Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4076 to 4100 of 4936 results

4076. Stepping into Liminal Space

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Roy Howard

When Peter stepped out of that boat, he stepped into liminal space to walk on water. Some of you may be wondering what is liminal space? Liminal space is a term used by cultural anthropologists to describe in-between or transitional passages of communities. It describes those times when the past is no longer sustainable, and the future is not yet clear. The present is a time of unsettledness, unable to rely on the past and unsure about the future. There are some who are sure that the United States is in ...

4077. The Peace That Invades

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

It was not like they had anticipated. It was supposed to be a celebration -- a celebration of deliverance as they remembered the Passover in that upper room. But Jesus had upset them ƒ with his actions and with his words. Before the meal even began, he knelt before each one of them with towel and water insisting on washing the grime from their feet; it was the action of a common servant, and yet, most intimate. Then, after the meal, he made predictions that shocked them: "I'm telling you the truth, one of ...

4078. Entertaining Tips for Christians

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Alex Gondola

Imagine this situation, if you will: a husband comes home from work on a Friday night, say the Friday of Labor Day weekend. And as he drives into the driveway, he sees that there is a rented tent in the back yard. Under the tent are tables and chairs for about forty people. A bandstand and dance floor are assembled in one corner of the tent. Paper lanterns are hanging all around. Now mind you, none of this was there when the husband left for work that morning! Seeing all these preparations and having them ...

4079. Easter 4

John 10:1-21, Acts 4:1-22, 1 John 3:11-24

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gathers us, saves us and keeps his flock together. COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 4:5-12 Peter and John are arrested by the temple guards for preaching the resurrection and healing the crippled man in the temple. The suspects are brought before the family of the High Priest for questioning. The interrogators wanted to know by what power Peter effected the healing. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter boldly proclaims that this man was healed through the name of Jesus. Jesus is ...

4080. Proper 25

Lk 18:9-14 · 2 Tim 4:9-18 · Sirach 35:12-18 · Deut 10:12-22 · Zeph 3:1-9

Sermon Aid

THE LESSONS Zephaniah 3:1-9 The day of judgment will come to the nations because of their sins. Zephaniah served as a prophet during the reign of Josiah (637-607 BC) before he instituted his reforms. When Zephaniah surveyed the moral and religious conditions of his day, he proclaimed the word of the Lord that the Day of the Lord, the day of judgment, was coming. He called for absolute monotheism, social righteousness, and the fear of the Lord. In our pericope, Jerusalem is described as a city of crime and ...

4081. Decaffeinated Christianity

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

There is an old legend about a pig and a chicken who were walking through a poverty stricken area. Full of compassion the chicken said, "These people need a good breakfast. Let's give them some ham and eggs." The pig replied, "Wait a minute. For you to provide eggs would require only compassion. For me to supply ham would require total commitment." Both compassion and total commitment are essential to the Christian lifestyle. Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and ...

4082. Take a Close Look (At the Widow)!

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

James W. Robinson

Mark is a marvel when it comes to storytelling. He is the O. Henry of the New Testament, a magician with words, who squeezes a novel into a paragraph or two. His skill is nowhere more evident than in his account of the widow with the two coins at the temple treasury. It is a gem of a short story. He makes it so easy for us to visualize the woman as she waits patiently in line to drop her offering into the chest with the trumpet-shaped tube. Without going into a detailed character study, he makes us feel ...

4083. Christmas: A Family Service

Drama

Ruthanne Cochran

Setting: A large Christmas Lrce is placed in the chancel, or on one side of the front of the sanctuary, with wrapped gifts placed beneath it. A large manger is placed in front of the altar, or communion table, with a large candle placed nearby or on the altar. The portion of the service presented by the family takes place around the tree. Participants: A family, or six selected persons to portray: A mother A father An older son An older daughter A sniall girl (aged 9 or 10) A small boy (aged 8 or 9) Youth ...

