Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 4276 to 4300 of 4942 results

4276. Jesus Calls Matthew, Jesus Heals The Leaders Daughter, Jesus

Matthew 9:18-26, Matthew 9:9-13

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

Suggestions: Use as an anthem. Characters: 6 readers - 2 women, young man, 3 older men Key: 1 = narrator 2 = Jesus 3 and 4 = Pharisees 5 = leader of the synagogue 6 = woman who hemorrhages 1: As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, 2: "Follow me." 1: And he got up and followed him. 1: And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to ...

4277. Jesus Feeds The Five Thousand

Matthew 14:13-21

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

Suggestions: Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture readings. Speakers: 4 readers - 1 young woman, 3 young men Key: 1 = storyteller 2 and 4 = two disciples 3 = Jesus 1: Now when Jesus heard (the news about the death of John the Baptist), he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples ...

4278. Carrying The Ark Of The Covenant Across The Jordan

Joshua 3:1-4:24

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

Suggestions: Use in ordinary sequence with the scripture reading. 4 readers - 2 men, 2 women Key: 1 = first storyteller, 2 = Lord, 3 = Joshua, 4 = second storyteller 1: The Lord said to Joshua, 2: "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.' " 1: ...

4279. The Call To Ministry

1 Kings 19:9-18

Sermon

Robert Allen

Several years ago, we were living in a community that had a population of less than 10,000 people. Because of the nearby lake and the numerous campgrounds, it was fairly common to have thousands of people visiting in our community on the weekend. However, most of these people did not feel comfortable coming into town for church. They were camping and didn’t feel comfortable coming to church in their camping clothes. As I thought about the several thousand people on the lake and in the campgrounds each ...

4280. Marked In God’s Book

Sermon

George Bass

“Their names are written in the book of life.” (Jerusalem Bible) Philippians 4:1-9 “The cross is still there” upon your forehead, and because it is, it is burned into your heart, mind, and soul by the Holy Spirit assuring you that your “names are written in the Book of Life.” God knows us and our names, and believers may rest assured that there is a place for them in God’s eternal kingdom. God will never forget his people or their names, according to St. Paul. One of the last things my wife and I did at ...

4281. Marked For Mission

Sermon

George Bass

“Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:14-20 Yes, “the cross is still there,” and that means that we are all responsible for the business of telling the story of Jesus to the world. Shortly before it actually occurred, Jesus spoke of his impending death on the cross, ending with, “And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all people to myself.” After his resurrection and just before he ...

4282. Paradoxes Of The Christian Faith

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

There is something strange and paradoxical about the faith of Christians, and many people struggle to understand how we can celebrate the life of someone who died on a cross; someone who didn't fit the conventional criteria of success; someone who brought good and joy to the world, yet was executed by the very people to whom he brought goodness. How could God take someone who was penniless and make us wealthy; someone who was homeless and provide us with a many-roomed mansion in our Father's house? What a ...

4283. The African Foundations Of Christianity

Exodus 4:1-17

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

In surveying the vast and rich history of African-American people, we must go beyond the shores of America to the continent of "Alkebulan" or Africa. We are indebted to the late Dr. Carter G. Woodson and members for the study of Negro Life and History for designating February as a time for observing the outstanding contributions of black people, not only to American but also to world history. A great tragedy of our times is that many people, both black and white, think that Black History began four hundred ...

4284. Doing Our Homework

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Larry Goodpaster

Whenever the “new” bumps up against the “old” there is bound to be friction. It happens within the community where we live. Someone -- an elected leader or would-be community change agent -- comes along with a new idea, seeing new possibilities for the future, and there is a vocal hesitation. “Why should we change?” the long-time residents complain. “Things are just fine the way they always have been!” The inevitable conflict grows between those who advocate change for a different way of living in the ...

4285. Like A Breath Of Fresh Air

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Larry Goodpaster

One of the several things we all have in common is the sheer enjoyment of receiving gifts. While we may not always say so, our feelings are at least slightly wounded if our birthday is forgotten. Christmas is not memorable if, because of economic conditions, or because we were extravagant with gifts for others, our gifts are fewer in number. I’ve also observed that as many of us add years to our lives, the gifts we do receive are more predictable and much more practical. We like receiving gifts! Now gifts ...

4286. Dim Visions And Blind Guides

Sermon

Harold Warlick

The societal limits which impinge on our world also affect our personal existence in profound ways. Nowhere is this more critical than in our own dreams and visions. Dreams and visions are important in life. Every action we take in life was designed by someone. Every piece of clothing, every building, every hymn book, every chair, every light fixture, and every automobile existed first in someone's vision. Someone had to have the idea or the dream to turn out the product. The same holds true for the way we ...

4287. “You Did That for Me!”

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

A friend and I were having lunch. We enjoyed jumping from one topic to another, sharing, interrupting, countering. I did a double-take when my friend slipped in a surprise. “My marriage is in trouble.” The conversation changed at once. Another new topic had occurred to me, but I dropped it. The time had come for listening. Our conversation had changed from a freewheeling exchange to an intimate opening and sharing. I asked leading questions and made observations. I was trying hard to listen, actively using ...

4288. In The Presence Of God

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

Have you ever wondered whether God was really present in your life? Times were hard and seemingly your misery was endless. You worked long and hard everyday and yet the need was always greater than your means. The pay raises never quite measured up to the escalation in the cost of living. You made more, were taxed more, but had less to spend. Then you cried, God where are you? The poem titled Footprints tells the story of a person on a long journey. Sometimes joy was felt along the way; things went well in ...

