Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3801 to 3825 of 4977 results

3801. Why Didn't You Tell Us This Before?

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

Russell F. Metcalfe

... worried that they might be taken for heretics. Today we UCC people seem to be more worried about being taken for fundamentalists." So in personal, devotional terms Pastor Copenhaver tried to tell his people what Jesus Christ meant to him. Evidently the sermon was quite a personal testimony. After the service Pastor Copenhaver noticed a dear lady whom he respected. She came past to shake his hand, and could not speak. So she went around and came past again, to give herself time to compose herself. When she ...

3802. Stumbling in Darkness, Looking for Light

Isaiah 9:1-7, John 1:5

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... covers. My earliest recollection is a button from the 1960 presidential campaign. Tilt it one way, you see Richard Nixon; tilt it the other way, you get Henry Cabot Lodge. This seems like an insignificant advertising gimmick, but it really involves a quite complicated and intricate technology. They are called "lenticular" images. Our five clergy were on a retreat recently, and at a Burger King we saw a poster advertising the latest gimmick for children, which even used the word "lenticular." But five fairly ...

3803. Good News...Really?

Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... your song in our lives today. Listen. Listen for the song of Mary, the song of Good News for the poor and the suffering, the song of hope for those in despair. Sing, Mary, sing your song. 1. Sing praise to the Lord your God. It is really quite a revolutionary moment when you come to think about it—a humble, poor woman singing of the Lord God. One would expect this kind of song from the high and the mighty, the grand, the splendiferous. Maybe the Mormon Tabernacle Choir accompanied by the New York Symphony ...

3804. Saints By Faith: Good to the Last Drop

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... side of the wardrobe, side-by-side, parted only by the narrow stream of death. In the 50's when I was growing up in small-town Western Pennsylvania, Clarion was a town dominated by Protestants with just one Catholic Church. We Protestants were quite sure that we were right and they were probably wrong. (Thank God things have changed!) We never celebrated "All Saints Day," assuming that it had something to do with "The Catholics," the little plastic Jesuses they had on their dashboards and the fish they ...

3805. Ministry By Faith: Does She or Doesn't She?

I Corinthians 16:14, James 2:14-26

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... And it's ultimately about the commitment of my life to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As we prayerfully reflect on our stewardship, I encourage you to also think about your work, your service, your ministry as an expression of the love of Christ. And I ask it quite simply: Can the shades of the love of Christ be seen in our lives? Does the color of Christ's love bring vitality and beauty to our life together? Can our faith be seen in our works? One more story. The gospel writer says that once upon a time ...

3806. Strong in Faith: A Little Dab'll Do Ya

1 Corinthians 16:13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... the generations. Have faith. In a day when everything changes…some things never change. Back in the 50's—before mullets and hair mousse, before the dry look and dreadlocks—there was the ducktail and there was Brylcreem. Remember the ad, really quite risqué for the times: Another Public Service Announcement from Brylcreem: Men Beware! Use one dab of Brylcreem. Just a little dab makes your hair look excitingly clean, disturbingly healthy. (Show man pursued by a group of females.) This man dared to use ...

3807. Abraham and Sarah: Backing Into the Future

Hebrews 11:1-3; 8-11

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... Who Wanders." This sermon series out of the book of Hebrews was meant to speak to our journey of faith, a metaphor for our spiritual life. But the faces of "those who wander" have been imprinted on our hearts and in our minds and we can never see it quite the same again. It does provide a graphic and powerful backdrop for the stories of the patriarchs, the Hebrews, "those who wandered," as do we...seeking a faith that will sustain us in this real world, in this day, a faith that makes sense in a world of ...

3808. The Song of an Awe-Filled Life

Psalm 138:1-8

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... love and thy faithfulness; For thou hast exalted above everything thy name and thy word. 1. THE SONG OF AN AWE-FILLED LIFE IS A SONG OF GRATITUDE FOR THE GOODNESS OF GOD. Eugene Peterson's recent translation of the Bible called The Message has become quite popular lately. I wouldn't recommend it for accuracy, but it does catch the spirit of the text in our common language. Listen to his version of this Psalm: Thank you! Everything in me says, "Thank you!" Thank you for your love. Thank you for your ...

