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Showing 4226 to 4250 of 4934 results

4226. A Continuing Presence

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Larry Powell

Clarence Macartney tells of a certain Canadian river which flows through a forbidding chasm. Looming on either side of the river are rugged, uninviting crags which bear the names "Eternity" and "Trinity." Macartney suggests that the opposing crags invite an analogy (you understand of course, that to a preacher, most everything invites analogy). "Inseparable from any true conception of God," he says, "are always the two doctrines of God's eternity and God's trinity ... The threefold experience of God the ...

4227. Come The Judgment Day

Jeremiah 16:1--17:18

Sermon

Erskine White

I, the Lord, search the mind and try the heart, to give to everyone according to their ways. (Jeremiah 17:10) In our text from Jeremiah, the prophet proclaims God's judgment over each of us as individuals, but sometimes I wonder: who really believes in a Last Judgment any more? Who takes seriously the idea that God "searches the mind and tries the heart, to give to everyone according to their ways"? A number of years ago, a judge named Horace Gray was forced to free a guilty man because of a legal ...

4228. Proper 12

Luke 11:1-13, Psalm 138:1-8, Genesis 18:16-33, 2 Kings 5:1-27, Colossians 2:6-23

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE At one time, the Pentecost season of the church year was divided into four parts, which were marked by saints' days. The first section ran from Trinity Sunday to June 29th, the day of Sts. Peter and Paul, and Sundays were numbered consecutively; the second went from the end of June to August 10th, St. Lawrence Day, and were numbered "after the Aposties;" the third extended from August 10th to September 29th, the feast of St. Michael and All Angels, and were called Sundays "after St. ...

4229. Ash Wednesday

Sermon

William Luoma

The use of contemporary news stories and ashes focuses on our need for a Savior. The Day: Ash WednesdayIt was Ash Wednesday, and a woman sifting in a crowded Catholic church, leaned over to the young man next to her and asked: "What is it that brings so many people out on a cold night, to get a little dirt smeared on their foreheads, and to be reminded that they are sinners and that they are going to die?" He looked at her somewhat oddly and said, "It's habit, I guess." It must be more than habit. Ash ...

4230. Christ the King The King On His Cross

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Alvin Rueter

It may seem strange we have this Gospel today for the Festival of Christ the King. The Second Lesson seems to be more on target, that Christ is "the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation," that "in him all things hold together," that he is "the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent." But this story? From Good Friday - about a loser? The object of sport and scorn? Whose scepter had been a reed and whose crown had been of thorns? If he is a king, the cross ...

4231. Ordinary 32

Lk 20:27-38 · Zech 7:1-10 · 2 Thess 2:13--3:5 · 1 Chron 29:10-13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Zechariah 7:1-10 Not fasting but justice and compassion Yahweh desires. Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai. He supported Haggai in his call for re-building the temple. Zechariah preached in Judah to the returned exiles between 520 and 518 B.C. He probably saw the temple completed in 516. While Haggai was primarily concerned with the re-building of the temple, Zechariah called for repentance and social righteousness. In today's passage the question is raised whether weeping and fasting should ...

4232. The Changes Children Bring

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

... and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6) During the last five years my wife and I have found out what every other parent in all of human history has found out: children bring changes to your life. In fact, children take life as you’ve known it and turn it upside down. In his book, Fatherhood, Bill Cosby asks just one question of those who want to have children: Why? "Why would you have children when all your other acts were rational?" Why would you give up the comfortable patterns of your life ...

4233. Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon Aid

Liturgical Color: Purple/Red Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11; Matthew 26:14-27, 66 Theme: Jesus' triumphal entry - Jesus' betrayal and sharing of the communion. Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration One pastor did this: "Here he comes! Let's make him welcome! Enter into the Mardi Gras spirit! Laugh and dance and sing and rejoice! Our King is coming! Then, as the choir and children enter during the singing of the hymn of triumphal entry, have them wave palm branches and intermingle with the congregation. At the ...

