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 3976 to 4000 of 4942 results

3976. Night and Light

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

A friend of mine had rewritten a familiar proverb and used it ominously. “Just remember,” he said, “things always look the darkest before the lights go out completely.” There was something of that threatening anticipation which always washed over us on this darkening night. We join Jesus and his disciples as dusk falls. They did not know it yet, but within hours the blackness would become very bleak. Jesus would be arrested, they would be scattered, and even Peter would deny and reject his relationship ...

3977. Do You Think That I Have Come To Bring Peace?

Luke 12:49-56

Sermon

Will Willimon

What did you do this summer? We did nothing special. Made a number of trips to the lake in a new family boat. Went here and there. But isn't that the way summers are supposed to be? Peaceful. So for us it was a restful summer, peaceful. On Sunday, May 7, the day of Panama's presidential elections, Nicholas Van Kleef, a priest working in the David Diocese of Panama, was shot. Van Kleef was stopped by a soldier as he was driving through his parish inviting people to mass. The soldier got into the back of Van ...

3978. The Main Thing

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34 “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”[1] The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. That’s important. You might want to write it down. I’ll say it again: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. It’s one of those seemingly self-evident rules that is absolutely essential if you want to succeed at anything. My Uncle John had a colorful way of illustrating the essential truth of it. Uncle ...

3979. Holy Wisdom From On High!

Proverbs 8:1-36

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

A few years ago I was asked to preach at a large event in Atlanta. I inquired as to the theme of the occasion, and the pastor who invited me said, "I want you to preach as if it were your last sermon. If you had only one more opportunity to proclaim the Word, what message would it be? Preach that!" What a quandary! What should I preach? I first thought to preach about the omnipotence and love of God the Father. Then I reconsidered, "But I must preach about Jesus, his death and resurrection and the ...

3980. Unusual, To Say The Least!

Amos 7:1-9, Amos 7:10-17

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

When I was a 19-year-old kid-preacher, I was trying to preach my first revival in a small, north Missouri town. It was an eight-day revival, and I had literally worked for months trying to get the ten required sermons together. God had wonderfully blessed the series, crowds came (perhaps because there was nothing else much doing in the town and also because they had never seen a 19-year-old preacher, particularly of the "girl" type), decisions were made for Christ, and a lot of people were inspired. The ...

3981. When Self-esteem Gets Out Of Hand

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

Once I had a friend who was offended whenever the phrase "we are miserable sinners" was used in the corporate prayer of confession. She did not feel that she was a miserable sinner. And indeed she wasn't in comparison to most of the other people in the church. She was compassionate, kind, thoughtful, and a great teacher of little children in Sunday School. Nor did she "regard others with contempt" -- or at least, not many others. I don't think she liked the phrase in an old hymn, "Would he devote that ...

3982. A Faithful Harlot

Joshua 2:1-24, Hebrews 11:1-40

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

What's a bad girl like you doing in a list like this? The author of the book of Hebrews tells of a great cloud of witnesses that surround us in our own faith walk. The usual biblical heroes and heroines are there. The biggest surprise in the list is Rahab. Rahab was not an Israelite after all. She was a harlot who plied her trade in pre-Israelite Jericho. Who is this woman anyway? And what is she doing in a list like this? Rahab's story is told in the Old Testament book of Joshua. In the story we hear that ...

3983. The Race

Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:27-36

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Here are the basics of life: the need for food, money, happiness, and the approval of others. Jesus says these needs will be met if a person centers on God. Summary: Runners are getting ready for a race, stretching, and so forth. This is no ordinary race; this is the race of life. Some don't run so well and need help. Jesus comes to their assistance and they become winners. Runners mime as Onlooker speaks. Playing Time: 2 minutes Setting: A place of running -- the arena of life Props: None Costumes ...

