Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4326 to 4350 of 4508 results

Sermon

Will Willimon

Elizabeth's husband had died a horrible, painful death after a long illness. And when he died, it was as if a light had gone out in her soul, so deep and dark was her grief. Why had a good man like that had to suffer so, she wondered. Her grief was made worse by her having been taken on as a project by a fundamentalist Christian church on the edge of town. The guy she had dated in high school had ...

4327. Justified By Greed: Biography of a Pharisee

Drama

Lynda Pujad

Monologue Of A Pharisee For Lent Or Good Friday A Pharisee boldly comes on stage and discusses his adamant position against the person of Jesus Christ. The crucifixion, which he helped to instigate, has occurred. The resurrection has not. Let me tell you, I wasn't pleased at all about this carpenter's son called Jesus doing the things he was doing. It was wrong. We Pharisees have our rules and r...

4328. Easter Celebration Is Just A Foretaste

Sermon

Joann Hary

Isn't is strange that on Easter morning at the breaking of dawn, when Mary came to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, she reacted the way she did? She ran to tell Peter that the tomb was empty, not that Jesus had risen, but that the tomb was empty! And Peter and John, upon hearing the news, ran to the gravesite to see for themselves. They looked into the tomb, saw the burial clothes and the nap...

4329. Hang Time: A Good Friday Sermon

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

Lent is a season for recalling the suffering and triumph of our Lord, Savior and Liberator, Jesus Christ. It is a time where all Christians should take spiritual inventory in their lives; a time of discarding those things which hurt us and holding on to those things which help us. Lent is a time of remembering the passion, suffering, and resurrection of Christ. As heirs of his kingdom, we become c...

4330. The Burial of Jesus

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

27:57–61 As evening approached (it was still Friday: the Sabbath began at sundown) a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, went personally to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Arimathea has been identified with the modern village of Rentis some twenty miles northwest of Jerusalem. According to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea founded the church at Lydda (nine miles south...

4331. The Guard at the Tomb

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

27:62–66 On the following day (it was a Sabbath, although the Greek avoids mentioning the holy day and calls it the one meta tēn paraskeuēn, after Preparation Day), the chief priests and the Pharisees went as a group to Pilate to ask that a guard be set up at the tomb. They remembered that while he was still alive Jesus had claimed that after three days he would come back to life. Therefore it was...

4332. Do Not Be Afraid!

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: Teach the transformation that took place. The Disciples and the Women went from Fear to joy when they learned that the tomb was empty because Jesus was raised from the dead. Props: 1. A carton of real eggs with one hallowed out. Use a straight pin and poke a small hole on one end of the egg and a bigger one on the other. Blow through the small end to force the contents out. 2. A ch...

4333. An Empty Tomb

Sermon

Robert Allen

Perhaps you saw the story on the news about a couple who had adopted a little girl when she was only two or three weeks old. They accepted the child into the home. They grew to love the child. They watched her grow and develop. But, for some reason, the little girl didn't grow and develop normally. She is now two-and-one-half years old and the doctors have told these adoptive parents that their li...

4334. Easter Headlines

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest sermon on record was delivered by the Rev. Clinton Lacy of West Richland, Washington, in February, 1955. It lasted 48 hours and 18 minutes, and was based on scripture from every book in the Bible. At the close of the sermon, eight persons were present if not awake. Mercifully, Guinness does not tell us how many were in attendance when th...

4335. The Easter Event - After The Resurrection

Sermon

Robert Allen

A community-wide Easter pageant was planned, and people from all over the county tried out for various parts. The part of Mary Magdalene was given to a Catholic nun, a local doctor became Peter, a high school principle became Judas, and Caiphais, the hypocritical high priest, was played by a local banker. It was relatively easy selecting the people for the various parts in the Easter pageant. Howe...

4336. From Real Life to Resurrection Life

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It's time to get real about Reality TV. Don't you think? Does anyone out there not have just a little bit of trouble swallowing the bait that those Survivor, Fear Factor, Amazing Race, Bachelor/Bachelorette, Wife Swap programs are Reality TV? Get Real! How many times does your real life demand that you immerse yourself in a vat of cockroaches? How many of you frequently bungee jump down your offic...

4337. Matthew 28:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The more you think about it, the more surprising it is: missing from all four gospels is any description of Jesus’ resurrection. In each gospel the resurrection itself takes place off-stage. By Sunday morning, when the women first come to Jesus’ tomb, the resurrection is a done deal. Jesus is gone. He is no longer in the tomb. The greatest miracle that has ever happened is unrecorded in scripture....

4338. Matthew 28:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

To read Matthew's version of Easter morning is to be struck dumb with wonder. It is as if Matthew decided to go for broke and show us what a real live miracle looks like when you're standing in the middle of it. Compare Matthew's rendition of Easter morning at the tomb with John's version to get a sense of the unabashed awesomeness Matthew wanted to communicate. John's Easter morning begins with M...

