Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3601 to 3625 of 3926 results

3601. Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

2 Chronicles 11:5-17

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... the LORD” is the basic constituent of being Yahweh’s people. By showing this inclination, they were walking in the ways of David and Solomon (11:17). The continuation of the Davidic-Solomonic kingdom is not so much dependent on the political support of All-Israel as it is constituted when All-Israel is “seeking the LORD.” Additional Notes 11:5–12 Israel Finkelstein (“Rehoboam’s Fortified Cities,” pp. 96–107) shows that the city list provided in these verses does not correspond to any ...

3602. Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab

2 Chronicles 18:1-27

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... s life (1 Kgs. 22:36–38), the Chronicler added in 2 Chronicles 19:1–3 his own conclusion, which describes Jehoshaphat’s safe return to Jerusalem as well as the prophecy of Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani. This prophetic voice rebukes the king for his support of Ahab’s army (should you . . . love those who hate the LORD?) and announces that the wrath of the LORD is upon him. However, Jehu the seer also concedes that the king has done some good: he has rid the land of the Asherah poles and set (kun ...

3603. Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead

2 Chron 18:28–19:3

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

3604. Contributions for Worship

2 Chronicles 31:2-21

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... the priests and Levites: 2 Chron. 31:10 and 31:19 associate these officials with Zadok and Aaron. Correct worship, according to the Chronicler, takes place not when everybody just burns offerings to whatever god they want to but when the priests and Levites, supported by the firstfruits and tithes of the king and people, perform their duties according to the Torah of Yahweh. (3) A third contrast is the one between the Nehushtan and the law of Yahweh. “The bronze snake that Moses had made” should not be ...

3605. Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

2 Chron 32:1-33

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... Assyrian siege. He secured the water flow to the city and blocked off the water from the springs outside the city so that the enemy could not have access to them (32:3–4). He repaired the city wall and towers and reinforced the supporting terraces (or Millo; see Additional Note on 27:3) of the City of David (32:5). The Chronicler’s formulation again utilizes his typical language. The repairing and reinforcing of the walls, towers, and Millo are described with the verb chazaq (“to strengthen”), which ...

3606. Josiah Celebrates the Passover

2 Chronicles 35:1-19

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... families (35:5), still relates to the preparation of the Levitical families for the celebration. The next three commands, slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves (qadash) and prepare (kun) the lambs for your fellow countrymen (35:6), emphasize the Levites’ supporting role in the bringing of the Passover sacrifices. The abundance of sacrificial animals provided for the Passover is described in 35:7–9. Not only did the king provide a vast number of animals, but his officials also contributed ...

3607. Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

Ezra 4:6-24

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... from colonists from various eastern regions of the empire. They had been deported by the next-to-last Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal, who reigned in the middle of the seventh century. The epithets great and honorable give the impression that they supported the imperial cause and so acted in good faith in reporting the prospect of sedition in the neighboring province. They paint an alarmist picture, quite devoid of historical probability, in lurid hues from the palette of ethnic prejudice. A recent caravan ...

3608. Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah

Isaiah 3:1--4:1

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... , practical, and political. There is no suggestion that the leaders have misled the people (as in ch. 1), except by looking like a resource of impressiveness and strength and thereby encouraging the people not to lean on the Lord, the LORD Almighty as their supply and support (words used elsewhere only of Yahweh, Ps. 18:18). The result will be that the people will be governed by children (v. 4), or by no one at all so that society collapses into disorder (v. 5), or by no one because even the incompetent are ...

3609. A Prophecy Against Assyria

Isaiah 14:24-27

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... great power of Isaiah’s own day (see on 10:5–11:16), is surprising, especially for its brevity. It even lacks the “oracle” heading. In general, chapters 13–23 take for granted the international status quo in which Assyria rules, and implicitly support it by declaring calamity on rebels against Assyria, because Assyria is Yahweh’s agent. This brief note perhaps reassures the hearers of the point that chapter 10 has made, that Assyria’s day will come. If the chapters were developed after Isaiah ...

