Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3626 to 3650 of 4508 results

3626. Do Politics and Religion Mix?

Illustration

Stephen M. Crotts

Our society is still trying to answer the question, do politics and religion mix? The first amendment of the United States Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof." What the first amendment is saying is that government should stay out of religion, but religious people can exercise their faith in the influence of...

3627. The Bigger Issue: What We Owe to God

Illustration

Timothy Weber

What amazed the Pharisees and the Herodians about Jesus' response was how he refocused the issue to something much bigger than they had intended. In essence Jesus said, give Caesar what he has coming, a silver coin with his image on it. It's already his anyway, so let him have it back. But give back to God all that God deserves, which is everything, including yourselves. If we are right about Jes...

3628. We Are Citizens of This World

Illustration

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

In an invocation prayer at the United States Senate, Peter Marshall said, "Lord Jesus, Thou who art the way, the truth, and the life, hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make men free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be hoarded. Make us to see that our liberty is not the right to...

3629. Three Taxes

Illustration

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

There were three taxes the Romans extracted from the Jewish people: A ground tax - a man must pay to the government one-tenth of his grain and one-fifth of the oil and wine which he produced. An income tax - one percent of a person's income. A poll tax - every male person from age fourteen to 65 and every female from age twelve to 75 must pay one denarius or one day's wages per year. The tax men...

3630. False Dichotomies

Illustration

Tim Pauls

Let me ask you a few questions that I am sure you can answer: Did you put on shoes this morning, or did you come to church in a car? Do you eat cereal for breakfast, or don't you like football? Are you Lutheran, or do you live in America? Will you obey God, or will you pay taxes to Caesar? Welcome to the world of false dichotomies--things that are wrongly set against each other, "either/or"s ...

3631. Rephrasing the Question

Illustration

Tom Long

Homiletics professor and Matthew commentator Tom Long rephrases the Caesar and Tax question to Jesus like this. "In effect," he writes, the opponents of Jesus ask, "Are you a foolish, uncompromising revolutionary whose allegiance to the kingdom of heaven is actually a political revolution in disguise, or are you a smooth-talking street preacher who stirs up people with glib talk of God's majesty b...

3632. What Is Caesar’s and What Is God's? - Sermon Starter

Illustration

Brett Blair

A young lady was soaking up the sun's rays on a Florida beach when a little boy in his swimming trunks, carrying a towel, came up to her and asked her, "Do you believe in God?" She was surprised by the question but she replied, "Why, yes, I do." Then he asked her: "Do you go to church every Sunday?" Again, her answer was "Yes!" He then asked: "Do you read your Bible and pray everyday?" Again she s...

3633. A Powerful Prayer

Illustration

Brett Blair

Pastor Joe Wright of Kansas was asked to lead the Kansas State Senate in prayer. They were expecting the usual formal prayer to open the session but that is not what happened. The pastor used the moment as a confessional and prophetic opportunity. As he prayed there were some senators who got up and walked out. When Paul Harvey (a national known radio news and editorialist) got a hold of the praye...

3634. Disturbed by Our Opinions

Illustration

Brett Blair

2000 years ago a philosopher by the name of Epictetus said, "Men are disturbed not by things that happen but by their opinion of the things that happen." This is the problem of the Pharisees. Their understanding of events tell more about who they are than it does about who Jesus is. And this is our problem as well. A person who loves will live in a loving world. But a person who is hostile will l...

3635. A God Smothered in Tradition

Illustration

Brett Blair

We try to make God like us and thus limit him. We smother him in tradition. We think: God can be present only in the mass. The Word of God can be found only in the King James version of the Bible. Church music can be played only on an organ. When traditions become dogma they lose their power and their meaning. A young girl watching her mother getting ready to bake a ham, noticed that she cut off b...

3636. Choose One Chair

Illustration

Brett Blair

Luciano Pavarotti said that when he was a boy, his father, a baker, introduced him to the wonders of song. He urged him to work hard to develop his voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in his hometown of Modena, Italy, took him as a pupil. Pavarotti also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, he asked his father, "Shall I be a teacher or a singer?" "Luciano," his father replied, "if yo...

3637. Stamped with God’s Own Image

Sermon

Albert G. Butzer III

And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this and whose title?” — Matthew 22:19 Recent DNA tests reveal that a software engineer from South Carolina shared an exact match to the maternal mitochondrial DNA of King Richard III of England. As you may know, the King’s bones were discovered in 2012 under a parking lot in England on land that was once a friary. The bones sh...

3638. Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Those of you who have played or followed sports, you know that one of the most important lessons in learning to play is to keep your eye on the ball. Whether baseball, or football, or tennis, or soccer, or any other game that requires a ball, you need to be alert to where that ball is at all times. If you allow yourself to become distracted and look away, you will lose your focus, disable your abi...

3639. The Putt’s Good

Illustration

King Duncan

A prominent citizen of Washington, D. C. once invited President John F. Kennedy to play golf. On the first hole Kennedy floated a nice shot about three feet from the pin. He walked up to the ball and glanced over at the man who had invited him. Kennedy was looking for the man to concede him the putt. The man ignored him, and stared up at the sky. "You're certainly going to give me this putt, aren...

3640. April 15, Not a Good Day

Illustration

King Duncan

Besides being income tax day, April 15 is also the day the Titanic sunk and the day that Lincoln was shot. Someone else has said, "You may not agree with every department of the government, but you really have to hand it to the IRS." Another cynic has said, "Death and taxes may always be with us, but at least death doesn't get any worse." Arthur Godfrey once said, "I feel honored to pay taxes in...

