Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3926 to 3950 of 4986 results

3926. The Maybe Moment

2 Samuel 11:1-15

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... royal city. Even more, God told the prophet Samuel that David was "a man after [God's] own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14). So David had a built-in early warning system, to be sure. But he overrode it and gave in to temptation. Now I don't want to stay on David's story any longer because my topic this morning is not adultery, but the ways we choose to ignore those early warning alarms at the time of any sort of temptation, alarms that I am convinced are among God's gifts to us. Temptations come along in all ...

3927. Peter Listens to His Heart

Mark 8:27-38

Illustration

David A. Van Dyke

... . Peter's attempt to walk on water failed because he had insufficient faith. When Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter, like the others, fell asleep. And when Jesus returns and finds them sleeping, Jesus seems to single out Peter, "Couldn't you stay awake even for an hour?" Almost like Jesus somehow expected more from him. Do you suppose that despite his flaws, Jesus was looking for someone just like Peter—is looking for people who listen to their hearts? Who aren't afraid of their own ...

3928. If You Really Want to Be Number One

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... , tweak his toes, and shout, “Getup, Lyndon. Every other boy in town has a head start on you.” (1) That explains a lot about Lyndon Johnson. Jesus and his disciples were coming to the town of Capernaum. As they entered the house where they would be staying, he asked his disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet, says the writer of Mark’s Gospel, because on the way they had argued about who was number one among them. So, the disciples were human just like you and ...

3929. Ambitious Disciples

Mk 9:33-37

Illustration

King Duncan

Jesus and his disciples were coming to the town of Capernaum. As they entered the house where they would be staying, he asked his disciples, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet, says the writer of Mark's Gospel, because on the way they had argued about who was number one among them. So, the disciples were human just like you and I are human. Who ...

3930. The Fellowship of the Bearers of Cold Water

Mark 9:38-41

Illustration

King Duncan

An old man named Calvin had lived a good life as a farmer for years. One day an evangelist came to the community, and, in the course of his stay, visited Calvin and asked him what denomination he was. Calvin answered the question like this: "When my grain gets ready for selling, after I've harvested it and packaged it, I can take it to town by any one of three roads " the river road, the dirt road, or the ...

3931. Stopping Pettiness

Mark 9:38-41

Illustration

Jerry Goebel

... 't one of them. We can stop our pettiness by taking four actions: 1. Get out in the harvest. Recognize the crisis in harvesters and the ripeness of the harvest. If you don't bring the harvest in during its due season, it will not just sit out there and stay ripe. This is the harvest time and we need laborers. Let's be one and pray for more! 2. Quit defending the faith and take the offense in outreach. Rest with Gamaliel, the wise Pharisee who trained Saul. In Acts 5:38 he said that God doesn't need us ...

3932. Repentance Is Relationship!

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... by Alexander Whyte of a man by the name of Rigby. Mr. Rigby was a traveling salesman, and every time he traveled through the city of Edinburgh, he would attend worship services on Sunday night. He would always bring someone from the boarding house where he stayed to the services. On a particular Sunday night, he brought a young man who made a profession of faith. He made Jesus his Lord and Savior. The next day, Rigby passed by the house of Alexander Whyte, the preacher, and decided to stop and share with ...

3933. The Baptism of the Lord

Luke 3:21-38

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... was very familiar. The village had a population of 450 and four churches. All the churches were Christian denominations and they all shared the people of the town. Sometimes attendance was up and sometimes it was down. However, there was a cafe in town whose attendance always stayed the same. Many of the parishioners of the cafe never went to any of the four churches. The father of the faithful at the little cafe was Frank, a man of 77, who declared, "I have no need for church — I take care of my family ...

3934. A Frightening Friday

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... heaven, filled with idols and self-congratulatory weapons. He had, some would call, God in his presence, the power to destroy or release. Wow, that is something of a very special circumstance! What else could be so favorable for a man who wanted always to stay on the good side of Caesar, who many considered a deity? Perhaps there is nothing so destructive in our world as pure, unadulterated egotism: witness the likes of Adolf Hitler and many others. It was a singular and demonic instant of glory. Pilate has ...

3935. Mary Magdalene’s Day

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... great respect are not immune from Satan's clutches. The very best are tempted to become the very worst. To notify Simon Peter first of all is to show not only that he was the leader of that faithful band of followers but her attempt to stay within the community of believers in loyalty. She could have gone to his enemies, Jewish and Roman. She seems unwilling to take credit for anything and apparently wants, first of all, to share her discovery with those within the fellowship of faith. Within itself, her ...

3936. A Good-bye Topping All Others

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... proclamation of repentance and forgiveness of sins to go in his name to all nations, but it was to begin from Jerusalem. The Gentiles were to have full access, but it was to begin from the holy city of Jerusalem. In a way, these words helped us to stay honest. It was not to begin at Rome, Constantinople, New York City, or Nashville, Tennessee! At first, our dear Lord came to his own people. He ministered mostly to them. Paul, Peter, John, and others would take it eventually to every part of the world. Is it ...

3937. Compassion Can Do More Than You May Think

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

... safe to be on the streets alone. By this time, there were all kinds of derelicts and people of questionable reputation on the streets. As he was walking by, the businessman happened to look down and see a man all curled up in the gutter trying to stay warm. The cool night air was progressively getting chillier and chillier. Something about this man made the businessman take another look at him, and then another. Finally, he walked over to get a good look. When he saw the man, and the look in his eyes, the ...

