Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4551 to 4575 of 4937 results

4551. Turned On

1 Corinthians 1:17

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

Object: An extension cord and a small lamp. Lesson: Grace, love, friendship, Divine power, light. As the children gather I set a lamp on the floor and begin untangling an extension cord which I have previously determined is long enough to reach from the chancel steps to the outlet in the front of the sanctuary. Then I welcome the children and ask, "What do I need to do to get this lamp to work?" "Plug it in," several children assert as one voice. "Okay, then ... Let's see, we need a power source ..." I ...

4552. Plan Your Leisure - Jesus Did His!

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

Our son who has a two-engine plane took his wife and two children on a three day out-of-state trip during the Fourth of July week-end. I called, expecting to hear a relaxed voice. Instead, I heard a tense and anxious voice. I said, “How was your little trip?” “Oh, it was fine. The weather was good. [Weather is a primary concern to a pilot.] We saw the people we wanted to see. I took Dave and Jim on an air tour over the mountains with an occasional swoop into the valley. We took pictures of the farm and ...

4553. Connected To God

Sermon

Lee Griess

In his book On a Wild and Windy Mountain, Dean of the Chapel at Duke University William Willimon tells of being in New Haven, Connecticut, as a student in 1970, during the famous Black Panther trial. Perhaps you remember those days the 1970s? It was a turbulent time for our country a time of strife, discord, and agony that threatened to tear our country apart. Much of the unrest of those days came to a focus during the trial of those Black Panther leaders. It was just at that time that Willimon happened to ...

4554. A Shepherd To Lead Us

John 10:22-42

Sermon

Lee Griess

Numbers. Our lives are filled with numbers. Each year we file our income taxes. Now that's an exercise in numbers to end all numbers games. Pages upon pages of numbers: earned numbers, spent numbers, invested numbers, and saved numbers. When it is finally prepared, we send it off to the Internal Revenue Service with our Social Security number on it. And the IRS takes all those numbers and puts them into a computer, along with the numbers of thousands and thousands of other people. And to them, we become a ...

4555. Share Your Life

James 4:10

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Two buckets of water and some Spic and Span and some dirty boards. Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to meet a friend of your mother's, and see why she likes it so much. How many of you ever help your mother clean house? (Let them answer.) That is a hard job and one that has to be done over and over. I think mothers are really great the way that they keep our houses clean. Suppose that your mother did not clean your house for a month or maybe a year. What do you think your house ...

4556. The Key To Confident Living

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Erskine White

Galatians 2:17-21 It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20) Have you ever noticed how some people go through life full of confidence and vigor, no matter what happens to them? When disaster strikes, they survive. When obstacles are placed in their path, they persevere. In the tumult of life's arena they are knocked down but never out, and they always have the internal fortitude to get up and get going again. Have you ever noticed how such people are at their best when things ...

4557. Wedding: The Foundation of Faithfulness

Sermon Aid

John M. Braaten

(Name) and (name), on this your wedding day I am reminded of a phrase that has appeared on many posters and even some bumper stickers. It is this: "This is the first day of the rest of your lives." It is, you know. Everything you have done, even when you did it together, you did as two individuals. From this day forward, things will be different. For God has ordained that on this day, through your vows, he will bind you together in a mysterious but wonderful union. So you are no longer two, but one. That ...

4558. Lent 2

Philippians 3:12-4:1, Jeremiah 26:1-24, Genesis 15:1-18, Luke 13:31-35, Psalm 27:1-14, Psalm 42:1-11

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The Second Sunday in Lent reminds the people of God, who gather for worship this day, that they are following Jesus to Jerusalem, according to the Roman Catholic ORDO, or, in the other lectionaries, are given a preview of what is going to happen in the Holy City. Almost any Gospel for the Day that is selected from St. Luke, which would fit into the liturgical/theological scheme of Lent, will have some sort of orientation to Jerusalem; Luke's whole gospel makes it absolutely clear that ...

