Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 376 to 400 of 662 results

Psalm 133:1-3

Sermon

James Merritt

... , sweet calamus, and cassia. This mixture was then blended with olive oil. The Lord even gave the specific measure of each element that was to be used in the making of this anointing oil. Then the Lord gave a warning. He said that this must never be imitated nor must it ever be substituted, and anyone who tried would be cut off from the people of God. Now just as the blending of these various parts produced a harmonious whole, the myrrh, the cassia, the cinnamon, the calamus mixed to merge into one all ...

377. Hanging by an Inch

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

King Duncan

... . Pancho Sanchez hangs in fear from the ledge of a window all night long, too frightened to let go. When morning dawns he discovers his toes are only an inch off the ground. It's amusing to think of Simon Peter climbing out of the boat trying to imitate his Lord by walking on the water. Then, like a cartoon character, he makes the mistake of looking around. "What in the world am I doing?" he asked himself and suddenly he begins to sink. How often that happens in life. People are charting a successful course ...

378. Stop Fuming, Start Forgiving!

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... One of them owed the King $10,000. The kind and generous king wrote off the debt, just cancelled it, without even taking a tax deduction. The servant should have been grateful. But that same servant had a neighbor who owed him $100. Instead of imitating the King and forgiving that $100, the ungrateful servant demanded that the neighbor pay. The neighbor said, “I can’t pay right now. Please give me a little time.” “No,” said the servant. He had the neighbor put in debtor’s prison. Well, when the ...

379. Apostolic Instruction

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... of the gospel witness. The preciousness, vitality, and wholesomeness are there for all to see. Such people do not set out to impress anyone, especially their Lord! It is with the abiding of the Holy Spirit that their gift is presented to be appreciated and imitated. There is such a naturalness to all of this it can escape our full attentions. May God forbid! Summary And Conclusion To share and absorb one of the most colorful and yet profound passages in Holy Scripture is a blessing in numerous ways. The ...

380. A Man for All Seasons

1 Corinthians 9:16-23

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... , "I know what is here but I don't know what is over there." He said that in the face of the fact the parcel was adjacent to his! Stretching assumes resiliency and that may very well be why some are so hesitant and reluctant. But if we are to imitate Paul, we, too, must become men and women of all seasons for the benefit of others. It can become a dull ordeal to live in a place that has twelve months of spring or summer or winter or fall. In Indiana, we never have to face that problem because we ...

381. Finding Unity through Christ

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... Son of God was abhorrent for it threatened the monotheism which was so central to Jewish belief. The Acts of the Apostles (4:32-37) specifically says that the followers of Jesus banded together, holding all things in common. Christians, in imitation of Jesus, worked for the collective good; their very survival depended on their ability to be united. Local Christian communities banded together in "house churches," meeting each Sunday morning and worshiping in secret, staying one step ahead of any authorities ...

382. Floating on Your Back

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... thing he can do for his son. Eventually the Allied troops do rescue the boy. Unfortunately they are not in time to save Guido. Guido is caught, taken away, and is shot by a Nazi guard, but not before making his son laugh one last time by imitating the Nazi guard as if the two of them are marching around the camp together. Joshua manages to survive. Furthermore, he thinks he has won the game when an American tank arrives to liberate the camp, and he is reunited with his mother. (6) Joshua was saved ...

383. A Promise Fulfilled: A Gift Given

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... s kindness, but others did and later told the story of Nicholas. Over time, the story of Nicholas' goodness reached central Europe. To this day, people remember the man who became known in legend as Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus), as a man who gave gifts imitating God's gift of himself to the world. Christians may wonder why a story about the precursor of Santa Claus is related on Christmas when we celebrate Jesus' birth and the religious significance of this holy day. Obviously, the story of Jesus' birth, as ...

384. The Word Love

Matthew 22:34-40

Illustration

Brian Stoffregen

... consider all that God has done for us, but it is not warm feelings that Deut. 6:5 demands of us but rather stubborn, unwavering commitment. Similarly, to love our neighbor, including our enemies, does not mean that we must feel affection for them. To love the neighbor is to imitate God by taking their needs seriously.

385. A Camel on the Roof

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... light has come." From what direction does it come? Not from economics or the wealth of nations, regardless of Alexander Pope's 1738 update of Homer's original maxim: "Get place and wealth if possible with Grace; If not, by any means, get wealth and place." -Imitations of Horace, Epistle 1, Book 1, 1.103. Not from education or the wisdom of the world. Not from science or technology. Not from star wars notions or war stars nations. The magi point us to where the world's best hope, the world's only salvation ...

386. Don't Count Sheep

John 10:11-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... forces them into the air. Yet perhaps for that very reason it is good that Christians are identified as "sheep." Unlike the goats, sheep seem to need each other. The flock, their "community," is their identity. Not only do sheep need each other, but as their imitative behavior indicates, they need a leader, a shepherd they can depend on. Goats don't need anybody watching out for them; they are independent to the point of being "head-strong" (ever been butted by a goat?). The shepherd is the main-stay in the ...

387. The Bonds of Love

1 John 4:7-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... love really entails? This sermon examines some of the ways the church is called to embody love, and the binding and loosing power of love. This week's texts offers love as the most characteristic manifestation of God we can ourselves imitate. Unfortunately "love" has also become one of the most maudlin and meaningless words in our vocabulary. The American Heritage Dictionary defines love in terms of sex and sports: an "intense affection and warm feeling for another person; strong sexual desire for another ...

388. Stand Together or Fall Apart

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... excluded one firmly unites the rest, creating community bonds. Girard argues that community solidarity has been overwhelmingly based on this "all-against-one" premise. To insure their continued survival, communities impose rules prohibiting "mimetic" (i.e. imitative) behavior in order to avoid intracommunity rivalries. In the earliest Christian communities the scapegoat release valve for hostilities and promoting unity is discarded. By refusing to base community ties on a foundation of violent, exclusory ...

