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Showing 4676 to 4700 of 4940 results

4676. Pentecost

Jn 14:8-17, 25-27; 20:19-23 · Acts 2:1-21 · 1 Cor 3-7, 12-13 · Gen 11:1-9

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Genesis 11:1-9 By the confusion of language, Yahweh stops the building of Babel and scatters the people. In fear of being scattered, men built a city and tower. They would make a name for themselves by building a tower which would reach the sky. To prevent this Yahweh confused their language so that they would not understand each other and the building project had to cease. As a result men were scattered over the earth. Pentecost is a language affair. The evil spirit causes confusion and ...

4677. The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

Jesus [said to the Samaritan woman], "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (v. 10) When Jesus met the woman at the well the encounter was a communion event. The element - the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace - was not what Jesus gave to the woman but what the woman gave to Jesus. What made this element, this object, a sacrament, a communion, was the way in which Jesus ...

4678. 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 ...

4679. Proper 27

Hebrews 9:11-28, Ruth 3:1-18, Ruth 4:13-22, Mark 12:35-40, Mark 12:41-44

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 With the guidance of Naomi, Ruth gets Boaz as a husband. She puts on her best clothes and waits until Boaz has eaten and drunk. Then she lies down at his feet. When he awakens, he promises to do the work of next of kin. Boaz arranges to buy Naomi's lot which then allows him to marry Ruth. Out of this union comes a son, Obed, the grandfather of David. Epistle: Hebrews 9:24-28 The author of Hebrews uses the cult to explain the atonement and return of Jesus. As ...

4680. The Peace of Christ in a World of Chaos - Sermon Starter

John 14:23-29

Illustration

Brett Blair

One of the best newspaper cartoons of all time is Calvin and Hobbes. One day Calvin and Hobbes come marching into the living room early one morning. His mother is seated there in her favorite chair. She is sipping her morning coffee. She looks up at young Calvin. She is amused and amazed at how he is dressed. Calvin's head is encased in a large space helmet. A cape is draped around his neck, across his shoulders, down his back and is dragging on the floor. One hand is holding a flashlight and the other a ...

4681. Envision: The Great Commandment

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

James Merritt

Envision. Envision a church after God’s own heart. Envision a follower of Christ hitting on all eight-cylinders, being everything that God wants him to be, doing everything that God wants him to do, living a life of such passion, such power and such purpose that the people that he or she meets, where they live, where they work, and where they play are eternally impacted. We are convinced that such a church and such a Christ follower do three simple things: Love God, Serve Others, and Share Jesus. That is ...

4682. A Fig Tree Sprouts Leaves

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

King Duncan

In one of his books, motivational speaker Zig Ziglar tells the story of NFL quarterback Jeff Hostetler, formerly with the New York Giants. At the beginning of his career, Jeff was a back-up quarterback. By the end of his seventh season, he had thrown less than two hundred passes, and none of them had any bearing on the outcome of a game. Then Phil Simms, the starting quarterback of the Giants, went down with an injury, and coach Bill Parcels looked to his back-up quarterback on the bench and said, “Okay, ...

4683. Live Spelled Backward

Matthew 26:14-27:66

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

In a CBS News 60 Minutes interview, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was asked why she had resigned as an Assistant District Attorney for the Bronx. She replied, "Because for the first time in my life I saw evil first hand and I felt that if I stayed that close to it, it just might rub off on me."[1] Come think with me about an age-old human affliction that has impacted the life of every person ever born and the two people who were not born but created in the Garden of Eden, a thing called evil. ...

4684. The Season Of The Holy Spirit

Mark 10:46-52

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

THE COMMUNITY GATHERS TO CELEBRATE Pastoral and Congregational Invitation In the name of the living Christ who gives sight and insight, welcome. Please close your eyes, those who choose. For centuries, God has revealed the Good News to the world. For how many years has God been revealing the Good News to you? (Pause.) For how long did we hear the Good News before we saw the Good News, identified in others, integrated within ourselves? (Pause.) Would anyone care to share how that happened? (You may want to ...

4685. Going Through The Waters

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Sermon

I suppose when we hear this passage about the parting of the Reed Sea, many of us cannot help but recall that scene in the movie The Ten Commandments. There is Moses, played by Charlton Heston, in a flowing black robe, long hair blowing in the wind, and his arms lifted up with one hand holding the staff that God had given him. The sea suddenly heaves and parts, creating a path with rolling walls of water on either side. Then, Israel marches through on dry land, barely ahead of the pursuing Egyptian army. I ...

4686. Proper 10

Genesis 25:19-34, Isaiah 55:1-13, Romans 8:18-27, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Genesis 25:19-34 Once again, God seems to linger in fulfilling his promise to make a great nation of Abraham's progeny. Isaac is 40 by the time he married Rebekah. Another 20 years expire before his wife gives birth to the twins, Esau and Jacob. Perhaps the Lord wants to demonstrate that this business of nation building is his doing, not a human accomplishment. Esau, being firstborn, earns the birthright, but foolishly sells it to his scheming brother for a pot of stew. Old ...

4687. Bread of Another Kind (Bread of Life II)

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

“I am the Bread of Life,” says Jesus. “Do not work for food that spoils ... work for food that lasts for eternal life.” I invite you to consider three questions: To whom were these words spoken? Who spoke them? What do they mean? First, to whom were these words spoken? They were spoken to the people whom Jesus fed the day before, the 5,000 who ate so generously from the little boy’s lunch bag. A quick mental walk through some of the events just prior to this will get us in perspective: One, it was the ...

