Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 376 to 400 of 2404 results

376. Matthew 5:13-20

Matthew 5:13-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ” or will be “called great in the kingdom.” The sin of the one who breaks the least of the commandments is magnified by the action of teaching “others to do the same.” Likewise whoever “does” these commandments and “teaches them” is the one who achieves greatness. It is not enough to know the law. It is not enough to do the law. It is necessary to teach the law, taking it out into the world, bringing its “salt” and “light” to those who need it. Finally Jesus cautions his listeners ...

377. Time’s A-Wasting

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... the games were to be played. "Baseball doesn't seem very important"? Strange words from a man who moments before probably thought it was about the most important thing there is, playing in the World Series, every American boy's dream, the achievement of a goal of a lifetime, an achievement not granted to one in a hundred thousand who dream of it. Events can intrude upon us to rearrange our priorities, to make us see with sudden and crystal clarity that we have had it wrong, that what we thought was priority ...

378. The Story That Shapes Us

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

... who we are that we may not even realize they're there. Let me give you a couple of examples from our American culture.1 One very common master story in our culture is the rags-to-riches story of success. If we work hard, we can all achieve great things. In this story, poverty is a temporary state and there's always the hope that things will get better for the deserving. Each person is given the same opportunity to succeed, based on his or her own merits. The measurement of success is financial wealth, and ...

379. The Tongue Is Mightier than the Sword

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Thomas Lentz

... When we seek to diminish the reputation of others, when we can't resist cutting someone down if others are speaking well of him, it is a reflection of our own weakened self-image. A bitter, resentful person finds it difficult to accept the achievements and successes of others. But as Solomon said, "the tongue of the wise brings healing" (Proverbs 12:18b). We can all practice the art of blessing others through our speech. We can communicate creatively and consistently to heal the wounds caused by gossip. We ...

380. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and pray with every day. Although Paul expresses the desire to participate in both Christ’s suffering and resurrection, he recognizes that he is still on his own faith journey. He has not yet “reached the goal.” Paul denies that he himself has achieved any perfection or completion of his life of faithfulness, but declares he will “press on” towards that final goal. Paul’s words emphasize that it is not any righteous acts of his own that keeps him on this path. It is the transforming knowledge ...

381. God Is the Hound of Heaven

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... all of whom were better known, better educated, and more experienced in public life. Because the goal, namely the preservation of the Union, was so critical, and completely consistent with his call, Abraham Lincoln chose the rough road, but the only one that he believed could achieve his purpose. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to get the job done, even if that meant working with a "Team of Rivals." Abraham Lincoln's "Team of Rivals" seemed on paper to be the least likely group to serve the new ...

382. A Death on a Long Friday

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... dilemma. The children of Iraq, the everyday inhabitants of the Middle East, the women of Darfur, those who struggle in the midst of human need and tension in America's ghettos: These are the innocent. The beginning of peace and resolution for us can only be achieved when the more fortunate of us act to reach out to the victims of our planet. Good Friday was a long Friday. Our Fridays are long, as well. Will the injustice and violence and exploitation ever stop? Good Friday turned out to be good because it ...

383. The Place beyond Punishment

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... six-week-old fetus. Think of it as taking the high road in Lilliput.2 In contrast, the right consists of knowing to take its absolutes just far enough, which is to say, never so far as to relinquish the prerogatives of wealth and power. The achievement amounts to an ethical sleight of hand. You work the trick by shifting the domain of moral absolutes to those areas where they least apply. You treat the grey of human existence as though they were black and white, the better to disguise one's self-interested ...

384. The Firm Foundation of Despair

Illustration

... an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labors of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and the whole temple of Man's achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on ...

385. Practicing the Presence

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of the sea. Suddenly the “practice” that everyone was “preaching” was broken and worthless. The “practice” of faith in human technology and human power had cost a great number of human lives, even as it had demonstrated how hollow faith in human achievements could ring. It is hard to imagine this kind of optimism in human ability and technology. By the early 20th century, we were heady with our own self-importance and human progress. Scottish physicist Lord Kelvin believed that all that remained ...

386. Toss Your Cap Over the Wall

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... is a part of almost everyone that is thrilled when someone attempts to reach lofty goals. The pioneer, the successful entrepreneur, the victorious athlete all speak to us about the ability of the human spirit to achieve monumental accomplishments when properly motivated. Vicariously, we share in their achievements and find hope for our own lives in their successes. President John F. Kennedy’s hero was his grandfather, and he loved to hear stories about his grandfather’s boyhood in Ireland. One of these ...

387. The Tower of Siloam

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... outward morality, but the state of seeking to live in God's peace, a shalom that was intended to include all nations, all individuals, all of creation in a perfect reflection of God's will for our lives. This peace is not strident or self-justifying. It is not achieved by isolation from the world. It does not put itself on a pedestal to condemn others. It does not bend to the whims of current events. As a matter of fact, it is not arrogant or rude. It is not jealous or boastful. It does not rejoice in the ...

