Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3676 to 3700 of 4511 results

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Christian love as bifocal Exegetical note In a sense, Jesus refuses here to play along with the Pharisee's question, which called for a singular answer. Jesus' answer, advocating a "bifocal" love, was not original in the rabbinic tradition. Others had emphasized these two Old Testament injunctions before. Jesus does, however, appear to raise the second commandment to a nearly co-equal stat...

3677. Proper 25

Sermon Aid

Liturgical Color: Green Gospel: Matthew 22:34-46 Theme: Loving God and others as we love ourselves. Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration Try this: Dick Avery and Don Marsh suggest having a small group of people lying in the chancel as people enter the sanctuary. As the music for preparation concludes, the people awaken slowly, get in touch with each other, and then move out and welcome others...

3678. Proper 25

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (C) The Lord buried Moses. At age 120 Moses' life comes to an end. For forty years he led God's people from Egypt to the Promised Land which he was permitted to see but not enter. In all of history he probably was the only human buried by the Lord. His greatest accomplishment was his face-to-face experience with God. Lesson 1: Exodus 33:20-26 (RC); Exodus...

3679. The Two Commandments And The Question About The Messiah

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

Suggestions: Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture readings. Speakers: 1 woman 1 young man 2 middle-aged men 2 older men Key: 1 = woman as storyteller 2 = lawyer 3 = young man as Jesus 4, 5 and 6 = other Pharisees 1: When the Pharisees heard that [Jesus] had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 2: "Teacher, which com...

3680. Any Friendly Bears Out There?

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A drawing of a nose Good morning, boys and girls. Do you remember last week's story about the little puppy dog who was loved by the farmer even though he did not give milk or wool or eggs or even catch mice? The farmer loved the little puppy dog because he gave him love. Actually, scientists tell us that in the very earliest days of human history, when people still lived in caves, they le...

3681. Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Children's Sermon

Marti Kramer Suddarth

Object: Amelia Bedelia book by Peggy Parish; Card stock printed with scripture reference and verse Have you ever noticed that some words have more than one meaning? They can mean different things, depending on the way we use them, and sometimes, that can cause a little confusion. (Show the cover of Amelia Bedelia.) Many of you have probably read this book. It’s called Amelia Bedelia, and it was w...

3682. Jesus and the Ayatollah

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A telephone Good morning, boys and girls. One of the first things we learn as we are growing up is numbers. One-two-three, etc. There are three numbers that everyone should learn. Those three numbers are 911. Why is 911 important? That's right! All over America and in many places around the world, this is the number to dial when you have an emergency. Many people's lives have been saved b...

3683. God Wants All of Me!

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A poem without the last line that rhymes, a picture with part cut off or out, or a song that ends before it’s finished. Lesson: "Jesus said unto him, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ " Good morning, boys and girls, and how are you all on this lovely fall day? Are all of you happy? What do we mean when we say the word "A...

3684. A Knife of Many Uses

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A knife with many blades that includes a screwdriver, bottle opener, corkscrew, and some may even have a spoon. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever seen a knife like this? [Hold it up.] A lot of you. Can you tell me what I can do with this knife? [Let them answer.] That’s right, I can cut rope, take the skin off an apple or orange, and sharpen a stick. But what else ca...

3685. Insincere Religion

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: totally unsharpened pencil, pencil sharpener, pad of paper, small garbage can Good morning, boys and girls. Today I plan on writing a letter to a friend. I'm all ready to get started. I've got my pad of paper on which to write. I've got my pencil. What more do I need? I guess I'll start writing. (Attempt to write with the unsharpened pencil) This doesn't seem to be working too well. Can y...

3686. The One-Handed Clock

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A play clock that you can remove one of the hands from. Lesson: On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know how to tell time? (Let them answer.) Not very many of you know how to tell time, but it is something that you want to learn as soon as possible. We all want to know what time it is so that we will not miss dinner...

3687. Testing, Testing

Sermon

Chris Ewing

Sometimes things happen that push us back to our deepest questions and force us to answer. A marriage breakdown, loss of a job, kids leaving home, or simply the midlife re-evaluation that all of us go through — any of these can push us back to asking what it's all about, what we really want in our lives, what matters and what doesn't ... what we want our life to count for. Sometimes the question ...

3688. Last Impressions

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Last week we spoke of the power of “first impressions.” From a chronological standpoint, Paul’s “First Letter to the Thessalonians” was his first written words that have come down to us. It is the “first impression” of a life of Jesus discipleship written in the New Testament. In this week’s gospel text from Matthew, we have a kind of closing bracket to that “first impression,” a bookend “final i...

