Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4026 to 4050 of 4934 results

4026. The Mark Upon Us

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Lee Griess

One of the most striking television movies made in the last few years was one called Helter Skelter. It was the story of the cult worship and murder spree by the Charles Manson family in California nearly three decades ago. In the closing moments of the movie, Charles Manson and the members of his so-called family are shown on the screen with their heads shaved and big "X" marks on their foreheads. The stark appearance of the members of that group which called itself a "family" and the "X" marks on their ...

4027. The Lever

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

Purpose: To show how people working together can accomplish more than the same number of people working alone. Materials: Two poles, one shorter than the other. Lesson: If you wanted to move a large rock you could do so by using a smaller rock and a pole. You would place the smaller rock near the large one and then use the pole as a lever. (If you think the children are too young to understand this, show them a picture of a pole being used as a lever.) I have two poles here. (Show them to the children.) ...

4028. Time's Up

Matthew 24:36-51

Illustration

John Jamison

If it kept up like this he wasn't going to get anything done all morning. After the telephone calls, that paper-jam in the copier, and now this, he was beginning to feel that it was pointless to try. She stepped into his office, "Sorry to interrupt you Reverend, I know you are busy, but I need to talk to you!" She went on to tell him about a problem a dear friend of hers was having, and how it would be really "nice" if the pastor could stop by for a visit sometime. Soon. He wanted to say that if people ...

4029. The Least of These

Matthew 25:31-46

Eulogy

Richard F. Bansemer

Death of a poor man The meditation text is Matthew 25:40: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." This is not a large funeral, is it? Only a few of us knew ___________ well enough to spend this hour in worship, committing his spirit into the care of God.Welcome to this celebration. The strife is over and the battle is won. We have gathered to give one more gift tonamely, a proper funeral.How did this man wiggle his way into our hearts? Have you ...

4030. The Most Beautiful Sacrifice

Mark 14:1-11

Drama

Setting: Lights dim, except for center area of the stage. A woman appears, wearing shawl or head covering, carrying an opaque flask or vase and a towel. Throughout the drama, she should be busy, or talk as she works. Perhaps other props might include table and water basin, food and utensils. Text: Mark 14:1-16 Cast: A woman from Bethany A man in the congregation who will sit among the people in a place where he can stand and be heard. Time: Her testimony is timeless, although the events she describes ...

4031. He Ought to Stick Out!

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Charles L. Koester

"By this we know that we abide in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his own spirit." If you’re looking for a creative challenge, attempt explaining where Jesus is now to a group of young children. To explain God as Father and creator can be done through objects in nature. A child will comprehend the Creator through trees and flowers. The life our Lord lived on earth can be explained, too. It is tangible history. But try to explain, to a child, where Jesus is now, now that he took off into the ...

4032. The 7th Day (A Drama about Priorities)

Drama

Dave Marsh

Director's Notes: Let's face it - we're too busy. Steven Curtis Chapman sings a song about the "busyman." The Bible says that a man dies and leaves behind all his busy activities. Sometimes when I write a drama, God uses it first and foremost in my own life. There are a few laughs in this one but that's about it. Nothing really funny about this subject. I ended it as I'm apt to do - the Everyman can't make up his mind as the lights fade... Cast: Dave: A workaholic Dad Jimmy: Dave's Son Props: A phone Some ...

4033. On the Threshold: From Law to Gospel

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

David Busic

Plato tells the story of a shepherd named Gyges, who was in the service of the king. One day there was a great storm and an earthquake where he was pasturing his flock. A great chasm opened in the earth and Gyges descended into the chasm. There he saw many astonishing things, including what looked like a human corpse. Although there were many amazing treasures in the chasm, he took nothing except a gold ring the corpse had on his finger. He then made his way out. He attended the usual meeting of shepherds ...

