Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3851 to 3875 of 4914 results

3851. Signs Of A Vital Church

2 Corinthians 2:12--3:6, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

A few years ago First United Methodist Church in Abilene, Texas, bought a new sign or marquee. The message on the sign could be changed each week. The purpose was to advertise the church to the thousands who passed by daily on a busy highway. A decision was made to let each Sunday School class be responsible for the message on the sign for one week. The Bible Class was first. Their message read: "The Church Visitors Never Feel Like Strangers." The following week the slogan was produced by a young couples ...

3852. What Was That About?

Daniel 7:1-14

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

Our first reaction to the reading of a paragraph like this one from the book of Daniel is to shake loose from the long, blank stare of disbelief and ask, "Just what was that about?" If we heard aright, it seemed to paint the picture of an old man sitting on a throne of fiery flame, surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand equally strange looking creatures, and it seemed to say that this was something like a courtroom where the record books were open and a judgment soon to be pronounced. Suddenly great ...

3853. Obeying God Rather Than Men

Acts 5:17-42

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

How many times have we borne witness to this scene? Men and women of the Gospel attacked by their enemies for preaching the resurrected Christ? How many times have we seen this inevitable and inimitable skirmish between the horizontal and the vertical, the spiritual and the carnal, the things of man and the things of God? How many times have we seen this scene within and without the church, where servants of the Lord who have confessed with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that ...

3854. The Lord's Prayer: Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Today I want to begin by sharing a story that I once told at the annual Thanksgiving meal that we lovingly shared with the homeless persons in the greater Easton area with the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ at the Salvation Army headquarters. Perhaps one or two of you who were there will remember it. There was a very wealthy Texas oilman who had a gorgeous daughter, and he wanted to find her a man who was brave and courageous like himself. He decided to throw a huge Texas-style barbecue as a ...

3855. What a Difference a Day Makes

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Eric Ritz

One of the moving and insightful stories that came out of the Nazi concentration camps in Europe concerned a musician by the name of Gustaf Moeller and his niece. When the young Jewish girl arrived at the camp it was decided she was too valuable to be killed like the others. Instead, she was ordered to gather together an orchestra to play for the Nazi officers and top brass. She was able to gather together many talented Jewish musicians who were ready to be killed. Some of the performers were the most ...

3856. Holy Living

John 6:51-65

Sermon

Donald Macleod

Years ago, Harry Emerson Fosdick, then at the height of his influence as minister of the Riverside Church, New York City, was making a tour of Palestine and other countries of the Near and Middle East. He was invited to give an address at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, where the student body comprised citizens of many countries and representatives from sixteen different religions. What could one say that would be relevant or of interest to so mixed and varied a group? This is how Fosdick began ...

3857. The Church: An Enclave of Resistance v2

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In September of 1997 there was a groundbreaking service for a Catholic cathedral that is going to be constructed in Los Angeles. The Diocese of Los Angeles commissioned the famous Spanish architect Jose Rafael Moneo to design the building. Their hope is that the cathedral will be completed by the beginning of the millennium. It’s to be a peculiar witness to the glory of God. There were models of the cathedral at the groundbreaking service and on the basis of the models a Los Angeles Times reporter wrote a ...

3858. A Discussion Among Angels

Matthew 24:36-44

Drama

Matthew Powell

Cast Storyteller The Archangel Michael The Archangel Uriel The Archangel Raphael The Archangel Gabriel (The Storyteller stands off to one side. Michael, Uriel, and Raphael are seated in the center and stand when they speak and remain standing. Gabriel sits slightly farther back from the others. He stands and comes forward when he finally speaks) Storyteller: A company of angels, returning from their various labors on earth, was sitting in friendly conversation. There were three of the company who seemed to ...