4339. Matthew 28:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

As the entire nation of Japan can testify, there is nothing quite so terrifying as an earthquake. Unlike a storm we can track, a fire we can extinguish, a flood we can move to high ground to escape, an earthquake is utterly unpredictable. The very ground we stand upon, the planet itself, shifts and shakes, calling everything we believe about our world into question. And as terrifying as we find ea...

4340. The Resurrected Jesus Is Vindicated by God and Given All Authority

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Matthew narrates Jesus’ resurrection, demonstrating God’s vindication and authorization of Jesus’ mission, and Jesus’ commission of his followers to disciple the nations through baptizing and teaching obedience to all that he has taught. Understanding the Text Chapter 28 narrates Jesus’ resurrection (28:1–15) and his commissioning of the disciples (28:16–20). The resurrection story pic...

4341. Resurrection and Commissioning

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Once the Sabbath is over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joses (cf. 27:56, 61) return to the tomb. Instead of finding it sealed and guarded, they experience an earthquake (cf. 27:51) and see an angel roll back the entrance stone (28:1–2). The guards faint in fear, while the angel comforts the two women and calms their fears with the news that Jesus has risen as predicted (28:4–6)....

4342. The Resurrection

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Resurrection: The resurrection stands as the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The crucial importance of this historic event is clearly set forth by Paul in the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians. If there is no resurrection, then Christ has not been raised (v. 13), faith is useless (v. 14), the apostolic witness is false (v. 15), believers are still in their sins (v. 17) and are to be p...

4343. Don't Be Afraid of the Future

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Occasionally I fly back to South Carolina for a trustee meeting at a wonderful Methodist institution called Wofford College. On a recent trip I had an extra hour or two, so I decided to take a sentimental journey back to the little town of Greer. My father was pastor there when I was a little boy. Right away I noticed so many things that had changed. Our old house has been torn down and replaced. ...

4344. Back to the Mountaintop

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: Christ is Risen. Christ is Risen indeed. All: Christ is Risen Today. Christ lives and reigns. Collect Jesus, your power is displayed today. We proclaim you are risen and present among us. We proclaim you Lord and Savior. We proclaim your majesty and glory. Bless us in our worship together as we seek to be your disciples of peace and salvation. In your glorious name we pray. A...

4345. Eternal Echo Of Easter - Part 1

Drama

Esther R. Russ

PROGRAM 1. Candlelight Ceremony Choir 2. In the Beginning Narration 3. "I, Mary, Mother of Jesus" Reading 4. Jesus’ Ministry Narration and Drama 5. Choral Arrangement Depicting the Upper Room Choir 6. The Betrayal Narration 7. Choral Arrangement Depicting the Betrayal Choir 8. The Garden of Gethsemane Narration 9. Choral Arrangement Depicting the Garden Choir 10. The Trials Narration and...

4346. Eternal Echo Of Easter - Part 2

Drama

Esther R. Russ

PROVIDING MUSICAL BACKGROUND This program is most effective if all the narrations, dialogues, readings, and drama are given with background music. We used a combination of two types of musical background: (1) various record selections, which we recorded on a high-quality tape, and (2) live organ music. Taped Background In this area of the production, creativity can be unlimited. Simple music fro...

4347. A Song for Easter

Children's Sermon

Shirley Jennings

Object: An Easter lily, a tape recorder, and on tape the song, "This Is the Happiest Day of Spring," from "Songs of Early Childhood at Church and Home," Westminster Press, p. 71. (Another appropriate song could be substituted.) Lesson: Easter is a happy, special day for Christians. Today is Easter. Easter is a special day for Christians. For Easter we have a special flower. Do you know what this...

4348. Search For Tomorrow

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: Both raw kernels and fully popped popcorn (which you may want to share with the children.) Good morning, boys and girls. Usually when we think of Easter we think of brightly colored clothes--symbolizing the joy of the season. Or, we think of Easter eggs symbolizing new life. Or maybe flowers which we plant in the ground as ugly bulbs and which emerge as a beautiful plants. Or even butterf...

4349. The Empty Tomb

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A picture of an empty tomb Good morning, boys and girls. Today is Easter Sunday, a very special day. I will tell you why it is special, but first, do you remember where we left off with our story of Jesus last week? It was a Friday night, just before the Jewish Sabbath, when Joseph of Arimathea and a friend named Nicodemus wrapped the dead body of Jesus in linen and some spices and buried...

4350. Rise Again!

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

Object: "Trick" (relighting) birthday candles, matches, and a damp paper towel. You will need to practice this to get your timing down, but the results will be worth the effort! Lesson: Jesus arose from the dead, just as he said! I want you to watch my hands as I talk this morning. Are you watching? Today is a very special day. It's Easter Sunday, probably the most special day of the year for C...

Showing 4326 to 4350 of 4508 results