4034. The Greatest Gift

Matthew 1:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

(Author's Note: The following description of an Advent worship experience is written by Sherri Van Houten (M.Div., STM), one of my students in a course I teach at Drew on worship and evangelism. While this makes an ideal Sunday before Christmas worship experience, which is how we are presenting it here, it could also be used the Sunday after Christmas. Your people will have opened one set of boxes with presents inside on Christmas Day. On this day they will open another set of boxes - with presence inside ...

4035. Choose Four

Acts 2:14-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

US citizens spend more on weight-loss programs, pills, and panaceas than any other people in the world. US citizens also spend more on greasy, high-calorie, nutritionally-free, fast foods than any other people in the world. No wonder USAmericans are so often pilloried in the press as being two-faced or wishy-washy in our priorities and commitments. The problem is, that as privileged citizens of this remarkably gifted country, US citizens have so many choices available to us that limiting ourselves to one ...

4036. Praising God All the Way Home

Psalm 150:1-6

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below. That’s what we are trying to do this Thanksgiving Sunday. Psalm 150 tells us how; it is a rousing invitation to praise God. Praise the Lord. I. Where: Praise God In His Sanctuary, Praise God In His Mighty Firmament. From sanctuary to sky, praise the Lord. Praise God on the highway, in the byway, in waiting rooms and working rooms, through field and forest, in the city and the country-side. When I walk through the valleys of the ...

4037. The Lord is God

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Obedience and Loyalty to Israel’s Unique God: These verses are the climax, not just of chapter 4, but of the whole first discourse of Moses in the book. They are fittingly exalted, in content and style. As mentioned earlier, this whole section mirrors the opening eight verses but elevates the theme tremendously. The stylistic device of rhetorical questions that expressed the incomparability of Israel in verses 6–8 is employed again to affirm the incomparability of Yahweh, and for a similarly combined ...

4038. The Politics of Love

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Themes: Atonement / washing away/ dreams and visions/ the politics of love Today, when we hear the word “politics” most likely we cringe. The word has taken on severe connotations --a thirst for prestige, a thirst for revenge, a thirst for power, a tangled system of government, taxes, corruption, agendas, and ladders to climb on and people to step on and over to get there. But if you look at the very “first” dictionary definition of “politics,” you’ll find it means, “social relations” involving authority ...

4039. Darkness

Mt 27:45 · Jn 1:5 · 1 Jn 1:5

Sermon

Will Willimon

Elizabeth's husband had died a horrible, painful death after a long illness. And when he died, it was as if a light had gone out in her soul, so deep and dark was her grief. Why had a good man like that had to suffer so, she wondered. Her grief was made worse by her having been taken on as a project by a fundamentalist Christian church on the edge of town. The guy she had dated in high school had been "saved," transforming him into an insufferably pompous prig. Now he and his wife and all their new ...

4040. Unforgiveness

Luke 7:36-50

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Forgiveness is necessary for relationships. Summary: Things are in an uproar at the Peskey home. One thing leads to another and Rena, the mother, brings up something in her husband Sam's background for which she cannot forgive him. Playing Time: 3 minutes Setting: The Peskey house. Props: Sam -- a newspaper, Rena -- a pile of dirty clothes and a tennis shoe Costumes: Contemporary, casual Time: The present Cast: Sam Peskey Rena -- his wife Tiff -- their daughter, age 16 SAM: (ENTERS, CARRYING A ...

4041. Just What The Doctor Ordered

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

A wealthy entrepreneur was consternated to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. "Why aren't you out there fishing?" he asked. "Because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman. "Why not catch more than you need?" the rich man asked. "What would I do with them?" "You could earn more money," came the impatient reply, "and buy a bigger boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you'd have a fleet of ...

4042. Promises Kept In Unusual Way

Jeremiah 23:1-8

Sermon

Robert P. Hines

General Douglas MacArthur was one of the great heroes of World War II. He was greatly admired by many people, and well loved by the people of the Philippines. One reason for the admiration and love was that he kept an important promise. When the Japanese invasion forced MacArthur to retreat from the Philippines, he promised he would return. Standing in the water in March 1942, before he embarked on a voyage to the safety of Australia, the general promised, "I shall return." And he did. In October 1944, ...

