Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3551 to 3575 of 4884 results

Philippians 1:1-6

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the day after surgery, Pat cracked, “I bet you never thought you would see me wearing a halo." Most of us shy away from the word “saint." We have a lot of friends who remind us that we are “No saints." If sainthood is equated with perfection, who meets the standard? Who is qualified to judge? What if saints are ordinary sinners trying to make good? Jesus called Peter a rock for Christianity and the Church made him a Saint. But Peterat best was a mixture of: Devotion and denial Courage and cowardice ...

3552. Living in Gratitude

Philippians 4:4-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... peace. The award-winning art work would be prominently displayed in the library. When all the entries were in, the judges narrowed the competition down to two. One painting featured a majestic lake, so tranquil and still that the lush hills behind it were perfectly mirrored in its reflection. Above was a blue sky, around it were blooming wild flowers. Behind it were deer grazing in the meadows. It was a piece to behold. It was a picture of peace. The other finalist portrayed a terrible storm, winds blowing ...

3553. Fanning the Flames of Family

Ephesians 5:8-10

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... do. IV. IT'S TIME TO FAN THE FLAMES OF GRACE AND FORGIVENESS. Ephesians 4:35 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another just as Christ in God has forgiven you." Forgiveness fits faulty people. Families in the Bible were far from perfect. Adam and Eve no sooner left the garden than their children got in a fight. Noah got off the ark of safety and immediately got drunk to the embarrassment of his children. Jacob and Esau were such rivals that the world is still reeling from it ...

3554. Holy Waste

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... confessional words. I’m not being irreverent now - but I believe I know how Jesus felt when Mary poured all that perfume on Him. My friend anointed me with love - and thousands of dollars couldn’t buy that kind of gift. And the timing of it was so perfect coming at a time when I desperately needed to be affirmed and lifted up. Sometimes it’s inappropriate to be sensible, and we need to look for and capture those special moments that may not return – we need to act on our love impulses - not deny and ...

3555. Mary, Martha, and the Martha Stewart Church

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... craves cathedrals, or soars under the blue dome, it is all the same as long as we have that “one thing.” That “one thing” is Jesus. In today’s gospel text Martha, the mistress of the house, rushes around trying to make sure everything is perfect. Martha is like some first century Martha Stewart. She is focused on the food, the house, the drink. Martha seems to be doing for others. At first reading Martha is just being a conscientious hostess. But a deeper reading of the story reveals Martha is ...

3556. Our Father...

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... who seeks out pain and suffering for a new generation? Jesus’ final promise in today’s text is that God will “give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the Paraclete or Defender, the giver of every good and perfect gift. And as John Calvin warned, “in despising the gift, we insult the giver.” (Institutes, 2/2/15) That is the gift of the Father who loves all his children. And in the words of St. Augustine, “God’s goodness towards us is such that God wants ...

3557. Lessons from a Fool

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... in denial. Someone will protest, “But pastor, we are saved by grace, not works.” And that’s true. But salvation means that Christ comes into our hearts and takes residence there. We become like him. That is what it means to be saved. It doesn’t mean we are perfect. It certainly doesn’t mean we are all Christ means for us to be. But it does mean that we are on the path. It means that we have Jesus’ heart for a world in need. “Watch out!” says Jesus. “Be on your guard against all kinds of ...

3558. When We Are Young

Luke 12:32-40

Illustration

Donald J. Shelby

... of the corporation, Nobel Prize winning scientist, sing like (Pavarotti), dance like (Fred Astaire), write like Camus, paint like Wyeth, and play golf like Jack Nicklaus. Every young couple who gets married is sure that theirs is going to be the ideal marriage, the perfect union. We don't have to dispute such dreaming, nor disparage ambition and idealism. In fact, give me an idealist any day over a cynic especially a 21-year-old cynic. Yet, those who have weathered turnings of the seasons know that between ...

3559. Be Square

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to recognize that they stand in the midst of a generation of square halo witnesses. The testimony of the people standing before him were the next links in the chain of faith. The square halos are what made the lives of the round halos complete and “perfected.” Round halo people are easy to identify and easy to applaud. We have the gift of time and perspective, history and genealogy to tell us who deserves a round halo. We know who was faithful to the end. In particular, men and women of faith who ...

3560. A Kingdom that Cannot Be Shaken

Hebrews 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... the really frustrating thing is that being a Christian does not protect you from the earth shaking beneath your feet. Mark A. Schaefer, an Australian pastor writes, “You know the greatest thing about being a Christian? It’s that everything works out for you perfectly . . . You always get the best parking spots. You never get into fights with people. You get the best jobs, with rapid promotions. You get straight A’s in college. Your love life is always great. You never get sick. You never get sad. It ...

3561. Sneak Preview

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... like that amount in a check! Astonished, the inspector writes a check for 50,000 francs. Dupin then unlocks a drawer and hands the precious letter to the inspector. At first, the inspector is speechless, but then he stumbles out the door in what Poe calls, "a perfect agony of joy."1 Dupin's friend is as astounded as the inspector. Dupin then explains that he knew the character of the letter thief, and suspected what he had done with the letter. Under the pretense of a social call, Dupin had gone to his ...

3562. Brought Together and Sent Forth

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

Lee Griess

... who follow. Many years ago, a sticky situation happened. It occurred at the wedding ceremony of the Duke of York. All the guests and wedding attendants were in their place. The sound of the majestic organ at Westminster Abbey filled the air. Everything was perfect for this royal wedding of some of the highest in British society. Except for one thing. As part of the wedding ceremony, the duke and his bride were supposed to kneel on a cushioned bench to receive a blessing. A nervous whisper spread through ...

