Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4051 to 4075 of 4490 results

4051. Table Manners

Mark 2:18-22, Mark 2:13-17

Sermon Aid

Richard A. Jensen

We may need to refresh our memory by noting that today's gospel text is one of four controversy stories in Mark 2:1--3:6. Jesus performed a burst of healings and exorcisms in chapter 1 which captured the admiration of the crowds (Mark 1:45; 2:12). With a new set of stories that end in 3:6 we find Jesus mired in constant controversy. These stories end on an ominous note (Mark 3:6). The leaders of the Jewish people come off in these stories in such a way as to suggest to some that they are the hearers of ...

4052. Have You Confronted Christ?

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

Simon bar Jacob - Simon, son of Jacob - had just finished the pruning of his olive trees, ending with the three old trees farthest from the road. He was pleased with his work and looked at it for some time, complimenting himself with satisfying grunts. "Job well done!" He turned to look out upon the full olive grove of 57 trees. Each one had received his careful work, talents learned through the years and taught to him by Jacob, his father. But as he looked toward the roadside near the orchard his heart ...

4053. Shield of Faith

Mark 6:1-6

Children's Sermon

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT HOME Parents: Today's Gospel-based activity is a variation on an old children's game that you may have played as a child. The dry version is a perfect solution to rainy-day boredom, and the wet version is a summertime hit with children of all ages. You will need either four to ten small sponge balls for indoor play, or as many water balloons as you desire for outdoor fun. (If you use water balloons, make certain that they are full enough to break easily.) You will also ...

4054. Shepherds And Bathrobes

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Thomas Long

Sometimes the events described in the Bible bowl us over with their sheer size. The picture in Genesis of God commanding light and darkness to go their separate ways, summoning the seven seas like charters, and, with a word, drawing up the massive continents from the primordial ooze of the formless earth. That's scale! Or, hundreds of thundering Egyptian chariots dashing headlong after fleeing Hebrew slaves. Suddenly the once dry gap in the sea is invaded by a violent wall of water, foam filling the ...

4055. Like A New Batch Of Dough

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

Meditation Music Appropriate To Observance Of The Eucharist Words Of Preparation Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) The cup which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16) A Prayer: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are ...

4056. Proper 14

2 Samuel 18:1-18, 2 Samuel 18:19--19:8, Psalm 130:1-8, Ephesians 4:17--5:21, John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP Await God's presence and hope in God's word as if you were looking for the first light of dawn after a dark night. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Loving and forgiving Parent, Loving and forgiving Christ, Loving and forgiving Spirit, we confess that we are not always generous, tender-hearted and forgiving. We can be spiteful in our behavior because of the bad feeling that we cherish in our hearts. That anger can come out in angry shouting and cursing which is not only offensive to others but grieves ...

4057. Proper 23

Mark 10:17-31

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP Be satisfied with God's love when morning breaks and sing for joy and be glad all your days. PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of all possibilities, Gatekeeper of heaven, Assayer of Eternal values, you only are good. It is simpler to recite your commandments than to do them. Even if we do them, we often neglect the poor and risk eternal human values for the sake of perishable riches. Take from us all encumbrances that would prevent our entering the place of your rule. Apart from you, our salvation ...

4058. Spaghetti

Matthew 7:24-27

Children's Sermon

Mark A. Hultquist

Object: Two pieces of spaghetti: one cooked and pliable, the other uncooked and firm. Do you like spaghetti? It seems like there are so many different ways to serve spaghetti and some people like it all of those ways. How many of you like your spaghetti with sauce? How many like it with sauce and meatballs? How many like it plain, or with a little butter? And how many like it with cheese on top? Then, of course, there is the whole question of how you eat your spaghetti. How many of you like it cut up in ...

