Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3776 to 3800 of 4508 results

Sermon

David G. Rogne

Mahatma Gandhi of India is alleged to have said, "If I had ever met someone who was a genuine Christian, I would have become one immediately." It is a stinging judgment of Christians. At the same time, it challenges every Christian to examine the genuineness of his or her walk and witness. We need to ask ourselves: "How authentic, how credible is my demonstration of the Christian life?" In our sc...

3777. About that Salesman

Sermon

King Duncan

How many of you have ever tried to sell anything? Would I be wrong if I said that, at some time or another, every one of us has tried to sell something? It may be no more complicated than trying to sell your toddler on the idea that vegetables really do taste good. O.K., you’re still trying to sell your teenager or your husband on the idea that vegetables really do taste good. But all of us have b...

3778. Humvee Holiness and Humble Holiness

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Halloween is the ultimate holiday of “pretending.” On Halloween we dress up and “pretend” to be someone or something other than ourselves. On Halloween we “pretend” to believe that the people jumping out at us and scaring us in the “haunted houses” we paid $25 to get into are monsters and zombies. On Halloween we happily “pretend” that the scariest stuff in life are those things that “go bump i...

3779. What Makes A Person Successful?

Sermon

King Duncan

Maxie Dunnam tells about a recent PEANUTS cartoon in which Lucy--that bossy, assertive, always-take-control character--is playing her role as psychiatrist. She sits in her booth with a banner on the top that says "Psychiatric Help--5 cents," and then down below a sign says, "The Doctor Is In." Charlie Brown is her patient. Lucy says to Charlie, "Your life is like a house . . ." In the next frame,...

3780. Be Careful What You Call Me

Sermon

King Duncan

A Jewish comedian tells about two men of his faith who met on the street. "Abe, why are you looking so sad?" asks Isaac. Abe answers: "It's my son. I sent him off to college, and now he has come back home all full of Gentile ideas. Where did I go wrong?" Isaac says: "FUNNY YOU SHOULD MENTION IT! My son, too, has come home from college, with his head all messed up, filled with Gentile ideas. There ...

3781. Authenticity vs. Showmanship

Sermon

Joseph M. Freeman

Maybe both the best and the worst of us in humanity are far better preachers than we are doers and deliverers of what we preach and teach. And maybe maturity has everything to do with our genuine willingness to bring a greater congruity between our esteemed words and those actions compatible with, not contradictory of, those words. Jesus, fully divine and fully human, loved and valued not just the...

3782. Strained Gnats

Sermon

Herchel H. Sheets

Family illnesses and other problems caused Margery Wilson, later to become an outstanding actress, author, and lecturer, to have to try to earn money to support her mother and sister while she was still a young girl. She got a job playing a piano two hours per day, during luncheon and dinner breaks for the orchestra, in a theatre in Cincinnati. But about that time, some well-meaning social workers...

3783. Diamonds Falling From Your Lips

Sermon

King Duncan

According to an old legend, there once lived a widow who had two daughters. The older daughter was so proud and disagreeable that no one liked to be around her. The younger daughter was just the opposite. She was cheerful and helpful and everyone liked her. One day the younger, pleasant daughter was at a fountain drawing water, when an old woman asked her for a drink. She readily gave the woman a...

3784. Confronting Hypocrisy With Humility (I)

Sermon

Brett Blair

With Election Day upon us, I thought this text about hypocrisy was appropriate. I am reminded of a story about Theodore Roosevelt. During one of his political campaigns, a delegation called on him at his home in Oyster Bay, Long Island. The President met them with his coat off and his sleeves rolled up. "Ah, gentlemen," he said, "come down to the barn and we will talk while I do some work." At t...

3785. Called To Serve

Sermon

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

A recent poll asked participants to describe themselves. Individuals were requested to list five ways in which they identify themselves. From Jesus' description of the scribes and Pharisees in our gospel lesson today, we can just about guess how those religious leaders would have answered such a poll. They probably would have described themselves by saying, "I'm a rabbi, a teacher, a father of the...

3786. Proper 26

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 107:1-7 First Lesson - Joshua leads the people of Israel through the Jordan River to the promised land. Joshua 3:7-17 Second Lesson - Paul also uses a masculine analogy to explain his fatherly discipline of the church in Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Gospel - Jesus chides the Pharisees for not practicing what they preach. Matthew 23:1-12 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: Th...

3787. Proper 26, Pentecost 4

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Prayer Of The Day Leader: Honesty, integrity, humility, congruency: you call us to live out our lives tied to you, O God. You call us to act upon what we believe, and to believe in you. May all our works glorify you, and may the whole world sing your praise, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. All: Amen. Hymn Of The Day Humble Yourselves In The Sight Of The Lord

3788. Proper 26

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Warning against religious hypocrisy. The conflict continues between Jesus and the religious leaders (Matthew 23:1-12). The Lutheran lections are tied together by an eschatological theme. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Joshua 3:7-17 The Hebrews are ready to cross the Jordan to take possession of the new land, under the leadership of Joshua. God commands the priests to take the Ark of the Covena...

3789. Four Types of Pride

Illustration

John K. Bergland

Pride is the first of the seven deadly sins. One falls into pride when one lacks trust in God and his mercy and becomes arrogant, hypocritical, and self-centered. Reinhold Neibuhr, who has been referred to as the twentieth-century theologian of sin, summed up humanity's basic sin our unwillingness to acknowledge our creatureliness, our self-elevation in one word, PRIDE. Neibuhr described the four...

3790. Pride

Illustration

John K. Bergland

Pride is the first of the seven deadly sins. One falls into pride when one lacks trust in God and his mercy and becomes arrogant, hypocritical, and self-centered. Reinhold Neibuhr, who has been referred to as the twentieth-century theologian of sin, summed up humanity's basic sin -- our unwillingness to acknowledge our creatureliness, our self-elevation, in one word: PRIDE. Neibuhr described the ...

