Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4151 to 4175 of 4944 results

4151. Epiphany 5

Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Salt is very important to life. If a person lacks salt, the hunger for it is one of the strongest desires we have. Any farmer knows how cattle will find a salt block and lick it to maintain the proper balance in its body. Salt is so valuable that in some societies it has been used as a medium of exchange, a substitute for money. In the scripture, light is often used as a symbol for the existence of God. It is frequently used in a variety of ways throughout the Bible. In some cultures the sun was worshiped ...

4152. Thistles Among The Wheat

Genesis 28:10-22, Psalm 139:1-24, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Romans 8:12-25

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The parable of the weeds and wheat is intriguing. It raises a number of issues that are complex and can be confusing. Some resolutions of the issues are suggested while for others you need to look elsewhere for more adequate explanations. Some differences are found within the parable itself and the interpretation given to the disciples. One of the issues is the question about the nature of the church. Does this parable apply to the church as part of the kingdom of God? If so, is the church a divine or a ...

4153. No Longer Servants, but Friends

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: No Longer Servants, but Friends. Imagine! Friends of God! INVITATION TO WORSHIP Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers) In the Name of the One who called us servants and now calls us friends, welcome to this Easter celebration. Today, we come to learn what friendship with God means. I warn you that this discovery is both exciting and fearful. I invite us to give up some preconceived notions about friendship, and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us some new truths. P: We say ...

4154. The Season Of The Nativity

Luke 2:21-40

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus presented in the temple; his parents marvelled; and Jesus "grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." CELEBRATING WORSHIP Pastoral Invitation In the name of the newborn one, welcome to the ____ day of Christmas. If Christmas is now over for you, then it never began; for as W. J. Cameron has stated, "There has been only one Christmas (the rest are anniversaries) and it is not over yet." So, how will you celebrate Christmas in this worship hour? (One ...

4155. God Deep In The Flesh

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Marc Kolden

Our gospel reading today from Matthew 28 is both famous and familiar. Most of us have heard it many times. It is Jesus' "Great Commission" to the eleven disciples shortly after his resurrection. The disciples go to the mountaintop and the risen Christ comes to them in the midst of their doubts and astonishment and speaks those amazing words: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." What an incredible claim! But here, of course, the point is that it is the one to whom all authority has ...

4156. Lust - To Discipline The Eye And The Heart

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

R. Curtis Fussell

Jesus and his disciples were in a foreign land, the land of Samaria. It had once been recognized as the birthplace and capital of the Jewish faith. It was in Samaria and at Shechem that God told Abraham that the land would belong to his descendants. But later the Israelites were defeated by the Assyrians, who then settled in the land and mixed with the population. So in Jesus' day the people of Israel viewed the Samaritans as half-breeds and false worshipers. Jesus' parable of the "good Samaritan" was a ...

4157. Written On The Heart

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

A place to start with this passage is the use of the word "husband" by Jeremiah to describe the message God has given him. But let's jump, for a moment, to the Old Testament book of Hosea. It's a metaphorical story about a man, Hosea, whose wife was unfaithful. Ancient law would have permitted all sorts of dire punishment for that, but Hosea loved his wife too much to think in terms of punishment. Instead, he wanted her back, hopefully as things had been before her adultery. Thereafter, the story tells of ...

4158. Standing Firm

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

Some years ago, a Methodist Bishop of national reknown was asked to speak at an annual conference of that church. It so happened he had recently taken a strong stand on a very controversial issue and was being criticized rather widely among some of the brethren, not always with a lot of charity. So the Bishop spoke on the text of Jonah and the Great Fish. After acknowledging that others had a right to their own opinions on the issue so long as they were expressed in a Christian way, he then made this ...

4159. Pass It On

John 1:43-51

Sermon

John A. Stroman

Here we see the dynamic of witness. Look at what took place. Jesus met Philip and he called him, and Philip followed Jesus. Philip was much like Andrew; he could not keep a secret. When Andrew discovered Jesus, he ran to find his brother and said to him, "Come, Peter. I have found the Messiah." So with the same manner of enthusiasm, Philip went and found his friend Nathanael. He told Nathanael that he was sure that this was the Messiah. But Nathanael was skeptical. He was probably skeptical for several ...

4160. Proper 26

Matthew 23:1-39

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Notes The words of Jesus related by Matthew here against the behavior of the scribes and Pharisees are timeless, for the hypocrisies that are catalogued reflect a spiritual arrogance and pride that place the authors of the pronouncements "above it all," an attitude symbolized by their love for regalia and titles. It is no accident, therefore, that the passage ends with a commendation of humility. Liturgical Color Green Suggested Hymns Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Lord Of Light If You But Trust ...

4161. Attitudes

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

Object: A brown paper sack in which I have placed several different styles of calendars, an egg timer, a mechanical timer, and an alarm clock. Lesson: Attitudes; time; control; New Year's Day. Text: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Whether by serendipity or grace (if, in fact, there is a difference), light snow during the night has conveniently set the stage for my talk with the children. I begin with an imagined conversation: " 'There's just not enough of it,' ...

4162. Loving God with Our Whole Being

Mark 12:28-34

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

Greeting (The congregational response is the hymn "God of the Sparrow, God of the Whale") Leader: Children of God and disciples of Christ, listen. "The Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." People: (Sing verses 1 through 3.) Leader: The second greatest commandment is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." People: (Sing verses 4 through 6.) Prayer Let us bow in prayer before ...

4163. Making the Mystery Work for You

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

It’s Trinity Sunday: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Enough said? Don’t leave me. I promise you, I won’t deliver a lecture expounding on what belongs only in the classroom for theologues. I do want to tell you a brief story. A man in a certain parish was only seen in church one Sunday a year. No, it was not Easter. It was Trinity. One leading lay person had restrained his curiosity year after year. He could not contain it any more. He approached the man and said, “I have noticed that ...

