Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 351 to 375 of 4935 results

351. When All Is Said And Done

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

William G. Carter

The Jehovah's Witnesses have changed their minds. After warning for decades that the world would end within this present generation, the leaders of the sect announced in December 1995 that they have softened their position. As a spokesman explained, "Jesus said that 'this generation will not pass away' until a number of signs have taken place (Mark 13:30). When we reflected on the scriptures, we decided that he was talking about his generation rather than ours." Ex-Witness James Fenton, professor emeritus ...

352. Those Who Mourn

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

John A. Terry

I believe we have developed a greater understanding of the meaning and means of mourning. In 1969, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross published her classic book titled On Death and Dying. In it she identified five basic stages in the grieving process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Personally and professionally, I have found these helpful categories in recognizing where I am in my grieving and where others are in theirs. I have also found it to be true that getting stuck in any one of the first ...

353. Let the Living Begin

John 10:1-10

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Once upon a time a man fell in love with his sports car. He drove it everywhere he went. He paid more attention to the car than he did to his family. When time came to make funeral arrangements he asked to be buried in it. Since money was not an issue, the man’s unusual request was granted. On a bright sunshiny day a crane lowered the sports car with the deceased man at the wheel into a gigantic grave. A crowd gathered to witness the strange event. As the car and corpse slipped out of sight, one bystander ...

354. Up Close & Personal: Open the Doors

Psalm 100:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

What I am about to say to you I want to upfront make sure that I am not misunderstood. I am not a name dropper and I don’t like name droppers. During the course of my life I’ve gotten to meet many people, some of whom I consider famous, from the standpoint that they are well-known. But like most of you, I have a few people that I have always wanted to meet, or hope to one day meet. Not because I am star-struck or want to take a selfie with a celebrity to post on the Internet. No, I want to meet certain ...

355. Daniel’s Prayer

Daniel 9:1-19

Understanding Series

William Nelson

Daniel’s Prayer and the Seventy Weeks: Chapter 9 is unique for three reasons. First, it starts with Daniel reading a prophetic text rather than receiving a vision as in the surrounding chapters (chs. 7, 8, and 10). Second, the particular name of Israel’s God, Yahweh, is only found in this chapter (vv. 2, 4, 8, 10, 13, 14, 20). Third, most of the chapter is taken up with a prayer. Elsewhere, the author makes clear that Daniel believed in talking to God (2:18; 6:10), but only here does he record the lengthy ...

356. Try to Be Nice

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Mark Trotter

I remember a cartoon; it showed a middle-aged man, pot-belly, frown on his face, wearing a T-shirt. Across the T-shirt was the message, "Please don't ask me to have a nice day." I first saw that cartoon on our refrigerator door, placed there when our children were still living at home. They thought it captured their father. It probably did. I can identify with W. C. Fields, who said, "I start off each day with a smile, and get it over with." I confess I don't like clichés, especially clichés like "Have a ...

357. Who's Number One?

Exodus 20:1-3

Sermon

James Merritt

9/11 - All of us know that date. Because of that date, another cabinet level department was created to serve the President of the United States - Department of Homeland Security. Note the keyword in that department which is home. The greatest way to protect the homeland is to protect the homes in that land. That is why I am beginning a series of messages I am entitling "Homeland Security." We are going to be dealing with the Ten Commandments, because the greatest way to protect our homes is to teach our ...

358. Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: a skunk (if you dare) or a stuffed animal that looks like a skunk [don’t show them what’s in the cage until they come up to see] I have here a friend I’ve brought with me today. He’s here in this cage, and I’m going to take him out for a bit. Come on up some of you. Here he is. His name is Sandy. [Take the skunk out of the cage ….make sure it’s a de-fumed one J….and hold him out to those gathered] What! You are backing away. You don’t want to hold this skunk? [Walk down the aisles with him ...

