Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3726 to 3750 of 4933 results

3726. Life’s Purpose Is Often Hidden!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Life is a messy affair. Our purpose is often hidden. We have a parable today that originally may have tried to explore these mysteries — the parable of the weeds in the field. But once again the explanation that Mathew provided of this parable is probably not original, not something Jesus himself taught. No, it is more likely, New Testament scholars increasingly agree, that Jesus' original point in the parable was to affirm the messiness, hiddenness, of life in a context where sectarian sentiments were ...

3727. Let Them Eat Cake

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

During the government shutdown this October, there was only one major point both Democrats and Republicans could completely agree on. Both parties proudly and loudly declared “It was not our fault.” Not so much “taking a stand” as taking a “stand off.” There are always two front lines going on during any conflict. There is the horrible physical conflict, the confrontation between persons and countries that results in blood and doom. The losses logged on that physical front line are devastating and deadly. ...

3728. Night of Light

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Timothy Cargal

One of the great cultural traditions of modern American Christmas observance is the use of lights. Everything that doesn’t move is decorated with lights. Christmas trees are recognizable by their lights, and indeed as more and more types of trees are used as Christmas trees, the more it is the presence of the lights that identifies them as such. Lights are put around lampposts. We hang lights from the eaves and awnings of our homes, and around windows and doorframes. Lighted fixtures and images are arrayed ...

3729. What Do You See?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

A businessman was returning to the U.S. from Asia and had a connecting flight in Iran. After deboarding the plane he stopped by the bathroom. After washing his hands he looked down to realize his bag had been stolen. That is a problem for anyone, but for him it was a disaster, because his wallet and passport were in it. He rushed out into the terminal to see if he could spot someone running away, but he found no one. He was relieved that at least he was traveling with a co-worker, but his supposed friend ...

3730. To the Rescue

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

James Merritt

Some of you may remember the most famous advice communist of all time. Her name was Ann Landers. For decades, her answers to every question you could imagine from all over the country was read in hundreds of newspapers. Her byline “Dear Ann”, became famous all over the world. Towards the end of her career, she sat down for an interview with NBC and she was asked this question, “Of all the questions you have received over all of your years what is the most frequent question you have been asked?” Her answer ...

3731. Saul’s Conversion

Acts 9:1-19a

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

As far as Luke was concerned, the conversion of Paul was the single most important result of the “Stephen affair.” Its importance is borne out by his threefold repetition of the story here, in 22:5–16, and in 26:12–18. Luke’s authority must have been Paul himself. The three accounts differ in detail, and it is not easy to say to what extent this was due to Paul—or to Luke—though we may be reasonably certain that some, at least, of the variations were Paul’s as he adapted the later accounts to his different ...

3732. Remember, O Lord, What Has Happened to Us

Lamentations 5:1-22

One Volume

Tremper Longman III

A Final Lament and Appeal: Lamentation ends with a prayer asking God to remember the suffering of God’s city, Jerusalem, and his people. The prayer is one of the community as indicated by the consistent use of the first person plural pronoun. After the invocation in verse 1, the prayer continues with a long description of the suffering of a once proud and glorious place (vv. 2–18). It ends with a series of “why” questions (vv. 19–22), similar to the laments of the psalms (see Pss. 10:1, 13; 22: 1; 42:5, ...

3733. When We Are Weak

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Sermon

King Duncan

Today our nation celebrates Independence Day, which commemorates the day that the 13 original colonies joined together to declare their independence from Great Britain. In fact, the first time we were ever referred to as the “United States of America” was in the Declaration of Independence, which was accepted by the leadership of the 13 colonies on July 4, 1776. July 3, we were a collection of colonies. July 4, we were the United States of America. That’s why we call July 4 the birthday of our nation. So, ...

3734. Stay—Tuned

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Everybody loves a good story. We begin our earliest understandings through stories. The Tortoise and the Hare, The Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Ugly Duckling. We learned lessons in behavior from stories like The Little Boy Who Cried ‘Wolf ’ and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The tradition of storytelling is as old as humanity itself. Ancient cultures have stories to tell younger generations about their heritage. Go to the earliest chapters of our scripture and see how our own cultural ...

3735. You Need A Point Of Contact With The Lord

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

James McLemore

Let me describe how important a point of contact is. An experiment was performed on some baby monkeys. The baby monkeys were placed in a wire cage with two surrogate mothers: a wire imitation mother with a milk bottle, and a cloth mother with no food. The experiment was trying to determine to which of these mothers the infant monkeys would go. The monkeys fooled the experimenters. They went to the wire mother with the milk when they were hungry, but they spent the rest of their time with the cloth mother. ...

3736. Jacob And The Night Wrestler

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

August 22, 1982 Comment: A good story can be done a number of ways. Astory about Jacob lent itself as a short story when I didit. Since then, I have come to see it as a radio drama, notunlike those frequently heard in the '40s and '50s in whichthe hero narrates and has some dialogue with a limitednumber of other characters. Sound effects would be nice andcould be handled by a creative team working on this story. Those who study the biblical story closely will realizeI have taken some liberties, as most ...

3737. Doing The Right Thing

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

A well-known businessman in this community was recently asked to do something for the United Methodist Church, something inconvenient and expensive. It would require him to make available for a period of several months some facilities which he used in his business. Frankly, when it was decided to ask this man's help no one was very optimistic about a favorable response. For one thing, the man is a leading Catholic layman. He would have nothing at all to gain by agreeing to the request. At the very least, ...

3738. On Not Being First

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

We Americans have long had a love affair with winners. Successful undertakings of nearly every sort quickly receive the admiration of those around us. As a group, we take great delight in banquets and other ceremonies at which honors are distributed. People who come in second are rarely remembered in our culture. The runner-up usually receives a brief word of recognition and then is quickly forgotten. If you happen to be a sports enthusiast, you'll remember the poor old Buffalo Bills of the NFL. Never mind ...

