Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 3926 to 3950 of 4936 results

3926. The Victory Is Ours

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

All Saints provides an opportunity to remember and give thanks for all the believers who have lived before us. Some of the saints are people we might have known quite well, we might recognize the names of others, and still there are many more numbering in the millions whose names and lives are known only to God. There are people we knew personally who impact our faith in profound ways: our parents, grandparents, other relatives, good friends, fellow church members, or neighbors who now reside in heaven. We ...

3927. A Truly Universal Operating System

Romans 14:1-12

Sermon

Larry Lange

Once upon a time, in a garage in the ancient city of Rome, a man developed a computer operating system that became the digital lingua franca for the ancient world. How his operating system defeated its competitor is one of the great mysteries of all time. There must have been something about its ugly, utilitarian appearance and its proclivity toward redundancy that appealed to the brutal bureaucrats who established the Roman Empire. Even the name of the operating system came from a word butchered beyond ...

3928. Jesus the Toxicologist

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Any of you know a hoarder? I don’t mean somebody who can’t throw anything away. I mean somebody who keeps to himself everything he has and can’t let go of anything. In today’s gospel parable the un-named “rich man” lives a hoarder’s life of prosperity and extravagance. He luxuriated in exhibiting the power of his wealth by hosting exquisite banquets every day. He demonstrated his wealth by dressing in the finest, most expensive clothes. Yet he also hoarded his wealth by refusing to extend alms, feed the ...

3929. See What Love . . .

1 John 3:1-7

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Hearken back to a time in life less stressful. To childhood. A simpler time. Not necessarily a better time, but a simpler time when we weren't in charge and the biggest worry we had was whether or not we were going to get a shot when we went to the doctor's office or whether the teacher was going to give a pop quiz. Think back to that uncluttered time in your life, when 25 cents, 50 cents, a dollar or even five dollars seemed like a great allowance and gave you more money than you could spend in a week. It ...

3930. Act Quickly - Catch It Early

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you may be familiar with the Darwin Awards. People are nominated for the Darwin Awards when they do something really stupid that costs them their lives. The reason that they are called the Darwin Awards is that by offing themselves in such an absurd way, it is suggested that these misguided folks have inadvertently improved the gene pool for rest of humanity. It’s a cynical view of life, but it has led to a collection of stories that are both true and bizarre. For example, there is the story of a ...

3931. A Disaster of Biblical Proportions

Job 42:1-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Christmas is such a beautiful time of the year. Physically beautiful with the color and light; spiritually beautiful with story and song. Then there is the special baby - a baby whose birth was greeted by angels, a baby whose birth meant tidings of joy for all people everywhere, a baby who would save the world. We gather for worship, enjoy familiar company, exchange holiday wishes, then go home, drink eggnog, and eat Christmas treats. God is in heaven and all is right with the world. Or so it often seems. ...

3932. Silence and Darkness

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

John Smylie

Over the last 25 years, I have experienced many different Good Fridays. A few of them stand out and point out my own humanness and inability to embrace the fullness of what the Lord was offering. In answer to the hymn, my answer is, "No, I wasn't there when you were crucified, Jesus." And I have made vain attempts of entering the experience of that awful day, yet there have been glimpses of grace along the way. Today I hope to share a few of those glimpses and in the sharing perhaps you will find a glimpse ...

3933. Be Careful How You Live

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. — Ephesians 5:15-16 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. — Ephesians 5:19-20 Be very careful, then, how you live. In these verses of Ephesians that we have been reading the last few weeks, there is eternal wisdom for ...

3934. Salvation Has A Name!

Acts 4:5-12

Sermon

Ken Lentz

There's a story going around about a college student who stayed up all night preparing for his zoology test. He entered the classroom and saw ten stands each with a bird on it, each bird covered with a sack with only the legs showing. The professor instructed the students to use the legs to identify each bird by name, habitat, genus, and species. The perplexed student, sitting in the first row, was consumed by despair. All legs looked alike. Enraged, he approached the desk of the professor and exclaimed, " ...

3935. The Reluctant Celebrity

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

King Duncan

We live in a world that canonizes celebrity. It no longer matters how much a person has accomplished or how much they have contributed to society. All you have to do to become famous in today’s world is to keep yourself in front of the media. We have people, it’s often noted, who are famous simply for being famous. People like Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, for example. They became so famous that they starred in their own reality show “The Simple Life.” Before that, says one critic, Paris Hilton did ...

3936. Holy Smokes! God Is Here

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

The Rev. Thomas Bandy tells about a meeting his wife Lynne, also a pastor, once attended. The meeting was sponsored by a group in their denomination. To begin this meeting, they had a customary sharing time. Each person answered the question: “How did you experience God this summer?” “Several people in the room told how they had experienced God in nature. At the cottage, in the woods, or on the lake, they saw a sunset, heard a loon’s cry, or felt a summer’s breeze.” And as they listened, participants ...

3937. The Great Divide

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Some of us are old enough to remember the old Cat Stevens' tune, "Father And Son." That song, as you might recall, is in the form of a dialogue. The father speaks first and tries to share with his son some of the wisdom he's gained from his years of living. He says that it's not yet time to make a change, relax, and take it easy. Perhaps the son ought to look for a wife. The son, in the next verse, responds that his father is more interested in talking than listening. Dad then replies with his same message ...

3938. Ambassadors of The Lord

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

There is an ancient Christian story that speaks of a fourth wise man, Artaban, in his pursuit of the king of the Jews. As he journeyed with his friends, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, he became separated from them. He never made it to Bethlehem. For many years he sought the Christ Child and in the process had many adventures and assisted many people, including dying beggars and frightened mothers, to whom he gave two of the three great jewels he had originally planned to give to Jesus. He even traveled ...

