Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3551 to 3575 of 4681 results

3551. Someday God Will Come

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

King Duncan

... when. But of even more relevance to each of us, there will come a time when God will come for us personally. Maybe you would like to know when that time will be. Most of us, I suspect, would rather not know. It would be too heavy a burden to bear. We would prefer to leave such things to God.

3552. John 1:6-8, 19-28

John 1:1-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... any elevated ethical position he might hold. Instead he declares he is not even worthy to perform the most menial of a slave’s tasks, “to untie the thong of his sandal” of this one who is to come. John’s only “authority” is as the voice, as the one bearing witness to the fact that even as they speak, “among you stands one whom you do not know” (v.26).

3553. Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Despite the fact that all those nativity scenes we perch on table tops in December include a trio of kingly figures, and despite the presence of three gift-bearing “wise men” at the end of every Christmas pageant, the “magi” described in Matthew’s gospel were not part of that same Christmas Day crowd of angels and shepherds and creatures gathered in a stable. Matthew’s “magi” had a different role, a different mission, than was proposed by Luke’ ...

3554. Prophesy Your Way Forward

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... our way forward in 2012 so we can go where God is calling us to go. COMMENTARY Despite the fact that all those nativity scenes we perch on table tops in December include a trio of kingly figures, and despite the presence of three gift-bearing “wise men” at the end of every Christmas pageant, the “magi” described in Matthew’s gospel were not part of that same Christmas Day crowd of angels and shepherds and creatures gathered in a stable. Matthew’s “magi” had a different role, a different ...

3555. I Am Baptized!

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... entered the house, she took the baptismal banner and put it on a tack outside the front door of their home. That same afternoon, some of their friends who lived nearby and who had been out of town for the week drove by the house. They saw the banner bearing the child’s name. The banner also bore the date and the phrase “Christ’s Own Forever.” They were mystified. What does the banner mean? “Christ’s Own Forever.” An hour later in the middle of the party; the phone rang. It was the voice of the ...

3556. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... attitudes mimic God’s own. Likewise, in Hebrew scripture the messianic ruler, chosen by God, is declared to be God’s “son.” Nathanael’s titles affirm his acceptance of Jesus as Messiah, with all the divine attributes and advantages that title bears, including the messianic promise of “King of Israel.” Nathanael’s confession is the most insightful yet among Jesus’ disciples. But it will take the rest of the gospel story for the absolute correctness of this confession to be revealed. Jesus ...

3557. It’s a New Year: Take 7 Steps Forward

John 1:43-51

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

3558. He Gave Himself

Luke 2:1-20

Illustration

Sigrid Undset

... , let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, all the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans. He has given us all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all the green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit—and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused. And to save us from our foolishness and from all our sins, He came down to earth and GAVE HIMSELF."

3559. A Cantankerous Prophet

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

There are some jokes that are so bad they bear retelling. [So, if any of you remember me telling this story, keep that in mind.] (1) It seems there was once a fisherman . . . you already know it’s going to be bad, don’t you? This fisherman and his wife were blessed with twin sons. They loved the children very ...

3560. The Handiwork of God

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... the Battle of Fredericksburg. The Confederate army gained a stronghold atop a hill called Marye’s Heights and slaughtered the Union army below with relative ease. However, one young Confederate soldier, Sergeant Richard Kirkland wrestled with his conscience. He simply could not bear the carnage before him. Finally, he approached his superior officer and asked if he could he go out on the field and carry water to the suffering men, most of whom were members of the Union Army. The officer, though mystified ...

3561. Better Angels of Our Nature

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... touches your heart. But all too soon the fruits of your young one’s labors will touch your stomach as well. Eggshell-crunchy eggs. Pancakes charred on the outside yet somehow still gooey in the middle. A “special” waffle topped with gummy bears, rainbow sprinkles, and soy sauce (oops, thought it was the chocolate syrup!). Muffins in which salt was mistakenly substituted for the sugar. Parents know there is only one response to such culinary delights. Take a big bite, swallow, smile, and proclaim how ...

3562. Sandbox First, Soapbox Second

Mark 1:29-34, Mark 1:35-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... find a rhythm between the ‘sandbox’ — our solitary life — and the ‘soapbox’ — our social life. Neither of these poles are self-directed. They must both be Spirit-directed. The whole life of Jesus was the swing between socialness and solitude. Like a bear, Jesus was either hibernating or hiking. But Jesus did not retreat from the crowds in order to indulge in “me time.” Jesus sought the oneness and one-on-oneness with the desert, mountains and water in order to find one anotherness with the ...

3563. The Shout Becomes a Prayer

Mark 1:29-34

Illustration

Thomas Long

In Elie Wiesel's The Town Beyond the Wall, there is a rebellious character who has profoundly experienced the lonely place of human suffering and who chooses not to bear this in silence. He loudly laments, crying angrily to God that his fate is unjust, indeed, that God is unjust. It would seem that he had fallen into the snare of temptation, but he confesses: "I want to blaspheme, and I can't quite manage it. I go up against ...

