Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4426 to 4450 of 4914 results

4426. Getting in S.H.A.P.E. for Ministry

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open it up and here’s all the people. Do you remember that childhood jingle? It’s the people part of that trilogy that I want to talk about today. For the past two years, we have worked diligently casting a vision, building a staff and raising the funds for the future of this great congregation. We believe God is calling us to touch hearts and transform lives for the glory of God and the good of the world. Now we must do one more thing to transform that dream into ...

4427. The Kingdom for Which We Long

Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

We’ve a story to tell to the nations, That shall set their hearts to the right. A story of truth and mercy, A story of peace and light. For the darkness shall turn to dawning, And dawning to noonday bright. And Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth, A kingdom of love and light. Do you believe that? We come to the second petition in the Lord’s Prayer this morning and it may take the greatest faith and the greatest imagination of all that we are taught to pray. So we pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be ...

4428. Giving Our Gratitude

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

When my medical scans last May revealed one more opportunity to live a life that really matters, I asked the Lord to tell me what I needed to do with the time I had left on earth. The question became a matter of deep prayer. And as clearly as I've ever heard the Lord speak, the Lord said to me, “Preach, pray and serve people." I ran my revelation past Sandy and she replied, “You might lighten up on the preaching when you are out of the pulpit, but otherwise go for it." Today I raise that question with you ...

4429. Hebrews 11:1-2; 8-16

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Some compositions are meant to be read: the words are most powerful on the page. Other compositions are meant to be spoken: the words best move from the air into the ear to reveal the true nature of their meaning. The author of Hebrews writes extensively about complex issues, theological constructs, the reality of faith. But his message is composed more like a powerful sermon than a progressive exploration of ideas. That is why even though there is no certainty about the author of Hebrews or the audience ...

4430. The Rest of The Message

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Lee Griess

On June 18, 1815, the combined forces of Austria, Russia, Great Britain, and Prussia under the leadership of the British General Arthur Wellesly Wellington, engaged the army of the French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte in a climatic battle to decide the outcome of the war for the European continent. There, near the Belgium town of Waterloo, those two armies collided in fierce combat. By prearranged agreement, the British army at the end of the day was to signal back to the coast the outcome of that battle ...

4431. Hope to Carry On

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Lee Griess

It is perhaps one of the most compelling narratives in all of the scriptures. So fascinating is this scene, in fact, that the gospel writer Luke includes it in detail near the end of his gospel writing. It is a story known well and beloved in the church — the story of two disciples walking down a dusty road to the village of Emmaus, the evening of that first Easter day. Their talk centers around the crucified, dead Jesus. Their words come out slowly, almost painfully, as they trudge their way along, their ...

4432. Religious Balkanization

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

As a seminary intern in St. Louis, Missouri, I was part of a Jewish-Christian Dialogue group. We were seeking to understand one another's traditions, work together for the good of our neighborhoods, and promote tolerance and respect in society. I had been invited into the group by a member of the church at which I was serving. She grew up Jewish, and in recent years had, in her words, "completed my faith" by gaining an understanding that Jesus is the Messiah foretold by the prophets of Israel. One of the ...

4433. A Blessing in Disguise

Genesis 32:22-31

Sermon

David J. Kalas

I wonder how many of us here are named after someone. Chances are that a good many of us carry family names. We are named for a parent, a grandparent, an uncle, or an aunt somewhere on the family tree. Others of us had parents who named us after a character in the Bible, or perhaps some other significant character from history. All told, I expect a pretty fair number of us are named after someone else. When Isaac and Rebecca had their twin boys, they took an unusual approach to naming their babies. They ...

4434. Not All of This Is Me

Deuteronomy 8:7-18

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

It was certainly a treat for four-year-old Tara to go shopping with her grandfather one day at the mall. Tara had many things to tell her grandfather as they went from store to store. At one point, as Tara was high upon her grandfather's shoulders, a family friend stopped to talk with them. "My, you are getting to be such a big girl," the friend remarked. With the innocence that only a child can muster she replied, "Not all of this is me!" Sometimes children are our greatest teachers without even knowing ...

4435. Lighting up Lent

Ephesians 5:8-14

Sermon

David O. Bales

Can you recall a significant event that changed many things about you: maybe a natural disaster like a flood that swept away your house, maybe you had a car accident that left you with a limp, or a happier change when you got married? Either way, on the next day you are different and now you must start living life differently. That's how Paul begins our text. "Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light." He starts off with our profoundly changed situation now that ...

4436. In Spite of Evidence to the Contrary

Romans 4:13-25

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

The scriptures talk about "faith" in many different ways. One of my favorites is the letter to the Hebrews (11:1) where "faith" is described as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." A similar notion of "faith" is utilized by Saint Paul in today's second reading from Romans (4:18). Paul calls it "hoping against hope." Or as I would like to paraphrase it, "in spite of evidence to the contrary." Paul draws on the ancient story of Abraham and Sarah to illustrate what this kind ...

4437. Balance: The Law of Love

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

Susan R. Andrews

Plato once imagined the spiritual journey as a chariot moving through the wilderness of life, with the soul as the charioteer trying to rein in two powerful horses: the horse of anger or passion, and the horse of reason or order. Plato understood that both passion and reason can be life-giving, but only when they are held in dynamic tension, only when each power neutralizes the potential destruction of the other. This morning Jesus tells us that we must balance the passion of anger with the discipline and ...

4438. Was There No Other Way?

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

King Duncan

Are you familiar with the legend of the robin? According to this tale the robin was originally a little brown bird. That is, until Good Friday the FIRST Good Friday. On that dark day this little brown bird saw a man nailed to a cross, slowly dying. He was all by himself . . . and there was no one to help him. The little brown bird began trying to free the man from the cross. The bird flew around and around until he found a way to remove a thorn from the crown of thorns that circled the man’s head, and in ...

