Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3751 to 3775 of 4936 results

3751. No Excuses

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

James Merritt

If there is anything that is true about our society it is this: We have become an excuse-filled society. It used to be that to say, "Excuse me," was a gesture of courtesy. It is now a method of getting around personal responsibility. One of the most respected authors in America made this observation: Our culture has declared war on guilt…Perhaps the most prevalent means of escaping blame is by classifying every human failing as some kind of disease. Drunkards and drug addicts can check into clinics for ...

3752. Building Your Home on the Rock

Matthew 7:24-27

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most amazing true stories I have ever heard in my life, is of a builder who developed a subdivision of ritzy exclusive homes somewhere up in Canada. These homes sold, years ago, for over $200,000 a piece. On the outside it was a beautiful looking subdivision. But then winter came, snow fell, the winds began to blow, the rain began to come. All of a sudden, first one house, and then another, began literally to collapse and simply sink into holes. For a while they could not figure it out. But then ...

3753. It’s Good to Know Who Is Calling

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

When I was a boy, our family used to have a parakeet. The bird's name was "Beauty." Beauty was a bird like most. She spent her life in the cage poking at a mirror and whistling while my mom played classical music. She was quite tame, and we all loved playing with her. One special skill that she acquired, however, was whistling. In fact, she was able to perfectly copy the whistle that my dad used to call our pet dog. It was amazing. You really couldn't tell whether it was my dad or the bird whistling. ...

3754. Thin Spaces

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

Mike Ripski

A few Sundays ago I observed that in the Celtic Christian tradition there is an appreciation for what are called, “Thin Spaces” – those times when heaven and earth intersect. Those occasions when extraordinary and ordinary merge. When John Wesley had the experience of having his “heart strangely warmed” – that’s an example of a “Thin Space.” Jesus took three of the disciples, Peter, James, and John up on the mountain. There they saw Jesus transfigured before their blinded eyes. They saw Moses and Elijah ...

3755. Thorns of Grace

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a calendar titled The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said. Each day features a stupid statement from somebody. A page in the calendar had this amazing quote. Listen closely: “If you bought our course, ‘How To Fly In Six Easy Lessons,’ we apologize for any inconvenience caused by our failure to include the last chapter, ‘How To Land Your Plane Safely.’ Send us your name and address and we will send you the last chapter posthaste. Requests by estates will be honored.” (1) If you are a pilot, I hope you ...

3756. The Man in the Mirror

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

James Merritt

I will never forget the first time I was able to actually go to see the Master's golf tournament in person. I wanted to follow a young phenom by the name of Tiger Woods. I was right behind him on the seventeenth tee box to see him rip one of those majestic drives. In the split second that he hit the ball, one man in the crowd yelled at the top of his lungs - "You 'Da Man." Every time you go to a tournament you are going to hear someone yell that at Tiger Woods. I don't know how that phrase got its origin, ...

3757. Liar, Liar

Exodus 20:16

Sermon

James Merritt

In the movie, Liar! Liar!, Jim Carrey plays the part of Fletcher Reid, a fast talking attorney and habitual liar. He is always lying to his son, Max, and he lied to him when he told him he would attend his fifth birthday party. When he didn't show up, as Max is blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, he has only one wish, "that his dad would stop lying for twenty-four hours." His wish comes true and for twenty-four hours, this man can no longer lie. Every word that comes out of his mouth is the truth ...

3758. Finishing Strong

Nehemiah 9:38--10:39

Sermon

James Merritt

The Constitution of the United States had just been signed and America was officially a nation. Benjamin Franklin walked out of the meeting room where many people were anxiously awaiting the news. One lady by the name of Mrs. Powel walked up to Benjamin Franklin and said, "So Mr. Franklin what type of government have your delegates given us?" Benjamin Franklin gave this famous reply - "A republic madam, if you can keep it." What Ben Franklin meant by that was, the Constitution had laid the foundation for ...

3759. Mary’s Magnificat

Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

Christmas songs have a way of staying with us from childhood. In fact, if you were to ask someone their favorite Christmas song it may range from, "Silent Night" to "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." Many Christmas songs do carry the element of the holy in their lyrics and sometimes in the melody. Most of all, though, Christmas stands alone from all other holidays by the fact that it carries its own genre of music. The message of this season can be sung as well as spoken. The world has come to know the all ...

3760. Reactions to Rejection

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

Jesus knew what rejection felt like. When he preached his first sermon in his hometown of Nazareth, things went well in the beginning. But after he was finished, the people ran him out of town. They even tried to run him off a cliff, but he managed to escape. That was the first time Jesus experienced rejection for what he was trying to do for God, but it was not to be the last. Many of us know how it feels, even though the circumstances may not be as dramatic. An excellent student minister was rejected by ...

3761. Spiderman: Saved To Serve

Colossians 3:1-4, 12-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Who do you serve? That's a valid question for everybody, don't you think? Now you probably wouldn't think you would have to ask that question in Church, would you? But the truth is we don't all come with pristine purposes. I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty but we may not even know that we are at cross purposes with God. That was certainly the case in the life of the Apostle Paul. And that's what the Superhero we're focusing on today had to find out as well. Paul and Spiderman both had to find out ...

3762. Compliments Of The House

Psalm 23:6

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

An elderly man in Florida calls his son in New York one November day. The father says to the son, "I hate to tell you, but we've got troubles here at home. Your mother and I can't stand each other anymore, and we're getting a divorce. I've had it! I want to live out the rest of my years in peace. I'm telling you now, so you and your sister won't go into shock later when I move out." He hangs up, and the son immediately calls his sister in the Hamptons and tells her the news. The sister says, "I'll handle ...

