Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4376 to 4400 of 4977 results

4376. The Prayer Life of Highly Effective Christians

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... got its parking spaces and opened on schedule. (2) Sometimes it happens like that. You ask and you receive exactly what you asked for. Most of us can think of times God answered our prayers in a wondrous way. Sometimes, however, things do not work out quite that neatly. Some of you might relate more to the experience of a pastor named Jim Conway. Jim’s daughter, Becky, was stricken with cancer. The doctors said that they would have to amputate one of her legs in order to save her life. So the family ...

4377. The Sheer Volume of Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... ," but no sooner are those words out of your mouth and another acquaintance of yours is in front of you, asking for your advice as to whether or not he should accept the promotion being offered to him at work. And then let's say that this goes on for quite a while with one friend after the next standing in front of you requesting this or that. Finally, after this goes on for an hour or two, you look up to discover that there is now a line of people running the length of the mall, all waiting to ask ...

4378. Lessons from a Fool

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... suppose.” Menninger asked, “Well, do you get that much pleasure from worrying about it?” “No,” responded the patient, “but I get terrified when I think of giving some of it to somebody else.” Then Dr. Menninger went on to say something quite profound. He said, “Generous people are rarely mentally ill.” (7) I didn’t say that. Dr. Carl Menninger said it. “Generous people are rarely mentally ill.” He is right. People who cannot share with others have deep-seated problems. If your level ...

4379. Be Square

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... are not always that easy for the rest of the world to see. The Hebrews author noted that some of the “saints” went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented. In other words, they looked strange, smelled odd, seemed not quite right. Yet while they walked this earth they were “square halo” people. Or in the Hebrews’ writer’s words, those “of whom the world was not worthy.” Some of your “square halo” people might appear as strange to the world as those saints ...

4380. Cheering from the Stands

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... more powerful witness than one who has suffered a tragedy in their lives, but who has held onto their faith in God. God did not cause that tragedy, but God can use that tragedy to minister to others who are hurting. Some of you are able to witness to others quite effectively about your faith because of some deep hurt that, due to God’s grace, you have been able to turn into a victory. The great cloud of witnesses that is cheering us on in our race of faith certainly knew what it was to hurt. And they long ...

4381. Luke 13:10-17

Luke 13:10-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... illnesses and ailments were associated with punishment for wrong behaviors or attitudes. Or they were assumed to reveal the presence of demonic forces in the afflicted one. In the case of this woman, Luke’s text tells us that the woman is “bent over and quite unable to stand up” because of the presence of “a spirit” (v.11). It is her identity as a spiritual cripple, then, that spurs Jesus to act on behalf of this broken-down, bent-over woman. The power of the kingdom Jesus proclaims is the power ...

4382. A Crippling Spirit - Sermon Starter

Luke 13:10-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

... , or some extreme case of osteoporosis. We don't know. We are simply told that a spirit has crippled her. Jesus called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." We are told that she suddenly stood erect, and began praising God. I am not quite sure what to make of this spirit. But, in some way it is responsible for this woman's tragic circumstances. As we take a closer look at this story there are other spirits at work. There is at work... 1. The crippling spirit of the woman. 2. The ...

4383. Sickness Rearranges Priorities

Luke 13:10-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

... to excel in his chosen sport gaining recognition around the world and then it happened. News which brought his career to a climatic end – or so it seemed at the time. In 1996, in the middle of a race, excruciating pains forced him to quit. Test revealed advanced testicular cancer which had spread to his lungs and brain. The once athletic and vibrant young man underwent three operations and began the most aggressive form of chemotherapy. Now, his career was the least of his worries. Doctors said he had ...

4384. Sabbath Rest

Luke 13:10-17

Illustration

Laurence Veinott

... for the Sabbath day. Winter was approaching quickly, however, and some among the group began to panic in fear that they wouldn't reach their destination before the heavy snows. Consequently, several members proposed to the rest of the group that they should quit their practice of stopping for the Sabbath and continue driving onward seven days a week. This proposal triggered a lot of contention in the community, so finally it was suggested that the wagon train should split into two groups - those who wanted ...

4385. Ruining the Christmas Spirit

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... people. In both scenes, the two people depicted are working hard at tedious jobs. Two workers are in a field; two women are grinding meal. From each pair one is received into God's new action and one is left outside of it. These vignettes are not quite as harsh as the first one. They do not threaten destruction, and they offer more hope, at least for the one person in each pair who is received. Still, the vignette is heartbreaking. When God acts, when God reaches into the creation in grace and power, some ...

4386. A Shepherd's Story

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... a few extra bucks. The angels didn't appear to the priests, or even to Emperor Augustus. They came to us. We know what it's like to be pushed around, and for sure that family knows what it's like to be pushed around. Another thing I don't quite understand is that the angel said this baby was the Lord. That's what he said, "the Messiah, the Lord." There's only one Lord. What could that have meant? So far, I haven't noticed much difference in the details of my life. I still have to work day ...

4387. A Strange Way in and a New Way Out

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... of them; they didn't come on the night of Jesus' birth. After the service, someone will come up and tell me that "We Three Kings" is a favorite hymn and I just ruined it! Whether there were two, three, or twenty of them, and even if they didn't quite make it in time to help boil water for the birth, they have some things to teach us about what it means to encounter Jesus. We rejoice that, early in his gospel, Matthew has Gentiles come to celebrate Jesus' birth and to offer him worship. The church has long ...

