Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4676 to 4700 of 4943 results

4676. Who is Greatest Among You ...

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

... greatest, to be the big cheese, top gun, to have the recognition and praise that go along with authority and power. So, they think "Keep talking Jesus; finish what you started to say; we’re all ears!" "The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat," Jesus continued, "but they do all their deeds so as to be seen by men ... You are not to be called rabbi.... Neither be called masters.... He who is greatest among you shall be your servant." Wait a minute ... that wasn’t what we expected, Jesus. We’re ...

4677. Promise or Threat?

Matthew 24:1-35

Sermon

... . Complete conformity to the rules of the new religion created by the government is demanded of everyone. But, let’s also imagine that we refuse to give up our faith and our practice of worship. We know the risk involved, but still we agree to continue to meet secretly for worship and fellowship as Christians. In spite of fear and harrassment, and even an occasional arrest of one of our members, we covenant with each other to carry on with the practice of our beliefs. Now imagine that one Friday afternoon ...

4678. God’s Safety Net

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

D. Wayne Burkette

... skill doesn’t have to risk life and limb to be entertaining. But in our newest fashion of speech, a safety net has come to stand for that last resort of protection and assistance provided by government for people who are otherwise helpless and vulnerable. The continuing debate is not over whether or not we should have such a social safety net, but how much is necessary and for whom. The questions have to do with how much or how little responsibility a nation has for those who cannot help themselves, and ...

4679. The Abiding Presence

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

... , "You never catch God napping." He says, "That’s a comforting thought in a day when the air is full of phrases suggesting that God is absent or dead." But it’s a frightening thought, too: you never catch God napping. Is it really so? He continues: Every now and then in visiting churches across countryside you run across the symbol of a single-painted eye staring at you from the wall over the altar or pulpit. It has always struck me as a rather unattractive symbol, that huge, unblinking eye, utterly ...

4680. The End is a New Beginning

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Sermon

... crawl into the car through a window in an attempt to keep the man alive until he could be taken to the hospital. As she gave him CPR, she kept saying, "Come on, Ed, (he was a man whom she knew quite well) don’t die on me now." She continued to work on him until they got him into the emergency room, but to no avail. He died there. She had hardly returned home, exhausted by her efforts - and her failure - to save a friend’s life when another call came in; once again she was called on to try ...

4681. Round Trip to Bethlehem

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

... ever since, partly because he, apparently, is haunted by feelings of guilt over the broken marriage and also because he fathered an illegitimate child; he has been under the care of a psychiatrist. The other man has remained faithful to his wife and family, continues to be family oriented and faith-directed. He nurtures that faith by regular worship. He does good works that people do not know about, such as visiting a veterans’ hospital a couple times a week to play cards with a man who is permanently ...

4682. The Beginning of a New Life

Ruth 2:1-23

Sermon

... of Ruth. Boaz, one of Naomi’s closest relatives, in the family of Elimelech was one of these persons. He seemed to be Naomi’s only hope for some kind of a future in Bethlehem, and Naomi had to make the most of this connection or continue to suffer all kinds of hardships in her hometown. Things must have gone from bad to worse for Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem, and the two of them became rather desperate. There was no Social Security program to aid penniless widows, nor any local welfare assistance ...

4683. The City Unshakeable

Psalm 46:1-11, Hebrews 12:25-29

Sermon

... of the God the city symbolized. It seems, however, that that's what happened. Jerusalem did eventually fall, specifically to the army of the Babylonians, and when that happened, the people of the city must have felt much as we Americans did on Tuesday, and continue to feel today. We look at great symbols of our country - twin towers that symbolize free trade, a root fact of our way of life, and a five-sided building that signifies national military might, our assumption of national security - and we have a ...

4684. Keeping Our Colors True

Illustration

Staff

... , his will, his way for us. Then, going forth to the living of another week, we take with us a strong and compelling vision of what our life ought to be. By that vision all our choices and actions are monitored as we move through another chapter of life's continuing story.

4685. Come Apart and Rest Awhile

Illustration

Staff

... friends, their mothers had spent about six months visiting together immediately before the birth of their two sons. It was John who first identified Jesus as the Savior, introducing him to the people at the Jordan. As Jesus commenced his ministry, John continued with his, the two often communicating, always keeping in touch, sending messengers back and forth. When Herod, the king, took for himself the wife of his own brother, John confronted him with his sin. Herod feared John, and the woman hated him ...

4686. Our Place in the Parade

Luke 19:28-44

Illustration

... new generation, to each new age - the triumphant Lord, marching on through time. 'What privilege, what joy, is ours in our time to take our place in the parade of those who have marched with him, who do today march with him, and who will to the end of time continue to do so.

4687. To Touch The Untouchable

Luke 5:12-16

Sermon

Let us pray: Gracious and eternal God, we pause now to hear your word as we worship together in this holy season of Lent. Today we continue to explore the powers of prayer, faith and healing which you have granted to us. In these times together O God, we pray that you would open our hearts and our minds so that we may have faith and understanding. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. You may have heard ...