359. Don't Hold Back

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

It was supposed to be a routine pastoral visit, you know: a pre-surgery prayer, a brief discussion about what was expected on the other side of the procedure. A: “When do they say you get to go home?” or “Will you have to do rehab?” It was questionable as to whether or not a visit was even warranted. This wasn’t a church member who expected a lot of attention, a phone call that afternoon would have been sufficient, but this was a ruling elder I’d grown close to over the years so I decided to go and let her ...

360. Anybody and Nobody

Illustration

Michael P. Green

This is a story about four people in the church whose names were Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. The church had financial responsibilities and Everybody was asked to help. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But you know who did it? Nobody. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Then the church grounds needed some work, and Somebody was asked to help. But Somebody got angry about that, because Anybody could ...

361. Step Seven - Humiltiy

Mt 23:25-36 · 2 Ti 2:20-26 · Ps 51:1-14

Sermon

John A. Terry

Step seven: "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings." Psalm 51 is basic to the biblical foundation of this step. The introduction to this Psalm sets the context for its writing. Nathan, a prophet of God, went to David, the King of Israel, after David's affair with Bathsheba. David had gained fame and power and wealth. David had not only committed adultery with Bathsheba. When he discovered she was pregnant with his child, David sent her husband, Uriah, into battle, had the troops around him pull back ...

362. Formula for Life

Amos 5:1-17

Sermon

A great old hymn asks, "And are we yet alive?" Last Sunday we saw in Luke’s marvelous record of Jesus’ teachings and in the prophetic injunction of Joel the contrast between life and death, and we were confronted with the challenge to live. Today as we continue with Jesus in Luke’s record and hear the powerful voice of Amos speaking we discover the simple formula for living the life of faith. For those who want life that is real, Amos says, there are two directions for their quest to take. They must seek ...

363. The ABC Gospel

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

Someone has called it ABC spirituality, meaning, “Anything But Christianity.” In the search for religious meaning, our generation seems to have a limitless imagination. Past-life regressions, out-of-body experiences, channeling, mantras — the list goes on and on. The New Age (which is truly just old Hinduism warmed over), Zen yoga, seances — anything but faith in the resurrected Lord of the cross. Today’s Scripture reading has a character like that. His name is Naaman. Of all the stories connected with the ...

364. Sonny Moneybags

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

David E. Leininger

As most of you know, I am a golfer. I use the term loosely because I do not play very well and I do not get to play very often any more, but I still consider myself a golfer. There is an old expression in the game that says, "Every shot makes somebody happy," which means if you hit a good one, you are happy. If you hit a lousy one, your opponent is happy. Whoever came up with that line was not quite as charitable to the gentle folk who play the game as he or she might have been, but the point is well taken ...

365. Stop Those Two Dear Women From Fighting

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

Little Jonathan came home from the playground with a bloody nose, black eye, and torn clothing. It was obvious he’d been in a bad fight and lost. While his father was patching him up, he asked Jonathan what happened. “Well, Dad,” said Jonathan, “You know Eddie--that boy who’s always giving me a hard time. I challenged him to a duel. And I gave him his choice of weapons.” His father said, “that seems fair.” “I know,” Jonathan said, “but I never thought he’d choose his big sister!” Conflict is part of life. ...

366. Little Jimmy

Mark 3:13-19

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

I have a very close, long-time friend by the name of Jim. The problem is that his son is also named Jim. When his son and our son were growing up together, it was simple to identify Jim the son from Jim the father by calling him “Little Jimmy.” But now, “Little Jimmy” is bigger than “Big Jim,” and has a son of his own named Little Jimmy, and so the whole thing gets rather confusing. I have no idea what they do at family reunions. Their family is sort of like that group of Twelve apostles. I. THERE ARE AT ...

