Sermon and Worship Resources

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Acts 2:14, 36-41

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... transformation. It is the same call that is echoed by the apostle Paul when he writes, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). The call to conversion that we hear in this passage from Acts is not about confessing how messed up we are and then moving to the next new religion thing. It's about "having a new mind," or "transforming our minds" so that we see ...

3577. Choosing to Love

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... thing. Falling in love gets us started in a relationship but it is seldom what sustains it. And unless we make peace with this fact, we are apt to waste a lot of time and energy trying to make our relationships conform to some preconceived notion of "the perfect romance." Of course, there is still plenty of room for romance in our marriages, and we ought to do loving things for each other. Let us not despair because we don't always feel lovingly toward our mate. In fact, it's a revealing picture of our ...

3578. A Man of the Moment

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... Even if you know nothing about the plot of the movie, the mental picture of those two actors standing side-by-side as twins is itself pretty funny. The setup for the move is that the brothers are the result of an experiment to grow a perfect man, who is the Schwarzenegger character, named Julius. But in the course of manipulating his genes when he's in the prenatal stage, the scrap that is not used develops into the smaller brother, Vincent. Thus Julius is planned and grows to athletic proportions. Vincent ...

3579. The Way Things Are

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... familiar. God created us all. Jesus Christ came to die for all. The early church had a powerful witness and a powerful attraction because it included if not "all," a much closer approximation than any other group. They were not perfect. They broke into factions. They revered certain leaders, almost like fan clubs. Most dangerously, perhaps, they were allowing their fellowship to be invaded by "the way things are": patterns of thought and entertainment, cultural and religious expectations, even mirroring the ...

3580. Hidden in Plain Sight

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... same scheme to categorize Christians. In future readings, we will get to him addressing the less-developed Christians, the "babes in Christ," but first he has some things to say to the "mature" (the word could be, as sometimes has been, translated "perfect," but that is misleading). Here we need to stop and notice something, particularly since most of us sitting in church probably think of ourselves as "mature" Christians rather than "babes." This description of Christians is not meant to demean the less ...

3581. In the Balance

Romans 5:12-19

Sermon

David O. Bales

... next was a little larger. People pressured him, of course, at each step, but sin operated in each decision he made and at each moral intersection where he turned the wrong way. The modern world tends to act as though we're all perfectly free agents, responsible for ourselves and often responsible only for ourselves. Ancient Israel believed in the solidarity of groups, even all of humanity. In Israel, people believed themselves to be bound in a national community, clan, and family as one personality. Their ...

3582. Lighting up Lent

Ephesians 5:8-14

Sermon

David O. Bales

... great effort to learn by experience what Paul identified as "what is pleasing to the Lord," and thus in the worst of places the light of Christ shined. We'll never on this earth learn enough about God, study the Bible as we might. We won't understand perfectly what God would have us do, pray as seriously as we can. We'll never be the people in this world that we're going to be in the next, although we speak as honestly as possible about how God is working within us now. Yet, despite the circumstances ...

3583. A Living Hope (If It Hadn’t Been for Easter)

1 Peter 1:3-9

Sermon

David O. Bales

... the way we thought it was or should have been, but making it better. Jesus does it by making us better. That's what Jesus strains toward and hopes for — our changing for the better. We won't get everything done here, and we won't make life perfect, but if we hope, then we'll try. Hope is active. It makes plans. Hope buys green bananas. The New Testament isn't terribly interested in the circumstances of Jesus' birth. Paul never mentioned a detail of Jesus' birth, and he'd completed all his missionary work ...

3584. A Big Enough Reason

1 Peter 2:19-25

Sermon

David O. Bales

... like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls." We return to Jesus for the reason and the power to live. We get mixed up, like confused sheep, and think that our social class, political party, or nation instructs us in the perfectly right ways to live. We are wiser to return to Jesus the Lord who is our shepherd, who leads us to the supplies of the Spirit that we need in order to live creatively for him. Peter calls him the "guardian of your souls." Jesus, who suffered for ...

3585. Rock Bottom

1 Peter 3:13-22

Sermon

David O. Bales

... people, although Peter will later mention that the good news of Christ was even preached to the dead. The spirits Peter refers to in verse 19 are those "who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah." Is that perfectly understandable? Well, the church across the ages hasn't had an easy time grasping it either. At least it means that Jesus Christ has gone to extraordinary lengths to reach those who need him and to help those who turn desperately to heaven for salvation. That ...

3586. Righteous!

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... it. We are weak, God is strong, omnipotent. We are of limited intelligence. God knows everything, omniscient. We are stuck in one place. God is everywhere, omnipresent. We are mortal. God never dies, immortal. We are temporal. God is eternal. We are imperfect. God is perfect. We are sinful. God is holy. And the list goes on and on. They are all part of what makes God so "righteous!" We human beings long to have the same sort of righteousness. Ever since that tragic fall into sin in the Garden of Eden ...

3587. Boast in Our Suffering

Romans 5:1-8

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... is saying. Paul is not the drill sergeant at our spiritual boot camp. First of all, Paul is not interested in heaping more burdens on us. This is no challenge to measure up to, because none of us can ever measure up anyway. Second, not even Jesus was the perfect superstar. He, too, had cracks in his armor. He, too, wavered under the burden of his suffering. He cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane for another way. He didn't want to go through with this awful walk to the cross. When he was finally on the ...

