Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4076 to 4100 of 4934 results

4076. A Church Fueled By Prayer

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

Any of you who have ever tried speaking in front of people will appreciate the predicament that Dr. Ralph D. Nichols of the University of Minnesota once found himself in. He was addressing a high school commencement when suddenly a child began to cry. That was distracting, but not too much of a problem. But then another child added his loud voice. And then a couple of small boys started galloping up and down the aisle. With the sinking feeling only a public speaker knows, Nichols realized he had lost his ...

4077. Slippery Rock

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

Some “rock” Peter turned out to be! Immediately following Jesus’ giving him that new name, the very first thing he did was to say something so stupid that Jesus had to call him a “devil,” and tell him, “You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.” (Matt. 16:23) Some rock! In J.D. Salinger’s novel CATCHER IN THE RYE, fifteen-year old Holden Caulfield gives us this profound theological reflection: “I like Jesus and all, but I don’t care too much for most of the other stuff in ...

4078. Looks Like We're in for Stormy Weather

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Eric Ritz

There is a story in the Bible that, for some of you, happened yesterday, and for others will take place tomorrow; for a few it may be lived out today. It is the story of a boat ride across a beautiful lake. As Mark, the Gospel writer, tells it, it was on the lake of Galilee toward the end of the day. It was late afternoon and the scene was very soothing and pastoral as they cruised across the lake. The followers of Jesus were full of friendly chatter on the events of the day that Jesus had already done. ...

4079. Extravagant Guestures in a Cost-Effective World

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

Robert Noblett

Families of faith that dwell in older buildings eventually have to struggle with the issue of restoring stained glass windows. Such restorations can be exceedingly costly. Those same families of faith often struggle to meet their normal operating budget responsibilities. What's more, within a short distance of most church families are community people who struggle to provide the basics for the people whom they love. Can one not therefore argue that spending thousands and thousands of dollars on stained ...

4080. The Preacher Was Caught by Surprise

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

King Duncan

I heard an amusing story recently about a Southern Baptist pastor who answered his telephone one day and heard a man's voice. "Please send six cases of whiskey to my house," said the voice. "We're having a party." To say the least, the pastor was surprised. Southern Baptist pastors are not in the habit of delivering cases of whiskey to people's homes. Even more surprising, he recognized the voice as being that of one of his deacons. Evidently the deacon had been calling a liquor store and dialed his pastor ...

4081. Gospel Through The Person

Philippians 1:12-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Carl Joseph is a young black athlete who comes from a little one-horse town down in Florida. It’s a very poor town. There’s one road in and one road out, one old hotel, one fairly decent restaurant, one high school, one dilapidated theatre that shows ten year old movies, one grocery store, just one of everything. From that town, Carl Joseph entered the University of Pittsburgh on a four-year football scholarship. Strangely enough, he will never play in a single game for the Panthers. But then Jackie ...

4082. In The Kingdom Now

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Twenty years after Israel had been given a homeland in 1948 by a kind of political fiat, there were still some 300,000 refugees in camps, driven from their homes. Children born in those camps were now 16, 18, 20 years old, and had never known anything but the life of a refugee. It is a monumental problem. The Cubans who fled to our country from Castro, the Haitians that have been seeking survival in this country in recent years, the constant stream of Mexicans who illegally cross our borders each year to ...

4083. Through God's Breathed Word

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

George Gallop has been studying American opinions and attitudes for more than 55 years. Increasingly, of late, he has been exploring the inner life of people. His recent book is a study of what it is that makes a saint. A couple of years ago, Gallop cited six basic spiritual needs of Americans. Number five in that list was this: the need to know that one is growing in his or her faith. Last Sunday we began our series of sermons on the general theme of growth. We're building on the Scriptural admonition, " ...

