Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 376 to 400 of 1533 results

Romans 2:17-29

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

Psalm 51 records the confession of David when the storm of guilt from his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah broke upon him. Psalm 51 is, in fact, descriptive of the human condition, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.… Surely I was sinful at birth” (vv. 3, 5). It may be possible to maintain confidence in one’s virtue if one limits or controls the field of comparison. It is common, for instance, in comparative studies of various kinds, to compare the strengths of one system ...

377. The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Introduction to Israel’s Covenantal Constitution: The Decalogue · Here opens Moses’ second discourse (chs. 5–26), the central section of the whole book. It is subdivided into two main parts. Chapters 5–11 are a broad exhortation to covenant loyalty and obedience, following up and amplifying the theocratic and covenantal challenge set forth in chapter 4. Chapters 12–26, with their subheading in 12:1, are more detailed legislation, much of which renews, expands, and sometimes modifies laws already given in ...

378. A Robot in the Pulpit

John 14:15-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Here’s something for you to chew on this morning: A poll taken by the Center for the Governance of Change in the United Kingdom revealed that 25% of European citizens believe that robots and artificial intelligence algorithms would do a better job of making policy decisions than politicians would. [I’m tempted to throw in my two cents worth, but I will refrain]. In Germany and the Netherlands, the figures are even higher. According to this poll, citizens throughout Europe are so disillusioned by their ...

379. "Head" Lines

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sermon

King Duncan

How many of us pick up the newspaper or our digital devices each morning and scan the headlines before we start reading the morning news? Not every story is of equal interest to everyone. For example, a headline about a tax hike or a bomb scare is more likely to catch my attention than is a headline about school marching bands or knitting clubs. You have your own criteria for judging which stories merit your time. But occasionally a headline will catch our attention because it seems to have more than one ...

380. Christmas 1

Hebrews 2:5-18, Colossians 3:1-17, 1 Samuel 2:12-26, Luke 2:41-52

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Hannah gives her first child, Samuel, to the service of Yahweh under the high priest, Eli, at Shiloh where Samuel grew physically and spiritually. Samuel was the answer to Hannah's prayer for a child. When she weaned him, she took him to Eli at Shiloh to serve Yahweh permanently. Each year when Hannah came to worship, she brought Samuel a handmade robe. The little lad, wearing a linen apron-like vestment, an ephod, ministered to Yahweh. In this service Samuel ...

381. Proper 22

Philippians 4:2-9, Philippians 3:1-11, Philippians 3:12-4:1, Isaiah 5:1-7, Exodus 20:1-21, Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God's judgment on those who do not produce the fruits of righteousness. In the Isaiah text, God pronounces Israel an unfit fruit and votes to let it go fallow. In the Gospel parable of the Unfaithful Tenants, the Lord promises to take the kingdom away from Israel and give it to a nation producing the fruits of righteousness. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 God had, in his grace, freed the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt and was leading them into the Promised Land. To govern ...

382. What Happens To You When You Die?

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

"What happens to you when you die, Dad?" "Of course, son, if you believe in God, you go up to heaven where you will be with God and the angels." Does such a response sound familiar to you? Is not this the answer with which most of us were raised: That when you die, your soul, free from the body, will go to heaven. Is that what happens? Is that what you all think? Do not despair. I shall not call for a show of hands, but I do want you to think about your answer to the question of what we will be like after ...

383. What Children Owe Their Parents

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the Law came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked him, "Why is it that your disciples disobey the teaching handed down by our ancestors? They don't wash their hands in the proper way before they eat!" Jesus answered, "And why do you disobey God's command and follow your own teaching? For God said, 'Respect your father and your mother.' and 'Whoever curses his father or his mother is to be put to death.' But you teach that if a person has something he could use to help his ...