3563. One in Faith and One in Service

John 17:1-11

Sermon

Lee Griess

... the big Texan not to shoot. I have the money hidden at the bottom of a dry old well. It's exactly one mile north of town at the abandoned old mill." The little translator got a very solemn look on his face and said to the Texas Ranger in perfect English, "Jorge Rodriguez is a very brave man. He would rather die than tell you where the money is." It's absurd to say that what we don't know won't hurt us. Tell that to Jorge. It's equally absurd to say that what we believe doesn't ...

3564. With a Firm Foundation, Application Is Second Nature

Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Practice makes perfect. If you do these things for Jesus, the Lord will bless you. Much Prosperity Gospel preaching advocates these themes. It's a word that America wants to hear. Even Reverend Rick Warren of the California megachurch, Saddleback Church, has said that: I must apply its [the Word of God's] ...

3565. Sick People Like Us Will Always Need The (Divine) Doctor

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... . William Pringle (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2005), pp. 401-402. 5. Jonathan Edwards, God Glorified in Man's Dependence (1731), in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 2 (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1998), pp. 6-7. 6. Augustine, On Man's Perfection in Righteousness (415), XIII.31, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 5 (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1995), p. 71. 7. Martin Luther, Lectures On Romans (1515-1516), in Luther's Works, Vol. 25, ed. Hilton C. Oswald (St ...

3566. If Your Sense of Purpose Ever Becomes a Burden, Remember Your Value

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... valuable to God, do you matter to him? Martin Luther had a wonderful way of describing how much God values you and me. He claimed that we are lords of all, subject to none. In one of his famous treatises written in 1520, he claimed, "The Christian is perfectly free lord of all, subject to none."5 Luther's vision of the Christian life (it is really Saint Paul's vision — see Galatians 3:10-13) entails that there is nothing we have to do. We are no longer subject to the Ten Commandments, not even to Jesus ...

3567. Life’s Purpose Is Often Hidden!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... , the people with whom we associate, the good things in life, even what you and I do and think deserve praise — but not without some qualifications. There are still a lot of weeds, and bad motives associated with those good things. So be realistic. What you got ain't perfect. What's good about what you got is not the result of the goodness of the thing or the person. It is good because God used that person, used that thing, to make an imperfect good. Only God is good. On the other hand, don't be so darn ...

3568. The Road No One Wants to Travel

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... that traditions latch onto us. They can become for us reminders of a moment in the past when things seemed so right in our world: a Currier & Ives Christmas, for instance, or an illuminated Thomas Kinkade painting glowing with just the right moment of sunset perfection outside and the warmth of faith and family shining through the windows of a still life home. G. K. Chesterton called tradition "the democracy of the dead." He said that when we fell in love with tradition we handed the current moment over to ...

3569. Kingdoms in Conflict

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... of identities. For some, evil was inherent in the system like yin's twin yang. For others, humans had incurred the wrath of the gods and were punished through the spread of vices that flowed out of Pandora's mythical box. Others still believed divine perfection was trapped by a mean-spirited creator into the corrupt and forgetful stuff of human flesh, waiting magical gnostic liberation. Jesus' design in his sweeping tale is to give a different view of the origins of evil. God is good; creation is good; and ...

3570. Dressed for the Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Chris Ewing

3571. Testing, Testing

Matthew 22:34-46

Sermon

Chris Ewing

... of the day? Test ... test.... To paraphrase an important dictum of the pioneering psychiatrist Milton Erickson, "Until you are willing to question what you already know, what you know will never grow bigger, better or more useful."2 Just as testing allows us to perfect the setup of the sound system, so these kinds of probing test questions allow our faith to become stronger and more useful. So what did Jesus have to say to that perennially nagging test question about what it is in our religion that matters ...

3572. A Honeymoon at Church Camp: A Real Homecoming

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Sermon

Tony Everett

... the start of something wonderful. It was. Over the next four summers at camp, Rachael and Wally's infatuation blossomed into romance. They became engaged with plans to marry during the Christmas season following college graduation. Everyone was thrilled. Here was the perfect couple. Their pastors, families, and friends on the camp staff gave them the ideal (for Rachael and Wally, anyway) honeymoon — a free week in a secluded cabin on the grounds of the camp where they met and fell in love. The newlyweds ...

3573. Burned Beef

Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon

Tony Everett

... , Terry, arrived home to an empty house and listened to Jenny's voice mail asking Terry to "warm up the beef stew that's in the casserole dish on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Keep the lid on to preserve the flavor." Terry followed the directions perfectly ... or, so he thought. Placing the dish on the front burner of the stove, Terry turned on the heating dial and proceeded to make a salad. Then he began to read the paper as he waited for the boys to arrive home from soccer practice. About thirty ...

3574. No Room for Gloom

Isaiah 9:1-4

Sermon

Tony Everett

... difficulty accepting her own abilities. If her team lost, she would quickly point out the goal she missed or the pass she failed to make. If she made an "A" on an examination, Emily would focus only on the point or two that she failed to answer perfectly. After each "failure," Emily would arrive home in tears. She would run into her room, shut the door, close the blinds, and turn off all the lights, sitting alone for hours in what her parents labeled "Emily's gloom room." Where is your "gloom room"? What is ...

3575. I Don't Do Windows

Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28

Sermon

Tony Everett

... are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise" (Deuteronomy 11:19). We might not "do windows" very well. We always seem to leave streaks and stains inside and outside. The good news is that Jesus Christ does windows perfectly. Through Jesus Christ, God's promise to Israel in the wilderness is a present and clear and unstained reality today. In Christ, the inside grime of our souls is cleansed, forever. Because of Christ, the outside stain of sinful behavior can also reflect God's ...

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