Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4526 to 4550 of 4957 results

4526. All In: Betting the Ranch

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... for disciples. One of the greatest problems we have in our church and I think “the” church is we’ve got too many people who have made decisions and too few people who have become true disciples. One Bible scholar put it this way: “It is possible [to claim] to be a follower of Jesus without being a disciple, to be a camp-follower without being a soldier of the king, to be a hanger-on in some great work without pulling one’s weight. Someone was once talking to a great scholar about a younger man ...

4527. All In: Calling Your Bluff

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

James Merritt

... liberally. Nobody shared his faith. In short, Nobody was a very faithful member. Finally, the day came when Somebody left the church and took Anybody and Everybody with him. Who was left? Nobody! The truth is - Everybody needs Somebody and Nobody doesn't need Anybody. You claim to be a truly devoted follower of Jesus. If Jesus loved the church enough to give himself for it, you should love it enough to give your life to it. When it comes to His body, your body should be “all in.” 1. "Church Goers Stay ...

4528. Lost Baggage: Losing Your Baggage

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

James Merritt

... your checked bag at their airport counter and you watch it wisk away down a conveyor belt, presumably to be loaded onto the same plane on which you are about to fly. Some hours later, you arrive at your destination, and make your way to baggage claim. There, you stand with 200 other passengers, waiting as the carousel went round and round almost magically spitting out piece after piece of luggage. One by one each passenger spotted their luggage, pulled it off with a smile and heads for their hotel. The last ...

4529. Lost Baggage: The Middle Seat

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Sermon

James Merritt

... body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.” (1 Corinthians 5:3, ESV) Repeat this phrase, “I have already pronounced judgment.” When it comes to sin in the life of those of us who claim to love the Christ that died for our sins we not only have a right, but we have a responsibility to judge that sin. Paul said to the church in effect, “I am not waiting on you. I’ve examined the evidence and I’ve rendered the verdict and I ...

4530. When “Vocation” and “Vacation” Are One

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Jesus to walk 20-30 miles in a single day. In the course of three-years of public ministry, Jesus walked about 3,125 miles, almost exactly the distance from Seattle to Orlando by car. When we go on “vacation” — for the few days that we claim that time — we spend all our energy and resources trying to be “different.” We wear weird clothes (ask any “local” to a tourist destination and they will tell you they can spot a visitor from a hundred yards just by their clothes!). We do unusual things ...

4531. Supernatural: Running On Empty

John 2:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... just do what Jesus tells them to do. Your finances would change if you would just do what Jesus would tell you to do. Your children would be happier if they would just do what Jesus tells them to do. Have you ever wondered why so many people who claim to know Jesus and say they follow Jesus aren’t happy and aren’t full of joy? They seem to have the same frustrations, same depression, same problems that people without Jesus have? I am not saying this is true for everybody at every time, but I will tell ...

4532. For the Hearing Impaired

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

James Merritt

... first command that Jesus ever gave to anyone was to be a finder of missing persons or the way He put it to His first disciples was “to be a fisher of men.” The common term for that is evangelism. The truth is for the vast majority of us, who claim to be followers of Christ, evangelism, finding missing persons, and fishing for men is the most difficult part of the Christian life. We know that we need to do it. We know that we ought to do it. We know that others need us to do it, but the truth ...

4533. Don’t Be a Trender - Be a Trendsetter

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , populated that region. Whatever Jesus’ reasons for his directional changes, in Matthew’s text he does not actually cross over any borders. Instead a Canaanite woman “came out” to meet him before he entered into the territory that her ancestor’s had long claimed. She intentionally meets Jesus on his home turf to implore him for a favor. This incident is not unlike the event told in Matthew 8:5-13 where another Gentile, a Roman centurion approaches Jesus and asks him to heal his servant. This ...

4534. The Question that Will Change Your Life

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... like Mohammed . . . or even a fascinating historical figure like Mahatma Gandhi that is one thing. But if you believe that Jesus is who he said he is, the Son of God, that is quite another situation. If he is the Son of God then he has a claim on our lives. “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” It is fascinating to learn what people were saying about Jesus. His disciples replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” That’s fascinating ...

4535. Five Mission Killers

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... minute, But eternity is in it. The problem is that even "God’s Minute" gets taxed. We get snared into pointless meetings. We are regularly scheduled into "routine revues." We have voice mails to attend to, and emails, and video conferences — all claiming to need our immediate attention. In 1970 the average person received 1000 "outside" communications in a year. In 1970 that meant phone calls and "snail mail, "actual letters. In 2014 the average person received 30,000 outside communications in a year ...

4536. How to Forgive

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... not regular church attenders. Three‑quarters of the people surveyed had few doubts that their slate had been wiped clean by the Almighty. The picture was less bright, however, when it came to their forgiving other people. Only about half of the people surveyed claimed that they were certain that they had forgiven others. While God might have been entirely gracious to them, they were unable or unwilling to be gracious to others. It’s difficult to forgive other people with whom you are angry. It’s even ...

4537. That's Not Fair

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... inequality in the workplace. Would you believe that in some workplaces some people are paid more than others, even though they may actually work less? Pastor Steve Shepherd tells about a man who owned a small farm in South Georgia. The Wage and Hour Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent to interview him. “You just give me a list of your employees,” said the agent, “and tell me how much you pay them.” “All right,” said the farmer. “I have a hired ...