3588. Freedom and Slavery

Romans 6:15-23

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... the way I get to live. I am free to serve Jesus and the guy who sells that software and justly expects to make a profit." Martin Luther describes it well in the opening words of his famous 1523 treatise "On the Freedom of the Christian." He says, "I am perfectly free, subject to no one. At the same time I am a slave, subject to everyone." People, this kind of freedom is yours. You are free in Jesus Christ. You no longer need to be enslaved to your old selfish wants and desires. You are free to be slaves of ...

3589. Righting Wrong

Romans 9:1-5

Sermon

Larry Lange

... living and giving? It is possible. It is possible, because Christ did not come for those who think of themselves as having achieved righteousness. Christ came for sinners, stumblers, strugglers, stragglers, deserters, betrayers, deniers, and crucifiers. None of us has achieved perfect righteousness. As Paul wrote earlier in his letter to the Romans: "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Or as the apostle Paul wrote just a few verses after today's lesson: "Gentiles, who did ...

3590. The Heifer that Will Change the World!

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

Sermon

Larry Lange

... Divine Promise of Purity for the Jewish people and for the final countdown to commence: the breeding of a red heifer. Since the beginning of this venture, Reverend Lott has felt the Lord has been guiding him to become the one man on earth who could breed a perfect red heifer for people like Rabbi Richman who have been waiting for a red heifer and who know exactly what God wants them to do with one once they have one. Reverend Lott discovered the unique place the red heifer has in preparing the world for the ...

3591. We Are the Champions

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Larry Lange

... . It seemed to many in the congregation like divine providence that Jack was in charge. Who else but Jack could handle it all? He was such a winsome fellow — so reasonable, so calm — a man who'd give you the shirt off his back, a man perfectly prepared to cope with all these challenges by his service on numerous professional boards and commissions, a man renowned among his professional peers, a man who had raised a state champion steer. It was then that the Nitpickers began to attack Jack. At the annual ...

3592. It Was Only Fair

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Larry Lange

The blizzard was kind enough to have shown up on Friday evening, so that when it had finished rattling our windows and dumping about ten inches of perfectly packable snow, we were not in school and had an entire day to enjoy it. By Saturday afternoon, we had shoveled our own driveway and sidewalk. Our neighbor, Mr. Schmidt, had finished hours before, because he apparently made enough money to afford a snowblower. His was the first snowblower on ...

3593. A Truly Universal Operating System

Romans 14:1-12

Sermon

Larry Lange

... worship elsewhere every single Sunday. This sort of faithfulness is commendable, compared to 70% of the rest of the congregation. Yet, it is not this sort of wonderful obedience to the law that saves them. If I understand our Lord correctly, no one can obey the law perfectly enough to earn our salvation. I recall Jesus saying that even to call a brother a fool is to kill him, and who among us can say he is entirely innocent in this regard?" "Indeed," said the presbyter. "As soon as we say that we must obey ...

3594. Reasons for Rejoicing

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... and us to embrace the mind of Christ. And, to think noble thoughts: "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable" (Philippians 4:8). Church hoppers and church shoppers are looking for the perfect, conflict-free church, which does not exist. Where two or more are gathered, there are at least three opinions. Conflict in and of itself is not harmful. It's our improper responses to the conflict that damage the body of Christ. Never ...

3595. When I Say I Am a Christian

Luke 15:1-32

Illustration

James W. Moore

... 'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt. When I say, ‘I am a Christian,' I don't think I know it all. I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught. When I say ‘I am a Christian,' I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I'm worth it. When I say, ‘I am a Christian,' I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name. When I say, ‘I am a Christian,' I do not ...

3596. Finding Financial Freedom

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

Brett Blair

... sometime during your school years by D. H. Lawrence titled, “The Rocking‑Horse Winner." I wonder if you remember how the story begins? It is a haunting tale about a family living above its means. The mother is considered by friends and neighbors to be the perfect mother, in spite of the fact that deep down she knows she has difficulty loving her three children. It's important to the husband to keep up the pretense of success the large house, staffed with servants but they are living on the edge, just ...

3597. Good and Evil Live Side by Side

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

Thomas C. Short

... recently, and it was so complicated that it was several hours before I realized who was good and who was bad. And still I have some doubts about my conclusions. In this parable, Jesus is telling us that evil is very cunning and shrewd. It is camouflaged so perfectly that we sometimes have difficulty recognizing it. It's not just a matter of knowing who are the good guys and the bad guys on the movie screen, but it is also difficult to differentiate between good and evil in our own lives. Good and evil live ...

3598. Beyond Skin Deep

Luke 16:1-15

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

... an epidermis rather than a soul." Post-modern culture goes Joyce even one step further. The skin we long for isn't even our own; it's cut and stitched, sculpted, tightened, tanned, lightened, suctioned, all according to whatever celebrity trademark, whatever perfect look we hope to emulate of our cultural gods and goddesses. Jesus' parables challenge us to get beyond our skin deep preoccupation. The gospel is more concerned with our souls than with our skins. Jesus looks at the eternal, not the epidermal ...

3599. Here I Am

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, [23] and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, [24] and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. [25] See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who ...

3600. Swept Clean

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... taken away from her." What makes this story so interesting is that by all social standards, Martha was in the right. Martha was doing what was the accepted and expected. She had guests and so she went about preparing food for them. She was being the perfect hostess. Not only were these folks guests, this was Jesus and his disciples, the one she thought was the Messiah. Of course, she was up and about trying to do everything possible to please him and make his stay comfortable. It was Mary who wasn't pulling ...

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