Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 426 to 450 of 1138 results

Job 42:1-6

Sermon

Edward Chinn

... Wrestle." Our religious faith is changed from a second-hand inheritance to a first-hand experience when we wrestle with religious questions. That is what one Bible character named Job did. His religion had been inherited. It was of the second-hand variety. In times of prosperity, the traditional theology of his day was satisfactory. But, when Job suffered the strokes of destitution, pain, rejection by society, and his own sense of separation from God, the old neat religious formulas were not enough. Job had ...

427. Waiting

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... characterize the life of religion in the broadest and most general terms possible, one might say that it consists of the belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in the harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto.* * William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, (New York, The New American Library, 1958), p. 58. The Mosaic heritage puts it more concisely. God gave us the law that we might pursue life and not death. In the early days of scripture the law was a collection of ...

428. Advent 2

Isaiah 40:1-31, 2 Peter 3:1-18, Mark 1:1-8

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... our sins and be opened to the future that you have in store for us in Jesus the Christ, in whom we meet and pray. Amen Prayer of Confession O Redeemer God, we acknowledge with the deepest sorrow that we have sinned again and again in such a variety of ways that we have lost track. As a result, we feel tainted and corrupt, especially in light of your righteousness. Forgive us all our sins, both those we remember and those we have forgotten. Bring your cleansing Spirit to bear upon our souls, so that we may ...

429. Proper 7

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 2 Samuel 5:6-16, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Mark 4:35-41

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... over the world and in our lives. In the name of him who brought and taught your Kingdom we pray. Amen Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:18--6:2 Theme: Our reconciliation through God’s righteousness Exegetical Note Continuing his defense of his ministry against a variety of criticisms, Paul here spells out the basis of his ministry and the crux of his theology: the reconciliation with God that is humanity’s in Christ is through the grace (i.e., gift) of God. It is accomplished by God’s (1) refusal to ...

430. "The Sawdust and the Circus"

Numbers 27:12-23

Sermon

... gem of information, and I can’t even remember where I first heard it, but I’ve never forgotten it. The disaster march for the circus band is John Philip Sousa’s "Stars and Stripes Forever." That is to say, a circus band plays many marches and a wide variety of music, but it never strikes up the sounds of "Stars and Stripes Forever" unless there is a disaster. And when they do play it, it is a sign and signal to every member of the circus family to move in a certain prescribed way to perform a certain ...

431. THE MARRIAGE GAP

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

William McKee Aber

... degree, everyone with whom we have a meaningful relationship.) Every now and then someone says, "I wonder if my wife is really the only one in the world for me?" Well, that is missing the point. The chances are that we could have been happy with a wide variety of people; it’s only in storybooks that there is only one foot to fit the glass slipper. But it is marriage that makes your wife the only one for you. Ultimately you bear the marks of each other. (How often do we say of those people whose pictures ...

432. THE NEIGHBORHOOD GAP

Sermon

William McKee Aber

... you to care about me." That his methodology is wrong is beside the point - just as the woman who thinks that clean windows will cause others to think she’s great is equally mistaken. People really want to be loved. Listen to them when they say it in a variety of ways. Listening won’t solve the problem but it might be a start. III There is one other thing, and this is the difficult one. We have to ACT. It was Samuel Butler, I think, who said, "The average Christian would be equally amazed at hearing his ...

433. The Forgotten

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Theodore L. Yewey

... years we have accumulated a number of unique scenes of the Nativity. We generally try to have several of these displayed in various places to remind us not only of the beautiful story of the birth of Jesus, but also to call our attention to the wide variety of ways Ihis story is told by various artists. One of our favorite nativity scenes is a large white ceramic set that has been a part of many Chrisimases in our home. As we were unpacking that set this year the sickening sound of something broken rattled ...

434. A Chance Meeting

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... cover the ground. Nothing green grows on Golgotha. He was crucified, and I, and the third man - in a line as we had been pulled from the city. My arms and legs were fastened up and I hung and hung and hung. And he was nailed. Why? The Romans like variety in their sport. And we were left to die. On the way from the city I had not clearly heard his words - although his eyes had spoken. But now there was no mistake. He spoke strongly and clearly in his Galilean Aramaic: "Father, forgive them for they know not ...

435. OUR LORD RISEN

Sermon

E. Jerry Walker

... from the table, the vials and jars on the high shelf at the side of the room caught her eye. She brought the low, square stool, placed it under the shelf, and standing on bare toes she lifted down several of the jars, uncovered them, smelled the variety of scents they offered. Making her choice, she took the selected jars to the table, quickly took down a large pottery bowl, and began to mix the spices - aloes and precious spikenard, a touch of frankincense and calamus, and the whole of it given a rich ...

436. The Vine That Lives Forever

John 15:1-17

Sermon

George Bass

... we die, alleluia!49 Non-Roman Catholic Christians might want to substitute one of the prayers found in the baptismal service or one of the Easter prayers for this prayer, but the same kind of home vespers would be spiritually profitable for all varieties of Christians. This much we know about Easter and Eastertide: The Great Word - Christ is risen! - first sounded on Easter morn still echoes and reechos through these Great Fifty Days of Easter. And every Sunday of Eastertide we are like the villagers in ...

437. Why Must We Carry A Cross?

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Brett Blair

You might remember comedian Yakov Smirnoff. When he first came to the United States from Russia he was not prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He says, "On my first shopping trip, I saw powdered milk you just add water, and you get milk. Then I saw powdered orange juice you just add water, and you get orange juice. And then I saw baby powder, and I ...