3610. A Prophecy Against Moab

Isaiah 15:1--16:14

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... the strong woman, Zion, like weak women. 16:3b–4 NIV and NRSV close the Moabites’ words after v. 4a, but the text does not indicate this, and it leaves vv. 3b–4 floating. If they are prophetic words, in the context their promise still follows on and supports Moab’s own words. 16:5 The word khesed will not recur until 40:6 (NIV “glory”), where it denotes the fading nature of all such human commitment; then it denotes God’s steadfast commitment in 54:8, 10; 55:3; 63:7, and that of human beings ...

3611. The Kingdom of Righteousness

Isaiah 32:1-8

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... rest of chapters 28–33, and taken together chapters 31–32 better fit the pattern whereby chapters 28–30 give increasing prominence to reassuring promise on the other side of threat. 32:1–8 It has been suggested that verses 1–5 directly portray and support a ruler such as Josiah or Zerubbabel, but there is no explicit indication of this, and verses 6–8 work against it. Whatever years they come from, verses 1–8 contrast with how things actually are in Judah. There is a tradition that Isaiah was ...

3612. Joy of the Redeemed

Isaiah 35:1-10

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... the desert will burst, burst, burst. In the way that meadows naturally sprout wild flowers such as the crocus, the desert will sprout forests and woods like those of Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon instead of the scrub bush and acacia which is all it can usually support. Cedar and pine, vine and olive abound. The brightness and flourishing will be like a smile, indeed a shout of joy, on the face of the landscape. Will joy lead to blossoming or blossoming lead to joy? Verses 1–2a express it both ways, perhaps ...

3613. Sin, Confession and Redemption

Isaiah 59:1-21

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... prophets or other kinds of servants matter for their own sake. They matter for the sake of Yahweh and for the sake of those they serve or address. Additional Note 59:21 The fact that this verse alone within 59:15b–21 has no corresponding element in 63:1–6 supports the view that 59:21 belongs with 60:1–22 rather than with 59:15b–20.

3614. Jeremiah's Complaint

Jeremiah 12:1-4, Jeremiah 12:5-17, Jeremiah 11:18-23

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... , Jeremiah’s home town (1:1), which was filled with family members and fellow priests (12:6). Perhaps the fact that his opponents were intimates accounts for Jeremiah’s surprise at their plots. As priests, they may have been upset with Jeremiah as a supporter of Josiah’s move to centralize worship, thus putting many village priests out of work. 12:1–6 This event caused Jeremiah to reflect on his life and his work (12:1–4), which itself elicited a response from God (vv. 5–6). The connection ...

3615. Israel to be Destroyed

Amos 9:1-10

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... sees the Lord standing beside an altar of burnt offering in an unspecified temple—judgment begins with the household of God (1 Pet. 4:17). He hears the Lord command the heavenly beings (cf. Isa. 40:1) to “smite” (RSV) the capitals of the pillars that support the roof of the temple with such force that the thresholds of the temple shake (cf. Isa. 6:4). The capitals are shattered and fall along with the roof onto the heads of the assembled worshipers. Thus begins the final judgment of Israel. But the ...

3616. John Mellencamp and the Danger of Procrastination

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... , Samuel Johnson. There is a famous story that comes from Johnson’s boyhood. Johnson’s father was a book seller--selling books from town to town--during Johnson’s boyhood. Once when his father was very ill, tired and worn down by his constant struggle to support his family, he asked young Samuel to go to the market at a nearby small community to take his place. Young Samuel smugly refused to do so. His father dressed and made the arduous trip himself--never saying a word of reproach to his son. Fifty ...

3617. Uncertain Certainties

John 20:19-31

Sermon

John Jamison

... bit closer to where God was standing. There might be some minor bickering over who got to stand the closest. Would it be decided by age or should we run to the office and get a copy of the spreadsheet to see who has given more to support God’s church, and line up according to that ranking? People would start shouting out other questions they would really like to have answers for concerning major life decisions, why something happened as it did and... what Wednesday’s Lotto numbers would be! Within a few ...

