Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4426 to 4450 of 4489 results

4426. The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Matthew 16:5-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

16:5–12 Leaving behind the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus and his disciples go across the lake. Jews traveling in predominantly gentile territory would take their own bread in order to avoid eating food that was not ceremonially clean. On this occasion the disciples had forgotten to take bread. Jesus warns them to be on their guard against the yeast (leaven) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Discussing this remark among themselves, they conclude that Jesus must be talking about their failure to bring an ...

4427. Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Final Evening: The Passion narrative is the account of the suffering and death of Jesus. It normally includes all the events beginning with the garden scene in Gethsemane and finishing with the burial. The centrality of the cross in early Christian preaching is reflected in the major emphasis given to it in each of the four Gospels. Matthew 26 records the events of Wednesday and Thursday of the final week of Jesus’ life. 26:36–39 Crossing the Kidron (the deep ravine to the east of Jerusalem) Jesus goes ...

4428. Balaam's Third Oracle

Num 23:27--24:14

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

Balaam’s Oracles: Balaam’s oracles comprise much of the rest of the Balaam cycle. Olson’s treatment of the first three oracles has shown clearly how the material is organized as a narrative. Olson has further noted that the account of the three oracles mirrors the account of the three encounters with Balaam’s donkey in chapter 22 (Numbers, pp. 145–47). Balaam is caught between God’s intention to bless and Balak’s desire for a curse, as the donkey was caught between Balaam and the angel. As Balaam’s ...

4429. David at Gath

1 Samuel 21:10-15

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

David’s Flight – The Priests at Nob: 21:1–9 Having accepted that Saul’s enmity was fixed and that exile was the only option, David sought initial supplies from the priest at Nob. Ahimelech’s wariness on David’s arrival may have reflected an awareness of Saul’s antipathy toward David and a fear of getting involved in a power dispute. However, it is equally possible that Ahimelech’s expression of ignorance in 22:14–15 was the truth and his fear was that David would bring Philistine troops in his wake. David’ ...

4430. David at Adullam and Mizpah

1 Samuel 22:1-5

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

4431. The High Priest Questions Jesus

John 18:19-24, John 18:15-18, John 18:25-27

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

A relatively brief interrogation of Jesus by the high priest (vv. 19–24) is framed by a two-part account of Peter’s denial (vv. 15–18, 25–27). The division of the denial into two scenes follows a precedent reflected in Mark (14:54, 66–72) and Matthew (26:58, 69–75; Luke on the other hand, puts the material in one continuous narrative, 22:54–62). As in Mark, the vivid picture of Peter warming himself by the enemy’s fire is the point at which the narrative breaks off (v. 18) and later resumes. But unlike ...

4432. Faith in the Son of God

1 John 5:1-12, 1 John 4:7-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

God’s Love and Our Love There is little agreement among those who have made a serious study of 1 John as to how to divide 1 John 4:7–5:4, but most have understood 4:7–12 to center around God’s love for us and, in response, our love for one another. It is likely that the opponents of the Elder had stressed their love for God (cf. 4:10, 20), their devotion, piety, and mystical spirituality (cf. 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9; 3:18; 4:1). But the Elder thinks that it is God’s love for human beings which is ...

4433. Israel's Rebellion Predicted

Deuteronomy 31:14-29

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

A Song for the Future: At this point we move finally to the “outer frame” of the book, composed of chapters 1–3 and 31–34. The links between the two sections are very clear, and they could be read together continuously. The common theme, especially at the “join” (cf. 3:21–28), is the commissioning of Joshua to lead the Israelites into the land, in view of the fact that Moses would not do so but would die outside it. However, whereas chapters 1–3 focus primarily on the past, chapters 31–34 shift to the ...

4434. Message to Shemaiah

Jeremiah 29:24-32

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

Letters to Babylon and Back: Chapters 27 and 28 describe a prophetic conflict concerning the status of the 597 B.C. exiles to Babylon and the future of those who remain behind. Jeremiah represented the view that the former would stay in exile and the latter were under judgment. Hananiah attacked Jeremiah and optimistically stated that all would end well in just a short period of time. The present chapter continues the same note of prophetic conflict. However, rather than two prophets in contact physically ...