4084. Epiphany 3

Isaiah 9:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Matthew 4:12-17, Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 8:23-9:3 In the darkness of conquest, a light is seen bringing great joy. Today's Lesson is in part a repeat of Christmas Day. Then it was used as a fulfilled prophecy of the birth of the Messiah-king. Here it is used as fulfillment of the glorious time for the land, "Galilee of the nations." Matthew, in today's Gospel, sees the start of Jesus' ministry in Galilee as the fulfillment of this promise. The historical background: In 734 B.C. Assyria takes into captivity Zebulon ...

4085. Lord, Teach Us How to Pray

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

James McCormick

There is something within each of us that pulls us in the direction of God. There is a God-shaped empty place in us that will not be satisfied with anything less than God. Often we look for life in all the wrong places, only to discover that what Augustine said is true, “Thou hast made us for Thyself O God, and our hearts are restless ‘til they find their rest in Thee.” God has given us the gift of prayer as the primary means by which we make connection with God and send our roots into the meaning of life ...

4086. When We Are Caught in a Storm

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

James W. Moore

A man once came to a farmer and asked to be taken on as a hired hand. “What can you do?” the farmer asked him. The man replied: “I can sleep when the wind blows.” The farmer thought that was a strange answer, but he needed a worker so he hired him. Soon after, the farmer went away on a trip. A couple of weeks later, the farmer returned home one night and went to bed. But, a storm came up. Winds were blowing and lashing. The farmer woke and heard the winds and he remembered – the broken barn door – the weak ...

4087. Taking the Long View

2 Peter 3:8-15a

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

So much seems to press upon us in our daily living that "taking the long view" may not only be remote but considered impractical and therefore shelved. A thousand years equals one day and one day equals 1,000 years. It all sounds so mystical and unscientific! Do you mean we have to rethink being captains of our own ships? That is so basic to the American way and you are suggesting we give it up? After all, we can accomplish anything we set out to do — that is if we just try hard enough. Planning is done ...

4088. Dusting Off Our Gratitude

Joel 2:21-27

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

In the Deep South there is a most unusual monument paying homage to, of all things, the boll weevil. Enterprise, Alabama, is known as "Weevil City" for this unusual tribute to a devastating pest. In its spoof news commentary, Comedy Central has featured this thirteen-foot statue of a woman holding a huge black weevil over her head. Once when vandals removed the weevil from the statue's arms, Comedy Central captioned the news segment reporting this event as "See No Weevil."1 Carl Sandburg and Brook Benton ...

4089. Quenching St. Anthony's Fire

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The world invites us to climb ladders; the gospel invites us to lift crosses. What will it be? The Ladder or the Cross? There are two contemporary works of art that have rare symbolic power: the Vietnam Memorial and the AIDS Quilt. Both address the mystery of suffering that has no rhyme or reason; both restructure reality to enable us to deal creatively with the mystery of suffering. In the last half-millennium, a work of art which has exerted great symbolic power on a vast number of people is the " ...

4090. Proper 18

Proverbs 22:1-16, Mark 7:24-37, James 2:1-13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 It is obvious that this pericope was chosen because of its close relation in content with Lesson 2 which cries out against the unjust treatment of the poor. The most precious value of life is a good name which should be desired more than wealth. Yet, the rich are not to be condemned, for they, too, have been created by God. The person who shares what he has with those who have little is promised God's blessing. Epistle: James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 The ...

4091. Being a Woman of God

Acts 16:11-15

Sermon

James Merritt

I am at a distinct disadvantage here for one simple reason. I believe it is easier for a woman to address a group of men than it is for men to address a group of women. The reason is simple. Women at least think they understand men; men know they don't understand women. One of the reasons for this problem is there are undeniably tremendous differences between men and women. For example: Women have many faults Men have only two; Everything they say and everything they do. I told Teresa the other day in a ...

4092. Family Ties and Good-byes

Luke 12:49-56

Sermon

Ron Lavin

If ever we needed to strengthen the institution of family, it's today. Many forces of evil are pulling the family apart. Ethical relativism, which teaches that there are no absolutes, not even God, is increasingly popular. Immorality abounds. Listening and hearing one another seems to be a lost art in many homes. Spouses often seem to be going in opposite directions. Parents and children have a hard time communicating. Many modern homes are little more than large telephone booths where arrangements are ...

