Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4576 to 4600 of 5000 results

4576. It Was the Birthday of a King

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

James Merritt

Ironically, the time of year called Christmas is a time of both celebration and separation. Because at no other time of the year is the Christian more separated from the world than at Christmastime. The world celebrates a season, but the Christian celebrates a Savior. Whether this world likes it or not, and increasingly the world doesn't like it, Christmas is the celebration of the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now there are some people who will be so drunk they will not know whose birthday it is. ...

4577. Why Were the Wise Men Wise?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

James Merritt

Go back in time 2,000 years, and imagine that you are one of the most respected scholars in the city of Babylon, perhaps even a professor in the university. You are getting your camel ready for a trip; one of your students comes by and says, "Teacher, where are you headed?" You reply, "I'm going to Palestine." He says, "Why, that is several months journey from here. Why are you going to Palestine?" You say, "Oh, I'm going to search for a king." He says, "Well, who is this king?" You reply, "I don't know. I ...

4578. How to Lower Your Temper (-ature)

Proverbs 16:32

Sermon

James Merritt

"When anger enters the mind, wisdom departs." Thomas a Kempis(1) Respiration deepens; the heart beats more rapidly; the arterial pressure rises; the blood is shifted from the stomach and intestines to the heart, central nervous system and the muscles; the processes of the alimentary canal cease; sugar is freed from the reserves in the liver; the spleen contracts and discharges its contents of concentrated corpuscles, and adrenaline is secreted. What does this describe? It is the physiological ...

4579. Friends

Proverbs 27:6, 9, 17

Sermon

James Merritt

I saw a cartoon in a newspaper once, and the first frame showed a thief that was wearing a mask, and his gun was pointed toward a frightened victim. The next scene the robber is holding out a sack and saying, "Give me all of your valuables!" In the next scene the victim begins stuffing into the sack all of his friends. I don't believe there is hardly anything in life, outside of salvation, that is more valuable than a true friend. With few exceptions, people every-where hunger to have friends; I mean real ...

4580. Mom: The Heart of a Godly Family

Proverbs 31:10-31

Sermon

James Merritt

Nobody can write a letter like a mother. I can remember when I was in college my first year, I was so homesick I literally lived for those days I would go to the post office and get a letter from my Mom. I want to share with you one mother's letter to her son in college. This mother was a country lady, not very well educated, but she loved her son. This was the letter: Dear Son: Just a few lines to let you know that I am still alive. I'm writing this letter slowly because I know that you cannot read very ...

4581. My God Is Real

Psalm 14:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, a master theologian, one of the greatest pastors in the history of the church, once said: The proper study of the Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can ever engage the attention of a child of God is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.1 From time immemorial the human race has been filled with questions about ...

4582. America: You Are Too Young to Die

Psalm 80:1-19

Sermon

James Merritt

Webster defines a patriot as "one who loves and loyally or zealously supports one's own country."1 According to that definition, one thing I can say about the man who wrote this Psalm, Asaph, is he was a true patriot. He would never have burned his flag, and would not have put up with anyone who did. Though he was a patriot and loved his country, he was also a man of God, and therefore burdened for his country. He was in a situation then much as we are in today. Among all the nations of the world, Israel ...

4583. What Church Is All About

Psalm 100:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

A U.S.A. Today poll asked people why they went to church. 45% said they went "because it was good for them." "Worship" didn't even rate in the survey.[1] There are all kinds of reasons to go to church, and I would say good reasons. Some people go to church for the fellowship; some go for service; some go for Bible study; some go for the music; some go for the atmosphere; some go for the preaching. But if you come to church for any other primary reason than to worship God, you are coming for the wrong ...

4584. Why Every Christian Should Be an Optimist

Psalm 121:1-8

Sermon

James Merritt

Are you an optimist, or are you a pessimist? I heard about an optimist that was talking to a pessimist, and he said, "Isn't this a beautiful sunny day?" The pessimist replied, "It may be, but if this heat spell doesn't stop very soon, all the grass is going to burn up." Two days later the optimist said to the pessimist, "Isn't this rain wonderful?" The pessimist replied, "Well, if it doesn't stop soon, my garden is going to wash away." The next day the optimist invited the pessimist to go duck hunting. The ...