4084. Save The Tokens For Uncle Sam

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

King Duncan

A sportswriter once asked Joe Louis, "Who hit you the hardest during your ring career?" His reply was "Uncle Sam." Oscar Wilde, the master wit, once protested about the taxes on his house. He was told that by living there he used the protection and services of the government even while he slept. Wilde is supposed to have answered, "But I sleep so badly." A prominent citizen of Washington, D. C. once invited President John F. Kennedy to play golf when Kennedy was President. On the first hole Kennedy floated ...

4085. A Message For Big Bird

John 11:17-37

Sermon

King Duncan

In the summer of 1981, Will Lee, the actor who played an adult character named Mr. Hooper on the children's television show SESAME STREET, died. This posed a difficult set of issues for The Children's Television Workshop, producers of the show. Should they deal at all with the subject of death? If so, how would they explain it to their 10 million viewers, most of whom are under the age of six? A staff writer describes it this way: "We asked ourselves: What do we want the kids to know? What can they absorb ...

4086. Thanksgiving - The Biblical Version

1 Chronicles 16:7-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

For most of us, Thanksgiving Day will be a short-lived experience. It will almost be an interruption in the fast paced preparation being made for the Great Christmas Rush of 1992. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day for trains, planes, and our nation''s roadways. Housewives will be busy preparing for a great feast. Football games will fill the airwaves and generate much excitement in local communities such as ours. In the midst of this busyness, preparation, travel, action, will ...

4087. Four Cornerstones

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Both Elizabeth and I hail from paper-mill towns. A few years ago the blue collar-redneck-good-old-boy logging town Elizabeth grew up in (Springfield, Oregon) found itself very interested all of a sudden in building sushi bars and trendy, high-tech fitness centers. Why? Sony Corporation seriously considered the town as a new factory headquarters site. Like every other economically struggling small town, the prospect of a large employer coming to town with deep pockets and wide wants encouraged the community ...

4088. The Thrill of Victory Beats the Agony of Defeat

Judges 7:1-17

Sermon

James Merritt

The United States is known around the world as a "Christian nation." There are several reasons why one might think that is true. In America there are: 1,485 Christian radio stations 300 Christian television programs 96% of all Americans are "believers in God" 70 million born-again believers 148 million professing Christians 62% of all Americans say they have "made a commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today." Now if America is indeed a Christian nation, you would think that God ...

4089. Filling the Hole in Our Hearts

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

A Sunday School teacher taught her class to recite the Apostles Creed by giving each child one phrase to learn. When the day came for the class to give their recitation, they began beautifully. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,” said the first child. “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord,” said the next. And so it went perfectly until they came to the child who said, “He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: from thence ...

4090. The Keys to Effective Praying

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to begin with a true but incredible story. Back in September 1996 a man named Edouardo Sierra, a citizen of Spain, was on a business trip to Sweden. He was driving through the Swedish countryside when he came upon a Catholic church. He decided to stop in for a few moments to say a prayer. The church was empty except for a coffin with a body lying at rest inside it. Edouardo decided to take a few moments to stop and pray for the man who lay in the coffin. Then he signed a book of remembrance left by ...

4091. You Have a Friend (Memorial Day)

John 14:15-31

Sermon

King Duncan

An anonymous e-mail tells a story we need to hear on this Memorial Day weekend. It’s about an old man and his wife sitting in the parking lot of a supermarket. The hood is up on their car. Evidently they are having engine problems. A young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm walks in the direction of the elderly couple. The old gentleman emerges from the car and takes a few steps in the young man’s direction. He points to the open hood and asks the young man for assistance. The young ...

4092. Mission and Rejection in Galilee

Mark 6:14-29, Mark 6:7-13

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: All followers of Jesus are called to mission. Yet when the kingdom news of the gospel is presented, there is both authority from God and inevitable opposition to it when people reject the good news, sometimes even costing the lives of those sent to speak for God. Understanding the Text This begins the fourth section of the Galilean ministry in Mark (after 1:16–3:6; 3:7–35; 4:1–6:30) and constitutes the third sandwiching episode thus far (after 3:20–35; 5:21–43). The sending of the Twelve (6:7–13 ...

