Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4201 to 4225 of 4943 results

4201. You Can Be Less Worried

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Michael B. Brown

It occurred to me to title this segment of the series "You Can Be Worry Free," but I realized no one would believe it. The truth is, I don't believe it, either. To desire a life that is "worry free" is in all likelihood to dream the impossible dream. Between 20 and 30 percent of all Americans will live today under significant stress. Thirteen million will worry intensely for at least 90 minutes. It may be about our marriages, children, jobs, mortgages, health, grades, friends or a host of other issues. ...

4202. Letting God

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20, Matthew 2:1-12

Drama

Pamela Urfer

Cast: Mary, Joseph, three Shepherds and three Kings. The shepherds may be of either gender. Length: 15 minutes MARY and JOSEPH are seated together on stage. There are three other stools near them, two on MARY's right and one on JOSEPH's left. There is a cradle on the floor next to them. MARY: Joseph, I want to tell you how grateful I am that you were with me during the birth of the child. I really don't know what I would have done without you. JOSEPH: I was glad to do what I could, but I'm afraid it was ...

4203. The Witness Of The Centurion

Drama

Dann J. Ettner

Invocation Hymn Responsive Dialogue 1 Corinthians 2 P: When I came to you, brothers, I did not come witheloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimonyof God. C: We have not received the spirit of the world but thespirit who is from God, that we may understand what God hasfreely given us. P: For I resolved to know nothing while I was with youexcept Jesus Christ and Him crucified. C: This is what we speak, not in words taught us by humanwisdom but in words taught by the Holy Spirit, ...

4204. Don't Sell Your Inheritance for Cabbage Soup

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

Paul, the greatest missionary of the Christian era, once remarked that God doesn't always use the wisest, strongest and most moral people to bring his message. Instead God uses the foolish, the weak and the lowly -- just to prove a point (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). That truth certainly holds when it comes to those chosen by God as the patriarchs of ancient Israel. Consider our scripture lesson for this morning which concerns the brothers Jacob and Esau, children of Isaac. With very little reading between the ...

4205. Who Is God?

Matthew 16:13-20

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: There are many false gods. Finding God isn't easy but it is worth the search. Summary: Two people are talking about God and each gives several views. "God" is watching from above. Jesus enters and exposes "God" as a fraud and offers the two a real relationship with God. Playing Time: 6 minutes Setting: A neutral acting space Props: Ladder Policeman's cap Glasses Ruler Santa Claus cap and beard Gray beard Menu Stuffed lamb Halo Crutch Lemon Box Magnifying glass Costumes: Contemporary Time: The ...

4206. For I Have Chosen You!

Haggai 2:20-23

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

When I was a kid the night before Christmas was the longest night in the world. There were only one or two clocks in our house as a general rule, and eventually eight of us kids. To forestall endless repetition of the question "What time is it?" our parents loaned us one of the clocks, and many times we'd sleep in only one or two rooms, waiting together. Each in turn would wake, and quietly, so quietly, attempt to turn the luminescent dial towards ourselves, believing it possible that we would not rouse ...

4207. Proper 18

Philemon 1:8-25, Philemon 1:1-7, Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Luke 14:25-35

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Jeremiah 18:1-11 Jeremiah's parable of the potter. In a potter's house, Yahweh speaks to Jeremiah non-verbally. Upon Yahweh's direction, Jeremiah goes to a potter's house and watches him make and re-make vessels. When the potter makes a mistake and the vessel turns out badly, he reworks the clay into another vessel that pleases him. Yahweh is saying: "That is what I can do with Judah. I can destroy Judah and re-make it into a people pleasing to me." Judah has a chance of a ...

4208. Proper 7

1 Ki 19:1-18 · Lk 8:26-39 · Gal 3:23-29

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7), 8-15a Threatened by Jezebel, Elijah flees for his life and is fed by an angel on his way to Mount Horeb. To understand this pericope, we need to get the background in chapter 18. On Mount Carmel, Elijah calls down fire from heaven to prove that Yahweh is the only true God. This is followed by his slaughter of the 450 prophets of Baal supported by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel who sends a messenger to Elijah to tell him that within 24 hours she will have his ...

4209. Proper 10

Genesis 25:19-34, Isaiah 55:1-13, Romans 8:18-27, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Genesis 25:19-34 Once again, God seems to linger in fulfilling his promise to make a great nation of Abraham's progeny. Isaac is 40 by the time he married Rebekah. Another 20 years expire before his wife gives birth to the twins, Esau and Jacob. Perhaps the Lord wants to demonstrate that this business of nation building is his doing, not a human accomplishment. Esau, being firstborn, earns the birthright, but foolishly sells it to his scheming brother for a pot of stew. Old ...

4210. A Breeze In The Dark

John 3:1-21

Sermon

William G. Carter

In his autobiography, actor Alec Guinness tells a story that might keep every pastor and church school teacher awake at night. He was a teenager and it was the morning of his confirmation. The classes were finished. The students' heads had been filled full of Bible stories and theological doctrines. Guinness says Holy Trinity Church in Eastbourne was crammed with confirmation candidates, their parents, friends, schoolteachers, and sponsors. At the appropriate moment, he notes, "The girls, mostly in grey ...

4211. How Can We Restore the Christian Home?

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Donald Macleod

And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' ...

4212. You Can Never Go Home Again

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

Thomas Wolfe penned the immortal words, “You can never go home again.” Our Gospel documents that truth in a unique way. Early in his ministry, Jesus and his disciples made a tour through his hometown. The people in Nazareth were unable to accept him as the inspired Teacher. Their judgment was limited to how they had always known him: a child, a young man, a carpenter, a local boy. They were unable to see him as Jesus the Rabbi and the Christ to be. And so they rejected him. It was on that occasion that ...

