Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4351 to 4375 of 4508 results

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

Object: A big basket filled with artificial grass and all the angels I could find among my Christmas decorations. Lesson: God's constant presence; Easter; resurrection. It is Easter. I have brought a basket filled with angels as an aid to our discussion of the events at Christ's tomb on Easter morning. The largest angel is almost a foot tall, made of paper. The others are smaller, one of blown g...

4352. Shockwaves of Joy

Sermon

King Duncan

One of the most spectacular characteristics of the Hollywood film industry is special effects. How many times have you walked out of a theater thinking “Wow! How did they do that?” For example, those of you who are James Bond fans might already know that the biggest stunt explosion in movie history was in the 24th Bond movie, Spectre. It’s even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. It’s a...

4353. Prison Break

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Christ is alive! Can I get a witness? Hallelujah! Or as some of us learned in Sunday School, “Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah . . . Praise Ye The Lord.” If Christ is alive, why aren’t we more alive? Why don’t we feel more alive this morning? One word: agoraphobia. Ever heard of it? Every know of anyone who had it? Of all the dozens of phobias people can suffer from, one of the most deb...

4354. What Is Jesus Doing?

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In their Easter preparation work in Sunday School, the teacher asked each student, "What does Easter mean to you?" One kid replied: "Easter means egg-salad sandwiches for the next two weeks." Okay, it was a bad answer. But it was a good question. What does Easter mean to you? How does it change your life? Does it mean something more than an opportunity for a new spring outfit, a family dinner,...

4355. The Day Life Increased

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The Antiques Roadshow has become one of my favorite television shows. If you haven't seen it, you should know that it is simply a group of appraisers who travel around the country, rent out convention centers and civic auditoriums, and people by the thousands bring in some object they have found in their house, or at a swap meet, for appraisal. Someone will bring in an old clock, a watch, a vase,...

4356. A Crib, A Cross, And A Cave

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

True story. A United Methodist pastor was asked to conduct a a graveside service for a member of his church. The only problem was, the cemetery was more than an hour and a half away from the church. The pastor wasn't feeling well so he decided to ride with the Funeral Director in the Coach. By the time they arrived at the cemetery, the flu had invaded completely and he said he felt like the Chine...

4357. He Presented Himself Alive

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Robert Lewis Stephenson, on one of his voyages to the South Seas, told about a terrific storm that frightened all the passengers. One man finally went out on deck and watched the captain pace the bridge, calm and undisturbed. He came back to the cabin where the passengers were huddled together and said to them: “I have seen the captain’s face, and all is well.” It was that kind of word that Mary ...

4358. All Boxed In?

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Here is my thesis: the greatest public service the church can perform for its community, and for the world, is this: celebrate Easter. A true, beautiful and good celebration of Easter. Here is the proof of my thesis: last year’s “Resurrection Sunday Dance,” that took place in Budapest, Hungary, where God is up to some amazing things. This very moment on Easter Sunday Christians are “Resurrection ...

4359. Soaring with Christ

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

What an absolute joy to worship here, to be your pastor, to celebrate this Easter Sunday. Thank you for giving me the privilege to do that. What does Easter mean to you? I posed that with a preschooler yesterday and he said, “The Easter bunny is coming to bring me some candy." I asked a teenager, “What does Easter mean to you?" With a twinkle in her eye she said, “Fun in the sun. I'm on my way to...

4360. What a Difference a Day Makes

Sermon

Eric Ritz

One of the moving and insightful stories that came out of the Nazi concentration camps in Europe concerned a musician by the name of Gustaf Moeller and his niece. When the young Jewish girl arrived at the camp it was decided she was too valuable to be killed like the others. Instead, she was ordered to gather together an orchestra to play for the Nazi officers and top brass. She was able to gather...

4361. The Marvelous Message of Easter

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Some events in life are bigger than we are able to fully comprehend. We understand, but our understanding of the event continues to enlarge. No matter what we do, some of life''s events escape an adequate celebration. When I finished at Drew Theological Seminary, I thought that I should be able to find some way to celebrate that moment. Fifteen long years have now passed and I never could find a w...

4362. The Imperatives of the Resurrection

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Do you like to be told what to do? Some do. Some don't. But there are times when even the "don't's" want all the help they can get. After all, there are times when we would have no idea how to proceed WITHOUT some instruction. I suspect that would have been the case if we had been in the garden with the women on that first Easter morning so long ago. Had we all been there, we would have been glad...

