Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4026 to 4050 of 4943 results

4026. Monster Rehab

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

For the last few weeks we’ve all been subjected to reruns of every scary movie ever made: zombies, vampires, guys in hockey masks, spooks with really long fingernails. Monsters in all shapes and forms are the flavor of the month of October. It’s hardly surprising that, as usual, popular culture has gotten the point of “All Hallows Eve” all wrong and totally forgets that the ultimate point is to celebrate “All Saints Day.” The monsters get center stage and adulation. The saints are left to clean up the ...

4027. Sandbox First, Soapbox Second

Mark 1:29-34, Mark 1:35-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

This sermon has a very simple, but very difficult, message: Faith is a social practice, but one that requires solitude. Genesis 2:18 reads: “It is not good for man to be alone.” Daniel 10:8 reads: “I was left alone, and saw the great vision.” Sometimes society, sometimes solitude. Sometimes it is not good to be alone. Sometimes we need to be left alone to see what God has for us to see. The most talked about movie at the time of this sermon’s composition is “The Artist,” a 2011 French comedy-drama film ...

4028. Red, White and Pink

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Have you done time in the “pink aisle”? If you’ve been there, you know what I mean. It’s that entire section in Target or Toys’R’Us or wherever you shop, that glows with a Pepto-Bismol-bright pink haze. The corridor you trundle your shopping cart down is awash in pinks . . . there is Barbie and all her accessories, there are dolls of lesser nobility and parentage, there are fingerpaints, Frisbees, . .. Whatever sits on those shelves, they all give off a ghastly pink glow. Stores really should provide ...

4029. Don’t Be Childish, Do Be Child-like

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Why is it that one of the most typically “child-like” things we do is to try and to act like an adult? Little children dress up like Mom and Dad. (My brothers and I did “fashion shows” for our parents wearing their clothes.) Kids a little older pretend to drive the car. Older kids still play with pint-sized pots and pans, play-doctor kits and miniature tool sets. Some of us are even old enough to remember playing with perhaps the worst child-oriented product ever invented — candy cigarettes. Does anyone ...

4030. Checked the Ditch Lately?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

We were driving west on Highway 16 from Custer to Newcastle, Wyoming, when Pam and I spotted this magnificent bird along the road. It was feeding on a deer carcass, and as we approached, it sprang into the air and soared off to the south alighting on the branch of a ponderosa pine. It watched us. It waited for us to pass. Yes, it was a golden eagle with a wing span of at least six feet. The next day, we were surprised and disappointed to see on the front page of our local Custer Chronicle paper a photo of ...

4031. Can't Stay Away

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Scott Bryte

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a ...

4032. Silly Goose

Colossians 3:12-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Great words — as succinct a description as can be found anywhere of what we are called to be and do as God's people in the church ... compassionate, kind, humble, meek (or teachable), patient, forgiving, loving, harmonious, and peaceful. We will be learners and teachers, full of heartfelt song. And whatever we do will be done in the name of Jesus. Wow! That is the way it is in churches, isn't it? Oh, David, you silly goose. Right. Speaking of geese and church, the Danish philosopher and theologian, Søren ...

4033. Greed

2 Kings 5:1-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Scripture offers a wealth (if I may use that term) of material about greed, about the love of money or possessions, and the disastrous consequences that kind of love can have. Of course, there is Judas who, in his greed, became an accessory to murder; Ananias and Sapphira who lied about the sale price of their property so they could keep some of the money for themselves; the rich young ruler who wanted to follow Jesus but could not bring himself to get rid of his possessions first. First Timothy says, "The ...

4034. John 5:1-9

John 5:1-15

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Early in the fourth gospel John repeatedly moves Jesus back and forth between Galilee and Jerusalem. As important as the miracles and messages played out in the Galilean countryside, there is also a recurring pull towards Jerusalem — the holy city, the Temple, the seat of Jewish authority and power…and the site of the final completion of Jesus’ mission. John often explains that Jesus’ journeying to Jerusalem was to celebrate one of the many Jewish festivals or feast days, including Passover (2:13; 6:4; 11: ...

