Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3951 to 3975 of 5000 results

Malachi 3:6-18

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the needs of their local and international neighbors." In 2000, levels of giving as a portion of income were lower than in 1933, the depth of the Great Depression. Not good. The figures cited reflect a decline of from 3.1% of after-tax income in 1968 (the bench-mark year); in real money, that means about 2-billion dollars is missing. You could a lot of mission with 2-billion dollars. But the church cannot do it if the church does not have it. Too bad. There is an old story from France which you may have ...

3952. God and Hurricanes

Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... kindness, friendship, courtesy and love. Not even the dangerous winds of this deadly hurricane could ever change the determination, the fortitude or the compassion of the wonderful people who make this country as great as it is. AMERICA, I am so proud of you!"(8) Amen? Amen. Mark Twain once said, "The rain is famous for falling on the just and unjust alike, but if I had the management of such affairs, I would rain softly and sweetly on the just, but if I caught a sample of the unjust outdoors, I would drown ...

3953. An Excuse to Be Better

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens..."(5) This is the same one who, even as you wear the ashes that remind of a world of sin and death, invites you to his table. "Come...and I will give you rest." Amen! 1. Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13 2. Bill Reel, "Lent Is An Excuse To Be Better," NY DAILY NEWS, 2/18/88, p, 37 quoted in Pastor's Professional Research Service, 1/89-2/89-1 3. List found in my files credited to the Rev. Craig Gates, St ...

3954. The Lord's Prayer: "Thy Will Be Done"

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... come in its way. This list could go on all afternoon. The point is that ninety-five percent of what God desires for and from you and me is right here in the Bible. We might not want to HEAR it, but that is our problem, not God's. As Mark Twain said, "It ain't those parts of the Bible I can't understand that bother me, it's the parts that I DO understand."(5) But the Bible does not have a specific word to say about everything. If searching the Scripture for God's will on a certain ...

3955. Regis and Jesus

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." And that, my friend, is the final answer. Amen! 1. William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible, CD-ROM edition (Liguori, MO: Liguori Faithware, 1996) used by permission of Westminster/John Knox Press 2. ibid. 3. See Mark 10:17-22 4. "The Door," May/June, 1995

3956. What Is Truly Important

Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... of Hurricane Floyd - death, destruction, disease. We knew. But on the inside of the paper, in the business section, was a story that told of a businessman, a Connecticut contractor, whose specialty is homes for the super rich.(1) It talked about a plywood box marked "Fragile" that contained a 5,000 pound antique bathtub carved from a single block of marble which will sit in the master bathroom of this $7-million house - 20,000 square feet, five-car garage, matching 16 x 12 walk-in closets for husband and ...

3957. Winning over Worry

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... said; "Boys, what is wrong with you? You know perfectly well a chicken snake cannot hurt you." One of the little boys said, "Yes, ma'am, but there's some things'll scare you so bad, you hurt yourself."(7) How true! How true! Near the end of his life, Mark Twain said, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." A common ailment...WORRY. But if winning over worry is important to us (and for our own sake and everyone else's too) it ought to be, the message of ...

3958. The Incomparable Christ

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to be unworthy even to loose the thongs of Jesus' sandals. But Jesus persisted, John relented, and at the special moment saw the Spirit of God descend as a dove and heard a voice from heaven saying, "You are my son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11). Now it had been months since that day by the Jordan. But no revolution had begun; Rome was still master of Israel; Herod remained on the throne. Here John was in prison. What was going on? So he sent two of his disciples to inquire: "Are you ...

3959. The Imperatives of the Resurrection

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Rejoice." Challenges to believers everywhere on this Easter morning. We might not like being told what to do, but in the face of such an overpowering event, we need all the help we can get. Christ the Lord is risen today. Alleluia, Alleluia.(4) Amen! 1. Matthew 11:28 2. Mark 10:14 3. Romans 10:17 4. Charles Wesley

3960. Power

Mark 1:9-13, Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... our commission. If that scares you a bit, there is one more piece of good news I have for you about your baptism. Remember that picture at the Jordan - there is the crowd, John, Jesus...and the dove. The Holy Spirit. Do not forget the dove. Clearly, Mark wants us to understand that from this moment on, Jesus and his ministry are EMPOWERED by the living presence of the Holy Spirit. Yes, there IS something powerful in baptism. This is why Sonny Dewey would baptize himself, come out of the water with a new ...

3961. Peace in the Midst of the Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... deathly afraid of those squalls, and with good reason - everyone of you knows of friends and fellow-workers who have gone out to fish but never made it back. You have good reason to be afraid. It has been a good day for you up to this point. According to Mark's Gospel, the hours have been spent listening to Jesus teach a huge crowd there at the water's edge. As a matter of fact, the crowd was SO large that Jesus had to stand in a boat to preach while the people pressed themselves along the seashore. You and ...

3962. The Healing Touch

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... ALL of us are united in faith that anticipates something wonderful. The spiritual power that Jesus gave to heal is still with us. Now, as we begin a new year, let us resolve to use it in his name and to his glory. Amen! 1. William Barclay, The Gospel of Mark, Daily Study Bible Series, (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1954), p. 128 2. Leslie Weatherhead, Psychology, Religion and Healing, (New York/Nashville: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1951), p. 39

3963. A Story Worth Sharing

Mark 8:27-30

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."(8) This is, after all, a story WORTH sharing. An ancient legend recounts the return of Jesus to glory after his time on earth. Even in heaven he bore the marks of his earthly pilgrimage with its cruel cross and shameful death. The angel Gabriel approached him and said, "Master, you suffered terribly down there. Do they know and appreciate how much you loved them and what you did for them?" Jesus replied, "Oh, no! Not yet. Right ...

