Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 376 to 400 of 1044 results

376. God’s Chosen Country

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Susan Hedahl

You may have heard the words, "You have been promoted," or "You have been elected president." You may recall opening a letter for which you had waited and reading the words, "We would like to offer you the position...." Anyone chosen for a special honor learns quickly that it has both its delightful and burdensome aspects. Just ask someone who has taken on a new and more responsible position, and you will hear more than rejoicing about higher salaries or benefits. Sleepless nights and new decisions await ...

377. Facing Life’s Central Tests

Mark 14:32-42

Sermon

Robert Allen

It was a beautiful spring afternoon in Eastern Oklahoma when my secretary told me that Oleatha was on the phone. Oleatha was 67 years old and she had been having problems. She often became confused. She had a tendency to forget. Once, she had gotten lost going from church out to her home on a bluff that overlooked the lake. At the insistence of her family, she had gone through a battery of medical tests. The reports were in and Oleatha wanted me to come by and visit her. When I drove into her driveway, I ...

378. Bethlehem: Capitol of the Universe

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

What better way to take a Lenten Pilgrimage than in the footsteps of Jesus? And where better to begin such a pilgrimage than in Bethlehem, the city where our Lord was born. Even people who are not particularly religious cherish the idea of sometime walking the streets of that little city, and of standing at some point where they can look in silence out over the hillsides to a place where shepherds once heard the angelic message. For those of us who love Christ, it is one of the most cherished spots on ...

379. Joseph

Drama

Charles L. Koester

INTRODUCTION: [This portion is read from the lecturn by the introducer or narrator.] Of all the persons involved and related to the Advent, the coming, of Christ, there is one who is the "forgotten man" of the Nativity. Even the great artists of the world, many of whom have lavished their imagination upon the scene of the Nativity, have been content to make him part of the dark backgrounds of their paintings. Yet, this man was much more than just a piece of fleshly furniture. As his wife, Mary, was chosen ...

380. The Sheep And The Goats

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Brett Blair

Like it or not, judgment is a fact of life. That is true whether we are talking about the histories of nations or the events of our own personal life. If we break the law, then society will judge us. If we live immorally drink too much, engage in sexual promiscuity, live a lifestyle of constant stress then our bodies will judge us. We simply cannot escape judgment in life. Jesus rarely spoke about the final judgment, but on one occasion he did paint a picture for us in one of his stories. The parable that ...

381. Feet Of Clay

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Roger Prescott

Introduction King David was riding a crest. He had broken the Philistines’ control over Canaan once and for all. He had captured the old fortress of Jerusalem, despite the boast of its occupants that it was impregnable. He had rescued the Ark of the Covenant from the place of oblivion in which it had rested since the fall of the confederate sanctuary of Shiloh, and had brought it to Jerusalem. He had begun to consolidate the Israelite nation. He was a leader, and he was loved. He seemed to be able to do ...

382. Paul's Thorn In The Flesh

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Around the turn of the century a young man named Ole took his girlfriend on a summer outing. They took a picnic lunch out to a picturesque island in the middle of a small lake. She wore a long dress with about a dozen petticoats. He was dressed in a suit with a high collar. Ole rowed them out to the island, dragged the boat into shore, and spread their picnic supplies beneath a shade tree. So hypnotized was he by her beauty that he hardly noticed the hot sun and perspiration on his brow. Softly she ...

383. The Second Naiveté: Babies, Angels, Shepherds, And God

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

You would have liked him as did thousands, perhaps millions. He was engaging, intriguing, brilliant, and humorous. Had you met him on the street you probably would not have guessed who he was -- a businessman possibly, even a taxi driver. But as a leading scientist he was known to thousands through his popular television series, The Ascent of Man, later developed into a marvelous book of the same title. His name? Jacob Bronowski. I first heard Jacob Bronowski in Minnesota at a college conference on ...