3564. Recall Notice

Humor Illustration

... behavior Depression or confusion Fearfulness Idolatry Rebellion The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect. The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required. The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the ...

3565. The Reluctant Celebrity

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... was a sensible man who was able to put life into perspective, but I suppose celebrities serve their purpose. They make life more interesting for those who identify with them. A few years ago there was a 310-pound defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears who suddenly became a national celebrity. He was known as William “The Refrigerator” Perry. You football fans remember Perry. In a four-week period, he did the unthinkable. He stepped out of his role as a lineman and ran the ball successfully for yardage ...

3566. Holiness Shining through Humanity

Mark 9:2-9

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... , say, or standing barefoot in the sand watching the waves roll in, or just having a beer at a Saturday baseball game in July. Every once and so often, something so touching, so incandescent, so alive transfigures the human face that it's almost beyond bearing" (Whistling in the Dark, Harper San Francisco, 1988, p. 108). In one sense Buechner here is maybe rendering the actual Transfiguration of Jesus a bit too mundane, a bit too much like what could happen to us on most any given afternoon while riding the ...

3567. Are You Doing Time On the Bench?

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... is the Beloved” and then chased out into the danger-infested wilderness. The very first steps of Jesus’s public ministry were on the bench. The first time Jesus publically stepped out in faith he “stepped in it.” “Lions, and tigers, and bears, Oh my!” The Roman readers of Mark’s gospel, well acquainted with Nero’s wild beast coliseum games, knew all too well what an unarmed, forced association with untamed beasts meant. Despite the gospel of Mark’s brevity, Jesus’ time in the wilderness ...

3568. Will You Be an April Fool for Christ?

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and expectation that Jesus’ disciples decide to disrobe. They bare their arms and back, they lay their cloaks, the garments that most physically identify who they are, down upon the roadway, creating a cushioned path for the skittish young animal bearing their master. What April Fool’s was this, what April Fool’s were they for stripping down and looking undignified and under-dressed, in order to honor a scriptural image of the messiah. The disciples surely envisioned that such a significant ...

3569. Between Belief and Disbelief

Luke 24:13-35

Illustration

Randolph T. Riggs

... son that if the turkey wasn't any good she didn't want anyone to say a word. She said, "We will just get up from the table, without comment, and go to a restaurant to eat." Mrs. Hayes returned to the kitchen, and when she entered the dining room bearing the turkey on a platter, she found her husband and her son seated at the table with their hats and coats already on.

3570. The Lord’s Great Sacrifice

Luke 23:26-43

Illustration

King Duncan

... faithful wife. In trying to deal with the meaning of the cross on which Christ died, the early church came to understand that those nailprints in the hands and feet of the Master should have been ours. But God so loved the world that he sent his own Son to bear the burden brought about by the iniquity of us all. Can you deal with that? Can you believe that God really cares about us that much?

3571. Love Each Other (Mother's Day)

John 15:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit fruit that will last and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” There are several thoughts we can draw from this lesson. Note, first of all, that love is a command. Jesus isn’t ...

3572. Toss Your Cap Over the Wall

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... and wives especially have problems because of this. I like the story about the first grade teacher who was taking her pupils on a field trip to the local zoo. Each child was given a turn at guessing the names of the various animals. The camel, lion, giraffe, bear, and the elephant all were named correctly. Then it got to be a little boy’s turn. The teacher pointed to a deer and asked him if he knew what it was. He hesitated for a long time, looking unsure of himself. So the teacher tried to prompt ...

3573. When Perceptions Shift

Mark 3:20-30

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... white becomes black, when evil is good and good is evil, people are gone. God can't get through to them. The reason the unpardonable sin can never be forgiven is because it will never, ever be recognized as a sin. Even if God came to such people bearing the sweet fragrance of his grace, all these people would smell would be the stink of a rotting corpse. They won't be forgiven because they cannot be forgiven and they cannot be forgiven because they have come to believe that the gospel's elixir of life is ...

3574. Porcupines

Mark 4:35-41

Illustration

King Duncan

... regarded as a lovable animal, Ortberg continues. Books and movies celebrate almost every other conceivable animal. Dogs, cats, horses, pigs like Babe or Arnold Ziffel in the old TV show Green Acres, spiders as in Charlotte's Web, dolphins like Flipper, bears like Gentle Ben, and killer whales as in Free Willy. Even skunks have Pepe Le Pew. There are no famous porcupines. "As a general rule, porcupines have two methods for handling relationships: withdrawal and attack. They either head for a tree ...

3575. The 4 Spiritual Flaws

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of any other religion. Because Christians don't answer the question of theodicy, why things are the way they are, with a philosophy, or with a panacea, or with a position paper. We answer the question of "Why evil?" with a person. A person who is nailed to a cross, bearing for us and sharing with us the worst that evil can throw at us. The unspoken words from the cross of that person, the very Son of God, are these: Evil is mighty, but God is Almighty. You are not alone. "It is what it is?" No, it is what ...

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