Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 426 to 450 of 2844 results

426. No Instant Maturity

Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A man went into a department store, picked up a game of chess took it to a salesman and said, “Tell me how to play it as you wrap the package.” That’s descriptive of our situation. We want to know how to do it quickly. We don’t want to take the time to follow each necessary step. No fascination is keener than our fascination with short-cuts. We want to be “saints suddenly”. We dream long for instant maturity. And that’s what I want to talk about today as we continue our consideration of Christian growth. ...

427. The Measure You Give Is the Measure You Get

Mark 4:21-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In 1883 half of the Island of Krakatoa, between Indonesia and Australia, blew up in a great volcanic eruption. The other half of the Island was covered with volcanic ash. They say that in some places, that ash was 100 feet thick and blew on the winds as far as Madagascar across the Indian Ocean. It was the most violent volcanic explosion in the history of man. That beautiful island was destroyed. All the life, both human and animal, was killed. Yet ten years later, Krakatoa was once again green and ...

428. Esther: The Problem of Opportunity

Esther 4:11-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

It's one of those books that some people doubt belongs in the Bible. Neither Luther nor Spurgeon would write a commentary about it. It's full of sex and seduction, blackmail and attempted genocide. The Book of Esther never mentions the name of God and no one can be found praying. So how did such a book find its way into the Holy Scripture? Maybe only one thing: The courageous act of a pretty woman who wound up saving a nation. Our last Old Testament hero is Esther, the Queen of Persia, a Jewish girl with a ...

429. Hard Words to Hear at Christmas

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

We've gathered here today on the second Sunday of Advent to continue to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord. This task of preparing for the arrival of the Lord is not as easy as we might think it is. As in other areas of life, we find ourselves having to unlearn some things in order to see what the scriptures teach us about God's act in Jesus. We've let the culture around us snatch away much of the meaning of the birth of the Savior. We have to reclaim that meaning if we really want to be ready ...

430. and Forgiveness Come Easy When You’re Filled with The Spirit

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

It's Pentecost Sunday, a day when we celebrate the birth of the Church and the giving of the Holy Spirit, as our lesson from Acts (2:1-21) reports. But the Bible makes it clear that it was not just on that first Pentecost that the Holy Spirit was given. It happened to some in Old Testament times (Judges 6:34; 1 Samuel 11:6; 16:13). However, the Spirit was also given during Jesus' own life on earth. Here's the story. The disciples were still pretty much in despair that Sunday evening over the events of Good ...

431. How Jesus’ Friendship Makes Your Burdens Light

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Jesus was teaching about the kind of authority he has. We need authority in our context, because to Jesus' mind we are a very confused, wayward generation. There was nothing to compare the people of his time to, nothing to compare us to.1 They and we are wayward, hardened, confused people. Inappropriate behavior seemed to be the order of the day in Jesus' view. The people of Israel were like children who were playing, but could get none of the other children to celebrate, even when they played music. But ...

432. Here I Am

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Every now and then one of the TV networks offers up one of those shows with an overview of old TV commercials. We look back and laugh at the hairstyles and clothing and laugh. Some the of the more famous and prominent ad characters are still around. Do you remember E.F Hutton commercials. They were for a stock brokerage firm. The TV ads would show two people talking in the midst of a crowd of noisy people: at a party or a sporting event or a restaurant. The two of them would be discussing stocks. One of ...

433. There Will Be Light

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. Rob Boyd tells about a man whose name was Charlie Stink. People constantly picked on Charlie Stink because of his name. His friends encouraged Charlie Stink to have his name changed. Finally he agreed and went to court to take care of the legal requirements to have his name formally changed. The next day his friends asked him, “What did you have your name changed to?” And Charlie Stink replied, “I changed my name to George Stink, but for the life of me, I can’t see what difference it will make.” (1) ...

