Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 401 to 425 of 832 results

Song of Songs 8:1-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it..." The news footage from the Gulf Coast has been something, hasn't it? The devastation is eerily reminiscent of the tsunami that devastated South Asia last winter. The one thing I did NOT see following the Asian disaster was all the gleeful looting. How sad! In a way, that might be somewhat expected. During hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters, those who have the least to lose are often those who lose the most. Their dwellings are ...

402. The Glorious Interpolation

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... Fourth century, he included it. Later manuscripts and medieval manuscripts all have it. But one of the rules of Biblical scholarship is that the older the manuscript we have, the more valuable it is, the closer to the original text it is. They were all copied by hand, and the closer one can get to the originals, the more likely the manuscript is to be correct. But out of the most ancient manuscripts, this story is only included in one! Six early manuscripts omit it completely, and one leaves a blank space ...

403. Let the Son Shine In

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... for their faith. It was still shining in the fifth century when the Roman Empire collapsed, ushering in what history calls the Dark Ages. But they were not totally dark, for the light was still shining as a few faithful souls kept the lamp glowing by copying and preserving our Bible, and by ministering to the poor and needy in the name of Christ. The light was still shining in the 16th century when the Church was so overcome with corruption that God sent Reformers to shake it up and usher in the Protestant ...

404. Life Begins at Thirty-Eight

John 5:1-15

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... come to the pool to be healed, much like modern-day pilgrims visit the shrine at Lourdes. The footnote in the NRSV Bible which gives us the “missing” 4th verse in this chapter is most interesting, and comes from a later addition where someone who copied down the Gospel wanted to add an explanatory note, telling us something of the healing properties of the pool. The footnote says that the poor man was “waiting for the stirring of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into ...

405. Secretary to Saint Peter

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... at the end. But the Gospel cannot have been meant to stop there—for they were afraid. That is no place to stop. What happened? It may be that Mark died, perhaps as a martyr, before he could complete the Gospel. More likely, at one time only one copy of the Gospel remained and the ending got torn off mid-sentence.There was a time when the church did not use Mark very much. It may be that they preferred the other Gospels which are fuller and more complete, and they looked with disdain on this incomplete ...

406. A Sign for a Sign

Mark 8:11-13

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... was that St. Mark’s Gospel has TWO feeding stories instead of one! Why? Some scholars consider them a “doublet.” That is, they believe that there was, originally, only one feeding story, one tradition, but that in passing it down, Mark got hold of two copies of it, or heard the story twice. And so it is the same event. But there are some significant differences. There are some indications that this was a separate miracle from the feeding of the five thousand recorded earlier in this Gospel. (Mark 6:30 ...

407. On Not Knowing What to Say

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... late Dr. Jitsuo Morikawa was installed as pastor of First Baptist Church, our neighbor congregation next door, the local newspaper was supposed to announce “The Installation of Dr. Morikawa.” It appeared in print: “The ‘INSULATION’ of Dr. Morikawa.” I sent a copy of the fascinating typo to the Christian Century for Martin Marty’s column, with the note that “I always thought Jitsuo was pretty much a live-wire...but I guess he’s properly insulated now!” I was just kidding...for during his ...

408. Where Is My Guest Room?

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... goes the perils of pastoral calling! “Revelation”—that strange book at the end of the Bible, gives us the promise that God is standing at the door of our hearts. He is knocking on the door, but He will not knock down the door. Most of us have seen a copy of Holman Hunt’s famous painting of “Christ knocking at heart’s door.” If we look carefully, we note that there is no handle on that door. When asked why he did not put a handle on the door, the artist is reported to have said: “It is the ...

409. A Man Named Pain (Part 1)

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... on a two-verse prayer found in the obscure Old Testament book of I Chronicles? Now, that’s surprising! It is truly a testimony to the hunger people today have for God. The Prayer of Jabez by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson has sold approximately six and one-half million copies. It is a short book which can be read in a couple of hours. And it is an exposition of these two verses in the book of I Chronicles: "Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, ''Because I bore ...

410. The Ninth Commandment: Liar, Liar

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... women. I am sure there must have been The Jerusalem Inquirer or The Bethlehem Star which they read with great and eager expectation. Too bad they did not read the Torah with the same devotion and enthusiasm. I can just see the disciples sitting around watching, Hard Copy or Oprah. No wonder Jesus had to take them away on retreat to get their minds focused on "kingdom thinking." This past summer Mary and I went to see the comedy Liar, Liar starring Jim Carrey. It is the story of a young divorced father, who ...

411. Love: The Greatest Commandment and the Greatest Challenge

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Jesus Christ. Let us intentionally empty ourselves of all that presently fills us as fallen people and let the love of Christ begin to fill the empty space and overflow in our work and witness as God''s covenant people. Jesus clearly explains that we are not to copy the world''s model but that our "love" is to be characterized like the love he demonstrated in countless ways and examples when he was on this earth. Jesus takes all that had been said and known about love and gives it a whole new dimension and ...

412. Emptying and Exalting (Part XI)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... it to be. Christmas is the SPIRITUAL OBSERVANCE of the birth of Jesus Christ into the pages of our history to SAVE US--when we first scratched the hand that came to deliver us. EMMANUAL means God with us. God did not remain in heaven, receiving a computer copy on the world''s sufferings and then issuing a memo to form a committee to work on our dilemmas. NO, God came to the front line trenches. God became one of the WOUNDED. His hands are nail-scarred. In Christ, God became the wounded healer. That is what ...

413. The Destructive Power of Dis-Unity

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... church family at Philippi it was most likely read aloud in front of them. I can almost see them now, each sitting on the front pew, both on different sides, looking sheepish as they heard their names read aloud. The Philippi fellowship did not have a photo-copying machine, so one of the more educated persons of the fellowship probably was given the task of reading the letter. It is very interesting to me that the cause of the fussing and fighting is not shared with us. It is also amazing that Paul does not ...

