Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4101 to 4125 of 4508 results

Sermon

George Johnson

When I was serving as Director of the Hunger Program for the former American Lutheran Church, I preached at various congregations on Sunday mornings. They would often ask me, "Should we read the Matthew 25 passage for the scripture lesson?" This text is a favorite for any gathering around hunger and poverty issues. I've used it often when I speak about hunger. But the text has a far greater scope ...

4102. The Least of These

Eulogy

Richard F. Bansemer

Death of a poor man The meditation text is Matthew 25:40: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." This is not a large funeral, is it? Only a few of us knew ___________ well enough to spend this hour in worship, committing his spirit into the care of God.Welcome to this celebration. The strife is over and the battle is won. We have gathered t...

4103. Here Comes the Judge!

Sermon

Johnny Dean

At the beginning of each new semester, teachers and professors frequently distribute to their students a sheet of paper called a synopsis. This synopsis contains a list of things the teacher plans to cover during the semester, along with other pertinent information, such as a list of books the student will be expected to read (which always gave me a headache), the schedule of examinations (ditto),...

4104. Good and Bad

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: The separation of the good and bad. Props: A bushel of apples or bag of M&M’s. The night before damage half the apples by cutting them, bruising them, and taking a bite of them. It would be best, if you can find some genuinely bad apples. If you are going to use M&M’s you will need to damage them. Lesson: Good morning? (response) I have a bushel full of...? (apples) Apples that’s r...

4105. Is There Room for One More?

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Is there room in your life for "one more" for the least, the lost, the lonely, the leper, the "other"? When a national day of thanksgiving was established on the fourth Thursday in November, it was not because the fourth Thursday in November was a particularly thankful day. It was intentionally chosen precisely because of its arbitrariness to remind us to say "thanks" on a daily basis for ...

4106. Matthew 25:31-46

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The judgment scene depicted in today's gospel text is one of several crowded into Jesus' final discourse series. In 23:29-39, the "scribes and Pharisees" are denounced for their rejection of the Messiah and their ultimate punishment (a hell sentence) foretold. This judgment text is followed by the examples of the faithful and unfaithful servants (24:45-51) and the parable of the talents (25:14-30)...

4107. Matthew 25:31-46

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

After a long series of stories about the need for keeping alert, being watchful, staying at the ready, the time of anticipation is finally over. In today’s gospel text Jesus describes what will occur when the long-awaited “Son of Man” at last makes his appearance. As Jesus describes what will occur at that much anticipated event, his presentation assumes the now familiar parable form. But Jesus is...

4108. Christ the King

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

The king of an African tribe, after many years, faced the fact that his throne was wearing out. It was repaired a couple of times, but eventually collapsed and was replaced with a new one. The king, for sentimental reasons, hated to part with his old throne. So it was hoisted on ropes to the ceiling of his grass hut and stored there. Then one night during a storm, the throne fell down and hit the ...

4109. New Year's Resolutions

Sermon

James L. Killen

You know, there is something about New Year's Day that is a little bit like judgment day. It is a time when we look back and ask ourselves if we feel good about what we did with the year just past. Fortunately, for most of us, New Year's Day is a judgment day with the promise of another year -- another possibility -- a chance to do better attached. When old age or serious illness makes us wonder h...

4110. The Sheep and the Goats

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Parables of Judgment: Chapter 24 closed with a parable warning what will happen to servants who are unfaithful while the master is away. The same general theme continues throughout chapter 25. Like the foolish young women of verses 1–13, they will be excluded from the marriage feast; like the worthless servant who buries his talent, they will be thrown outside into the darkness (vv. 14–30); and li...

4111. Sheepish Shalom

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

Over 500 hundred years ago, a young man named Francis was living the good life. He was rich, handsome, pampered, popular. And though nominally a Christian, Jesus was a stranger to him. One day, Francis was forced to interact with a loathsome leper. In a moment of dreaded touch, the leper was transformed, literally becoming before his eyes the very image of Christ. And Francis was changed. From tha...

4112. "Two Men in White Suits"

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

This morning’s Gospel lesson is a very difficult one for me. The lesson is a story or a saying concerning the coming of the end - the judgment. Jesus is laying out before his disciples what will happen when he comes for the second time. He tells us the questions that are going to be asked of each of us: "Did you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, did you visit the sick, did you make the stranger w...