384. Born Naked With A Cross

Sermon

Ever hear of a baby born wearing diapers? Of course not! Ever hear of a person being born again wearing nothing but a cross? This happened to St. Francis of Assisi. When Francis decided to be a priest; his father disinherited him and brought him to trial before a bishop. Peter Bernardone demanded that his son give back all the money he took from him for the church and the poor. Francis threw a bag of money at his father's feet. Francis shuddered when he saw how his father clung to the money. Francis called ...

385. Christmas 1

Lk 2:41-52 · Col 3:12-17 · 1 Sam 2:18-20, 26

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Hannah gives her first child, Samuel, to the service of Yahweh under the high priest, Eli, at Shiloh where Samuel grew physically and spiritually. Samuel was the answer to Hannah's prayer for a child. When she weaned him, she took him to Eli at Shiloh to serve Yahweh permanently. Each year when Hannah came to worship, she brought Samuel a handmade robe. The little lad, wearing a linen apron-like vestment, an ephod, ministered to Yahweh. In this service Samuel grew physically ...

386. Pentecost 7

Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 14:1--15:13, Exodus 20:1-21, Psalm 19:1-14, Psalm 103:1-22, Genesis 50:15-21

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE September 29th marks the celebration of another minor festival, St. Michael and All Angels. The last line of the second reading, Revelation 12: 12, supports the eschatological perspective of Pentecost, because it announces that he (Satan) "knows that his time is short." Without the theological input of the readings for St. Michael and All Angels Day to supplement the readings of the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, the eschatological framework of the church year would be almost ...

387. Augustine, Defender of the Faith

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

There is a way of looking at the personal stories of certain women and men to learn of the richness and the potential of human life lived by the grace of God. We are going to do that over the next weeks in this series of sermons we have chosen to name "Saints Who Shaped the Church." The people we will consider convey something of the breadth of Christian history. They are a rich assortment of young and old, learned and ignorant, people of action and people of thought, whose common denominator is simply ...

388. Redefining Life

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

If I were to say, "He-e-e-e-e-ere's Johnny!" what image would come to your mind? If you're old enough, you will probably think of "The Tonight Show," with Johnny Carson. What if I came out here and said, "Let's get ready to rummmmmble!" What comes to mind? Some of our younger people might recognize this as the opening of a professional wrestling show. I don't know if you have ever thought about the importance of a good introduction. It is very important to an entertainer or a speaker or a performer of any ...

389. Excellence In Living

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a story of a young man who believed that buying his first car would be the epitome of all his dreams. He worked hard and saved his money and finally the day arrived when he was able to purchase his dream machine. It was a van--beautiful, loaded, and luxurious--as good as they come. It was the result of perfect engineering and design. The young man had every right to expect a great deal from this mechanical marvel, and he drove it off the lot with pride and the aura of a man who knows that destiny ...

390. What about Spiritual Healing?

John 4:43-54

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

The story is told of a Methodist and a Baptist who were once discussing the subject of infant baptism. The Baptist asked his Methodist friend, “Do you believe in Infant Baptism?” “Believe in it?” the Methodist replied, “Why, man, I’ve seen it!” The same might be said by almost any minister if the question were asked, “Do you believe in spiritual healing?” “Believe in it, why, we’ve seen it!” We may not talk much about such experiences. We may not write books about it or go on television and talk about it. ...

391. Why Not a Christian Live 8 for the Environment?

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If I say "LIVE 8," how many of you know what I'm talking about? I thought so . . . It was the biggest, hippest rock concert in the history of the world. How many of you have already signed The One Declaration? You're more than one in a million. And a million was the number that attended the Philadelphia Live 8. That doesn't include the millions more that were showed up in Moscow (20,000), Tokyo (10,000), Johannesburg (10,000, where Nelson Mandela stole the show), London (200,000, where Pink Floyd returned ...

392. The Death That Ends All Death

1 Peter 3:18

Sermon

James Merritt

Jesus Christ died when he was about thirty-three years old. Other than the fact that he died as a relatively young man, on the surface there seems to be nothing unusual about that statement. The reason why that seems to be a routine statement is because death comes to everyone. When the Irish writer, George Bernard Shaw, completed a statistical study on the subject of death, he said he came to this firm conclusion: "One out of one people dies." Normally that is why biographers seldom spend much time on the ...

