Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3926 to 3950 of 4914 results

3926. God Is Like...a Potter

Jeremiah 18:1-11 · 1 Corinthians 15:20-26

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So begins our morning’s reading from the Old Testament. When you hear those words, you may wonder what the Bible meant when it said, “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord.“ How did that word come to Jeremiah? Was it written down somewhere? Did Jeremiah hear it audibly? Just who was this Jeremiah anyway and why did the word of the Lord come to him? Lots of questions come to ...

3927. To Be Set Free

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Have you ever felt “weighed down” by something in your life? Diana Nyad’s failed first attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida in 1978 weighed heavily upon her spirit. She had undergone a lot of trauma in her life, and this defeat felt like another hard knock. Shame had haunted her for many years. But swimming had felt healing to her. The water calmed and focused her. Now, she felt, she had failed yet again. Discouraged, she abandoned swimming and focused her energies in a new direction. Despite cultivating a ...

3928. Return To God

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

One Sunday morning, a teenage boy was awakened by his father. He followed his dad through the living room to look out the front window. His dad showed him that their trees were covered with toilet paper. In those days teenagers liked to "tee-pee" each other's houses. That meant wrapping toilet paper around trees and bushes as well as the house. The boy's parents never cared if they got "tee-peed." They just had a standing rule that whichever of their children's friends did it, that would be the one that ...

3929. Children, Just Forever

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

You are now, each one of you, and you have always been since you were baptized, one of these "little ones" who believe. Since the name of Christ was laid on you, and you were marked with his cross, he has claimed you as one of his "little ones" of which the text speaks, "these little ones who believe in me." At the time Jesus said these words there were only "little ones" for Jesus had not been around long enough to have big ones, people who had been believers in him for a lifetime, or for half a lifetime ...

3930. It's OK To Stir Up God

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Richard Patt

Sometimes you and I have to stoke up enough nerve to ask someone for a favor. We find it tough to ask for something -- for anything. I'm not thinking about asking someone for a large sum of money either. It can be as simple as asking for a ride when our own car is temporarily out of commission, or asking someone at a dinner table to pass us the potatoes. We are inclined to hesitate when it comes to asking favors of others, even small ones. This is probably the case for at least two reasons. First, we tend ...

3931. Yours For The Asking

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

I would like to invite you to do the most difficult thing that can be asked of our culture, and that is to do nothing. I invite you to approach this night with open hands and hearts and do nothing. This night is not about effort, but about receiving. This night's gift is yours for the asking and without effort. While in the Atlanta airport a friend of mine went into a restaurant where he was served something he had never seen before. He inquired, "What is this white glob here on the plate?" The waitress ...

3932. The Man With Two Umbrellas

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1

Sermon

William L. Self

The late Dr. J. Wallace Hamilton, who for many years preached at the Pasadena Community Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, tells a wonderful story about the man with two umbrellas. He said that when he crossed the Atlantic one summer he noticed a dark-skinned man sitting in a deck chair, reading the Bible. One day he sat beside him and said, "Forgive my curiosity, but I am a minister. I see you come here every day and read your Bible. I assume you are a Christian, and I am interested to know how it ...

3933. Surviving The Present Trials

1 Peter 1:1-12

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

There is one question that pastors get asked more often than any other, especially at this time of year. Can you guess what it is? "If God loves us so much, why does he allow suffering?" Sometimes it's a personal question: "Why am I having to suffer so much?" or "Why is the person I love so much having to suffer like this?" Sometimes, after a disaster, it's more general: "Where was God when the volcano turned into a sludgeslide?" Or when the tornado hit the church, killing even the pastor's little girl, ...

3934. Make Scriptural Hope Your Own

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Richard Hasler

Snoopy of Charlie Brown comic strip fame is typing a novel. He begins his story, "It was a dark and stormy night ..." Snoopy always starts his stories in this manner. Lucy looks at what Snoopy has written. She goes into a tirade, putting down Snoopy for such a silly beginning. Doesn't Snoopy know that any good story starts with the words, "Once upon a time ..." The last frame of the comic strip has Snoopy starting his story again. Now he is ready. He types, "Once upon a time, it was a dark and stormy night ...

3935. You Can Be Like Children

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Michael B. Brown

A friend who is a surgeon stopped by a clothing store in a local mall. He had just returned from a hunting trip and was still attired in cap, plaid jacket and muddy boots. Looking through the showroom for a Christmas gift for this wife, he noticed that each available clerk was obviously ignoring him. None asked if they could help. None even acknowledged his presence. Soon he left, went home, showered, dressed and went to another store where he bought his wife an expensive coat. Then he told her to return ...

3936. The Witness Of Pilate

Drama

Dann J. Ettner

Invocation Hymn Responsive Dialogue 1 Corinthians 2 P: When I came to you, brothers, I did not come witheloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimonyof God. C: We have not received the spirit of the world but thespirit who is from God, that we may understand what God hasfreely given us. P: For I resolved to know nothing while I was with youexcept Jesus Christ and Him crucified. C: This is what we speak, not in words taught us by humanwisdom but in words taught by the Holy Spirit, ...

3937. The Church With Nothing

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Thomas Long

Check out the church ads on the religion page of the Saturday edition of most big city newspapers and you find some impressive sounding places of worship. There, with sleek graphics and Madison Avenue phrases, a few select churches boast of their assets -- their choirs, their friendliness, their powerful preaching, their singles ministries, their ample parking, their family life centers, their sensitive child care, and their compassionate spirit. Some churches, it seems, have it all. Other churches, ...