3809. A Peculiar People

1 Peter 2:1-10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... several years ago, when British Airways was doing well, Peter Storey tells of Dick Georgiades who was credited for turning British Airways into the most profitable airline in the world. When asked the secret of his success, Dick said: It's really quite simple. We just turned our management philosophy upside down, and everyone became accountable to person below them rather than the person above them. Bishop Storey says: Here is a massive corporation embracing the servant lifestyle of Jesus! The focus of the ...

3810. The Twenty-Ninth Chapter of Acts

2 Timothy 4:1-22

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... have quoted St. Paul's epitaph over the graves of saints in the life of the church. It is Paul's last word, the final summary of his life and work: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Because, quite honestly, some have not. Paul says Demas, in love with the world, deserted him. Crescens departed the mission and went to Galatia. Titus has gone off to Dalmatia. Alexander, the coppersmith, did him great harm. When he went before the courts, no one stood by him. He ...

3811. Why Not Now?

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... world today. Luke says it was a "desert road" and, unfortunately, it still is. Desert…and deserted. It is a hard road to travel, but it is the path to reconciliation, to justice, to peace. And there he met an Ethiopian. It's quite amazing, really, this African tourist, a black government official, making the journey into the Middle East. In many ways, this encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian symbolizes our world today, where boundaries are blurring, cultures are clashing, and the world is becoming ...

3812. The Church of Your Dreams

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... , and suddenly grows to three thousand with new persons being added every day, ultimately turning the world upside down. How else do you explain it…except by the power of God? A few years ago, Bruce Wilkinson's little book, The Prayer of Jabez, created quite dramatic, if short-lived, fascination with an obscure verse of scripture. In a chapter entitled "Living Beyond our Limits," he asks: "When was the last time God worked through you in such a way that you knew beyond doubt that God had done it?" [3 ...

3813. The Revelation Code V: Cruisin' Toward the Dream

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... called to live into that hope, to live out of that hope, and to model that hope for the world now, a foretaste of the feast of the joy, a sample of the good things to come. We are called to live in that "party spirit" now….until he comes. Quite frankly, I haven't a clue as to when that day will be. And if I take Jesus at his word, neither does he. He tells us no one knows, not even the Son himself, but only the Father in heaven. So if even Jesus couldn't figure it out ...

3814. The Revelation Code IV: The Fight at Frodo's Tower

Revelation 19:1-21

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... on for the right. Stand firm for justice and peace. You are on the winning side. One day, Jesus Christ will have the last word and you will share in his victory." Scholar Craig Hill says: The essential point of John's Revelation is really quite simple. In two words: "GOD WINS! God's purposes ultimately will succeed." He says that, at heart, Revelation is an attempt to deal with essential questions: Are injustice, suffering and death the final realities in our world? Is human history, both mine and the world ...

3815. The Revelation Code III: The Mark on Harry's Forehead

Revelation 13:11-14:7

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... Christ's return, said it was time to "fasten your seatbelts." Some pregnant mothers tried to speed up their delivery dates to avoid June 6, while others chose the name "Damian" in recognition of it. Of course, the day passed with little fanfare and no rapture. In fact, quite to the contrary, for us it will go down as a day of great celebration in the gift of new life to our congregation—the birth of Casey John Nelson. All of this was built around one cryptic symbol in John's vision, the often abused and ...

3816. The Revelation Code I: DaVinci, A to Z

Revelation 1:1-20

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... a moonbeam in your hand? Sometimes prose simply won't do. Literalism will only destroy it. Instead, you paint a picture, you sing a song, you pen a poem. Sometimes only fantasy is adequate to try to communicate a great truth. Dan Brown has tried and has been quite successful at it. The DaVinci Code has swept the world with its fantasy, mystery and illusion. He may not be a very good church historian, but he is a wonderful spell-binder. Or consider J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and its ability to speak ...