3618. Without Conflict There Is No Story

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... later Amanda came back to see the pastor. She said, "The group you sent me to has been wonderful. They have really welcomed me. I thought I'd feel awkward, and I did a little at first, but Mary being there really helped and the other women were very supportive. One of them even took me out to dinner and listened to my troubles and conflicts. I'm feeling a lot better since I talked to you three weeks ago." The pastor responded, "I'm really glad that the group has helped you. Sometimes, just being with other ...

3619. And They Lived Happily Ever After... or Did They?

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

Rick McCracken-Bennett

... in our paths and one of the wonders of marriage is that there are now two people to put their hands and their shoulders and their hearts to these stones to move them out of the way. And since the congregation has promised to do all in their power to support this couple on their journey, I remind them of their responsibility to be there when the stones get too big, or too frequent, and help move them out of the way. This week, when you think of this story, tell it to yourself in order to work your way back ...

3620. Jesus' No-Nonsense Guide to Success

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... , angels came to serve him (1:13). After Simon's mother-in-law was healed by Jesus, she got up and used her newfound strength to serve Jesus and his disciples (1:31). The women who witnessed Jesus' death are described as those who had served him by supporting his ministry (15:41). At the beginning and end of Mark's gospel, Jesus is served by women and angels, and here in chapter 10 in the midst of his own preaching, teaching, and healing ministry, Jesus describes himself with the very same word. He came to ...

3621. No, We're Not There Yet

Mark 13:1-8

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... with such mundane tasks as keeping house or making a living? Their attitude and lack of effort turned them to "idleness" and to being "busybodies" (2 Thessalonians 3:11). They were becoming a burden on the other members of the community who were working and supporting them. So the letter instructed them, "Anyone unwilling to work should not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Today, some who look forward to Jesus' return may be tempted in the same direction. Why work if Jesus is about to return? Why try to make ...

3622. When Your Life Is Put On Hold

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... could probably sense the news even before they spoke. It’s the news no parent wants to receive. “Your daughter is dead,” his friends say. “Why bother the Master any longer?” Poor Jairus feels a sudden terrible ache within. His friends try to give him their support but there is a limit even to the help your best friend can give you at a moment like that. Something more is needed. Fortunately Jesus was still there. He had not forsaken Jairus just as he does not forsake us. He probably touched him on ...

3623. When I Am Weak, I Am Strong

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... consequence, she is forced to wear a brace all the time. And yet Sarah came home one beautiful spring day to tell her Dad she had competed in “field day” at her school. That’s where they have lots of races and other competitive events. Because of her leg support, her dad’s mind raced as he tried to think of some encouragement he could give Sarah--things he could say to her about not letting this get her down. But before he could get a word out, she said “Daddy, I won two of the races!” Larry Lee ...

3624. In It for the Long Haul

John 6:60-69

Sermon

King Duncan

... to bed hungry, not knowing if there’d be anything to eat the next day. We had so little money that I bought T-shirts for 25 cents at the thrift store and went to high school in Levi’s cords that were four inches too short for me. To support myself, I worked as a janitor at two banks in the middle of the night, and then caught a bus home and slept for roughly four to five hours before dragging myself back to school each morning. Today,” says Tony Robbins, “I’m blessed with financial success.”(2 ...

3625. A Difficult but Joyous Journey

Luke 1:39-55

Sermon

King Duncan

... protect the life of their son. Martin Luther, in commenting on the flight to Egypt remarks, “The artists give her a donkey. The gospels do not.” Probably, Mary trudged over the hills in winter on foot, nursing her precious child and leaning on her beloved Joseph for support. It was not until after Herod’s death that the young family was able to return to their home in Nazareth. In a world filled with refugees it is important to know that our Lord was at one time a refugee himself. The next dozen or so ...

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