Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4126 to 4150 of 4508 results

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Notes 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 (or "good side," in today's parlance) and inher...

4127. New Year's Eve/Day

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP Worship God, our Sovereign, with reverence for the majesty of God's name in all the earth! PRAYER OF CONFESSION God before time, God in our time, God Eternal, you mark our days and years for what we have experienced and what we have learned. You give us time to develop characters shaped by joy and sorrow. We do not always learn willingly and change our ways to follow the way of Je...

4128. Christ The King

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The very title given to this Sunday by the Roman Ordo and the LBW lectionary, Christ the King, firmly reinforces the eschatological framework of the church year, closing the gap between the Ascension of Our Lord and the end of the Pentecost cycle/season. All of the Sundays between the Ascension and Christ the King Sunday reflect the fact that in the Ascension Jesus has begun his ...

4129. Christ The King

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Christ our king. In the Ezekiel lesson, God is the loving Shepherd-King of Israel, gathering the lost, comforting the injured. In the 1 Corinthians text, Christ triumphs over his enemies, especially the power of death. In the Gospel, Christ judges and separates those who are his sheep from those who are not. The key determinant consists of attitudes and actions toward the weak and needy one...

4130. Christ the King

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 As the shepherd for his people, Yahweh will seek the lost, gather, and feed his sheep with David as the prince among them. A popular metaphor for a religious-political leader in Judah was "shepherd." False shepherds, says Ezekiel, led Judah to ruin and captivity. So, Yahweh will be her shepherd who will bring his sheep out of captivity in Babylon,...

4131. The Final Judgment

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

Suggestions: Use as an anthem. Speakers: 1 older woman 1 young man 3 boys and girls who enjoy reading 3 middle-aged adults Key: 1 = older woman 2 = Jesus 3, 4 and 7 = boys and girls 5, 6 and 8 = adults 1: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one...

4132. The Glory Of The Lord

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: To God be the glory. Summary: The voices of all creatures praise the Lord. A reader's theatre production. Playing Time: 7 minutes Setting: Eternity Props: Folders from which to read Costumes: Black Time: Eternity Cast: EIGHT READERS (READERS ENTER AND TAKE THEIR PLACES) FIRST MAN: On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet ... I turned a...

4133. Hungry For Bread

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A telephone directory Good morning, boys and Girls. I brought this telephone directory with me. (Comment on your particular directory relative to the size of your community.) Nearly every family in our town has their name listed in this book. Most of us wouldn't recognize most of the names listed here. There are a lot of people we do not know. Population experts tell us that more than 74 ...

4134. Do It To Them, Do It To Me

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

Object: None Lesson: Jesus teaches that the way we treat others is the way we treat him. Preparation: Be familiar with Matthew 25:31-46. (Before the service, enlist an adult seated near the front to help you.) This is Mr. _______ (or Mrs. _______). He/She will be helping us with our lesson this morning. If I walk up to Mr. ________ and punch him in the arm, who did I hit? (Children respond. T...

4135. Being A Sheep Is Not So Bad

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: a report card or progress report from day care or kindergarten Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you go to school or day care? Do you have a good time there? When I was your age, I went to kindergarten. And there were certain things that the teacher expected me to do in kindergarten. For instance, the teachers wanted me to share my toys, and play well with the other children, and ...

4136. Happy Thanksgiving

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: An item of food to be shared as the result of our Thanksgiving. Lesson: And the King will answer them "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you brought something that you want to share with another family in our Children's Sermon Thanksgiving basket? (Let them answer.) Do you want to tell...

4137. Celebrating Christ the King

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A doll Good morning, boys and girls. Recently there was a story in the newspapers about James Harris, a 39- year-old Florida resident, who is a former basketball player. In former days, he made some deft plays with his hands. Nothing, however, will top the catch he made recently at the scene of a burning apartment building. An apartment caught on fire. The babysitter saw no way to exit t...

4138. Am I My Brother’s Keeper? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teaming shore. Send these the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” As I read those words, once more, inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, I wondered if we Americans believe that any more. Do we really want the world’s huddled masses yearning to be free? Our f...

4139. Blessed To Be A Blessing

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Once there was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it would be a long trip to where God lived, so he packed a suitcase full of Twinkies and cans of root beer (his two favorite foods) and set off on his journey. He had only gone a few blocks when he passed an older woman, sitting on a park bench and just staring at some pigeons. She looked sad and lonely, so the boy went over and sat down ...