4585. The Law of the Harvest

Psalm 126:5-6

Sermon

James Merritt

Recently while being on a mission trip in Romania, I had the privilege of staying overnight in London, England. While touring that beautiful city, I was standing in front of Westminster Abbey, the beautiful church where all of the monarchs of England are crowned, and the site of the funeral of Princess Diana. I thought about an elderly lady who was in a group of tourists visiting London, and the guide was explaining the history behind Westminster Abbey. She interrupted him and said, "Young man! young man! ...

4586. Jesus: The Hope of a Godly Family

Psalm 127:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

In 1947, fifty years ago, the imminent Harvard sociologist and historian, Karle Zimmerman, wrote a book entitled, Family and Civilization, in which he compared the disintegration of various cultures as the family life declined in those cultures. He discovered eight specific patterns of domestic behavior that signaled the downward spiral of each culture. Marriage loses its sacredness...is frequently broken by divorce. Traditional meaning of the marriage ceremony is lost. Feminist movements abound. Increased ...

4587. In Defense of the Offense

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Sermon

James Merritt

Recently on an airplane, as I was traveling back to Atlanta, I sat next to a lady whose name was Judith. We got into a conversation and she got around to asking me what I did. I told her that I was a minister. She immediately began to discuss religion. She began to criticize a certain Baptist seminary in Louisville, Kentucky and the extreme right-wing fundamentalists that had taken the seminary over. She had seen a movie about it and she was appalled at what had happened. That led into an extremely ...

4588. The World's Greatest Body Builder

1 Corinthians 12:13

Sermon

James Merritt

Gustav and Aurelia was a young couple in Austria who one day was approached by their 13 year old son who said to them, "I want to be the best built man in the world!" They didn't even realize how serious their son was. At 14 he started an intensive training program. Five years later, at the age of 19, he won the title of The Best Built Man in Europe, Mr. Europe, and the International Power Lifting Championship. One year later, at just 20 years of age, he became the youngest Mr. Universe in history. Arnold ...

4589. Love: The Happiness of a Godly Family

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Sermon

James Merritt

Thomas Jefferson could truly say, "Been there, done that, now what?" He was Ambassador to France, the first Secretary of State, a Vice President, the President of the United States, founder of a major university, author of the greatest political document in history, a multi-faceted inventor, architect, author, farmer, and scholar. He was perhaps the most brilliant man ever to occupy the White House. He was present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence; he attended the second Continental ...

4590. The Other Side of Worship

1 John 1:1-4

Sermon

James Merritt

I want you to turn to the person sitting next to you and do something you may have already done before, but I want you to do it again. I want you to shake hands with them. I tell you why you did that, though you didn't realize it. The custom of handshaking originated in primitive times. Men carried their weapons in their right hands, and when a man extended his empty right hand to take the hand of the other person, it meant he was coming in peace. Over the centuries the act of shaking hands, which prevents ...

4591. What Is A Christian?

Acts 11:26

Sermon

James Merritt

A local businessman was teaching a Sunday School class of fourth grade boys, and he was really trying to impress the class because his son was a member. So during the lesson he asked the class this question: "Why do you suppose that people call me a Christian?" Well, there was dead silence. Not one boy or girl spoke up. He asked the question again: "Boys and girls, why do you suppose that people call me a Christian?" There was still no response. Finally, the man paused, scratched his chin, and said: "Now ...

4592. Saved to Share

Acts 26

Sermon

James Merritt

A man told the following true story: A man suddenly knocked a glass off the table and stood up, his face red and his eyes bulging. A piece of steak had lodged in his throat and he couldn't breathe. I glanced around the room hoping someone would rush to him to apply the Heimlich maneuver. But everyone froze helpless. I pushed my chair back and ran to his side. When I wrapped my arms around his girth and squeezed, the meat dislodged from his throat and I could hear the welcome sound of a deep breath. Later, ...

