Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4626 to 4650 of 4915 results

4626. Proper 6

Genesis 18:1-15, Psalm 116:1-19, Matthew 9:25-10:23, Romans 5:1-11

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter--Psalms 116:1-2, 12-19 First Lesson--Abraham and Sarah are hosts to God's messengers who renew the promise of a son who will be the beginning of a great nation. Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7) Second Lesson--Paul does not promise that salvation spares us from suffering but that God can use that experience to enhance our character as Christians. Romans 5:1-8 Gospel--Jesus outlines a rigorous discipline for his disciples. Matthew 9:35-10:23 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ...

4627. It’s Complicated

Galatians 2:11-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Weather forecasters have the coolest toys. They have satellite “eyes in the sky.” They can track off-shore flows and coastal disturbances, high pressure systems and low pressure cells, the rise and fall of the jet stream (whatever that is!). Television weather people even have the most interesting screens to work with, with all kinds of magic features to make this bigger and smaller. Yet, even with all these sophisticated, complicated technologies to help — as we all know — the weather report is often way ...

4628. The Messed Up

John 4:1-26

Sermon

James Merritt

In 2006, Alitalia Airlines, the official airline of Italy, made a slight mistake on its website regarding international airfare from Toronto, Canada, to the island of Cyprus. They advertised business-class seats for $39. It was supposed to be $3900, but somebody left two zeros. Two thousand tickets were immediately snapped up and it cost the airline $7.7 million. Somebody messed up. In 1990, 75 million phone calls across the United States went unanswered after a single switch at one of AT&T’s Switching ...

4629. Unity in the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

The Appeal and Pattern for Unity Chapter 4 begins what often is referred to as the ethical or practical section of the epistle. If chapters 1–3 provide the theological basis for Christian unity, then chapters 4–6 contain the practical instruction for its maintenance. Unity has been established (the indicative); now it becomes the duty of the believers to strengthen and maintain unity in their fellowship (the imperative). This generalization does not mean that chapters 4–6 are devoid of theological content ...

4630. Final Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Generally speaking, the report brought by Timothy concerning the church in Thessalonica was most heartening, and when Paul heard it, he offered thanks to God for their faith and love, for their hard work and hope. But in some respects there was room for improvement. Of particular concern was the relationship between the leaders of the church and the other members. Due perhaps to a restlessness provoked by uncertainty about the Parousia or by some other factor (see disc. on 4:11; 5:14; 2 Thess. 3:6–13 and ...

4631. The Gate to Grace, Goodness, and Glory

John 10:1-10

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

A pastor friend who lived in an apartment complex in San Francisco tells about the time that he and his wife parked their brand new Honda Accord under cover in the secured parking area next to their apartment complex. The next day they decided to celebrate the purchase of that new car by going out to breakfast together. Not only would they enjoy eating out together, it would give them another opportunity to drive their new automobile. Leaving the apartment building, they greeted the guard on duty at the ...

4632. We Build the Tomb

Hebrews 10:16-25

Sermon

Bonnie Bates

All my life I have struggled with the concept of calling this day of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion as “good.” What could possibly be good about Jesus being arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified? How can we call this feast day “good”? Yet, there is a reassurance for us in these words written to the Hebrew Christians. Much as the prophet Jeremiah told the Jewish people that God’s law would be inscribed on their hearts, just as it was once inscribed by God’s own hand on stone tablets, this letter reminds ...

4633. Proper 6

Galatians 2:11-21, 1 Kings 19:1-8, 2 Samuel 12:1-31, 2 Samuel 11:1-27, Psalm 32:1-11, Luke 7:36-50

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The theological clues coming from the church year state that the Lord will return to rule over the earth - and direct the ministry of God's people to include the earth and everything in it, not simply ministry to other human beings. Christians must love and care for others in positive and practical ways, not merely mouth a few prayers of thanksgiving and lift petitions for the benefit of others, if their liturgy - in and outside the worship service - is to be pleasing to God. The gospel of ...

