Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3551 to 3575 of 4508 results

3551. If We Miss a Deadline

Illustration

King Duncan

A tough, old cowhand sauntered into a saloon and began drinking whiskey by the bottle. The more he drank, the more unruly he became, shooting holes in the ceiling and floor. Everybody was afraid to take on the old cowhand. Finally, a short, mild-mannered storekeeper walked up to the unruly cowhand and said, "I'll give you five minutes to get out of town." The old cowhand holstered his gun, pushed ...

3552. Proper 23

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Exodus 32:1-14 Theme: Selfless intercession Exegetical Note Readers may have difficulty with a view of God that allows for the divine wrath to get so out of hand that the deity has to be dissuaded from and repent of the vengeful evil that the divine indignation has threatened. More plausible, perhaps, is the selfless intercession of Moses, who gave up the flattering divine offer to...

3553. Invitations To The Light

Sermon

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

The outer darkness seemed to cling to Miriam like the tattered blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She shivered in the cold evening air as she sat in a doorway outside the temple, begging for money so that she could buy some bread to get her through the night. Jerusalem was a hostile place for a young widow in Jesus' day, and as she heard some strangers approaching with laughter and singing, she...

3554. R.S.V.P.

Sermon

Will Willimon

"At Duke," she said, ''we work hard, we play hard." A visitor here on campus, Friday noon through Sunday evening, might get the impression that we are one of those infamous "Party Schools." Late one Sunday night last winter, I was awakened in the middle of the night and asked to deliver a sad message to a Duke freshman. I got up, put on clothes, stumbled out into the night, drove through deserted ...

3555. Proper 23

Bulletin Aid

Theme: The peace of Christ Call To Worship Leader: Let us gather together all who would worship and serve the Lord! People: For we were once outsiders and knew not the kingdom of the Lord. Leader: Now we have been called as guests by the Lord God Almighty. People: Then let us tell all the nations of God's wonderful mercy and grace. Leader: And let our voices proclaim the glory of God in song and ...

3556. Dressed in our Sunday Best

Illustration

Brett Blair

Perhaps you have heard of the family that moved into the neighborhood and the little country church decided to reach out to the family. When they arrived at the doorstep the members of the church were surprised to find that the family had 12 kids and were for the most part poor. They invited the family to services and said goodbye. Later that week the church responded to their need. They delivered...

3557. Proper 23

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 32:1-14 is the story of the golden calf. Psalm 106:6-8, 19-23 is a historical summary that recounts this event in poetic terms. Exodus 32:1-14 - "The Power of Petition: Part 1" Setting. Last week we noted how the account of Israel at Mount Sinai actually lasted for 72 chapters in the Pentateuch (Exodus 19; Numbers 10) . Exodus 19-34 is frequently separated out as a...

3558. On Running Afoul of the Dress Code

Sermon

Along about 9:00 last night, I gave semi-serious consideration to wearing my tux for these Ash Wednesday services of worship. Just as quickly, I discarded the idea, given that it might be perceived as frivolous. And whatever else Ash Wednesday is about, it is certainly not frivolous. At issue in this morning's text is "wedding attire" (and what is "appropriate" for such an occasion). I don't supp...

3559. RSVP

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Everyone invited to a party or wedding reception will see at the bottom of their invitation the initials: RSVP. We all know what to do when we see this. It’s a kind of “code” that tells us that our response is requested. But did you ever wonder what exactly those initials mean? The letters come from the early French phrase, “Répondez s’il vous plaît”: “Respond, if you please.” Or more colloquiall...

3560. When is Patriotism An Idol?

Sermon

George Johnson

Almost everyone who has been brought up in the church has heard of the "taxes to Caesar" story. "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?" they asked Jesus. Allegiance to the empire and to God is the issue. Jesus' patriotism is being called into question. I want to talk to you about when patriotism becomes an idol. The setting is important. It was toward the end of Jesus' ministry, just before his deat...

3561. Another Tricky Question

Sermon

Johnny Dean

There is a scene in the movie Used People in which a mother/daughter confrontation occurs. In the movie, the daughter - rapidly approaching middle age (whatever that is), divorced, mother of two children - is leaving home and heading for California to make a new life for herself and her children. Naturally, Mother objects. And as mothers sometimes do, she tries to lay a load of guilt on her daught...

3562. Tricks

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: Beware of people who try and trick you. Props: A box of tissues, a child’s chair, and a little bit of magic skill. Set the chair up so that the child’s back is to the congregation. How to do the magic trick: In front of the child ball-up a tissue and hold it by the tips of your right hand thumb and middle finger. Put the tissue into the left hand by bringing the left hand over the ...

