CALL TO WORSHIP Receive Jesus Christ, who is the WORD made flesh, and who has come to dwell among us, full of grace and truth. PRAYER OF CONFESSION True God, Gracious God, we are still enticed to idolatry. We are fascinated by glamorous stars. We are taken in by false propaganda. We are frightened by the threats of the politically and economically powerful. We lose confidence in your pledge to preserve the lives of your saints. We forget that you love those who hate evil and resist it. Forgive our ...
COMMENTARY Old Testament: Joel 2:1-2, 12-19 The prophet Joel receives a word from the Lord. The ram's horn is to be sounded so that the people might assemble before the Lord. It is a time of crisis but the source of the trouble is not clear. Scholars differ greatly as to when the book was written anywhere from 800 B.C. to 350 B.C. Nevertheless, the situation calls for swift and forthright action. All of the people (v. 16), without exception, are called to return to the Lord with fasting, weeping and ...
John 11:1-16, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:1-17, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44
Sermon Aid
Russell F. Anderson
COMMENTARY Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:12-14 God instructs Ezekiel to preach to the dry bones scattered over the valley floor and as he preaches to them they come together, as flesh and sinew cover them. The dry bones represent the people of Israel, who have been taken captive and live hopeless lives in a strange land. The message is that God will carry his people home and fill their lifeless carcasses with his Spirit. This word of hope helps lift the people from their depressed state. Epistle: Romans 8:8-11 ...
Romans 8:18-27, Isaiah 44:6-23, Genesis 28:10-22, Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43
Sermon Aid
Russell F. Anderson
Theme: The mystery of good and evil. In Genesis, Jacob tricks his brother and flees from his wrath. In Romans, Paul bemoans human moral weakness. The Gospel parable deals with the mystery of the weeds growing together with the wheat COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Genesis 28:10-19a (C) Upon hearing of Esau's plan to kill Jacob after Isaac's death, Rebekah spirits Jacob back to her relatives in her native land. It is an unsettling time for Jacob, leaving home and a fugitive. Jacob stops for a night at Bethel and in ...
August 22, 1982 Comment: A good story can be done a number of ways. Astory about Jacob lent itself as a short story when I didit. Since then, I have come to see it as a radio drama, notunlike those frequently heard in the '40s and '50s in whichthe hero narrates and has some dialogue with a limitednumber of other characters. Sound effects would be nice andcould be handled by a creative team working on this story. Those who study the biblical story closely will realizeI have taken some liberties, as most ...
Psalm 42Matthew 5:1-12 Purity of heart is a common thead throughout scripture. The first of the Ten Commandments says: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For ...
We Americans have long had a love affair with winners. Successful undertakings of nearly every sort quickly receive the admiration of those around us. As a group, we take great delight in banquets and other ceremonies at which honors are distributed. People who come in second are rarely remembered in our culture. The runner-up usually receives a brief word of recognition and then is quickly forgotten. If you happen to be a sports enthusiast, you'll remember the poor old Buffalo Bills of the NFL. Never mind ...
Here we see the dynamic of witness. Look at what took place. Jesus met Philip and he called him, and Philip followed Jesus. Philip was much like Andrew; he could not keep a secret. When Andrew discovered Jesus, he ran to find his brother and said to him, "Come, Peter. I have found the Messiah." So with the same manner of enthusiasm, Philip went and found his friend Nathanael. He told Nathanael that he was sure that this was the Messiah. But Nathanael was skeptical. He was probably skeptical for several ...
Object: Several "fronds" from a walnut tree. Lesson: Faith, trust, change. Holding up the walnut leaves I've brought, I ask the assembled children, "Does anyone know what kind of tree these are from?" "Eucalyptus," Jerry suggests with a broad grin. He's one of the older children. I recognize his desire to emphasize that fact with his use of a strange, big word. "Now that's a clever guess," I respond. "In fact, I think the eucalyptus tree does have leaves similar to this; but these are not eucalyptus leaves ...
Purity of heart is a common thead throughout scripture. The first of the Ten Commandments says: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and ...
Today's text centers in two men: John the Baptist and King Herod. The identity of Jesus is the issue immediately at hand. We discussed this identity issue in the previous chapter, noting that Mark 4:35--6:6 deals with this question. The disciples wonder who Jesus is. Jesus proceeds to demonstrate who he is through a series of spectacular miracles. He drives out a legion of demons, heals a woman with a flow of blood and raises a young girl from the dead. Still, when he arrives in his hometown, his kinfolk ...
Greeting Leader: "Peace be with you." Congregation: And also with you. Leader: After the resurrection, some of Jesus' first words to his friends were, "Peace be with you." Congregation: We come seeking your peace, blessed Jesus. Your peace is not like the world's, the peace you offer, Lord, cannot be shaken by this world's terrors. Fill us with this peace that defeats even death. Prayer for Illumination God of the Holy Scriptures, we see Jesus' example.When tempted in the wilderness, Jesus resisted by ...
Greeting Leader: Jesus cannot hide. Congregation: People followed him to Tyre, where he cast the demon out of a woman's daughter. Leader: Everywhere Jesus goes, people follow. Congregation: People found him in the region of the Decapolis, where he healed a deaf man with a speech impediment. Leader: And we are still following Jesus. Congregation: We have found Jesus in this place, and here we find the healing we need. Leader: We are here, Jesus, because of you. Congregation: Blessed Jesus, Holy Healer, Gift ...