3859. Soul Deep Not Skin Deep

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In the Pacific Northwest (and elsewhere), it's now hunting season. But instead of gun-racks in the pick-ups, our most fearless, intrepid hunters drive around with old doors or ratty-looking sheets of plywood strapped to the hoods of their cars, or hanging out the tailgates of their pick-up trucks. These hunters are after one of the most vicious of quarry, one capable of both long slashing wounds and deep punctures. It can only be approached by cautiously creeping towards it on a broad protective plank - ...

3860. Luke 3:1-6

Luke 3:1-6

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Luke's concern with detail and precision as well as his ability to craft a fine story has made his account of Jesus' heritage, parentage and birth the all-time Christmas favorite. But for those not terribly familiar with all the political maneuverings and personality quirks of those who held positions of power and authority in this first-century setting, the significance of Luke's careful precision here at the opening of his third chapter may be lost on us. The Emperor Tiberius was the stepson of Augustus ...

3861. Christians and Grits

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

King Duncan

The Rev. Brian Bill tells about a friend of his named Ray who is originally from the South, but is now living in Chicago. Being a southerner, Ray says that one of the most challenging things about living in the Windy City is that it’s difficult to find a restaurant that serves grits. Rev. Bill asked Ray once what a “grit” is? Ray informed Rev. Bill that there’s no such thing as a “grit.” They don’t come by themselves. They come in a community of other grits. You can’t just order one grit. Rev. Bill says ...

3862. What Are You Seeking?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

What is it that you are seeking? Everybody is seeking something. That is why Google is one of the most profitable companies on earth. People go to Google every day to search for information about an astounding array of subjects. People are seeking more info on the latest crisis in the news. They are seeking gossip about their favorite celebrity. They are seeking information about a specific model of car that they are considering buying. Even terrorists go to Google, we are told, to find terrible new ways ...

3863. Warnings and Exhortations for Jerusalem and Judah

Zephaniah 2:4-7, Zephaniah 2:8-11, Zephaniah 2:12, Zephaniah 2:13-15

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Declarations Concerning Other Peoples—and Jerusalem: The main part of this section comprises four declarations about different nations. They vary considerably in form and thus look like prophecies of separate origin that have been brought together here to form a sequence. As a result, they offer a survey of the surrounding nations, like the surveys found in Isaiah and Amos, but briefer. Zephaniah began with the world as a whole (1:2–3a) and then moved to the implications for Judah (1:3b–18). He follows the ...

3864. “When Will These Things Happen?”

Luke 21:5-38

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: The coming destruction of Jerusalem and its temple will mark a new phase in the establishment of God’s kingdom under the vindicated Son of Man. Understanding the Text Since Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem it has become clear that his messianic authority is in irreconcilable conflict with the existing power structure in Jerusalem. His prediction of the destruction of the temple (21:5–6) now leads to an extended explanation (addressed to his disciples) that looks beyond his own imminent death and ...

3865. Message to Pergamum

Revelation 2:12-17

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: Jesus commends his church for persevering in faithfulness in spite of persecution but warns them not to compromise with an idolatrous and immoral culture. Understanding the Text The message to the church in Pergamum is the third in the series of messages to the seven churches in Revelation 2–3. Jesus commends the church at Pergamum for enduring persecution in a very idolatrous and immoral environment but faults it for compromising with false teaching that promotes the ungodly lifestyle of the ...

3866. The Lord Is My Rock

2 Samuel 22:1-51

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The Lord protects his chosen servants from those who oppose them and enables them to accomplish the tasks he has commissioned them to do. Understanding the Text This lengthy thanksgiving song, in which David praises the Lord for delivering him from death and for empowering him in battle, encapsulates the most important theological themes that emerge from the preceding narrative of David’s career. (For fuller discussion, see above: “Additional Insights: The Structure and Function of 2 Samuel 21–24 ...