4234. Death Is Damned!

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

"And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly." In a secular society, Easter cannot even begin to compete with Christmas! But we try. Sometimes even Christians are ignorant of the facts of Easter. In Clearwater, Florida, a man and his wife took us out to dinner during a revival. They told the legendary story of a Roman Catholic who appeared at the Pearly Gates ...

4235. What Are Christian Liberals? - 1951

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Kent Moorehead

The principle wrapped up in that text would seem to be quite obvious - that the most important thing to remember in dealing with all ambiguities, controversies, uncertainties, is that there is a spirit of truth available and if we keep our hearts and minds receptive, attentive responsive, we shall be led into all truth. Now that’s the core of the liberal’s approach to life. Keep that in mind as we proceed to discuss this very interesting and important issue: What Are Christian Liberals? I shall never ...

4236. THE MARK

Drama

Jerome W. Nilssen

A woman in black, calling. It is dusk, and imperceptibly the lights dim, until the last four or five speeches are given in almost total darkness. A single pool of light may be used. EVE Cain! Cain! Ca-a-a-i-n! (No answer) That’s all right - I know you can hear me. That’s perfectly all right. Well, they rip you to pieces when they’re born, and they keep at it until you’re dead - it’s the natural, inborn ingratitude of children. They watch out for themselves. Cain! You watch out for yourself! You do, don’t ...

4237. Episode III: Birth of the Church

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Brett Blair

In 1977 teenagers all over America walked into movie theatres to watch a movie that was virtually unknown. The director was unknown, the characters were unknown, the soundtrack was unknown, the robots were unknown. The name of the movie was Star Wars. It was not expected to be the biggest grossing movie of all times. It’s hard to believe that was 28 years ago. But even then some of us could read the handwriting on the wall. It was more grand than anything else we’d had ever see. For the next two months in ...

4238. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Brett Blair

Lance Armstrong. Going for his eighth Tour de France. His heart is nearly one-third larger than that of the average man. At resting, it beats an average of 32 times per minute, during peak performance, 200. He burns up about 6,500 calories every day for three weeks while in the race. One of the stages of the race is 120 miles long-that day he will burn 10,000 calories. You and I burn 3,500 and that’s on a good day. His lungs can take in twice the oxygen. His body fat level is 4 percent. Yours is 16. He has ...

4239. God Bless America

Psalm 33:1-22

Sermon

David E. Leininger

In April, 1775, Samuel Johnson wrote, "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." Unfortunately, too often, too true. More crimes against humanity have been committed in the name of patriotism than almost anything else, with the possible exception of religion. (What we have been seeing in Kosovo is a combination of both.) But on a weekend like this one, I think even Dr. Johnson would agree that patriotism has its place. There are times we need to recall our national heritage, to remind us of our ...

4240. No Price Too High

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

King Duncan

Some years ago TIME magazine asked a group of Americans to rate one hundred famous events in history as to their significance. The results of that poll are quite amazing. Number one was Columbus' discovery of America. Three events tied for fourteenth on the list: the discovery of X-rays, the Wright brother's first plane flight, and the crucifixion of Jesus. Notice that: Jesus tied for fourteenth. That poll indicates that you and I have not done a very good job of communicating to the world the meaning of ...

4241. Life From God's Perspective

John 12:12-19

Sermon

King Duncan

Robert Fulghum remembers the time when his seven-year-old daughter Molly enjoyed packing lunches for herself, her brothers, and her father. Each bag got a share of sandwiches, apples, milk money, and sometimes a note or a treat. One morning Molly handed her father two bags as he was about to leave for the office. One was a regular lunch sack, the other one was sealed with duct tape, staples and paper clips. He asked his daughter, "Why two bags?" "Just some stuff ” take it with you," she said. He stuffed ...

