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Showing 4401 to 4425 of 4914 results

4401. Proper 6

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Mark 4:30-34, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, Mark 4:26-29, 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: 1 Samuel 15:34--16:13 The Lord rejected Saul as king because he disobeyed the divine order to wipe out the Amalekites. Saul kept some of the animals for a sacrifice. For this disobedience, Yahweh was sorry he made Saul king of Israel. Now Israel needed a new king, but where was he to be found? The Lord sends Samuel to the Jesse family where there were eight sons. Which of the eight should be king? When David was brought in from the fields, at once the Lord told Samuel to anoint ...

4402. What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?

John 3:1-17

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

So…what does it mean to be born again? What does it mean to be born anew? What is God's lesson for us in the Gospel story for today? Well, far too often in life, we have drifted away from God. In our relationship with God, we are going through the motions without the inner motivation. You can be a person who is fifteen or twenty-five or thirty-five or forty-five or fifty-five or sixty-five or seventy-five and eighty-five and you have drifted away from God. Things aren't quite right. The Nicodemus' in this ...

4403. Christ the King

2 Samuel 23:1-7, Psalm 132:1-18, John 18:33-37, Revelation 1:4-8

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18) First Lesson—The final words of King David are full of hope for the future. 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Second Lesson—Not a kingdom of military power but a kingdom of priests is envisioned by John on Patmos. Revelation 1:4b-8 Gospel—The ruler of the realm of the Spirit defends himself before a ruler of this evil world. John 18:33-37 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Holiness is the beauty of God’s ...

4404. Advent 1

Psalm 25:1-22, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Luke 21:25-36, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 25:1-10 First Lesson—The prophet promises justice and righteousness in the days to come that will bring salvation and safety to God’s people. Jeremiah 33:14-16 Second Lesson—The apostle Paul hopes specifically for the return of Christ with his saints. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Gospel—Jesus is not only a teacher, but on occasion an apocalyptic prophet, making dire predictions. Luke 21:25-36 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with ...

4405. Proper 8

2 Kings 2:1-18, Psalm 77:1-20, Luke 9:51-62, Galatians 5:16-26

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 First Lesson—Elisha, the successor to Elijah, is demonstrably blessed with some of his predecessor’s spirit. 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 Second Lesson—Christian freedom is not to be an opportunity for self-indulgence but for growth under the guidance of the Spirit. Galatians 5:1, 13-25 Gospel—The call to discipleship can be avoided with a variety of excuses. Luke 9:51-62 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. ...

4406. Proper 11

Psalm 52:1-9, Amos 8:1-12, Luke 10:38-42, Colossians 1:15-28

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 52 First Lesson—The prophet promises divine judgement against the injustices of the powerful against the poor. Amos 8:1-12 Second Lesson—Paul declares the centrality of Jesus Christ in the Creator’s plan for the cosmos. Colossians 1:15-28 Gospel—An incident in the life of Jesus emphasizes the need for spiritual priorities. Luke 10:38-42 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Hear the proclamation of Christ, ...

4407. Easter 2

Psalm 118:1-29, John 20:19-31, Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 118:14-29 [OR] Psalm 150 First Lesson—The stubborn refusal of the apostles to desist in the spreading of the Good News in Jerusalem brings examination before the council. Acts 5:27-32 Second Lesson—To Christians in a period of persecution John brings visions of the risen Lord in glory. Revelation 1:4-8 Gospel—The risen Christ appears to his disciples first in the absence of Thomas, then with the questioner present. John 20:19-31 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus ...

4408. Ephesians 2:11-22

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

New beginnings. New possibilities. New stories. That is the dream, the hope, that has brought new immigrants to America since the first settlers established the first, now lost colony in Virginia. The homelands of these immigrants have changed over the centuries — with the most recent always getting to wear the “worst yet” hat. There have been the Protestant Dissenters, the enslaved Africans, the starving Irish, the Jewish Eastern Europeans, the Catholic Italians, Greeks and Turks fleeing wars, and most ...

