Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4051 to 4075 of 4936 results

4051. Rain of Grace

Hosea 6:1--7:16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

[You may want to use the sound of rain….like you get from a rainstick; or if a rainy day, call attention to the sound of the rain outside.] The sound of rain. That steady, pattering on windows and spouting, sidewalks and cars. It can almost lull you to sleep. It’s a comforting sound. It’s almost a lullaby sound. If you’re a farmer or a gardener, you may keep rain barrels. Years ago, people would catch rain in buckets. Why? Because rainwater is gentle, free of chemicals, clean, and fresh. Plants and crops ...

4052. The Power of the Staff

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

A year or so ago, when our primary activity during lockdown was to sit on the porch and watch the wildlife, I noticed a mother bird building a nest. I had never seen the process up close like this, and so fascinated, I took note of everything she was doing. In fact, I became so engrossed in Mama bird’s family that I would perch on my rocking chair each and every day, just so I could observe the entire scenario up close and personal. She gathered bits of grass, twigs, leaves, and other odds and ends and ...

4053. Imagine This

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

John Jamison

We’re going to start the story today some 400 miles away from the Jordan River. The city of Tarsus was a major business center in what is now Turkey and a place where many Jewish families had settled who had fled the harsh Roman rule around Jerusalem. We’re going to start by looking at one particular Jewish family in Tarsus. It was a devout Jewish family. A son in that family would later refer to himself as “of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a ...

4054. Jesus Gets a Business Card

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Mary Austin

There’s a lot of talk these days in the non-profit and business world these days about “elevator speeches.” If we run into someone in an elevator, and they ask about our cause, our start-up business, or our church, we should be able to give a quick summary, short enough to fit the elevator ride. When people ask about my church, I say something like: “Gaithersburg is a multi-cultural church with members from over thirty countries, so living together is fun and full of things to learn.” If we’re going to the ...

4055. Vengeance: Human and Divine

Matthew 13:1-9 · Isaiah 44:6-8 · Psalm 1-12, 17-18, 23-24

Sermon

Will Willimon

We began this service of worship by reciting Psalm 139. Well, not really. For we only recited part of Psalm 139, the nice part. Our hymnal leaves out the last part of this psalm, the part that isn't so nice. After speaking of the Spirit of God, the wings of the morning, the precious thoughts of God, there is a jolt: O that thou wouldst slay the wicked....Do I not hate them that hate thee,... do I not loathe them that rise up against thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred! As John Wesley said, perhaps ...

4056. The Interpretation of the Dream

Daniel 7:15-28

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Four Beastly Kingdoms and God’s Kingdom: Daniel 7 is centrally located in the book; it is also of central importance. It functions as a transitional unit, providing a hinge that connects the two halves of the work. Chapter 7 is tied to what precedes by its language: it is part of the Aramaic section, which runs from Daniel 2:4b through 7:28. It is also part of the chiastic structure of chapters 2–7 (see “Stage Three” under “Language Problem and Literary Development” in the Introduction), which have ...

4057. On Not Meeting People's Needs at Church

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

Will Willimon

Among his own people, in his hometown, Jesus encounters rejection and conflict. Mark suggests that they rejected him because they thought of him as an unimpressive “hometown boy.” Interestingly, we are given no content of his teaching here, only a report that encounter with Jesus provoked fierce resistance, even among those who were closest to him. Mark links this story of rejection with the sending out of the disciples as if to say that the crisis which Jesus provoked will also afflict those who follow ...

4058. A Bad Temperament Can Kill You

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Harold Warlick

Imagine, if you will, two children walking down a hallway at school. Neither one of them is paying close attention to what he is doing. Consequently, they bump into each other. One child pushes the other down and makes a fist. "He bumped me. He bumped me," the child screams. He is ready to fight. The other child is headed toward class, realizes there is a class to attend and that the hallway is plenty big enough for both of them to pass. So he wants to go around and continue on his way. The first child is ...

