Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3726 to 3750 of 3852 results

John 15:1-8

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... here. No question of degree of fruit. You either bear Jesus fruit. Or no fruit. For God has no use for people who work in other vineyards. God only has use for people who work in God’s vineyard. And God’s vineyard is fed by the original vine of Jesus. Those who become part of God’s vineyard, who are grown from the pure and perfect vine, and who remain connected to that vine by being part of that vineyard will bear like fruit, beautiful, succulent grapes that feed, nourish, bear seeds, mature, and ...

3727. 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 ...

3728. Out of the Saltshaker

Mark 9:38-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... the young hunter. Salt both preserved the food in the intense heat and offered great strength when it was consumed. (6) That’s always been so. Salt was so valuable that soldiers of the Roman Empire received an allowance of salt as part of their pay (the origin of the English word salary). In various eras people in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa have used cakes of salt to pay their debts. Salt has been considered very valuable even in our land all the way up current times. During the Civil War, General ...

3729. Being Good

Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon

Will Willimon

... you think about our version of People's Court, Jesus? A law is a law, right?" "Wrong. Let he who is without sin throw the first stone," said Jesus. And one by one, they dropped their stones and slipped away. Scholars don't think that story appeared in John's original. It was added later. But let's imagine that there was good reason to add it later. If Jesus didn't actually do this, it was certainly true to form for Jesus. And by the time they added it to John's gospel, the church had been around long enough ...

3730. The Organic Gospel

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... The “garden” is one of the most amazing and beautiful metaphors in scripture. I like to call it a primal metaphor, the “Ur-metaphor” if you will for our covenant with God and what it means to be people of God, YHWH. Eden is our origin story not just because of our creation but our creation in relationship with God. The scriptures are all about relationships, those we must guard and nourish, and those we must create and cultivate. The garden is the metaphor for our “us and God” relationship. And ...

3731. Desperation to Hope

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... us, several things going against her.2 First, she was a woman and, for a holy man such as Jesus, speaking to her in public would be frowned upon and physical contact with her altogether forbidden. Second, she was bleeding. Worse, the original language implies and most historical sources agree that the bleeding she was experiencing was somehow related to menstruation which, according to the Levitical law, would make her ritually impure. She would, in her condition, not be allowed to touch or be touched ...

3732. More Than Enough

John 6:1-21

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... , so let’s take a few moments to unpack it, shall we? In particular, let’s spend some time exploring the things John has decided to tell differently from the other gospel writers. I mean, he must have had a purpose for changing the story from how it originally came to him in Mark’s gospel, so, as we go, let’s explore what that purpose might be. As in all of the gospel accounts, in John’s gospel the disciples and Jesus were overwhelmed by the crowds of people who were coming to them, mostly because ...

3733. Sword of the Spirit

John 6:56-69 · Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and sear like a knife into the arguments and the hearts of those who were hypocritical. Like a Roman gladius (sword), which could piece even the toughest armor, Jesus’ voice, his words of truth, his identity and mission, they knew, was of divine origin. And he had designated them to wield that same “sword of discernment” as apostles, spiritually “knighted” by the Holy Spirit, in their mission to the world to heal, proclaim, and make disciples. Through the words and Word of Jesus, spread by the ...

3734. Holding On

Job 1:1; Job 2:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... as God would have you live, you would be blessed financially and physically as well as spiritually. Do you agree with this theology? There are many who have this shallow approach to faith even today. I don’t know of many of Jesus’ original followers who occupied beautiful and ornate mansions—except after their death. And yet here we are introduced to a man who was chosen to experience unbelievable pain and suffering. And the reason he was chosen to experience these tragic circumstances was that he ...

3735. Why Did Jesus Come?

Luke 2:21-52

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... II a bomb fell near Reims Cathedral and shattered their beautiful stain glass window into thousands of pieces. The entire village searched the area until all the pieces could be salvaged. After the war was over, skilled artisans put the window back to its original beauty as each separate piece was leaded into the perfect whole. Frank Court commented about that window and its application to life when he said that “religion enables us to pick up life’s fragments and re-dream our dreams, relive our hopes ...

3736. The Song of Servanthood

Luke 1:39-45 (46-54)

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... more than a sentimental expression of feeling. It is the absolute knowledge that we glorify God for his redemptive act in our lives. God’s redemptive process comes through the whole Christ event. First, it was from the beginning that this plan of salvation originated. John wrote in his first epistle (letter), “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The ...

3737. One Life-Changing Word

Isaiah 9:2-7 · Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Such transformations are possible for individuals. Such transformations are also possible for a society. H.G. Wells once wrote a story titled “In the Days of the Comet.” It is a science fiction fantasy in which a mysterious green vapor of unknown origin descends from the clouds and covers the earth. The vapor has the immediate effect of putting all the earth’s people into a deep sleep for three days. When they finally awake, their inner nature is radically transformed. Petty quarreling comes to an ...

3738. Easter Fear

Mark 16:1-8

Sermon

Will Willimon

... they saw? What happened on Monday? No wonder that, by the second century, helpful preachers added a few more verses to the ending of Mark. Your Bible at home may have twelve more verses at the end of Mark, but most New Testament scholars agree that Mark originally ended here at verse eight. ''And they went out and fled from the tomb;...and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid." Mark tells of no further appearances of the Risen Lord, no suppers at Emmaus, no reassuring words to the women on the ...

