Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4351 to 4375 of 4977 results

4351. The Road of Peace

Isaiah 9:2-7

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... HOUSE OF FEAR TO THE HOUSE OF FAITH. Terrorism may be defined as the use of violence and threats to intimate and coerce the enemy into a state of fear and submission. I don't know whose winning the war in Iraq, but of this I am quite certain, world-wide terrorism is winning the war of fear in the hearts and minds of people. It's staggering when you think about it. A relatively few people without a single government's official backing, equipped with no sophisticated military machinery, can cripple a world ...

4352. What Can Christians Learn from Buddhists?

Romans 8:18, 28

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... more we hurt. Buddhism says, “If I didn't cling, nothing would frighten me, because there would be nothing I would be afraid to lose, and nothing I would need to be happy." C. LIBERATION IS POSSIBLE The road to liberation is detachment. Selfishness can be overcome. Quit complaining about the hand life deals you. Your only choice is the attitude about the cards you hold and the finesse with which you play them. It is incredibly freeing to know that you do not need to be pleased in order to be happy says ...

4353. Get Up and Go

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... knows the way through Egypt; all we have to do is follow. III. RUNNING ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD Notice the recurring phrase ‘so was fulfilled what was said by the prophets.' He will come out of Egypt and be called a Nazarene. Never mind that scholars can't quite find the reference. The author saw it all within God's plan. Jeremiah 29:12 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." About 100 years ago, a ...

4354. Amos: The Problem of Justice

Amos 5:18-24

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... in the Constitution. On the way to the principal's office, I learned the difference between liberty and license. For years, Ben Stein wrote a column on the “Rich and Famous" that he met at Morton's Steak House. Then a couple of years ago, he quit. Ben Stein came to see that Hollywood stars and sports heroes making eight figure wages and riding around in limousines were not that important. “A real star," writes Ben in his last column, “is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing ...

4355. The Power to Do Good

Acts 10:34-38, 44-48

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... constant whisper in the night that will not let you go. A calling is an urgency that is also important. A calling is a need that is not being filled. A calling is a something that lies before you now. It is one thing to pursue a career, it is quite another to answer a call. We are called to belong to Jesus Christ. We are called to become what He made us to be. We are called to use our resources, our influence, our time, our talent to bring His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Are you ...

4356. Make Disciples—Intentionally

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . He tried to create situations in which somebody would look you in the eye and say not what is the weather today or who won the ballgame, but ‘how is it with your soul?' It is one thing to inquire about the weather. It is quite another thing to inquire about the soul. Constant attempts have been made to revive this formula of accountability. But let me cut through the theory and pose the question. Are you involved in a Sunday School Class, Bible Study Group, Prayer Group, Disciple Bible Study, Companions ...

4357. Bragging

Gal 6:14

Illustration

King Duncan

... to a man from Edinburgh, Scotland. The Scotchman asked him, “An’ what country do you belong tae?” “The greatest country in the world!” replied the American. “Mon! So dae I,” replied Scotsman, “but you donna speak like a Scotsman.” It’s really quite human to brag about your school, about your team, about your family, about your country. However, St. Paul said on one occasion that there’s only one thing worth really boasting about and that is the cross on which Jesus Christ died. Paul ...

4358. By Faith

1 Peter 1:3-9

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

One thing I have quit doing the last couple of years is cleaning gutters. Every time I mention it, Sandy immediately hires someone to do it and sends me the bill. Maybe she has heard me tell this story too many times. A certain husband was cleaning leaves off his roof when he slipped and ...

4359. This Little Light of Mine

Matthew 5:14-26

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... put the oil lamp under a bowl and the room would darken until your return. Lights are not meant to be permanently hidden. Lights are made to shine. Darkness can only exist in the absence of light. It is one thing to curse the darkness, it is quite another to light a candle. We can rant and rave about corruption in high places, and poverty in low places. We can abhor violence in all places and pornography in numerous places. But the question is not “Why is there darkness?" The question is, “Where is the ...

4360. Lighting up Your Neighborhood

Acts 13:44-49

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Love your neighbor as you love yourself. The Bible is quite insistent about that. Eight times from Leviticus to First John the Bible comes right out and commands it. Numerous times it is mentioned as the foundation of all human relationships. Loving your neighbor is not a plaque to be posted in our court houses. It is a principle to apply ...

4361. Be Silent

Luke 1:11-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , are you sure, I don't understand." Go home and be quiet. You can't even explain it to Elizabeth. So don't even try. Sometimes silence is stunning. It leaves us speechless. It is a glorious day when we discover that some things just can't be explained. So quit trying. Sometimes we are silent because we are scared to death. Silence can be a source of fear. The sounds of silence scare us. Can you picture this story in Luke, Chapter 1? Zechariah makes a living as a priest. What is a priest to do if he cannot ...

4362. Loosening Up for Better Production

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. Who could imagine that a small pellet the size of your thumb has within it the growing powers to become a giant oak, or a beautiful rose, or a fresh tomato? The way of God blows my mind. I've never quite gotten used to it. It is more than I can comprehend. Max Lucado says, “The best thing we can do is to become good soil. Confession is the act of inviting God to walk the acreage of our hearts." There is a rock of greed over there, Father; I can ...

4363. Making the Most of Small Beginnings

Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , day after day, race after race, chasing that rabbit. Then one day I got close enough to get a good look at the thing. It was then I discovered that rabbit was a fake. I had spent my whole life chasing a fake rabbit. I didn't retire, I quit!" If you are tired of plowing the same old ground, chasing the same fake rabbit, enduring the same routine, wake up, be alert, watch! The Kingdom of Heaven, the greatest treasure on earth, may be closer than you think. You, who have ears to hear, hear! IV. THE KINGDOM ...

