Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3901 to 3925 of 4972 results

3901. The Lord's Prayer: Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... with only a grain of salt. However, some persons in Moscow heeded the warning and transferred to another plane. The Bible clearly teaches us that there are some thoughts and ideas which should never find a place in our hearts and mind. If they do, we should stop them right in their travels--change our plans and go in a different direction. I want to share from the Bible two persons to whom the temptation of sexual immorality came. One fell to its power, the other did not. In Genesis 39, we read the story ...

3902. GIVE ME YOUR SINS: The First Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... his church to people who are hurting and suffering and are caught in a vicious cycle of despair and disappointment. However, there is something so powerful about the Lenten season that even the stone churches and their people are moved to tears. Even the church can stop pushing papers long enough to share the passion that our Lord had for people. The passion of Jesus was so strong that not even a stone tomb could contain His love. On Palm Sunday, even the stones would have cried out in praise if the people ...

3903. I THIRST: The Fifth Word

John 19:28-37

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... what had happened to our Lord on this historic day called Good Friday. Jesus was beaten and whipped thirty-nine times by the Roman soldiers. He had to carry an immense wooden beam up a long, winding road to a hill outside the city of Jerusalem. They did not stop for coffee breaks. It was a tough, grueling experience. He had probably had no water since 6:00 in the morning. He was placed on the cross around 9:00, and it was now around 3:00 in the afternoon. No water, a grueling trek, a hot desert climate ...

3904. Love's Redeeming Work Is Done: The Sixth Word

John 19:17-27

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to God. Let me tell you a story that happened in England. There was a little girl in the city who lost her way. She wandered around in the streets of London for a long while, crying heart-brokenly for her parents. An English bobby saw the child wandering and stopped her to ask her why she was sobbing. The child answered that she was lost and did not know how to find her way home. The bobby said to her, "Don''t cry. Sit down here by my side and we will find where you live." So the bobby sat ...

3905. What Is Your Response toe the Resurrection?

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Cathedral, tells of a response he felt compelled to make. In 1968, he felt called by God to make a witness in the Soviet Union. He says in his book, Life''s Not Fair, But God is Good that "God''s word was directly needed by the people." He was stopped in customs for trying to smuggle Bibles. That might have ended his trip but miraculously he was allowed to enter the country. When he was in Leningrad, he was both shocked and intrigued when he learned of the Museum of Atheism. "I felt that I had to see the ...

3906. Half-Time is Now Over

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , to Bethlehem, to Egypt, to Nazareth, to Galilee, to every village, town, city and finally to Jerusalem. But more--he walked to a Hill outside the City. From there he was carried to a borrowed tomb, but then the walk continued again--and it has never stopped since. Knowing that God not only walks the road with us--but actively seeks us, is the greatest joy in life. Every time Jesus appeared after Easter he initially went unrecognized by those who loved Him most. They were bemoaning the fact that the world ...

3907. The First Commandment: Who's on First?

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... destination, one principle needed to be clarified: "I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before Me." The Reverend John Brokhoff tells of a Kansas City Chiefs'' baseball game when a dog walked onto the playing field and wandered around. The game was stopped so that the dog could be removed. The umpires tried to shoo him off. The players yelled and hollered at him, "Get out, go home, you idiot dog." The dog by this time was thoroughly confused, ran here and there, and finally lay down on third ...

3908. The Ninth Commandment: Liar, Liar

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... society. Lying had become such a way of life for this young lawyer that to tell the truth for a 24-hour period required a major reorientation and transformation of his life and character. Years ago Dostoevsky wrote in The Brothers Karamazov: "The important thing is to stop lying to yourself. A man who lies to himself and believes his own lies becomes unable to recognize the truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and he ends up losing respect for himself as well as for others. When he has no respect for ...

3909. The Tenth Commandment: How Zacchaeus Got His Groove Back

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... glint of sunlight was fading, he managed to get back to that crucial fur cap and immediately toppled over in exhaustion. He remained motionless for some time. When the townspeople finally investigated, they discovered he was dead. He had so overtaxed his heart that it had stopped. At that point the question of the story’s title was posed: "How much land does a man need?" It is a timeless story and question. Our response is crucial and decisive! As Dr. Fosdick reminded us in his great hymn, we can be rich ...

3910. The Triumph of the Cross

Galatians 6:11-18, Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... BECAUSE IT LEADS US HOME TO GOD. Let me tell you a story that happened in England. There was a little girl in the city who lost her way. She just wandered around in the streets of London, crying heart-brokenly, piteously. An English bobby saw the child wandering and stopped her to ask her why she was sobbing. The child answered that she was lost and did not know how to find her way home. The bobby said to her, "Do not cry. Sit down here by my side and we will find where you live, where home is." So ...

3911. The Greatest Table in the World

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , a road winds along the hillside bordering a lovely lake. As one looks down upon the crystal waters, ringed with wooded forests unmolested by commercial enterprises, it seems a shame that such beauty is denied to human use. But near a spot where many stop to savor the scene is a neatly-lettered sign: "Ashokan Reservoir, New York City Water Supply." Suddenly, the realization dawns that all of this freshness and purity is not denied mankind, for its real destination is ninety miles down the valley where it ...

3912. Hissing in the Garden

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... foreman." He had her read it aloud, and she did. He had her say it a second time, and she did. In less than an hour, he happened to be walking by her station, and there were threads tangled out on the floor, in all directions. Her production was completely stopped, and the threads were in a tangled mess. He said, "I asked you to read the sign and do what it said." She said, "I am a new employee and I wanted to do my best to untangle it myself." He answered, "Your best is calling the foreman." We will ...