4242. When You Need Help

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

What can we say about this woman? She was pushy, aggressive, assertive. She would not be denied. Even when Jesus ignored her she would not quit. Can you ever remember Jesus deliberately ignoring anybody? But that's what the record shows. Matthew tells us a Canaanite woman came crying after Jesus: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is possessed by a demon." No big deal. Jesus was an expert at dealing with demons. This would be easy for him. But wait. Matthew tells us Jesus did not answer ...

4243. Searching For Saints

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

"Life is a mystery Charlie Brown," says Lucy, "Do you know the answer?" Charlie Brown answers, "Be kind. Don't smoke. Be prompt. Smile a lot. Eat sensibly. Avoid cavities and mark your ballot carefully . . . Avoid too much sun. Send overseas packages early. Love all creatures above and below. Insure your belongings and try to keep the ball low . . ." Before he can get out another platitude, Lucy interrupts: "Hold real still," she says, "because I am going to hit you a very sharp blow upon the nose!" This ...

4244. Loving From The Heart

1 Peter 1:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown goes into his wind up on the pitcher's mound. In order to fortify his confidence he quotes scripture, "Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the pestilence that walketh in darkness . . ." In the next frame, WHAM! the ball comes zooming back from the batter, catapulting Charlie head over heels. Then in the last frame we see him lying face down on the ground with stars dancing around his head. He concludes, "But those line drives will kill you!" This is ...

4245. An Unforgettable Day

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

King Duncan

The September 2002 issue of More magazine carried an article titled, "The Day I'll Never Forget." It was an interview with prominent people about where they were and what they remember from the most momentous events in American history. Janice Aldrin recalled the giant, rocket-shaped cake her family and friends ate to celebrate the day when her dad, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, first set foot on the moon. Former Olympic track star Madeline Manning Mims remembered the terror she and her teammates felt at the 1972 ...

4246. Begin With The End

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor Kent Crockett tells a powerful story in his book, I Once Was Blind, But Now I Squint. Years ago Kent and his wife Cindy recorded many of their family highlights using an 8mm home movie camera. Some of you are too young to even know about 8mm film. Others of you took your first home movies with them. They were silent, and the picture wasn't very sharp. But they were sufficient to capture some of the important moments in your life. Kent and Cindy collected years of precious memories on numerous spools ...

4247. Teach Us To Pray

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A few years ago, Rabbi Wayne Dosick was at the airport when he witnessed an unusual scene. A police officer approached a mother and her small daughter. Someone had filed a missing-persons report on a little girl of the same age and appearance as the little girl in the airport. The officer was asking the mother to prove that the child was actually hers. First, the officer tried questioning the toddler, a technique that proved to be futile. He asked the name of her father. She replied, "Daddy." He asked ...

4248. Blessings Beyond Our Dreams (Part 2 )

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Last week we began our study of The Prayer Of Jabez, a best-selling book by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson which has become a publishing phenomenon. Jabez begins life with little promise. His name means "pain." Every time his name is mentioned, it is as though he is reminded, "I am a born loser." A distinguished Bible teacher puts it this way: "We have a picture of a young man who has all the cards stacked against him. There was a struggle in the family of Jabez. If you examine the genealogies in the Book of ...

4249. The Third Commandment: God's Last Name Is Not...?

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

We continue today in our series on the Living the Ten Commandments. Today we come to the third instruction which teaches us: Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord is very serious when his name is used or attached to something or someone. When God’s name is honored so is everyone and everything else. As you have already probably observed the first four commandments deal with our relationship primarily with God. These are vertical. They are directed upward. They deal with our respect and ...

4250. Worry Wart or Winning Warrior

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I like the story about the two mountain boys who spotted a bobcat up a tree and decided to have some fun. One said, "I''ll shinny up that tree and chase him down, and you put him in a cage." The other agreed, and the first fellow climbed up the tree. When he reached the right limb, he started shaking, and the cat came tumbling down. The other fellow grabbed the varmint by the back of the neck and tried to put him into a cage. There was a terrible commotion. Dust and fur and skin were flying in all ...

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