4164. There Is Healing in the Touch

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

The idea for this sermon, “There is Healing in the Touch,” comes from two sources. In the Gospel Jesus makes a house call at the home of Jairus, President of the Synagogue Council. We would call him Senior Warden. “My little girl is dying,” he said. “Will you come and put your hands on her?” When Jesus entered the room, he took the little girl’s hand and said to her in his own native language, “Wake up, little girl!” At once she jumped to her feet and walked around the room. The other source is a book my ...

4165. The Temple Of Wisdom

1 Kings 8:22-61

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

The text appointed for today describes the dedication of the Temple, the magnificent house that Solomon built for the name of the Lord. The Temple itself is something to behold, built of cedar and cypress overlaid with pure gold. It takes seven years altogether to complete the Temple, to finish all of the details; doors of olivewood with carved palms, open flowers, cherubim, an inner core of hewn stone and cedar beams. In the inner sanctum, the holy of holies where the ark would be placed, Solomon builds ...

4166. God As Wisdom

Proverbs 1:20-33

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

If someone like me were to ask someone like you, "How do you imagine God?" what would you answer? What is the first word that comes to your mind when I say God? Creator? Love? Mother? Friend? Jesus? Help? Shepherd? Defender? How do you imagine God? When you are praying, how do you experience God? As strength? As light? As comfort? All-encompassing? How do you imagine God? Is God someone with a large protective shoulder to lean on, when you are more than a little scared? Is God a strong warrior who will ...

4167. Lessons for Lent 3

John 2:12-25

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme For The Day: A call to spiritual renewal and cleansing. Since God has come to us as holy redeeming love, our response is to be cleansed of our sins and live holy lives. The Ten Commandments (First Lesson) are guidelines for such lives. Jesus' cleansing of the temple (Gospel) constitutes a call to moral and spiritual renewal, beginning with God's house and God's people. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 20:1-17 The decalogue, the Ten Commandments, is presented as Israel's response to God's act of ...

4168. Proper 17

James 1:19-27, Song of Songs 2:1-17, Mark 7:1-23

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Purity is an inside job. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Song of Solomon 2:8-13 The whole of the Song of Solomon is a love poem. In this passage the bride hears the voice of her lover as he approaches her house, then with desire sees him through the lattice. He joyously announces that the winter rainy season is past and that the earth is in full bloom. He beckons his lover to come and celebrate love and life around them and within them. Old Testament: Deuteronomy 4:1-9 Epistle: James 1:17-27 James ...

4169. Life As An Investment

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Donald Dotterer

Let us pray: Gracious and eternal Father, we come before you this day seeking to make the most of the gifts which you have given us in life. Lord, as we now hear your word, may we learn how it is that we may serve you with all that we are. Lord, in these moments, grant us wisdom, understanding and peace. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. During the 1992 presidential campaign, one of the slogans which we heard frequently was ''invest and grow.'' The meaning of this phrase of course is that the government will ...

4170. Inner Experience (Wedding Sermon)

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Mary Lu Warstler

Marriage requires generosity, unselfishness, flexibility, and forbearance from both husband and wife. The reality and happiness of your marriage depends upon the inner experience of your heart and the integrity of your commitment. __________ and __________, today as you celebrate your marriage, you must realize that this ceremony is only an outward sign -- a symbol for the world to know that your intention is to spend the rest of your lives together as husband and wife. There is no magic in a service like ...

4171. Everyone Is Searching

Mark 1:35-39

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

Instrumental Meditation Words Of Preparation: from Deuteronomy 4:29; James 4:8, 10. "If with all your hearts ye truly seek me, ye shall surely find me;" thus saith our God. "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (KJV) The Prayer Of Invocation: Almighty God, author of eternal light: Illumine our hearts by the light of your grace, that our lips may praise you, that our lives may bless you, and that our worship may glorify you; through ...

4172. What Can I Do With Who I Am?

John 1:19-28

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

Instrumental Meditation Words Of Preparation Matthew 16:13-17 (TEV) Jesus went to the territory near the town of Caesarea Philippi, where he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" "Some say, John the Baptist," they answered. "Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet." "What about you?" he asked them. "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." "Good for you, Simon son of John!" answered Jesus. "For this ...

4173. The Secret of Wally Wheelbarrow

Philippians 2:7

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A wheelbarrow. Good morning, boys and girls. I brought along one of our friends today that I thought you would enjoy seeing. Do you remember Wally Wheelbarrow? (Let them answer.) Wally is a fine fellow. How many of you have ever worked with Wally? (Let them answer.) What did you do with Wally? (Let them answer.) You hauled dirt in Wally. Some of you picked up rocks and a few of you have even carried some wood in Wally. Wally Wheelbarrow has been a lot of places and has done a lot of things. A lot ...

4174. The Love Of Evil

Psalm 52:1-9

Sermon

Erskine White

You love evil more than good. (Psalm 52:3) Centuries ago, the great philosopher, Socrates, asked a question which troubles the sensitive conscience: "How can people know what is good but do what is bad?" The question has been pondered through the ages and we should be asking it tonight as we begin the forty day period of Lent. For some people, the answer to evil lies in education. They figure that people do bad things because of ignorance and so they put their hope in "getting the facts." They argue that ...

4175. Wedding: An Offer from God

Sermon Aid

John M. Braaten

(Name) and (name), you haven't exactly had what would be called a whirlwind romance. Now all those years of courtship and months and months of preparation are being distilled into these brief but precious moments, which comprise your wedding day. What do you say to a young couple who are deeply in love but who are still largely innocent of the demands of love? What do you say to two dear young people who know the joy of a close relationship, but who have yet to deal with the frictions which the intimacy of ...

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