388. Sit Up and Speak!

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... visionaries are in short supply. Fun lovers and adventurers are also underrepresented in church ... rough and tumble men don't fit in."2 Today's typical church has developed a culture that drives men and especially young men away. God made men for adventure, achievement, and challenge. John Eldredge writes in Wild at Heart that three desires are deeply written in most men's hearts. They are a "Battle to Fight," "An Adventure to Live," and "A Beauty to Rescue." Jesus' words, "Young man, I say to you, rise ...

389. Going For the Gold

Philippians 3:4-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , good people have not bothered. That is sad. Mary Lou Retton, gymnastics gold medalist and the heroine of the '84 Olympic games, has said that to succeed one has to set her goal and be willing to pay the price to achieve it. That is the discipline we have been talking about. But she continued, "Achieving that goal is a good feeling, but to get there you have also to get through the failures. You've got to be able to pick yourself up and continue." That is the dedication! "... Forgetting what is behind and ...

390. What Is Truly Important?

Psalm 149

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... winners for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners. How did you do? The point is that none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here is another quiz. See how you do on this one: 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who ...

391. Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:17-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ”) or better yet “scrutinizes” his questioners. Only then does he declare the final truth: “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible”(v.27). Human achievements are not the key to the kingdom. Only the grace of God makes it possible for the door to open. The kingdom is not an achievement you bring in. The kingdom of God is a gift you receive. In the final section of today’s text Peter, the usual spokesman asks the question that still dances about in the ...

392. L4G Live For God

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

393. Ambassadors of The Lord

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... goodness and openness to all, even those he did not know, brought the face of Christ, namely the one he sought, to him. Additionally, those to whom he came, the poor and destitute, became Christ to him. Without realizing it, all his life he had been achieving his goal, to see the Christ Child. We, in turn, are challenged to be Christ to others; we must be ambassadors of the Lord. Saint Paul clearly understood his role as an ambassador of Christ, but he had to learn the lesson "the hard way." The scriptures ...

394. Strength through Diversity

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... toward God. Paul also says that if we have the Spirit, we cannot speak ill of God. Living in the power and presence of God has its positive effects on us. We cannot go astray with God, but there are many lessons we need to learn in order to achieve this result. The apostle then enumerates the many gifts of the Spirit. Each is unique and special; each is given, Paul says, as the Spirit chooses. Each gift is different and must be used in a collective sense with others in building the kingdom of God. It is ...

395. Help From Habakkuk?

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... we say, "amen," to the disciples' request we betray a basic misunderstanding of faith as a commodity we possess or as a personal achievement. Jesus' parable of the mustard seed illustrates our mistake in thinking (Luke 13:18-19; 17:5-6). In that story Jesus is ... is in whom you put your trust — the quality not the quantity is the issue. When we think of faith as a commodity or as an achievement we end up trusting in our trust — we end up making faith a work. But that doesn't free us; it just enslaves us ...

396. Put on Some Clothes

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... possibly a real “drill-sergeant” of a director. But the results are sweet. The results are a whole that blends together and creates something more powerful and perfect than any single voice can ever achieve. “The Voice” is all about the ultimate solo. The Colossians author has no interest in solo spots. The harder achievement of harmony is the focus of today’s text. Creating harmony within a community of faith doesn’t take perfect pitch. It doesn’t take a great ear. It doesn’t take even the ...

397. Galatians 2:15-21

Galatians 2:11-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... law. Indeed, as he begins this section Paul sounds like he is making the traditional distinction between Jews, who had been “born” into the law, and all others who are by definition “Gentile sinners.” Yet Paul then immediately disavows any special position achieved by this Jewish birthright because as Christians “we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” This is Paul’s first use of the essentially legal term “dikaiou” (“to justify ...

398. It’s Complicated

Galatians 2:11-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

399. Jesus’ Prayer: The Pause in the Battle

John 17:1-11

Sermon

David O. Bales

... here for what he most cares about. In his prayer we listen to the rock bottom of his concerns. I heard of an agnostic who was very interested in peace and justice. One day, hoping that the Christian church would have something to say about achieving a world of peace and justice, he attended worship. It was a congregation, however, whose manner of prayer was to say “just” in every sentence. He reported, “They prayed, ‘O Lord just help us… just give us… just protect us… just be merciful to us ...

400. For Those Who Are Auditing the Class

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... more opportunities than Rosa Parks let those opportunities slip through their fingers. The Spanish poet, Oretaga, was talking one day about a very famous French impressionist artist by the name of Gauguin. Gauguin achieved success early in life. He was famous even in his younger days. But then he did what many people do who achieve great success in their early life. Gauguin decided to lean back and rest on his laurels. As the years passed by, Gauguin became very non-productive in his art and he ultimately ...

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