3791. Humility in Action

Illustration

Roy T. Lloyd

One of the best stories of humility I know is that of a man who arrived in 1953 at the Chicago railroad station to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He stepped off the train, a tall man with bushy hair and a big mustache. As the cameras flashed and city officials approached with hands outstretched to meet him, he thanked them politely. Then he asked to be excused for a minute. He walked through the c...

3792. The Best Looking of the Bunch

Illustration

A few years back there was a poll on the Internet that asked this question, "Which one member of your family is the best looking?" You want to guess how respondents answered? The top rated answer in the poll was, "Me." A majority of the respondents listed themselves as the best-looking member of their family. That corresponds with another public opinion poll which asked people which member of thei...

3793. Cleaning Up Our Act

Illustration

Billy Graham tells of meeting a well-known attorney on an airplane one day as he was flying to a speaking engagement. Dr. Graham observed that the man was drinking everything the stewardess would bring him in order to drown his pain. But it wasn't working. A conversation began. The man told Graham that he was a church member in good standing. He acknowledged, however, that he needed "to clean up h...

3794. Hiding from Transformed Living

Illustration

Simeon the Stylite separated himself from sinful society by choosing to live at the top of a narrow pillar many stories high. He spent thirty-seven years living at the top of various pillars as a sign of devotion. Other monks became jealous of Simeon's religious devotion, so they began building their own pillars to live on. Soon, pillar-sitting became a full-blown competition. Agnes de Rochier wa...

3795. A Real Christian

Illustration

A certain pastor was less-than-encouraging when his daughter announced that God was calling her to serve as a missionary in Uganda. At first, he refused to let her go. ‘Don't you know that Uganda is a very dangerous place for Christians?" he asked. After two years, the young woman finally set out to pursue her calling. As the pastor watched her plane rise into the sky, he commented that he had wan...

3796. A Humbling Moment

Illustration

Pastor Michael Hartwig of Valparaiso, Indiana, tells about visiting a man in a nursing home who had been instrumental in starting the major industry in town. When he died, Pastor Hartwig was asked to do the funeral service. Hartwig was nervous, because he knew their church would be packed with dignitaries. The service went well, and on the way to the cemetery he began to turn in his Bible to the ...

3797. A Greater Purpose

Illustration

In 1986, Stephen Saint traveled to Timbuktu, Africa, on a mission trip. Stephen had dedicated his life to Christian missions, just as his father, Nate, had done before him. Nate Saint was one of five missionaries who had been murdered by members of the Auca Indian tribe in Ecuador. As little Stephen Saint grew up, he sorely missed having a father to guide and love him. In his darkest moments, he s...

3798. Jesus' Criticisms

Illustration

George Johnson

Here is a list of Jesus' criticisms about religious leadership in his day: They did not practice what they taught (hypocrisy). They put heavy burdens on others but not themselves (legalism). They sought and loved public recognition (pride). Status, respect and titles were important to them (arrogance). They locked people out of the kingdom (judgmental). They established laws to benefit themselves...

3799. Advisory Role

Illustration

Richard Dake

In a "Peanuts" cartoon strip, Little Lucy, who is known to be ever-ready with unsolicited advice, is playing right-field in a baseball game. Charlie Brown is pitching. "Let's win one for a change Charlie Brown," Lucy cries out. Charlie Brown then throws his first pitch and the batter hits the ball to right-field. But Lucy makes no attempt to catch it. She just stands there and does nothing. Charli...

3800. Service

Illustration

Melvin E. Wheatly

Edgar Dale, Professor of Education at Ohio State University, tells a delightful story in Childhood Education magazine. A Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania teacher was having the members of her class tell what they were going to become when they grew up. Most of the class had answered. Some had said they were going to be doctors-nurses-teachers-farmers-all of them specific vocations which the youngsters had...

Showing 3776 to 3800 of 4508 results

3776. The Real Thing

Sermon

David G. Rogne

3777. About that Salesman

Sermon

King Duncan

3778. Humvee Holiness and Humble Holiness

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

3779. What Makes A Person Successful?

Sermon

King Duncan

3780. Be Careful What You Call Me

Sermon

King Duncan

3781. Authenticity vs. Showmanship

Sermon

Joseph M. Freeman

3782. Strained Gnats

Sermon

Herchel H. Sheets

3783. Diamonds Falling From Your Lips

Sermon

King Duncan

3784. Confronting Hypocrisy With Humility (I)

Sermon

Brett Blair

3785. Called To Serve

Sermon

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

3786. Proper 26

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

3787. Proper 26, Pentecost 4

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

3788. Proper 26

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

3789. Four Types of Pride

Illustration

John K. Bergland

3790. Pride

Illustration

John K. Bergland

Pride is the first of the seven deadly sins. One falls into pride when one lacks trust in God and his mercy and becomes arrogant, hypocritical, and self-centered. Reinhold Neibuhr, who has been referred to as the twentieth-century theologian of sin, summed up humanity's basic sin -- our unwillingness to acknowledge our creatureliness, our self-elevation, in one word: PRIDE. Neibuhr described the ...

3791. Humility in Action

Illustration

Roy T. Lloyd

3792. The Best Looking of the Bunch

Illustration

3793. Cleaning Up Our Act

Illustration

3794. Hiding from Transformed Living

Illustration

3795. A Real Christian

Illustration

3796. A Humbling Moment

Illustration

3797. A Greater Purpose

Illustration

3798. Jesus' Criticisms

Illustration

George Johnson

3799. Advisory Role

Illustration

Richard Dake

3800. Service

Illustration

Melvin E. Wheatly

Showing 3776 to 3800 of 4508 results