Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 4476 to 4500 of 4968 results

4476. Christ Is Alive

Illustration

Kurt E. DeHaan

... sure. Jesus predicted His resurrection (Matt 16:21; Mark 9:9-10; John 2:18-22). The Old Testament prophesied it (Psalm 16:10; compare Acts 2:25-31; 13:33-37). The tomb was empty and the grave clothes vacant. if those who opposed Christ wished to silence His disciples, all they had to do was produce a body, but they could not (John 20:3-9). Many people saw the resurrected Christ. They looked on His face, touched Him, heard His voice, and saw Him eat (Matt. 28:16-20; Luke 24:13-39; John 20:11-29; John ...

4477. Tongues: A Gift from God

Illustration

Merrill F. Unger

... than the fact that Cornelius and the other Gentiles spoke in supernatural languages just as the Jews at Pentecost. The disciples of John the Baptist who received the Holy Spirit and spoke in languages they had never learned (Acts 19:6-10) were a similar ... witness to the strong Jewish community at Ephesus. For the disciples of John the Baptist, whom the Jews generally accepted as a God-sent prophet, to be blessed by the Holy Spirit after ...

4478. The Missing Figure in the Nativity Scene

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... and he shall prepare the way before me . . .” The Jews of Jesus’ day expected Elijah to come before the Messiah; indeed, some modern Jews continue to await Elijah’s coming. This is why the disciples asked Jesus in Matthew 17:10, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus tells his disciples that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist. This was John’s role to prepare the way. Some of you are old enough to remember when President Nixon made his ...

4479. Martin Luther King, Jr., A Servant of Christ

John 1:43-51

Illustration

Mark Trotter

... , and says to us, "Follow me." To "follow me" means, identifying with the poor and the oppressed, loving the sinner, and living sacrificially for others in this world, taking up your cross. That is the sole qualification for everybody to be his disciple - that you will take up your cross. Martin Luther King understood that, I think, probably better than anybody else in our time. Like all historical figures, he will be interpreted from different perspectives. But the way he would want to be interpreted ...

4480. 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the gods and lords of human creation. The sacrifice of Christ, offered once and for all, is served up on the same plate as the daily demands of local gods and small time lords. When the singular faith in Christ is so undermined, those beloved disciples, the very ones “for whom Christ died” (v.11), are “destroyed.” That is, their pathway to salvation is excavated out from underneath them. In this way, Paul asserts, actions which are of no consequence one way or another for those who are knowledgeable ...

4481. Seeking Christ

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... when he first began his ministry two thousand years ago. The scene we have in our lesson from the gospel of Mark takes place at the house of Simon Peter where Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law. I don’t know if you have thought about the disciples of Jesus having families or not. Here is evidence that they did. Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. As impetuous and outspoken as Simon Peter was, some of you might wonder what kind of son-in-law he was. Nevertheless, after reporting the healing of ...

4482. The Reluctant Celebrity

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... , perhaps all his life, who is now able to hear and talk, and Jesus tells him not to tell anyone how it happened. That might be a little unrealistic. But it wasn’t just the people he healed. In Matthew 16:20 we read, “Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.” And again, in Mark 9:9 following that spectacular event on the Mount of the Transfiguration we read, “As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the ...

4483. Holiness Shining through Humanity

Mark 9:2-9

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... what could happen to us on most any given afternoon while riding the bus or walking down a sidewalk. But on the other hand, he may be on to something, and I would add to his musings this one: Even on all kinds of days when the disciples and Jesus were by no means having a mountaintop experience and when dazzling garments whiter than white were nowhere to be seen, even then when Jesus smiled kindly at lepers, looked pained to see a "sinner" being shunned by the Temple establishment, or looked winsome after ...

4484. Jesus and Germs

John 20:19-23

Illustration

Robert Allen

... in that upper room to talk about the empty tomb and the possibility of the resurrection. As they were talking, Jesus came and stood among them. They were frightened, but Jesus reassured them by showing them his hands and feet. How often had the disciples seen those hands of Jesus touch blind eyes so they could see? How often had they seen his hands bless little children? How often had they seen him reach out hands and lift the cripple up and say, "Walk?" They saw the hands of Jesus and they knew that ...

4485. A Riddle

Mark 4

Illustration

Steven Molin

... to Stanford! Literally, the word parable means "a riddle." They are stories that leave the listener with the responsibility of figuring out just what they mean. Jesus told more than 40 parables during his ministry, and he only explained one of them to his disciples, so that left the disciples with a lot of figuring out to do. And then Jesus took the answers with him when he ascended into heaven. So here we are, some 2000 years later, still pondering what Jesus must have meant when he told the story of The ...

4486. Time Out!

Mark 6:31

Illustration

Vince Gerhardy

... have so much more time to do the things we like to do, to spend more time with our families, volunteer more of our time to charity and the church; but, more importantly, we do not spend time alone, in meditation and prayer. Jesus knew that was important for his disciples back then; it is still important for his modern-day ...

4487. Where Is Your Pebble?

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... they believed several years ago. The crisis of the church today is not one of resources. Most churches have more resources than Peter and Paul ever dreamed about in their lifetime. The crisis of the church today is one of commitment. Jesus said, “If anyone would be my disciple, he must take up his cross and follow me.” That is another way of saying that we must find that unique ministry that Christ has called us to offer to the world. It will not be preaching for most of us; it won’t even be teaching ...