4634. Reach Out and Touch Someone

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

I doubt there is a person in this sanctuary who doesn’t know the AT&T ad which says, "Reach out and touch someone." Cincinnati Bell plays it for us all the time. It is on the television and on our car radios. We are bound to run into it at one of the commercial breaks. If we do not watch television or listen to the radio but we go to the ballgame, there it is on the big scoreboard in centerfield between the innings. In great big letters comes this great big sign, "Reach out and touch someone." The music ...

4635. In Debt Forever!

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Raymond Gibson

It seemed as though the bishop was looking straight at me "Are you in debt so much as to embarrass you in your work?" What an incongruous question to ask of a candidate for ordination. It seemed so mundane, so inappropriate for such a hallowed occasion, even if it was one of the questions asked of ordinands ever since the day when John Wesley first posed it. "Are you in debt so much as to embarrass you in your work?" "Of course, I’m in debt, Bishop! Who wouldn’t be after three years in seminary on a ...

4636. Counting the Cost

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

The Lenten season, to which Ash Wednesday opens the door, is a time for heart-searching. "The Son of God goes forth to war a kingly crown to gain," and we are asked, "Who follows in his train?" Our Lord’s path to his kingly glory passes through Gethsemane and Calvary, and if we are to be his followers, we too must "climb the steep ascent of heaven through peril, toil and pain." We must count the cost and be willing to pay the price of true discipleship. The portion of scripture before us is a direct ...

4637. Getting It Together

Luke 6:37-42

Sermon

William G. Carter

Hypocrisy. We know it when we see it. A newspaper recently quoted a congressman. I had to read the article twice to make sure I got it right. In the midst of a debate, an elected official stood to address the House of Representatives. Here’s what he said: “Never before have I heard such ill-informed, wimpy, back-stabbing drivel as that just uttered by my respected colleague, the distinguished gentleman from Ohio.” Hypocrisy. We know it when we see it. Maybe you heard about the leader in another church who ...

4638. For Future Generations

Psalm 22:1-31

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

We thought you might like to see the oral style in which Wayne Brouwer prepares his messages. INTRODUCTION (1) In 1976, Gail Sheehy wrote a book about the changes we go through in our lives. She called it Passages (Bantam, 1977). And it opens with a scene from one of the most terrible days in her life. She was a news reporter in Northern Ireland. She’d been sent there to write a story about the women: what they were doing; how they were coping with life in the middle of a war zone. She says she was ...

4639. It's All God's Doing

Ezekiel 17:1-24

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

"A few years ago, a little boy was diagnosed as having a terminal illness. When he was told the situation and that he would soon die, he retreated fearfully into a cocoon of total silence. No one...not his doctors or nurses, not even his parents could get through to him. No one could penetrate the wall of silence the little boy had erected around himself. He would not speak to anyone. The only way he would communicate was through drawings he scratched out on a legal pad. One drawing showed a beautiful ...

4640. The Road Less Traveled

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Scott Peck became famous when he wrote his first book entitled The Road Less Traveled. The first sentence in that book is a perceptive commentary on life — simple and direct: “Life is difficult.” For some, that is an understatement. For all who are alive and aware, it is an experienced truth. Life is difficult. Jesus would concur. Listen to him in verse 24 from our scripture lesson: “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able....” A long time ...

4641. Seeing Just Enough of God

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

Life never stands still. It can crawl along too slowly, zip past us before we know it, torture us with opportunities we can never get again, or bewilder us with which path to take. But it never stands still. A woman who learned about life's twists and turns shared her story with a pastor friend of mine. Shortly after her marriage, in full flush of love, she went out for a jog. Bursting with a feeling of how delicious her life was, she offered up a prayer of gratitude to God for her marriage, her health, ...