4688. For Those On The Outside

Luke 8:40-56

Sermon

... moment, Jesus took himself out of the crowd and our Lord gave himself to her as if she were the only one he had to love. This is the story of a woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years. Her affliction was most likely a continuous uterine hemorrhage, a condition which is both weakening and embarrassing. Like the illness of so many we know personally in our lives, this woman's affliction had left her both poor and discouraged. We learn from Mark's account that she had "suffered much under many physicians ...

4689. Who Is This?

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

... them from all of their troubles. However, that kind of victory has always brought disappointment. Just look at what is happening in places which have recently experienced revolution - Eastern Europe, Nicaragua, the Philippines. The struggle, the pain, the suffering continues even in the midst of newfound freedom. Then there were those in that Palm Sunday crowd who believed that Jesus was an imposter, a troublemaker. Indeed, Jesus did upset the religious establishment. He healed on the Sabbath, which angered ...

4690. What To Do When Everyone's Doing It

Judges 6:1-40

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... side of the big wooden cabinet where the main body of the sharpener was bolted. "It seems that someone has forgotten to return the bottom part of the sharpener to its rightful place," he began. "Knowing this fine, upstanding, honest group of young people as I do," he continued, "I know that it is just a matter of forgetfulness." Then Mr. Leitze went on: "We don't want to embarrass that person, who I know wants to return it, so here's what we'll do. Each person, beginning with me, will place his and her head ...

4691. Compassion

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... Hal," she said, "Do you think I could find a 'Mr. Perfect' somewhere and hire him to go live with my son, show him the ropes, let him go to college with him, and help him plan out some choices in life?" The thought shocked me. "Hal," she continued, "you've got your life together. Who was your mentor? Can't I hire someone to do for him what someone obviously did for you?" I responded in rather direct fashion. "There are no perfect people, for starters. Secondly, my life is not all that together. Everyone has ...

4692. The Necessity Of Forgiveness

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... existence that small circles of mutual resentments are not easily broken. You can take a group of goldfish that have been swimming for their lifetime in a small fish bowl out to the lake. You can turn them loose in the lake, but they will continue to swim in small circles, the dimension of their former bowl, for quite a while without accepting the massive freedom awaiting them. Jesus called the phenomenon "saluting only your brethren." And he told it straight - "what reward is there in that?" It creates an ...

4693. The World's Best Kept Secret

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Harold Warlick

Our society often paints a very dull picture of being good. It's almost as if wickedness is more interesting than righteousness. We continue to be interested in the Hitler era. Hardly a night passes that two or three cable stations don't have a documentary or a movie about the Adolph Hitler era. Many a theater owner and video store manager have found that the movies rated G and PG certainly do not ...

4694. Coping With Anger In A Close-up World

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... pleasure principle and learn to live by the service principle. The person who is not "other" directed is in trouble. The whole world is not interested in us. Unless we learn to serve others and fit into a kingdom that emphasizes servanthood as greatness, we will continue to accumulate anger without even being aware of it. Anger and living close-up. Those two aspects of our existence seem to go hand in hand, but there are some ways in which we can cope with the situation. Jesus is so right. Anger can consume ...

4695. Don't Give Up Too Soon!

Acts 15:36-41

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... many people in the world who gave up on themselves too soon. Back in the late 1970s, I pastored a church adjacent to Clemson University. Occasionally I would get invited to go over to the football dorm and give a little talk to the players. I continued that practice a few times even after I left South Carolina. On one occasion I was curious about something, so I asked, "How many of you fellows never played organized football before ninth grade in school?" There were 46 athletes in the room and exactly 31 ...

4696. Christian Values Favoritism

James 2:1-13

Bulletin Aid

... friendship may make a great difference to those who are less confident. All: Father, help us not to befriend only those who can benefit us. Give us the courage to reach out to those with whom we may actually feel uncomfortable. Remind us that you sacrificed for all mankind and continue to minister to all, even to us. Amen.

4697. The Christian Life Children of Light

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Bulletin Aid

... no longer live as the Gentiles do in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God. Having lost all sensitivity they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. Congregation: We did not come to know Christ that way. We heard of him and were taught in accordance with the truth that is in him. Leader: You were taught to put off your former way of life, to be made new in the ...

4698. Consecration Hold Fast

Titus 1:1-16

Bulletin Aid

CSS

... may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convict those who contradict. Men: Test all things by that faithful word and hold fast what is good. Leader: Scripture is a solid anchor to grip in a world of shifting values. If opposition continues despite our testing and exhortation, how do we remain faithful? Women: Hold fast your confidence in God and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Men: Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Leader: Lord ...

4699. Consecration Our Loses and Our Gains

Psalm 37:1-40

Bulletin Aid

... seek his mercy, his love, the glory of his abiding presence that will never forsake us. Leader: When things go wrong refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil. Congregation: Give us patience in the face of adversity. Give us the strength to continue to trust whatever happens. Give us the faith to say with Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him."

4700. Growing in God's Freedom

John 8:31-41

Sermon

... , we celebrate knowing three things: We celebrate knowing we are free. We celebrate knowing we are free to grow. And thirdly, we worship God knowing we are free to grow up. We rejoice knowing we are free. We read in John's gospel, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free ... so if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." The Reformation proclaimed three major principles: justification by grace through faith, the authority ...

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