393. Team Work is Dream Work

Psalm 133:1-3

Sermon

James Merritt

What I want to talk to you about today is something that God desperately desires for his people. It is one thing that Satan fears and works day and night to undo. It is something for which Jesus himself prayed for just before He went to the cross. It is the one thing the bible says that will convince people that the church has something the world does not. It is the one thing that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is meant to accomplish. What is it that I am talking about?—UNITY. Now when I speak about unity ...

394. Philippians 2:1-11

Philippians 2:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Although this week’s epistle reading begins at Philippians 2:1, it is part of Paul’s larger exhortatory section, beginning at 1:27 and continuing through 2:18. The text read today is the apostle’s continuation of the directive first expressed in 1:27, where he challenged the Philippians to conduct themselves in such a way to create a community that reflects Christ himself. A community of faith united in their actions and attitudes will stand firm against the outside forces that oppose Christ and will be ...

395. Memories of Home: The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Mike Ripski

Last Sunday we began Advent, our preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ first coming and of our anticipation of his Second Coming. This Advent we’re looking at one of Jesus parables through the lens of Advent. It’s the parable that goes by different names, depending on which of the characters is put in the spotlight: the Elder Son, whom we focused on last Sunday; the Loving Father, whom we’ll focus on next Sunday. And the Younger Son, the Prodigal Son, whom we’ll focus on today. Using the lens of Advent ...

396. Heaven: One Way And One Way Only

John 14:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

There are so many songs about heaven; so many thoughts about heaven. One song just asked the question, "How far is heaven?" The answer is that heaven can be as close as your heart or it can be an eternity away. Contrary to one world view that says that the only heaven there is, is the happiness that we experience here on earth, Jesus Christ definitely believed in a place called heaven. In the very passage that we are looking at today, He told his disciples - "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; ...

397. Developing a Glad Attitude

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

It always amazes me when I read about a sports figure who decides to hold out for more money. With salaries that are often in the millions, they feel underpaid unless they are at the next level. I heard one player say to a reporter on SportsCenter, "It's not about the money. It is about respect." A few moments later, the host of the show made the comment, "When they say it isn't about the money, it's always about the money." This attitude of grabbing all you can get is not limited to the world of sports. ...

398. Jonah: Run!

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There's an old story that has any number of versions, but it seems while reading her Bible on a public bus, a belligerent man confronted a rather bashful Christian girl. With disdain he asked if she believed everything in the Bible. She said she did. The guy rolled his eyes and said, "If you believe EVERYTHING in the Bible, then explain to me how Jonah lived for three days in the belly of a whale!" The young woman answered, "I don't really know, but I believe he did." The guy became even more agitated. " ...

399. Why Did You Bring Us Out of Egypt?

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

I am a baby boomer. I am part of that generation that emerged following World War II. Yes, we're the ones who will soon be clogging the social security system. We're the ones who climbed to adulthood during the 1960s. We grooved to the Beatles and rocked to the Rolling Stones. We got political and protested a war, and many of us — many more than ever before — went to college. We were the ones who were going to change the world. Well, so much for good intentions. Some things, though, did change during those ...

400. Planting Your Feet

Psalm 32:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

Rolling Stone Magazine recently made a list of who they considered to be the greatest, most prolific songwriters of all time. I am going to give you the top nine in their list in reverse order and see if you can guess who was #1. #9 – Elton John #8 – Joni Mitchell #7 – Paul Simon #6 – Mick Jagger #5 - Neil Young #4 - Paul McCarty #3 - Bruce Springsteen #2 - John Lennon Who wants to guess who they said was the #1 songwriter of all time? #1 – Bob Dylan I really have no qualms with that list except for the ...

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