Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4201 to 4225 of 4508 results

Sermon

Lori Wagner

The Starbucks car line is famous for its habit of “gifting.” Someone arrives at the window to pay only to find that the person in front of them has already paid the bill, even without knowing the total. When it happens, it gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling of companionship with other human beings. It gives you hope for the world and gives your trust in humanity a little boost. It makes you want t...

4202. Seating Arrangements

Sermon

John B. Jamison

Jesus and his disciples had spent the day at the temple again. As had happened every time they went to the temple, they were confronted by the temple priests, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and a lot of others, all wanting to argue and try to make Jesus and all of them look like a bunch of radical losers. On most days, Jesus just dealt with them and then left. But today, as they had left the temple...

4203. For Someone Who Led a Happy and a Virtuous Life

Eulogy

Richard E. Zajac

Up [If he or she possessed a scrapbook, what would be the snapshots that would most definitely be included? Describe the wonderful adventures, the dream trips upon which they embarked.] A movie years ago won an Oscar for animated films. It was of such high quality that it got nominated for an Oscar for the best picture of the year. I’m talking about Up, a film from the animation wizards at Pixar S...

4204. Matthew 26:14-27:66

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This year on Passion/Palm Sunday, the Common Lectionary assigns almost all of Matthew's passion narrative (Matthew 26:14-27:66) as the Gospel text. Instead of haphazardly skipping through that tremendous amount of material, we have chosen to focus on two disturbing and poignant moments within this climactic reading. Matthew 26:14-16 and 27:3-10 give special insight into the motives and mistakes of...

4205. Jesus Is Anointed and Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Matthew contrasts the Jewish leaders and Judas, who conspire against Jesus, and even the disciples, who continue to lack understanding about Jesus’ impending death, with an unnamed woman who anoints Jesus for his burial, pointing toward his missional death to bring covenant renewal through the forgiveness of sins. Understanding the Text Chapters 26–28 narrate the passion and resurrection...

4206. Betrayal and Desertion

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

26:1–28:20 Review · Jesus’s execution by Rome and resurrection/vindication by God: In 26:1–28:20, Matthew narrates Jesus’s final days and hours as he willingly suffers and goes to his execution to restore his people and usher in God’s reign. Though the disciples desert him and Rome and the Jerusalem leaders crucify him as a criminal, God vindicates Jesus as Messiah and Lord at his resurrection. 26...

4207. The Plot Against Jesus

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Final Evening: The Passion narrative is the account of the suffering and death of Jesus. It normally includes all the events beginning with the garden scene in Gethsemane and finishing with the burial. The centrality of the cross in early Christian preaching is reflected in the major emphasis given to it in each of the four Gospels. Matthew 26 records the events of Wednesday and Thursday of th...

4208. Once More, With Feeling

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? (Psalm 22:1) Collect As we contemplate the awful journey of our Lord Jesus from life into death to bring life, let us gaze deeply into this horrible truth. Let us stand with the women at the foot of the cross. Let it become real to us. Lord, we are yours. Amen. Prayer Of C...

4209. Extravagance

Illustration

Larry Powell

Senator William Proximire (D-Wisconsin) regularly delights the general public by awarding his now-famous "Golden Fleece Award" to some government committee or agency which, because of some redundant high-dollar project, has achieved recognition for excelling in flagrant, wasteful, unnecessary spending. Senator Proximire gets our attention because he illuminates a subject of interest to us all: how...

4210. Let Me Explain: A Sermon By Judas Iscariot

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

For 2,000 years my name has been slandered by people who really don't understand me, especially by some preachers. But your kind pastor said that you were an understanding congregation. I've come here today to tell you about myself and about the reasons I did what I did. You will give me a fair hearing, won't you? My name is Judas Iscariot. Let me begin by telling you a little about my background....

4211. Stewardship of All (Series: Stewardship: Discover This Word and Love It!)

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Something beautiful, something good, sometimes I need a dose of that. How about you? All the great philosophers of history describe truth, goodness, and beauty as supreme values. Christopher Morley once said, “In every man’s heart, there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.” So, today I want to tell you a beautiful story. It’s in the Bible. To preach it would be to abus...

4212. Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4213. Mary Gives Her Perfume

Children's Sermon

Donald Neidigk

Object: a spray can of air freshener Welcome, boys and girls. Do you have a can of air freshener in your house? Here, let me spray some of it for you. What does it smell like? Right, it smells like flowers. Where do you use air freshener? Yes, in the bathroom, in the closets, and in the area where the dog sleeps. Why do we need air freshener? That's right, to cover up bad smells with good smells....

