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Showing 351 to 375 of 4489 results

351. The Fall of Jerusalem

Jeremiah 39:1-18

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

The Fates of Zedekiah, Jeremiah, and Ebed-Melech: This section narrates the fall of the city of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians, and then focuses in on the fate of three specific people: Zedekiah, Jeremiah, and Ebed-Melech. The section concerning the latter breaks up the story of the Babylonian’s treatment of the prophet. The lesson of all three vignettes is that God repays those who obey him as well as those who do not. Much of this chapter is paralleled to Jeremiah 52:4–16 and 2 Kings 25:1–12. ...

352. Nobody Owes You Anything

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

Richard Patt

This is the kind of sermon topic that the preacher hesitates to advertise ahead of time. If people come to church to hear some good news, this topic doesn't sound too promising. But I ask you to brace yourself and stick with it. The words we consider here are from the lips of none other than a merciful and loving Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. His words often contained some hard truths, but they also finally reveal to us the marvelous, incredible goodness and love of God to you and me. So let's dare to ...

353. Take Up Your Ministry

Mark 9:38-41

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Several years ago at my previous congregation I remember a discussion I had with the church council. It was very revealing of the kind of distorted vision of ministry that is very much afoot in the church these days. I had a sudden change in my vacation plans and was going to have to be out of town for a Sunday that I had not planned on. I was having great difficulty finding another pastor to fill the pulpit. It was the summer. Many pastors are already on vacation and those who are available for pulpit ...

354. Epiphany 4

Lk 4:21-30 · 1 Cor 13:1-13 · Jer 1:4-10 · Ps 71

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Jeremiah 1:4-10 Even before his birth Jeremiah was appointed a prophet. Jeremiah tells us of his call to preach. It came at the time Josiah was king of Judah (c. 627 B.C.). His call came as a dialogue with Yahweh who even before Jeremiah's birth knew that he was destined to be a prophet. In this dialogue he heard the voice of Yahweh and felt his hand on his lips. There was no human initiative in the call. The words he was to speak were totally the Lord's words. The message he was ...

355. Ooo Boy!

Matthew 5:33-37, Matthew 5:31-32

Sermon

John Jamison

I don't know what started the argument. I don't know if anyone really knows what started the argument. In all honesty, it doesn't matter. I think we all know that most arguments never end up where they end up because of where they started. It might have started over some disagreement over the children. It might have begun over something about the in-laws, or perhaps it was her cooking again. Who knows. But it really doesn't matter how it started, what matters is that it has suddenly gotten very quiet in ...

356. Mary Christmas

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

John Jamison

So, where are the shepherds? And what about the "multitude of the heavenly host" shining their glory on everyone and breaking into song about God, and salvation, and peace? Sure, there is an angel. One angel, who sounds more like a meditating attorney in a three-piece suit, speaking in one long sentence which tells Joseph he ought to see this thing through and try to work things out with Mary. And that even happens in a dream. But that seems to fit Matthew's purpose. Matthew isn't interested in the ...

357. Talk! Talk! Talk!

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

Text: Jeremiah 1:6 - Then, I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak ..." Jeremiah was expressing a common need of most of us. One of the miraculous abilities of the human being is his ability to speak to another human being and be understood, that the mind can communicate its thought to another mind or minds by way of speech. But how tragic it is that we misuse and waste this God-given ability. It was in the early years of my ministry that I was one Sunday preaching my sermon, and I had ...

358. Epiphany 4

Lk 4:21-30 · 1 Cor 13:1-13 · Jer 1:4-10

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 (RC) Even before his birth Jeremiah was appointed a prophet. Jeremiah tells us of his call to preach. It came at the time Josiah was king of Judah (ca. 627 BC). It came as a dialogue with Yahweh who even before his birth was destined to be a prophet. In this dialogue he heard the voice of Yahweh and felt his hand on his lips. There was no human initiative in the call. The words he was to speak were totally the Lord's words. The message he was to proclaim was one of judgment ...