4059. Not

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

There is no use in worrying needlessly. Some things you absolutely cannot change. And some things are too ridiculous for us to be concerned about. A Peanuts column shows Charlie Brown saying, "I couldn't sleep last night. I kept worrying about school, and about life, and about everything." Snoopy, the dog, walks away thinking, "I didn't sleep well either. All night long I kept worrying that the moon was going to fall on my head." Some issues are already settled, and there is no point in useless anxiety, ...

4060. Confidence

2 Corinthians 3:4

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Objects: A doctor's scope, a policeman's badge, and teacher's chalk. Good morning, boys and girls. How are you today? Does it make a difference to you who tells you certain things? I mean, does it make any difference to you if I tell you that you have a cold or your brother tells you that you are breaking the law? If I told you how to spell a certain word and your teacher told you that the word was spelled in a different way, would you believe the teacher or me? I have with me this morning a couple of ...

4061. Keeping God First in the Polls

John 3:1-21

Sermon

James Weekley

Did you know that a glass of hippopotamus milk contains eighty calories, or that only five percent of people are able to dream in color? Facts are intriguing but, just as quickly, they are easily forgotten. The recent knowledge explosion has had a great impact upon technology. With that technological 'know how,' we thought we had a blank check to the future. Then came the new bullies on the block: environmental pollution and computer impersonalism. The marriage of knowledge and technology were not creating ...

4062. Proper 8

Luke 9:57-62, Galatians 5:16-26, 1 Kings 19:9-18, Psalm 16:1-11, Luke 9:51-56

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Three days from the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, in 1992, the minor festival of Mary Magdalene will be observed in many churches around the world. Some people will remember her as a woman who was converted from a sinful life of prostitution to a faithful and devout disciple of Jesus Christ. (Most Lutheran churches in the United States did not celebrate her "day" until the appearance of The Lutheran Book Of Worship, with a revised calendar, in 1978.) Others will remember her for her ...

4063. The Transfiguration

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: The Transfiguration of Jesus The Community Gathers Suggestion: Begin, Be still: be aware of God's Presence.(Give several moments of silence.) After several moments of silence, ask the people to respond, verbally, with the message they heard from God. The Act of Confession Try this: Again, begin, be still; listen for God's voice. (give three minutes of silence) Ask, what did you hear about yourself as one of God's disciples? Focus on your brokenness. Offer a prayer of ...

4064. Victory Over Evil

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Harold G. Skinner

Violent Death This meditation was given at the funeral service of a thirty-seven-year-old woman who was shot by her estranged husband and before her death, lay in the intensive care unit of the hospital for nearly seven months - most of the time in a coma. It is good to see this large crowd here. It shows your support for the family of __________ . Yet most of you, even as you reach out in support, are echoing the question of St. Paul in some form. Paul had great insight and sensitivity. He poses the ...

4065. How Do You Spell Stress?

Drama

Timothy W. Ayers

Topic: Tranquillity, serenity, marriage, work, children, bills, troubles Characters: 2 males, 2 females, 1 either Scene: Freeze frames. Each character performs lines then freezes in place Male 1: How do I spell stress? Just like everybody else: I spell it J-O-B. I go into work and my boss is on my case right away. He wants this report and that meeting has to be attended. It's insane in that office. They've been cutting back and several of the people under me were let go. The company calls it downsizing for ...

4066. Every Person’s Great Possessions

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

Jesus was confronted by a man who ran up and knelt before him. You know what? Part of me was right there with that man! I know how he felt, because I have also found reason to kneel before Jesus. What about you? Don’t you know, too? Haven’t you been there along with us? Tempted to follow Jesus, this man was nevertheless compelled by his great possessions to hold back. We are all able to identify with him. We may think, at first, that the only possessions hard to let go of are riches, power, and noble ...

4067. Singing Along The Way

Zephaniah 3:1-20

Sermon

Ron Lavin

In the time of John the Baptist, most of the people were not getting the point. There was political corruption with Herod, religious corruption with Annas and Caiaphas, the high priests, and confusion among the general populace. It was the time right before the Messiah would appear, so John the Baptist and a small remnant of followers echoed prophetic words at the Jordan River. To the superficially interested who heard his preaching, John warned, "You brood of vipers (Luke 3:7, J B Phillips)." "You snakes ...