3938. Yes, But How?

Sermon

Lee Griess

Luke 13:1-9 A friend of mine tells a story about a man who borrowed a book from an acquaintance. As he read through it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined with the letters YBH written in the margin. When he returned the book to the owner, he asked what the YBH meant. The owner replied that the underlined paragraphs were sections of the book that he basically agreed with. They gave him hints on how to improve himself and pointed out truths that he wished to incorporate into his life. ...

3939. Designated Son Of God

Romans 1:1-17

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

"Descended from David ... designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness ..." so Paul writes of the One who is to come; the One we are expecting (Romans 1:3, 4); the designated Son of a designated God come to a designated people. God reveals himself in power; we humbly and imperfectly place names on what we see and feel. God designates a Son and the Son designates a people. Designating/Naming What we know of our world and of God is as human as life itself. From the beginning of time we ...

3940. The Unveiled Truth

Exodus 34:29-35

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

Moses with horns! Have you ever seen a painting of Moses with horns? It was a common artistic convention in the middle ages to portray Moses with two horns, one on each side of his head. It all began with this passage. It says that when Moses came down from the mountain, the skin of his face shown. The root of that verb for shining (grn) is the same as the word for horn. Here it seems to be used in the sense of a ray (of the sun) coming forth from the head as a symbol of divinity. The Latin translation, ...

3941. The Christmas Sign

Isaiah 7:1-25

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

Ever need a sign of hope? Ever need a sign that things are going to be all right? Ever need a sign that you were going to pass the test, or that she wasn't going to break up with you? Ever need a sign that God was still around or that life was still worth living? Ah, we all know of the need of a sign, don't we? It's funny how we are built. Inside, I mean. We can have proofs and explanations and insistent documentation, but that's not what we really need deep inside, is it? We want a sign. The most subtle, ...

3942. Lent 1

Luke 4:1-13

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP Hear what God's word says: I will save those who love me. When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Your name, O God, is to be spoken with reverence and hope. We have spoken it irreverently at times and not at all when we might have called upon you with expectation of your presence and help. We know you are present but put you out of our minds when we worship wealth and power. Most of us would not acknowledge ourselves ...

3943. The Man From Galilee III: The Touch Of His Hand

Matthew 8:14-17

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

A little girl named Charlotte went with her grandmother on a shopping trip downtown. When she returned home her parents were talking with her about the trip, what she had seen, how she liked it. They asked her if she had been afraid among all those people and cars as she crossed the street. She said, "No. The big policeman held up his strong hands and all the cars stopped and Charlotte crossed over." Jesus the carpenter had hands bronzed by the sun, strong hands. And with those great, strong hands He came ...

3944. The Honor Of A Limp

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Richard Sears was a young man when his father died, and so he had to go to work to support the family. He took a job on the railroad and worked his way up to station agent in North Redwood, Minnesota. To earn extra money he sold coal and lumber. One day a box full of watches was delivered to his station by mistake. The local jeweler decided he didn't want the watches. But instead of sending the watches back to the company, Richard Sears decided to buy the watches himself and proceeded to sell them. In a ...

3945. The Banquet Bowl

Mark 9:38-41

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

Jesus is suggesting the utter disproportionate nature of God's grace in the Mark text when he says, "I assure you that anyone who gives you a drink of water because you belong to me will certainly receive his reward." In other words, Jesus is saying that we do not even have to be conscious of our discipleship in order to receive his redemptive blessing. Simply giving a disciple a drink is just cause for God to reward/bless that one with his redemptive net. Hence, Jesus says, "For whoever is not against us ...

3946. Proper 16

John 6:25-59, John 6:60-71, 1 Kings 8:22-61, Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: The difficulty of discipleship and of keeping God's covenant. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43 (C) After completing the temple, Solomon has the ark of the covenant brought into the temple, accompanied by a solemn assembly of the people. The holy presence of the Lord appears as a cloud of smoke in the inner sanctuary. Solomon prays to Yahweh that he might listen to the prayers of his people which are offered in the temple, and that he might also heed the prayers which ...

3947. The Importance Of Asking The Right Questions

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

A certain minister has made it a policy for many years to refer "six-year-old theology questions" to his wife. Since she has taught very young children for many years, he says, she has a much better grasp than he does of how to address the questions which little kids ask. The other day, a first-grader brought a drawing of a skeleton into class where she teaches English as a second language. The title across the top of the drawing read "Inside of Me." It was designed to teach children that everyone has a ...

3948. God Doesn't Ask A Fig Tree To Produce Bananas

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Lee Griess

A man borrowed a book from an acquaintance. As he read through it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined with the letters YBH written in the margin. When he returned the book to the owner, he asked what the YBH meant. The owner replied that the underlined paragraphs were sections of the book that he basically agreed with. They gave him hints on how to improve himself and pointed out truths that he wished to incorporate into his life. However, the letters YBH stood for "Yes, but how?" Those ...

3949. Surprised By Grace

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Donald Dotterer

Let us pray: Gracious and eternal Father, we come to you this day seeking to understand the ways in which your Spirit moves in our lives. Lord, in these moments, may we be moved by love in our hearts and receive wisdom in our minds. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address has been called America's "greatest gathering of words."1 Lincoln's message was given over 130 years ago on the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania named Gettysburg. The burial of the Union dead was still ...

3950. When The Heart Is Right Before God

Acts 8:9-25

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

Instrumental Meditation Words Of Preparation: Psalm 51:10-12 (NRSV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Amen. Hymn: "Near To The Heart Of God" Scripture: Acts 8:9-24 (NRSV) Now a certain man, named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. All ...

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