Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4201 to 4225 of 4944 results

4201. Beasts, Saints and Chaos

Daniel 7:1-14

Sermon

"But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingly power and shall retain it for ever, for ever and ever." But we are not there yet; neither were the people of the text. Because they were not yet there and we are not yet there, we gather here to reflect that some are already there but the rest of us are not yet there. We have enough trouble without the troublesome word "saint" - "the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingly power and shall retain it for ever, for ever and ever." "But I’m no ...

4202. The Promise and the Task

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Dean Lueking

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20) Meaning ...

4203. Wait and Hope

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Damascus was important to both Isaiah and Paul. For both, it was the city of the enemy, the place where the danger dwelt - not so much physical danger, but danger to their very souls and identities. For Isaiah, seven hundred years before Jesus, Damascus housed King Rezin, who sought to have Isaiah’s King join forces with him. "Together," said Rezin, "we can defeat the armies from the East." For Paul of Tarsus, Damascus housed the Christians, those followers of the Way, prompting so many of Paul’s friends ...

4204. Expectations of a Vital Faith James K. Cobb

Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon

The lessons appointed for the ninth Sunday after Pentecost reflect on the issue of the power and presence of God in the context of suffering. This narrative gives us no easy answers. If anything they exclude some cherished complacencies such as belief that God protects his people from suffering and pain and anguish and hopelessness. But in the text, suffering is undeserved and prolonged and bitter. The fact is that ordinary people lose control of their lives and see their children abused and murdered; but ...

4205. Beyond Good Intentions

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

What do you think of people who change their minds? You could surprise me, I suppose, but often, as I see it, people who change their minds are looked upon as having a flaw in their character. "She changed her mind," they say, "What's wrong with her anyway?" Today I want to challenge that way of thinking. I will do it by beginning this sermon by saying: if you never have to change your mind, it is either because you're quite perfect as you are or you are very stupid. I mean it. Perfect, because you have ...

4206. PROPER 8

Genesis 32:22-32

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Genesis 32:22-32 Theme: Struggling with past sin Call to Worship Pastor: Often our past gets in our way, hindering God's redeeming love and forgiveness. People: Our past bothers us, because much of it is contrary to God's will. Pastor: Struggling with our past is difficult, but God gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! People: Praise God for a salvation that erases the sins of our past, and gives us a new life for the future with Christ Jesus our Savior! Collect God of mercy and ...

4207. The Christian Life A Cord of Three Strands

Ecclesiastes 4:1-12

Bulletin Aid

Call to Worship Leader: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Women: If two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Men: One may be overpowered; two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. All: United in Christ we can conquer all enemies, endure adversity and triumph over sin. Individually we come to Christ ...

4208. The Collateral Damage of Our Attitudes

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Brett Blair

We continue to gauge how our lives are effected by all this. It has been difficult taking in all the things happening over these past three weeks, much less make sense of it all. Occasionally you read something in the paper or you see something on TV which helps you put things in perspective. I remember Thursday September 13th all of the sporting events that weekend had been cancelled. One of the NFL athletes was asked about playing on Sunday. He said, "Why? Who wants to play? I have a family and my heart ...

4209. The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

Jesus [said to the Samaritan woman], "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (v. 10) When Jesus met the woman at the well the encounter was a communion event. The element - the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace - was not what Jesus gave to the woman but what the woman gave to Jesus. What made this element, this object, a sacrament, a communion, was the way in which Jesus ...

4210. Fog-Clearing Moments

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

Remember that fog we had last November? I had to venture into it early that Sunday morning. I left home about 6:00 a.m., long before most people even thought about getting up. The fog was dense. My automobile headlights would not cut it. Visibility was reduced to about ten feet. I turned on my dimmer lights and hoped that on-coming traffic would do the same. As I drove, I felt like my car was pushing through a tunnel of smoke. I was able to drive from my house to the church because I had driven along that ...

4211. The Secret Story of Gabriel

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.... (Luke 1:26) From our text in Luke you have heard the Bible’s account of how God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary. But this is not the only version of the story. There is another, unofficial, version which came to light recently when an ancient manuscript was discovered in Bethlehem. For those of us who like to stay on the cutting edge of biblical research, this new discovery is exciting and has changed forever the ...

4212. The Coming of the Lord

Luke 21:5-38

Drama

There are four characters in this play. Their sexes are not at all relevant to the action, nor are their ages. #1 is somewhat vain and pompous about being told the news first, but is also a bit giddy at the thought of it all. #2 is a bit dense and slow-witted, but excited and expectant. #3 has a bearing of absolute certitude, knows what is right and will not be swayed. The Angel is somewhat condescending and annoyed at having to deal with these people, especially since the number is more than was planned ...