4289. Saved By Grace

Exodus 32:1-33:6

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

This subject causes one to focus on two significant theological expressions having a direct bearing on the quality of human life: salvation and grace. The apostle Paul adds a third expression that he calls faith; “For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast… (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).” So then, Paul contends that salvation is realized when grace is activated and faith comes alive. All three are ...

4290. Keeping In Touch… With The Lord

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

God created us to be social beings. Life is not intended to be experienced in total isolation though moments of solitude are therapeutic. We live on the planet earth with other people and so it is essential for every person to develop meaningful relationships with significant others. Each person is introduced into society through a family unit, the most fundamental organism in existence today. Human relationships do not automatically survive and certainly do not thrive without constant nurturing. In other ...

4291. The One-Handed Clock

Matthew 22:36-40

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A play clock that you can remove one of the hands from. Lesson: On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know how to tell time? (Let them answer.) Not very many of you know how to tell time, but it is something that you want to learn as soon as possible. We all want to know what time it is so that we will not miss dinner or school or the time that we are supposed to be in bed. Time is very important to all of us. I brought along a ...

4292. God Works Through Opposites

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

God simply does not seem to do the sort of things we would expect our God to do. He does not always give us what we want. Most of us do not have everything we had hoped and dreamed for in life. He does not always answer our prayers. After all, we have all lost loved ones. Sometimes God seems so far away. We pray to him, and nothing is there (or so it seems). We look to God to intervene in our world. Yet the hungry, the poor and the oppressed are still with us. Where is God? Why does he seem so powerless? ...

4293. Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

"So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place of a skull, which is called in Herbrew Gol'gatha. There they crucified him ... (John 19:17-18)." The story continues, and we know it well. He was crucified with two other criminals - one on each side. We know about the sign that Pilate hung on the cross - proclaiming Jesus (sarcastically) to be "King of the Jews (John 19:19-24)." We know about how the soldiers divided up his clothes (John 19:23-23). We ache when he thirsted, and they ...

4294. What Makes Those Disciples So Darn Happy?

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

"I tell you, those disciples had it made! I sure wish that I had been alive in those days. They had it easy. It could not have been very hard for them to believe in Jesus and in God. They had it made! They had Jesus with them all of the time. It is harder for us, because we do not have Jesus; he is with the Father. Consequently, we have to believe in him; faith is all we've got. But the disciples had him present with them. What a gyp! It really is difficult being a Christian when all you have going for you ...

4295. The Majesty Of God's Love

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Today we celebrate Jesus' ascension into heaven. Our gospel lesson from Matthew does not directly speak of our Lord's ascension, but it does provide some clues regarding its significance. It has to do with Jesus' great commission ("to make disciples of all nations [Matthew 28:19])" and its relationship to the Trinity. Somehow Jesus' ascension represents an internal divine commitment by God that he will not quit until everyone is wrapped up in his love. Here is the story. According to Matthew's version, on ...

4296. The Road To The Cross

Matthew 27:11-26

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Passion Sunday, the whole story of the dastardly plots and betrayals that brought Jesus to the cross, lies before us. You know the story well. It is filled with a number of subplots, all of which provide insights about the kind of people that we are and how our sins nailed Jesus to the cross. We see how the disciples (especially Judas and Peter, as well as the sons of Zebedee), each in his own way, failed our Lord. In similar ways we have failed him. We hear the story of our Lord's courage, his love of ...

4297. Robert Paul, You Were Right!

Daniel 7:1-14, Daniel 7:15-28

Sermon

Richard Hasler

Professor Robert Paul and his family had just returned to Hartford Seminary from a trip to the Rocky Mountains. As a doctoral student in church history studying with him I had always been stimulated by his lectures and seminars. Now, I was anxious to talk with him and with his gracious and perceptive wife, Eunice, to get their impressions of the trip. Paul, a native of England, was ecstatic about the natural beauty of America, but he also was appalled by the lack of appreciation for what he called “a sense ...

4298. The Dreamer Within You

Joel 2:18-27, Joel 2:28-32

Sermon

Richard Hasler

The setting for the movie Dead Poet’s Society is a proper New England prep school steeped in tradition and discipline. Into this rather stiff environment comes a new English instructor played by Robin Williams. He has an unorthodox method of teaching. He stands on his desk at times to make a point. He electrifies his students. He has them reading poetry as they practice soccer so that they will see the connection between the two. He prods them to think for themselves, to get in touch with their feelings, ...

4299. The Road To Jerusalem

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

Everybody loves a parade. I spent 10 of my growing up years in Savannah, Georgia, where my father was the pastor of a church. On March 17th of each year Savannah has the second largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the country. The whole city turns out for the parade. They dye the river green. Everybody wears green. They eat green grits. Some drink green - well, beverages. For several years I went to that parade and enjoyed watching it. But then when I was in the 10th grade I was in R.O.T.C., military ...

4300. Questions

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

John Jamison

Have you ever had news to tell someone that you were afraid to tell them because you really didn't know how they would respond? You don't want to tell them, but you know eventually you will have to? In my mind, that is how it happened. All the way back from the well, Mary stewed. Would he be angry or sad, or say nothing at all? Would he go away, or stay here? For months he had been paying close attention to everything John had been doing. He had questioned every traveler through town for news of John, the ...

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