Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4251 to 4275 of 4977 results

4251. Your Face Gives You Away

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... ’s Day can remind us some truths of our faith truths that drive home our lesson for the day. Let’s think for a moment about the face of someone who is in love. People who are in love want to put on their best face. Don’t they? Quite naturally, people in love want to be seen as attractive. Many singles today are going to online dating sites. Now, do you imagine that the people who use these online dating sites go there to advertise their flaws? Of course not. A study was done recently of some 30 ...

4252. Luke 9:28-36

Luke 9:28-36

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms.” Although Peter, James, and John are present on the mountain top and they witness the glory shared by the trinity of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, Luke suggests these three disciples weren’t quite “all there.” As will happen later in the Gethsemane garden, sleep had “weighed down” or “overcome” Jesus’ companions. Luke is more forgiving of discipleship faux pas than the other gospel writers. Here Luke implies it may be simply sleep smeared thinking ...

4253. Giving Up

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the ring.” In other words, he was entering the presidential race on the Progressive Party ticket, whose motto was “We Stand At Armageddon and Do Battle For the Lord.” Along with this symbol for fighting, boxing also had a symbol for disengagement — for quitting. A match that started with a hat thrown into the ring might end with someone “throwing in the towel.” When a fighter had been pummeled, beaten to a pulp, but still wasn’t going “down for the count,” the fighter’s coach or manager ...

4254. God Said...

Luke 15:1-32

Illustration

Norm Linville

Is there a better picture of forgiveness in the whole Bible? It reminds me of a story about a woman who had upset her pastor because she claimed that she had conversations with God. She had attracted quite a following in the church and every day people gathered at her house, got on their knees, prayed, sang hymns and listened to her describe what God was saying to her. The pastor thought all this was getting out of hand, so he went to visit her. "I know you ...

4255. Every Shot Makes Somebody Happy

Luke 15:11-32

Illustration

David E. Leininger

There is an old expression in the game of golf that says, "Every shot makes somebody happy," which means if you hit a good one, you are happy. If you hit a lousy one, your opponent is happy. Whoever came up with that line was not quite as charitable to the gentle folk who play the game as he or she might have been, but the point is well taken: good fortune for one does not necessarily mean good fortune for someone else.

4256. Conflict Resolution (Series: Fundamentals of Family)

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... was Dragnet, where Sergeant Joe Friday regularly said to people, “Just the facts ma’am, just the facts.” Relationships grounded in the truth are helpful to all. So, the first principle of conflict resolution is stop pretending, stop denying, end the cover ups, quit diminishing the facts. Dad has more than a headache every night; he is drinking too much. Mom is more than tired when she sleeps all the time; she is depressed. Johnny’s friends are not responsible for his drug use. Johnny is responsible ...

4257. Resurrected Place (Series: Living on the Resurrection Side of Life)

John 14:1-4

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... place to get our basic needs met, a place to love and be loved, a place to nurture and to be nurtured. That’s what families are for. Henri Nouwen says we are people who have an address but are seldom home. We have houses, some of them quite elaborate, but do we have homes, places of safety, centers of love, and communities of acceptance? There are many side effects of cancer that I could do without – the awful weakness, nausea, and pain I abhor. But I must say that cancer has brought some blessings too ...

4258. Resurrected Peace (Series: Living on the Resurrected Side of Life)

John 20:19-23

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... make a hell of heaven or a heaven of hell. Books promising peace of mind are some of the best-selling books on the market today. We live in a world of fear. I had lunch with the President of the United States a few weeks ago. It was quite an honor. During the time for questions, I asked President Bush how the event of 9/11 changed him personally. He responded with a long speech about being whisked away to a military base and informed that the United States was under attack. He described in great detail the ...

4259. Valley of Rejection (Series: Peace in the Valley)

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... in 2002. Palmer, who won the Master’s in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1964, had seen his game slip away with age and his stardom fade with the rise of Tiger Woods and Phil Nicholson. A reporter asked Palmer, “Why did you do it? Why did you quit?” To which Palmer replied, “I didn’t want to get the letter that former champions Ford, Brewer, and Casper had already received asking them to step down.” Whether it’s that girl in elementary school who looked at you in disdain when you offered her a Valentine ...