3984. The Little Boat

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Ron Lavin

Picture Jesus and the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The day had started off well enough -- crowds clamoring to see Jesus, bringing their illnesses and troubles to him as they always did, seeking his help and healing. Jesus was in control. He helped them all. The disciples observed the power of the Lord as they had so many times before. A good day to be alive! A good day for a sail and a rest! As they moved onto the water, the waves lapped against the small boat. The boat gently rocked back ...

3985. It Came To Pass

Job 42:1-6

Sermon

Zan W. Holmes

One of my father's favorite stories was about a Bible study class that shared their favorite Bible verses with their pastor. When an elderly, uneducated man in the class got his turn to share he said, "Well, I've got a lot of favorite passages that I like a lot, but there's one that has helped me the most. In fact," he said, "it is five little words that are found all over the Bible." When asked what they were, he said: "And it came to pass." The preacher asked the old man to explain why that was his ...

3986. When It's Hard To Give Thanks

Joel 2:18-27

Sermon

Zan W. Holmes

Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) was the first black artist to acquire an international reputation in this century. He remains well known today in museum and academic circles, although his name is not familiar to a more general audience. One of his most popular paintings is titled The Thankful Poor. It is a painting which features an elderly father and his little son as they are seated at a table to eat a meal. There is no fancy turkey with dressing. There is no cranberry sauce. There are no sweet potatoes ...

3987. Can You See Where We're Going

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

William G. Carter

A cigar-chomping realtor was driving around a young couple to search for their first dream house. After listening to their concerns about mortgage points, maintenance costs, and school systems, he decided to give them a bit of advice. "I've been selling homes for 23 years," he said, "and I've discovered only three things matter when you're buying a home: location, location, location." To prove his point, he drove the couple to see two homes. The paint was peeling on the first house, and the driveway was ...

3988. Tears At The Tomb

John 11:17-37

Sermon

William G. Carter

By all appearances, the junior high youth group at First Church was going well. Bob and Betsy, their two enthusiastic advisors, planned a full calendar of events to keep them busy. The youth went to roller skating parties and winter retreats. They played a variety of sports, discussed a lot of movies, and celebrated every holiday with a party. But when it came to leading the young teens into the deeper waters of faith, Bob and Betsy were frustrated. One Sunday afternoon, Bob announced the group was ...

3989. Peace And The Peacemakers

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon

Richard Patt

There are few other speeches of Jesus in the New Testament that catch us more off-guard than this one. Nobody would deny that these are some of the most intense words of Jesus that we find in the Bible. It would follow that any reader of these words, including those who believe in Jesus, would probably want some kind of explanation. Frankly, the Lord seems to be shouting at the top of his voice here. A little later we will talk about the deeper meaning behind the words that capture our ears here, phrases ...

3990. The Advent Of Our Lord

Zephaniah 3:1-20

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

In years past the third Sunday in Advent was known as Gaudete Sunday. The name came from the Latin form of the first word of the Introit for that day: "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!" In a season which was known for its solemn preparation for Christmas, this Sunday was a little respite from seriousness. The color of the day changed from violet to rose and flowers were allowed on the altar. With the rise of liturgical renewal, Christians have stressed hope rather than repentance as ...

3991. A Tale Of Two Cities

Micah 5:1-4

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

Our story today is a tale of two cities. The first is named in our text: "But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah ..."(v. 2a). If Bethlehem is little, with what is it to be contrasted? With Jerusalem, of course, the great holy city. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah, the home of the king. It was more than a royal center, however, since it was also the site of the temple, the dwelling place of God on earth. That made it the sacred center, the place where the people were ...

3992. Called To Pull Down; Called To Rebuild

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

This text is a narrative of the call of Jeremiah; but before the call narrative, we have a preface by the editor of the tradition, placing the call in its historical context (1:1-3). The word of the Lord does not exist in a vacuum and it does not work only in some spiritual realm. It is rooted in our history and related to our chronology. It came in all its specificity to Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah (1:1), during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah (1:2-3). In what seems to be a simple ...