3913. An Eye-Opening Experience

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... wondering if they had heard anything. No, they said they hadn’t heard anything and agreed that they should keep the line open just in case the kids called. About 2:45 a.m. the phone rings; it is the daughter. The car had broken down. A farmer near by stopped to help them. It was an old story but a true story. The farmer gets on the phone and reassures the father that everything is okay. The car is now repaired. The daughter gets back on the phone and finishes her conversation with her Dad. Do you know the ...

3914. King of the Road

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to every need. He has walked the dusty road to Bethlehem, in the night to Egypt, to Nazareth, to Galilee, to every village, town, city and finally to Jerusalem--to a Hill outside the City--carried to a tomb, and then the walk continued--and it has never stopped. Knowing that God not only walks the road with us but actively seeks us is the greatest joy in my life. One of the most interesting exhibits at the Protestant and Orthodox center of the World''s Fair in New York City during the middle 1960s was the ...

3915. Love: The Greatest Commandment and the Greatest Challenge

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the runners skipped the curb of the track and began running toward some of his friends in the infield. Ken blew his whistle to redirect the boy, but he didn''t pay any attention. At that point, the girl in the thick glasses noticed the boy''s detour so she stopped a few yards from the finish line and called to her friend in the infield, "Hey, come this way." The boy heard her voice and turned around. She said again, "Hey, come this way." The friend just stood there. So she ran toward him and gave him a big ...

3916. Honestly, Are You Worried about Tomorrow?

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the fish worried about having enough water to breath and survive. As the images sank deep inside of Spurgeon he began to laugh and said, "Eat away little mouse, swim away little fish. God will provide all we need and more." And then addressing himself, he said, "Stop worrying little man, God has enough and more!" The tragedy of most of our lives is that we worry so much about tomorrow that we never claim the resources that God has provided to live today. Don't let the mountain of your life scare you from ...

3917. Whose Servant Are You? (Part II)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... .''" The boy went on to explain that he had a sick brother at home. His parents couldn't look after him, and even at his tender age, this child had a great desire to serve his brother. This boy reflected the servanthood quality of Jesus Christ. We need to stop thinking of always getting and see what we can give back to life and be a brother to the world like Jesus Christ. SECONDLY, PAUL CAME TO KNOW THAT BEING A SERVANT MEANS TO BE COMPLETELY LOST IN THE WILL OF ANOTHER. OUR WILL IS SURRENDERED TO THE WILL ...

3918. The Power of Encouragement (Part VIII)

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... when we take our eyes off ourselves and place them on Christ that we will ever make the Church a healthy body. One of my favorite stories concerns a bishop who was traveling by ship to visit a church across the ocean. While en route, the ship stopped at an island for a day. The bishop went for a walk on a beach. He came upon three fishermen mending their nets. Curious about their trade, he asked them some questions. Curious about his ecclesiastical robes, they asked him some questions. When they found out ...

3919. Saintly Citizenship - Earthly Responsibilities

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... muscle pulled and snapped. He was immediately in great agony and pain. He got up and began hobbling and hopping towards the finishing line. Derrick slowly began to make his way around the track. He was in such pain that the track officials pleaded with him to stop, but he pressed on. Suddenly, the television cameras showed a man who had gotten out of his seat and onto the field. He placed his arms around Derrick in a helping way. This time Derrick allowed the man to help him. It was his father. The crowd ...

3920. Tackling the Tough Tasks

James 2:1-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... On the outside of the large manila envelope in large letters was the message--FINAL NOTICE. "Praise the Lord," said the wife to her husband. "This is the last time the government is going to badger us about our overdue taxes." Just when we thought that James was going to stop making us squirm in our pews, he forces us to "Tackle the Tough Tasks" of racism and classism in the body of Christ. Remember how last week in Chapter 1:23-24 James held a mirror up to the church as it was, and is, today? The image we ...

3921. The Tenacity of Trouble

James 4:1-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... not BLAME on a pagan army--but on their own puffed-up egos and poisoned tongues. They were defeating themselves with their selfish passions and pursuits. This should not be in the Christian community. When you deal with conflict, you must some how stop the vicious cycle, and replace it with something greater. James knew he must expose the passions of jealousy, materialism and covetousness--and replace them with a God-focused perspective. This is why Paul also taught in the famous love chapter that love is ...

3922. A Rod And A Staff

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... . "That''s what has happened to us," said Barnhouse. "Mother''s dying is only the shadow of death. The lost sinner is struck by the semi of death." (1) Dr. Charles H. Spurgeon in his commentary says, "Nobody should be afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man''s pathway even for a moment. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. Let us not, therefore, be afraid. `I will fear no evil.''" Spurgeon further states, "The believer does not ...

3923. A Full House

Romans 5:12-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... a different manner from our tragic story of the Collyer brothers. In his book MERE CHRISTIANITY, he writes: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: You knew that these jobs needed doing so you are not surprised. Presently, he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to ...

3924. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part V)

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... he would black out, so he leveled off and continued to fly at that altitude. After awhile he didn't hear the gnawing, but he didn't take any chances. He continued to fly at that high altitude for a long time. And when he came down at his next stop, he looked in the back and there was a dead rat. (3) To live life in the atmosphere of courage and not in cynicism, we must take the high ground that faith alone can provide. FAST FROM WORSHIP THAT IS SPORADIC AND FEAST ON WORSHIP THAT IS ACTIVE AND FULL ...

3925. Good Friday: The First Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to represent to people who are hurting and suffering and are caught in a vicious cycle of despair and disappointment. However, there is something so powerful about the Good Friday story that even a stone church and its people are moved to tears. Even the church can stop from pushing papers to sharing the passion that our Lord had for people. His passion was so strong that even a stone tomb could not contain his love. On Palm Sunday, even the stones would have cried out in praise if the people had not. In a ...

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