4593. Fill'er up Lord

Ephesians 5:18-21

Sermon

James Merritt

I know that it is rude and impolite, generally speaking, to ask personal questions. I mean there are just certain questions that people should know better than to ask. For example: You should never go up to a woman and ask, "How much do you weigh?" Likewise, you should never go up to a woman and ask, "How old are you?" You should never go up to anyone and ask a question such as, "Is that a wig?" or, "Do you color your hair?" You should never ask anyone, "Did your plastic surgery not work out, or do you ...

4594. What to Wear to the War

Ephesians 6:13-17

Sermon

James Merritt

Just a few years ago I had the privilege of taking my youngest son, Joshua, to Boston, Massachusetts to spend a couple of days there to see the Boston Red Sox play and to tour the city. It was a beautiful time with my son as we saw the USS Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides," we walked the campus of Harvard University. But then we went on an historical walk through the city and came to the old North Church. It was there my imagination took me back to the year 1775, when a man by the name of Paul Revere ...

4595. Lengthen the Cords and Strengthen the Stakes

Isaiah 54:2-3

Sermon

James Merritt

As Yogi Berra said, "It's de ja vu all over again." You just can't seem to get rid of me. Many of you spent a good deal of time, and some of you a full eight years with me on this committee. Now I'm back. You may feel like the man who went out and bought a new boomerang and killed himself trying to throw the old one away. Dr. Chapman Mr. Chairman Members of the Executive Committee Distinguished members of the gallery and guests: As our Southern Baptist Convention embarks on a journey into a millennium, I ...

4596. Just a Closer Walk With Thee

James 4:8

Sermon

James Merritt

How close are you to God? I can tell you exactly how close you are. You are as close as you want to be. God is as willing to get as close to you as you are willing to get close to Him. The first way to go one step higher for God, is to get one step closer to God. When you take one step closer to God, you actually get two steps closer to God, for James 4:8 tells us, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." That verse is both a precept and a promise. The precept is, you draw near to God; the promise ...

4597. Hazardous to Your Wealth: Myths about Money

Malachi 3:7-12

Sermon

James Merritt

Americans are used to warnings. You can hardly turn anywhere that you don't read a warning label on something. There are warning labels that will alert you to inhaling fumes at the gas station, opening hot radiators, drinking diet soft drinks, smoking cigarettes, wearing seatbelts, and even letting small children play with plastic bags that cover the clothes from the dry cleaners. These warnings are all designed to make us aware of potential dangers that could bring us great harm. But when is the last time ...

4598. Pour the Salt and Turn on the Light

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

James Merritt

I am beginning a brand new series of messages today on the Sermon on the Mount that I have entitled, "The Only Way to Live." The reason I have given it that title is because that is exactly what Jesus tells us in the greatest sermon ever preached in the history of the world—the Sermon on the Mount. A Chinese Christian came to a missionary one time and said, "I have learned to quote the entire Sermon on the Mount by memory." He stood before the missionary and perfectly quoted the sermon word-for-word. The ...

4599. God's Way or the Highway

Matthew 7:13-14

Sermon

James Merritt

One of America's best known theologians tells the story of how he was talking to his five- year-old son, and he asked him two questions. First of all, he said, "Are you sure that when you die you will go to heaven?" The little boy said, "Yes, Daddy, I am." He then asked him the second question. "If you were to die tonight and God said to you, ‘Why should I let you into my Heaven?' what would you answer?" His little boy didn't hesitate. He said immediately, "Because I'm dead." Now believe it or not, that is ...

4600. Why You Should Be Afraid of Sin

Numbers 32:23

Sermon

James Merritt

I was fascinated to read recently about the boomerang. A boomerang is like two spinning airplane wings joined in the middle. It weighs about 12 ounces, it is somewhere between 12 and 30 inches long, and it is an incredible aerodynamic marvel to behold. When an expert throws a boomerang, it is released practically vertical to the ground. But because it is spinning so rapidly (typically about 10 revolutions per second) with the top blade moving through the air faster than the lower blade, there is more lift ...

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