4140. Surprised Saints

Sermon

King Duncan

Over many decades, the little magazine Reader’s Digest has been a reliable source of humor drawn from everyday life. In one issue several years ago a nurse wrote in to tell about what was then a new piece of equipment. The nurse worked in a gynecologist’s office and they were beginning to use a battery-operated device called a mini-dop on expectant mothers to listen to the heartbeat of their babie...

4141. Go to Heaven?

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

Judgment day was the preacher's theme, and he thundered about God's wrath, sin and the day of judgment. A seven-year-old boy listened closely, tugged at his father's sleeve, and asked, "Will they call school off?" He was asking, "What's in it for me?" Judgment day is on Christ's mind here in Matthew 25:31 and following verses. He is describing that fateful day soon "when the Son of Man comes in h...

4142. If We Had Known It Was You

Sermon

James McCormick

One of my favorite musical forms is the spiritual. For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite spirituals has been “Sweet Little Jesus Boy.” I don’t know why, exactly. I like the melody. I like some of the images it calls to mind. It stirs up some deep feelings within me. I don’t know, I just like it. But recently, some of the words have been troubling me. All throughout the song there is t...

4143. Who Cares?

Sermon

David G. Rogne

When Vince Lombardi, the eminently successful professional football coach in the 1960s, was asked how he produced winning teams, he declared that any group of naturally endowed athletes could win more games than they lost if they concentrated on the "little things" of the game — the fundamentals. After a close game won by his Green Bay Packers, Lombardi called a special session for Monday morning ...

4144. Nations on Trial

Drama

Chris Ewing

A Readers' Theater for Five Voices A few suggestions for staging this.... It probably makes sense for the minister to be Voice 1, and an "ordinary layperson" to be Voice 2. Voice 3 (Christ) is probably best read by a respected adult male, in order to avoid confusion or dissonance. When Voices 4 and 5 bring in quotes from news stories, other parts of scripture, and prominent contemporary thinkers...

4145. Serving the Poor—Compassionately

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi were trying to outrun the paparazzi through the streets of Paris when their driver, Henri Paul, hit a pillar in a tunnel, killing three of the four passengers in the car. The world was stunned. This princess, who could make the headlines by waving her hand or send sensations through the media by wearing a party dress, was dead. The queen of...

4146. Winners and Losers

Sermon

King Duncan

Brett Blair tells a story about a man who had been driving all night and when morning came, he still had far to go. He decided he had to get some sleep. So he stopped at the next city he came to, found a city park, and pulled into a parking spot in the park so he could get an hour or two of sleep. It just so happened he had chosen a quiet place on a very popular jogging route. So just as he laid ...

4147. Life’s Take-Home Final

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There are two types of students. There are those students who jump for joy when they hear the words “take home final.” And there are those students who are not thrilled with joy but filled with dread when they hear the words “take home final.” At first blush it seems a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t prefer a take home exam? There is no time crunch. There is unlimited access to resources for checking fa...

4148. Hungry For Bread

Sermon

King Duncan

"I am thankful," says an unknown author, "for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means that I am alive . . ." Then he adds, "And for the person behind me in church who sings off-key because it means that I can hear." (1) There is somebody who knows how to be thankful. This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. It is a day when we will celebrate our bounty as a nation, and we w...

4149. Surprised Sheep And Graceless Goats

Sermon

Stan Meade

Before we begin this morning, I believe we need a little background on sheep and goats. Sheep are the most profitable animals man has ever domesticated. Catgut comes from sheep, not cats. I'm sure all you cat lovers will find that a blessing. Sheep are good for meat, fur and milk. They outnumber humans in most countries. Then there are goats. More people world-wide drink goat's milk than cow's mi...

4150. Surprise! Surprise!

Sermon

Michael L. Sherer

A wealthy architect, whose self-designed rambling lake home was the envy of the entire city, was given to hosting lavish dinner parties. They were always the event of the social season, and the folks who were invited always knew they were on a special list. One year the architect changed tactics. Instead of mailing special invitations, he simply ran an advertisement in the personals column of the...

Showing 4126 to 4150 of 4508 results