commissary church “puts great value upon the quality of its performance, whereas the caravan — which is the people gathered ...

3502. John 16:12-15

John 16:5-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... occur. “What is to come” in that context suggests that it is the events of Jesus’ life and death, his crucifixion and resurrection, his ascension and glorification, that the Spirit will present to the disciples, revealing to them the purpose and perfection of Jesus’ presence, first on earth and then in heaven. What else “is to come?” The new presence of Jesus on earth as the Christbody community becomes the embodiment of Christ with each new generation of disciples. The continuity between Father ...

3503. What Is Man?

Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Pastor Boatwright goes on to say, “If we asked what was in God’s wallet, it probably wouldn’t be credit cards, but lots and lots of pictures, family members in the body of Christ. And not just a portrait gallery of people with the perfect pedigree or sinless paragons of virtue, but some rather unsavory characters and a few surprises . . .” (6) Amazingly, in God’s wallet, there would probably be a picture of you, and maybe, even one of me. The Psalmist writes, “When I consider your heavens, the ...

3504. A Dependable Guide

John 16:5-16

Illustration

King Duncan

... do exactly what I do." So carefully the leader and the follower turned on the course to the airport and slowly descended. When they finally broke through the clouds at 500', the frightened pilot saw the most beautiful sight. There in front of him was the runway, and he was perfectly set up to land. There are times when we need a guide we can depend on. Where would we be without mentors, coaches, counselors, consultants, when we are engaged in tasks that are beyond our expertise?

3505. Fresh Every Morning - A Test

Exodus 16:1-36

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... in our life. This poem says it well: I met God in the morning When my day was at its best And His Presence came like sunrise Like a glory in my breast. All day long His Presence lingered, All day long He stayed with me; And we sailed in perfect calmness, Over many a troubled sea. Other ships were sorely battered, Other ships were sore distressed; But the winds that seemed to drive them Brought to me a peace and rest. So I think I know the secret, Learned from many a troubled way You must seek Him in the ...

3506. When Being Christian Has Worn You Down (Compassion Fatigue)

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... . The Thresher disappeared in the depths of the ocean. People never knew why. They surmised that it had gone so deep that it simply went out of control. It was designed only to go to certain depths. Some years after it disappeared, because of the perfection of technology, we were able to send another submarine down, a small one with thick-plated, thick glass, highly pressurized to go much, much deeper than the Thresher had been able to go. They discovered the Thresher. It was a strange sight. They found out ...

3507. A Curse for Our Redemption

Galatians 3:1-14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... stones in the curbing, he will find a loose one there; pull it out and all the money is behind it. Please tell him quickly; I don’t want him to shoot me.” The little translator got a solemn look on his face and said to the ranger in perfect English, “Jorge Rodriguez is a brave man. He says he is ready to die.” Now I don’t know what happened then. But, obviously, translation was a big issue for Jorge Rodriguez. It’s a big issue for us as seek to make the biblical message understandable Be honest ...

3508. Are You Paying Too Much For Your Whistle?

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... into subordinates and then making them toe your line? Paul had all the power, all the clout, all the zealous conviction of “rightness” in his possession when he was suddenly blindsided on the Damascus Road. Paul was totally convinced of the piercing, perfect quality of the tone his whistle played. He was a model Pharisee, one who upheld the Law over all else. He felt no qualms about “persecuting” and terrorizing the “church of God.” Paul freely admits in today’s Galatians’ text that he ...

3509. The Harvest of the Spirit, Part 2

Galatians 5:16-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... Christian’s peace is a product first, of the amazing grace of Christ’s forgiving love. Then the Christian’s peace is a product of the certainty of God’s presence despite the circumstance. Isaiah put this in one pristine sentence: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee” (26:3 KJV). What a promise. I’ve seen it as you have, and many of us have experienced it. A person walking through the darkest valley of the shadow of death, yet radiating a confident peace. A person ...

3510. Characteristics of the Church

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... we pit against innocence, ideals, and moral codes, a more humanistic approach? We’ve let the Godless take the word away from us, to pervert the meaning of being human. There is no fully realized humanity apart from God, to see our destiny under God. The most perfect model of humanity is Jesus, the Word made Flesh, that’s the meaning of the Incarnation. So the word is an important one: reverence. The battle for the minds of persons is being waged in all of society. The Church must see itself in the thick ...

3511. Simon

Mark 15:21-32

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... in October”, November 3, 1986) That brings a smile, if not a chuckle — but beneath the surface humor, is a serious realization. How often does our seeking what we want, bring chaos and confusion, even suffering to others. Also, there ironic accident, a perfect illustration of how our lives are often interrupted by forces beyond our control, by the fallout of other people’s decisions and actions, by what we often call “natural catastrophe.” And it’s not just big things that make a difference in ...

3512. Doing Our Best

Romans 12: 1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... into breath prayers." “Lord, make me a blessing." Say that with every breath you breathe everyday. Over the years, I have discovered that prayers do not change things, but they change me. Paul says in Romans we must discern the will of God, His pleasing, perfect, acceptable will. We discern that through prayer. You will learn the will of God when you learn to pray. Paul says in this passage in Romans that we must have a transformation of our minds; we must think in new, different and creative ways. That ...