4364. Conversion or Credentialing?

Acts 9:1-5, 10-12, 17-19

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... to influence a community. He understood both Jewish and Greek ways of thinking. He knew both oral and written law. Education isn't everything, but without it, where would any of us be? My father never had a chance to get an education, although he did quite well in his little world of farming. Shortly after I earned my doctorate degree, I went home to visit my parents. After supper, during the conversation of the evening my dad looked up over his paper and said, “Your mother told me you got your doctorate ...

4365. By Humbly Doing Good

1 Peter 5:6-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... homicides, suicides, child abuse, spouse abuse, and aggravated assaults. Americans are spending 64.9 billion dollars a year trying to deal with the stress in their lives. What can we do? A. WE CAN RUN — get away, take a break, take a pill, get drunk, do drugs, divorce, quit work. B. WE CAN REPRESS IT — suck it up, push it down, deny its existence, freeze our feelings, isolate our emotions, bottle it up, bury it deep and it will come back to haunt us. C. WE CAN RELEASE IT TO THE LORD — I think one of ...

4366. Living in Gratitude

Philippians 4:4-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... monk how he was doing. Without hesitation the monk replied, “Food Bad." Another year passed and the Abbott again asked the monk how he was doing. The monk replied, “Bed hard." When asked for an evaluation the third year, the young monk said, “I quit." “Well", said the Abbott, “I'm not surprised. All you have done since you came here is complain, complain, complain." I want to talk to you today about an attitude of gratitude. Ciceroonce said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, it ...

4367. Finding Our Place in the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:12-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... we were only one big eye? The hands, mouth and teeth of a person started talking among themselves one day. They soon concluded they were doing all the work but the stomach was getting all the food. So the three of them went on a strike. They quit gathering and chewing food. The stomach reacted by growling and cramping. But soon all the parts became too weak to function. Trying to hurt the stomach, the rest of the parts hurt themselves. Paul says the Church is like that. We are the Body of Christ. The body ...

4368. The Nearest Willing Hand

Luke 10:25-37

Illustration

Carveth Mitchell

... ." "He did touch you. How do you think God touches people? That he comes down like a fog blanket or a pillar of fire? When God touches people he takes the nearest hand and uses that." That sounds good, doesn't it? And it's almost right. Almost, but not quite. She left out one word. When God touches people he takes the nearest WILLING hand and uses that. The Gospel for today is a case in point.

4369. Three Basic Attitudes about Life

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... obsession with our own needs. When we get sick, we want to know that there is Someone out there we can turn to. We worry about our family. If being religious means that God will look out for them, then it is a small price to pay. Nobody says it quite that crassly, but perhaps as many as 90% of all Christians basically come to the faith asking, “What’s in it for me?” It’s very human, but it is also very far from the heart of Christ. Notice again that when Jesus answers the lawyer’s question by ...

4370. Being Open to the Impossible

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... give them something to eat.” In effect, the disciples were saying: “These people are tired and hungry. Get rid of them, and let someone else worry about them. But Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” “There are always the people who are quite aware that others are in difficulty and trouble, but who wish to push off the responsibility for doing something about it onto someone else; and there are always the people who when they see someone up against it, feel compelled to do something about ...

4371. When the Winds Are Against Us

Mark 6:45-56

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... get out earlier. deOvies thought he would have some fun. In the deepest voice he could muster, he said, “Can you let a man enjoy his grave in peace? You can’t get out of here.” But he did. He thought he couldn’t get out, but he discovered quite suddenly that he could. There is a sense in which that’s the difference between belief and faith. It enables you to do what you normally could not do. Some time ago there was a cartoon in a The New Yorker magazine that depicted Moses leading the children of ...

4372. You Can't Stay on the Mountain Forever

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to be ecstasy - but they come - we need them, we need to order our lives. Our worship should provide at least a hint of that — and we should never apologize for feeling in our experience of the Christian faith. We need to cease boxing ourselves in, quit being so uptight, break out of our rigid, rational, reasonable approach to things, and let God reveal Himself to us. So, that’s the first aspect – there is a place and a need for ecstasy in our Christian experience. But there’s more than ecstasy here ...

4373. Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:38-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... enough for Martha to feel snowed under by “her many tasks” testifying to the truism that “the more you have, the more you have to worry about.” While Martha is identified as hostess and patron to Jesus and his disciples, her sister Mary inhabits quite a different personae. She is described as sitting “at the Lord’s feet” and, giving him her full attention, she “listened to what he was saying” (v. 39). In Luke’s gospel Jesus repeatedly affirms that those who listen to the word, who truly ...

4374. Undivided Attention

Luke 10:38-42

Illustration

David R. Cartwright

... his daughter and homework. He says, back when our daughter, Megan, was in high school, she was trying to write a paper for her English class. She was experiencing what is known as "writer's block." I watched her pace up and down the family room, working herself up into quite a frenzy. Finally, she came over to me and said, "Dad, I just can't think of anything to write. How do you do it week after week?" I looked at her and said, "Well, first of all, I've found that it's helpful to sit down in front ...

4375. Luke 11:1-13

Luke 11:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... taught his disciples” (v.1). At least the disciples grasped the central place prayer played in Jesus’ life. At least they welcomed a similar focus on prayerfulness to sustain their own faithfulness. Luke’s presentation of the “Lord’s Prayer” is quite brief. But the importance and centrality of prayer to Jesus, and to his disciples, is evident. Far from being exceptionally unique, the prayer Jesus gives to his disciples has much in common with other traditional Jewish prayers — most notably the ...

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