4213. What Do You See?

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man. And His form more than the sons of men; So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender ...

4214. The Spirit - For Me Too?

Joel 2:28-32

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even upon the menservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out my spirit." Did you know that about 400 years before Christ, God promised you the gift of the Holy Spirit? Did you receive it? St. Paul asked the Ephesian Christians, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit...?" They answered, "No, we have never ...

4215. Free and Faithful

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Robert Bachelder

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted ... - Matthew 4:1 In Huxley’s Brave New World, Savage is contending with Mustapha Mond, the world controller. Savage’s sensibility has been shaped by the Bible and Shakespeare, readings no longer allowed to the public. He complains to Mond about the antiseptic quality of life in the new society. The controller says to him: "We prefer to do things comfortably." Savage rejoins: "But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want ...

4216. Begging Bartimaeus

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

The sermon today is from the Gospel of Mark, the 10th chapter, verses 51 and 52. "And Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to him, ‘Master, let me receive my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ " Jericho is about as far away from Jerusalem as a twenty minute drive. It’s a mere fifteen miles. That’s pretty close, unless you’re walking as Jesus was. For him it was a day away, at most. A good walker could cover it in four or ...

4217. Job’s Joy

Job 38:1--41:34

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

Two brief Old Testament lessons introduce the sermon for today. The first is from Job 38, the first two verses: "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?’ " The second lesson is from the 55th chapter of Isaiah, verses eight and nine: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." ...

4218. Stephen’s Stones

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

The sermon is based on the words of Stephen recorded in the 7th chapter of Acts, beginning at the 59th verse: "And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was consenting to his death." It takes quite some imagination to go way back - back to the time when persons could be legally stoned to death on the street. In this country of ...

4219. "When E. F. Hutton Talks"

Jeremiah 26:1-24

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

There are a number of ways that the financial community calls upon us to check and reexamine our investments. How secure are we for the future, they ask. Are we getting the best return for our dollars or are there other ways to invest of which we are not even aware? No investment plan is right for everyone; therefore, we should seek an expert to help us. Magazines, television, and newspapers continually raise the issue with us. One way that we are challenged by an investment firm is through a very catchy ...

4220. The New Covenant

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

The meal which we celebrate here tonight has not simply been celebrated annually on this Maundy Thursday for the past twenty or fifty years, like many church customs. In fact, unlike even the more stable of church traditions, it has not simply been observed since the beginning of the Christian Era - but it has been celebrated far back into the distant reaches of history, back even further than Moses and the Exodus from Egypt. In a sense, the celebration of this meal, which is linked to the blood covenants ...

4221. God and the Weather

Matthew 5:45; 16:2-3 · Psalm 18:7-11; 46:1-3, 11

Sermon

Robert Noblett

Imagine for a moment that you are a person who has a great deal of difficulty in sustaining a conversation once you have met a person. After initial introductions, you draw a blank. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit that if in 99% of these situations what you end up talking about is the weather. "Sure is hot today, isn’t it?" "Think it’s going to rain? Sure looks like it." "These weather forecasters, you can never trust them! They said yesterday there was only 10% chance of showers and our picnic was rained on ...

4222. The Witch of Endor

1 Samuel 28:1-25

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

We have been thrilled and enchanted by the weird conversation of the three sisters on the gloomy heath in ancient Scotland: When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightening, or in rain? When the hurlyburly’s done, When the battle’s lost and won, That will be ere the set of sun. Where the place? Upon the heath There to meet with Macbeth.1 Later in the play we have the incantation and recipe for the brew which will cast a spell over the Scottish Thane: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and ...

4223. MIRIAM’S BABY BROTHER

Drama

Marcia Miller

Miriam’s Baby Brother is based on the familiar story that is found in Exodus 1:15--2:9. This play is an historical re-telling of the story-line but has a more modern atmosphere, which is demonstrated through the dialogue and setting. If a more elaborate set decoration is used, the setting is inside the house. There are a table, several chairs, a fireplace, and a cradle; the usual things. A door on stage right leads to another room in the house. Sitting on the table is a large basket. It is big enough to ...

4224. Jesus ... Who?

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." [Matthew 16:13-16] Supplementary text: Matthew 17:1-9 When Jimmy Carter first started campaigning for the presidency in 1976, the slogan in some parts of the ...

4225. Running With Patience

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

Allan J. Weenink

In the book of Hebrews there is a fascinating phrase. The writer says, "... let us run with patience the race that is set before us, our eyes fixed on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith ..." There’s an interesting antithesis here: run with patience. Just exactly how do you do that? When we run a foot race, we don’t want to be hampered by anything. The competitor throws off all restraints and eagerly thrusts forward to the goal, unencumbered except with a burning passion to finish first. Is there ...

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