Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 401 to 425 of 1522 results

Genesis 37:1-11, 12-36

Sermon

Steve Burt

... t we? We assume Judas was a bad guy, an impression the New Testament writers contribute to. They paint him as bad, having the devil enter into old Judas. That, unfortunately, tended to make Judas unavailable to us for sympathy, understanding. It's almost impossible for us to identify with him. Is someone a bad guy because he opposes European domination over a country -- as Judas opposed Roman domination over the land he loved? As our patriot fathers and mothers opposed the domination of England over us? Can ...

402. But You Can't Get Water Out Of A Rock!

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Steve Burt

... but he had inscribed a check for $100 to the seminary and me. A total stranger. Suddenly I began to see the water, not just the rock."2 Piero Ferrucci says in his book, Inevitable Grace: "How often -- even before we began -- have we declared a task 'impossible'? And how often have we construed a picture of ourselves as being inadequate? ... A great deal depends upon the thought patterns we choose and on the persistence with which we affirm them."3 We must let God help us see the water, not just the rock. A ...

403. The Promise Of The Spirit

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... is a limitless source of power that can do far more than mere money could ever do. The ministry of the church is not dependent on money but the Spirit. Money is limiting and confining, whereas the Spirit knows no bounds and can accomplish the impossible. The promise of power in this passage in Acts 1:8 is the power to be an effective witness for Christ. That witness was to operate in the manner of an ever widening series of concentric circles, beginning in Jerusalem, where Pentecost was experienced, and ...

404. The Intersection Of The Cross

Matthew 5:31-32

Sermon

Mark Radecke

The pastor finishes reading the Gospel text and the people squirm more than usual. What will he say? What can he say? The passage he has just read proclaims a chain of hard sayings, some of them impossibly harsh, condemning sin and strengthening the commandments. Anger, insulting speech, adultery, lust and swearing oaths are all roundly condemned. But it is the stark prohibition against divorce that has the people wondering what he will say. In the text, Jesus clearly says, "No divorce." The pastor must be ...

405. Holy Love and Herod's Love

Matthew 2:13-18, Matthew 2:19-23

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... intrigues with Anthony and Cleopatra and friendship with Octavius who later was called Caesar Augustus. Herod's task was to balance the needs and demands of Rome with the hopes and desires of his own people. The truth is that that was an impossible task. The vast majority of Jews in first century Palestine had no use whatsoever for any king, Jewish or otherwise, who collaborated with the despised Roman invaders. Herod himself was anathema to them. But still, he tried. To his credit, he established something ...

406. Light In Darkness, Speech From Silence

Matthew 2:13-18, Matthew 2:19-23

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... us to see one another, the room we were in, and the pathway out. While the lights were still out, the leader had asked us how hard we thought it would be to find our way out of the cave without any light. We all said it would be impossible, and any attempt would be not only futile but also dangerous, since we could not see the hazards, the slippery places, or tell the difference between a five-foot and a fifty-foot drop. The leader agreed and then said, "This particular cave is pretty popular. People come ...

407. Light In Darkness, Speech From Silence

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Mark Radecke

408. A Faith I Could No Longer Count On

Psalm 73:1-7, 13-18

Sermon

Robert G. McCreight

... which skews their ability to rejoice and be glad. Taunted by enemies to the point of death (42:10), like sheep blindly being led to the slaughter (44:11), the psalmist questions God's interest in his people. All too often it was difficult if not impossible to be optimistic about anything when the picture looked so dark. In part the sadness comes from the realization that God is indeed in charge of all things, but somehow his plans have become thwarted. The world as we experience it has broken down and God ...

409. Forgiven!

Sermon

Lee Griess

... a new start. A new start, knowing that we are forgiven, then gives us the power to offer forgiveness to others. If we know ourselves as sinners made acceptable to God only by the grace of Jesus Christ, how can we possibly refuse to forgive another? It is impossible. George Whitefield was one of the greatest evangelists that ever lived. He was a true man of God, and yet when he saw a condemned man going to the gallows he whispered the famous words, "There but for the grace of God go I." George knew the truth ...

410. Wanting To Be Seen

Matthew 6:5-6

Sermon

David Belgum

... motive is pure, since Jesus is so concerned about motive and intention?" Frankly, I doubt if our motives, either George's or mine, are ever 100 percent pure. Even when we do a genuine kindness, we usually get a lot back in return. Maybe it is impossible to answer. If my motives were anywhere between 75 percent and 85 percent pure, I'd be quite satisfied. God knows me better than I know myself. Fortunately, he exercises a lot of grace and understanding, forgiveness, and whatever else I need to make up the ...

411. Adam And Jesus See Temptation

Genesis 3:1-24, Genesis 2:4-25, Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David Belgum

... none of them applied to him whatsoever. Theft was not an issue because God had already given him dominion over everything to plant, pen up, eat -- do with as he wished as long as he was a responsible steward. Things were so elemental that it was almost impossible to foul up. To whom or about whom would he have borne false witness anyway? He had no neighbors of his own kind nor any houses or cars to covet. Profanity was almost totally unnecessary. There were better ways to call the cattle or otherwise order ...

412. Standing On The Shore

John 20:1-18 · Mark 16:1-8

Sermon

Elaine M. Ward

... is risen today," as we did. Instead, trembling, they fled. They were terrified. In their fear, they fled from the tomb. They had come in despair, their dreams dashed, but such is disillusionment. Finally, we accept it. But to witness a miracle, believe what is impossible is possible, always confronted with the surprises of God, too much mystery is too much. Trembling, we flee. Better to let the dream die, bury it, than face God's actions in the mystery of death. We experience the words of the poet: All that ...