4113. Blessing, Testing, Response

Sermon

King Duncan

Sometime back newscaster Paul Harvey reported that the average person blinks his eyes 13 times every minute. That's an interesting bit of trivia. But what really interested me was what I also read this week about the problem of world hunger. I read that 13 people starve to death every minute in this world. That means, of course, that every time you and I blink our eyes, another person has died fr...

4114. Christ the King

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 100 First Lesson - The great Shepherd to come, says the prophet, will care for the lean sheep pushed aside by the fat ones. Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Second Lesson - The apostle rejoices in the faith of this congregation but prays for further growth toward maturity. Ephesians 1:15-23 Gospel - Jesus tells a parable of final judgment. Matthew 25:31-46 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader:...

4115. Christ's Return

Bulletin Aid

James Wilson

Call To Worship Leader: Let us gather together all who await the return of the Lord! People: Let our hearts always be ready to stand before the throne of God! Leader: For the Lord will come again and God's judgment will be real. People: And we are each called to share God's love while there is yet time. Leader: So let us lift our voices in song and praise for God's abiding love! All: Blessed be th...

4116. January 1

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 8:1-10 Theme: God's promise of providence Call to Worship Pastor: The future is exciting because it comes to us from God! People: That's true. Fear of the unknown must give way to faith in God. Pastor: God has promised to provide for our needs. Let us enter this new year with the assurance that God will take care of us. People: We believe that for sure. We thank God for...

4117. Prayer

Bulletin Aid

On the one hand The sheep On the other The goats And, in the middle, The King. Judgment Final Terrible Or Wonderful - It all depends. And it depends - not on piety Not on worship habits But simply on charity On acted love, For those in need Without tests for moral worthiness For legal innocence For doctrinal purity. Am I a sheep Or a goat? The King knows! Lord, forgive me for not seeing you in...

4118. Consecration Sheep and Goats

Bulletin Aid

Leader: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Congregation: The king will say to those on his right, "Come you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you...

4119. So Who Did You Think It Was?

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Two: Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Right Side: Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Left Side: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. All: For the Lord is...

4120. The Season Of The Nativity

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

CELEBRATING THE PRESENCE OF GOD Pastoral Invitation For the second time, in the name of the newborn one, welcome to the ____ day of Christmas, when my true love gave to me __________. Now that we are well past the culture's celebration of Christmas day, we can celebrate the biblical version of the event. Someone (author unknown) has said, "In despair we cry, 'Look at what the world has come to!' ...

4121. Faith Or Works? Faith That Works!

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship Faith or works? The choice is clear — depend on words only, or live our confession of faith. Gather together, people of God. Instill in each other a faith that works! Collect How great you are, God of creation. How greater still the task at hand which you have allowed us to share. When may we see you? In your people and in their needs! We see you, Lord. We come to you. Amen. Pray...

4122. PROPER 29

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Theme: God is a shepherd to his people Call to Worship Pastor: God is aware that his people often feel lost like sheep who have no shepherd. People: We cannot live without divine guidance to lead us through life. Pastor: God loves all his people, and promises to lead us like a shepherd who loves his sheep. People: We trust in God to keep us under his protect...

4123. Proper 29

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Royal approval for righteous action Exegetical note Whether "the least" of the "brethren" (vv. 40, 45) meant specifically the disciples who were to be received as envoys of Jesus or more generally the outcast and oppressed for whom Jesus consistently showed concern is a matter of dispute. In either case, however, it is clear that those who wind up on the eschatological "King's" right hand ...

4124. Christ the King

Sermon Aid

Liturgical Color: Green Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 Theme: Basis for the last judgment. Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration One pastor began this way: As people entered the sanctuary, each was given a picture in which some people were enjoying the bountiful harvest and some were not. Some were getting well-fed, others were going hungry and thirsty, which is also the cause for millions of deaths...

4125. Christmas 2

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

Note: There is a time to sit listening and asking questions in our Father's house, and there is a time to go out and be obedient. Greeting Ldr: When Jesus was twelve years old, his parents could not find him. So Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem, and found Jesus in the temple. Cng: We still find you in the temple, Lord. Ldr: Though only twelve, Jesus sat talking with the teachers in the templ...

Showing 4101 to 4125 of 4508 results