4043. Behold The Man Who Turned Toward Jerusalem

Mark 10:32-34

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

Some time ago I was reading Harold Kushner's book, Who Needs God. I was struck by a story he told in that book. He said he was talking with a nurse once who related a conversation she had with a young lady. This young lady's boyfriend was dying of cancer. The nurse asked her if she could do anything for her. The young lady answered, "Yeah, remind me never to love anybody this much again."1 Now we come to that part of Christ's story where Jesus begins to look toward the cross. There is a difference now in ...

4044. Gifts of Lent VII: Joseph Gives His Tomb

John 19:38-42

Drama

Donald Neidigk

Dramatic Monologue Welcome to my store! I'm Joseph of Arimathea. You're not interested in shopping today? No problem! Let's just sit and talk for a while. My shop's not busy and there's nothing I like better than telling others about my Lord. I haven't always been such a bold disciple of Jesus. My friend Mark says I "boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body." But let me assure you, I was as frightened as anyone on that Friday when Jesus was crucified. As a matter of fact, even though I'm the one who ...

4045. Proper 27

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11, Hosea 11:1-11, Joshua 24:1-27, Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Living in readiness and anticipation of the Second Coming of Christ. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Joshua is now an old man and so he gathers the tribes of Israel together at Shechem to renew the covenant. In the first part of the passage, Joshua recounts the origin of the covenant which the Lord initiated with Abraham. The second portion of the passage calls for a response from the people. Idolatry is still a problem because he calls on the people to cast off the foreign gods and ...

4046. In The Beginning

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

June 20, 1982 Comment: "Why don't you do sermons as stories?" mywife suggested. "You tell stories well and people seem tolike them. Besides, you won't end up criticizing us asoften!" My wife has a way about her. That was all I needed to try it out. Who wants to bepreached at? I surely didn't! The first time I tried the following sermon in itscurrent format, I served a church which had a lay person whohad taken university level courses in Old Testament. How doyou preach to someone with that kind of ...

4047. No Particular Place To Go

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

It was the last week of summer when some boys who had spent the summer playing together became restless and bored. School would start the next week and they found themselves not knowing what to do, wearied from all the other summer activities that they had enjoyed. On a hot August afternoon the boys decided to play a round of pitch and putt at a local golf course. At least this would give them something different to do and keep them from complaining to their parents about how bored they were -- which was ...

4048. Crossing Boundries

Mark 7:24-30

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

Greeting Leader: Jesus cannot hide. Congregation: People followed him to Tyre, where he cast the demon out of a woman's daughter. Leader: Everywhere Jesus goes, people follow. Congregation: People found him in the region of the Decapolis, where he healed a deaf man with a speech impediment. Leader: And we are still following Jesus. Congregation: We have found Jesus in this place, and here we find the healing we need. Leader: We are here, Jesus, because of you. Congregation: Blessed Jesus, Holy Healer, Gift ...

4049. There Is Healing in the Touch

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

The idea for this sermon, “There is Healing in the Touch,” comes from two sources. In the Gospel Jesus makes a house call at the home of Jairus, President of the Synagogue Council. We would call him Senior Warden. “My little girl is dying,” he said. “Will you come and put your hands on her?” When Jesus entered the room, he took the little girl’s hand and said to her in his own native language, “Wake up, little girl!” At once she jumped to her feet and walked around the room. The other source is a book my ...

4050. Proper 20

Proverbs 31:10-31, Mark 9:30-37, James 3:13-18; 4:1-12

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: A warning against selfish ambition, which fractures community. Rather, Jesus teaches us to receive the kingdom like a child and find our joy in Christ-like service. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Proverbs 31:10-31 (C) This description of a more than capable wife contrasts with the position of women in most of the societies of the Middle East. In many cultures women were almost considered property. In this description, she is able to purchase property on her own and she has her own business. Four traits seem ...

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