3739. What Do You Mean, "Repent"?

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Thomas Long

Bright Lights, Big City is Jay McInerney's searingly-witty, emotion-ripping novel of one man's perilous drift down an alcohol and white-powder-polluted stream of delayed adolescence. The young man is bright, creative, and desperately lonely. His language is marked by the kind of sarcasm which forms at the intersection of keen intelligence, comic conceit, and human desolation. (He describes a woman he meets as having a voice "like the New Jersey state anthem played through an electric razor.") Barely ...

3740. The Upside-down Kingdom of God

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Doesn’t it seem to you that our whole culture (when we’re not tuned in to catch the latest nonsense coming out of Washington) is devoted to reminding us that our chief goal in life is to be happy? ("Yes, what he did was wrong. But the economy is good and I’m happy.") There was even a song about the importance and preeminence of being happy a few years ago. Do you remember it? "Here’s a little song I wrote, you might want to sing it note for note: Don’t worry. Be happy!" Advertising sells products based on ...

3741. Don't Try So Hard!

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

"For the man who wants to save his own life will lose it; but the man who loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." (St. Mark 8:35 TEV) "We're only number two; we try harder!" I'm sure you've all seen the magazine ad of the car rental agency that uses this slogan. In a way the slogan strongly reflects some of our national thinking. One of the key doctrines of our American enterprise is hard work. If a person's going to succeed in life, we say, he will have to exert himself. It is often ...

3742. In Turning to God

John 18:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Picture in your mind Our Lord and His disciples at the Last Supper. They are now all gathered in the Upper Room, to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. There are James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and also Philip, and Matthew, the tax collector, and Simon. And here also is Thomas, called the Twin, with Bartholomew and young Andrew. And alongside of them is James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus. Only two other disciples remain, and both of these men are seated beside one another. The first is Peter, ...

3743. Lent 3

John 4:1-26

Sermon Aid

COMMENTARY Exodus 3:1-15 (C), Exodus 3:1-8b, 10-15 (L). Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 (RC) Moses is called to deliver God's people from bondage in Egypt. While tending his father-in-law's sheep, Moses is called by Yahweh to return to Egypt to lead out his oppressed people. First Yahweh must get Moses' attention by having a bush burn without burning up. Because God is present, Moses is ordered to remove his sandals, for he is on holy ground. Wherever God exists, the place becomes sacred. Yahweh tells Moses that he is ...

3744. The Cracking Point

Mark 12:1-12

Sermon

Harold Warlick

Everyone has a cracking point. There comes a certain point in our relationships with others or in our feelings about ourselves when everything snaps. You and I are emotionally and physiologically structured so that we can withstand only so much. There is only so much garbage, so much heat we can take. Then, like the valve on a pressure cooker, we simply blow off. Perhaps the six most dramatic words in the English language are these: "I just can't take it anymore." Every person has a cracking point. It ...

3745. Born One Of Us

Drama

Production Notes This play, Born, One Of Us, is designed to be used in the church service at any time during the Christmas season; perhaps it is particularly appropriate for Christmas Eve. The play is preceded by three persons reading paraphrased portions of scripture (chapters and verses indicated) concerning Bethlehem. These readings should be read dramatically. The readers may sit in side or front pews. A music stand may be placed beside each one to be carried on and off for the readings. A litany, for ...

3746. A Liturgical Drama For Advent

Drama

Tom Eberle

Advent The seasons of the church calendar are like the headings for each act of a theater production. They provide the particular setting in which one element of the divine drama of God’s revelation in Christ is presented to us. The liturgical seasons are sometimes thought of as optional observances, like a fancily-iced cake. They make worship more attractive, but are not part of the basic recipe. This collection of liturgical dramas for worship is written, not as frosting, but with the intention that the ...

3747. The Circus and My Faith

Ps 139 · Mt 22:37

Sermon

Robert Noblett

The Bible admonishes us to love God, but it also embellishes on the point. It admonishes us to love God with all the heart that we have, all the soul that we have and all the mind that we have. Our intent in these pages is to land on the third dimension of our love for God, our willingness to love God with our minds. That may strike some as a bit unusual - loving someone with our mind (we usually love with our hearts), but then loving God is a different matter than loving our spouses or our children. ...

3748. The Passover and the Passion

Drama

Denny C. Wise

Narrator: (Welcome) Since the Fourth Century, Christians have remembered the Passion of our Lord with a service of Tenebrae, or shadows. Tonight we are going to add to that format an even older tradition: the Passover Festival. The word "Festival" comes from a root word meaning "memory." The Passover Festival was a time to remember God’s deliverance of his people from bondage, declaring that even though evil may prosper for a season, God’s way shall ultimately prevail. During our service this evening, as ...

3749. The Good News of the Cross

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

Do you love God? Wait a moment. Wait a moment before you answer, and think, because you are in danger of perjuring yourselves. Quite frankly, I’m deeply suspicious of people who are always running around saying how much they love God. You see, I remember the words of our Lord: "You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you when he said, ‘This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’" I am confronted with the fact that such a man as Saint Paul was constantly tortured by the ...

3750. A Happy Ending

Luke 24:50-53

Sermon

Brett Blair

He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” This is what we recite weekly in the Apostles’ Creed. But what do we really know about the Ascension. In the church we spend surprisingly little time on the events of Jesus life following the resurrection, particularly the Ascension. The ascension was that time when Jesus visibly departed from his disciples and came into the presence of God the Father. It represented the culmination of his earthly ministry. The ascension was ...

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