4559. Easter 4

John 10:22-42, Acts 13:13-52, Numbers 27:12-23, Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Good Shepherd Sunday fell on the Second Sunday after Easter in the classic calendar and lectionary; it now occurs on the Fourth Sunday of Easter (or, in the older scheme, on the Third Sunday after Easter). Accordingly, the traditional gospel (John 10:11-16) is retained, specifically in Year/Cycle B of the contemporary lectionaries, but John 10 is also employed as the Gospel in Years/Cycles A and C. Last Sunday's theme emphasized that Jesus Christ was the Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed at ...

4560. Proper 14

Hebrews 11:1-40, Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Genesis 15:1-18, Luke 12:35-48

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The kerygmatic theology, which is built into the church year framework for the liturgy, is almost imperceptible by this Sunday, the middle of the Pentecost cycle/season. There are more evident signals coming to the church from the calendar year. Summer is nearly over. Labor Day sees the beginning of fall activities - the end of vacation time, back to school and college for students, rally day in Sunday church schools, resumption of rehearsals, and planning for stewardship programs in less ...

4561. Proper 16

Luke 13:22-30, Isaiah 28:1-29, Isaiah 66:1-24, Jeremiah 28:1-17, Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Depending on the lectionary being followed and the calendar of this particular year, Holy Cross Day will soon be celebrated. It's a festival that is relatively new to many Protestants, but quite familiar to Roman Catholics. To celebrate the cross and the crucifixion of Christ in August or September seems like a liturgical anachronism; Jesus' passion and death are remembered annually in the spring of the year, along with Easter, of course. But Holy Cross day comes at a propitious time in ...

4562. Proper 20

Luke 16:1-15, Psalm 113:1-9, Psalm 130:1-8, Amos 8:1-14, Hosea 11:1-11, 1 Timothy 2:1-15

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The rather indistinct shouts of the resurrection of our Lord - "Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed !" - continue to sound in our ears as we approach mid-October and, depending on the lectionary followed and the calendar year. We have to listen for them to hear them; the celebration of Easter is so far behind us! But the church year reminds us that the "sound" of the resurrection reverberates throughout the entire year and should be repeated every Lord's Day, every Sunday of the year. ...

4563. Proper 26

Psalm 65:1-13, Psalm 145:1-21, Psalm 32:1-11, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12, Haggai 2:1-9, Exodus 34:1-28, Isaiah 1:1-31, Luke 19:1-10

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The "count" of the Sundays in this period of the year tells those initiated in the mysteries of the church year that it is approaching its conclusion. This, the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, is the last of the Sundays of Pentecost to be used with any frequency over the years; Easter has to occur in March in order for the number of Sundays in Pentecost to surpass 25, including Christ the King Sunday. One might begin Tennyson's In Memoriam on this Sunday - for the church, not the ...

4564. Marked For Mission

Sermon

George Bass

“Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:14-20 Yes, “the cross is still there,” and that means that we are all responsible for the business of telling the story of Jesus to the world. Shortly before it actually occurred, Jesus spoke of his impending death on the cross, ending with, “And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all people to myself.” After his resurrection and just before he ...

4565. Hostage Crisis

1 Kings 19:1-8

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

Sweat swarmed and beaded the palms of his hands as his heart thumped and pulse escalated. Bulging eyes blinked rapidly as his face twitched. His brown, swollen hands rumbled nervously through the inside pocket of his urine-stained tweed overcoat. "I got to find a match," he said to himself. "I got to find a match." Again he jerked through every pocket of his pants, jacket, and shirt. Still no match. Wildly flailing his arms more frantically now, he began overturning chairs and tables in the room. Yellow ...

4566. No One Enters The Kingdom… Save With Empty Hands

2 Samuel 5:1-5

Sermon

Richard Hasler

The black man standing in the arena was an affront to Der Fuehrer’s authority. The scene was the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany. The black man was Jesse Owens of The Ohio State University representing the U.S.A. He was aptly called “the fastest human alive.” Der Fuehrer was Chancellor Adolph Hitler who had recently risen to power championing an arrogant theory that his “Aryan race” of “supermen” would conquer the world. In implementing his theory he began systematically to stamp out the Jews in ...

4567. A Good Thing To Know

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

This is one of those times when our gospel lesson tells us too little! To understand today's parable we must first understand the reference to "these things." Events previously reported are the important antecedents to today's reading. "As they heard these things, he [Jesus] proceeded to tell a parable." Luke assumes that his readers know what "things" they (and Jesus' original audience) have been hearing. As we hear the lesson read, we have little chance of knowing. Few are likely to remember that "these ...

4568. Our Time Will Come!

1 Samuel 16:14-23

Sermon

Donald Zelle

Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is skilful in playing the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well." So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me." One of the young men answered, " ...

4569. Step Six - Willingness

Jn 5:2-9a · Heb 4:14-16 · Is 1:12-20

Sermon

John A. Terry

Step six: Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Here is Isaiah, whom we saw in last week's text being so awed by God's presence, so totally aware of his uncleanness before God. His was a majestic experience of worship. In this morning's text God speaks through Isaiah, questioning the validity of the people's worship. The local Chamber of Commerce recently came out with a listing of the best of Gwinnett. It listed the best pizza, the best athlete, the best country road. And ...

4570. The Inaugural Address

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Brett Blair

Yesterday our great country swore in the 43rd president of these United States and George Walker Bush delivered the 54th Inaugural Address to the nation. You may not know this but every single Inaugural Address from George Washington to George Bush has been preserved. In these speeches presidents have laid out for the country their dreams, goals, and aspirations. I would like you to listen to some excerpts from a few and as I read them I would like you to guess the president that delivered it [When you ...

4571. One Plus One Equals One

Matthew 19:1-12

Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

When Jesus finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him by asking, "Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?" Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? And God said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and ...

4572. The Paradox of the Cross

Mark 15:33-41, Mark 15:21-32

Sermon

Robert Allen

It was a few years ago that I spoke of the little cross in my pocket. Since that Sunday, people not only in this church, but people all across this state who watch our services on television, have asked for one of these little crosses to carry in their pockets or purse. It would be a mistake to think of this little cross as possessing magical powers, or supposedly bringing luck like a rabbit's foot or guiding us to say just the right words at just the right time. There is no magical quality or guidance in ...

4573. No Little Bit

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

There comes in the mail a rectangular piece. The envelop already warns, "DO NOT FOLD OR MUTILATE." The card inside has holes. Also an eleven digit number. Also the message, "If there is any question about your account, please be sure to give this number. Do not fold or tear or staple this card. Thank you." If we tender this holey document the proper respect and remit the amount it demands, it will go to an office and glide through a machine and register our eleven digit number as being paid up. The machine ...

4574. Easter 3

Acts 9:1-19a, Revelation 5:1-14, John 21:1-14

Sermon Aid

COMMENTARY Acts 9:1-20 (C, L) The conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus. This is the first of three Lukan accounts of Paul's conversion from hostility to support of Christ and the church. It is a key incident in the life of the early church. The risen Christ stops Paul in his tracks and enlists him as an apostle. It was a dramatic and radical change in Paul's life, from a persecutor to a propagator of the church. Christ comes to him as light which blinds him. He does not see that opposition to the ...

4575. Easter 5

Jn 13:31-35 · Acts 13:44-52; 14:8-18; 21-27 · Rev 21:1-5

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Acts 14:8-18 After a miracle of healing, the people consider Paul and Barnabas to be gods. In this pericope we have Paul's first miracle and his first sermon to pagans. It is very unlike Paul because no mention is made of Jesus and the resurrection, nor the name of Jesus as the power of healing. The account does not say that the faith of the cripple was faith in Jesus, the Healer. Moreover, a miracle usually ends in the people's glorifying God, but here the people give the credit to Paul and ...

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