4213. Wisdom for the Living of These Days

Proverbs 2:1-22

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

Four men were in a plane: the president of the United States, a college professor, a preacher, and a youth with a backpack. Engine trouble developed. The pilot announced that the motors flamed out. He further announced that there were only three parachutes for the passengers. A discussion was held among the four over who should get the parachutes. The president said that he should get one because the nation depended on his leadership. The professor argued that since she was the brightest, she should get a ...

4214. The Infinite Becomes An Infant

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

The Miracle Of The Nativity Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is ...

4215. Look to the Lord

2 Corinthians 12:9

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Two different kinds of medicine and a heavy pan. Good morning, boys and girls. How are you feeling today? (Let them respond.) That's good, because if you weren't, you could probably take some of this medicine here! (Hold up the medicine.) Did you ever see that commercial on television about the woman who has a very sore arm? In that commercial, she tells us that she has arthritis and it is very hard for her to pick up something like this pan. (Show them the pan.) Would one of you like to lift this ...

4216. Epiphany 2

John 2:1-11, Isaiah 62:1-12, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

Wine Miracle On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4And Jesus said to her, "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you. 6 Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty ...

4217. Easter 6

John 14:15-31, Psalm 67:1-7, Acts 15:22-35, Joel 2:18-27, Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Had the title for this Sunday, Rogate, been continued in the churches, the readings might have been different and the Sunday would have at least two practical and related thrusts. One of these would be to continue the practice of some of the churches in the Northern Hemisphere, of blessing the fields, in the hope of avoiding natural disasters and anticipating a bountiful harvest. The other would extend the concern for farms and crops for this year to a care of the Earth Sunday as long as ...

4218. First Things First

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

In our text Jesus makes a comparison between two different things: buildings and a person. The buildings he spoke of were of great importance, representing many resources. No doubt the excess wealth of the city or nation was required to build them. Many workers were conscripted to work on them. And, no matter big or small, they were always much larger, more solid, and of greater economic value than any of the persons who helped in their construction. In fact, they gave a feeling of permanence which those ...

4219. Leaping For Joy

Malachi 4:1-6

Sermon

Richard Hasler

The scene was the Connecticut House of Representatives in Hartford. The date was May 19, 1780. About noon the skies began to darken and by midafternoon the sky was pitch black. Many people were struck with fear believing Judgment Day had come. Some of the representatives fell to their knees begging God to avert this catastrophe; others called for an immediate adjournment. Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the House, rose to his feet and stated: “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it ...

4220. Laughing in Church

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Carl Jech

Introduction Long before the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts came on the scene, I had been seeing preachers "roasted" at church banquets. The idea of honoring someone by kidding or insulting the person is nothing new. At a recent convention a United Methodist bishop (I'll call him Bishop Anderson) was roasted with this story: A recent Methodist arrival in heaven was being shown around by St. Peter. A couple minutes into the tour he saw an old friend of his. But it was a disturbing sight. Attached to his ...

4221. God, The Enemy

Luke 12:1-12

Sermon

This week began with the execution of Timothy McVeigh, the man responsible for the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. A USA Today poll taken in April of this year showed that 81 percent of Americans wanted McVeigh to be executed -- and 28 percent of that support was from people who are normally against the death penalty. No matter where you stand on the issue of capital punishment, this particular execution has forced itself on our consciousness. One thing that particularly caught my ...

4222. The Preposterous Prescription

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

"Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored." (v. 10) Prayer: Dear Lord, when we call on you for help, we have our own idea of the kind of help we want, when it should come, and how it should come. Help us to realize that your answer may be different from ours, and will always be more effective. Amen. While waiting in line at the bank, Earl, a friend I hadn’t seen for some time, told me of a visit he recently had made to a doctor. He said, "I was having some skin problems, and ...

4223. Proper 26

Lk 19:1-10 · 2 Thes 1:5-12 · Ex 34:5-9 · Hag 2:1-9

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Haggai 2:1-9 Haggai encourages the exiles to re-build the temple. After defeating the Babylonians who deported the Jews, Cyrus the Great (558-528 B.C.) permitted the return of the exiles to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. In 521 Cyrus was succeeded by Darius who permitted another wave of exiles to return. Among them was a prophet, Haggai, whose ministry covered only one year, 520. When he saw how the exiles were building their houses to the neglect of re-building the temple, he aroused and ...

4224. The Drop Out

Drama

Sarah Walton Miller

The three male actors in this brief skit enter and take closed positions. That is, each stands upstage with his back to the audience. Props needed: three chairs scattered over the playing area, to be used at will. To begin, PHIL and DAVE come downstage. PHIL: Well, I don’t know, Dave. For two years now we’ve been planning this bike trip. We’ve both trained for it. You know it will be tough. DAVE: But, Phil, Danny is strong. He’s 18, he weighs 190 and he’s the best tackle his school ever had. PHIL: I know ...

4225. A Time to Dance

Psalm 30:1-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

My maternal grandfather was a railroad engineer and a Presbyterian elder. During the 1930s he had three teenaged children. It was his custom on many Saturday nights to invite all the local teenagers into his large living room for a dance. He would hire a little three-piece band and roll back the rugs. Grandfather was thrilled that the teenaged girls would invite him to dance and then would break in on each other. Some of the other elders at the church did not share Grandfather's enthusiasm for those dances ...

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