Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4551 to 4575 of 4914 results

4551. Joshua People Always Look Forward With Hope

Joshua 1:1-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I ran across a cartoon the other day. It shows OT characters. A woman is introducing a younger man to an older man, "This is Joshua. Joshua fit the battle of Jericho." Most of us know a portion of that story or at least a portion of the song, but there is a whole lot more to Joshua than just the Walls of Jericho. In the book of Exodus we find out that God has chosen Joshua to be the second in command to Moses, the military leader of the just freed children of Israel. We alos know that Joshua was one of the ...

4552. Batman: Driven By Guilt or Grace?

Romans 5:1-11; 8:1-2

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Sometimes on our journey of faith, we let other things get between us and God. Sometimes it's not things so much as it is ideas and attitudes. Sometimes its just our emotions. The point is, we let other stuff get between us and God. Usually it's just our own selfish pride. But whatever it is, it blocks us from receiving the full extent of God's Grace. It's like going to a banquet in our honor, being told that all our favorite dishes have been prepared just the way we like them and then choosing to eat ...

4553. Being A View Master

Romans 2:9-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There's an old Peanuts comic, Charlie Brown is busy with a woodworking project one day when Lucy comes by and asks: "How's the birdhouse coming along, Charlie Brown?" He replies, "Well, I'm a lousy carpenter. I can't nail straight. I can't saw straight and I always split the wood. I'm nervous, I lack confidence, I'm stupid, I have poor taste and absolutely no sense of design." And then in the last frame he concludes, "So, all things considered, it's coming along OKAY!" (1) Nobody would ever claim that ...

4554. Batman: Driven By Guilt or Grace?

Romans 5:1-11; 8:1-2; Luke 18:9-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Romans 5:1-11 (NRSV) [1] Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. [3] And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts ...

4555. We Are Weak, But He Is Strong...

Romans 8:26-39

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Join with me if you would like: Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so. Jesus loves me still today, walking with me on my way, Wanting as a friend to give light and love to all who live. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so. Jesus loves us this we say, caring for us every day. Troubles all to him ...

4556. The Parable of the Soil

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Almost all denominations, or what I call “tribes,” used to be able to boast an extensive farm system for growing the next generation of leaders. The past two decades have seen a gradual dismantling of that farm system. But you can still see features of it. Starting with the cradle roll and ending with the theological seminary, the church built for its future just like sports teams built for their future in a farm system. One of the most important vestiges in the church’s farm system is summer camp. How ...

4557. L4G Live For God

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The front of local markets have been crammed full of candy for the past two weeks. [Get someone to take pictures of your specific local markets.] Halloween “Trick or Treat” might not be until the end of this month. But candy creators want us to stock-up and stock-pile. As a kid it was such a rush to come home after “making the rounds” of the trick-or-treat neighborhood and ceremoniously dump out all that candy crammed into our paper bag. Every piece would be inspected. Perhaps some cautious trades made ...

4558. Escaping a Tangled Web

1 Samuel 30:1-31, 1 Samuel 29:1-11

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: When his chosen servants find themselves in a precarious position, the Lord is able to deliver them by his providence and renew their faith through his guidance and protection. Understanding the Text In 1 Samuel 29 the focus shifts back to David as the story continues where chapter 27 left off. A chronological flashback comes in chapter 29. According to 28:4, the Philistine army was encamped at Shunem when Saul visited the medium in Endor. The next day the Philistines and the Israelites fight on ...

4559. Born of the Spirit

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: Baptismal Font Name a villain. Whatever villain you name, it’s likely that villain will be living in some way in the dark. Dracula –fears the light and lives in the darkness of his coffin and castle The Joker (of Batman lore) --hides his scar-ridden face in the darkness and behind a mask The Phantom of the Opera –hides his deformed face in the darkness beneath the opera house Voldemort (of Harry Potter fame) –lurks in the darkness and hides behind other forms he takes Gollum (of JJR Tolkien’s ...

4560. The Baptism of the Lord

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Rummaging through some of my old memorabilia I rediscovered a post card with the picture of a church on it. I well remember the church because it was the one where I was baptized. As a child of eight I asked Jesus to come into my heart at the altar of my small local church. It was an important time in my life and it started me on my Christian walk. The small church where I put down my spiritual roots did not have a baptistry in it. My pastor told us that it was important for new Christians to be baptized ...

4561. The Star - Conversations

Matthew 2:1-12

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

Characters Interviewer Wise Person from the East Second Wise Person Bystander Herod Interviewing One Among The Wise Ones From The East Interviewer: If stars could speak, I would ask this star many questions. However, as one among the wise ones from the East, you might have some answers for us. I am curious about the four roles of the star in this story. Wise Person from The East: Tell me about the star. Interviewer: First, you and your companions enter Jerusalem to inquire about the newborn child. You had ...

4562. The Right Child

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). John, the gospel writer, puts it this way: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ..." These verses of scripture speak of the power and beauty in rightly-chosen words, and therefore speak of these incomparable words from the ninth chapter of Isaiah, the text for this Holy evening, Christmas Eve. Isaiah tried again and again to express the stubborn hope and dream of shalom, peace, ...

4563. By What Authority?

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

John A. Stroman

Two remarkable things happened. Jesus' words in the synagogue left the people amazed. His confronting of the man with the unclean spirit left them dumbfounded. Jesus' world was a demon-haunted world. Men and women in the ancient world believed in demons. Demons for them were intensely real. The first century world was one of pain and suffering. There was no relief from pain. It was a world of natural disasters that took a heavy toll on life. Disease, even the slightest illness, could be fatal. There was a ...