4068. The Message Of The Morning Light

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Erskine White

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Just as a handful of women and disciples came early in the day to the garden tomb, so do Christians come out early on this Easter Sunday to find the empty grave. Let us try to recapture the original wonder, the original excitement they felt on that special day so long ago. Let us imagine that God is speaking directly to us this morning, down through the heavens and deep into ...

4069. There Is No Law Against Such Things

Galatians 5:23

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

Exegetical Aim: For some things there are no laws. Props: Actual signs or pictures of signs that forbid things; i.e., No Smoking, STOP, No Talking, etc. Also, make a sign saying, "No Smiling," with a picture of a smile and an X through it. Lesson: Today I want to talk to you about rules. I want you to tell me what rule each sign is talking about. Let's try one. Hold up the STOP sign. What does this sign mean? (response) Where do you see this sign? (response) Now do the same with the other signs. At the ...

4070. God's Way Of Doing Things

Ruth 3:1-18, 4:13-22

Sermon

John P. Rossing

I know a couple who have on their wall a framed piece of needlework that someone gave them for a wedding gift. It has their names and their wedding date, and it says, "God gave us each other." I think many Christian couples believe that they were brought together by God's providence. People often feel the same way about their vocations, believing they have been led into a particular life's work by God. As a church, we trust that our plans and decisions are guided by God's spirit. But why would we think ...

4071. Living Life Gratefully

Romans 11:33-36

Eulogy

Richard F. Bansemer

Death in old age The meditation text is Romans 11:33-36: "0 the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." It is a peculiar place in the book of Romans for Paul to break out with his song of thanksgiving. The words ...

4072. Oh Me of Little Faith

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Johnny Dean

A couple of years ago, the scientific community announced yet another earth-shattering, history-making discovery. It seems that a group of scientists were studying a meteor that supposedly originated on the planet Mars and had crash-landed on Earth some 13,000 years ago. In a small fragment of the meteor, the scientists found organic compounds that appeared to be bacteriological life forms. Perhaps the most famous scientist of our era, Carl Sagan, said, "If the results are verified, this is a turning point ...

4073. Easter Celebration Is Just A Foretaste

Luke 18:31-34, Mark 8:31--9:1, Matthew 27:45-56, John 20:10-18, John 20:1-9

Sermon

Joann Hary

Isn't is strange that on Easter morning at the breaking of dawn, when Mary came to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, she reacted the way she did? She ran to tell Peter that the tomb was empty, not that Jesus had risen, but that the tomb was empty! And Peter and John, upon hearing the news, ran to the gravesite to see for themselves. They looked into the tomb, saw the burial clothes and the napkin for Jesus' head rolled up separately, and it doesn't even seem that they remembered the words of Jesus that ...

4074. I Came Back -The Risen Young Man

Sermon

Ron Lavin

My name is unimportant. What happened to me a long time ago just outside the gate of the little town of Nain is important, and I'd like to tell you about it. My home was in the dusty little town in Galilee about five miles southeast of Nazareth, the town where Jesus was raised. We were east of the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized. To our north was Lebanon where timbers were cut for the ancient temple of Solomon. Jerusalem, our famous capital city and the city of infamous crucifixions, was south of ...

4075. Desire Peace

Sermon

Alan Bacon Bond

Scripture: Psalm 29Amos 5:18-242 Peter 3:8-14 Text: Be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 2 Peter 3:14 If you were an astro-physicist from Kitt Peak Observatory, or a nuclear scientist from the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, how do you suppose you would interpret these words? With a roar the sky will vanish, the elements will catch fire and fall apart, the earth and all that it contains will be burned up. (New Jerusalem Bible) You might nod your head in recognition. You ...

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