4642. Sharing the Pain of Others

Matthew 26:14-27:66

Sermon

Richard Gribble

“Rags, rags! Give me your tired, dirty, and old rag and I will give you a fresh, clean, and new one. Rags, rags.” That was the cry to which I awoke one bright sunny Friday morning. I sprang from my bed and peered out my second-story apartment window. There he was: the Ragman of our town. He was 6’4" if he was an inch, youthful in appearance and strong of build. I had heard so much about him but never actually seen him. I threw on some clothes, bounded down the stairs, and ran out the front door of my ...

4643. Undercooked Turkey and Unwrapped Presents

Hebrews 2:5-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

For the major holidays, my great-aunt Edith's home was the usual site of our family gatherings. Unfortunately, two of those family celebration days, Thanksgiving and Christmas, involved preparing a large turkey with all the trimmings. Aunt Edith was an extremely proper, formal and capable hostess. While a fairly good cook, she missed the class that taught how long it took to get a twenty pound bird completely done, and how you could tell when it was done. On several festive occasions, I distinctly remember ...

4644. Romans 5:1-5

Romans 5:1-5

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Paul's letter to the Romans immediately conjures up "justification by faith through grace," the catch-phrase of the Reformation, the cornerstone of our postmodern confidence. While it is true that Paul's most eloquent, powerful declarations of this truth are in Romans, that is not the sum total of the letter. In fact, this week's epistle lesson is the transitional point between the two foci of Paul's letter. Paul's first four chapters discuss this miraculous justification we have received through the gift ...

4645. Romans 5:1-5

Romans 5:1-5

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

4646. Proper 10

Mark 6:14-29, Psalm 24:1-10, 2 Samuel 6:1-23, Ephesians 1:1-14

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 24 First Lesson—David’s dance before the Lord is quite different from the dance before King Herod in today’s Gospel. 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 Second Lesson—Paul rejoices in the eternal purposes of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3-14 Gospel—The martyrdom of John the Baptist is remembered long after his death and burial. Mark 6:14-29 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Believer/Priests, you are clothed ...

4647. Proper 26

Mark 12:28-34, Psalm 146:1-10, Ruth 1:1-22, Hebrews 9:11-28

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 146 First Lesson—This is the beginning of the story of a Moabite woman who became an ancestor of King David and Jesus of Nazareth. Ruth 1:1-18 Second Lesson—When Christ came as a high priest he entered the eternal Holy Place and offered himself not any animal sacrifice. Hebrews 9:11-14 Gospel—Jesus reemphasizes the two great commandments. Mark 12:28-34 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Fix your eyes on God’s ...

4648. Living While You Wait

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There were two fellows who lived and breathed baseball. They were professional players with the Atlanta Braves and you would think that playing for a living would be enough. But not so – these guys breathed, ate, and slept baseball. More than teammates, they were very close friends. So, they talked with each other about that mattered most in their lives. One of their big concerns was whether there would be baseball in heaven. They loved baseball so much that they were not sure at all they wanted to spend ...

4649. A Faith That Makes A Difference

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

David E. Leininger

This familiar account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer begins with Paul and Silas curing the madness of a young woman of the city whose insanity had been used by some unscrupulous men for their own personal gain. There was the belief in those days that insanity was a strangely special gift from the gods, a tool they used to convey their messages to mere mortals; it was based on the idea that since the insane girl had no mind of her own, the gods could put their own divine thoughts out on earth ...

4650. Anatomy Of A Testimony

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Sermon

David J. Kalas

You see a man busily writing. His face reveals the intensity of his focus. He sometimes smiles as he writes, then stops to think again. At times he shows some dissatisfaction, and he goes back to rewrite some sentence or phrase. Clearly, he wants to get this just right. We hesitate to interrupt his concentration, but we can't restrain our curiosity. "Excuse us," we say. "What is that you're working on so diligently?" He looks up from his work and smiles. "I'm writing a toast. It's a toast that I'm going to ...

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