414. The Powerful Fragrance of Sharing and Caring

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... for orders from the top gun. A secretary, who looked as if she would be more adept at an office cocktail party than at a word processor, sat demurely in front of the desk. The rhetoric of the ad played on the human quest for power. "Power is everything," the copy read. "You''ve worked hard to get it. It''s been a long way up the ladder of success and power. So why not look the part in the latest power suit? A suit that emphasizes the trim figure you've pumped iron to acquire, that signals the influence you ...

415. Trusting the Truth

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered the Bible to be burned? He even built a monument and engraved the words "Extincto Nomene Christianorum" (meaning "The name Christian is extinguished"). Twenty-five years later, however, Diocletian was dead, and the new emperor, Constantine, ordered 50 copies of the Bible to be prepared at government expense. Others have tried to destroy the Bible as well, but like Diocletian they are gone and the Bible is still here. God''s word can never be chained--because it is the truth ...

416. The Lord Is My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the first pardon ever given by the governor of Singapore, the convict was set free. Prison walls had given way to the power of this marvelous writing. Today, this man, Neivelle Tan, is the pastor of a church in Singapore. All this happened because someone gave him a copy of the 23rd Psalm. (3) Yes, Henry Ward Beecher is correct, "Its work is not done yet!" I wondered what walls and prisons could fall today if we opened up our lives to the marvelous power of God. As we begin this series on the 23rd Psalm I ...

417. Three Modern Meanings of the Ancient Christmas Story

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

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... . Gabriel presses the Lord on a decision about what He is going to do. The Lord answers Gabriel by saying, "I am not going to send anybody this time, I am going myself." Yes, EMMANUEL means "God with us." God did not remain in Heaven to receive a computer copy of the world''s sufferings and then issue a memo to form a committee to work on our dilemmas. No, God left heaven and came to the front line trenches. God became one of the wounded. His hands are nail-scarred. In Christ, God became the wounded healer ...

418. Is Your Love Shy?

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... a distance. Once he rode a bus four blocks past the place where he wanted to get off just so he could be near her a little longer. (She was in the front of the bus. He was at the rear.) He went to the administrative building and got a copy of her class schedule so he could just happen to be where she was. Another time he signed up for zoology because she would be in the class. And, yes, I traded post office boxes with John. But it cost him! For three dollars, a coil of rope, a Spanish ...

419. How to Recognize a Prophet

Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon

Curtis Lewis

... he is still alive. When the Gulf War began, books on prophesy were rushed to religious bookstores warning that the end was coming and that the ancient Babylonian Empire would rise again, ushering in the end time. A few months after the Gulf war ended copies of these books could be found at drastically reduced prices on clearance racks. God's message is never incompatible with the Christian story! There will come a prophet who is like Moses. He will be the ultimate prophet. This prophet will be a suffering ...

420. To Live Is To Dance

John 10:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... - he said, I’ve been a piccolo trying to a play in the tuba section. When we really accept Christ, and receive the freedom he offers, we’re freed from the pressure of having to fit someone else’s image. Christ doesn’t turn out cookie-cut, carbon copy, people. He affirms us as unique, unrepeatable miracles of God. And he frees us so that we don’t allow the world or even other Christians to squeeze us into their mold. Life becomes a dance and we respond creatively. A second word I would suggest is ...

421. Put My Tears In Thy Bottle

Psalm 56:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... many stories about the meaningful ministry of each of these men. Both Doctors Grant and Beaty were outstanding preachers. One sermon Dr. Beaty preached has been mentioned a lot. He titled it, "Life's Greatest Virtue." The first time someone mentioned it to me, I got a copy of it and read it. Of course it was a sermon on gratitude. Dr. Beaty began that sermon by quoting Cicero who said, "The grateful heart is not only the greatest virtue but mother of all the others. Then he went on to talk about individuals ...

422. Naming And Being Named

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... our lives. We honestly locate ourselves in the presence of God. Some time ago, my wife Jerry, was cleaning out a filing cabinet in her art studio, and for some reason, I don't know why, I'm not going to even try to talk about why, she found copies of some letters she had written way back in 1969. One of those letters was written to Ruby Mitchell. Ruby Mitchell is the wife of Bishop Eric Mitchell, who until retirement, was a Bishop in India. Eric and Ruby had been in Southern California on a mission trip and ...

423. And the Word Is...Love

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... he promised to each of the sons that he would give him the ring. Now how could he possibly do that for all three sons? Here’s what he did. Before he died he called in the finest jewelry maker of the land and asked him to make two identical copies of the ring. After his death each of his sons was presented with a ring. Well, it wasn’t long before each of the sons figured out that his brothers also had a ring and therefore two of them had to be fakes. Only one of them could be the ...

424. Two Small Coins

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... the University before. In an attached note, Jerry attributed his gift to the effectiveness of a solicitation letter he had received. Eager to know what words had inspired such a wonderful outpouring of generosity; the fund raiser searched the files and found a copy of the letter in question. To his surprise, he found that it was one of the boilerplate form letters that they’d been sending to people for years. There was only one difference. In an update of the University’s database, some tired secretary ...

425. Epiphany:The Joy of Fulfillment

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

... -- would want to tell others their version of the story. The best and most significant of these accounts survived, perhaps simply because God meant it to be so. But from the human side we can see a reason, too: no doubt the most beloved books were copied and recopied for sharing. We know as much by the fragments which remain to this day in such relative abundance. But Luke has his own reason for telling the story. It is partly, as he says, because he had "carefully studied all these matters from their ...

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