Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4176 to 4200 of 4963 results

4176. Dinner Guests

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to the threat of cultural dilution was to say, "We will maintain our Jewish identity by keeping Torah, the Hebrew law. Even when we live among non-believers, we will keep our religion and ourselves pure. Even when the military powers of this world enslave us, we will remain God's people." By faithfulness to Torah, the observant Jew could say, "I know who I am, and the world knows who we are: We are the ones who keep God's Law." At a time when most other cultures were being lost to Roman ways of thinking ...

4177. A Place At the Table

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people. Gandhi left the church and never returned. "If Christians have caste differences, also," he said, "I might as well remain a Hindu."[3] How sad. No, we do not have caste differences. As Paul himself noted, Christians are one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free men (1 Corinthians 12:13). In fact, he would go so far as to say that, "In Christ there ...

4178. The Most Dangerous Verse In the Bible

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to come home. She decided to get some divine guidance: Bible on the lap, eyes closed, and the moving finger magically guided. She opened her eyes to see what passage she had been "guided to" and read in astonishment from Jeremiah 38:2: "Thus says the Lord, he who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the plague. But he who goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live." By the sword? The famine? Gracious! She was on the phone to Caracas that night and within two weeks she was back in ...

4179. What Is Truly Important?

Psalm 149

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... hired. Not only could he see right through the brothers' deception, but he also spoke well and true, and the church started to swell in numbers. A fundraising campaign was started to build a new assembly. All of a sudden, one of the brothers died. The remaining brother sought out the new pastor the day before the funeral and handed him a check for the amount needed to finish paying for the new building. "I have only one condition," he said. "At his funeral, you must say my brother was a saint." The pastor ...

4180. The Incomparable Christ

Colossians 1:15-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... descend as a dove and heard a voice from heaven saying, "You are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11). It had been months since that day by the Jordan. But no revolution had begun, Rome was still master of Israel, and Herod remained on the throne. Here John was in prison. What was going on? So he sent two of his disciples to inquire: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" (Matthew 11:2 NRSV). Are you the one who is to come, or are ...

4181. Remember!

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the Roman church of their day because they said the church had forgotten her roots. They went back to the teachings of scripture and pointed out how far the church had strayed from historic Christian practice. Needless to say, they encountered violent opposition, but they remained firm in their convictions and the result is the protestant tradition in which so many of us have grown up. We are what we are because of our memories of the past. Sometimes, our memories force us to make changes in the ways we do ...

4182. Mark 7:24-37

Mark 7:24-30

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the Jewish people, the “children” (“teknon”) of God Jesus refers to in his first response are indeed the first served at the table. But she then offers a new insight — that once the children are fed the “crumbs,” the bounty which still remains, is available to the “dogs under the table.” The woman’s reply is stunning in its audacity. It is brilliant in its logic. It is shocking in its depth of theological insight. She acknowledges the “firstborn” privilege of Israel, yet she also ...

4183. Rich Man, Poor Man

James 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... But the knight would not stoop to pick up his grandson lest he break his vow to the king. Finally after years the king came to visit and inspect the knight. As the king approached, the knight just stood there at attention. He did not bow, but simply remained erect. The king inspected him, but then he noticed that the knight was crying. “You are one of the noblest knights I have ever seen,” said the king. “Why do you cry?” The knight responded: “Your majesty, I took a vow that I would bow and lift ...

4184. Did You Come Here to Die?

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... the windows, leave their desks and get out of the building. He stood there and held the door, yelling for everyone to hurry, and held the door open until everyone from his company had started down the stairs. They all made it down. So did he. But he remained outside Tower Two, helping others out of the building, talking on his cell phone. The last anyone saw of him, he was giving his cell phone to someone else, after which the tower collapsed and no one ever heard from Ron Fazio again. Ron’s wife Janet ...

4185. What Does the Bible Really Say about Divorce?

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... mother who maintained their marriage relationship but were so abusive to one another that it would have been better if their marriage had never taken place. So Jesus’ teachings on marriage and divorce are important to you even if you have decided to remain single. Perhaps, if you are divorced, Jesus’ teachings have been used against you, and you have had pain added to the heartbreak of a broken marital relationship by the reaction of so-called Christian family members or friends. As someone has said, we ...

4186. Proper 13

Psalm 107:1-9, 43, Hosea 11:1-11, Luke 12:13-21, Colossians 3:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... life and in good times, we share our rejoicings! Hurrah! Yippee! Hallelujah! Offertory Statement We know that Quohelet saw the world as unfulfilling and God as non-helpful, yet he continued to be active in his community. We too may be struggling to remain faithful to Jesus’ teachings, but we can stay engaged with each other, articulating our questions and learning to be tolerant of the ambiguities. We need this sanctuary, this place of holy quietness, to ask, listen, and respond to the Spirit. Give what ...

