Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3601 to 3625 of 4884 results

Acts 11:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... heavenly Father who adores, shelters us, and holds us when we need to cry. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (2) A mother's job is to SOW LOVE. Most mothers do that quite well, some do not. In a perfect world all mothers would SOW LOVE. But for those that do not, we're called lift them to God. And we're called to offer forgiveness. And being forgiven ourselves, we're called to follow Jesus STEP BY STEP into wholeness and to SOW LOVE. St. Francis of Assisi ...

3602. LENT: The Passion of Christ: "Denied!"

John 13:36-38; 18:12-27

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... snake. Both of them screamed and ran so fast that they did considerable damage to themselves and to the henhouse. Johnny's mama, who stood on the porch when the boys came running and screaming to the house, said, "Boys, boys, what is wrong with you? You know perfectly well a chicken snake can't hurt you." Whereupon Johnny's friend, Boots, replied: "Yes, Ma'am. But there's some things'll scare you so bad, you hurt yourself." (2) That's what FEAR did to Peter. It caused him to hurt himself and the one he ...

3603. Wedding Bell Blues

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the most stressful thing anyone can do. And there are so many things that can go wrong. I'll never forget a wedding I did in Arlington, at FUMC. The flower girl was about five and First Arlington has a long center long aisle. Rehearsal went perfect. It was the best rehearsal I'd ever been involved in. When she entered during the wedding, everyone was all smiles. She made a beautiful stately entrance. She started down the aisle gently tossing rose petals. It was beautiful. Then she got somewhere between1/3 ...

3604. What Should We Do?

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... saw on the shelves. She finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She felt what we all feel during the holiday season. She felt overwhelmed by the pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, to get the perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list and making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list. She groaned inwardly as the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her ...

3605. Sitting at the Big People Table

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... have anything to do with our stinky little brothers or our totally uncool parents. And the only reason we sat at the big people table at all, was that we didn't want to go back to the little kid's table. My wife Mary gave me a poem which perfectly describes the experience of sitting at the little kid's table and the longing we had for the big people table. The title of the poem is "Good-bye, Pumpkin Pie!" and it was written by Howard D. Fencl. "Good-bye, Pumpkin Pie!" Year after year after year I go ...

3606. Remember: No Deposit, No Return

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... , which was really the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. Think of the symbolism. Jesus the Son of God became for us the greatest Garbage Collector of all. He took upon Himself, the full brunt of the garbage of all humankind. He bore the stink and weight of our sin. The perfect, sinless Son of God was marked and scarred with the Sins of this World so that we could be free from the garbage and trash and the stink of our sin. And all we have to do is REMEMBER: TO TRUST JESUS, LET GO AND DUMP IT. B. The ...

3607. Beneath The Shadow Of The Cross

Mark 15:16-37

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... dream that you wanted to forget. C. Who would have thought that their simple Passover celebration in the Upper Room would have lead to this. When they set it all up and began to reminisce, it was fun. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. The meal was perfect. But right in the middle of it all, Jesus did something very strange. He got a basin of water and a towel; then hitching up his robe like a slave, he began to wash the disciples' feet. At first Peter was offended, but when Jesus said, "Unless I ...

3608. At Cross Purposes

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... for me. You see . . . I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend." Not very many of us will ever be asked to give up a child. And hopefully none of us will ever be put into the position that father was put into. But his story perfectly illustrates what Jesus was talking about. Jesus took up His Cross so we could have life. In taking up His Cross, Jesus threw us that lifeline. All He asks is that we be At Cross Purposes and become people of the WAY. We do that by FOLLOWING, TAKING UP OUR ...

3609. We Are God’s Answer to Injustice

Luke 9:18-27

Illustration

King Duncan

... do something?" he wailed. "He has," said that wise pastor. "He has created you." And so Desmond Tutu, now the archbishop of South Africa, became the answer to his own question. That's a good lesson for you and me. While we are waiting for God to bring in a perfect and just society, you and I are God's answer to the injustice in our world. That's what it means to take up a cross and follow Jesus. It's not a comfortable position to be in. It's not popular. But it is Christ's way.

3610. There Will Be Peace

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... theology,” says Judith Davis. And the theology today is that Isaiah prophesied the peaceable kingdom when all the animals would live in peace together and the lion would eat straw with the ox and the wolf and the lamb would lie down together . . .” (5) What a perfect picture of Christmas. War is a terrible thing. When the Messiah comes there will be no more war. Until the day comes when Christ reigns over this world, let us do all within our power to bring peace to our little corner of the world. An ...

3611. Let Us Never Lack for Humility

Luke 18:9-14

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... , one hopes he was able to move forward. But there's nothing like a proper comparison to the wider world to give a puffed-up chest of pride a hard blow to the solar plexus. So also for us: if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, we will never lack for humility.

3612. Whose Wife Will She Be?

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Especially tragic is the young person who takes his or her life. God help them. Life can be so good if they will only give it a chance. Others of us are willing to let go of our own lives, but not willing to let go of those we love. Perfectly understandable. Jesus did not condemn Mary and Martha for the tears they shed at the death of their brother Lazarus. In fact, Jesus cried, too. Of course, it’s hard to let go of loved ones. Nothing is more natural than that. I read about an interesting new creation ...

3613. Epiphany 7, Ordinary Time 7

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18, Psalm 119:33-40, Matthew 5:38-42, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

... declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. All: Amen. The Prayer Of The Church/Intercessions After each petition: Leader: Lord, in your mercy, All: bring us your perfect peace. Post-Communion Prayer Leader: Almighty God, we give you thanks that through this gracious meal you fill us with your holiness, your righteousness, and your eternal love. Bind our hearts together in this love, that as your holy temple we would be vessels ...