4488. Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of darkness any foothold within their midst. The next directive sounds perfectly Pauline. It is an admonition to thieves: turn from stealing to working “with their own hands” in order to be able to share the fruit of their labors “with the needy.” Paul, the disciple who never gave up his craft of sewing leather and day job of manufacturing tents, never tired of exhorting Christians to use their hands to serve their faith (1 Thessalonians 4:11; 12:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-12). But the power of works is ...

4489. Aroma of Christ Church

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

4490. Only the Best

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... best! A gift at a Cana wedding. Only the best! A gift given to you and given to me for the forgiveness of sin. Only the very best! The gift of holy communion. As Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover meal, he first passed a cup of blessing. Then he took a loaf of bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in the remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).He did the same thing with the cup shared after supper, saying, "This cup that ...

4491. Advocate and Redeemer

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... just yet, or anytime soon, which doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It only has to happen once. Statistics are no help here. Do we have the faith of Job, the faith of the Believing Thomas, the faith of the disciples — the faith of Jesus as he prepared, saying farewell to his disciples, to willingly go toward the cross? Can we share the faith that we shall be vindicated in the flesh or beyond the flesh? That's what Jesus is asking us to do. There is a place where our innocence, our expectations, our ...

4492. Veni, Spiritus Sanctus, Veni

John 14:8-17 (25-27)

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... Ocean began to rise. The rising tide lifted the ship and placed it back into the channel. What human power could not do, the rising tide of the Pacific Ocean did!1 Something like that happened to the early church on the Day of Pentecost! The disciples and others were all together in one place — confused, unmotivated, fearful — when suddenly the tide of God rolled in! Jesus' promise in John's gospel was literally fulfilled on Pentecost Day. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate ...

4493. Don’t Be Afraid

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

... to Abram in Genesis (15:1) to the book of Revelation (1:17) we hear them over and over. It seems to be one of God's favorite things to say to us: "Do not be afraid." In the verses right before our gospel passage this morning Jesus instructed his disciples not to worry about food or clothes; that they should consider how well God takes care of birds and flowers and grass and he tells them not to be anxious about such things but to "set [their] minds on [God's] kingdom and the rest will come to [them ...

4494. Getting Back into Shape

John 8:31-36

Sermon

Scott Bryte

... together every second. And you'd forever have to be working like a maniac, constantly putting it back into shape. It would need to be reformed constantly. "Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free' " (vv. 31-32). This is the truth of the gospel: Our salvation is free. We can't buy it with money or perfect church attendance or good deeds or good intentions or anything else. The ...

4495. The Uniquely Christian Commandment

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... another but rather something he wants us to do for one another. As to how this love should be measured, our standard comes from the clause, "as I have loved you" (John 13:34). That is a broad and lofty standard indeed. The love that Jesus had for his disciples began with a willingness to ignore the limits of society. He did not content himself with a little group made up of only his "own kind" — he reached out to all kinds and especially to those whom the rest of the world would shun. The love of Jesus ...

4496. Dorcas

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up" (Acts 9:40). Wow! Can you imagine what was going through Peter's mind? Yes, he had seen Jesus do miraculous things, even raise the dead. He had heard Jesus say that these same things would also be done by his disciples, and indeed Peter had been an instrument of miraculous healing. There was the lame man at the temple who had asked for alms, but instead of silver or gold had received the ability to walk. He had even been hauled before the authorities because of the healing ...

4497. Divine Dynamite

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... ...." — Joel 2:28-32a That is something important to remember about this divine dynamite, this power that God provides. The power is directed to a task, "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2:32a). When Jesus promised power to his disciples he made it clear that the power was being given to accomplish a particular aim: "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8 RSV). Divine power is not provided willy-nilly; it is ...

4498. The Legacy of Jesus

John 14:8-17 (25-27)

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... everything I have said to you" (John 14:26). "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27) — the legacy of Jesus to his disciples, not just those there that evening, but to all who would follow him down through the ages. Oh, that the world might hear him speak The word of comfort that men seek; To all the lowly, and unto the meek, Jesus whispers "Peace." — Della M. Warren[1] ____________ 1 ...

4499. The Incomparable Christ

Colossians 1:15-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... was still master of Israel, and Herod remained on the throne. Here John was in prison. What was going on? So he sent two of his disciples to inquire: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" (Matthew 11:2 NRSV). Are you the one who ... , suffering and dying? Really? "Are you the one or should we wait for another?" Thus, the strange answer to John the Baptist's disciples. Not, "Hang in there for just a bit longer and the revolution will begin." Instead, "Go and tell John what you hear and ...

4500. Ascension

Psalm 47:1-9, Luke 24:44-53, Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... Holy Spirit. We are thankful for the stories of Jesus’ ascension to heaven, and we anticipate a fresh presence of the Holy Spirit. Prayer Of Thanksgiving God of Heaven and Earth — we are glad you are our God. We find ourselves turning to you like disciples through the ages; we experience you as loving and dependable. We celebrate Jesus’ ascension to heavenly places. In his absence, we expect a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Speak through us so that the kingdom of God Jesus spoke of comes to our ...

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