384. The ABC Gospel

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

Someone has called it ABC spirituality, meaning, “Anything But Christianity.” In the search for religious meaning, our generation seems to have a limitless imagination. Past-life regressions, out-of-body experiences, channeling, mantras — the list goes on and on. The New Age (which is truly just old Hinduism warmed over), Zen yoga, seances — anything but faith in the resurrected Lord of the cross. Today’s Scripture reading has a character like that. His name is Naaman. Of all the stories connected with the ...

385. The Fruit of Forgiveness

Genesis 45:1-28

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

One of the outstanding personages of the modern era was Howard Hughes. Mr. Hughes was regularly featured in the news from the 1920s through the 1970s. He set world speed records in his day for air travel. He designed and produced new planes. He contributed much to the advancement of commercial air travel. He produced motion pictures in Hollywood and made considerable innovations in that industry. He managed and enhanced the oil drill tool industry he inherited from his father and became the second richest ...

386. Experience the Mountaintop But Don't Forget the Valley Below

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Brett Blair

Many of us have had them, those times when we felt like we were on top of the world, really happy, confident that we knew all the answers, could solve any problem that came up. Or we felt that we were really close to God, really in tune with God’s plan for us. In those moments we were excited and alive, and everything seemed new. The moment might have come at some exciting event in your life: graduation, baptism, your first kiss, your first day on your first job, your wedding, the birth of a child, even ...

387. The Powerful Moments that Change Your Life Forever

Matthew 4:12-23

Sermon

James W. Moore

I am a collector of lists. I want to share with you this morning my favorite list of all time. It’s a list of answers given by English school children on their religion exams. Noah’s wife was called Joan of the Ark A myth is a female moth. Sometimes it is difficult to hear in church because the agnostics are so terrible. The Pope lives in a vacuum. The Fifth Commandment is “Humor your father and mother.” This is my favorite of all: Lot’s wife was a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night. The ...

388. The God Of The Living

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

King Duncan

Jewelry salesman Alexander Makowski was devastated. Just three weeks before, in Phoenix, his sample case had been stolen. Now he had returned to the parking lot of the San Diego hotel where he was staying to find that his car and jewelry worth $100,000 were missing. Alexander could take no more. He climbed to the balcony over the hotel atrium lobby, lifted himself over the railing, and plunged five floors. Mr. Makowski ended his life at fifty-nine years. The real tragedy was that if he had looked in the ...

389. The Deeper Meaning Of Christmas

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

King Duncan

Someone has said that the three phrases that best sum up the Christmas season are: "Peace on Earth," "Good will to men," and "Batteries not included." Some of you who are parents of small children know the meaning of this statement. I trust that you had a most joyous and meaningful Christmas at your house. Soon the lights and holiday greenery will be coming down and this Christmas will be simply a warm memory. Before it slips away from us, however, we need to spend a few moments savoring the deeper meaning ...

390. A House Divided

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

King Duncan

In the darkest hour of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln quoted the words of Jesus of Nazareth: "A house divided against itself cannot stand..." Certain scribes were trying to impugn Jesus' great acts of healing. They were disturbed at his escalating popularity. People were thronging to hear him and to see him everywhere he went. "It is said that he can cast out demons," they declared. Defensively the scribes replied, "No wonder. He is possessed by the Devil himself!" Jesus immediately exposed the flaw in ...

391. Polished Up For Christmas

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

It's not easy to get ready for Christmas. For one thing there is so much to do. For many of us this is the busiest time of the year. It is also the most nerve-wracking, particularly if you are a person who does not enjoy shopping. I read a statistic with which many men in our congregation will relate. The Mall of America published a poll recently that states that 31 percent of men believe they have a better chance of winning the Heisman trophy than finding the right holiday gifts for their wives. Only 18 ...

392. Are We Offering the Right Cup?

Matthew 9:35-10:8

Sermon

King Duncan

Carl A. Boyle, a sales representative, was driving home when he saw a group of young children selling Kool-Aid on a corner in his neighborhood. They had posted the typical hand-scrawled sign over their stand: “Kool-Aid, 25 cents.” Carl was intrigued. He pulled over to the curb. A young man approached and asked if he would like strawberry or grape Kool-Aid. Carl placed his order and handed the boy a dollar. After much deliberation, the children determined he had some change coming and rifled through the ...