3867. The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

2:1–3:15 Review · The Body of the Letter: The introduction of the letter included both a thanksgiving and digression concerning the revelation of the Lord (1:3–10) and a prayer for the church (1:11–12). The authors now introduce the eschatological and moral themes that constitute the body of the letter (2:1–3:15). 2:1–17 Review · The time of the day of the Lord: The first section of the body (2:1–17) is a discourse concerning the time of the day of the Lord (2:1–12) and a thanksgiving for the divine ...

3868. The Beast out of the Sea

Revelation 13:1b-10

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

John’s vision of the two beasts provides a fuller commentary on the meaning of the preceding hymn in terms of both the dragon’s earthly activities and the situation of the messianic community. Having been foiled in his efforts to deny Jesus his messianic vocation, and having been exiled from heaven to earth where he can no longer influence the decisions of the Cosmocrater, the dragon turns his malicious attention to God’s people on earth. He is naturally upset over his recent demotion, and his response is ...

3869. Everlasting Salvation for Zion

Isaiah 51:1-16

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Four Wake-up Calls and a Departure Call: In 50:4 the subject suddenly changes again—in two senses. The grammatical subject is once again a human “I” rather than a divine “I,” and the thematic subject is the pressure upon this human “I.” In both respects the passage parallels 49:1–6, and it will emerge that 50:4–52:12 forms a sequence parallel to 49:1–50:4, analogous to double sequences we have noted earlier in chapters 40–55. The arrangement of sections is not as tightly parallel as in earlier instances, ...

3870. Unstoppable Joy!

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

‘The Lord is like a song to which you sing along!’ In a way, that’s what being a disciple is really about. Singing along to the Lord’s Song, and being an original version of that song.* When a young child hears music for the first time, the response is to sing and dance. It’s automatic. No one has to teach them. They simply hear the music, and then they bob, they sway, they bounce, they sing along, “la,la,la,la,la!” Even in the womb and in the crib, we love music. As parents, we encourage this as we ...

3871. Why the Cross?

Hebrews 2:17-18

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Why did Jesus have to die a brutal death in order for God to forgive us? If you struggle with that question or you know someone who does, this message is for you. Most Christians believe that the cross represents God’s redemptive act in Christ forgiving us of sin and reconciling us to him. Take a look at these words from Hebrews: For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make ...

3872. Human Things

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” ~Abraham Lincoln We have a mantra in our society: power corrupts. Lord Acton, 19th-century British historian noted that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[1] He recognizes this in examining the travesties of the Inquisition, in which religiously zealous people of faith took it upon themselves to dictate the “kingdom of God” on their own terms. The result? Bloodshed, torture, travesty, evil. From the ...

3873. Welcoming Christ

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Marc Kolden

What is this passage about? Is it about the disciples, the twelve? Yes, of course, it is about them; these are Jesus' final words of instruction to them and astonishing words they are! "Whoever welcomes you guys welcomes me," Jesus says, "and whoever welcomes me welcomes the Father who sent me" (10:40). Their mission was God's mission; their words were God's words; the people whom they met encountered God in them and their teachings. These are strong words, but we know that these disciples (minus Judas) ...

3874. When What You Signed Up For...

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to ask you a question this morning: how do you respond when God—or life itself—changes your plans? This question is relevant for everyone in the congregation because at some point in your life, God or life, if you will, will suddenly and unexpectedly change your plans for your day, maybe even for your life. There is an old “Peanuts” cartoon strip that I suspect we all can relate to. In the first panel Charlie Brown says, “I learned something in school today, I signed up for folk guitar, computer ...

3875. Unlocking the Access

Ephesians 3:1-12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Did any of you hear or see this story back in November. It originally appeared in the Columbus, Ohio paper and was reported in both the newspaper and on ABC 13 News. Here's the headline: Teen locked out of house ends up stuck in chimney An Ohio teenager who locked himself out of the house tried to make like Santa Claus and shimmy down the chimney. It didn't work. Firefighters in Columbus say the 15-year-old was small enough to get most of the way down the chimney, which was about a foot wide. But the flue ...

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