4035. Prelude to the Passion

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

It’s always fascinating to read about royalty. Recall the hoopla that surrounded the birth of an heir to the British throne last summer. The onslaught of popular interest reminded us that royalty don’t live like we live. Palaces, servants, untold wealth at their command. So has it forever been. Several years ago Queen Elisabeth II visited the United States. The newspapers reported in detail how lavishly the Queen traveled. Her four thousand pounds of luggage included two outfits for every occasion, an ...

4036. The Lord Is (More Than) My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

A little girl lost her front teeth and it caused her to talk with a lisp. One day her grandmother was reading to her from the King James Version of the Bible. She read such words as ‘sayeth’ and ‘hath’ and ‘doth’ and so on. After a while, the little girl exclaimed, “So God had his teeth out, too!” I always wondered why the King James Version read like that . . . A family moved from a little apartment to a big house in the country. A friend asked the eight‑year‑old‑son, “How do you like your new house?” He ...

4037. Family Re:Union - Inverting the Pyramid

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

James Merritt

There is an old saying that you if you keep telling a lie long enough that people begin to believe it is the truth. You may have heard of an interesting television show called “Myth Busters.” They do some of the most interesting and sometimes stupid stuff just to prove that certain myths are untrue. I came across some very popular myths, some in which I used to believe, but they simply are not true. Myth #1: Elephants are the only mammals that can’t jump. It is true that elephants can’t jump, but neither ...

4038. Seismic Shift

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

Sermon

James Merritt

Not too long ago there was a young lady who visited our church from another church in our area. After the service, she was walking through the lobby and one of our ladies noticed her and not recognizing her walked over to ask if she was a guest. She replied that she was. She said, “Did you enjoy the service?” The lady said, “Yes, but I won’t be back.” She said, “Were we not friendly to you?” She said, “Oh no. Your people were very friendly.” She said, “Did you not enjoy the worship?” She said, “Oh no. The ...

4039. Are You a Polar Bear?

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

A piece of humor has been circulating on the Internet for some time about a young polar bear cub that approached his mother one day and asked, “Mom, am I a polar bear?” “Of course you are,” she replied with a smile. “OK,” said the cub, and padded off. Later, he found his dad out by the iceberg. “Dad, am I a polar bear?” he asked. “Sure you are, son!” said his dad, wondering why his son would ask such a silly thing. The next day, the cub asked the question again and again. “Are you and mom polar bears?” he ...

4040. All Night Long

Song of Songs 3:1-11

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

Dream and Vision: This chapter presents a surprising mix, unlike what has come before, although it is clearly linked with the context. The opening section (3:1–4) apparently reports a dream in which the woman seeks her lover and finds him, followed by another instance of the adjuration to the daughters of Jerusalem (3:5). The next verse (3:6) is an enigmatic question or exclamation, perhaps functioning as a transition from the adjuration to the following section. The closing verses form a descriptive ...

4041. Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

Amos 3:1-15

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

Summarizing Oracles (3:1-12): By including both Israel and Judah in the series of oracles against the foreign nations in 1:3–2:16, Amos has shown that the people of God have joined with the rest of the nations in a common rebellion against the lordship of Yahweh, thereby profaning God’s holy name. The prophet will then in 3:13–4:13 spell out the specific indictment against Israel. But before he does so, as Amos’s book is now arranged, he must first include some summarizing statements, in 3:1–12, that lay ...

4042. Jesus’s Glory and Majesty Disclosed

Mark 9:2-13

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: The two primary thrusts in this passage are Christology and discipleship. First, this is an epiphany story in which God reveals the preexistent glory of his Son as the majestic Lord and eschatological Moses. Second, the disciples continue to struggle and yet begin to experience a dawning comprehension. Understanding the Text This event is intimately connected with what has preceded. Most of the Jewish people have only rumors, no realization of the identity of Jesus (8:28), while the disciples ...

