Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 351 to 375 of 813 results

Lk 2:41-52 · Col 3:12-17 · 1 Sam 2:18-20, 26

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... of the old year. 4. Christmas 1 finds people still in the throes of the busyness of Christmas: cleaning up from the Christmas party or reunion, eating Christmas dinner leftovers, exchanging gifts that were the wrong size or color, children fighting over new toys and gifts, taking down the Christmas decorations, and planning a New Year's Eve party. Many people are exhausted, harried, and thankful Christmas comes but once a year. In planning a sermon for Christmas 1, the preacher needs to keep the picture of ...

352. No Appeal

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

... something of that man in every one of us. There is the idea among us that, when life seems decided against us, we can keep going on to a yet higher court until finally we get our own way. Or at least we would surely like that; and perhaps we toy with the idea we would do it, too, if it didn't require so much time and money. Sometimes we even find ourselves complaining to God, ready to take what God does to a higher court because we are unhappy about it. And that's where we link up with ...

353. And You Thought God Didn't Care!

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

... ?" God said, "Tell them I AM WHO I AM has sent you." It makes such a difference in whose name we go, or whose name we use when we speak to others on that one's behalf. When I was a child, my older brother would say, "Pick up your toys," and my response might be, "Who said so?" But when he would reply, "Mother said so," all I could say was "Oh." Or, on the job, when ordered to do this or that, you ask, "Who says so?" When you are told, "The Boss says so," you have little to ...

354. What a Leader!

Mark 6:34

Children's Sermon

Object: Some nails and a magnet. Good morning, boys and girls. I brought with me this morning something that is a lot of fun to play with when you have nothing else to do. (Show them the magnet.) Of course, it is not always used as a toy. Sometimes it is a very valuable tool. How many of you know what this is? (Let them answer.) That's right, it is a magnet. Have you ever used one? (Let them answer.) Well, let's think about what a magnet does while I show you something else. (Take out ...

355. Responding to What We Hear and See

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

Joe Pennel

... Gentle, meek and mild, cooing in your cradle. All those nice shepherds and angels, And we felt just awful about King Herod. Look at all we did for you. We made a national holiday in your honor. We built big industries around it - Christmas cards, Toy machine guns for the kiddies And all those fancy gift-wrapped whiskey bottles. We built pretty churches in your honor, Stained glass, organs, the works, And when the people moved away from the riff raff, The church followed them Straight out into the suburbs ...

356. Responding to Christ's Birth

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

... , and myrrh. For centuries, people have speculated about the meaning of these gifts. In each special gift, there is rich symbolism and deep meaning, for in each, one sees the wisdom of the Magi. Thankfully, the Arab astrologers did not bring the child a toy, a silver spoon, or a teething ring. Nor did they bring a cute little outfit for his circumcision. Nor did they bring clothing or flowers for his mother. Instead, they brought gifts that expressed their hope for the Christ child. One of the treasure ...

357. Proper 12 & Pentecost 10

1 Kings 3:1-15, Exodus 3:1-22, Romans 8:18-27, Romans 8:28-39, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

Sermon Aid

... to stay at home with their two small children. They have a lovely home - brand new - the usual two cars, a motorcycle, an expensive boat moored at their lake property, a tractor at home and another at their cottage, the latest in appliances and toys for grownups as well as children (two VCRs, stereo, compact disc player, etc.). The young mother was talking about her husband's work; he is considering moving from one sales position to another in which he would be working for straight commission; ostensibly ...

358. Do It For the Joy of It!

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

... Menace cartoon, now almost two decades old, showed Dennis the morning after Christmas Day, standing on the sidewalk in front of his house, holding the tongue of his red wagon. The wagon was heaped to two or three times Dennis’ height with every sort of toy, all obviously received the day before. Dennis’ mother is standing at the door, staring at him and his cargo in disbelief. Dennis says, "It’s Tradin’ Day. I’m going over to Billy’s house." That’s an appropriate symbol for the conditional use ...

359. God Can’t Keep a Good Secret!

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... the man awoke, he said to himself, "If I’m alive, what am I doing in this casket? If I’m dead, why do I need to go to the bathroom?" Occasionally we realize we are dead because of loss of power. We are like a child’s toy that refuses to run because the batteries have been exhausted. They are "dead." Our dullness may be a result of physical weakness. Americans die of heart problems in frighteningly large numbers. It is estimated that 117,000 will be killed by cancer this year. It may be a spiritual ...

360. Are There Two Baptisms?

Acts 2:14-41

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... the street from the cemetery. Often she listened to the minister as he spoke the words of the committal service. She decided to have one of her own in her backyard. She thought she would bury her teddy bear. After digging a grave, she solemnly lowered the toy bear into the ground, saying ever so seriously the words she thought she had heard the preachers say again and again in the burial service: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and in the hole you goes!" We cannot afford to disown the Spirit ...

361. Echoes of Eternity

Matthew 10:24-32

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... deny before my Father who is in heaven." In our world where fashions and customs continue to change, where new cars come from the salesroom with built-in obsolescence, where furniture and gadgets quickly go out of style, where children’s toys hardly last from one birthday or holiday to the next, and where more and more items become dispensable and disposable (with everything from paper wedding dresses to throwaway flashlights), less and less emphasis is placed upon quality, authenticity and durableness ...

362. The Stiller of Storms

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... reigns. Unregenerate Jewish hearts were no better than unregenerate Roman hearts. I suppose that of all the temptations which lure us into sin, the most persistent is that of selfishness and greed: the little child crying for another child’s toy; the school boy cheating in an examination; the grown man seeking greater possessions and honors than those about him; the mother coveting special privileges for her children; one nation seeking dominance over another nation. Such examples illustrate the pervading ...