4059. The Christian's Tears of Failure

Matthew 26:69-75

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75) "You win some and you lose some." This popular saying is a way of admitting that life has its failures. You can't win all the time. A serious failure is often accompanied with tears. One night two men went bowling. One of them was an excellent bowler. He got strike after strike and was headed for the perfect score of 300. On the last frame, something went wrong ...

4060. The Importance of Believing

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

"... On this rock I will build ..." - Matthew 16:18 The disciples of Jesus had been with him for quite a long time, a couple of years probably. Then one day he asked them, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). I doubt if he asked that question because he was concerned about his reputation. He asked it, I rather think, because he was concerned about his disciples. He had come into the world as the Savior, the Messiah, and he knew this. Nothing the disciples could say, nothing the whole world could ...

4061. Proper 8

Lk 9:51-62 · Gal 5:1, 13-25 · 1 Ki 19:15-21

Sermon Aid

COMMENTARY 1 Kings 19:15-21 Elijah obeys Yahweh's command to anoint two kings and a prophet. This and the previous two lections deal with the problem of depression as Elijah experienced it. A preacher might use these three Lessons for a series on overcoming depression. The way out: (1) Elijah is physically restored by rest and food provided by an angel; (2) Elijah had an experience with God on top of Mount Horeb where he heard the still, small voice of God; (3) in today's Lesson the final step in ...

4062. Follow the Signs to God and Eternal Life

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Richard Gribble

"Red, right, returning." "Even red nuns have odd black cans." To the mariner entering harbor from sea these expressions keep ships, their occupants, and cargo "out of harm's way." Remember the expressions and follow the signs and you will navigate safely home. Navigation, the art or science of moving precisely from one location to a second, has been practiced by humans since the dawn of civilization. With increasing sophistication men and women travelers have used various navigational aids, all of which ...

4063. Blind Ambition

Mark 9:30-37

Sermon

Mark Trotter

There's a story about a man whose great ambition was to become a general in the army. He imagined all the attention he would get, everybody saluting him, somebody to drive him around, all the perquisites of that high rank. One day he reached his goal. He was promoted to Brigadier General. The next day he moved into his new office, sat behind his new, big desk. He could just feel the power emanating from that office. His aide walked in, said, "There's a man here to see you." The general said, "Send him ...

4064. A Life Well Lived

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you noticed that grandmothers have changed? For one thing they seem so much younger than they used to. Some anonymous bard celebrated this truth in a little poem you may have encountered on the Internet. It’s titled, “Where Have All the Grandmas Gone?” In the dim and distant past; When life’s tempo wasn’t so fast Grandma used to rock and knit, Crochet, tat, and baby sit. When the kids were in a jam, They could always call on Gram. But today she’s in the gym Exercising to keep slim. She’s checking the ...

4065. Heaven: The Home of a Godly Family

John 14:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

A Sunday School teacher asked the children in her class: "How many of you would like to go to heaven?" All of the children raised a hand except one little guy named Derrick. When the teacher asked him why he didn't want to go to heaven, he said, "I'm sorry Mrs. Smith, but my Mommy told me to come home right after church."1 Well, like that little boy, heaven is still a desire and a dream for most Americans. 77% of Americans believe in heaven, and 76% of Americans believe their chances of getting there are " ...

4066. Doing a New Thing

Isaiah 43:18-25

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

Robert liked new things. He was one of those personalities who sought out new experiences and new approaches to life. He thrived on things different and new. He really couldn't help it. It was just the way he was. He was amazing. He would buy tickets to concerts by musicians he had never heard of, just so he could hear something new. If there was a new restaurant in town, particularly of an ethnic slant he hadn't experienced, he'd go there opening day for lunch. Robert was forever rearranging his apartment ...

4067. Up Close & Personal: Open the Doors

Psalm 100:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

What I am about to say to you I want to upfront make sure that I am not misunderstood. I am not a name dropper and I don’t like name droppers. During the course of my life I’ve gotten to meet many people, some of whom I consider famous, from the standpoint that they are well-known. But like most of you, I have a few people that I have always wanted to meet, or hope to one day meet. Not because I am star-struck or want to take a selfie with a celebrity to post on the Internet. No, I want to meet certain ...