3513. Knowing When To Run

Genesis 39:1-2, 6b-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... of holding on to his personal integrity in a very compromising situation. The facts are he winds up in prison, in jail. Cleveland Stroud had coached the Blue Collar Bulldogs for eighteen years before they got to the state basketball championship. It was a perfect night and Stroud held the championship trophy high over his head as his team paraded him around the court on their shoulders. Two months later, during a routine grade check, one of the Bulldog players was declared ineligible to play. The kid had ...

3514. How Can Jesus Save Me?

John 3:14-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . His driver came to pick Sandy and myself up. We were driven right to the door. A policeman ushered us into a beautiful dining room where we had dinner together. When we finished, we were ushered to a suite where we had all the refreshments we wanted. It was the perfect place to watch a ball game. Sandy said, “Why haven't we done this before?" I said to myself, “Why haven't we?" Why haven't you? Accept an invitation from Jesus Christ to simply open the door and let Him in. How can I be saved? I can let ...

3515. When It's Time to Reconcile

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Artist Billy Davis recorded a song a few years ago that goes something like this: “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, I’d like to hold it in my arms and keep it company. I’d like to see the world for once all standing hand-in-hand, And hear them echo through the hills for peace throughout the land.” Well, wouldn’t we all? Is peace and harmony a ...

3516. When It's Time For Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... first part of Matthew 18, Peter says to him, “Oh, Lord, what should I do? Should I forgive my brother seven times?” Now you’ve got to understand what is going on here. The rabbis had a saying that if you forgave somebody three times you were a perfect person. Look at what Peter does. He doubles the formula, adds one for good measure, and says to Jesus, “How about it, Jesus, isn’t seven enough?” Jesus says, “If you’ve got to use your calculator to work on forgiveness you’re not going to get ...

3517. Finding Answers to Family Feuds

Genesis 25: 21-34

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... important that what I have done any place else.” You can decide today to stop the competition game at your house. You can decide today to stop comparing one sibling to another and playing favorites with your children. You can decide today to stop trying to be perfectly equal, because children do not need to be treated equally, they need to be treated uniquely. You can decide today to form your family into a team where one is for all and all is for one, where you win and lose together. You can make that ...

3518. Does Prayer Make Any Difference

Matthew 26:36-46

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... all understanding. Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.” The potential is there. Will we tap the resources that are ours? Those are the possibilities of prayer. But I must be perfectly honest with you. There are some things that we cannot expect from prayer. Prayer is not magic. Prayer is not manipulation. There are some things that God, by his very nature, cannot do. God will not always please you. God will not always give you your ...

3519. Soaring with Christ

Matthew 28:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... me to honor God, is providence beyond my comprehension. While I have not always appreciated it, in these later years I have come to understand that life is a gift, a precious, simple gift that we receive from others. Of course, parents are far from perfect. If you wonder about that, ask my children. They will tell you the truth. Parents come from the old school. Parents do not always get it right. Bill was unusually excited and nervous about the birth of his first child. When the day arrived, he drove ...

3520. The Darkness Before the Dawn

John 13:18-30, John 13:31-38

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... to paint the face of Jesus. Seven years later DaVinci started hunting for just the right face for Judas. Where could he find one that would portray that image? He looked high and low. Down in a dark Roman dungeon he found a wretched, unkempt prisoner to strike the perfect pose. The prisoner was released to his care and when the portrait of Judas was complete the prisoner said to the great artist, “You don't recognize me, do you? I am the man you painted seven years ago as the face of Christ. O God, I have ...

3521. Building a Lasting Legacy

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... today. Discern and discover what it is God is leading you to do in this prayerful, reflective moment in this church. When you have done that, whatever you do will be exactly right. The second thing I ask you to do is to pray for me. I am far from perfect. Pray for this church that its glorious past will continue to be a bright and fruitful future. The third thing I want you to know today is how critically important you are to the whole. You see, each piece is important. You may feel like you are a nail in ...

3522. Getting in S.H.A.P.E. for Ministry

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... gifts. He gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. That is Paul’s short list. There are about 30, spiritual gifts entrusted to the Church. When walking together these gifted people form the body of Christ on earth and function perfectly together. Brian Bauknight says there are sufficient spiritual gifts in every community of believers to do what God is calling that community to do in this particular moment of time. I like to think of the spiritual gift as something like the ...

3523. Why Am I A United Methodist?

I Timothy 1:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... are in the journey of life you can have the blessed assurance that you belong to God. You can know where you are going. You can live in the sure and certain confidence that God will see you through. “There is no fear in love,” says the New Testament, “for perfect love casts out fear.” You do not have to live in guilt, you do not have to live in fear. You can live in faith as a child of God. That is our belief. There are many wonderful expressions of the Christian faith on earth. We are not the only ...

3524. Furnishing It with Love

1 John 4:7-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither things present nor thing to come, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” John says, “There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear.” So it does. There is no fear in life for God will never leave us nor forsake us. There is no fear in death for God has conquered death, and turned it into everlasting life. What have I to dread, what have I to fear ...

3525. Let Go of the Stone

Mark 16:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... shall I fear? Surely it is God who saves us, let us trust in him and not be afraid. Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy. Fear not those who kill the body but cannot touch the soul. There is no fear in love, for perfect love drives out fear. Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, he has risen, just as he said. In every problem, God is there to consult. In every effort, He is there to help. In every sorrow, God is ...

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