4388. Who's Who

John 1:29-42

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... to follow Jesus. Some of us are just not that way. Some of us need for one reason or another to take our time. John allows for that. In John, the disciples begin with a conversation. As always seems to happen in John, the conversation doesn't quite follow. Jesus asks the potential disciples, "What are you looking for?" We can think of a number of answers that would make sense. "We're looking for spiritual fulfillment." "We're looking for a deeper connection to God." "We're looking for a way to make sense ...

4389. Sick People Like Us Will Always Need The (Divine) Doctor

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... sort of wish our Lord would avoid that type, too. After all, we don't welcome many of them into our church, and if they come in from off the streets or come from good backgrounds like us but get in trouble or get involved in affairs, we are quite likely to gossip about them. So had we been around Jesus when he sat down and ate with all those tax collectors and other sinners, you and I probably would have joined the Pharisees in complaining about the sort of folks with whom Jesus hung around. Of course, you ...

4390. It’s Not about You; It’s All about God

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... is all about what God does, not what we do or must do. It's not about you and me; it's about God! It's all about God; it's not about you and me. That's a valuable lesson for living. The problem is that we don't quite believe it, or don't practice it. Too often in my life it's about me, and God comes in somewhere around second place or lower. How about you? Are you not inclined to look to yourself, your friends, or some human endeavor like science, politics, or education for answers ...

4391. Life’s Purpose Is Often Hidden!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... of eternal significance in and of itself. Good will only come out it if God intervenes with his miraculous grace. And so brave sinners see God in action, bringing about his kingdom in the most mundane of events. I see this dynamic in my own vocational life quite often (at least when I do not let the "weeds" of my own sloth get in the way). A casual word of encouragement, and unthinking deed of politeness, can change a parishioner's or a student's life or sense of vocation. I meant nothing cosmic by those ...

4392. Hunger and Politics

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... not appear without a context, like a stone skipping across a pond that happens to flit and hit in some random manner, and then dive into the pool at a chance spot. Jesus, according to Matthew, is the "son of David" and the "son of Abraham." This is quite a loaded statement, for those two great figures were called by God to establish the character of the nation of Israel. Abraham received the first great covenant promise of God when God picked him out of the crowds of Mesopotamia and sent him on a journey to ...

4393. Kingdoms in Conflict

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... king, Xerxes, honoring Mordecai in the story of Esther (chs. 3-6). The Royal Grant was always a one-way act, with no specific reciprocal deed required. The second type of king-subject covenant was known as the "Suzerain-Vassal Treaty." It was quite different from the Royal Grant. It moved on a two-way street, with both parties giving and expecting much. When a Suzerain-Vassal Treaty was ratified, kings would provide safety and food and shelter and relief and community building grants, while the people ...

4394. Dressed for the Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Chris Ewing

4395. Masks

Matthew 23:1-12

Sermon

Chris Ewing

... we don't wear a mask and we get rejected, then that hurts. So often we put the mask on in advance, and we don't give people a chance to reject the real thing. But people can see that mask for what it is, they sense it's not quite the real thing, and then they suspect that you can't really be trusted. The tragedy is that by then, we often don't know how to get the mask off. It's not that our masks are necessarily bad. They may show and tell valuable things, and help us ...

4396. Ready for God’s Reign

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Chris Ewing

... who give back to their communities. This is living by the light of God's love. It is what Jesus calls me to do. It's a matter of oil in the lamp. And it is the only way to have a future worth having, here or hereafter. Jesus is quite unequivocal about what happens if we choose not to have oil. We do not like to think that our actions or inactions can have such dire consequences, but they do. Jesus warns us to brighten our vision with the whole of what we know about God's nature and will ...

4397. Stop, Drop, Cover, and Roll!

Isaiah 7:10-16

Sermon

Tony Everett

... couldn't successfully attack an army of fleas. There are lots of whimsical phrases in the English language that describe people like Ahaz, people who simply refuse to accept the obvious help that they desperately need. Maybe you know some of the following: 1) "His elevator doesn't quite make it to the top floor"; 2) "His porch light's on, but nobody's home"; 3) "He is a couple of fruit loops short of a bowl"; and 4) "His wheel is still spinning, but the gerbil fell off." My favorite is: "There's a sign on ...

4398. Sleeping through the Alarm

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

I might as well get this off my chest. I have an abiding dislike for alarm clocks. Truth be told, more than a few of them have met an untimely demise as they have flown across the room after daring to interrupt my sleep. It's true. There is nothing quite so grating, so unpleasant as the electronic wheezing that emerges from the clock by my bedside every morning at 6 a.m. It doesn't matter if I'm dreaming or not. I could even be laying there half awake and thinking about getting up a little early. Sometimes ...

4399. Being a Blessing

Genesis 12:1-4a

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... are leaving on mission trips. Sometimes they may be moving away to a new job or opportunity. Other times they may just need a blessing as they encounter struggles on their journey. Sometimes, of course, blessing happens in different ways. My father-in-law, who was quite ill when my wife and I were engaged, gave his blessing to our marriage. Some years back, when I left on a lengthy trip to Central America, my father gave me the gift of an expensive pocketknife, something I carry with me to this day. This ...

4400. Can These Bones Live?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... . Where once the eye was strained by living herds, here the eye was shocked by a vista of death. Everywhere there were bones. Everywhere. As we read Ezekiel, this type of photo comes to mind. It’s one thing to witness piles of bones everywhere. It’s quite another to call to mind the life that those bones once supported. In our biblical passage today, the Lord brings Ezekiel out to view the wasteland. And it is not some distant glance, but an intimate tour of the valley. "He led me all around them; there ...

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