359. Needed: Fidelity Insurance

Ephesians 5:22-33

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

An office telephone rang one day and a receptionist answered. On the other end of the line a female voice asked, "Is this the Fidelity Insurance company?" "Yes it is," the receptionist replied. "May I help you?" The caller said, "I hope so. I want to talk with someone about having my husband's fidelity insured." The surprised receptionist tried to explain that this was not the kind of insurance that Fidelity handled. Not even Lloyds of London offers that kind of policy. But wouldn't it be wonderful if ...

360. The Gifts of the Left Hand

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

JARED RARDIN is a local pastor with an extensive background in pastoral care and counseling. He serves on the staff of the well-known First United Methodist Church of Germantown, Pennsylvania, ministering to that particularly talented and dynamic congregation with duties in both care and counseling as well as social concerns and community involvement. The particular sermon in this volume was preached during the initial phase of his return to the Germantown parish after being gone for a period. In it he ...

361. On Fooling a Mafia Don

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

When Joseph Talese was an apprentice tailor in Maida, Italy he made a terrible mistake. His hand slipped and he accidentally cut a slit in the trouser leg of a Eastertide suit being made for the head of a Mafia crime family. Disaster loomed. The proud and vengeful Mafia chieftan might very well exact a terrible price for his disappointment and there was not enough material to craft new pants. As siesta time approached, the tailor for whom Talese worked closed the shop and ordered his assistants to pray for ...

362. You Are Not Yourself!

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

The Gospel more than anything else is good news! We all know that, but how often we forget. A news story that appeared recently in USA Today might serve as a helpful parable. It seems that many McDonald’s restaurants, rather than using bank bags and armored trucks, move their daily cash intake by putting the money in regular carry-out paper bags and handing the bag to a drive-thru courier. The plan conceals the fact that a large amount of money is leaving the store. In Euclid, Ohio, though, one McDonald’s ...

363. The Sower and the Seed

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

Brett Blair

The Kingdom of God was the main emphasis of Jesus’ ministry and this is accepted by most. But defining precisely what the Kingdom was is a bit more difficult. Indeed, even Jesus himself was often elusive about it. He did not speak in absolutes; rather, he spoke in parables. Such is our scripture text for this morning. Jesus compared the Kingdom to a sower going out and spreading seed. Some of it falls upon hard ground and is unable to take root. Some of it falls on shallow ground, and although it initially ...

364. When Self-esteem is Snake Oil

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Before there was the modern science of chemistry, there was its forerunner: the medieval science of alchemy. In the chemistry of alchemy, there was as much superstition and wishful thinking guiding the experiments as there was knowledge and experience. Among the alchemists' most frenzied quests was the search for the touchstone that magical element which would transmute the properties of one baser substance into that of a higher substance most notably gold. For centuries alchemists' cauldrons brewed and ...

365. Stewardship of the Church (Series: Stewardship: Discover This Word and Love It!)

Acts 20:13-38

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

As I returned to my office last Sunday after services, I found some of these Post-it® notes on my door from our children. Some of them said: 1. Dr. Olds, what do you do on the weekends? 2. Did you dress up as a priest for Halloween? 3. Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. My name is Peter Peterson. 4. I really like your sermons, especially when they are finished. 5. My favorite was, “I’m sorry I can’t give more money, but my father won’t raise my allowance. Would you ...

366. Winning the War Over Fear (Series: Winning the Wars of Daily Life)

Luke 12:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

According to a public opinion poll, 40% of Americans fear public speaking, 36% fear heights, and 34% fear being closed in small spaces. According to these statistics, when I step into the pulpit to preach, my fear factor on a scale of 1-100 should be about 110. People ask me all the time if I still get nervous when I preach. The answer to that question is yes. To handle the Word of God and deal with things eternal ought to make us tremble, but there is a difference between awe and angst. I think that is ...

367. Should America Repent?

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Responding to a sermon I preached two weeks ago about religious signs on rural roads, someone said to me on the way out of church, “The sign I remember seeing was, GET READY TO MEET GOD." We had those signs in Kentucky, too. As we think about building a highway from Chaos to Christ this Advent, we would do well to hear again the words of the prophet John, who encouraged us and warned us to GET READY TO MEET GOD. In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for ...