4439. Come with Me to the Mountain

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Charles Swindoll in his book Day By Day tells the story of a mysterious event that occurred several years ago to a group of young guys from the church he pastored in Southern California. They were on a mountain climbing excursion, along with their youth leader. While taking in the breathtaking sights, the leader realized he had lost the trail. A heavy snowfall had completely covered the path, and he didn’t have a clue where they were or how they could get back to the main camp. Sundown was not far away, ...

4440. Big "J" and Little "j"

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Drive down almost any rural road that runs alongside a waterway and you are likely to see a bright yellow road sign with silhouettes of ducklings warning you “Slow. Duck Crossing.” Nothing says spring so sweetly as a line-up of little fuzzy yellow ducklings waddling or swimming behind their mother. The babies look so devoted, and are so completely lock-stepped on their parent, that they will blindly follow-the-leader right into traffic or over the edge of a waterfall. It isn’t love that keeps those baby ...

4441. This Gospel Is for Our Children

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

The gospel of Jesus Christ is for our children! "The promise is for you and your children" (Acts 2:39). It always has been. Since the dawn of the grace covenant, God has spoken of his interest in and love for our children. He tells Abraham, "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you ... to be your God and the God of your descendants after you" (Genesis 17:7). Children always have been, and are, a vital part of God's covenant plan for his world ...

4442. Maybe Today

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

Amelia Bedelia is a favorite literary children's character. This poor, dim-witted maid is a literalist. You tell her to dust the tables, and she sprinkles talc everywhere. You tell her to dress the turkey, and she gets out a little lime green pantsuit. You tell her to draw the curtains and she gets out her sketch pad. In reading about Amelia Bedelia, you realize that we have many phrases that are confusing — especially if you take them literally. "Happy as a clam." Are they really that happy? Or, "I'm so ...

4443. A Plea from The Heart

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

After Paul's lofty rhetoric on reconciliation that closes out chapter 5, he now returns to his struggles with the Corinthians. From inspiring and lyrical sentences in chapter 5 such as, "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new," Paul shifts back to the earthbound and ordinary struggles with the Corinthians. He once again asks them to come around, to recognize him and his authority, and most of all, to respond to the gospel of Jesus ...

4444. Make a 119 Call

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“God hath not promised Skies ever blue, Flower-strewn pathways All our lives through; God hath not promised Skies without rain, Joy without sorrow, Peace without pain. “But God hath promised Strength for the day, Rest for the labor, Light for the way, Grace for the trials, Help from above, Unfailing sympathy, Undying love.” Annie-Johnson Flint When I went to seminary, we were required to learn “active listening” skills. One required exercise was to interview another student and draw out of them a conflict ...

4445. Cheering for the Underdog

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

King Duncan

Since this is football season, I want to begin with a couple of football stories. The first is about a place kicker who was so angry with himself after missing a field goal that when he got to the sidelines, he literally kicked himself. Yep, he missed there, too. The second story concerns a game between traditional football powers Michigan State and UCLA. The score was tied at 14 with only seconds to play. Duffy Daugherty, Michigan State’s coach, sent in place-kicker Dave Kaiser who booted a field goal ...

4446. A Christmas Program

Luke 2:21-40

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Narration: We begin our Christmas worship and pageant tonight with the wondrous images of Luke, chapter 2, dancing in our eyes and warming our hearts. We gather to worship. We gather to honor. We gather to celebrate the birthday of Jesus at Bethlehem, the Messiah, our Christ. Christmas Puppet Play (skit provided below) Narration: Jesus Christ is the gift of gifts. How amazing when the prophets Isaiah, Micah, and others foretold of the coming of the one who would bring deliverance to the people of Israel. ...

4447. Luke 24:44-53

Luke 24:36-49

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The text read this week for Ascension Day (May 17), and the text read for the seventh Sunday of Easter (May 20), describes the end of a beginning and the beginning of a life lived towards a new end. Luke concludes his first volume, his “gospel,” with Jesus’ final earthly directives to his disciples. The emphasis of these final words from Jesus is on how all aspects of scripture “the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms” were fulfilled through his suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection. Jesus ...

4448. Don’t Burn The Cookies!

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

Today we enter the season of Advent. The countdown has begun as we once more anticipate the celebration of the birth of Christ. Advent is a time to prepare, not just our homes but our hearts. What joy floods our hearts as we sing "Joy to the world, the Lord has come!" The Son of God entered our world so quietly — no one, except those searching the heavens, saw the star that announced his birth. However, today's gospel tells us that when Christ comes again, it will be a like a hurricane or a tornado. The ...

4449. Simple Enough?

John 13:31-35

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

In the fall of 1862, the United States was reeling from one defeat after another at the hands of the Confederate Army under the leadership of General Robert E. Lee. European powers such as England and France were anxious to recognize the Confederacy, in part to discomfit the upstart United States and partly to be able to traffic in the coveted cotton needed by their textile mills. General George McClellan of the Union, having amassed an enormous army, convinced himself over and over that Lee's forces were ...

4450. How Many of Us Does It Take to Screw in a Light Bulb?

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

Someone once asked the profound question, “How many [Presbyterians] does it take to change a light bulb?” * The correct answer is, of course, “Change the light bulb? Why, my grandfather donated that light bulb!” (1) Well, [Presbyterians] are not the only ones who have trouble with change. Anytime change takes place in any institution, particularly the church, there is resistance. Pastor Pete Kontra tells about a small-town church in upstate New York. They’d had a rector in that church for over thirty-five ...

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