Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 376 to 400 of 612 results

376. The Lost and Found Elder Brother

Luke 15:25-32

Sermon

James W. Moore

Have you heard the story about a little girl named Mikki who was walking down the sidewalk with her mother one day? They were walking together, (mom and daughter) holding hands. As they walk along, little Mikki asks: “Mommy, what is God?” Her mother answers: “Well, Mikki, God is the creative force, the first cause, the unmoved mover, the unseen primal producer of existence, the binding, sentient energy which underpins all physical manifestation, the…” At this point, the little girl interrupts. “Mommy, ...

377. The Way Over Is Under

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

James Merritt

It was known as the Roaring Twenties. It was a time very much like to the Soaring Nineties. Morals were being turned upside down. The Stock Market was rocketing to new heights. "Let the good times roll" was the national motto. Perhaps the biggest name of the decade was a man named Babe Ruth. He had single-handedly put baseball on the map and made it the national pastime. The major league owners realized they needed a Commissioner to oversee the game of baseball and preserve its integrity. In 1921 they ...

378. A Purse and Two Swords

Luke 22:35-38

Sermon

Let me begin with a couple who both appreciated the finer things in life and were comfortably able to afford them. When it came to travel, they went by the best means to the best places. That is, until their plane went down….suddenly….dramatically…..into the choppy waters of the sea. But the emergency exits opened (as engineered) and the inflatable slides were positioned (as instructed), meaning that virtually all were evacuated (as scripted). There they were, crammed into lifeboats, with barely room to ...

379. Where Is Love?

Hebrews 9:1-28

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

Several years ago, a fellow named Lionel Bart wrote a hit song, "Where Is Love," for the Broadway musical Oliver. Based on the Charles Dickens classic, Oliver Twist, the musical tells the story of an orphaned child struggling to survive the cruelties of the streets of England amidst the Industrial Age. No one seems to care, except those trying to use him for profit. "Where is he, whom I close my eyes to see?" Oliver sings. "Will I ever know the sweet ‘Hello,' that's meant for only me? Where is love?" Few ...

380. Matthew 20:1-16

Matthew 20:1-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The artificial division between chapters should not influence our reading of the parable in this week’s gospel text. Jesus is not introducing some new idea or topic with this illustration. He is continuing to answer the question Peter posed in 19:27: “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” The parable which begins in 20:1 was not so much a demonstration of “many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” as it is an ongoing discussion of the coming kingdom of ...

381. Revelation 7:9-17

Revelation 7:9-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The odd images and vivid visions that combine to make up the book of Revelation's three-tiered proclamation of judgments (using seals, trumpets and bowls) have made it a love-hate favorite. Depending upon one's denominational heritage, psychological disposition, and dispensational worldview, the book of Revelation has been used as a window to view the future, a rearview mirror for fatalistic excuses and explanations, or a mirror when immersed in personal turmoil and/or social tribulation. Within the old ...

382. Mark 10:2-16

Mark 10:2-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Mark's journeying Jesus moves beyond the Jordan as he approaches his final entry into Jerusalem. But although he has moved into new territory, Jesus continues to confront the same establishment adversaries and to battle the same obstinate ignorance of his disciples. The issue specifically designed to "test" him now is the question posed by the authorities about the legality of divorce. Supposedly, the formulation of this issue was intended to put Jesus on the spot before two different groups _ the body of ...

383. Mark 8:31-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The central portion of Mark’s gospel, 8:27-10:45, is a journey narrative. This journey begins with Peter’s surprisingly astute recognition and declaration of Jesus as “the Messiah” (8:29). The “journey” that takes us across the scandalous topography of Jesus’ messianic identity, his mission, and the nature of the discipleship required by those who would follow him. Although Jesus had ordered his own disciples to keep his messianic identity a secret, Jesus now begins to tick off a list of the actions and ...

384. Romans 8:12-17

Romans 8:1-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Paul knew a lot about being “chosen.” First, he was a Jew. Paul was a member of a nation chosen by God to be in unique relationship with the Creator of the universe. Second, within this Jewish identity Paul was a Pharisee. Paul was chosen to wield special power and influence among his people because of his vast learning and piety. Third, in addition to his special religious status Paul also enjoyed unique political status. Paul was a Roman citizen, and that honor accorded him the rights and privileges of ...

385. So, Are You The Messiah?

John 10:22-30

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

History shows that people are invariably looking for Messiahs or Christs. There is that special person who is to come among them and, in a sense, do for them what they cannot do for themselves. Even for years after our Lord arose from the dead and ascended — yes, and still at this moment — people are looking. Our Jewish friends, in particular, have this long historical record of watching and waiting. There were, and are, many disappointments in all of this yearning. Indeed, before and after Christ there ...

386. Luke 4: 21-30

Luke 4:14-30

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

When human beings gather together in large groups, a whole new kind of creature is born. It’s called a “crowd,” an entity with its own personality and its own spirit. Sometimes being part of a crowd is a joyous, uplifting experience — like when watching and willing the hometown team to win. Sometimes crowds take on a dark demeanor — enabling rioting, looting, beatings, even murder. The mood of any crowd-creature can turn from buoyant to beastly in moments. When personal reaction and responsibility is given ...

387. John 10:22-30

John 10:22-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The early date of Easter this year meant that for many of us sunrise services, egg hunts, and new Easter finery were all experienced under puffy down jackets and gloomy skies. It is only now, a month later, that it is finally feeling like spring, like it is time to celebrate the return of light and the sun. It is fitting, therefore, that this week’s gospel text jumps back in time to describe an encounter between Jesus and “the Jews” during the “feast of the Dedication.” The feast John’s text refers to is ...