3763. The Third Kind of Love

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James W. Moore

In the church, we talk a lot about love. We teach it, we preach it, we sing about it, we try to live it… and well we should because love is the message of the church and the dominant theme of the scriptures. Love is the Christian faith summed up in one word. Jesus called it the sign of discipleship. Usually, when we talk about love, we lift up love for God and love for other people… and that is well and good. But, this morning, I want us to turn the coin over and raise what I think is a very important ...

3764. The Geography of the Christian Experience

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Geography is important. Everything on the news these days - the constant explosive fighting in the Middle East, starving children in the desert lands of Africa, people living under the shadow of terror, and feeling that oppressive thumb. Where we are located on the world map determines a great deal about our politics. The nature of land, and the climate determine so much of our economy. One of the greatest blessings that is ours is the geography of our great nation. But our personal geography is important ...

3765. Taking the Shape of Christ

Galatians 4:8-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The little girl had been giving her mother a hard time all morning. Finally her mother said, “Please behave your self. Don’t you know that every time you misbehave, I get another gray hair in my head?” “My,” the little girl said, “you sure must have been a bad little girl. Just look at all the gray hairs Grandmother has!” That’s a story about how we become the way we are. Apart from the obvious lessons that we parents need to be careful in the way we seek teach our children - we can’t put anything over on ...

3766. A Goodly Heritage

Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Fred Craddock tells of vacationing in the Smoky Mountains. One evening he and his wife had gone to Black Bear Inn for dinner They were looking over the menu when an old man came over to the table and greeted them and began asking: if on vacation, good time, where from, and what did for living. When Fred said that he was a preacher, the old man pulled up chair and said, “Let me tell you about a preacher.” “I was born back in these hills, my mother wasn’t married, and in those days you didn’t get over a ...

3767. What Would Jesus Say About Materialism?

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A religious coalition led by Rev. Jim Ball launched a media campaign three months ago asking Americans “What Would Jesus Drive?” The advertisement, designed to discourage religious people from driving SUV’s, pickups, minivans and other gas guzzling vehicles, quickly captured the attention of Americans. The three major auto makers publicly stated that they already made fifty models of fuel efficient cars, but trucks and SUV’s now outsell cars at dealerships across America. Comedian Jay Leno said Jesus would ...

3768. What Would Jesus Say About Modern Churches?

Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

The Church is of God and shall be preserved to the end of time as the visible body of Christ on earth. The local church remains God's best hope for humanity. For a lifetime now, the Church has captured my heart, my mind, and my deepest devotion. After all these years I can still join Timothy Dwight in saying: Beyond my highest joys I prize her heavenly ways. Her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise. I love the Church. Because I love it so much, I want God's very best for it. So I ...

3769. Why We Need the Pledge of Allegiance

Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

When I was in high school, a new music teacher came to town. He was fresh out of college and full of ambition. But here he was, stuck in a very rural community where people didn't put up with (as they called it) "long-haired music," either from the Beatles or Beethoven. Still, he was determined to teach us good music. We were going to sing selections from Handel's Messiah for our Christmas concert. Most of us had never heard of George Frideric Handel, and when we first tried to sight-read through the ...

3770. Personal Politics

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

Thomas Browne said that "the vices we scoff at in others laugh at us from within ourselves." More than any other relational failure this is true of hurt and vengeance. When the great nineteenth-century Spanish General, Ramon Narvaez, lay dying in Madrid, a priest was called in to give him last rites. "Have you forgiven your enemies?" the padre asked. "Father," confessed Narvaez, "I have no enemies. I shot them all." Too often that is the story of our lives, and Jesus knows it. Lewis Smedes wrote a book we ...

3771. I Am Baptized!

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Because of their age and relative inexperience, children and young people rarely get asked for advice by adults. This is sad, since the young tend to have amazing powers of observation, as well as the free time to ponder the strangeness of human nature. In his book Wit and Wisdom from the Peanut Butter Gang, H. Jackson Brown, Jr. interviews children and young teens to get their ideas on subjects like families and school. Here is a sample of their wisdom: “You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.” Patrick, ...

3772. A Cantankerous Prophet

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

There are some jokes that are so bad they bear retelling. [So, if any of you remember me telling this story, keep that in mind.] (1) It seems there was once a fisherman . . . you already know it’s going to be bad, don’t you? This fisherman and his wife were blessed with twin sons. They loved the children very much, but couldn’t think of what to name them. Finally, after several days, the fisherman said, “Let’s not decide on names right now. If we wait a little while, the names will simply occur to us.” ...

3773. No Other Name

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

We want to begin with a little trivia contest. Can anyone tell me the name of the 33rd President of the United States? The 33rd President of our country was Harry S Truman. Question number two: what was Truman’s home state? That’s right, Missouri. Last question. We remember him as Harry S Truman. What did the “S” stand for? Trick question: the middle initial of Harry S Truman’s name did not stand for anything. Both his grandfathers had names beginning with S so he was given the bare initial S to avoid ...

3774. All in God’s Time

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

"Why do bad things happen to good people?" is the way we say it today. That surely must have been a question on the hearts and minds of those first-century Christians as they suffered under the brutal persecution of the Roman empire. It is a question that surely was on the hearts and minds to whom John had written this extraordinary piece of literature we call the book of Revelation. Many of them were convinced that they were innocent and righteous sufferers sent to their deaths in the coliseum because ...

3775. Sing Praise

Colossians 1:15-23

Sermon

April Yamasaki

Theologian Karl Barth was once asked to sum up his life's work. Instead of quoting from one of his many books, sermons, or university lectures, he responded with the words of a children's song: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Whether we sing a children's song like "Jesus Loves Me," or a great hymn of the church like "How Firm A Foundation," the songs we sing can express what we believe. In turn, they also shape our understanding of God, of who we are as human beings, and of the ...

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