4409. Go Fly A Kite

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The health care debate is getting intense, and tense. This past week an unnamed congressman was told by another member of Congress to “Go fly a kite.” There is another meaning to that phrase than “Buck Off” or “Go Jump In The Lake.” I think I can count on all of you over 40 having seen a movie named “Mary Poppins.” Am I right? How many of you have never seen that Disney classic? . . . Wow. [React to how few, or how many.] Those of you who have seen this movie know that it’s a story about a magical nanny ...

4410. Mission Possible

Acts 1:8

Sermon

James Merritt

Whenever we talk about missions or evangelism, either word is going to automatically raise an eyebrow in the multicultural, pluralistic, inclusivistic society in which we are living today. Let me give you a modern, up-to-date, cultural example of what I am talking about. This is a first hand account of an individual, who recently attended a concert by the group known as U2. Here is what she saw first hand. "If you have never been to a U2 show, let me tell you it was everything you ever expected it to be, ...

4411. The King and His Throne

Acts 1:1-8

Sermon

James Merritt

4412. Begin With the Blueprints

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Sermon

James Merritt

Put together one very run-down house, a needy family who deserves a better place to live, several opinionated designers, one week and what do you get? The answer is - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It is not only a fascinating show to watch, but it will touch even the hardest of hearts. Each episode features a race against time on a project that would ordinarily take somewhere between 3-4 months to achieve. A team of designers, contractors, and several hundred workers have just 7 days to totally rebuild ...

4413. The Clone Zone: The Bible and Cloning

Genesis 1:26-28

Sermon

James Merritt

If I've ever dealt with a topic that is hot, it will be the topic I will deal with in this message. If you don't believe me, John Cusey, Director of the Pro-life Caucus in the House of Representatives said, "I believe the cloning issue will be the most contentious issue before Congress in the next ten years." Coming from a Congressman, and with the state of politics as they are today, it doesn't get any hotter than that. On June 26, 2000, scientist Francis Collins and J. Craig Venter joined Bill Clinton at ...

4414. What Child Is This?

Isaiah 9:6-7

Sermon

James Merritt

The melody to the Christmas carol "What Child Is This?" goes all the way back to the 1500's. It was known at one time as "Greensleeves." But most of the world would never have known the melody of this song, much less the words as we know it today, if it had not been for an insurance salesman named William Chatterton Dix. In 1865 as Christmas was approaching, this insurance salesman sat down and wrote a poem in one afternoon that he entitled "The Manger Throne." Dix imagined visitors walking by a manger 2, ...

4415. Only the Lost and the Least

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

Ron Lavin

A woman approached her pastor with a question: "Where is the lost and found department in our church? I've lost my glasses and I just can't see well." The pastor replied, "We don't actually have a lost and found department. You might check the secretary's desk. Maybe you'll find your glasses there." After the woman left, the pastor rethought his answer. "Actually, the whole church is a lost and found department. The business of the church is to find the lost." The incident that gave rise to Jesus' parables ...

4416. Everybody Wants to Be Somebody

Mark 10:35-45

Illustration

Kenneth L. Carder

Everybody wants to be somebody. Since the dawn of history, human beings have been trying to move up the scale of importance. The clincher used by the serpent to tempt Adam and Eve was "when you eat of [the tree of good and evil], your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5). Theologian Henri Nouwen says that ever since then, we have been tempted to replace love with power. "The long painful history of the church is the history of people ever and again tempted to ...

4417. Luke 3:1-6

Luke 3:1-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Everything is relative. Say that and people think you are talking about Einsteinian physics, or trying to make excuses for some ethical slipup somewhere. But for Luke, that expression meant something very different: it meant everything has a historical context. Everything is relative. The political reality of the day meant all of Palestine, including what was once Israel, was under the ruling thumb of the single largest unified power ever yet established — the Roman Empire. Yet the region in which Jesus ...