4363. Search For Tomorrow

Sermon

King Duncan

Somebody ought to write a book titled, "Preachers Are Funny Creatures." It makes no difference if they are pastors, priests or rabbis--people who have the wonderful privilege as I do of standing in a pulpit each week are somewhat weird. Like the Reverend Eugene Magee. Magee is an enthusiastic pastor who does not wear a robe. His sanctuary is plainer than most, adorned only by a cross and an Americ...

4364. The Imperatives of the Resurrection

Sermon

David E. Leininger

4365. Taking The Risk Out Of Dy(e)ing

Sermon

King Duncan

Not long ago a newspaper carried an unusual headline. It read, "Test Takes Risk Out of Dyeing." It was talking about dyeing hair. An expert on feminine beauty was being quoted. He said that a woman should make a test on one strand of her hair before dyeing all of it. That makes sense. But it was the headline that attracted my attention. "Test takes risk out of dyeing." (1) Another recent news rep...

4366. He Rose Again

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Somewhere or other I heard of a Sunday School teacher who had just finished telling her third graders about how Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb with a great stone sealing off the only way in or out. Then, wanting to share the excitement of the resurrection, and the surprise of Easter morning, she asked: "And what do you think were Jesus' first words when he came bursting out of that tomb ...

4367. The Man From Galilee VII: The Triumph Of His Defeat

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

Bishop Walter L. Underwood wrote a book a few years ago called Being Human Being Hopeful. The last chapter is on the subject of death. He refers to a statement made by actor Woody Allen, who said, "I don't want immortality through my work. I want immortality through not dying."1 I read that book with great interest. Then I learned that Bishop Underwood died not long after I had read his book, and ...

4368. The Sound of Everlasting Joy

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

The telephone rang last Thursday morning. The caller identified himself as a reporter for The Raleigh Times. "We are doing a feature article on preparations ministers make for preaching on Easter Sunday," he said, "and I would like to ask you a few questions." With my consent, the questions were asked: How much time are you spending in preparation? What are you going to say? Are you using last ye...

4369. Clear to Enter

Sermon

Lori Wagner

You’re “clear”! Cleared for entry! Those are the words you hope to hear when passing through the security section of our airports today. Fly recently? If you have flown recently, you went through a security check before being allowed to enter the secured part of the airport where the flight gates are located. Depending upon your “clearance” level, you either waited in a very long line which so...

4370. Living in the Shadow of Jesus' Resurrection Glory (Chiaroscuro)

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”(Deuteronomy 31:8) Creative photographers will tell you that “to photograph is to write or draw with light.” In fact the name photography means “light” (Greek photos, the genitive of phos) and “to draw” (Greek graphe). What a great way to think about God’s cre...

4371. The Stone is My Witness

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: fossil / replica of a sculpture or an actual sculpture if you can I have here a fossil. Anyone ever see a fossil? Anyone ever feel like a fossil? When things around us are changing so fast, sometimes you can feel like a fossil and not be over 30. But here is a real, true fossil. Take a look at this. Pass it around. For those of you who maybe haven’t seen one of these before –a fossil is ...

4372. He Is Risen!

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 butterfl...

4373. Easter

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 118:1-2, 14-24 First Lesson - Here is an early outline of Peter's sermon, the heart of the Gospel, which will be preached to the ends of the earth. Acts 10:34-43 [OR] As Israel once found grace in the wilderness, an even greater grace and restoration awaits them, declares the prophet. Jeremiah 31:1-6 Second Lesson - Paul promises a spiritual resurrection for us as profoun...

4374. Easter Day

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Greeting (each set is increasingly louder) Leader: He is risen. All: He is risen, indeed. Leader: He is risen. All: He is risen, indeed. Leader: He is risen! All: He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Prayer Of The Day Leader: Gracious Father, on this day of all days, when your love has conquered all, we lift our hearts to you in hope that such joy might know no end, through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord...

4375. Easter Day

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Acts 10:34-43 Theme: Christ's resurrection is for all people Call to Worship Pastor: For nearly two thousand years, Christians of each generation have thrilled with the celebration of Easter. People: What God has done in Christ benefits all persons who believe in him. Pastor: God raised Jesus from the dead. And we are privileged to proclaim his gospel to our generation. People: Jes...

Showing 4351 to 4375 of 4508 results