363. Who Are God’s People?

Exodus 19:1-25

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... God’s people by virtue of our redemption. We are creatures of God by virtue of creation, but all creatures may not be children of God. There is a whale of a difference between creation and redemption, between creatures and children of God. A lad one time built himself a toy boat. Often he took it to a nearby river. His habit was to launch the boat a ways up the river and let it run down with the current and then catch it before it got away. One day it did get away from him. Some weeks later, he happened ...

364. Abraham’s Promise Perpetuated

Romans 4:1-25

Drama

Richard F. Bansemer

... , according to directions, your name is not to be named, but you know, don’t you, that this is about you. You have been given many good things by our benefactor. You have persons who love you. You have friends. You have a warm bed and a lot of toys. Although you may already know it, you should be reminded that not many miles from here, there are children who have no parents, who will sleep on dirt floors, and will be hungry all day today, and tomorrow, and the next day, just like they were yesterday. You ...

365. General William Booth

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Carroll Gunkel

... acquainted with the realities of prostitution, particularly the tragedy of young girls kidnapped into the trade by unscrupulous "white slavers," or sold into the "profession" by desperate parents ... and he met the Master in them. He saw children using rotting garbage as play toys ... and he met the Master in them. He was to say inelegantly but honestly of his experience in East London: "The whole city stank."2 This was a spiritual observation as well as a physiological one for the whole city - the whole of ...

366. "At Beneficial You’re Good for More"

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

... that we expect under the Christmas tree. As we prepare for the coming days, the television is full of ads that tell of the things we want this Christmas season. The cartoons on Saturday morning continually remind our children to ask mom and dad for this toy and that game. Those of us who are older are told about fur coats and diamond rings. The practical people among us see a wide range of refrigerators and appliances. Perhaps a new set of golf clubs would be nice. Yes, these are days of preparation ...

367. "It’s Time to Send Christmas Cards"

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

... the skies and start thinking about God being active in the people around you. Start seeing God in what you see and in what you hear because God is there. God was with the Luther Leaguers who went down to help the children from First Lutheran Church shop for toys for Christmas presents yesterday. God was present in the people who came here for the funeral of a church member last week. God is present in the cards we send to lonely people. It is in the ordinary that God often says, "I love you and I care for ...

368. Children of the Eighth Day

Romans 6:1-14

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... will become of the world? "I seek to redeem it - person by person." But when, O God? "Now, and tomorrow and tomorrow, everyday." But how, Lord? "Winning persons through Christ to life’s full meaning." But we are Christian. "Are you?" What do we lack? "You have been playing with toys - you should have been seeking your destiny! You have been bent on making life more comfortable - You should have been building a New World!" What will become of our world? "I seek to redeem it - I need your help!"

369. Called to Be Saints

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Hubert Beck

... which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge ... so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift." That is enough to stop the Corinthians short. And Paul meant it! He was not toying wih them! What if he wrote that to our congregation? After all, do we not believe that the words of Scripture, being bound in time to the particular places and situations to which they were addressed, is at the same time a timeless document addressed to all ...

370. TOO MUCH RELIGION?

Illustration

John H. Krahn

... that joy and peace and happiness come from being very close to God and trusting in him. Suppose my young daughter came to me and said, "Daddy, I love you and will do anything you want me to." To which I reply, "Lisa, get rid of all your toys, no more friends, stay in your room, and very soon you will be the unhappiest child on Long Island." How ridiculous! If she came trusting me with her life, I would try even harder to give enhancing direction to it. God is no different. When we give ourselves completely ...

371. The Post Launch Slump

2 Cor 8:10-11

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... assertion that everything has to be rousing and eyepopping. I am aware of a family where the most overused word in the familial vocabulary is the word "special." Everything has to be special. Every day has to hold one special moment - a new toy, lunch out, a special visitor or whatever. If everything has to be special, then I submit that nothing will be special. This is because special assumes that something is extraordinary, and if special becomes commonplace it is not special anymore. There are many ...

372. How Fares Your Christian Sight?

Is 6:8-10

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... from their children, and furthermore it talks of preparing our children so they can one day go forth from us and become "one flesh" with their helpmates. I like the reminder that comes to us with these words - From the child comes the man. From his toys come his tools. From his travels comes his wisdom. From his visions will come our future. That final line brings us to a final matter we want to touch on. That matter is visions. Not only does the Christian faith provide us with lenses that correct our ...

373. What Is Your Holy Week Address?

Matthew 27:45-56

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... like ours, who day after day cope with life and cope well with it, who may quiver and cower under the press of tragedy and disappointment but who do not buckle under them. That’s resurrection! Years ago, my children were given a toy that was called a Weeble. Weebles were little human caricatures with rounded bottoms. Being rounded, they obviously never fell over. In their advertisements, the manufacturers of Weebles had this to say: "Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down." Christians are that way ...

374. Joseph

Proverbs 10:1-32

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

... him grow. The child Jesus is difficult to comprehend theologically. He is wondrous indeed. Even at this early age, he was the Only-Begotten of the Father. At the same time, he was a normal, healthy little boy who laughed, cried, and played with simple wooden toys that Joseph made. A simple-hearted Child was He, And He was nothing more; In summer days, like you and me, He played about the door, Or gathered, when the father toiled, The shavings from the floor.1 "Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year ...

375. Miracle On Main Street by Dr. George A. Buttrick

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Mann

... . So when grief strikes your home you can say, "He is with me." Soon you’ll learn (maybe you have learned) to read the newspaper with his eyes on the page. You will say, "Oh, the old tired slogans, the famine of love, so-called statesmen playing with annihilation-toys!" Then you will be at odds with your world, but at peace with God. You will be in the foreguard of God’s new world. We’ve asked about the bias toward evil. What when we adopt the bias? What of our responsible sins? They are worse than ...

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