Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 4651 to 4675 of 4943 results

4651. Easter 3

Acts 3:11-26, 1 John 2:28--3:10, Luke 24:36-49

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19 Theme: Times of restoration and refreshing repentance Exegetical note In the aftermath of his and John’s healing of a lame man, Peter delivers a sermon attributing the power behind the event to the name of Jesus, the Resurrected one, faith in which leads to the restoration of health. Peter therefore urges everyone to repent, promising them "refreshing times" as a result. Important in this entire story is the fact that neither faith nor refreshment on the part of the lame man ...

4652. Easter 4

Acts 4:1-22, 1 John 3:11-24, John 10:1-21

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Acts 4:8-12 Theme: The name of Jesus, the power of God Exegetical note This third of Peter’s speeches after Pentecost recorded in Acts comes as a result of his having been questioned by Jewish leaders about the authority ("name") by which he had performed a healing. The question, like his response, points to the ancient view that one’s name was an integral and intimate part of his or her person, presence and power and the related notion that a name, particularly that of a deity, had powers to ...

4653. Easter 5

Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-17

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Acts 8:26-40 Theme: The Spirit’s surprising, subversive strategies Exegetical note The real central character in this well-known story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is the Holy Spirit, under whose guidance the disciple is "subverted" from his succcessful Samarian mission to make a "least likely" but most promising contact: a foreigner (Ethiopian) of a different race (Nubian) and social status (eunuch), who is already devoutly religious (a practicing Jew). Call to Worship Leader: People ...

4654. Trinity

Isaiah 6:1-13, Romans 8:1-17, John 3:1-21

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Isaiah 6:1-8 Theme: God’s cleansing call, our valid vocation Exegetical Note The vision and call of Isaiah recounted here is a study in the gracious action of God: though by his own admission the candidate is sinful and unworthy, God first forgives and cleanses him and then issues the call; Isaiah, initially overwhelmed with his own unworthiness before God’s holiness, is thus free to accept the validity of his vocation with eager self-confidence. Call to Worship Leader: Holy, holy, holy is ...

4655. Proper 4

1 Samuel 16:1-13, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18, Mark 2:23-3:6

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Theme: Human perspective versus God’s perspective Exegetical Note This account of Samuel’s choosing and anointing of David as Saul’s successor is very rich, but a key element is the distinction it makes between Samuel’s human perspective, which focuses on outward appearance and to which several of the candidates looked promising, versus God’s perspective, which looks upon the heart and thus finds regal potential in the least likely and last considered of all, a very young ...

4656. Proper 5

1 Samuel 16:14-23, Mark 3:20-30, Mark 3:31-35, 2 Corinthians 4:1-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 1 Samuel 16:14-23 Theme: God’s relation to evil Exegetical Note The premise for this story of David’s being placed in Saul’s service as a court musician is that the evil spirit that accounts for the king’s apparent "mental illness" comes from God. Such a notion is difficult on several counts for the modern reader, but is grounded in the Old Testament’s firm monotheism, which would prefer to attribute evil to God’s doing rather than to posit any sort of competing counter-deity (such as the ...

4657. Proper 9

2 Samuel 7:1-17, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Mark 6:1-6

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 2 Samuel 7:1-17 Theme: Our house-plans versus God’s house-plans Exegetical Note David’s plan here is very well-intentioned and commendable: to build a very tangible "house" (i.e., temple) for the ark of the covenant. But Nathan, though initially approving the idea, has a dream in which God speaks, declaring that the real need for a "house" lies with David, but of a more spiritual kind (i.e. a royal lineage), which God promises to build for David. The incident is a reminder of how God tends to ...

4658. Proper 13

2 Samuel 12:1-31, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 2 Samuel 12:15b-24 Theme: In the wake of death, life goes on Exegetical Note Though the idea that God would strike down a child because of a parent’s sin seems dated and unacceptable, the idea that one who suffers the loss of a loved one - and especially of a child - must somehow move beyond grief and reaffirm life is timeless, and provides an opportunity to address the fact of the fragility and preciousness of life, which are so poignantly felt in the wake of death. Call to Worship Leader: ...

4659. Proper 17

1 Kings 2:1-12, Mark 7:1-23, Ephesians 6:10-20

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 Theme: Passing the torch of faith Exegetical Note David’s final charge to his son and successor Solomon is poignant, eloquent, and notable in that no mention is made of the inheritance of power, prestige, or wealth that is surely involved. David’s parting concern is to pass along to his son a spiritual inheritance: faithfulness to God and the Law. That is the real source of power and the legacy that David most wishes to leave behind. Call to Worship Leader: Faith in God ...

4660. Proper 23

Genesis 3:1-24, Mark 10:17-31, Hebrews 4:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Genesis 3:8-19 Theme: Changing images of God Exegetical note: God is portrayed here as anthropomorphic, finite in knowledge (those are not rhetorical questions!), excessively punitive (penalizing unborn generations), jealous of divine prerogatives (knowledge and life), and perhaps even deceptive, in that the predicted consequences of the eating the tree - sudden death - did not result: as the serpent had rightly predicted, the man and woman did not die in that day, but instead got the ...

4661. Proper 24

Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, Mark 10:35-45

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Isaiah 53:7-12 Theme: Righteousness and suffering Exegetical Note These verses conclude the third "Servant Song," which for obvious reasons has been taken as a prophecy about Jesus. The underlying concept here has implications beyond the Christological: in particular, the clear assertion is that suffering is not necessarily a sign of God’s disapproval, judgment or wrath, but may in fact visit the righteous and fit in with God’s mysterious but redemptive work. Call to Worship Leader: Let us ...

4662. Proper 27

1 Kings 17:7-24, Mark 12:35-40, Mark 12:41-44, Hebrews 9:11-28

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: 1 Kings 17:8-16 Theme: The miraculous power of God’s Word Exegetical Note This story of Elijah’s first miracle in a foreign land is an example of a classic biblical genre; the generation of much food from little by God’s power. Elijah had actually caused the drought and famine alluded to here (17:1), and has come to Zarephath (Phoenicia) under orders from God. The woman and her child are on the verge of starvation, yet upon the declaration of God’s word of promise, she gives her all, with the ...

4663. The Most Beautiful Word

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

What is a sinner? We might have many definitions. For instance, Pascal put it, "There are only two kinds of men, the righteous who believe themselves a sinner and the sinners who believe themselves righteous." Or Mary Wilson Little put it, "Men who make no pretensions of being good one day out of the week are known as sinners." Or, as Oscar Wilde has said, "Nothing makes one so vain as being told that one is a sinner." It would be so simple, wouldn’t it, if the fact of sin could be brushed off as easily as ...

4664. Which Self Are You?

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

You no doubt have heard the old story of the three inmates of a mental hospital who were having a discussion. The first insisted that he was Napoleon Bonaparte. The second asked how he knew he was Napoleon Bonaparte. The first replied, "God told me!" And the third chimed in, "I did not!" And then there was the patient who appeared unexpectedly at his psychiatrist’s office, and asked what was wrong by the doctor, he replied, "I just HAD to come today, Doctor. For some reason, I just feel myself." Well, ...

4665. The Bread of Life

Luke 9:10-17

Sermon

Ewart E. Turner

A while ago I wrote this piece about a dialogue between your typical (thoroughly Christian) American housewife, and her garbage can. I called the latter Mr. Chompo, Your Friendly Garbage Can. The thorough Christian was named Mrs. Americus, or Mrs. A to Chompo. It seems Mr. Chompo was getting fed up with pondering how really Christian Mrs. A was. "I’ve had it right up to my lid," he was heard to mutter. It seems Mrs. A’s trips to the garbage can were too frequent, too irresponsible, and not at all in line ...

4666. THE JOY OF CHRISTIAN LIVING

Galatians 4:21-31

Sermon Aid

John W. Rilling

Rejoice! There is a beautiful promise in the Bible that they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Saint Paul soars on eagles’ wings in 1 Corinthians 13, he runs very well in Romans 12. But occasionally he plods - and we faint. The author of the second epistle of Peter admits that even for him there are some things in Paul’s letters that are hard to understand. What he might have had in ...

4667. Advent 4: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Christ of Christmas

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

James W. Moore

This sermon is based on Luke 2:1-7: The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and costly tombs in the world. The colorful legends which surround the building of the Taj Mahal are all fascinating. But, there is one that haunts and disturbs. Shah-Jahan, the powerful Mogul emperor, was in grief. His favorite wife had died. He loved her deeply and he was devastated by her loss. He decided to honor her in a signal way. He would construct an incredible temple, the likes of which the world had never seen. The ...

4668. Something Good Can Come From Nazareth

John 1:43-51

Sermon

Brett Blair

I like the story of the young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they ...

4669. Blow The Trumpet In Zion

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

Larry Powell

Is there a word which falls upon the human consciousness with a more resounding "thud" than the word "Repent"? "Oh no," you say. "It is the theme of the prophets, the touchstone of the gospel, and the initial requirement for entrance into the kingdom." That is true, but it is also true that the inherent dynamic of "Repent," one of the foremost action words in the vocabulary of humankind, has been neutralized by a generation no longer arrested by its appeal. A concrete sign in the shape of a cross stands ...

4670. The Technicolor Sign

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

Larry Powell

Lent is the traditional period of spiritual introspection and abstinence observed by Christians in remembrance of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, it includes the forty days, excluding Sundays, preceding Easter and is also symbolic of the forty days Christ fasted in the wilderness. Consequently, we have come today not to the first Sunday "of" Lent, but the first Sunday "in" Lent. The word "Lent" is quite beyond the Hebrew or Greek vocabulary, which is to say, it ...

4671. Behold the Blood of the Covenant

Exodus 24:1-18

Sermon

Larry Powell

Jesus of Nazareth had his own agenda. From the beginning, it had confounded even those closest to him. * We think of Joseph and Mary searching anxiously up and down the caravan line for their twelve-year-old son, only to discover that he had remained in Jerusalem to sit among the teachers at the Temple (Luke 2:41-52). * We think of Jesus standing as a young man in the synagogue at Nazareth reading from the book of Isaiah, concluding the reading with the astonishing claim, "Today, this scripture has been ...

4672. Standing in Awe

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

Roger Prescott

The really meaningful times in our lives come when we realize how very small - yet cared for and important - we are. As our narrative unfolds today and as his vision emerges for him, Isaiah, the aristrocrat - the prophet - cries out, "Woe is me!" He is stirred to the depths by the experience of the awesome, insurmountable distance between eternal God, the Creator, and the human being, a weak and vulnerable sinner. I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips ... for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of ...

4673. God Dwells With People

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sermon

Roger Prescott

Introduction God had brought the people of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. Now the Kingdom was being consolidated, even though this God was still dwelling in a tent. The covenant at Sinai (Exodus 19:3-6) molded Israel God’s people and their welfare was promised. Long before David there was this promise. Second Samuel 7 relates a new divine promise, one which would make Israel even stronger. The Davidic covenant was God’s further promise to provide his people with the leadership they needed. David was ...

4674. Human Nature Revisited

2 Samuel 18:1-18

Sermon

Roger Prescott

Introduction In this moving narrative we have several very effective character studies: King David, torn between losing a battle and losing his son; Absalom, the ambitious young man, caught by the "chances" of life; and "a certain man," a soldier of Joab’s, caught between loyalty to his King and loyalty to his commander. As parents, as leaders, as citizens of our country, we can all identify with the age-old dilemmas played out so powerfully in this account. When we look at the human situations described ...

4675. A Grief Observed

2 Samuel 18:19--19:8

Sermon

Roger Prescott

Introduction When King David learned that yet another of his sons had died, even though he had been a rebellious and unloyal one, it broke his heart. He could not be comforted with the thought that he had regained his kingdom. All he could do was to cry in his broken anguish "O my son Absalom, my Son, my Son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" - 2 Samuel 18:33 These words have echoed down the centuries ever since they were uttered and they are one of the most distressing ...

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