434. Life’s Three Guides on the Pilgrim Way

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Do you bring along a sandwich in your coat pocket when you are invited to dinner at a friend’s house? Of course not! Can you imagine inviting twenty people to a party, but only buying enough food to serve ten? Never! Would you send your child out into a snowstorm in a swimsuit? No way! As rude and self-centered and uncaring as we all can be, we still abide by some basics of good behavior. So why do we think God won’t? Jesus’ message in today’s gospel text chides his listeners for “worrying” — worrying ...

435. Living a Well-Storied Life

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

When you were a child, how many times did you beg your mom or dad “Please give me another list of rules and regulations.” Right. I thought so. Never. But how often did you try to put off bedtime by begging to hear “Just one more story. Please!?” What do we do at family reunions and holiday celebrations? We trot out the same old stories, initiating each new generation in the stories of the ancestors. In their telling and re-telling, we make them living history, not just dead facts. Stories are how we learn ...

436. The Receptive Heart

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

Life is a matter of attitude. All the great motivational speakers tell us that. To succeed in life, attitude is critical. Of course, not everyone has a great attitude. In fact, some people have a downright rotten attitude. The Internet carried an item recently that reflects a rotten attitude. It is called the “Cynic’s Guide to Life.” It’s a clever take-off on some of life’s familiar clichés. See if you recognize any of these: The journey of a thousand miles . . . begins with . . . a broken fan belt and a ...

437. On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

John Smylie

Mark doesn't waste any time getting us involved in the beginning of our Lord's ministry. In these few verses, we experience Jesus baptized by John in the River Jordan, followed by the Holy Spirit descending upon him. Immediately after, a voice from heaven proclaimed pleasure in Jesus. Moments later, Jesus is driven by the Spirit into the wilderness where we learn he is to be tempted by Satan. And by verse 14 we discover that Jesus is back in the Galilee region preaching, "The kingdom of God has come near ...

438. The Coat Off Your Back

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

Thanksgiving — cornucopias, fall harvests, turkey and pumpkin pie, corn stalks, and scarecrows — outward signs associated with the holiday we celebrated only seventeen days ago. Even before Halloween and Thanksgiving ended, holiday colors had changed. Orange pumpkin lights were replaced by white or multicolored twinkling lights. A small town policeman looks forward every year to hanging his outside Christmas lights. His goal is to measure up to Chevy Chase's outlandish display in the movie, Christmas ...

439. Rally or Rail?

John 18:28-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“Who’s on first?” That was the opening line of a classic baseball sketch acted out in 1945 by the vaudeville comedy team of Abbott and Costello. [You can find it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA85pv8M ]. The big joke was that the ball players’ last name were “Who” (first base), “What” (second base), “I Don’t Know” (third base), “Why” (left field), “Tomorrow” (pitcher) “Today” (catcher), etc. Any conversation about “Who was on first?” was a question that involved both identity and physical ...

440. The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you remember George Foreman. Foreman is a two-time former heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He is also an Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and entrepreneur. Foreman is a colorful character who is probably better known today for his George Foreman Grill. When he won his second heavyweight world championship, at age 45, he became the oldest man in the world to win the heavyweight title. It’s quite a remarkable story. In his book, God in My Corner, he tells about that ...

441. Building a Solid Foundation

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

The long-awaited dream would soon become a reality. Ground was broken for the family’s new home. The ground was cleared and soon a foundation was dug; blocks and then cement were laid. Then masons came and carefully laid the bricks. Carpenters were next on the scene, nailing two-by-fours, framing the new house. After only a few weeks the house was beginning to take shape, which pleased the family. Roof trusses were carefully hoisted into place. Once the outside work was completed attention would be given ...

442. Spirit-Direct

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

“Growing up,” Valerie recalled, “I was involved in many of my church’s activities for children.” Recently she returned to her home church and attended an adult Sunday school class with her parents. The class included members who were active in the church while she was growing up. Many of them greeted her and reminisced about her childhood. A man stood up during the announcements and said, “We’d like to welcome Valerie to our class. Remember,” he added, “we helped train and teach her.” After this experience ...