3689. Insincere Religion

Sermon

King Duncan

Groucho Marx was once asked to review a book. He wrote the author and said, "From the moment I picked up your book until the moment I put it down, I was convulsed with laughter." Then Groucho added: "Someday I hope to read it." That sounds like something Pat Williams, General Manager of the Orlando Magic Basketball team, said about Shaquille O'Neil after Shaq insisted he be traded to the Los Ange...

3690. When Love Runs Out of Breath

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

The usher, showing me the way to the pastor’s study, wore a big, bright, round button on his lapel which read: "I love you - Is that O.K.?" I didn’t know him, he only knew that I was the visiting preacher in the pulpit that day, so, after re-reading his button, I said; "Yes, I think it’s O.K." His reaction was immediate: he ducked his head, blushed to his ears, and in a choked voice said: "Ah, oh,...

3691. What Does It Mean To Love?

Sermon

George Johnson

Do you remember the first time you told a boyfriend or girlfriend those three words, "I love you?" When did you first say it to the one you married? I don't remember the particular occasion, but I remember thinking about it. Do I dare tell her how I feel? I really think I love her, but should I tell her yet? Then I thought, what if she doesn't have any of these feelings for me? Will she be embarra...

3692. "He Who Commands Is He Who Fulfills"

Sermon

Some years ago, a parishioner gently offered his pastor a piece of criticism. It had to do with the way one of the rubrics in the weekly bulletin had for decades been phrased: an asterisk in the margin indicated those times when "the congregation reverently kneels." "You can command people to kneel," said this lay theologian, "but you can’t command that they be reverent about it." Interesting ob...

3693. No Improvement Possible

Sermon

King Duncan

Sometimes Christians do not live out what the Master taught them. Some tragic occurrences have happened in history in the name of Christ. This morning's message is not a defense of the Christian religion. I remember a sequence on All in the Family several years ago in which Archie Bunker is arguing with "the Meathead", his son-in-law, a professed agnostic. The son-in-law asks, "Archie, if there i...

3694. The 2 Love Laws

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There are certain concepts that we just can’t really grasp until we experience them first hand. We don’t really understand the value of a dollar until that first month when we have to pay all our own bills. We don’t really know how to worry until we have kids. None of us really value our health until we get sick or injured. And it takes crossing into middle age for any of us to really get the gis...

3695. The Appearance of Love

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor Phil was sitting quietly in his office going over some last minute notes on his Sunday sermon when his wife, Connie, appeared in the doorway and stated, "We have to talk!" Phil, knowing his wife was usually a very calm person, sensed that something disturbing had happened, and so asked his wife to come in and close the door. Connie, looking deeply concerned, came into the office, closed the...

3696. How to Love God

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

In the rock opera Jesus Christ: Superstar, Mary Magdalene sings, "I don't know how to love him." You see, Christ had saved Mary from prostitution and demonic possession, and now she wanted to live to please Jesus, to offer him her lifelong devotion. But how could she express her love? In her earlier years she had easily known how to please men. But Jesus was different. What did he want from her? H...

3697. Love: The Greatest Commandment and the Greatest Challenge

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I believe we would all agree that Christianity is about the gift of God''s love and of God''s expectation of us to be loving. The key word in Christianity is love. Christianity is founded on the interconnectedness of God''s love and our response to the gift of God''s love, and how we then share what we have experienced with others. Perhaps some of us remember the scene in the marvelous movie, "Al...

3698. Any Friendly Bears Out There?

Sermon

King Duncan

They were on a military training exercise and they were getting bored. Still, it was surprising when the radio operators of the British divisional command heard a voice one quiet night breaking the silence. The voice asked over the air, "Are there any friendly bears listening?" After a moment, another voice replied, "Yes, I'm a friendly bear," and then another voice-- "I'm a friendly bear too!" ...

3699. Proper 25

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 90:1-6, 13-17 First Lesson - With the death of Moses, Joshua succeeds to his the leadership of the people of Israel. Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Second Lesson - Paul expresses a motherly affection for the church at Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Gospel - Jesus asks questions, as well as answering them, in a debate with the Pharisees. Matthew 22:34-46 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader:...

3700. Proper 25, Pentecost 23, Ordinary Time 29

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Confession And Forgiveness Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All: Amen. Leader: You shall not hate in your heart. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. All: We are guilty, O God, of creating burdens for others to bear. We are guilty, O God, of expecting others to do what we are unwilling to do. We do no...

Showing 3676 to 3700 of 4511 results