3563. Double Citizenship

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

Jesus had attacked the orthodox Jewish leaders by telling the story of the two sons (Matthew 21:28-32). The Jewish leaders are the son who did not do the father’s will. Then he told the story of the wicked husbandmen (Matthew 21:33-46). Again, the religious leaders are the bad guys! In the story of the King’s feast (Matthew 22:1-14), they are the condemned guests who turn down the invitation. In t...

3564. Dual Citizenship I - What Do We Owe To Our Country?

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

What a country is America! As Erma Bombeck says, "You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers in front of the White House, but by family picnics where kids throw frisbees, the potato salad gets soggy, and the flies die from happiness." Some years ago in a U.S. District Court, I had the privilege of participating in a nat...

3565. Dual Citizenship II - What Do We Owe To God?

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

On the first really cold day last fall in Denver, a window cleaner was working on a scaffold outside the 20th floor of a skyscraper. He was surprised to see a secretary pressing a large sheet of paper up to the window. On it, in big letters, she had written: "It's 72 degrees in here." Undaunted, the half-frozen window cleaner reached into his pocket, pulled out a pen and notebook, and scribbled a ...

3566. Trip Questions

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

At some time every older sibling has pulled this on a little brother or sister who had a nickel they wanted. "Okay," older child offers, "let's flip for it. Heads I win, tails you lose." The little kids agrees: "Sure!" Then when heads appears the older proclaims "Heads, I win!" Of course if tails comes up the declaration is "Tails, you lose." At this point it suddenly dawns on the younger child th...

3567. Jesus the Iconoclast

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In 725 AD Leo III, the Syrian emperor of Constantinople, toppled the huge statue of Christ that loomed over his palace’s front gate. What Leo wanted to do was to prove his independence from church authority. What Leo DID was to create a new term, "iconoclast," which means "the destroyer of an icon." A more contemporary image, one that we all share, is of Iraqi citizens toppling the huge statue of...

3568. Matthew 22:15-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

When Jesus entered the temple (back in Matthew 21:23), his authority was immediately questioned by the chief priests and elders. Jesus quickly quashed their inquiries, but went on tending to those around him, teaching them through his favorite method — parables. But after unfolding three parables Jesus is again confronted with a question from the religious establishment. This question had been car...

3569. Paying Dues to God

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Our dues to God are paid when we return to God with interest what God has entrusted to us. Our 5-year-old, Thane, recently decided (somewhat out of the blue) that he was going to memorize the "Pledge of Allegiance" and recite it by heart. We dutifully repeated it over and over until he slowly memorized the words. Surprisingly, Thane didn't get stuck on some of the trickier words like "alleg...

3570. Matthew 22:15-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Here is a text that even the most "doubting Thomases" in the doubting-Jesus Seminar believe are the undoubted, authentic words of Jesus. All the synoptic gospels record this intellectual wrestling match between Jesus and the strange tag-team of Pharisees and Herodians. It is equally evident in all three gospels that this is no innocent inquiry seeking Jesus' opinion. The underlying agenda of the H...

3571. Matthew 22:15-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This week's gospel text presents one of the five head-on collisions Jesus had with the religious authorities. The first was in Matthew 21:23, where the chief priests and elders challenged Jesus' authority to teach and heal. There are also confrontations over the rising of the dead (22:23-33), the most important commandment (22:34-40), and the identity of the Messiah (22:41-46). But Matthew 22:15-2...

3572. Matthew 22:15-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The perfect comeback. When caught up in a serious confrontation or debate, there is nothing more satisfying than finding the perfect retort, an unarguable response that completely disarms the other’s argument. Likewise, there is nothing more frustrating than having that perfect comeback occur to you hours or even days later. “I should have said . . .” is the disheartening realization that your per...

3573. Get the Monkey off Your Back

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

W. H. Auden once described life as a very grand opera played by a tenth-rate touring company. This seems never more true than after a tragedy, when people are asked “How do you feel?” What comes out of our mouths next? “What a senseless murder.” Well, is there such a thing as a sensible murder? Or “She didn’t deserve this! She didn’t deserve to die.” Well, does anyone ever? Does anyone deserve ...

3574. Jesus, Messiah and Lord, Is True Interpreter of the Torah

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: When his authority is tested, Jesus is shown to be the true interpreter of the Torah, amazing people with his answers, calling people to absolute loyalty to God and love of neighbor, and showing himself to be Messiah and Lord. Understanding the Text In response to Jesus’ three provocative parables, various groups of Jewish leaders initiate confrontations with Jesus (see 22:15, 23, 34)....

3575. Paying Taxes to Caesar

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

After Jesus’s parables prophesying judgment on Jewish leadership, various groups of leaders go on the offensive by bringing difficult questions to Jesus. The first group is a coalition of Pharisees and Herodians (with the Herodians likely representing the interests of Herod and other clients of Rome within his circle) who ask Jesus whether it is “right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar” (22:17). K...

Showing 3551 to 3575 of 4508 results