3739. For The Love Of God Is Biblical

2 Timothy 3:14-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... next week, I thought we would look at and celebrate the Bible today. Why is the Bible so important? 1. INSPIRED WORD OF GOD: We believe the Bible is the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD. Basically that means that it doesn't come from us. It originates with God. Some folks believe that God took over folks and used them like robots to write the Bible. I don't. God always interacts with people, in relationships. God inspired these writings and God guided their writing. But the character and personality of the author ...

3740. For The Love of God is Creative

1 Corinthians 2:6-12 · Psalm 8

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... wavy. After that we couldn't fool them any more. And that's the wonderful thing about being created in God's image. There may be those who resemble us but there is no one, anywhere, who is just like us. We are each one of a kind, unique, designer originals, created by the very hand of God, in God's own image. We are created in the image of God. And that gives us our self worth because God doesn't make junk. C. Now we don't always agree with that. I know that sounds a little audacious and ...

3741. Righteous Woman

Genesis 38:1-27

Sermon

Will Willimon

... the story, through a succession of funerals and husbands and now she is sent home. End of story. Tragic. Dead end. Yet, if you know much about the history of women in any culture you would have to say that it's not a particularly unusual or original story. Dependent, of value only as child-bearers and husband-carers, a mere backdrop for what men will or will not do. It's one of those stories. But because this is the Bible, where nearly anything can happen and often does, this story continues. Judah's ...

3742. Devour And Conquer

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... future an archaeologist may be digging through our trash. Instead of finding the remains of our dinners, which we’ve stuffed down the garbage disposal or sent to the landfill, they may find our pay stubs and a copy of the record of our church giving, the original of which was sent to the IRS. They may be able to look at the bills for our phones and our television packages and make a guess as to our true priorities. In 1895, the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem ...

3743. New Creations

2 Corinthians 5:6-10; 14-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... of living for Christ and not for ourselves which I've heard lately comes from Richard Jensen, a Lutheran minister in Fremont, Nebraska. He writes: She had been a charter member of Trinity Church when it was founded just after World War II. She was an "original" and she was faithful. Every Sunday she sat in the same place, third pew on the right, just past the first pillar. Generations of members of Trinity Church had grown accustomed to seeing her sit in that pew. Few knew her name, however. She didn't ...

3744. A New Identity for a New Year

John 1:(1-9), 10-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... God, rooted in love and grace and truth. This is the one decision that will lead you closer to God and to God’s will for your life. 1. Source: cafemom.com. Cited in “The Funniest Family Vacations Stories That You Will Sadly Relate To” Originally Published: July 02, 2019 in Reader's Digest https://www.rd.com/list/vacation-stories/. 2. “True Love Reunites a Couple Torn Apart by Amnesia” by Max Alexander, Reader’s Digest, https://www.rd.com/true-stories/love/true-love-reunites-a-couple-torn-apart ...

3745. When Good People Pray

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... faced with an unusual problem. In their army hospitals were over one hundred soldiers who had developed total amnesia caused by battle trauma. These men could not remember their names, their families, their hometowns. They were totally separated from their origins. Finally, the government announced to the whole nation that all families who had relatives missing in action should come to a certain hospital on an appointed day. For this occasion, a large platform was erected. With the families gathered around ...

3746. The Art of Fruit

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... clearly to those around him, what you do (or don’t do) matters. Everything that comes out of your mouth….matters. Jesus would say something similar later also to his disciples –that it isn’t what goes in that defiles, but what comes out of the mouth originating in the heart that reveals the nature of the spirit. For our actions to change, our hearts must first change. If our hearts are changed, the way we live will follow. And only God can change our hearts. When John begins to baptize people on the ...

3747. Through the Heart of Jesus

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... reminds me of an article that came out last year about candy hearts. You know those candy hearts that are bright pink and orange and yellow, and they have sappy sayings stamped onto them—“Kiss Me,” “Hot Stuff,” “Be Mine,” etc. The original candy hearts with sayings—their official name is “conversation hearts”—were the Sweethearts candies from the Necco Co. They were created in the 1860s. By 2019, about 8 billion Sweethearts candy hearts were sold each year, with most of those sold in ...

3748. Welcome, Joe!

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... -hundreds-of-people-about-their-biggest-life-decisions-heres-what-i-learned-154885?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email. 4. https://therocketcompany.com/10-new-preaching-stories/. 5. By Rodney Buchanan. 6. “Motorcycle church” by Amy Green, Good News, May/June 2005, pp. 28-29. Originally published and copyrighted in The Tennessean, 2005. 7. Paul W. Powell, Jesus Is for Now! (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985). 8. “The Rock,” Author Unknown, cited by By Steve Goodier, http://www.LifeSupportSystem.com.

3749. Resurrecticity

John 20:1-18 · Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... ’t get “resurrecticity.” A rubber band stretches. Electrons flow. Simplification reduces stress And authenticity builds trust. But what of the resurrection? What is resurrecticity? Many, of course, focus on the historical event. Thousands of people have tried to find the original shroud and the market in allegedly genuine artifacts is always good. Indeed, the Shroud of Turin to this day draws hordes of tourists to examine the alleged burial shroud of Jesus. Others prefer to think of as a myth, which ...

3750. The Hiddenness Of Life’s Truths: Christian Life As Surprise

2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... not forget that God has to work in hidden ways because he’s had to work through evil in order to overcome sin. We can see this clearly tonight in the use of the ashes. These ashes (the symbol of death, because keep in mind that they were originally living things) get us back to life. This also explains why there is still death, still sadness, and still suffering. In a hidden way God struggled with these realities. He may not have abolished them, but ultimately he is in control of them, and so he uses them ...

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