Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3626 to 3650 of 4944 results

3626. Dream Power

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

One-third of our lives is spent not having any idea what we are doing. All right, admittedly many of us spend even greater percentages of our lifetimes clueless. But officially, we all have one-third of our lives basically unaccounted for. Why? Because we are sleeping. Sleeping is required by every creature with even the most rudimentary or remedial brain stem. Yet we really don’t understand why we sleep or what sleep is for. All we really know about sleep is that if deprived of it for just ten days, we’re ...

3627. Eyes on the Prize

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

"I believed, and I spoke." Paul begins this passage with a reference to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It is from Psalm 116:10 in which the psalmist thanks God for saving him even in, and especially in, the midst of his conflicts and struggles: "I kept my faith, even when I said: 'I am greatly afflicted.' " Paul knows the feeling! He has had many struggles in his journey to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the church at Corinth is one of the main sources of those ...

3628. Thanks for the Memories!

Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14

Sermon

Ken Lentz

The dark of the night began to turn to the gray of morning. In the clouded distance could be heard the cries of mothers and fathers discovering the lifeless forms of their firstborn sons. The elders rushed from one adobe structure to another. "Quick!" they whispered, "pack the unleavened dough! Finish the lamb! Grab what you can! Now is the moment! Follow Moses to the sea while the Egyptians are preoccupied with their tragedy." Hurriedly and silently, the dark shapes of men, women, and children passed ...

3629. The Real Underdog!

1 Samuel 17:1, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49

Sermon

William J. Carl, III

Every boy I knew growing up in the Midwest loved this story. We acted it out. We imagined ourselves as David, the shepherd boy, with nothing but a sling and a few smooth stones. Goliath represented for us every neighborhood bully who had ever picked on us. Of course, we only had dime-store slingshots. You know the kind where you pulled back the bungee cord-like launcher with the little patch in the middle and tried to nail your target. The idea that David pegged Goliath with nothing but a leather strap and ...

3630. Finding the Good Woman Part in Us All

Proverbs 31:10-31

Sermon

Donna Schaper

A good woman is a superwoman, or so it appears to me as I read the list of things she can do. In this famous passage from Proverbs, we read that a good woman is precious and that her husband trusts her. A good woman is a good marketer and bargainer, buying fields, trading wool and flax, finding good food from far away. She makes her arms strong! There is certainly no picture of twenty-first-century "typical" femininity here. She is not just precious to her husband or a good businesswoman: she also opens ...

3631. To Tell the Truth

Humor Illustration

An interesting article appeared awhile back in the Clinton, SC, Chronicle titled "When The Editor Left Town." It said: Mr. Jim Galeway and Miss Georgianne Bentlow were married Monday at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Bentlow, the Rev. A.A. Deckett officiating. The groom is a popular young bum who hasn't done a lick of work since he got expelled his junior year in college. He manages to dress well and keeps a supply of spending money because his dad is a soft-hearted old fool who takes ...

3632. The Four Scents of Adventing

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A traditional accounting of the number of “senses” the human body registers is five: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. We now know there are between 9 and 21 actual senses, depending on who’s counting. But still there are five main ones, and two biggies in the five: sight and sound. Even those of us with poor vision and tin ears still rely heavily on sight and sound to get around. Taste and touch are less obviously used, but absolutely necessary. Our sense of touch keeps us from absent-mindedly leaning ...

3633. Questions That Puzzle Me

Humor Illustration

Puzzling Questions: Can you cry under water? How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered? Why do you have to 'put your two cents in'... but it's only a 'penny for your thoughts'? Where's that extra penny going? Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity? Why does a round pizza come in a square box? What disease did cured ham actually have? How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out ...

3634. Don’t Burn The Cookies!

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

Today we enter the season of Advent. The countdown has begun as we once more anticipate the celebration of the birth of Christ. Advent is a time to prepare, not just our homes but our hearts. What joy floods our hearts as we sing "Joy to the world, the Lord has come!" The Son of God entered our world so quietly — no one, except those searching the heavens, saw the star that announced his birth. However, today's gospel tells us that when Christ comes again, it will be a like a hurricane or a tornado. The ...

3635. The Great Divide

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Some of us are old enough to remember the old Cat Stevens' tune, "Father And Son." That song, as you might recall, is in the form of a dialogue. The father speaks first and tries to share with his son some of the wisdom he's gained from his years of living. He says that it's not yet time to make a change, relax, and take it easy. Perhaps the son ought to look for a wife. The son, in the next verse, responds that his father is more interested in talking than listening. Dad then replies with his same message ...