3939. A Glimpse of Glory

Revelation 21:10-22 - 22:5

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

(Sing the first verse and chorus of "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic.") Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; His truth is marching on. Glory, glory! Hallelujah! Glory, glory! Hallelujah! Glory, glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.1 Every time I hear these words from the "Battle Hymn Of The Republic," I have visions of some old Civil War movie ...

3940. So Send I You

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

One of the fastest growing, most profitable investment ventures in today’s economy is . . . . anything having anything to do with security. You couldn’t have lost money in the last twenty years if you invested in storage or security: national security, personal security, home security, financial security, Internet security. The dangers of this world seem to be breathing hotter and closer down our necks. Any offering that promises to cool that threat down is welcomed with open arms and wallets. We gladly ...

3941. The Lamb

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Argile Smith

Have you ever heard of a man named Polycarp? Don’t feel badly if you haven’t. Polycarp’s not exactly a household name, at least in most houses. Yes, it’s an odd name, to our ears anyway. The name conjures up for most people today a product that’s manufactured from something made of plastic that tastes like freshwater fish. In the history of the church, the name lived through one century after another, and the person who bore it gave good reason for people to keep on mentioning the name. Because of the ...

3942. Be Shrewd

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Have you heard of the carnival barker who kept yelling “Alive! Alive! Here! Here! Did you ever see a two-headed baby? Come in! Come in!” The gaff is that they don’t have a two-headed baby inside the tent. They only asked if you ever saw one. This is the kind of shrewdness being celebrated in today’s Scripture reading. Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012), the Mexican novelist and playwright whom some called “the soul of Mexico,” gave a long interview about his writing shortly after he turned 50 and began to ...

3943. Nicodemus: A Young Old Man

John 3:1-21

Sermon

David O. Bales

Sermon Note: This story sermon is best read with a “special” voice reserved for the scripture included in the story. Read the scripture with a lower and slower voice so that the congregation realizes that all the rest is the story is “commentary” on the scripture. When the last farmer from the most distant field arrived home to his family and the temple police were tromping their patrols around Jerusalem’s walls and the remaining member of the Sanhedrin set aside the last legal brief and blew out the seven ...

3944. When the Unthinkable Happens

Mark 13:1-8, 24-32

Sermon

King Duncan

A priest and a rabbi from local parishes were standing by the side of the road holding up signs. The rabbi’s sign read, “The End is Near!” The priest, on the other side of the road, held up a sign which read, “Turn before it’s too late!” They planned to hold up their signs to each passing car. “Get a job,” The first driver yelled at them when he saw the sign. The second driver, immediately behind the first, yelled, “Leave us alone you religious freaks!” Shortly, from around the curve, the two clergy heard ...

3945. The King Born in a Manger

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

Sermon

King Duncan

It’s a true story--no matter how much like a fairy tale it may sound. A totally unsuspecting man literally stumbled upon what was, and still is today the world’s largest diamond--all 3,106 carats of it--about 1-1/3 lbs. It happened at the Premier Mine #2, near Pretoria, South Africa, in 1905. Due to the immense value of this enormous diamond, the authorities in charge of its transportation were posed with a huge security problem. How could they get it to their company headquarters in England? They solved ...

3946. Hearts

2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

In 2:14ff. Paul has given a sustained defense for the legitimacy of his apostleship. He has already pointedly urged the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain by rejecting his God-given apostleship (6:1). In 6:11–7:4 Paul turns once again to exhortation and, in the process, draws the whole apology to a fitting conclusion that recalls its beginning (this rhetorical device is called an inclusio). The appeal pivots on the word hearts, which Paul has used extensively in the course of his apology, ...

3947. David Becomes King over Israel

1 Chronicles 11:1-3

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

All-Israel Anoints David at Hebron: Whereas the previous narrative about Saul formed the introduction to the Chronicler’s description of David’s kingship, the next section narrates David’s actual anointing and coronation as king and the consolidation of his military power. It is quite clear that the Chronicler wanted to get to this point in his historical description as swiftly as possible. For that reason he skips over some events that are considered important in the Deuteronomistic History (see 2 Sam. 1– ...

3948. The Helper of Israel

Isaiah 41:1-29

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Fear Not, Servant Israel (41:1-20): Chapter 41 opens and closes with the first of a number of courtroom scenes that appear in chapters 40–48. In each scene, Yahweh challenges the nations to come to court to settle a dispute over who is really God. The English chapter division implies that these belong together, but as the prophecies further unfold it becomes clear that they are similar beginnings for two parallel sequences of prophecies. In this first sequence the nations’ helplessness and their inability ...

3949. The Glory of Zion

Isaiah 60:1-22

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Promises of Glory: In the two great central sections of chapters 56–66 (59:21–60:22 and 61:1–62:12), Yahweh addresses both the prophet and the city. In the first section, the address to the prophet comes in 59:21, while the address to the city occupies the whole of chapter 60. Admittedly Zion/Jerusalem is not named until 60:14, but the verb arise (60:1) repeats the exhortation to Jerusalem in 51:17 (NIV “rise up”) and the verbs are feminine singular, which makes it clear enough that the prophet speaks to ...

3950. The Path of Discipleship

Mark 8:31--9:1

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: Jesus’s role as the suffering Messiah (8:27–33) provides a model for his disciples. The path of true discipleship is one of self-denying and cross-bearing. Understanding the Text The previous section developed the necessity and meaning of Jesus’s suffering (8:27–33). Jesus then uses his messianic suffering as the model for discipleship. The sayings in 8:34–9:1 define the implications for true followers, with the thesis statement telling how to follow (v. 34) followed by two clarifications telling ...

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