4564. The President's Religion

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

Erskine White

"Are you not like the Ethiopians to Me, O people of Israel?" says the Lord. (Amos 9:7) (Note: This sermon was preached on November 4, 1984, two days before the national election which resulted in a landslide victory for President Ronald Reagan over the Democratic nominee, Walter Mondale. A few of the references which follow are particular to that election, but the basic message of this sermon will be valid in other election years as well, since the inclination to use God for partisan purposes is well- ...

4565. When is Patriotism An Idol?

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

George Johnson

Almost everyone who has been brought up in the church has heard of the "taxes to Caesar" story. "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?" they asked Jesus. Allegiance to the empire and to God is the issue. Jesus' patriotism is being called into question. I want to talk to you about when patriotism becomes an idol. The setting is important. It was toward the end of Jesus' ministry, just before his death. His vision was focused. He was going to Jerusalem. There he would be confronted with life and death issues. ...

4566. Formula for Life

Amos 5:1-17

Sermon

A great old hymn asks, "And are we yet alive?" Last Sunday we saw in Luke’s marvelous record of Jesus’ teachings and in the prophetic injunction of Joel the contrast between life and death, and we were confronted with the challenge to live. Today as we continue with Jesus in Luke’s record and hear the powerful voice of Amos speaking we discover the simple formula for living the life of faith. For those who want life that is real, Amos says, there are two directions for their quest to take. They must seek ...

4567. Love of God and Love of Country

Sermon

Harold Warlick

Henry is a man who loves his country. He is a veteran of two wars, proudly displays the American flag on the rooftop of his home on holidays, and angrily denounces critics of the American form of government. He is a patriot. He believes that if we just left everyone alone, this country would straighten itself out and show peace to the world. He turns his back to the poverty and prejudice that exist and proclaims that we should either love America or leave it. To Henry, George Washington was Moses, Jesus ...

4568. The Suffering Servant

Drama

Curt M. Joseph

Characters: Caiaphas - High Priest in Jerusalem; an able person, perhaps a bit weak; not always sure that everything he is doing is correct. Annas - the ex-High Priest in Jerusalem; father-in-law of Caiaphas; seen as the real power "behind the throne." Temple Guard - very formal in his approach. Judas - he waivers between very sure of what he is doing and rather unsure. The play opens with Caiaphas, working alone at his desk in his office. After several moments he is joined by his father-in-law. Guard: ( ...

4569. Astonishing!

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Brett Blair

For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, and surely he would not be wrong. Anyone, of course, could have taken two objects, one heavy and one light, and dropped them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first. But no one did until nearly 2,000 years after Aristotle's death. Legend has it that in 1589 Galileo summoned learned ...

4570. Bonhoeffer of Berlin

Acts 5:17-42

Drama

Michael L. Sherer

"We must obey God, not men ..." Acts 5:27-32 Characters: Lector Announcer Antagonist Protagonist (Participants enter and take their places in the chancel. As they come forward, the congregation sings the hymn "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus." When the hymn is completed, the drama begins.) LECTOR: The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from death, after you had killed him by nailing him to a cross. God raised him to his right side as Leader and Savior, to give the people of Israel the opportunity to repent and ...

4571. I Can Have Anything?

John 14:5-14

Sermon

King Duncan

It is said that Gen. George Patton had great respect for Army Chaplains. He always had them at staff meetings when important decisions were to be made. He was always calling on the Chaplains to "get a hot line to God!" During the Battle of the Bulge when the weather was so terrible, Gen. Patton ordered the Chaplain to write a prayer that would change the weather. The resulting prayer went something like this, "Restrain these immoderate storms, [O Lord], grant us fair weather for battle, graciously hearken ...

4572. The Benefits Of Trusting Christ

Romans 10:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

"I have good news and bad news," the defense lawyer says to his client. "What's the bad news?"asks his client. The lawyer says, "Your blood matches the DNA found at the murder scene." "No!" cries the client. "What's the good news?" "Well," the lawyer says, "your cholesterol is down to 140." (1) Good news, bad news. The world is filled with bad news. Too much bad news everywhere you look. Bad news in the world. Bad news in the nation. Bad news in individual homes and lives. Pastor Doug Sabin tells about a ...

4573. Afraid of Sanity

Mark 5:1-20

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

In J. D. Salinger’s famous novel, The Catcher in the Rye, 15-year old Holden Caulfield says: “I can’t always pray when I feel like it. In the first place, I’m sort of an atheist.” (That would put a damper on prayer, wouldn’t it?) He goes on: “I like Jesus and all, but I don’t care too much for most of the other stuff in the Bible. Take the Disciples, for instance....They were all right after Jesus was dead and all, but while He was alive, they were about as much use to Him as a hole in the head. All they ...

4574. Two Conversations with Jesus: The Second Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Today I want to share some thoughts and reflections from what historically has been designated as the second word of the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ from the cross on Calvary. I believe that this is the last known conversation to take place between Jesus Christ and a human being before he died. Today we will think for a few moments about the two other crosses that flanked our Savior''s cross: one cross on the left, and another on the right. Both of which held people who had been called thieves or ...

4575. The Day Jesus Asked the Question: The Fourth Word

Matthew 27:45-46

Sermon

Eric Ritz

For the past three Sundays we have been looking at the words that our Lord shared on that day known on the church''s liturgical calendar as Black Friday or Good Friday. Both of these adjectives express a deep truth about the meaning of this day. Today we will be looking at what is called the Fourth Word from the Cross. This word is found in Matthew 27:45-46 where our Lord hurls a question of suffering, anguish, and loneliness at heaven itself. The Bible is such a real life book that at times it might even ...

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