3636. Just Deal with It

Luke 20:27-38

Sermon

Scott Bryte

If you could ask Jesus a question, any question, and be promised a plain answer, what would you ask? There are a lot of big ones that have never been answered. Wouldn't it be great if you could just go up to Jesus and ask him one of life's big, profound eternal mysteries? "Why is there evil?" "What happens when we die?" "Why are we here?" Jesus was asked a lot of questions during the time he was walking around the near east some 2,000 years ago. Some of them were pretty good questions: "What must I do to ...

3637. Proper 26

Psalm 119:137-144, Isaiah 1:10-18, Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, Luke 19:1-10, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Welcome to this sanctuary! Take a deep breath and bring your whole self — body, mind, and psyche — to this place. Set aside the pain and troubles that you brought with you. Be aware of what gives you pleasure and be grateful. Be aware of how and when you feel God’s presence. Listen to the psalmist: Happy are those whose wrongs are erased; Happy are they who feel at home with God. God is our hiding place and lifts us from trouble. We honor God with our living as expression of our gratitude! ...

3638. Thanksgiving Means Giving

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

When Billy Walsh was a youngster, his family lived near Mrs. Smithson. A widow eighty years of age, Mrs. Smithson was in constant pain and crippled by rheumatoid arthritis that ravaged her body. Living alone she could only walk a few steps at a time with the help of her cane. Every week when Billy’s mom went to the market, she took her son, who would always deliver groceries to the old widow. The family car would pull up into Mrs. Smithson’s driveway and the command would be heard, “Billy, here are Mrs. ...

3639. Worthy of Your Call

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

Worthy of your call. That is Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians; that they would be worthy of God's call (1:11). It is one thing to have low expectations, something that would take little effort to achieve. But in chapter 1 of 2 Thessalonians, we have a sense that God has larger aspirations for these young Christians — and so does Paul. You have a sense that through all the persecution and affliction that they have suffered (1:4), Paul envisions a God-sized dream for them. What are your God-sized dreams? ...

3640. The Things Close to Your Heart

Mark 13:1-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

If you’ve ever had your wallet or purse stolen you know that the worst “loss” is not the cash (who has it!) or the credit cards (you just cancel them). The worst loss is all those personal, “heart” things you keep close to you. *Your ancient Social Security card that you got at age 15. *Photos of parents, kids, and siblings that are faded and creased from being carted about for years. *Those little “oddments” that remind you of who you are and where you come from — a broken piece of jewelry, a note giving ...

3641. The Temple of Doom and the Bridegroom

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If you’ve ever had your wallet or purse stolen you know that the worst “loss” is not the cash (who has it!) or the credit cards (you just cancel them). The worst loss is all those personal, “heart” things you keep close to you. Your ancient Social Security card that you got at age 15. Photos of parents, kids, and siblings that are faded and creased from being carted about for years. Those little “oddments” that remind you of who you are and where you come from — a broken piece of jewelry, a note giving ...

3642. Parenting — Not For The Faint Of Heart

Hosea 11:1-11

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

Parenting is not, I repeat, not for the faint of heart. For many of us, it was easy enough to bring our sons and daughters into this world and to hold their tiny forms in our arms. We had no idea what was coming. The 4 a.m. feedings, the nights spent vainly trying to comfort a wailing child, watching as they took their first steps, the joys of toilet training, the "terrible twos" ... those moments are but distant memories now. In the blink of an eye, our sons are teenagers, and as I am working on this ...

3643. When We Feel Unwanted

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

King Duncan

Is there any pain that stays with us longer than that of not being wanted, of being rejected? This rejection may come from our family, our friends, colleagues or even the greater society. An older man was recounting his teenage years. He said, “Back when I was a boy, we played spin-the-bottle. We played it this way, we spun the bottle and if it landed on you, the girls were supposed to kiss you, or if they chose to, they could give you, instead of a kiss, a quarter.” He said, by the time I was 18 I had ...

3644. Be a Bethany

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We never truly appreciate “home-grown,” or “home-style”,” “home-spun” or “down home” until “home” is in our rear view mirror. For college students, Mom’s meatloaf suddenly take on a whole new luster after a semester of college cafeteria food. A burger from McDonald’s, a Pizza Hut pie, or some KFC, tastes like heaven after an extended tour of duty in Afghanistan. It is the simple tastes, the simple things, the most simple and most familiar people, that make a particular place on this planet “home.” ...