443. Let Them Eat Cake

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

During the government shutdown this October, there was only one major point both Democrats and Republicans could completely agree on. Both parties proudly and loudly declared “It was not our fault.” Not so much “taking a stand” as taking a “stand off.” There are always two front lines going on during any conflict. There is the horrible physical conflict, the confrontation between persons and countries that results in blood and doom. The losses logged on that physical front line are devastating and deadly. ...

444. Remembering Jesus

Matthew 26:17-30

Sermon

David O. Bales

The novel The Ugly American is based upon facts of how Americans related to people in Southeast Asia. The insensitivity and arrogance of American government officials was generally depressing. One chapter of the novel, however, is particularly inspiring. An American woman, Emma Atkins, has come with her engineer husband to the fictional nation of Sarkhan. Emma is a curious, good-hearted person and she soon notices that in their small village all the older people are permanently bent over. She struggles ...

445. A Workman Approved by God

2 Timothy 2:14-26

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Exhortation to Resist False Teachers The concern for the “salvation” of “God’s chosen people” expressed in verse 10, plus the exhortation to perseverance, with its warning against apostasy in verses 11–13, bring Paul—and Timothy—back to the hard realities of the situation on Ephesus, with the presence of the false teachers (cf. 1 Timothy). Apparently they continue to plague the church, as Onesiphorus had probably informed him, although clearly not all have capitulated. This concern dominates the appeal ...

446. Crossing the Sea

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

13:17–22 These verses introduce the next major section (13:17–15:21) that takes the Israelites to the wilderness by way of the sea. We return to the story of the exit from Egypt with three brief notes. First, we look ahead to the geographical route. Next, we look back in history to an oath made about Joseph. Then we are brought up to date on a new manifestation of the Lord’s presence in cloud and fire. The first note (vv. 17–18) concerns the route to the sea. The name God occurs for the first time since ...

447. Allotment for Ephriam and Manasseh

Joshua 16:1--17:18

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

Inheritance of Ephraim and Manasseh: 16:1–17:18 After Judah receives its inheritance, the tribes of Joseph receive theirs. Now that the territory of the north has been separated from Judah, the allotment describes the boundaries of Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Ephraim receives its territory first in compliance with the wishes of Jacob, who blessed Ephraim over Manasseh (Gen. 48:14, 19). Ephraim and the half-tribe of Manasseh receive land west of the Jordan. The description of the southern border ...

448. Gideon

Judges 6:1-40

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

The Call of Gideon: The forty years of peace under Deborah’s leadership passed quickly, and before long the Israelites found themselves in bondage again, this time to the Midianites. The reason for their bondage? As always, “they did evil in the eyes of the LORD.” But here the intensity of Israel’s enslavement was much worse than ever before, so much so that any semblance of normal life was lost. The downward spiral toward chaos hastened to its goal. But God set aside his anger, and in his compassion he ...

449. List of the Family Heads Returning With Ezra

Ezra 8:1-14

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

Bringing Glory to the Temple: Ezra was given two mandates in chapter 7. The first was to lead a party of immigrants back to the homeland and to take along the sacred contributions of the Persian court, the Babylon satrapy, and Jews remaining in exile, and deliver them to the temple authorities in Jerusalem. This first assignment is accomplished here. Apart from the conclusion in verses 35–36, this section comes from the Ezra memoirs and falls into three parts: 7:28b–8:20; 21–30; and 31–34. Each part has a ...

450. Nehemiah’s Prayer

Nehemiah 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

The Background to Nehemiah’s Mission: The two missions in Ezra 1–6 and 7–10 were launched by the decree of a Persian king, behind which lay the sovereign will of the God of Israel, disclosed in Scripture and providence. The third and last mission, spread over 1:1–2:8 and summarized in 2:18a, also follows this pattern. The focus on Nehemiah in 1:1–10 corresponds to the description of Ezra’s qualifications by birth and training in Ezra 7:1–7. The narrative here reveals Nehemiah’s strong convictions, which ...

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