3641. Take My Heart, Lord (blow)

Illustration

King Duncan

There is a silly story going around that makes a powerful point about where many of us are right now. According to the story, Pope John Paul II needed a heart transplant. There was much concern throughout the Roman Catholic world. Everyone gathered outside of the Vatican screaming and waving their hands. "Take my heart, Pope, take my heart!" Well, the Pope didn't know what to do, so an idea poppe...

3642. I Did Not Know the Cattle Belong to Christ

Illustration

King Duncan

Years ago, Dr. George Truett was preaching in a camp meeting in West Texas. At the morning service he preached on the text: "You are not your own. You have been bought with a price." He was met after the service by a cattleman who had not long been a Christian. The man said, "Let's go for a walk. I have something to show you." They went up the canyon more than a mile away. All along the pathway th...

3643. A Lifelong Allegiance to God

Illustration

King Duncan

The late Danny Thomas lost his life savings of $600.00 at a time when he was out of work. He and his wife, Rosie, had a baby on the way, and they needed money. Danny worked at part-time jobs so Rosie could buy groceries. He also borrowed money from friends. It was a tough time in his life. A week before the baby was born, Danny had the grand total of seven dollars and eighty-five cents to his name...

3644. Proper 24

Sermon Aid

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

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 33:12-23 is an extended petition of Moses for God to accompany Israel on their wilderness travels. Psalm 99 is a song of praise that celebrates the power of God. Exodus 33:12-23 - "The Power of Petition: Part 2" Setting. See the commentary from last week for an overview of the three-part structure of Exodus 19-34, which is (1) revelation and covenant Exodus 19-31),...

3645. Trick Questions

Sermon

Steve Molin

Do you like riddles? I’ve always liked riddles. Riddles are word problems; brilliant questions that stump us, until we are told the answer, and then we can’t believe we missed it! Some riddles – especially those we learn in childhood – are rather simple. For example, “What’s black and white and read all over?” (A newspaper). Or how about this one, “I am a wealthy doctor, I have a wealthy son. But ...

3646. Cast in the Image of God

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. --Groucho Marx We often hear the phrase, “the art of politics.” What can this mean? Politics has to do with what we value as powerful and authoritative in our society and over our lives. Politics is a means of influencing and changing social behavior toward a specific goa...

3647. Marriage at the Resurrection

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The next group of leaders questioning Jesus is the Sadducees (22:23–33), who pose a question meant to reveal the absurdity of belief in bodily resurrection. They hypothesize a woman widowed seven times from the death of seven brothers. Their question: At the resurrection from the dead whose wife will she be? Jesus answers that they are (dead) wrong, because they are ignorant of both the Scriptures...

3648. Marriage at the Resurrection

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Great Commandment: The parable of the wedding feast (vv. 1–14) is regularly considered to be an allegorical revision of an earlier more straightforward parable told by Jesus. Fenton lists as allegorical elements that strike the reader as strange and unnatural the killing of those who brought the invitation (v. 6), the destruction of the guests (v. 7), and the burning of a city while a meal is ...

3649. Nothing Difficult Is Ever Easy

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Let’s play a little game of "What If" this morning. What if someone who was visiting Snow Creek Christian Church for the very first time came to you after the worship service and said something like this: "You know, I used to go to church a lot when I was a kid, but I’ve been out of the church for a long time now. It just didn’t seem that important to me, I guess. I couldn’t fit it in to my busy s...

3650. The Greatest Commandment

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: A working understanding of the Greatest Commandment. Props: None Lesson: I need your help this morning. I am trying to figure something out. Jesus said we need to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. First of all who can tell me about love? What do we do when we love someone? (response) If they answer by describing feelings ask the question again. You have just de...

Showing 3626 to 3650 of 4508 results

3626. Do Politics and Religion Mix?

Illustration

Stephen M. Crotts

3627. The Bigger Issue: What We Owe to God

Illustration

Timothy Weber

3628. We Are Citizens of This World

Illustration

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

3629. Three Taxes

Illustration

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

3630. False Dichotomies

Illustration

Tim Pauls

3631. Rephrasing the Question

Illustration

Tom Long

3632. What Is Caesar’s and What Is God's? - Sermon Starter

Illustration

Brett Blair

3633. A Powerful Prayer

Illustration

Brett Blair

3634. Disturbed by Our Opinions

Illustration

Brett Blair

3635. A God Smothered in Tradition

Illustration

Brett Blair

3636. Choose One Chair

Illustration

Brett Blair

3637. Stamped with God’s Own Image

Sermon

Albert G. Butzer III

3638. Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

Sermon

Lori Wagner

3639. The Putt’s Good

Illustration

King Duncan

3640. April 15, Not a Good Day

Illustration

King Duncan

3641. Take My Heart, Lord (blow)

Illustration

King Duncan

3642. I Did Not Know the Cattle Belong to Christ

Illustration

King Duncan

3643. A Lifelong Allegiance to God

Illustration

King Duncan

3644. Proper 24

Sermon Aid

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

3645. Trick Questions

Sermon

Steve Molin

3646. Cast in the Image of God

Sermon

Lori Wagner

3647. Marriage at the Resurrection

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

3648. Marriage at the Resurrection

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

3649. Nothing Difficult Is Ever Easy

Sermon

Johnny Dean

3650. The Greatest Commandment

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Showing 3626 to 3650 of 4508 results