4043. Lost and Found

Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (19:10). Understanding the Text After the scene at a Pharisee’s table in 14:1–24 (cf. 7:36–50; 11:37–54), the focus turns to the much less conventional meals that Jesus enjoyed with social and religious outsiders. This theme was earlier raised by the meal in Levi’s house (5:27–39) and by the “sinful woman” who disrupted another more conventional meal (7:36–50), and it has been reflected in Jesus’s subversive ideas about who should be at the ...

4044. Selfishness of the Transjordan Tribes Corrected

Numbers 32:1-42

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: We must avoid and resolve misunderstandings among God’s people. Understanding the Text Many dangers have been circumvented. God has thwarted Balak’s attempt to use Balaam to curse Israel (Num. 22–24). God’s punishment of idolatry and immorality is offset by Phinehas’s bold actions (Num. 25). Balaam and his Midianite allies who have deceived Israel are killed (Num. 31). Now Numbers 32 introduces another potential crisis. The tribes of Reuben and Gad announce their desire to settle in the ...

4045. Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:1-35

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The Lord gives greater priority to obedience than to religious formalism. Understanding the Text In this account the narrator’s pro-David/anti-Saul agenda continues to gain momentum. In chapter 13 Samuel announced that Saul would have no royal dynasty, placing the king on thin ice. Chapter 14 did nothing to ease our concerns about Saul, as he exhibited a preoccupation with his own honor and an obsession with religious formalism, particularly oaths. He was ready to execute his own son, and he ...

4046. The Lord Guides, Encourages, and Protects David

1 Samuel 23:1-29

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The Lord guides, encourages, and protects his chosen servants in their darkest hours. Understanding the Text Saul’s intention to destroy David was never clearer than in chapter 22, which tells how Saul murdered the priests of Nob simply because he believed they had conspired with David against him. As the story continues, the tension is high because God told David to return to Judah (22:5), placing him in harm’s way. But chapter 23 shows that the God who places his servant in harm’s way also ...

4047. Job Feels under Attack by God

Job 16:1-17:16

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Job feels exhausted under God’s attack, but he still dares to hope for God’s justice. Understanding the Text In his rebuttal to Eliphaz in Job 16–17, Job begins by countering many of the charges made previously by his friends. He vigorously rejects their claims to possess knowledge that is superior to his, and he dismisses their arguments as irrelevant to his specific case. Job’s strong language indicates that he is indignant and disgusted with them (16:1–6). Job then addresses God directly, ...

4048. What Was That All About?

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

James L. Killen

"I wonder what that was all about?" That must have been the thought in the minds of most of the people who stood in a crowd on the riverbank that day of Jesus' baptism. They came some distance expecting to see something unique, but they had just seen something they had not expected to see and they didn't know what to make of it. They came to a place that was far out of the way for most of them. But the place was in some ways a crossroads. They were standing on the banks of the River Jordan, not far from ...

4049. More Than Conquerors

Romans 8:28-39

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

8:28 Verse 28 is a widely quoted and often misunderstood passage. It is sometimes interpreted to mean that good fortune favors nice people, or that things are not as bad as they seem and that everything “will work out in the end.” But this is to confuse wishful thinking with Christian faith. The first part of verse 28 was in fact an axiom in both Hellenism and Judaism. Plato says in the Republic: This must be our notion of the just man, that even when he is in poverty or sickness, or any other seeming ...

4050. The Baby or the Window?

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

King Duncan

It was one of those terrible summertime scenarios you read about from time to time. It was early September in San Antonio, Texas. The thermometer stood at 99 degrees. A woman accidentally locked her 10-month-old niece inside a parked car. Quite frantically she and her sister, the baby’s mother, ran around the auto in near hysteria. A by-stander tried to help. He attempted to unlock the car with a clothes hanger. Soon the infant was turning purple and had foam on her mouth. It was becoming a life-or-death ...

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