389. The Golden Calf and the Golden Table

James 1:17-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of Churches, puts it, "Our images and idols are not of animals and reptiles, but of a self-existent Big Bang to which we do not have to give thanks and which we do not have to worship. We just go on banging everybody else, in imitation of our scientific god, banging nature, banging other people, and banging ourselves in the process." "Six Bible Studies" in John M. Mangum; ed., The New Faith-Science Debate (Minn.: Fortress Press, 1989), 113. The Golden Calf of Technology: How many of you wear digital watches ...

390. A Lovehope Faith

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A nuclear explosion is the result of a high-speed collision between atomic particles. The resulting blast can erase the landscape. But these technologically orchestrated smash-ups are a pale imitation of what happens when God brings together the most powerful entities that exist and allows them to explode within our lives. This sermon arranges and argues for a collision between your people and the greatest forces in the universe: faith, hope and love. At his retirement, a college professor was ...

391. Close the Loopholes

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , empathy and forgiveness right out of the body. Using right-sounding loopholes like self-preservation, self-determination and "self-esteemation," the stingy spirit hides the fact that it is really selfish. Such an attitude can never be part of a community that is struggling to fulfill the mandate of being "imitators of God." We are called to "live in love, as Christ loved us." I ask you: What are the loopholes that we need to close in our lives today?

392. Self-Fulfillment Through Self-Sacrifice

1 Peter 2:19-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 's mission and message does not mandate a lifetime spent under the heel of abusive people and powers. It distorts the notion of genuine servanthood to see passive acceptance of any and all abuse as evidence of our "sacrificial" nature. If we would seek to imitate Christ, to follow "in his steps," we must first strive to develop our own unique gifts and our own special "genius" to their maximum potentials. If we wish to become "suffering servants" for others, we must first seek to be the kind of servant God ...

393. Just Showing Up Doesn't Get the Job Done

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of roles within creation: In one act he creates a multiple, noisy jostling and diverse reality"(Rowan Williams, A Ray of Darkness [Cambridge: Cowley, 1995], 149). It's time for disciples of Jesus Christ to boldly claim their unique gifts. To live life by imitation, by mimicry, can result only in failure. Let Go. In the Matthean parable of the ten bridesmaids, the whole point of their anxious waiting for the bridegroom, the vigilance and careful preparation of the wise maidens, is so that they can be a part ...

394. God Is Faithful

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . It is a loving, saving power working in our lives every day. [Interactive idea: Step out of the pulpit and ask the congregation how they are now experiencing or have experienced God's faithfulness in their own lives. Follow up that question with another: Can we imitate God's faithfulness in our own response to others? And if so, how have we done it? Below are two examples to prime the pump or to use as possible "closers," or "to bring you home" as African-American preachers are fond of saying.] Ronald M ...

395. And Again I Say...Amen!

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... that Jesus repeatedly encountered negative energies and continually confronted his enemies head-on, Jesus himself had an affirming spirit. Indeed, the Incarnation was God's absolute affirmation. How did Jesus affirm people? Romans 12:10 instructs us if we want to imitate Christ, we must "love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor." - When Jesus showed honor: he picked out rather than picked on those most "put-down" and "down-and-out." - When Jesus showed honor: he honored ...

396. The Devil's Sermon

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993], 10). Still, not all innovation is good. Change can be good or bad. Cancer cells are cells that change, not for the good but for the worse. Change can be diabolical or divine. Paul's pleading to the Philippians to "imitate me" demonstrates just how well he knew the sword of change is double-edged. Paul was changing the church severely _ he challenged both the pagan lifestyles of the Gentiles and the law-fixated actions of the Jews. But all the changes with which people ...

397. Heads Down, Thumbs Up

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... emptied out (kenosis) and opened up for the filling (plerosis) of God's spirit. Only from a kneeling position are we able to receive into our lives the power of God's redeeming love. When Paul urged the Philippians to be of the same mind as Christ, to imitate him in humility and obedience, he was saying, "Kneel down and empty out." Jesus emptied himself of his divinity in order to come to us in humble human form. We must empty ourselves of our pride and self-confidence in order to be filled with the divine ...

398. An Action-Packed Faith

John 13:31-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of sorts, has always been the test of this discipleship-love. After the crowds had stoned him, mocked him, spit upon him, screamed "crucify him," Jesus could still cry out in love, "Forgive them, they know not what they do." How can we hope to imitate this love in our own lives? How can we prove ourselves disciples of this love? [Here you might cut from your own context examples of action-packed love.] Sister Ann Manganaro, a physician and poet who lived, loved and died as a Sister of Loretto, worked ...

399. Fingerprints of the Soul

Romans 5:1-5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the child's name. The hope was that since the child shared the saint's name and feast day, this particular saint would take special care of the child. Saints are called saints because through their lives and often through their deaths, the saints imitated Christ and embodied Christ-like virtues. The popular notion of Christian virtue has had a history as up and down as the saints themselves. The concept of "virtue" has Old Testament roots where it was used to connote ability, efficiency and moral worth. In ...

400. 1 John 4:7-12

1 John 4:7-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... God's essence. Furthermore, God's love has now become manifest in another aspect of God's essence - God's Son Jesus Christ. John has now articulated an original connection between knowledge and love. If human beings are to live up to their roles as imago dei and as imitators of Christ, then the knowledge to re-create in human experience is love - to "love one another." To "know" Jesus is to be "in him" and to "abide in him" (1 John 2:5,6). Knowledge is the experience of God's love in us, and the experience ...

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