3645. Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:13-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

There is no escaping hecklers. Preachers, politicians, any public speaker will someday find themselves confronted by a heckler. A heckler is someone with their own agenda who is anxious to take advantage of a gathered, attentive audience to voice that opinion publically. In this week’s gospel text, Jesus encounters a “heckler.” But he then uses the seemingly unrelated concerns of this man to connect both the larger crowd and Jesus’ own chosen disciples to a clearer vision of true faithfulness and the ...

3646. The Door of the Cross

John 10:1-21

Sermon

David O. Bales

Last summer my wife and I enjoyed visiting our friends Dick and Mary in Montana. They have about 45 quarter horses and they were thrilled to show us the herd and take us along one evening to feed them. That evening we also helped get a three-month-old filly into the barn in order to medicate a cut on her face. The filly was a little skittish, but we got her into the barn and into a large stall and then Dick tried to get a halter on her head to hold her still in order to clean and medicate the cut. She, ...

3647. Waking the Giant

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

In 1811, Napoleon Bonaparte was at the height of his power as a military and political leader. On one occasion he called together all of his commanding officers. Their purpose was to review and assess his conquests. He stood before a huge map and pointed to spots marked on the map, highlighting his victories over fallen foes. There was one spot on the map, however, that caused him to pause and issue a solemn warning. “Here lies a sleeping giant,” said Napoleon. “Don’t awaken him. He will shake terribly the ...

3648. She Had Great Faith

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

A few years ago author Bennett Cerf was addressing an audience of doctors in San Diego. Afterwards one of these doctors told him about an operation he had performed on an ill‑tempered lady of about eighty. The woman came through the surgery with flying colors despite all her dire prognostications. Nevertheless she became quite agitated when the doctor told her that in accordance with the rules of the hospital, she’d have to walk ten minutes the very first day after her surgery and would have to get out ...

3649. A Call for Repentance - Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

A young man, active in his church, is talking with a friend named Andy. Andy is a fellow believer who has called him on the phone. They hadn’t spoken in some time. Suddenly the young man blurts out, “Where is God, Andy, where is the God we sing about and pray to all the time?” Then he reveals why he senses God’s absence. He is broke. He hasn’t eaten a complete meal in two weeks, his rent is behind, the water and electricity are disconnected and on top of that he has no money to fill his prescription and he ...

3650. Gift

2 Corinthians 8:16--9:5, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

The first part of this letter to the Corinthians (1:12–7:16) is concerned primarily with a defense of Paul’s apostolic authority. The second part (chs. 8–9), which deals with the collection for the church in Jerusalem, has a related issue. When Paul went with Titus to the so-called apostolic council in Jerusalem in order to present his gospel, the other apostles not only unequivocally acknowledged his gospel, his apostolic authority, and his mission to the nations, but they also added nothing to him, ...

Showing results

Showing 3626 to 3650 of 4944 results

3626. Dream Power

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

3627. Eyes on the Prize

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

3628. Thanks for the Memories!

Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14

Sermon

Ken Lentz

3629. The Real Underdog!

1 Samuel 17:1, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49

Sermon

William J. Carl, III

3630. Finding the Good Woman Part in Us All

Proverbs 31:10-31

Sermon

Donna Schaper

3631. To Tell the Truth

Humor Illustration

3632. The Four Scents of Adventing

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

3633. Questions That Puzzle Me

Humor Illustration

3634. Don’t Burn The Cookies!

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

3635. The Great Divide

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

3636. Just Deal with It

Luke 20:27-38

Sermon

Scott Bryte

3637. Proper 26

Psalm 119:137-144, Isaiah 1:10-18, Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, Luke 19:1-10, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

3638. Thanksgiving Means Giving

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

3639. Worthy of Your Call

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

3640. The Things Close to Your Heart

Mark 13:1-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

3641. The Temple of Doom and the Bridegroom

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If you’ve ever had your wallet or purse stolen you know that the worst “loss” is not the cash (who has it!) or the credit cards (you just cancel them). The worst loss is all those personal, “heart” things you keep close to you. Your ancient Social Security card that you got at age 15. Photos of parents, kids, and siblings that are faded and creased from being carted about for years. Those little “oddments” that remind you of who you are and where you come from — a broken piece of jewelry, a note giving ...

3642. Parenting — Not For The Faint Of Heart

Hosea 11:1-11

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

3643. When We Feel Unwanted

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

King Duncan

3644. Be a Bethany

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet