Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4551 to 4575 of 4999 results

4551. Mary and Joseph: His Obedient Servants

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , is still in the grief, pain and emptiness of that experience which is a death not too unlike physical death. She is not sure the grief and emptiness is not going to consume her. The other is five years away from that same kind of experience, working on another kind of problem – but witnessing to the Lord’s guidance through his previous perplexity. So most of us can remember some experience of darkness in which we were sure the light would never come – but it did. In memory we can almost feel the ...

4552. Love for Neighbor

Mark 12:28-34

Illustration

Staff

An ancient rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and the day was on its way back. "When you see an animal in the distance and can tell what kind of animal it is" answered one pupil. "No" replied the rabbi. "When you see a tree in the distance and can tell what kind of tree it is" replied another. "No" answered the rabbi. "Well then" his pupils asked "how can we tell when night has ended and day has arrived?" "It is when you look into the face of another man or woman and ...

4553. Home By Another Way

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... . What am I supposed to know? I’m a date salesman. Wise Man 2: That’s all right. We’re headed there tomorrow, and we have the answers he’s looking for. You shouldn’t be bothered on your return trip. Merchant: Oh, it’s not a bother. It was kind of interesting getting to see the inside of the palace. I mean, Herod would never bother speaking to me before. So, you know the child he’s seeking. Do you know him well? Wise Man 1: We only visited with him once. Why do you ask? Merchant: Like I said ...

4554. If We Do It, It Will Work

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... . For, behold, from henceforth, all generations will call me blessed. (Mary exits left.) God: So, she’s ready. And, Joseph? Michael: He was kind of upset. He even thought about not marrying Mary, but I popped in to see him — woke him up in the middle of ... it. Now we have to let people know. Gabriel: Right, I’ll go let Herod know, and Michael can alert the leaders of the temple. What kind of sign are you going to give them this time? Are you going to part a sea? Turn water into blood? I hope its not ...

4555. Rehearsal for Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... mean? You do this every year. Why do you bother? Director: You really want to know? Take a part and maybe you’ll find out. Clark: No, thanks. (stands up and begins walking up center aisle) Stage Manager: (calling out) Why not? Clark: I don’t like this kind of stuff. Director: So why are you here? Clark: (turning around) I had nothing else to do. Director: Okay, since you have nothing else to do, why don’t you read the part of Joseph? Clark: No, I don’t like plays! Stage Manager: (walking to the boy ...

4556. A Squirrely Holiday

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... they are tired or bored or depressed. Resting when possible, but always working towards the final goal, that is “squirreliness.” There are always lean times. Squirrels sense the approach of winter even on the warmest summer day. But we are a different kind of creature from the squirrel. Jesus reminded his followers that they need to lay up treasures “in heaven.” The fullness of God’s grace, the abundance of God’s love, is always available. But we can also stockpile those spiritual gifts for ...

4557. Have You Taken Inventory Lately?

Matthew 6:25-34, Psalm 100:1-5, Ephesians 4:17--5:21, Luke 17:11-19, John 6:25-59

Illustration

... I don't have. It is a good exercise especially when we are of a mind to brood or whine in self pity. Have you taken inventory lately? What I am suggesting here is not some shallow "count your blessings" platitude. But from time to time, in a genuine kind of a way, we need to sit down and do some talking to ourselves about all of the gifts and opportunities and challenges that God has given each one of us. Perhaps there is a deep underlying wisdom in the children's poem that says: "Count your blessings one ...

4558. If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... good, truly living story, the Nativity narrative has taken on a life of its own. The Christmas story our children perform is a kind of mish-mash of events and individuals taken from several gospels and some details are just plain made up. Yet just because ... we envision the couple seeking shelter in a separate building set up for the purpose of offering rooms for travelers — a kind of first century “Best Eastern.” In his birth narrative Luke uses the term “kataluma” to describe the place Mary and ...

4559. A House for Our Home and a Home for Our Faith

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... know that we are wanted, that we are important, that somebody cares about us. Something that really only the family can give us in the kind of power that we need it to be given, and that is that we really belong, that we are in a relationship with others that ... one day and Mike Douglas asked him about his early years as a musician. Mike thinking that all musicians had the same kind of beginning – tough, tough start. But Ellington said that wasn’t so with him. Mike Douglas was surprised and said, what do ...

4560. The Intimate Gospel: The Word became Flesh

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to John’s gospel because I was preparing for the sermon today, because that’s precisely what John did, he gave us a kind of overture to the gospel in this prologue, announcing the themes that he’s going to be dealing with throughout the gospel. And ... language. Jesus personified evil as satan, or the devil. And he referred to him as the ruler of this world. Now I don’t mind what kind of language you use, but what I don’t want you to do as a Christian is to hide behind language and be naïve about ...

4561. The Wisdom of the Wise Men

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... and courtesy. After one of his naval victories, the defeated admiral was brought aboard Nelson’s flagship and onto Nelson’s quarterdeck. And this fellow knew Nelson’s reputation for courtesy and kindness and thought that he could trade on the reputation. He walked across the quarterdeck with his hand outstretched to greet nelson as an equal. But Nelson’s hands remained at his side. When the admiral got to him, Nelson said, ‘First your sword and then your hand.’ That’s the ...

4562. A Miracle Child

Exodus 2:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to make their own decisions; they have to go their own way; they have to establish their own paths. Can we trust them to God? Can we believe that God will care for our children, even as he cared for that little ark in that dangerous river? Oh for that kind of faith. Oh for the readiness and the willingness to commit our children into the keeping of God, who has promised through his word; if we bring up children in the way that they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it. How much relief ...