3964. God Bless the Child

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... lesson makes plain that Jesus had a special place in his heart for children. As was the custom in Palestine, Jewish mothers brought their youngsters to a famous Rabbi for a blessing. It was such a situation that prompted the little story we find in Mark's record. One might think it strange that the disciples would have tried to stop such a thing. They were not boorish or ungracious men - they were simply trying to protect their Master from being overwhelmed. Jesus would have none of it though. He said ...

3965. The Discipline of Discipleship

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... it without batting an eye...and he did it with concern and love. To do well in his class required a commitment to learning, but because he loved us, we were glad to do it. Speaking of commitment, that is one more thing we learn from Christ's model in Mark 10. He was not content to simply share a few choice morsels of truth with the young seeker; he led the man to the point where he had to fish or cut bait...the point of commitment. The task of the teacher was not simply to provide an intellectual exercise ...

3966. When Your Church Provokes You

Matthew 13:1-23, Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... that great work is accomplished in the name of Jesus Christ. And that work happens because we give. OK, enough with the provoking to love and good deeds. What about the second component? What ENCOURAGEMENT is here for us today? Lots, I hope. The lesson from Mark's gospel offers us something powerful. It begins as Jesus and the disciples are leaving the Temple - one of them remarks what a magnificent edifice it is. This was the third go-round for the Jerusalem Temple: the first had been planned by King David ...

3967. Mary's Complaint

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... NO pains to compare with those of childbirth. Now, here was a "favored" young woman; at least she might expect to be offered an opportunity for service that might not involve anguish. But no. She was granted the dubious blessing of undergoing surpassing agony as the mark of just how "favored" she really was. Mary's complaint? "His mercy is for those who fear him." A strange way to complain. If you have been to a hospital maternity ward recently, you are aware that visitors are kept to a minimum. After all ...

3968. The News from Nazareth

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... is news that is as new as tomorrow's paper. And that is why churches all over the globe are packed at Christmas. Because this is news we need to hear again and again and again, and the more I bring the news, the more I know it. Tonight will mark my 20th Christmas Eve in a row of bringing that news. I am older and wiser than when I started. I have seen many things in my own life and in the lives of my parishioners - disease, depression, dependency, divorce, disaster, despair, death - and more of all of it ...

3969. The Trouble with Stables

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Meets Girl. They fall deeply and deliciously in love. They plan a beautiful life together. They marry. They have children. They create a lovely home. All goes well. And suddenly, it's over. You see, boy has met another girl...younger, prettier, no stretch marks, no independent opinions...and boy takes off, leaving girl number one with the kids, the mortgage, and a boat load of broken dreams. That is HARD to deal with. The situation is miserable. And anyone who has gone through it knows what I mean. There ...

3970. Gold, Circumstance, and Mud

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

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the highest," we are saved. Amen! 1. From an e-mail note from Ann Fontaine, to the "CHRISTMAS ILLUSTRATIONS" meeting on Ecunet, December 20, 2003 2. John Buchanan, "Just Like the One I Used To Know," sermon, http://www.fourthchurch.org/120802print.html, 12/8/02 3. Lara Sukhtian, "Palestinians Mark Christmas in Bethlehem," Associated Press, 12/24/03 4. Barbara Brown Taylor, "Past Perfection," Home By Another Way, (Cambridge, Boston: Cowley Publications, 1999), p. 21

3971. A Meal with Friends

Luke 9:10-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... one whom the scripture describes as a "friend who sticks closer than a brother."(2) When we sit and eat together, something special, something wondrous can happen. And it does. It will. Right here. Today. Be ready for it. And when it does...ENJOY!!! Amen! 1. Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-13 2. Proverbs 18:24

3972. A Fool and his Money

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... had been the family farm was to be divided between the two brothers equally. They both went to stay in their father's house while they tended to the various matters and arrangements of their father's affairs. After their father had been buried surveyors came and marked the land to allow for equal distribution. One night the older brother was lying in his bed, and he thought of his younger brother and how poor he was. With his big family he could certainly use some extra income. He thought, "I am rich and ...

3973. Would a Loving God Really Let Anyone Go to Hell?

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... lips of Jesus. The Lord was right vivid in his descriptions of the afterlife for the unrepentant. In Matthew 8, Jesus calls it "outer darkness."(4) In Matthew 13, he calls it "the furnace of fire [where] men will weep and gnash their teeth."(5) In the ninth chapter of Mark, he describes it as a place "where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched."(6) In Luke's gospel, he tells the story that we read a few minutes ago. The rich man cries that he is in torment in the flame and he begs for ...

3974. Leaping Lepers - Thanksgiving

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Temple rituals (good thing for the animals, I guess - it saved them from the slaughter!). But human beings whose body's outer "coat," as it were, happened to be blotched or mottled or visibly birthmarked were often equally rejected. Their condition was seen as a mark of divine judgment. They were shunted off to the fringes, out of sight, if not out of mind. They were encouraged, when they did draw close to an inhabited town, to cover their faces with hoods and veils. Some of this was because their diseases ...

3975. The Christ of the Commonplace

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... please?" It is only when he takes the honored place at the head of the table and breaks the bread, that their eyes are opened and they recognize him. Then, as quickly as they realize who is here, he is not here. He vanishes. At every turn, Cleopas and Mark miss the point. They think they know where Jesus is - dead and buried. They are not prepared for a risen Lord, who walks with them along a common road and speaks to them of common things. Finally, it is in the most commonplace action of all - the breaking ...

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