4418. Altar Your Witness

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

In the Disney/Pixar movie Up, Carl Fredricksen is a 78-year-old widower living alone in the home he and his childhood sweetheart, Ellie, had built as their lifelong love nest. Ellie has been dead now for quite a while and Carl's life is tied up with her memories. She was the fuel for his fire, and now he burns very low. Carl is alone on purpose, imprisoned in his home and his memories. Into his life comes Russell, a young Wilderness Scout who is looking for love and acceptance from his father by getting as ...

4419. Easter: Seeing Is Believing

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I read a great story about a six-year-old boy named David who was taking a walk one day with his grandmother. They decided to detour through the local graveyard. They stopped to read some of the tombstones and Grandma explained that the first date on the tombstones was the day the person was born and the second date was the day the person died. "Why do some tombstones only have one date?" little David asked. "Because those people haven't died yet," his grandmother explained. David was obviously stunned by ...

4420. Put It In A Sack, Swing it Over Your Head and Scream Like A Chicken

2 Kings 5:1-14

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

My favorite old TV show is the Dick Van Dyke Show. I have all five seasons on DVD and no matter how many times I watch them, they still make me laugh. In one particular episode titled "The Impractical Joke" one of Rob Petrie's co-workers, Buddy, pulls a practical joke. Rob gets mad and at first wants to get even but then decides that the best way to get even with Buddy is to do absolutely nothing. It will (and does) drive Buddy nuts waiting for Rob to do something to get even. And in the end, Buddy is so ...

4421. Fingerprints and Lovemarks

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Fingerprints are nothing new. The delicate swirls, ridges, and patterns that lie at the tips of our fingers have long been recognized as a form of personal identification. The ancients might not have realized the extreme uniqueness of every person’s fingerprints. But as far back as the reign of the Babylonian King Hammurapi (1792-1750 BCE), convicts were fingerprinted. In China as early as 246 BCE, fingerprints were used to “sign” legal contracts. In 1788 a German anatomist, Johann Christoph Andreas Mayer ...

4422. Christ's Chosen People: Privilege

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Back in 1981, the attention of the world was focused on the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. My wife, an almost hopeless romantic, (I really praise God for that) became tremendously involved in that event. We were traveling when the wedding took place, and I remember she stayed up almost all night in a hotel room where we were, watching the live television presentation. She also read all the newspaper accounts, and she even gave our two daughters beautiful color picture albums that recaptured this ...

4423. Proper 4

Lk 7:1-10 · Gal 1:1-10 · 1 Ki 8:22-23, 41-43 · Ps 96

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43 At the dedication of the temple Solomon prays that Yahweh will hear the prayers of foreigners. Hearing of the glory of God and the splendor of Solomon's temple, non-Jews come from distant places such as the Queen of Sheba from Ethiopia and Naaman from Syria to pray in the temple at Jerusalem. The temple made provision for Gentiles to worship in a court of nations located in the outer precincts of the temple. Solomon prays that Yahweh will hear the prayers of ...

4424. Doing Our Best

Romans 12: 1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Once to every man and nation Comes a moment to decide In the strife of truth with falsehood For the good or evil side. In the wake of worldwide terror, I have wondered aloud and pondered deeply what the leadership role of the church should be in a time such as this. Should we push forward or pull back? Should we unveil a new vision for this congregation or wait for a better day? I have asked many of you to give us some guidance. You have said to me without exception, “Howard, the Church is needed now more ...

4425. Will I Really Live Forever?

John 11:18-27, 39-45

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Would anybody here like to live forever? At the crossroads of faith we come today to discuss the question of immortality. Yes, Virginia, there is a heaven. Yes, Jim, you can live forever. I believe that with all of my heart. Yet to explain the unexplainable and to describe the indescribable and to peek through the shadows of earth and catch a glimpse of eternity is often more than our grieving minds can grasp and our questioning intellects can assimilate. We, like Mary and Martha, may be more inclined to ...

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