3817. Bart and Homer, Father and Sons

1 Samuel 20:24-42

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... , to love and to laugh together. If only King Saul could have learned from his sons, how different their story might have been. If only we could learn from our sons. Listen to the way the writer describes the friendship of David and Jonathan. Quite frankly, it's passionate enough that in our homophobic culture where we are so suspicious of male friendships, it can make us a bit uncomfortable: 18:3-4 — Jonathan made covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 19:1 — Jonathan took ...

3818. Yet Alive....Are We?

Romans 12:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... , called "The Character of a Methodist:" The distinguishing marks of a Methodist are not his opinions of any sort, his accepting of this scheme of religion, his embracing any particular set of notions, or mouthing the judgments of one man or another. All these are quite wide of the point. As to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think. The rhetorical question is: "What, then, is a Methodist?" A Methodist is a person who has the love of God in his heart. Inscribed ...

3819. What Ever Happened to Norman Rockwell?

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... . All I see is the mayhem which follows. Two are arguing and three are talking at once. The city has collapsed again and the jungle returns. Finally my wife serves the chocolate soufflé with whipped cream, which draws us all together in praise. It's not quite the heavenly city, but neither is it chaos. We are the solitary set in family, and I love them all—their faces, their voices, their bodies, their minds; and I thank them for their company during these long short years together. [2] May it be so ...

3820. Toward the Cross

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... art, was all that blood! In the graphic literalism of so much of the Middle Ages and Renaissance art, there are crucifixes covered in blood—blood spurting from Jesus' side and dripping from his hands and feet—and to our sophisticated 21st century tastes, quite frankly, it's all just too much. We are just not crazy about bloody crosses, or Fountains filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins, And sinners plunging beneath that flood loosing all their guilty stains. But don't let the repulsion of the ...

3821. In the Upper Room

John 17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... foundation of our common faith in Jesus Christ. Lord, make your people one, Let your will be done. Finish, O finish the world begun. Lord, make your people one. Let me share with you a brief conversation which took place in an airport boarding area. Two people in quite similar suits with equally similar briefcases sit down side by side. They strike up a conversation: I see you are reading the Bible. Yes, I am. May I ask, is it King James or RSV? King James, of course. So is mine. Is yours the red-letter ...

3822. Are You Ready for the Journey?

Mark 8:27-9:1

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... love story, another march, and another journey as well — the story of the cross, the march of Jesus, the journey of Lent. Like all love stories, it begins with an act of utter foolishness. The destination is always the same, but the path can be quite different. The good news is we never make the journey alone. Mark records the moment, the invitation to the journey. The story is repeated in all three of the synoptic Gospels as the critical turning point in the life and ministry of Jesus and the journey ...

3823. The Sacrifice Play

Matthew 16:21-28

Illustration

William J. Carl, III

... , take-care-of-yourself, don't-worry-about-anybody-else society. In contrast to football, sacrifice may sound like a sign of weakness but I hardly think of any of the Atlanta Braves or Minnesota Twins as weak. Baseball's one thing; life is quite another. Who sacrifices anything any more in a time like ours? Who really denies themselves and takes up crosses anymore? Actual sacrifice can lead to bitterness, especially when you thought you were trusting God's plan for your life and suddenly you realize that ...

3824. Romans 13:8-14

Romans 13:8-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... indebtedness. To “love one another” is a “debt” that is never “paid off.” Origen reiterated Paul’s simple statement by declaring in some of the most profound words ever written about this text: “The debt of charity is permanent, and we are never quit of it; for we must pay it daily and yet always owe it.” Despite Paul’s ongoing insistence that those who are “in Christ” are no longer “under the law,” the apostle uses the indebtedness language of “the law” to drive home the ...

3825. Building Bridges

Matthew 18:15-20

Illustration

Bob Tasler

... , this eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. The carpenter had built a bridge that stretched from one side of the river to the other, with handrails and all! And his younger brother, was coming toward them, his handout stretched. "You're quite the guy," he said, "after all I've said and done." The two brothers met in the middle, and shook each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter leaving. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the ...

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