4260. Valley of Betrayal (Series: Peace in the Valley)

Luke 22:47-53

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... our children, parents try to do the best we can. We search high and low for just the word that will follow our sons and daughters for a life- time. Sometimes we turn to the Bible. James and John, Peter and Andrew, Mary and Martha are all names quite common in our time. But, one Biblical name you never hear used is the name of Jesus’ most infamous disciple – Judas. In Germany, it is against the law to name your child Judas. In America, it is against your better judgment. Yet, Judas Iscariot was one of ...

4261. Drink Deep

Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to the back yard with her. They stop in front of a giant tree, and Gloria asks, "What do you think about this tree?" From nearly every branch of the tree hangs empty bottles, suspended by cords. The sunlight dances through the many-colored bottles. It is quite a spectacle. Opal wants to know why there are so many bottles hanging from the tree? Gloria says, "To keep the ghosts away." Opal wants to know what she means, and so Gloria clarifies, "The ghosts of all the things I done wrong." Opal's surprised. She ...

4262. The Family Album

1 John 3:1-3

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... God. "Jesus didn't choose the brightest and best, the smartest and the richest for his disciples. He picked the mediocre, the poor, the everyday and the ordinary and then molded them into the extraordinary." (2) The main difference between a Saint and a Sinner is really quite simple. It really doesn't have anything to do with whether or not someone has accepted Christ or not. The main difference is an affair of the heart and the soul and the focus of the heart and soul which of course makes it a Stewardship ...

4263. Seen The Doctor Lately?

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... well; but love makes us do them beautifully." I really like that quote. Love makes us "Contribute to the needs of the saints; and extend hospitality to strangers." Rejoice in hope, serve the Lord, contribute. IV. Live Peaceably Finally, Paul says something that I believe is quite profound. He says, live peaceably. Look at verse 18: "If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." That's a far cry from the bilge water Pat Robertson was pumping out earlier this week. I don't know ...

4264. How Does Your Garden Grow?

Matthew 13:1-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... the service to hear, "Fill me up, Lord Jesus, fill me up." Every revival, he would follow this same ritual. He would be the first one to the altar and he would pray, "Fill me up, Lord Jesus, fill me up." Finally, one of the women who knew this character quite well, couldn't stand it any longer. The next time he knelt praying that same empty prayer, "Fill me up, Lord Jesus, fill me up," she stood up and prayed loudly, "Don't do it, Lord. He leaks!" That's what Jesus meant by The Shallow Heart. It's the ...

4265. If Everybody’s Okay, What’s the Problem? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... on that child’s head, remembering the power of water to drown us and to regenerate us. Some say we shouldn’t be doing that to these innocent little angels. But parents know that somewhere around the age of two, these innocent little angels are quite capable of being mischievous little devils. Our two-year-old granddaughter fell down the steps, knocking out her two front teeth. A few weeks later her three-year-old sister confessed to pushing Carrie down the steps. When you are three, it’s all about ...

4266. When We Get Where We’re Going, Where Will We Be? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... children of Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness without giving up until they found their way home. The Jews, in bondage, never lost hope that the destroyed temple would be restored and they would once more march to Zion. The prodigal, in the far country, never quite forgot the home from which he fled, and when he came to his senses he headed back. The disciples were comforted by the very fact that their Lord and Savior was going to prepare a place for them. Sometimes when I feel troubled by this war ...

4267. Radical Love in the Neighborhood (Series: Radical Love in a Risky World)

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... for action.” III. Love is Our Action He binds his wounds, gives him some pain medicine, puts him on his own animal, brings him to an inn, and takes care of him. Love is PERSONAL. It is one thing to herald the dawn of a new earth, it is quite another to lend our hands to the binding of a present wound. It is one thing to hold a conference on hunger; it is another to feed the homeless. It is one thing for denominations to pass resolutions about health care in Tennessee. It is another thing for pastors to ...

