Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 4201 to 4225 of 4942 results

4201. When The Heart Is Right Before God

Acts 8:9-25

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

Instrumental Meditation Words Of Preparation: Psalm 51:10-12 (NRSV) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Amen. Hymn: "Near To The Heart Of God" Scripture: Acts 8:9-24 (NRSV) Now a certain man, named Simon had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. All ...

4202. What Are You Doing With The Rest Of Your Life?

1 Peter 4:1-11

Sermon

Clement E. Lewis

Instrumental Meditation Words Of Preparation: from Psalm 90:1-2, 10, 12 (NRSV) Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty, if we are strong. So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. Hymn: "O For A Closer Walk With God" A Prayer: O God our help in ages past, our hope for years to ...

4203. Managing Disappointment

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Clement E. Lewis

Paul wrote to the Romans, "Endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." (Romans 5:4-5) Of this we can be sure, even though we feel that God has also forgotten us, he hasn't. Some things are not fully understood until we have felt entirely bereft of all comfort. Disappointment may give us the feeling that no one loves us anymore, and that there is no one who ...

4204. The Full Measure Of Life

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

Instrumental Meditation: "Wonderful Words Of Life" A Brief Prayer: Psalm 39:4-5 Lord, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in thy sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Hymn: "I'll Live For Him" Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-15 (NRSV) The gifts that he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for ...

4205. What Did You Say?

Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

Instrumental Meditation Words Of Preparation from Psalm 15 O Lord, who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He who walks blamelessly, and does what is right, and speaks truth from his heart; who does not slander with his tongue, and does no evil to his friend, nor takes up reproach against his neighbor. Hymn: "Wonderful Words Of Life" A Brief Prayer: Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Grant that we shall remember that a ...

4206. If We Are Dreamers

Joel 2:18-27, Joel 2:28-32

Sermon

Clement E. Lewis

There are many kinds of dreams, among them normal sleep dreams, daydreams, and insightful visions. Sometimes we have nightmares, fantasies, re-living of moments in life, happy dreams, reunions with loved ones, even problem-solving or inspirational dreams. It is helpful for us to be aware of what dreams are: the subconscious feelings or imaginations occurring just below the threshold of consciousness. We need to find means for dealing with dreams that disturb us, by discovery of means for dealing with them ...

4207. Wave The Flags

John 10:10 · Luke 12:48

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

Purpose: To think about what it means to say, "One nation under God." Materials: An American flag with gold trim. Lesson: Today we are going to look at the American flag and see what symbols we can find here and what they might mean to us as Christians. The stars remind us of shining and the blue makes us think of the sky or heaven. These two symbols together remind us that many people in our country want us to be a nation under God. Jesus told us to let our light shine before people, or we can say, before ...

4208. The Wishbone

Philippians 3:12, 13b-14

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

Purpose: How to reach our goals in life. Material: A chicken or turkey wishbone. Lesson: As you probably know, this is called a wishbone. Most children like to take hold of it and make a wish and then break it apart. The one who gets the biggest piece is supposed to have their wish come true. I'm sure all of us can think of many things that we would like to have in life and sometimes we do obtain what we want. However, one of the best ways to reach your goal, whatever it might be, is not to break a ...

4209. The Light Of The World

John 8:12

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

Purpose: To show how our lives need to reflect what we believe. Materials: A bright flashlight (or a spotlight), a mirror and a box, open at the top, in which to hide the light. Lesson: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) This means more than just having a light to help us see where we are going and what we are to do. A light can also be used to guide people to a certain place when it is dark. For that to ...

4210. Self-serving Versus Self-giving

Mark 12:35-40, Mark 12:41-44

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note Mark's juxtaposing of what were, no doubt, two independent bits of tradition itself makes an important point in the contrast it presents: On the one hand, there is a saying about the scribes that underscores their pretentious and self-serving religiosity; on the other hand, there is the widow who without ostentation selflessly gives all the money she has. Liturgical Color Green Suggested Hymns As Saints Of Old I Know That My Redeemer Lives! Forth In Thy Name, O Lord I Go Lord, Our God, With ...

4211. Proper 7

Mark 4:35-41

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Theme The puzzling identity of Jesus Gospel Note Mark constructs his narrative of this storm-stilling incident so as to climax in the disciples' perplexed questioning of Jesus' identity. The passage gives no direct answer. The present action recalls God's authority over the unformed waters of creation in Genesis. Jesus is the very power of God. Liturgical Color Green Suggested Hymns Lord Of Our Life In Heaven Above Spirit Of God, Sent From Heaven Above Come, You Thankful People Come Lord Our God, With ...

4212. Chist is King

Revelation 1:4-8, Psalm 132:1-18, 2 Samuel 23:1-7, John 18:28-40

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP Holiness is the beauty of God's temple while time shall last. Worship God in the sanctity and freedom from our sins which Christ gives us through his life's blood. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Ancient in year, First-born from the dead, timeless Spirit, we confess that too often we are overawed by the wealth and power of human rulers forgetting that they are as mortal as we are, and that only Jesus Christ has won an impressive victory over death. Forgive us if political and national loyalties have ...

4213. Epiphany 3

Mark 1:14-20, Psalm 62:1-12

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP Let your heart wait silently before God; our hope of salvation is in the ETERNAL. PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of all times and places, God in Israel and Nazareth, God in our time and place, the meaning of time frequently escapes us. Grief and depression seem like forever. Joy and genuine communion seem so fleeting. Unpleasant duties are postponed; fancied pleasantries are prolonged. Dying takes others away, but we have difficulty facing our own mortality, and evaluating the significance of our ...