3993. Dabar Adonai

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

Tony Everett

Twenty-five young teenagers are sitting at their desks in the classroom, minds focused on anything and everything except the complex algebra problem that their teacher is writing on the board. Suddenly, their reverie is broken by the word of the teacher: "I need a volunteer to come to the board and solve this simple binomial equation." Immediately, students become deeply involved with books under their desks. Pencils suddenly drop to the floor. Eyes become engrossed on a page, any page, in textbooks. No ...

3994. Who's In Charge Here, Anyway?

Genesis 45:1-28

Sermon

Tony Everett

At age seventeen, Joseph was a spoiled brat and something of a tattletale. In order to understand the full impact of today's text, we must remember that fact. Chapter 37 of Genesis describes this in vivid detail. As the youngest of many children, and born late in his father's life, Joseph became Jacob's favorite. And Jacob did nothing to disguise it either. While Jacob's other sons wore the typical knee-length sleeveless tunics, Jacob made his "favorite" son a colorful, long and luxurious robe, with full ...

3995. A Christian With A Conflict Of Interest

Isaiah 5:1-7

Sermon

James McLemore

This was a Christian family. The husband was a Christian, at least that is what he put on his job application when it asked for religious affiliation. Sex: male Race: African-American Nationality: U.S. Citizen Religion: Christian His mother has been a good churchwoman. He used to attend Sunday school as a little boy, but that was thirty years ago. He had a religious heritage and, after all, that made him Christian by parental relationships. Or did it? He wanted to think of himself as a Christian every day ...

3996. Is This The Season To Seek Salvation

Jeremiah 8:4--9:26

Sermon

James McLemore

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved (Jeremiah 8:20). Friends and Family, Family and Friends, the Lord sent me to ask you this question: "Is this the season to seek salvation?" A single mother had to ask this question concerning her teenage daughter. At age eleven, her daughter began to ask questions about God. She told her mother she wanted to go to church. But her mother wasn't religious and did not see any reason why her teenage daughter should be so religious. So she kept her ...

3997. Many Parts, but of One Body

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Illustration

John R. Steward

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (v. 12) There was a man who had a dream one night that he had died. In his dream he found himself in a large room. The room had a very large banquet table filled with different kinds of food. There were people seated around the table but they were seated five feet away from the table. In his dream, the people were very hungry and wanted to eat but were unable to get out of ...

3998. Advent 1

Luke 21:5-38, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Psalm 25:1-22

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Sprouting Fig Tree The season of Advent prepares us for the coming of the birth of Christ. While our celebration is usually associated with expectation, hope, and joy, the events themselves have an underlying tone of tragedy and sorrow. Tragedy and sorrow are most explicit in the account of the slaughter of the innocent children at Herod's orders in his attempt to eliminate a potential rival to his throne. A less evident underlying theme of sorrow is the injustice existing in the world when babies have ...

3999. Proper 6

Luke 7:36-50, Galatians 2:11-21, 1 Kings 21:1-29, Psalm 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Forgiving Debts Two of the most difficult practices which emerge in Jesus' ministry are forgiveness and gratitude. A frequent charge against Jesus was that he preempted the prerogative of God when he presumed to forgive sins. It is difficult to know which is harder to do: to forgive another or to forgive oneself. Lavish expressions of gratitude for acts of forgiveness are rare. Persons do not like to admit their indebtedness. If we owe someone gratitude for something that he has done for us, we feel ...

4000. Proper 10

Luke 10:25-37, Colossians 1:1-14, Amos 7:10-17, Psalm 82:1-8

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Neighborly Samaritan The parable of the neighborly Samaritan demonstrates the enduring and provocative power of a good story. The language and point of the parable have worked their way into our language. People who have never read the New Testament or have no idea whatsoever of who a Samaritan is are influenced by it. Many states have what is referred to as a Good Samaritan law. It relieves persons who give aid to an accident victim of liability. In their attempt to render assistance in an accident ...

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