3938. What Happens When You're Not Prepared for What Happens

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

... measure of freedom and health, it often shakes the other family members up. Rather than undergo the change required of themselves, they unwittingly ignore or even refute that anything good is taking place in the person receiving counseling. As for Jesus, rather than stay in what is evidently a hopeless environment, Jesus went away as they requested. He moves on to a town that will give a better reception to his ministry. In gratitude for his new found peace of mind, the man healed of the unclean spirits ...

3939. Ministering When You Are Not Welcome

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

... and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid" (Luke 10:5-6). Likewise, don't go from house to house trying to find better accommodations. Eat what is set before you. Don't go off trying to see if you can find a better place to stay, one with a softer bed and more delicious food. Jesus is simply encouraging them to be good houseguests. Live on their terms. Don't make your host go out of their way for you. It's not bad advice for anyone at anytime, whether we're engaged in work for ...

3940. A Samaritan Took Care of Him

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

... let it go at that. He saw that the man would have what he needed when it came time for him to leave. In other words, he saw to it that there were others who could pick up where he had to leave off. Since he was not able to stay with the man until he was brought back to health, the Samaritan did the next best thing. He wrote a check to the innkeeper to cover whatever the man needed. And if, as it turned out, that was not quite enough, he would settle up when he returned. Then the ...

3941. Ready or Not, Here I Come

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... 's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). "Ready or not, here I come" Jesus said. Death sometimes comes unexpectedly. A couple from Minneapolis decided to go to Florida to thaw out during one particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the very same hotel where they spent their honeymoon twenty years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their schedules, so the husband left Minneapolis and flew to Florida on Thursday with his wife scheduled to fly down the ...

3942. Building God’s Kingdom: The Christian Challenge

Romans 10:8-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... that most would want to know. They were odd people and difficult to understand. The way they lived their lives was a shame. These men all went to the same church, but most would not have wanted them as parishioners. Everybody went fishing on Sundays or stayed home and spoke with his friends. Anybody wanted to worship, but he was afraid that Somebody would speak with him. Thus, guess who went to church — that's right, Nobody. Actually, Nobody was the only decent one of the lot. Nobody did the parish census ...

3943. The Dream

Galatians 1:1-10

Sermon

John Jamison

... passenger door. My son flew across the hood and landed beside the highway right on the railroad tracks. He was killed in the crash. He landed exactly where the dream said he would land. The police have pictures." Fred looked at his shoes again. This time he just stayed there. He then looked the pastor in the eyes, and with the eyes of a father who does not understand, asked, "What does it mean? The dream last summer ... why did he have that? Tell me, what do you think about my son's dream?" The pastor was ...

3944. Sowing and Reaping

Galatians 6:1-10

Sermon

John Jamison

... . Religious leaders followed the practices of their gods, giving favor to some and punishment to others, but all pretty much unrelated to the behavior or the recipient. In reality, those Sadducees sowed some pretty nasty stuff. They mistreated the poor, and that's how they stayed so rich. Surely the Pharisees made people reap what they did sow, because they had the books of law as their guide. Surely that was some stability? Just for fun, listen to one of the laws from the Pharisee's books. One sentence out ...

3945. Where Have All the Heroes Gone?

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... someone saw him come, and one lone person stood up and began to applaud. Before long, the whole theater was standing and he received a twenty-minute standing ovation. That was only five days after the war ended. For years, he had been the target of criticism. Yet he stayed the course and fought for what he believed was right. He lived by faith in those years and his faith was rewarded that night. Five days after the war ended he received his due and then it was done. A shot rang out and his life was snuffed ...

3946. Flying Coach to Nirvana

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... have to guard your energy so much as protect your dreams. You can say a hefty and sincere "Yes," without fear of being devoured by the world. I keep running into the phrase, "cocooning," to describe Americans in the wake of 9/11. We are cocooning, as a way to stay safe from others. We, and them, is the premier division of the world; our cocoon and their cocoon. We are so afraid that the "strangers" may take from us what we don't have, so afraid that we will empty and not fill again, that we avoid each other ...

3947. Weary in Well Doing

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... others are sour, we are sweet. When others are complaining, we are probing for the positive solutions to whatever mess we are in. When others are afraid and mongering fear, we find ways to comfort and calm. When life is too large for us and questions too complex, we stay still. We are not ones who think everything has to be answered now or done today or finished in our lifetime. We know how to wait. We have patience. While we are waiting, we know the joy of a garden walk, a bird at the feeder, and a good ...

3948. Falling Short

Romans 3:19-28

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... . He knows we have all fallen short. How can I stand tall in the gospel when my desk is littered with contradictory demands? When several different supervisors are asking me for several different things simultaneously? When the pink slips come out in my business, how do I stay cheery if I am a survivor? With whom do I identify, the boss or the remaining custodian? How can I sing after the terrorist bombings and before the sounds of war fill my living room? How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land ...

3949. Genesis 2:18-24

Genesis 2:4-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This time of year is high noon sports season. Post season baseball, leading up to the World Series. NFL games are the reason no one stays after church for coffee hour anymore. Football is also why any board meeting scheduled for Monday night is doomed. It is the full moon time for the “Friday Night Lights” of high school football, and Saturday mornings are filled with small-fry soccer games. Every possible form of competition is ...

3950. The Senseless Rejection of Common Sense

Mark 10:1-12

Illustration

Brett Blair

... of common sense that the US Press and some academics engage in. A magazine cover story (Time Magazine) read, "What Divorce Does to Kids." That was the title. The caption read: "New research says the long-term damage is worse than you thought. Should unhappy parents stay hitched?" It seems to me the Magazine is saying that in the past there was an assumption that kids were not that affected by divorce, or, if they were hit hard by their parent's splitting up they could in the end "get over it." Well ...

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