367. I Am the Ressurection and the Life

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Edna Lashon tells the story of visiting with a friend of hers whose husband had died. They went out the graveyard where the husband had been buried and they began to share together memories of their life and their relationship it was a meaningful time as they probed in memory and got in touch with all the joyful times of their life. But then there was silence. No one seemed to have anything else to say. All of a sudden, Liz the little daughter of Edna Lashon’s friend, sprang from the group and suddenly ...

368. A Remedy for Rejection

Luke 4:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever been rejected? Have you ever had a door shut in your face? Welcome to the real world. Parents spend years grooming their children for success. Perhaps it would be more profitable to train our children to handle failure and rejection because everyone faces these unhappy experiences sooner or later. Go to Google. Type in the words “famous rejections.” If you do, you will learn that J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series of novels, was rejected by 12 different publishers before her work ...

369. Peter the Petulant

Mark 14:1-11, Mark 14:12-26, Mark 14:27-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Prop: a white linen cloth… or apron For centuries, pastors have been called a “man” or “woman” of the cloth. I always wondered about that phrase. When I looked it up, I saw that in fact, many people used to be called people of the cloth –bakers, kitchen workers, tradesmen, all who worked primarily in service or handworking positions to others. Later, the term remained only for the clergy, who also wore ...

370. Adam And Eve And God

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Drama

Jerry Eckert

Comment: Narrative depends on imagination. Imagination can be triggered by vivid words, by the conversational tone that frees it to flow naturally, by dramatic intonations lending emotion to the intellectual content being offered, and by specific directions to the listeners. The following sermon was done using the device of directing the congregation to imagine a specific setting, a stage with scenery and props described. The device was reinforced by having the people in the congregation close their eyes ...

371. Investing God's Gift

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

One of the things that frequently happens when we dream during sleep is that in our dreams we find ourselves in a familiar place or situation. We know where we are, yet for some really frustrating and unknown reason, things are just different enough that we're not really sure. In our dream we're about to open a door only to discover that the door isn't where we know it ought to be. Or perhaps we're about to perform a familiar act, and somehow, we just can't do it, and we can't understand why. We keep ...

372. One More Thing

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Robert Allen

When I was a kid growing up, I don't think I ever went anywhere without my mother saying, "Robert, there is one more thing I want to tell you." It didn't make any difference where I was going. I could have been going to camp, I could have been going to spend the night with a friend or I could have been going to a party. I don't care what it was, before I got out of the car, my mother would say, "There's one more thing I want to tell you." It was never really one more thing -- but several things. And they ...

373. Peter Addresses the Crowd

Acts 2:14-41

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Though not the first speech in Acts (cf. 1:16–22), this is the first to proclaim the Christ event, that is, it is the first instance of the kerygma. It touches on the ministry and death of Jesus, but its chief concern is to show that Jesus is the Messiah, and to this end it lays greatest emphasis on his resurrection and ascension. As we shall see, this speech sets the pattern for much of the other preaching in Acts. From a survey of all the instances of kerygma in Acts, C. H. Dodd has identified six basic ...

374. Gideon

Judges 6:1-40

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

The Call of Gideon: The forty years of peace under Deborah’s leadership passed quickly, and before long the Israelites found themselves in bondage again, this time to the Midianites. The reason for their bondage? As always, “they did evil in the eyes of the LORD.” But here the intensity of Israel’s enslavement was much worse than ever before, so much so that any semblance of normal life was lost. The downward spiral toward chaos hastened to its goal. But God set aside his anger, and in his compassion he ...

375. Advent 3

John 1:1-18, John 1:19-28, Isaiah 61:1-11, Isaiah 65:17-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sermon Aid

E. Carver McGriff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 61:1-11 How dear this passage is to Christian hearts, echoed as it was from the lips of Jesus (Luke 4:17-19). These words are, in many ways, as timely today as they were to those disappointed people returning to Israel from their long exile. Excited, they were filled with high expectations when they began to arrive. But social and political disappointments quickly followed. Bone-weary, discouraged, deprived of hope, they trudged in thousands to their fields, probably ...

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