388. The Wisdom of The Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

There are some people who have the gift of persuasion. If you've ever seen the Music Man, it's a gift that Professor Hill had as he sold musical instruments to all the kids in town by convincing everyone that they could make beautiful music by just thinking the notes. He was what you'd call a smooth talker, which is a valuable skill for a salesperson. There are also other professions where it helps to have strong verbal skills that can be used for persuasion. Take politicians, for example. Bill Clinton was ...

389. Matthew 23:1-12

Matthew 23:1-39

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 23 reveals some of the foibles and follies of those striving to be respected and remembered as truly pious. The Pharisees, the group selected for reprimand in today’s text, were not the “bad kids” in the first century collective crowd. In fact, they were perceived by most Jews as the most straight-laced, Torah-observant, morally and religiously strict and respectable. But in Matthew’s gospel the Pharisees are repeatedly held up as examples of what was wrong with first-century ...

390. A New Kind of Authority

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

King Duncan

Former President George H. W. Bush, the elder Bush, was speaking to an appreciative audience some years back, immediately after leaving office. He explained what it was like to go from being Vice President for eight years and President for four years, to being a private citizen. “The first day I woke up,” he said, “I reached over to push the button to get somebody to bring me some coffee, but there was no button, and there was nobody to bring any coffee.” Then he added, “Barbara said, ‘Get out of bed and ...

391. Luke 12:13-21

Luke 12:13-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

There is no escaping hecklers. Preachers, politicians, any public speaker will someday find themselves confronted by a heckler. A heckler is someone with their own agenda who is anxious to take advantage of a gathered, attentive audience to voice that opinion publically. In this week’s gospel text, Jesus encounters a “heckler.” But he then uses the seemingly unrelated concerns of this man to connect both the larger crowd and Jesus’ own chosen disciples to a clearer vision of true faithfulness and the ...

392. The Dirt on Jesus

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

How many of us have a garage that can no longer be parked anymore because it is filled up with so much other “stuff?” How many of us have an off-site storage unit because we have too much “stuff” to keep in our homes, so we arrange for visitation rights to see our “stuff?” The late comedian George Carlin famously did an entire monologue on this “stuff” — proclaiming that the “meaning of life is trying to find a place to put your stuff” and that “A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out ...

393. Up Close & Personal: Drawing Near

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

James Merritt

There is no substitute for 20/20 vision whether it is corrected or uncorrected. Everybody wants to be able to see everything. That is true, not just in the physical world, but that is true in the spiritual world. There is nothing like getting “up close and personal” with God and seeing Him in HD and hearing Him in surround-sound. We are in a series we are calling “Up Close & Personal,” because that is the kind of relationship we can have with God. God sent His son to remove every barrier, tear down every ...

394. She Looked Great, But...

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

One of the truisms of life is that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Things are not always what they seem. I read a delightful story, allegedly true, about a zoo in Spain that decided to conduct an emergency drill. The drill simulated how to handle it if a gorilla escaped from its enclosure. To make the drill more realistic, a zookeeper dressed up as a gorilla and took off loping through the zoo. Unfortunately, not everyone on staff was notified about the drill. Upon seeing a “gorilla” fleeing from its ...

395. She Looked Great, But...

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

396. Deborah

Judges 4:1-24

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Deborah and Barak: The story of the fourth of Israel’s judges is full of the unexpected. Deborah is a multigifted woman whose roles parallel those of Moses. Barak behaves as anything but a hero of faith. Jael, a simple, non-Israelite woman, is privileged to deal the death blow to a powerful warrior—with highly unconventional weapons, a tent peg and hammer. Unlike other judges’ stories, the narrative account is followed by a poem, the Song of Deborah, which celebrates the Lord’s miraculous victory on behalf ...

397. Jesus the Bread of Life

John 6:25-59

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The discourse begins as a dialogue between Jesus and the crowd, and becomes more and more of a monologue as it continues. The crowd had begun following him because of the miracles he had done (cf. 6:2), but since the multiplication of the loaves, they have been pursuing him as one who can satisfy their physical hunger and (they hope) their political ambitions as well (cf. 6:15). They think they have found him, but they have not. They have been fed, yet they have not begun to receive what Jesus has to give ...

398. God’s Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

God’s Love and Our Love There is little agreement among those who have made a serious study of 1 John as to how to divide 1 John 4:7–5:4, but most have understood 4:7–12 to center around God’s love for us and, in response, our love for one another. It is likely that the opponents of the Elder had stressed their love for God (cf. 4:10, 20), their devotion, piety, and mystical spirituality (cf. 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9; 3:18; 4:1). But the Elder thinks that it is God’s love for human beings which is ...

399. Abraham Tested

Genesis 22:1-19

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

The Binding of Isaac: In an episode repulsive to a contemporary audience, God commands Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a whole burnt offering. How could the God who created life and blessed humans with fertility require his faithful servant to offer up his only, beloved, son as a sacrifice? How could God ask Abraham to give up the son of promise for whom he had waited so long? On the other hand, how could Abraham obey God’s command without energetically entreating for Isaac’s life as he had done for ...

400. Egypt

Ezekiel 29:1-21, Ezekiel 30:1-26, Ezekiel 31:1-18, Ezekiel 32:1-32

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

The last four chapters of Ezekiel’s oracles against the nations consist of a loose collection of seven prophecies, all concerned with Egypt: an allegorical oracle depicting Pharaoh as a dragon in the Nile (29:1–16); a late appendix to the book promising Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar (29:17–21); a lament over Egypt (30:1–19); a second oracle against the Pharaoh (30:20–26); an allegory depicting Egypt as the World Tree (31:1–18); a lament over Pharaoh, recapitulating the dragon allegory (32:1–16); and a funeral ...

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