Greeting Leader 1: Brothers and sisters, have you heard the prophecies? Many who come in the name of Christ are saying the end is near! Congregation: "Beware that no one leads you astray." Leader 2: But I have heard that we are going to be pulled into war! And there are already so many wars between the nations! Congregation: "Do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come." Leader 1: But what about the earthquakes? There seem to be more than usual! Leader 2: And there are people ...
Time is an asset and a liability. Call your attorney, physician, or clergy, and the first thing they do is block out a space on their calendar for you. Go to church or a meeting and you see people looking at their watches or waiting for the hourly chime. You take time off to be with the family or to golf and, before you know it, it’s time to do the next thing. Time keeps rolling like the waters in a stream. Time is an asset and a liability. We have the choice of taking it for granted letting it pass ...
Late in the evening before his little son’s birthday, a father was trying to put together a complicated toy as a birthday present. He was not making very good progress. There were a lot of parts in that shipping carton. He realized that he should have begun this days ago, but he had left it until the last hour. Yet he had confidence that he could complete the job with his mechanical knowledge. In his haste, he cut his hand badly on a sharp corner, and it bled profusely until bandaged. When he had finished ...
Jonah went in the opposite direction of that in which God wanted him to go. Jonah was jealous of God's unbounded desire to include even the evil city of Nineveh in his kingdom. Like the older brother in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, Jonah wouldn't hear or speak of God's gracious redemptive sweep, which included even prodigals and foreigners. So, through a great fish, God opened up Jonah's ears so that he would be able to speak God's word of repentance and redemption. "He even causes the deaf to hear ...
In three swift verses, the succession is accomplished, finally. And David sleeps with his fathers and is buried in the city of David. Our prayer for David, companion in these past weeks, is that David sleeps, at last, in peace. For in those last years, David is so advanced in years, so old, that he cannot get warm. They cover him with clothes, but he does not get warm. They bring him a young maiden to lie beside him, but he does not get warm. I imagine David shivers in the knowledge of all that his life ...
Did you ever secretly wish that we had kings and queens here in America? I think that must be a secret wish of many of us, if the tabloid newspapers and magazines which are always on sale at the supermarket checkout counters are any indication. Between the romantic antics of Hollywood and the goings-on of the British royal family, the tabloids do a rushing business. (I won't embarrass any of us by asking how many secretly enjoy reading those tabloids as we're standing in line.) There's hardly a week goes ...
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, Mark 6:1-13, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Sermon Aid
Russell F. Anderson
Theme: God gives us the authority to bring in his kingdom through our strengths and our weaknesses. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 David first serves as king of Judah, with his capital at Hebron, for a period of seven years. The leaders of the northern tribes of Israel come to him at Hebron and they agree to make him king over the northern tribes. David's army captures the city of Jerusalem from its inhabitants and it becomes the capital of the united kingdom. David reigns as king of Israel ...
He came from the sea, a brawny, boisterous man, who loved nothing better than the spray in his face as he pitted his little craft against a gale, his calloused hands locked on the tiller, a defiant cry on his lips. And when the wild trick was over how he must have boasted of his feat to friends sharing his hearth! He was an impulsive man, quick to make decisions and equally quick to make mistakes. Yet he never let either stop him. Instead, he plunged straight on, rushing from one concern to another, always ...
Purpose: To share with the children some wonderful gifts they can give to their parents. Materials: Several boxes wrapped like Christmas or birthday presents. Lesson: There are several times during the year when children think about presents, like these. I imagine that all of you give thought to gifts at Christmas time. Then, when your birthday draws near, I am sure that again you begin to think about what you might like to receive. But for a few moments today, I'd like you to think about what you can give ...
There is a bit of Jewish humor that goes like this: An old man goes to a diner every day for lunch. He always orders the soup du jour. One day the manager asks him how he liked his meal. The old man replies, "It was good, but you could give a little more bread. Two slices of bread is not enough." So the next day the manager tells the waitress to give him four slices of bread. "How was your meal, sir?" the manager asks. "It was good, but you could give a little more bread," comes the reply. So the next day ...
Psalm 104:1-35, Ezekiel 37:1-14, John 15:18--16:4, Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:18-27
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
CALL TO WORSHIP Look to our Creator who gives breath to all breathing creatures and the Spirit to all praying beings. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Unseen Parent, Departed Brother, Promised Counselor, we admit that we have not always confessed that we have done what is wrong. We do not always seek the truth to know and do what is right. Though we should declare our faults and failings out of sheer love and trust, we more often confess out of threat of future judgment. Forgive indifference and noncommittal ...
CALL TO WORSHIP Come into God's presence with a clean heart, with a new and right spirit, indeed in the discipline of the Holy Spirit from me. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Giver of manna, Breaker of bread, Creator of the new, it is true that we still do what we have not learned from Christ. We can be hardhearted when we should be forgiving. We can be selfish when we should be willing to share. We can be greedy and complaining when we have enough to get by. We can be as unscrupulous in our dealing as if we did not ...