438. This Is Water

John 7:25-44

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... (and faith) and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are added to our lives as we grow. There is one GIFT, the Holy Spirit, but many gifts. The GIFT provides our essential unity as Christians. The gifts provide diversity and variety. "The Holy Spirit enlightens me with his gifts,"2 Luther says. The gifts of God are given to spread light to our lives. Christians are given the gifts of witnessing, helping, and teaching to light up the lives of others by helping them understand God and ...

439. Heal the Sick; Cast Out the Demons

Matthew 10:5-8

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... the leaders here believe what the Bible teaches about the whole person and because we earnestly desire to fulfill Jesus’ command to heal. What will the physician’s assistant do? At low cost, she will meet with patients who have a wide variety of ailments - listening to, and talking to, and counseling with all patients; referring some people to their doctors or to specialists when needed; prescribing medication where needed; joining with God and the natural healing processes of the body in helping to ...

440. Go ... Be the Church ... Do the Gospel

Sermon

... witness can be felt. * We respond to the need for services to youth in the Oesterlen Home, so that more teenagers know that they can become responsible people. * We become active in local ecumenical affairs such as the Inter-Church Council, that the variety of our Christian witness may enrich the whole church and community. * We volunteer time to be on the boards of all the social service organizations so that folks have staples of life - shelter, food, etc. * We volunteer time in the church office to ...

441. Strong Faith For Tough Times

Mark 5:1-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

... different cultures, nationalities, and backgrounds. Greeks, Romans, African-Americans, Hispanics… even some native Texans were here. It was a touching, moving experience and I found myself thinking not about how different we are, but rather how alike we are. God must have loved variety; he made so much of it. And yet deep within us, there is an incredible kindred spirit, an amazing alikeness, that comes from being brothers and sisters in God’s family. There has been a lot of talk about economics in this ...

442. Service

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

... but it may be God’s call to make a contribution toward the advancement of the human family. A Mandate For All There is a place in God’s Kingdom for every disciple! Talent, skill, personality, age, sex, social or economic background, native tongue - the variety is as wide as humankind - and all can be used. Is Brother Lawrence not a beautiful example, washing pots and pans for the glory of God? "Be not simply good," suggested Henry Thoreau, "be good for something." I shall always remember that lady in my ...

443. Twenty-First Century Reformation

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

... go on pampering; we must minister. Luther put it aptly: A preacher is like a carpenter. His tool is the Word of God. Because the materials on which he works vary, he ought not always pursue the same course when he preaches. For the sake of the variety of his auditors he would sometimes console, sometimes frighten, sometimes scold, sometimes soothe, etc.4 No longer seeking to save herself, but rather seeking the lost: This is the need for the church of the twenty-first century. It means that no longer can we ...

444. The Marriage of Adam and Eve

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

... of marriage have been fouled - a way to "legalize" the bed, to satisfy the urge and be respectable about it; or for many in our time, a stifling way of life to be avoided lest they cross the forty mark without their fair share of variety, experience, and personal thrill. With consciences anesthetized, their preference is to sleep around, or shack up without commitment, until one morning they awaken to an image in the mirror of a wasted face, a wasted life, and one discarded on the wreckage heap of junkers ...

445. Spring Fever

Song of Songs 2:1-17

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... us. We touch the petal of a Cosmos blossom or notice the head of a sunflower as it follows the sun's course. We love our lifemates and our children with all our hearts. We enjoy the beautiful form of the human body and rejoice in the infinite variety of your creation. Thank you. Amen. Prayer of Confession Wake up our exuberance for life, Holy Creator. Open our eyes and our ears to recognize when the time of singing has come. Give us a good dose of spring fever in the middle of summer. Amen. Hymns "Morning ...

446. The Dynamic Word

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

... live in himself at all but in Christ through faith and in his neighbor through love. The man of today does not ask in so many words: Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me? What must I do to be saved? But the question is asked in a variety of ways. Is there any help for this infirmity of mine? What can I do to alleviate the suffering of a loved one? How can I meet this crisis, this heartbreak? Whence comes the saving strength and wisdom to meet life when it shows its seamy side? In the third ...

447. The Shadow Ascending

John 21:15-25

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

I. Denial by Any Other Name John 21:15ff GREG JOHANSON is a United Methodist minister who has brought to ten years of parish experience a special training and interest in Clinical Pastoral Education and Pastoral Counseling. He has worked in a variety of clinical settings, taught in a number of colleges, served recently as Chaplain and Director of Counseling Services at the Plaza Santa Maria Hospital, Ltd. in Baja, California, and led workshops as a certified trainer in Hakomi Therapy. He presently lives ...

448. No Fifth Wheels in God’s Economy

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... . And of course many, divorced or widowed, have made good adjustments to singlehood and are making significant contributions to life. The point is, that singles are individuals with weaknesses and strengths just like anybody else, just like married people. And they are single for a variety of reasons. They have the same needs as anyone else and they have a right to expect that the church will help them meet these needs, and not look down upon them if they express them or move toward meeting them, and not be ...

449. When You Reach Wit’s End

Psalm 107:1-43

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... boast of our physical well-being for years; we may throw off everything that comes our way without missing a stride; but sooner or later our bodies slow up and we become as helpless at the last as we were at the first. Friends go - the fair-weather variety at the first hint of trouble, and even the most loyal move away or are taken by death. Even families go; parents die; children grow up and establish their own homes. While they may think the world of us, and we of them, still our interests in many ways ...

450. Someone Greater Than a Prophet

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... fire, and with his winnowing fork he will bring judgment between good and evil, between wheat and chaff. He is greater than the prophets. I Consider first the baptism of fire. Jesus is greater than a prophet because he brings the baptism of fire. Fire has a variety of images in the Bible. It can mean consumption of an item in flames and thereby its reduction to gases and ashes. It can mean purgation, the burning away of impurities, as in gold refined by fire. And it can mean suffering, the fiery trials and ...

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