4093. Two Parables about Prayer

Luke 18:9-14, Luke 18:1-8

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: We should pray with confidence that God will respond, but our confidence should be in God’s mercy, not in our own merits. Understanding the Text Parables have been a prominent feature in Luke’s narrative of the journey to Jerusalem, especially in chapters 14–16. The two parables in the present section, together with one further one in 19:11–27, will round out the collection before Jesus reaches Jerusalem. The first of these two parables is linked to the preceding section in that it finishes with ...

4094. War against Midian

Num 31:1-54

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God condemns the wicked but rewards his people. Understanding the Text Numbers 31 resumes the story of Numbers 25 in which a Midianite princess, Kozbi, and an Israelite man, Zimri, commit a flagrant act of disobedience (Num. 25:6–9, 14–15). Theirs is one of many acts of immorality and idolatry (Num. 25:1) that have brought God’s wrath on Israel in the form of a plague. As a result, God tells Moses to treat the Midianites as an enemy and kill them (Num. 25:16–18). Numbers 31 fulfills God’s command ...

4095. A Fruitful Life

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

How many of you would say you’re a pretty good gardener? I imagine your schedule is getting busy since we have entered spring planting season. I read a funny story about a potato farmer who was fuming because his son was arrested on a minor offense, and he would be spending the first few weeks of planting season in the local jail. The father wrote him a letter saying, “Son, what were you thinking? You made a stupid mistake, and now I have no one to help me dig up the garden for the planting potatoes.” The ...

4096. 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 ...

4097. Noah

Luke 12:22-34

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: The Son of Man is coming like the flood. Be ready as Noah was. Summary: A modern retelling of the Noah story. Playing Time: 13 minutes Setting: The world before the flood Props: Rain hat Umbrella Lunch pail Costumes: Contemporary with costume pieces Time: The time before the flood Cast: Noah Mrs. Noah Gerhon -- a neighbor Shem Mrs. Shem Ham Mrs. Ham Japheth Mrs. Japheth (NOAH, IN PANTOMIME, SEEN WORKING ON ARK. ON THE RADIO WE HEAR ...) Chorus: It's gonna rain and rain and rain some more and rain ...

4098. Noah

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme\n The Son of Man is coming like the flood. Be ready as Noah \nwas. \nSummary\n A modern retelling of the Noah story.\nPlaying Time 13 minutes\nSetting The world before the flood\nProps Rain hat, umbrella, lunch pail\nCostumes Contemporary with costume pieces\nTime The time before the flood\nCast NOAH\n MRS. NOAH\n GERHON -- a neighbor\n NOAH'S SONS AND THEIR WIVES\n SHEM\n MRS. SHEM\n HAM\n MRS. HAM\n JAPHETH\n MRS. JAPHETH\n(NOAH, IN PANTOMIME, SEEN WORKING ON ARK. ON THE RADIO WE HEAR \n...) \n ...

4099. A Ministry Of Hospitality

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Richard Patt

Maybe you've heard the humorous story about the pastor who was having difficulty with his assigned parking space on the church parking lot. People parked in his spot whenever they pleased, even though there was a sign that clearly said, "This space reserved." He thought the sign needed to be more clear, so he had a different sign made, which read, "Reserved for Pastor Only." Still people ignored it and parked in his space whenever they felt like it. "Maybe the sign should be more forceful," he thought. So ...

4100. Baptism And Self-Esteem

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Every once in awhile I am surprised by a film which offers a message that I never expected. When I checked out Brubaker, an old Robert Redford film from the late '70s, from my local video store I expected some romantic adventure from one of Hollywood's biggest stars. That's not at all what I got. Instead I saw a wonderful and thought-provoking portrayal of human nature. Brubaker turned out to be a spellbinding film about the futile attempt of an enlightened prison warden to reform a hopelessly corrupt ...

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