Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3551 to 3575 of 4943 results

3551. Celebrating the Virtue of Humanity

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... rider. What if I had refused and left you there?” The older man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes and said, “I’ve been around these parts for some time. I reckon I know people pretty well. The man continued, “I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion and mercy were evident. I knew ...

3552. Sacrifice Leads to Life

Hebrews 10:16-25

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... to demonstrate our holiness of life. Rather, we sacrifice because it is an integral part of the vocation of being a Christian. Such a life of self-sacrifice is not easy, yet it is the one and only life that will lead us back to God. Therefore, as we continue to walk this special road of the Paschal Mystery, let us see in some small way the sacrifices we make, whether they be for people, ideals or institutions, as a minor example of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus poured out his life so that we ...

3553. The Real "Lord's Prayer"

John 17:6-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... of Jesus’ friends. Imagine seeing Jesus’ arrest and torture and death through their eyes. Wouldn’t you be overwhelmed by grief and fear and questions and doubts? I know I would be. And so . . . Jesus did a miracle to save his own life and continue his ministry. Nope. Obviously, Jesus did no such thing. And so . . . Jesus appeared to his apostles with a host of angels around him so that they would never again doubt his divine nature. Again, no, he did not. And so . . . Jesus supernaturally took his ...

3554. The Transformative Power of God

1 John 1:1--2:2

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... one of his parishioners was running around town saying that he no longer needed to go to church or be involved with parishioners or with God. He was content to be by himself, and encouraged others to join him. After a few weeks, as this man’s mantra continued, the pastor decided to visit his recalcitrant parishioner. It so happened it was a cold winter evening and when he arrived he was warmly welcomed by the man who invited the pastor to take one of two seats in front of a roaring fire in the hearth. The ...

3555. Thanks, but...

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

Will Willimon

... and the worth of that to which they have given their lives, despite the validation or lack of it given by the world. Paul was telling the folk at First Church Philippi, "If you need the praise, the validation, the adulation of the world, or happiness, riches, and continual joy in life to make your life, then you're going to be miserable. What you need is some way to be content whether or not you abound or are abased, you have plenty or nothing, abundance or want, so you are sure that you can say, wherever ...

3556. The Power of Belief

1 John 5:9-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... The reporter, sensing that the man did not understand the question, again asked, “I mean, what is your job; what do you do?” Again the reply from the businessman was, “As I told you, I am a Christian.” Obviously perturbed and flustered, the reporter continued to press the man: “You do not understand; what you do for a living?” “Listen!” My full-time job is to be a Christian,” said the businessman, but “I own a furniture store to pay the bills.” Christianity is indeed a full-time job ...

3557. What Do You Expect?

John 6:24-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... to believe the secret to life can be found in accumulating great wealth? Because money can give us a sense of control. Because we can use it to keep score—to prove that we are somebody. That’s why we continue to hunger for wealth or fame or power. But many of those who have obtained great wealth or fame or power know them to be empty and unfulfilling. Every wise person who has ever lived knows what is missing in life—and it is not material possessions or recognition or ...

3558. The Sign of the Serpent’s Tree

John 3:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... is complicated. But this we can know: in Jesus’ death, Life won. In Jesus’ sacrifice, the serpent was trampled. Within the arbitrariness of the human spirit, God’s Spirit can triumph and bring out from within us the Image of God. In this continued season of Pentecost, may the Holy Spirit continue to dwell with you. May you look upon the cross and see God’s victory in you. May Jesus remain with you and redeem you, now and always. [1] For more on the complexity of the Tree of Life symbol, see “The ...

3559. Call It Like You See It

Mark 7:24-37

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... before the throne and before the Lamb….” Jesus challenges us to be better than we are, and to challenge each other to do the same. Call it like you see it. Respond - respond gently at first if you have to, but firmly. Today’s passage continues with another story of healing, this one involving the ministry of touch. Jesus took the long way to Galilee and the Decapolis, traveling from Sidon through Tyre which is 22 miles north, and the opposite direction from where he ended up. There he met a deaf ...

3560. The Secret Man

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... silence. The first chapter concludes with Jesus healing a leper, and insisting “…that you say nothing to anyone… (1:44). The leper disobeys Jesus. One can hardly blame him for spreading the news, but this is not news that Jesus wishes to be spread. Jesus continued his healing and teaching ministry. At one point Jesus told those who were healed “…not to make him known (3:12).” Jesus stilled the storm, and yet when he spoke in parables he didn’t explain what they meant. Mark’s gospel says that ...

3561. Why Did Jesus Come?

Luke 2:21-52

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... . Christ’s death would allow us to be adopted into the family of God. Christ’s death signals that once we have believed in Christ as our sacrifice for sin we can immediately experience new life in him. Christ’s death is an ongoing process as our relationship continues in him. Christ’s death is an eternal life with God. We have truly come to the at-one-ment with God through Christ! Charles Swindoll told the story of a bazaar held in a village in India. People brought their wares to be sold and traded ...

3562. It's All About the Messiah

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... , and it was cast a century and a half ago. Two attempts at casting were made and ended in failure. The emperor sent for Kuan-Yin, the official in charge of the task. The emperor informed Yin that if he failed again he would be killed. The legend continues that the man’s daughter, Ko-ai, consulted an astrologer, who told her that unless a virgin’s blood was mingled with the metal the third casting it, too, would fail. She asked permission to be present when the attempt was made. As her father and his ...

3563. Winner And Still Champion

Mark 9:30-37

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... future course of their lives. This is important, because in this passage, where Jesus used a child as an example of how to receive Jesus, the comparison he was trying to make was much different than we would make. This passage begins with Jesus, continuing to teach about his coming death and resurrection. The scripture tells us that in the wake of the Transfiguration, Jesus and his disciples returned to Galilee, in part to avoid his movements being tracked. Jesus said, very clearly, “The Son of Man is to ...