4068. Don’t Be a Trender - Be a Trendsetter

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“Trending” as in “what’s trending?” is a social networking term used to describe what latest “hot new thing” is gaining popularity online and in our TGIF (Twitter, Google, Instagram, Facebook) culture. If you know what is “trending” then supposedly you’ve got your finger, or at least your texting finger, on the pulse of “what’s happening” in the world today. What have you heard is trending? Anyone?...This would be a great time for you to enter the congregational space and interact with your people about ...

4069. A Small Town Is Blessed

Micah 5:1-4

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you grew up in a small town, so you can identify with some of those lists that begin with “You know you live in a small town when . . .” For example, “You know you live in a small town when . . .” City limits signs are both on the same post. Your car breaks down outside of town and news of it gets back to town before you do. Without thinking, you wave to all oncoming traffic. You know you live in a small town when the New Year’s baby is born in October. A “Night on the Town” takes only 11 minutes. ...

4070. Saul’s Conversion

Acts 9:1-19a

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

As far as Luke was concerned, the conversion of Paul was the single most important result of the “Stephen affair.” Its importance is borne out by his threefold repetition of the story here, in 22:5–16, and in 26:12–18. Luke’s authority must have been Paul himself. The three accounts differ in detail, and it is not easy to say to what extent this was due to Paul—or to Luke—though we may be reasonably certain that some, at least, of the variations were Paul’s as he adapted the later accounts to his different ...

4071. Moses Flees to Midian

Exodus 2:11-25

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

The second half of Exodus 2 (vv. 11–25) begins with Moses walking among the Hebrew laborers. Three times in these verses he intercedes on behalf of weak persons who had been wronged, thereby showing himself to be God’s friend. Nevertheless, in addition to demonstrating the gifts God had given him, these three short scenes also reveal what was lacking in Moses’ character and education. Each encounter shows who he was and also changed him in significant ways. In striking down the Egyptian Moses encountered ...

4072. Sayings of Agur

Proverbs 30:1-33

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

The title that is incorporated into verse 1 clearly indicates a new collection. But it is difficult to ascertain the extent of the sayings: does it extend to verse 4, 9, or 14? The fact that the 14 verses are found in the LXX after 24:22 would suggest that they were taken as a unit. Proverbs 30:1–14 30:1 Agur is identified as son of Jakeh, but the next two words create some confusion (see Additional Notes) because both belong to prophetic speech: “burden,” “oracle.” It seems better to emend it slightly and ...

4073. Israel Forsakes God

Jeremiah 2:1-3:5

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

Former Bliss (2:1-3): 2:1–3 God again commissions Jeremiah to speak an oracle to the residents of Jerusalem. The oracle reminds the Judeans of their former intimate relationship with God. Jeremiah uses the metaphor of marriage to make his point here. The beginning of the relationship between God and his people was like a honeymoon—pure devotion. The bride, Israel, followed the groom, God, through hard places like the desert, also called a land not sown. This language reminds the hearers of the wilderness ...

4074. Job's Second Reply to Zophar

Job 21:1-34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

The Inexplicable Prosperity of the Wicked In chapter 21, Job responds to Zophar’s accusations by thoroughly deconstructing the foundation on which they rest. Zophar has claimed that the wicked perish both in an ultimate sense and in their relentless quest for that which does not satisfy—the gnawing greed that consumes the wicked from the inside out. Job assesses Zophar’s claims as so much “nonsense” and “falsehood” (v. 34) when held up to the mirror of real life as Job both knows and describes it. Far from ...

4075. Second Sight

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

This past week alone, I noticed at least 20 things I never noticed before. I saw a mama squirrel protecting her baby in the tree outside my porch. I met neighbors I never saw before. I took walks and noticed new buds, types of trees, all manner of railroad ties, how trains are constructed, found countless new places driving about in the area outside of town. The list could go on. I also noticed new things about myself, my likes and dislikes, and about others around me, especially at places such as the ...

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