4187. Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:17-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... work, it ain't about watcha know, itzabout whoya know." In the kingdom of God it is not “what you have” or “what you know;” it is “who you know” and “whose you are.” Whatever treasure may be accumulated on earth, the fact remains that “you can’t take it with you.” There truly are no rich people in heaven. Entrance into the kingdom, into eternal life, is only accessed by being in relationship with Jesus, the one who stands before God. Jesus’ “astounding” pronouncement leads his ...

4188. L4G Live For God

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

4189. The Truth about Warren Buffet's Secretary

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... church proportionally than her boss does. Now I know that Mr. Buffet is a very generous man. In fact, under the influence of Bill and Melinda Gates, Buffet has been giving away vast sums of money for a variety of good causes. But the principle remains on a percentage basis, those in the lower echelons of society give more of their income to serve Christ than do the people who employ them. Pierce Harris, a legendary pastor of the First Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia many years ago once did something ...

4190. Open the Window, Aunt Minnie, Here It Comes!

Jeremiah 33:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... who had been sent to the gas chamber. Instead of the many pages of his manuscript which were now lost, he found in the pocket of his newly acquired coat a single page torn out of a Hebrew prayer book. Only a single page of that prayer book remained yet on that page were words that turned Victor Frankl’s life around. That single page contained the most holy prayer of the Jews, the Shema Yisrael what Jesus called, the great commandments: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one God. And you shall love the ...

4191. Mark 10:35-45

Mark 10:35-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... a guarantee from Jesus, before they even articulate what it is they want. And what they want is nothing less than to be the top dog, the head of the class, the peak of the heap, the elite of the elect, the “winners” of the messianic age. Even as it remains today, the “places of honor” at any gathering of the powerful is at the “head table.” The one who rules, the one who is the “big boss with the hot sauce,” sits at the head of the table. The ones directly to the right and to the left are ...

4192. Not So With You

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

4193. Persisting over Rebukes

Mark 10:46-52

Illustration

James W. Robinson

... failed to answer to the man's satisfaction. Shaking his head bewilderedly, he took his seat, only to rise again to seek clarification. This time, the speaker glared wordlessly at him, while other class members vehemently insisted that he sit down and remain quiet. The poor man meekly acquiesced. He slid into his seat and thereafter maintained a discreet silence. The man's inquiries had been reasonable, and politely phrased. He had simply sought light on an important subject, and everyone present would have ...

4194. Acts of God?

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Brett Blair

... if not religiously motivated. You are well aware that Israel, during the time of Jesus, had been conquered by Rome. Rome’s presence was a constant reminder that they were a nation under siege.The people learned to live with this but there remained a great tension, a religious underground had actually emerged to fight for freedom. Pilate, Rome’s representative, was despised. And it is apparent from this text that Pilate ruled in a ruthless manner. Some people, who, we do not know, come to Jesus ...

4195. Hope Again!

Zephaniah 3:1-20

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... that we are alone and no one cares about us. “I am now the most miserable man living,” wrote a famous American leader. “If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on earth. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better.” Who was that famous leader? Abraham Lincoln. In his book, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Ray Basler comments that in the darkest days of the Civil War, Lincoln constantly wrestled with unrelenting ...

4196. Born in Bethlehem — Light

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... 15:11 (NIV) Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. — Luke 2:10 (NIV) Are you a person of joy? Don’t let the temporal afflictions destroy your joy. When we walk with God, “weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5b NIV). The Light Has Come To Bring Us Liberation (Isaiah 9:4) Oppression brings fear and bondage to human life, but God has come to shatter the yoke of oppression. The bondage that has held humankind is ...

4197. Jesus - The Leader of Our Team

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... Philippians. Saint Paul speaks of the need to work as a team, headed by Christ, to bring Jesus’ message to people of the region. He speaks generally of the mutuality of love and care that must reign in the community; he urges the people to remain pure and blameless in God’s eyes. Yet, he goes much further, raising another highly significant concept, the idea of sharing through Jesus, the central figure of our faith. Paul is thankful because the Philippians hold him in their hearts as he does them. He ...

4198. Rejoicing Brings Peace

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... Jesus describes himself as “the way, the truth, and the life,” he helps us understand that he is the guide to all that we need, all that will sustain us. Jesus’ description of himself as the vine and we as the branches, expressing our need to always remain connected to him, brings us both consolation and challenge. It is a challenge for we must follow and stay connected, but if we do, we have the promise that where Jesus resides we will one day be. The image of Jesus as the “Bread of Life” (John ...

4199. Rejoicing Brings Peace

Philippians 4:4-7

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... . When Jesus describes himself as "the way, the truth, and the life," he helps us understand that he is the guide to all that we need, all that will sustain us. Jesus' description of himself as the vine and we as the branches, expressing our need to always remain connected to him, brings us both consolation and challenge. It is a challenge for we must follow and stay connected, but if we do, we have the promise that where Jesus resides we will one day be. The image of Jesus as the "Bread of Life" (John 6 ...

4200. Obedience: Our Gift to Jesus

Hebrews 10:5-10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... or change course. A little story appropriately illustrates how we often behave and how such actions could be disastrous. A battleship had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow." The captain called out, "Is it steady or moving astern?" The lookout replied, "The light is ...

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