413. I Saw The Risen Christ Last Week -- And It Wasn't Even Easter

John 20:10-31

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... smartest, an engineer or a preacher?" The father, unsure of an answer, asked his son, "Well, who do you think is the smartest?" "I think an engineer is because he can build bridges and planes, and go into space to find planets. And a preacher talks about such an impossible thing as someone rising from the dead." He was a smart little boy with an honest answer. And we can understand his answer because we live in a world of facts and science. And today we must admit in all honesty that in a world of facts and ...

414. Something New, Something Old

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... in physics, assured the world, "There is no likelihood that we can ever tap the power of the atom." Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Scientific Society, put one matter to rest in 1895 when he said that "Heavier-than-air flying machines are simply impossible." And it was Tris Speaker, himself a former ball player, who observed that "Babe Ruth made a big mistake when he gave up pitching." These anecdotes are amusing because, aside from a good dose of embarrassment, nobody's life was ruined by them. A ...

415. Responsibility And Motivation

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... it may have technically been his responsibility, it remained for Boaz to make the choice to be responsible. Again we ask the question, "What was his motivation for responsibility?" In our modern world we focus so much on "romantic love" that it is virtually impossible to read this story without assuming that Boaz fell head over heels in love with the ravishingly beautiful Ruth! This line of thought would never have occurred to the biblical community, just as it would not occur to many persons in the world ...

416. Meeting Jesus At The Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... running water from a spring or river as opposed to water standing in a cistern or a well. The woman naturally enough assumed that this was what Jesus was speaking about, a source of constant fresh running water. That initial misunderstanding made it all but impossible for her to comprehend the business about water gushing up inside the individual. We seem to have a mental standoff. This is, of course, one of the conundrums of the Christian life: Jesus calls us to have faith and be transformed, but until we ...

417. Guilt And Grace

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... before too long, your aunt will call you up and ask why you don't like her anymore. You don't visit like you used to. And if you get angry, and slam down the phone, you'll have to feel guilty about that! You can't win. It's impossible to work off our guilt. Because we can't please everyone or do everything exactly right. We can't deny our guilt. We can't work it off. Perhaps we can ease it by emersing ourselves in psychology. Most bookstores have a pop psychology, "self-help" section. Usually there's ...

418. Fulfilled, Or Just Full?

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... After all, more and more possessions mean more and more responsibility, more things to care for, more things to watch over, worry about, protect, maintain, repair, and insure. Plus, you can only enjoy a few of your possessions at any one time. I've found it impossible to use my sports car, my golf cart, my swimming pool, my hot-tub, my RV, my speedboat, and my vacation home all at once! And often, just when we're really enjoying one thing, something else is wearing out or breaking down! Does acquiring more ...

419. The First Hole

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

... from behind, but it isn't easy. A bad start can discourage you, throwing your game off completely. We pros sometimes find that we have shot ourselves right out of a tournament on the first nine. The average player, if he starts off badly, finds it almost impossible to pull his game together. His confidence and concentration are gone for the day; he may as well go home ... How much better it is to start off as a firecracker and not have to come from behind ... For another, a good start sets you up mentally ...

420. The Downside Of The Practice -- Performance Equation

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

... British Open. Constantino Rocca of Italy needed to get down in two to tie American John Daly and force a playoff. Only a chip and putt from his goal, he totally blew the chip. But instead of giving up, he composed himself and gallantly sunk a seemingly impossible thirty-footer to send the British Open into a playoff. Then John Daly completely crushed him in the playoff to win his second major championship. Rocca did his best and still fell short of the prize. It happens all the time. That's why I tell new ...

421. Outlook Determines Outcome

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Rodney Thomas Smothe

... which could not be ushered in until Jesus was fully glorified. Because we know that Jesus has returned to the Father so will we. Many well-meaning Christians have attempted to share their faith without waiting on the power of the Spirit. It's impossible to begin any significant movement for Christ without realizing the relationship of the Trinity to God's unfolding plan of salvation for all humankind. If Jesus had remained on earth his physical presence would have limited the spread of the gospel. The Holy ...

422. Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Rodney Thomas Smothe

... that the couple had prayed for direction and believed that God wanted them to share this gift of support with this young man in need. What appeared to be an obstacle turned into an opportunity. Sometimes we are faced with obstacles that seem impossible to overcome only to be shocked by God's gracious initiatives in our lives. Throughout the New Testament we find numerous examples of God's gracious imperatives at work turning obstacles into opportunities. To a woman with an issue of blood for 12 years ...

423. A Matter Of Trust

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... . More blood has been spilled in religious wars and crusades than in any other cause. In those rare times when the church will not and does not support the aims of the government, prosecuting a war becomes very difficult. The Vietnam war became impossible when religious people -- old and young -- said "No." In the years since then our government has sought to identify with a more conservative religious group, led by certain popular showmen, televangelists who could be counted on to say "Yes." The wise men ...

424. Moving At The Speed Of Light: In Corinth Or Cana?

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... , Orientals, and Jews from Egypt, Asia Minor, and Syria. Each of these groups imported its own customs and religious beliefs. In this conglomeration of beliefs and customs, speaking in tongues, ecstasy, and prophesy received attention and value. It was almost impossible to avoid eating meat which had been sacrificed to gods at funeral banquets or public festivals. And while writing to encourage the saints at Corinth and to instruct them, Paul was also concerned about the values and lifestyles that these ...

425. The Easy Way Out

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... , ever notice how often you hear the same pieces over and over again? The prospect of struggling through a new piece seems like torture, so the temptation is not to bother -- to be satisfied with the old, familiar songs, and not to struggle with the difficult, seemingly impossible new ones. The temptation is to take the easy way out. But is this true only of children and musical lessons? I think not. All of us face days filled with the temptation to take the easy way out. Do we put on our sweats and walk ...

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