4538. An Invitation to a Wedding

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... My Sweet Lord.” To the end of his life, Harrison continued to investigate spiritual matters. He summed up his priorities this way: “Everything else in life can wait, but the search for God cannot wait.” (6) Harrison’s song cut across all religious faiths. We can’t claim it as a Christian song. It was for all who seek God. But we can relate to its sentiment. We all want to find and to be found by God. John Ortberg in his book Faith and Doubt tells about Mortimer Adler, one of the great philosophers ...

4539. An Announcement from the Wilderness

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... we have joined God’s family. I love the way one little girl described it. Before I give you that description, however, you need to know that out on the cattle ranches of the West the unbranded calves that roam at large are known as “mavericks.” They are claimed by the man who is first to get his brand on them at the annual round up. A little Western girl had been baptized one Sunday by a local minister. Her schoolmates questioned her the next day as to the meaning of the ceremony. “Well,” she said ...

4540. Changing Times

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... angry, calling Mark a runaway (Acts 15:36-40). Maybe Paul was right. It did take Mark a few years to grow up, and to gain the courage of a leader, and to travel once more as a Christian missionary. Finally Mark ended up in distant Rome, where Paul claimed him again as a valued friend (Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11), and where Peter called him “my son!” (1 Peter 5:13). When Peter was executed by Emperor Nero, tradition has it that the church in Rome asked Mark to write down his recollections of Peter ...

4541. The Full Advent: Whoa! No Way? Wow!

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . Some years ago a theologian was flying into Oklahoma City airport. When informed by his handler that someone was assigned to pick him up at the airport, he asked how he would recognize that person. “Just look for the most dead person in baggage claim.” When did Christians become the “most dead person” in the room? There are three infallible signs of the presence of God — the surprise of being ambushed, the joy of being amused, and the excitation of being amazed. Are you braced to embrace Advent ...

4542. Why Matter Matters

2 Peter 3:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... a Christian spirituality is always as much about dealing with each other as it is about dealing with God. No wonder Cyril of Alexandria’s argument sparked a theological fist-fight and spoiler-fest that went on for a century. Who would possibly want to claim that redemption and reformation, on both heaven and earth, could be accomplished through such a crass form as matter, as sarx. A fleshy, frail baby could never be the source of such divine power and authority as could save the world. And that is why ...

4543. I'm Listening

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... One of the greatest gifts that God can give us in life is the gift of listening. Listening is the key to success and perhaps even survival in most relationships. We have all seen beautiful double‑page magazine ads in which reputable business systems companies claim that they will teach the members of your firm how to listen. They suggest that the art of listening leads to business success. I don’t know if they can deliver what they promise, but I am convinced that every year many businesses will fail ...

4544. A Reminder to God...and to Us

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... , smiles, and cries when saddened. She voluntarily closes her eyes and sometimes appears to react to stimuli in the room. But the most amazing part of this story concerns the effect that Edwarda has on those who have visited her. Some claim to have experienced miraculous healings, and everyone feels the unconditional love Edwarda radiates from her immobile body. (2) We are all inspired when someone keeps a promise against uncompromising odds. Promises are sometimes difficult to keep. The late comedian Phil ...

4545. Why He Did It

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... He leaves us with no ambiguity. Being a Christian is serious business. There was a story in a national magazine a few years back about a chef in one of Manhattan’s trendiest restaurants, the Spotted Pig. The chef’s name is April Bloomfield. April claims that when she first interviewed for the chef’s position at the Spotted Pig, the owners never asked her to cook for them. Instead, co-owner Mario Batali, a famous chef in his own right, hired Bloomfield the minute he saw her scars. Like many committed ...

4546. Get Out the Ticker Tape - Palm Sunday

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... . That brings us to the last thing we need to see: What Palm Sunday means for us. More than four decades ago, Beatle superstar John Lennon caused a worldwide storm. Some of you know what I’m referring to. In an interview with the press, Lennon claimed that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. It was obvious at the time that the Beatles certainly weren’t singing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Though, led by Paul McCartney, they were singing, “In my times of trouble, Mother ...

4547. Starting Over

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... on Jesus as a fellow-traveler through times of suffering. If pain and punishment are part of the reason why some would wander from Christian testimony, they ought to learn from Jesus’ own life how instead to endure suffering. Although Jesus had the capacity to claim his glory (v. 5) in a way that put him above and out of reach of suffering, he chose another way — the way through shared suffering — in order to accomplish his task and bring his people home. This choice, according to the writer, elevates ...

4548. An Annual Reminder

John 20:1-9

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... himself both last and least of the apostles. He knows that he is “unfit.” But, of course, that is always the testimony in the wake of God’s grace. Toward the end of this passage, Paul makes a statement that raises a sobering question. He makes the confident claim that God’s “grace toward me has not been in vain.” Are we able to make the same statement with the same confidence? To what extent has the investment of his grace enjoyed a good return in me, or to what extent has his grace toward me ...

4549. Je Suis Jesus

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... spirits today. A famous scene from the movie showcases the slaves and followers of Spartacus being grilled by the Romans to “give up” their leader. Instead, the slaves boldly identify themselves with their renegade leader, and as they are questioned they each claim, “I am Spartacus!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKCmyiljKo0 About the same time as the movie Martin Luther King Jr’s civil rights protestors declared their humanity by chanting as they marched, “I am a man.” Today the new “Je ...

4550. When You Drop the Ball, What Next?

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... you look good. The story has a plotline dedicated to your glorifying God’s power and you are enjoying his presence. How will you handle failure this week? How will you handle others who have failed? Do you have a theology of failure? The central claim of Christianity is that we are accepted in our sinfulness, forgiven and understood as we are, with all our moral confusions, both of intellect and will, understood when we do not do what is right . . . God knew, understands, forgives and offers us the divine ...

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