4214. Gifts of Lent II: Mary Gives Her Perfume

Drama

Donald Neidigk

Dramatic Monologue You're here to speak with the friends of Jesus, are you? Well then, by all means, let's talk! Shall we sit here in my garden? It's the perfect place. The morning air is still cool and each gentle breeze brings with it the scent of my flowers. How I love my flowers, especially the lilies! Their sweetness always reminds me of that evening so long ago when I poured out an entire f...

4215. The Judas Gene

Sermon

David E. Leininger

As part of a study, a group of researchers from Harvard contacted an elementary school teacher at the beginning of a school year. They told the teacher that they had designed a test that would correctly predict which students were going to grow intellectually during the coming school year. (Someone called it "The Harvard Test of Intellectual Spurts" because he said it told which students were goin...

4216. Not My Jesus!

Sermon

Mike Ripski

I. “The story you are about to hear….” Remember Sgt. Joe Friday is? Jack Webb? “Dragnet” – the first crime drama on television back when the TV screen was round and the colors black and white? Each show opened with these words: “The story you are about to see is true; the names have been changed to protect the innocent.” This morning the story you are about to see is true; the names have not bee...

4217. Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4218. The Sunday of the Passion

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

The Sunday of the Passion!? It was a lot simpler in the good old days when it was Palm Sunday. That was easy to understand. You had a straightforward story about the entry into Jerusalem, and because of all those children shouting "Hosanna," there was a good excuse to do the baptism of infants or confirmation of youth. We could all sing "The Palms," and it was very clear what the day was about. So...

4219. Faces of Failure: Judas Iscariot

Sermon

Don Tuttle

The story is told of a preacher whose method for selecting his Sunday scripture was, shall we say, unusual. Some pastors use what’s called a lectionary--a three-year cycle of readings that retells the story of Jesus every year using either Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Other pastors select a topic—maybe “grace” or “sacrifice”--and then biblical texts that address it. Still others preach through entir...

4220. Sharing the Pain of Others

Sermon

Richard Gribble

“Rags, rags! Give me your tired, dirty, and old rag and I will give you a fresh, clean, and new one. Rags, rags.” That was the cry to which I awoke one bright sunny Friday morning. I sprang from my bed and peered out my second-story apartment window. There he was: the Ragman of our town. He was 6’4" if he was an inch, youthful in appearance and strong of build. I had heard so much about him but ne...

4221. Changed Lives: Judas

Sermon

King Duncan

Author Sheila Walsh tells of putting on a show with her three-year-old son, Christian. Christian wanted to act out Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem. He declared that he would be Jesus, and Sheila would play the part of Hosanna. Who was Hosanna? Sheila asked. Why, the donkey, of course! Why else would the crowds yell “Hosanna!” when Jesus rode through the streets? Sheila asked herself whether ...

4222. It Might Have Been ...

Sermon

He was born in Judea, in the town of Kerioth. His parents were devout; they probably spent more time in the temple (if only because of proximity) than the parents of any other disciple. They must have been acquainted with Scripture ... and I’ve often wondered if they mused over the Proverbs as they chose a name for their young son: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." In any c...

4223. I Was There!

Drama

Russell N. Gallimore

[This is an original first-person sermon that may be presented in period costume. It is very effective when used during Lent, especially during a Maundy Thursday service. It could be used at other communion services. Begin by standing behind the altar or communion table, speaking from memory. A money bag with several pennies may be in a pocket or easily accessed location. A noose made from rope co...

4224. Learning to Walk in the Dark

Sermon

David & Marian Plant

If we take away nothing new from the Passion story this year let us take away this: through it we can learn to walk in the dark and remember that the dark is as day to God. Barbara Brown Taylor titled her 2014 book Learning to Walk in the Dark..In the introduction she pointed out, “From earliest times, Christians have used ‘darkness’ as a synonym for sin, ignorance, spiritual blindness, and death...

4225. Passion Palm Sunday (Lent 6)

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Prayer For Procession With Palms Precedes the reading of the processional gospel: Matthew 21:1-11 Leader: All glory, laud, and honor belong to you, gracious King. As we lift our voices before you, may your love transform us, your Spirit renew us, and your mercy open our hearts, that your song of praise would know no end. All: Amen. Reading Of The Passion (Congregation sings verse 1 of “Glory Be T...

Showing 4201 to 4225 of 4508 results