4688. The Conference

Mark 1:9-13

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Synopsis: A strangely behaving student and his parents have a conference with the school counselor about the student's behavior problems. Throughout the consultation, the student acts out strange antics in order to call attention to himself. The counselor shocks the parents with a surprising diagnosis and prescription at the end of the consultation. Theme: The Need To Be Appreciated And Respected Characters Dr. Hobbs, school counselor Parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rosett Dirk troubled student Tone: Humorous, ...

4689. God's Gift Of Life

Psalm 139:1-24

Sermon

Erskine White

For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst knit me together in my mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13) Fathers in earlier generations usually weren't allowed to do this, but I have had the splendid privilege of watching and helping as two of my children were born. The first time, the experience was new and overwhelming. I felt I had witnessed God's hands at work in the world and when our baby was safely delivered, I was left groping for inadequate words to describe what I had seen. The word "awesome" came to ...

4690. Easter 6

John 14:15-31, Psalm 67:1-7, Acts 15:22-35, Joel 2:18-27, Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Had the title for this Sunday, Rogate, been continued in the churches, the readings might have been different and the Sunday would have at least two practical and related thrusts. One of these would be to continue the practice of some of the churches in the Northern Hemisphere, of blessing the fields, in the hope of avoiding natural disasters and anticipating a bountiful harvest. The other would extend the concern for farms and crops for this year to a care of the Earth Sunday as long as ...

4691. Selling One’s Soul

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Robert Allen

Universities in the Northeast take great delight in staging Elizabethan dramas. This is one of the cultural aspects which universities in the Northeast emphasize. It is a way of giving aspiring young actors and actresses some practical experience on the stage and it is a way of taking classical literature out of the boredom of the classroom and making it come alive in the minds of students as they watch it performed on the stage. Perhaps, one of the greatest of the Elizabethan dramas is Christopher Marlowe ...

4692. Like A Breath Of Fresh Air

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Larry Goodpaster

One of the several things we all have in common is the sheer enjoyment of receiving gifts. While we may not always say so, our feelings are at least slightly wounded if our birthday is forgotten. Christmas is not memorable if, because of economic conditions, or because we were extravagant with gifts for others, our gifts are fewer in number. I’ve also observed that as many of us add years to our lives, the gifts we do receive are more predictable and much more practical. We like receiving gifts! Now gifts ...

4693. An Our Good Works And Generosity

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

Jesus was giving his famous Sermon on the Mount. In the middle of it he looked at the disciples from his sitting position (as was customary for Jewish rabbis of the first century when they were teaching). And Jesus said: "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 6:1)." To whom was Jesus referring with these words? He was probably talking here and at other points in the sermon about the Pharisees. ...

4694. When a Member of the Family Dies

John 11:17-37

Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been buried four days before. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother's death. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for." "Your brother will rise to life," Jesus ...

4695. Advent 2

Malachi 2:17--3:5, Philippians 1:1-11, Luke 3:1-20

Sermon Aid

COMMENTARY Malachi 3:1-4 (C, L) Yahweh promises to send his messenger to prepare the way for his coming. The messenger is the center of this pericope. Malachi means "my messenger." (v. 1) The book was written by an unknown prophet who considered himself the messenger to prepare the way for Yahweh's coming to the rebuilt temple after the return of the Exiles from Babylon. When Yahweh comes, he, like a refiner's fire, will cleanse the Levitical priesthood and their sacrifices. Christians interpret this ...

4696. Proper 10 & Pentecost 8

Isaiah 55:1-13, Psalm 65:1-13, Romans 8:1-17, Romans 8:18-27, Exodus 2:11-25, Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE As the first third of the Pentecost cycle/season approaches its conclusion, the preacher must keep in mind that the theological framework of the season continues to be eschatological; the church continues to wait and work in anticipation of the Parousia. The Gospel for the Day, supported by the first reading, continues to provide the primary theme for worship and preaching, depending on whether or not one reads the shorter or longer lection, while the second reading continues to go its own ...

4697. Proper 14 & Pentecost 12

1 Kings 19:9-18, Psalm 29:1-11, Psalm 106:1-48, Romans 9:1-29, Matthew 14:22-36, Exodus 13:17--14:31, Jonah 2:1-10, Psalm 85:1-13

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Little or no help is forthcoming from the church year as a theological clue for a worship/preaching theme for this Sunday. The title of the day - the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - is really the only reminder, suggesting how the church got to this point in the year and, for those in the "liturgical know," where we are going, Christ the King Sunday. On this "Pentecost pilgrimage," it is the business of the church to give thanks and to worship the Lord, to seek out the secrets of the ...

4698. The Yestermorrow Eclipse

John 10:1-21

Sermon

It was a fearsome sight ... striking terror to the hearts of city dwellers and country-folk alike. Mysterious, unexplainable, frightening. Surely the wrath of the gods had come upon them, and perhaps the end of the world was at hand. Few events in history have penetrated human lives with such universal mystery and fear. As the Greek writer Archilochus described it, "sore fear came upon men," and Theoclymenus notes that "an evil mist has spread over all." People would hide, tribes would dance feverishly, ...

4699. God Can’t Keep a Good Secret!

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord, and he set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and lo, they were very dry. And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, thou knowest." Again he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold ...

4700. Stewards and the Hungry

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

So God called into existence his creation and then, according to Genesis 1:28, he said to us humans, "I’m putting you in charge." That makes us caretakers of all which God has given to us. That includes the Earth and all its natural resources. In the days ahead, we’ll discover that being a caretaker and steward involves a lot more than whether we tithe or not and what we put in the church offering plate. It involves our caring for our bodies, how we use our skills, how we apportion our time, and what we do ...

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