393. Idle Tale Or Eternal Truth?

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

Over a thousand years ago, a Spanish kingdom was under attack by foreign invaders. For many years, one small fort withstood all assaults, thanks to a remarkable leader called El Cid. When their great leader died, his followers had an idea. They dressed his body in his armor, tied a sword in his hand, and placed his corpse on his horse. With El Cid's body in the lead, the Spanish forces charged. But they were quickly defeated, for this act fooled no one. A desperate trick that collapsed led to despair ...

394. Narrow Doors-limitless Horizons

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

An assistant to former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes once told how he and another coach were looking out a window one day and saw Coach Hayes slowly easing into the last empty space in the parking lot, barely wide enough for a car. But he couldn’t get out of the car once it was parked. There weren’t more than four inches alongside and he couldn’t open either door. A moment passed, and then he backed the car out. Now, as they stared in disbelief, Hayes got out of the car, walked to the rear, planted his ...

395. Way Down In Egypt's Land

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

King Duncan

I hope you had the best Christmas ever. Robert Orben says city kids have a difficult time understanding the Christmas story. When he said that Mary and Joseph had to spend the night in a stable, his daughter asked, "What’s a stable?" he said, "Picture your room without a stereo!" Doc Blakely said his son is so out of it that he got a pair of cuff links for Christmas and had his wrists pierced. Just a little Christmas humor to help you get into the service this morning. Ron Gullion had a recurring dream ...

396. Crossing The Desert Or Protecting Our Vehicle?

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

King Duncan

In a picturesque Italian town stands a beautiful cathedral that was built in the fourteenth century. The beauty of the church has inspired countless people for hundreds of years. The church is the tallest building in the town and can be seen from a considerable distance. It is truly a monument of faith. Tourists visit this beautiful old cathedral and marvel at its art and treasures. You might think that such a beautiful cathedral would be filled with worshipers each Sunday. You might even think that it ...

397. Unlocking The Doors

John 20:19-23

Sermon

King Duncan

Sometime back, former talk show host Johnny Carson visited Harvard University to receive an award. After the ceremony he agreed to answer some questions from members of the press. One reporter asked, "What would you like to have inscribed on your tombstone?" Carson thought for just a second, then answered with the words he used before every commercial break on his television show. He wanted his tombstone to say, "I'll be right back." Throughout the pages of the gospels we see how much the disciples loved ...

398. Preparing For The Second Part Of Life

James 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

It was a familiar scene as the pastor shook hands with persons leaving worship. At the end of the line was a man who occasionally attended worship. As the man came to shake his pastor's hand he said, "Reverend, Reverend, what you said today in your sermon was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you very, very much. It was so helpful to me. It revolutionized my life. Thank you, thank you." To be honest the pastor was surprised yet pleased that his words made such a profound difference in this man's life. " ...

399. An Empty Stage Or An Empty Tomb?

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

In his book, THERE I GO AGAIN, Steven Moseley tells about Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballet superstar of the early 1900s. Ms. Pavlova has been acclaimed as the greatest ballerina of all time. Her most memorable performance, however, took place after her death. Anna was to play the role she made famous, the Dying Swan, at the Apollo Theatre in London. Tragically, she succumbed to pneumonia and died two days before the event. Still, on the appointed night, a crowd of her fans packed the Apollo Theatre. The ...

400. Like The Love Of A Mother

John 10:27-30

Sermon

King Duncan

A man was boarding an airplane one day. As he came on board, he happened to notice that the head of the plane's cockpit flight crew was a woman. That was no problem. Still, it was a new experience for him. As he found his seat, he noticed three persons sitting immediately behind him. One was a young boy about six or seven years of age. Next to him was a man in his early thirties. And next to the man was a woman in her early sixties. The man could not help overhearing the conversation among these three ...

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