4435. Promise of Restoration

Jeremiah 33:1-26

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

33:1–26 Chapter 33 is the fourth and final portion of the so-called Book of Consolation. It is related to the previous chapter by mention of Jeremiah’s captivity (33:1), first mentioned in 32:2. It is the same period of captivity but the second time that God’s word came to him. The chapter may be divided into two sections. The first half has to do with the restoration of the people at large (vv.1–13) and the second (vv.14–26) with the restoration of the leadership. 33:1–13 As mentioned in the previous ...

4436. Something is About to Happen!

John 1:1-14

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Tom Long tells of the time when he visited a Sunday school class and heard something he had never heard in church before. The topic for the day was quite simply, “Scandals in The Church.” The teacher mentioned all the tough times the church has endured throughout history. He spoke of the hypocrisy, the scandals, the persecution—the awful things that have been done in the name of the church and of God. As he was lecturing, a woman in the class raised her hand. When the teacher called on her, she asked, “ ...

4437. Why Bother?

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

April Yamasaki

A young man has just graduated from college with his education degree, and he's now looking for a job as a high school teacher. He has a vision of helping students prepare for life after high school, but at the same time he has a lot of doubts. "The kids seemed so bored, so unresponsive," he says about his practice teaching this past year. "I wonder if my work will make any difference in their lives at all?" A social worker has been at her job for a number of years. She began her work with high ideals of ...

4438. The Attitude of Youth

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind, a product of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a predominance of courage over timidity, an appetite for adventure. Nobody grows old by living a number of years. People grow old when they desert their ideals. Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, self-doubt, fear, and anxiety—these are the culprits that bow the head and break the spirit. Whether seventeen or seventy, there exists in the heart of every person ...

4439. Creeping on the Promises

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

In the early days of our country a weary traveler came to the banks of the Mississippi River for the first time. There was no bridge. It was early winter, and the surface of the mighty stream was covered with ice. Could he dare cross over? Would the uncertain ice be able to bear his weight? Night was falling, and it was urgent that he reach the other side. Finally, after much hesitation and with many fears, he began to creep cautiously across the surface of the ice on his hands and knees. He thought that ...

4440. And He Did

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

Born on a Kansas farm and educated in a one-room school, he lived a tough and difficult existence as a boy. Glenn and his brother kept the school's fire going, and one morning when the boys poured kerosene on live coals, the stove blew sky high. Glenn would have escaped, but his brother had been left behind. Rushing back to help, he suffered terrible burns as did his brother. His brother died, and Glenn's legs sustained severe damage. The story does not end here, however. Glenn had long dreamed of making a ...

4441. A Prayer to a Good, Good Father

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor Tom Rietveld tells an interesting true story about prayer. He says that when he was pastoring in Missouri his church needed approximately $10,000 beyond what they were able to give to close out the year. And so, Pastor Rietveld asked the church family and their church leaders to pray for that amount, specifically—$10,000. Unexpectantly, a few weeks before the end of the year, a gift came in the mail. It was for several shares of stock worth $5,000. Pastor Rietveld put out the word that God had ...

4442. The Brakes

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

The first time my son was on a bike with training wheels, I shouted, “Step back on the pedals and the bike will brake!” He nodded but still rode straight into a bush. “Why didn’t you push back on the pedals?” I asked, helping him up. “You said if I did, the bike would break.”

4443. Bless the World

Luke 6:20-31

Sermon

Molly F. James

A phone rang on a Sunday morning in September 1959. It broke into the joyful chaos that is life with five children between the ages of three and fourteen. It was a phone call she knew was coming, but that fact never does prepare one fully for the reality. It was the phone call that told her that her beloved husband, her soulmate, the father of her children was dead at the age of 38. The brain tumor that had taken his health and vitality, and had even begun to take his personality over the summer, had taken ...