3614. The Holy Trinity

2 Corinthians 13:11-14, Psalm 8:1-9, Genesis 1:1-2:3, Matthew 28:16-20

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

... proclamation, and single-minded in love for your created world and for its peoples, that trusting in you alone we might live as you intended for us to live from the beginning. Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit: We bless your holy name. Amen. or Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, be of one mind, and live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

3615. Full Body Scans or Re-spect Spectacles

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the re-spect spectacles offer compassion and companionship. Instead of finding failure the respect-spectacles focus our gaze forward onto a horizon of hope and possibility. Instead of condemnation, the respect-spectacles offer vistas and visions of forgiveness. Even though none of us is perfect in every way, or has it all together, we together constitute in the Master’s hands a powerful force for good and light in the world. An old fable tells of trouble in a carpenter’s shop. The tools were in a tizzy ...

3616. Living beyond Apprehension

Matthew 24:36-44

Illustration

Staff

... a moment of anxiety felt by his wife, Joy. "Long ago before we were married, [Joy] was haunted all one morning as she went about her work with the obscure sense of God (so to speak) 'at her elbow,' demanding her attention. And of course, not being a perfected saint, she had the feeling that it would be a question, as it usually is, of some unrepented sin or tedious duty. At last she gave in - I know how one puts it off - and faced Him. But the message was, 'I want to GIVE you something' and instantly ...

3617. The Post-it Note

Matthew 24:36-44

Illustration

... woman who had to patch up a friendship with a co-worker at the office. It seems that Mary was planning her Thanksgiving Day meal. Her in-laws were all going to be there, and she was in quite a tizzy trying to make sure everything turned out perfectly. She had post-it notes everywhere, reminding her of things she needed to pick up and things she needed to do. Her friend Sharon stopped by her desk at lunchtime on Wednesday. “Are you ready for lunch? This is the day you promised to take me out to Applebee ...

3618. The Irrational Season

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... God. Yet these disciples were bonded into the same body by their faith in Christ. For the Jewish-Christians it was the fulfillment of an old story made new. The promised covenant, a right relationship with the divine, was finally accomplished and perfectly fulfilled by the person of Jesus Christ. For the Gentile Christians it was a new avenue of possibility, a new way of being fully human, that was miraculously revealed and extended to them. Christ’s merciful, sacrificial, gift of self included those ...

3619. His Unique Contribution

Matthew 11:2-12

Illustration

Brett Blair

... by him. Jesus built no buildings but St. Peter's Basilica, Rome and Notre Dame in Paris are some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, Jesus composed no music still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios they composed in his praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble Carpenter of Nazareth. His unique contribution to humanity is the salvation of the soul! Philosophy could not ...

3620. Reacting to Critics

Matthew 11:2-12; 15:1-2

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

... had chosen, the hotel where he was going to stay, about Rome in general, and even about his hope of having an audience with the Pope. A month later the salesman returned to his barber, who asked him about the trip. "It was wonderful," he said. "The flight was perfect and the hotel service was excellent. And I got to meet the Pope!" The barber asked, "What did the Pope say to you?" The salesman said, "He placed his hand on my head and said, 'My son, where did you get such a lousy haircut?'" May such an ...

3621. A Revealing Reflection

Matthew 1:18-25

Illustration

John R. Brokhoff

... it is on a ceiling. The problem has been overcome by placing a long table with a mirror top underneath the painting. The mirror reflects exactly the painting on the ceiling. People gather around the table and look into the mirror to see the painting. Jesus is the mirror who perfectly reflects and reveals God the Father.

3622. Dream Power

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ’s dream “fluency” overrode his cultural conventions. Where the world saw Mary as a pregnant adulteress, an unfaithful fiancée, Joseph saw a divinely-ordained dream in the making. Running under cover of darkness away from a dream-revealed threat, Joseph was perfectly sensible and sure-footed all the way to Egypt. Eventually returning, resettling, and a reunion with family and a future it was all linked to the first Christmas’ gift of dreams. In Matthew’s gospel Joseph is the first member of the ...

3623. John 1:29-42

John 1:29-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... was superior to John. But they still did not fully internalize the truth of John’s testimony or Jesus’ identity. “Rabbi” simply meant “teacher.” Jesus was viewed as a new, albeit greater teacher for those two transplanted disciples. Despite their less-than-perfect first question, Jesus’ invitation is easy and expansive: “Come and see.” Notice the detail that it is already “four o’clock in the afternoon.” Anyone who has ever had a hoard of teenagers descend upon them at 4 p.m. knows ...

3624. The Great Physician

Matthew 4:23-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... stirred a great deal of interest in the small town where the hardware store was located. One day, the locals saw a little old lady, bent over on her cane, enter the store for a visit. A little later this same lady came out walking almost perfectly straight with her head held high. The crowd cheered. “It’s a miracle!” they declared. Then they wondered. What did the owner of the hardware store do that allowed this poor lady to overcome her affliction? The little old lady explained the so-called miracle ...

3625. The Case of the Dancing Men

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... . It’s just that as a culture we have developed a highly effective ability to rationalize and justify our behavior. We don’t even use the word sin anymore. We “make mistakes.” We “mess up.” We shrug our shoulders and declare, “Oh, well, nobody’s perfect” as if somehow that is an acceptable excuse for our misdeeds. Something has happened to us as a people that has caused us to shrug off responsibility for doing wrong. The story’s told about a man who visited Niagara Falls. As part of his ...

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