368. When It's Time to Wait

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

It has been reported that the average American in a lifetime will spend five years waiting in line, two years returning telephone calls, eight months opening junk mail, and six months staring at traffic lights. In spite of all our modern technology, the first words we often see on the computer screen is “please wait". Anyone who makes a telephone call these days is likely to be put on hold long before they hear a human being on the other end of the phone. Some of you got to church today in a “holding" ...

369. Doing Our Best

Romans 12: 1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Once to every man and nation Comes a moment to decide In the strife of truth with falsehood For the good or evil side. In the wake of worldwide terror, I have wondered aloud and pondered deeply what the leadership role of the church should be in a time such as this. Should we push forward or pull back? Should we unveil a new vision for this congregation or wait for a better day? I have asked many of you to give us some guidance. You have said to me without exception, “Howard, the Church is needed now more ...

370. You Are Invited

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Day by day they appear at our doors. They arrive by mail and e-mail, by telephone and television, by newspapers and even in person. We call them invitations. A friend is getting married. A school is raising funds. A store is having a sale. A special event is about to happen. YOU ARE INVITED. There is a deeply personal and eternally significant invitation that I extend to you today. It comes not from me but from our Lord. Here is what it says: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give ...

371. Following the Footsteps of the Faithful

Hebrews 11:1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Faith. By faith, Noah built an Ark. By faith, Abraham fathered a son. By faith, John Wesley formed a movement called Methodists. By faith, Frances Asbury came to America. By faith, Green Hill built a home in Brentwood, Tennessee. By faith, Robert I. Moore led this church to this location. By faith, what are you and I going to do for the sake of those who come behind us? That’s the question I want to pose today. According to the writer of Hebrews, there are two or three things about faith that you and I ...

372. Knowing When To Run

Genesis 39:1-2, 6b-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In Kenny Rogers' greatest hit, he meets up with a gambler who gives him this advice: You got to know when to hold ‘em Know when to fold ‘em Know when to walk away and know when to run You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table There's time enough for countin' when the dealings done. In this soap opera episode from the life of Joseph, which is our scripture lesson for today, Joseph knows when to run. Maybe there is a lesson from the life of Joseph for all of us who struggle with temptations ...

373. Why Doesn’t God Do Away With Evil?

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In John Updike's novel, Rabbit Run, Harry and Janice, the parents of a newborn baby, find themselves in an argument. Harry leaves in a huff and Janice proceeds to get drunk. In her drunken stupor she tries to give the baby a bath. That's when the horrible happens. Somehow, Janice manages to drown her own child in the bathtub. Harry returns a few hours later, confronted with the unthinkable truth. In the terrible shock of the moment, Harry rolls up his sleeve, pulls the stopper from the tub and groans.[1] ...

374. How to Make Heaven Our Home

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

The year was 1846. Abraham Lincoln was running for a seat in the U.S. Congress. His opponent was a Methodist Circuit Rider by the name of Peter Cartwright. One night, Lincoln went to hear Cartwright preach. As the fiery Cartwright came to the conclusion of his sermon he said to the congregation, “Everybody here who wants to go to heaven, stand up.” The whole crowd stood up except Lincoln. Cartwright, who considered Lincoln an infidel said, “I observe that all present want to go to heaven except for Mr. ...

375. Why Am I A United Methodist?

I Timothy 1:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In the early 1800’s, after attending a Methodist “frolic of faith” known as a Camp Meeting, somebody wrote this little ditty: I’m a Methodist, Methodist, Methodist, Methodist, Eatin’ Methodist pie. I’m a Methodist, Methodist, Methodist, Methodist, Methodist till I die. Here at the dawn of the 21st century, nobody is concerned about the makers of the pie and to commit to anything until you die — well, that is scary. Nevertheless, in this series of sermons on church membership, I would like to share with you ...

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