4563. Beware of Cute

Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... right. After the message has traveled from ear-to-ear full circle, the last person repeats the message they have received. The results are usually pretty hilarious and rarely accurate. Up until now the miraculous works of God that were underway have been played out kind of like a game of “telephone.” The angelic whisper of the events about to unfold have been passed from Zechariah’s ear, to Mary’s ear, to John’s ear, and finally now to Elizabeth’s ear. The fun of playing “telephone” is to ...

4564. A Lifelong Bond

Luke 1:39-56

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... York City, whatever you do to the particle in L.A. will instantly happen to the one in New York, too. Einstein called it "spooky." It also defied his theory that nothing can travel faster than light. Somehow, however, once particles form this kind of bond, it cannot be severed no matter how great the distance between the two becomes. A similar but opposite thing happened between Mary and Elizabeth. In this case, two separate people formed a relationship across a great distance, a relationship that finally ...

4565. Every Day God Encourages

Acts 4:36-37; 11:22-24

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... expected to see Andrew walking with Jesus. It was a moment that took our breath away and focused our thoughts and minds and hearts for the rest of the trip; a trip turned into a pilgrimage, not just a tour. You see God wants us to have those kinds of moments each and every day. Every Day God Encourages Us To Be Reverent. For in those moments of reverence, when God is revealed in unexpected places and unexpected ways, the Spirit of God lifts and fills our spirits. We gain strength and focus for our lives. We ...

4566. Every Day God Enriches

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, [5] for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind [6] just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you [7] so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait ... to make them tastier. Just look at the ingredients on any can of almost any vegetable. They add salt and sugar as well as all kinds of other things to make them a little tastier. You and I are called to be the salt of the earth. We're called to ...

4567. Living In The Spirit Of Joy

Galatians 5:22-25, Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... Last week we began our series Living In The Spirit and determined that Love is the key. I don't know who to attribute it to but someone put it this way: "Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love resting. Patience is love enduring. Kindness is love's touch. Generosity is love's character. Faithfulness is love's habit. Gentleness is love's self-forgetfulness. Self-control is love holding the reins." (1) So, what is Joy? Christian Joy? I. A Gift and Surprise A. A lot of people thing that our purpose ...

4568. Living In The Spirit Of Faithfulness

Galatians 5:22-25, Hebrews 10:23-24

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... our focus is Living In The Spirit Of Faithfulness. Let's look at the quote we still haven't found the source on, concerning the Fruit of the Spirit. "Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love resting. Patience is love enduring. Kindness is love's touch. Generosity is love's character. Faithfulness is love's habit. Gentleness is love's self-forgetfulness. Self-control is love holding the reins." (2) Galatians 5:22-25 (NRSV) [22] By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience ...

4569. Seeing God In The Ordinary: Others

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. The equivalent of a small sack lunch fed 5000 people. In all three stories, one ordinary boy with a willingness to help made a major difference which has changed the world. These kind of things are happening around us all the time. God can be seen in the ordinary lives of other people. All we really need to do is open our eyes and tune our hearts to see them. I. Compassion Is Offered Without Embarrassment We can see God at ...

4570. Seeing God In The Ordinary: Work

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... girl returned. She ran to Jeanette and grabbed her and asked, "Do you remember me?" Jeanette said, "Yes!" And then the girl said, "You saved my life that night. I had just lost a baby and that night I thought about killing myself." A kind word of concern, a simple hug and a different kind of movie all worked to save a young woman's life. That night, Jeanette was the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world" leading a young woman back from the precipice. That young girl Saw God In The Ordinary Through ...

4571. A Cloud Of Witnesses

Hebrews 12:1-3

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Last week was actually All Saints Sunday and because of our Stewardship Campaign we kind of set it aside. But, I think it is an important Sunday in the life of the Church and in our ... least to me. If I had to guess, from pictures I've seen, I'd say he was about 6' 6' or so. My Dad was only 5' 8" so it made for a comical sight, kind of like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in the movie "Twins." I'm not sure but I think his name was Buck. And he was muscled like nobody else I've ever known. One weekend ...

4572. Better Than a Spanking

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... to do with anything?” “It means that there are people here who care about you. They made promises to God when you were baptized. You try not showing up around here this summer, and they will be nosing around: asking you what you are doing with your life; what kind of grades you made last semester; what you’re doing with yourself. And then, there is also God. You see, no telling what God might try to do with you. From what I’ve seen of God, once He has claimed you, you don’t get off the hook so ...

4573. Room For A Savior?

Luke 2:22-33

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... right there on the sidewalk. So, did others who stopped to watch. When the impromptu Christmas production was over, Amos came to the little girl and whispered, "Angel, the Baby Jesus is one of us. Don't you ever let anybody make you feel different. He walked the same kind of road we walk. From now on wherever you go, you just remember he's walking right there with you, and there ain't nothing the two of you can't handle." (4) Amos and his friends made the Christmas story alive for that little girl. And the ...

4574. Joshua People Obey and Serve

Joshua 1:6-8, 24:14-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... constantly but the people are to remain completely silent. They were told not to make a sound, no talking, no whispering, so singing, nothing until instructed to do so. And they obeyed. You can imagine the talk in the city. "What are those idiots doing? What kind of parade is that?" On the seventh day, horns blowing, everyone silent, they marched around the city seven times. And the end of the seventh time Joshua told the people to "Shout for God has given you the city." They did and the walls came tumbling ...

4575. Joshua People Study

Joshua 1:7-8, Psalm 119:10-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... grad school and thought to yourself, "I hope I never have to study for anything ever again." Well, I'm not talking about that kind of study. When I talk about study I can promise you that you won't have to write any term papers and there is no ... Scripture isn't really a translation but more of a translated paraphrase, the Message. 2. The second thing you need is a notebook of some kind to keep notes in. Questions you might have as you read or even insights you've had. You can also make not of verses or ...

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