4093. Abraham Believed God

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

If you've traveled with small children in a car, you've probably heard this conversation more than once. Sooner or later, whether the journey is half an hour or half a day, someone asks, "When do we get there?" "Soon." "How much longer?" "A few minutes." How long do we have to wait? It is an essential question asked in scripture. Job, the psalmist, and God's people wonder over time how long they will have to wait until God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray that phrase in the Lord's Prayer ...

4094. Jochebed: Save The Baby, Save The World

Exodus 2:1-10, Numbers 26:59

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A very dirty little boy came in from playing in the yard and asked his mother, "Who am I?" Ready to play the game she said, "I don't know! Who are you?" "WOW!" the boy cried. "Mrs. Johnson was right! She said I was so dirty, my own mother wouldn't recognize me!" (1) Just like our physical parents, God doesn't forget God's children. Sometimes, most of the time, God makes God's presence known through our physical parents. At least that's what happens in the passage for today. Today we look at one of the ...

4095. Winning the War Over Worry (Series: Winning The War Over Daily Life)

Luke 12:22-34

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Several years ago, Bobby McFerrin recorded a little song entitled, “Don’t Worry –Be Happy.” Here is what it said: Ain’t got no place to lay your head Somebody came and took your bed Don’t worry, be happy The landlord say your rent is late He may have to litigate Don’t worry, Be happy Now, who in this room buys that? Everybody worries, sometimes. To be concerned is to be human, yet, worry can be a problem. For nineteen million people in this country worry is a chronic mental illness. The fact that we humans ...

4096. The Inheritance

Colossians 1:11-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

What are some of the things that get your heart racing and your blood pumping? What are some of the things that reach down into the very viscera of your being and touch your soul and stir your gut? What is it that gives wings to hope and excites your spirit? Is it edge of your seat action/adventure movies like National Treasure, Spiderman or The Day After Tomorrow? Is it fantasy books like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia? Is it the actual adventure itself of Mountain Biking, ...

4097. Let God Be God - As if It Could Be Otherwise

Exodus 7:14-24

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

John Newton once wrote, “If you think you see the Ark of the Lord falling, you can be quite sure that it is due to a swimming in your own head.” (Gerald Kennedy, Fresh Every Morning p. 8). Now I don’t expect you to understand the richness of that statement at this point —- but I hope it gets your attention. If you think you see the Ark of the Lord falling, you can be quite sure that it is due to a swimming in your head.” Today, I’m going to talk about God. No what’s new about that, you ask. There’s nothing ...

4098. When God Seems Far Off

Psalm 10:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

“Why do you stand afar off, O Lord? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Have you ever felt that way? You wanted to say that to the Lord? There have been times in my life when God seemed far off, beyond the reach of communication. I have awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning, morning after morning after morning, and anguished in spirit until day break, but my praying was more frustrating than fruitful. My passionate pleas seemed to bounce off the ceiling and ricochet around the walls. It never ...

4099. News Too Good To Tell

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Did you hear the story about an inattentive, workaholic husband who suddenly decided to surprise his wife with a night to remember? He went down to the department store and bought her the expensive dress she had been admiring. He bought her a large bottle of perfume to go with it. He ordered tickets to the Broadway play she had been wanting to see and made reservations at their favorite restaurant. On his way home he stopped by the florist and bought two dozen red roses which he carried home under his arm ...

4100. From Laziness to Passion

Psalm 51:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace, which I did not read in preparation for this sermon, the main character, Pierre, is forced to face himself and make an honest analysis of his life. What he concludes is something I hear often from reluctant confessors. "Yes, Lord, I have sinned, but I have several excellent excuses." I plan to focus our attention this Lenten Season to something the Church calls "The Seven Deadly Sins" - Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust. Even a casual listener will ...

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