4444. An Attitude of Gratitude

John 6:25-35

Sermon

Molly F. James

My favorite yoga teacher ends each class with an invitation: "You are now free to roam the earth in an attitude of gratitude." An attitude of gratitude — those are wise words. Might the world be a different place, might the kingdom of God be more fully realized, if more of us lived into that invitation? Like most wisdom, that invitation is found across traditions, and most assuredly, we Christians can affirm that Christ invites us to live our lives in gratitude. There is no doubt that we each have much to ...

4445. Redemption

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (John 12:23-26) Prop: Seeds wrapped in wedding pouch ...

4446. Vendetta

2 Kings 1:1-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

You probably all know the play by Shakespeare called “Romeo and Juliet.” Even if you aren’t a Shakespeare fan, or even if you detest trying to read an older version of English, modernized versions of the play in the form of movies and references have made the story timeless. For those of you who may not know the whole story, it centers around two families, the Capulets and the Montagues. Another family, the Verona family is in different ways tied to both. But the famous feud takes place between the ...

4447. The Politics of Love

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Themes: Atonement / washing away/ dreams and visions/ the politics of love Today, when we hear the word “politics” most likely we cringe. The word has taken on severe connotations --a thirst for prestige, a thirst for revenge, a thirst for power, a tangled system of government, taxes, corruption, agendas, and ladders to climb on and people to step on and over to get there. But if you look at the very “first” dictionary definition of “politics,” you’ll find it means, “social relations” involving authority ...

4448. The Tempest

Jonah 4:1-11, Jonah 3:1-10, Jonah 2:1-10, Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea.” Psalm 107:25 Wind and rain. Who loves to hear the sound of the wind rustling through leaves outside at night? Or the steady beating of the rain on the roof and windows? Hear the rumbling sound of thunder, see flickers of lightning appear across the sky? We are in awe of that kind of power of nature, aren’t we? It both thrills us and frightens us. Thunderstorms may seem like one of nature’s most powerful disturbances, but for many people ...

No one keeps up his enthusiasm automatically. Enthusiasm must be nourished with new actions, new aspirations, new efforts, new vision. Compete with yourself; set your teeth and dive into the job of breaking your own record. It is one's own fault if his enthusiasm is gone; he has failed to feed it.

Anonymous

The fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism and become a fearless mother is to give up the idea of doing it perfectly - indeed to embrace uncertainty and imperfection.

Arianna Huffington

Showing results

Showing 4426 to 4450 of 4489 results

4426. The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Matthew 16:5-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4427. Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

4428. Balaam's Third Oracle

Num 23:27--24:14

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

4429. David at Gath

1 Samuel 21:10-15

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

4430. David at Adullam and Mizpah

1 Samuel 22:1-5

Understanding Series

Mary J. Evans

4431. The High Priest Questions Jesus

John 18:19-24, John 18:15-18, John 18:25-27

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

4432. Faith in the Son of God

1 John 5:1-12, 1 John 4:7-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

4433. Israel's Rebellion Predicted

Deuteronomy 31:14-29

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

4434. Message to Shemaiah

Jeremiah 29:24-32

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

4435. Promise of Restoration

Jeremiah 33:1-26

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

4436. Something is About to Happen!

John 1:1-14

Sermon

Charley Reeb

4437. Why Bother?

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

April Yamasaki

4438. The Attitude of Youth

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

4439. Creeping on the Promises

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

4440. And He Did

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

4441. A Prayer to a Good, Good Father

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

4442. The Brakes

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

4443. Bless the World

Luke 6:20-31

Sermon

Molly F. James

4444. An Attitude of Gratitude

John 6:25-35

Sermon

Molly F. James

4445. Redemption

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

4446. Vendetta

2 Kings 1:1-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

4447. The Politics of Love

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

4448. The Tempest

Jonah 4:1-11, Jonah 3:1-10, Jonah 2:1-10, Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Anonymous

The fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism and become a fearless mother is to give up the idea of doing it perfectly - indeed to embrace uncertainty and imperfection.

Arianna Huffington

Showing results