4268. Follow Me (Series: An Invitation to Christian Discipleship)

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... gather in tiny churches or elaborate cathedrals throughout the land to proclaim the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We will announce that life is stronger than death. “Christ is risen; He is risen indeed!” Countless others around the world will join the hallelujah chorus. It’s quite a celebration and I find myself yearning for it more and more each year. It is Easter! Thank God, it is Easter! Of course, the first Easter knew none of this hype. A few women went to the tomb and found it empty. When they ...

4269. Radical Love is Forgiving (Series: Radical Love in a Risky World)

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... ’s table, she stood behind him weeping, wetting his feet with her tears. Then doing something no respectable woman would do in public, she let her hair down and dried the tears with her hair, kissed his feet, and poured perfume on them — quite a moving, sensuous sight that causes Simon concern and gives Jesus the opportunity to teach a powerful lesson about forgiveness. The scene leaves us with questions too. I. What is Forgiveness? Forgiveness is a debt canceled. In trying to explain things to Simon ...

4270. Praising God All the Way Home

Psalm 150:1-6

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... and it turned out to be Parkinson’s disease and he had to stop doing surgery. Everything was running on schedule and then the schedule kind of got eschewed. About a year later he was diagnosed with genetic kidney failure, which caused him to face quite a bit of uncertainty with regard to that, as well. This resulted in a kidney transplant which is not easy to come by since there are seventy thousand people in America waiting for one at this point with only about eighteen thousand done per year. This ...

4271. This Is the Day!

Psalm 118:1-29

Sermon

King Duncan

... This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!” Football coach Bill Walsh was recognized as having one of the best minds in professional football. He was the originator of the famous West Coast offense. He says something quite interesting his book, Building a Champion. He says that when a wildebeest or zebra is trapped by a lion, the trapped animal will submit to the inevitable. Its head drops, its eyes glaze over, and it stands motionless and accepts its fate. Walsh notes that ...

4272. Do You Love Me? - Sermon Starter

John 21:1-14

Illustration

Brett Blair

Let's begin with Simon out on his boat fishing alongside the other disciples. He is brooding, thinking deep thoughts not quite sure what to make of all that had happened. Then there is a flashback. He recalls how some months earlier he left his fishing nets at the seashore to become a follower of Jesus and how Jesus liked him and included him and changed his name from Simon to Peter ( ...

4273. Jesus Was Sitting There

Illustration

John M. Braaten

... died. Can you come over?" So the pastor went to see her. The daughter said, "You know, I was in the room and dad seemed okay, he wasn't struggling or anything. I left for just a minute. When I came back, he had peacefully died. But there was something quite strange. Somehow, he had managed to turn over on his side and stretch out his arm and place his hand on the chair." That's living in the presence of Christ. And it happens. It can happen for you, as it can happen for me, at any time. Oh, not ...

4274. Billy Graham Interview

Mt 28:16-20; Jn 21:1-14

Illustration

Brett Blair

... met people in various parts of the world in tribal situations, that they have never seen a Bible or heard about a Bible, and never heard of Jesus, but they've believed in their hearts that there was a God, and they've tried to live a life that was quite apart from the surrounding community in which they lived." Schuller: I am so thrilled to hear you say that. There is a wideness in God's mercy. Graham: There is. There definitely is. Note: This is a verbatim transcript. You can watch it here on Youtube.

4275. The Surprise Twist

Illustration

Carl Jech

... to control his horror. "Oh," said St. Peter. "Well, you see your friend was far from perfect in his life on earth and this is his punishment." A little further on the man saw another friend with an even more hideous blob attached to his leg. "I guess Leo did quite a few bad things in his life too, eh?" "I'm afraid so," St. Peter responded. Going on the man suddenly recognized [name someone here that can take a joke being told on them], who also had a chain attached to his leg. But at the other end of the ...

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