3564. Faith and Freedom

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... was the Messiah or not. He was the topic of many a conversation. Instead, the secrecy was part of the healing gift that Jesus gave to that family. By saying she was simply in a deep sleep, the daughter and the family could continue a normal life. They could continue their normal responsibilities without their lives taking on a "freak show" quality. Similarly, when Jesus told the woman who suffered from the hemorrhage, "Your faith has made you well" his final words were for a normal life. He told her, "go in ...

3565. For The Love of God is Creative

1 Corinthians 2:6-12 · Psalm 8

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... story about a little boy who was working hard on a drawing and Daddy asked him what he was doing. The boy said, "I'm drawing a picture of God." The father laughed and said, "How can you do that? Nobody knows what God looks like." The little boy just continued to draw, looked at his picture with satisfaction and then said very matter-of-factly, "Well, they will in a few minutes." In Christ we have the perfect picture of God. The perfect image of God. You and I are created in God's image. You can look into ...

3566. Not Guessing

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... , but there was an expectancy to the time in which Jesus lived, and some wondered if he might be that Messiah they were looking for. Jericho was a venerable and ancient city, already eight thousand years old in the Lord’s day. Many consider it the oldest continually inhabited city on earth. In recent decades Herod the Great had added a hippodrome and a royal palace, but Herod also died in Jericho. For him the city was a dead end. Jericho is also the last stop for Jesus and his apostles before he enters ...

3567. For the Love Of God is Forgiving

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... victim of a drive by shooting or a drug problem. Who'll be the next victim of gang violence or a drunk driver. While the Peace Talks are going on in the Middle East between Israel and Jordan and the Palestinians, the fighting, bombings and killings continue. Even though the IRA has called a cease fire causing Irish Protestant and Catholic relations to take a giant step forward, another explosion injured people on a passenger train. A homeless man was beaten to death by five members of a gang in what the ...

3568. For the Love of God Is . . .

1 John 5:3-4

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... men realized the impact of the situation. In just a few split seconds the driver was forced to make a decision no man ever wants to make. To attempt to stop suddenly, or swerve, meant certain death for half of the fathers and husbands in the small village. To continue on meant certain death to the oblivious boy ahead. In those few seconds he must decide. The boy? or the men? With tears in his eyes he made his decision. The men awaited the impact. The driver was the first one out of the bus and ran back to ...

3569. Righteous Woman

Genesis 38:1-27

Sermon

Will Willimon

... not do. It's one of those stories. But because this is the Bible, where nearly anything can happen and often does, this story continues. Judah's wife dies--Judah, the father-in-law whose sons weren't much help to Tamar. And Judah happens to be up at ... ll teach him a lesson. In this story, Tamar is (surprise!) vindicated. She bears twins, Perez and Serach. The family will be continued, but not in the respectable, middle-class way Judah intended. It will be preserved through the crafty, chutzpah of a gutsy woman ...

3570. Who Is The Prisoner? Who Is The Judge?

John 18:33-37

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... fellow Dunkers in the north as well as the south. Earlier in the war Kline and some Dunkers and Mennonites were arrested and jailed in the local courthouse. In his diary Kline wrote: Sunday, April 6 (1862). Rain and snow all last night, and continues on so all day. Have preaching in our captive hall. My subject is “Righteousness, Temperance, and a Judgment to Come.” I aimed at comforting my brother captives and myself with the recollection that Paul was once a captive like ourselves, and that in this ...

3571. A New Identity for a New Year

John 1:(1-9), 10-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... began the process once again of teaching him who he is. And Penny convinced Jeff to get a tattoo on his arm so he could be identified if he lost his memory again. The tattoo is of a brightly-colored phoenix, the mythical bird that dies and is reborn continually. Underneath the tattoo is Jeff’s name and Washington State ID number. Although Jeff works hard to remember the past, he knows he may always have a hole in his memory, in his identity. What if he never remembers his past? Jeff responds, “We’ll ...

3572. Which King Do We Worship?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... that she was going to be laid off from her job. Most of us would have cut way back on our charitable giving at this point so we could look out for our own needs. But not Carolyn Cooper. She cut her budget to the bone so she could continue to sponsor her overseas children. And members of her church who were aware of her sacrifice also sent donations to help. Carolyn keeps a photo on her fridge of her holding baby Lusitania, the child who died of hunger, to remind her of why she makes this sacrifice. (6 ...

3573. When Good People Pray

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... with their loved ones. (6) Can you imagine the relief and joy those soldiers experienced when they were reunited with loved ones and thereby rediscovered their identity? That’s the sort of thing that can happen in our life when we are in the habit of maintaining continuous contact with God through prayer. When Jesus prayed on the day he was baptized, the heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I ...

3574. Welcome, Joe!

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... , and attended a rodeo—where he received a standing ovation. One year after his whirlwind trip to the U.S., Erwin Kreuz returned to Bangor, Maine, for a visit with the folks who had so generously welcomed him to their town. And according to the local property assessor, he continued to pay property taxes on the plot of land he had been gifted in Maine, even though he never came back to see it. (2) Wouldn’t it be great if every story of being lost had a happy ending? And a lot of them do. But sometimes a ...

3575. The Baptism of the Lord

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17 NIV). What’s the benefit? God living in my heart without condemning me! This also provides a future life that begins now and continues on through eternity. One night before the great Broadway musical star, Mary Martin, was to go on stage in South Pacific, a note was handed to her. It was Oscar Hammerstein, the American librettist, theatrical producer, and director of musicals from the 1920s to 1960 ...

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