4214. Lent 5

John 12:20-36, Psalm 51:1-19, Psalm 119:1-176

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

Call to Worship Come to see Jesus, even though his glory is a cross and to follow him may mean a cross of your own. Prayer of Confession Renewer of covenants, divine-human Pledge of the new covenant, Spirit of the covenant, forgive our wrongdoing and remember our sins against us no more. Though you are known by the high and the lowly, yet we have not reached the time when it will not be necessary to teach one another to know you. Or is it that knowing you we decline to obey you? As you were patient with ...

4215. Maundy Thursday

John 13:1-17

Sermon Aid

B. David Hostetter

THE EXTINGUISHING OF EACH OF SEVEN CANDLES ORGAN PRELUDE CALL TO WORSHIP and OPENING PRAYERS On this day our Lord went again to Jerusalem. In the evening in the Upper Room, He washed the feet of the disciples and instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. He spoke words of comfort and peace, gave the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, and made the great intercession. In the Garden of Gethsemane He endured His agony. Betrayed by Judas and arrested by His enemies, He was taken to prison and to ...

4216. Proper 12

John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15, Psalm 14:1-7

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP Come without concealment to confess your sins. Return to your homes happy that your sins have been put away! PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of nations, Sovereign of sovereigns, Protector of people, we do not understand why the innocent suffer for the sins of the guilty and the weak for the faults of the strong. We are strong in our denunciation of the sins of others and loud in our demands for their punishment. We are apologetic in the admission of our own sins and plaintive in our cries for ...

4217. Proper 13

John 6:25-59, Psalm 51:1-19

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP Come into God's presence with a clean heart, with a new and right spirit, indeed in the discipline of the Holy Spirit from me. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Giver of manna, Breaker of bread, Creator of the new, it is true that we still do what we have not learned from Christ. We can be hardhearted when we should be forgiving. We can be selfish when we should be willing to share. We can be greedy and complaining when we have enough to get by. We can be as unscrupulous in our dealing as if we did not ...

4218. Proper 22

Mark 10:13-16, Mark 10:1-12

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

Call to Worship (responsively) Sing aloud a song of thanksgiving, and tell all God's wondrous deeds. Love the house in which we pray, and the place where we give God glory. Prayer of Confession God unlimited, God self-limited, God extending our limits, surely you do not expect us to accept suffering without complaint! We are frustrated with illnesses that rage on, keeping us from doing the things that bring us satisfaction and recognition. Long nights and months of futility seem such a waste to us. Too ...

4219. Christmas 2

John 1:1-18, Ephesians 1:1-14, Psalm 147:1-20, Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsively) Sing out your praises and say, God has saved his people. See how the Savior brings them from the end of the earth, The blind and lame among them, Women with childAnd women in labor, a great company. Young men and old shall rejoice, Then shall the girl show her joy in the dance. God turns their mourning into gladness, And gives them joy to outdo their sorrow. PRAYER OF CONFESSION All-glorious God, paternal, fraternal, maternal, though we have faith in Jesus Christ, and love ...

4220. Christmas Day/Dawn

Isaiah 62:1-12, Psalm 97:1-12, Titus 3:1-11, Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

Call to Worship I have Good News for you: there is great joy coming to the whole people. Today in the city of David a deliverer has been born to you -- the Messiah, the Christ. Prayer of Confession God of the gospel, whose glory brightens the night sky on Christmas eve, and the birth of whose Son in Bethlehem brings the dawn of a new day, hear our prayers for forgiveness and mercy. Pardon us if we have made idols of what are only symbols of the coming of Jesus, if traditional practice rather than the ...

4221. Just Speak The Word

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Larry Powell

It is somewhere written down that many years ago a rider on horseback approached a group of soldiers attempting unsuccessfully to move a heavy piece of timber. A corporal was observed standing nearby, hands on hips, barking the order, "Heave. Heave." Despite repeated efforts, the soldiers were unable to accomplish the task. Apparently of the mind that the situation hinged upon his determined commands, the corporal persisted, "Heave. Heave." Addressing the corporal, the horseman asked, "Why don't you help ...

4222. What "They" Say

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

Larry Powell

"They" say that the next President of the United States is going to be a woman. "They" say that the next winter will be one of the coldest on record. "They" say that two heads are better than one. "They" say that if a rooster crows late in the day, rain is on the way. Surely you have heard of "They." It is almost certain that at one time or another you have referred to "They" when relating some bit of information in the course of a conversation. "They" say! "They" are always saying something. And it is not ...

4223. Preaching the Miracles of Jesus

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

Despite our scientific and technological generation, we live in an age of miracles. They are so many, and they occur so often, that we tend to take miracles for granted. When one gets well from a serious illness, we say, "His recovery was a miracle!" When we see pictures of a car wreck, we say, "It was a miracle all were not killed." A wife sent a friendship card to her husband with the message, "You love me! Will miracles never cease?" Every day we experience miracles. They are miracles because we cannot ...

4224. The Constitution of Our Faith

Matthew 5:1-12

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A constitution (United States, state or local government). Slips of paper for each child with Matthew 5:1-12 written on them. Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to talk about something that you may have heard about a lot of times but perhaps you have never seen. How many of you have heard the word "constitution"? (Let them answer.) That's good. How many of you know what a constitution is? (Let them answer.) You have some good ideas. A constitution is something that people write for ...

4225. Know What Time It Is!

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

While reading the Bible, Mark Twain once quipped, "It is not the parts of the Scripture that I don't understand that bother me. It's the parts that I do understand." There are plenty of passages of Scripture that speak to us and trouble us. But, alas! for me, this is not one of them. Bernard Anderson referred to the Bible as a special delivery letter with our address on it. That may be true, but this particular bit of Scripture had best be marked, "return to Sender; no one at this address!" This is simply ...

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