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 451 to 475 of 3314 results

451. Great Grace Was Upon Them!

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

Durwood L. Buchheim

... Luke’s description of life in that renewed congregation of believers: Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them ... (vv. 32-34) I warned you. This is powerful stuff. Most of us don’t get too excited as long as ...

452. A Reed Who Became a Rock

John 1:35-42

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

... we shall consider in this chapter, and 2) John, the beloved disciple, whom we shall think about in the next chapter. Concerning Peter, let us first note several interesting details that we ought to remember about him. Every time the Bible lists the twelve apostles, Peter is named first - always, without exception. (Take time to double-check this for yourself: Matthew 10; Mark 3; Luke 6; Acts 1.) This doesn’t mean, necessarily, that Peter was the most important. Nor does it mean that he was the first one ...

453. When Things Don’t Work Out, What Then?

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

Edward Chinn

... of the Black Sea, not far from his home town of Tarsus. Paul wanted to take the Christian message to Asia Minor. That was his plan. However, when we look at the travel diary of Luke, the diary which grew into Luke’s second volume, The Acts of the Apostles, we see that Paul, too, had to face this fact that things don’t always work out as we had planned. Luke wrote this: "When they reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go into the province of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them ...

454. Clean Light

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

William F. Dunkle

... a cellar." Saint Paul is sure that Corinthian converts cannot live with Jesus Christ and still burrow like animals in the underground darkness of passion and appetite. They have surfaced into the light. It is a light that cauterizes and cleans. Indeed, the apostle writes, there is glory in God’s light, and he can assure us that even our bodies, our feeble, fickle, faltering bodies, can glorify God. Frances Ridley Havergal wrote: "Look at a poor, little, colorless drop of water, hanging weakly on a blade ...

455. Gentle Light

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Sermon

William F. Dunkle

... brothers to Christ, but surely not if I started with their bottles." Is this what Saint Paul is teaching the Corinthian zealots? Should they quietly abstain from eating altar meats "to the glory of God" or to make themselves appear holy? The apostle is sure that for Christians the answer is obvious. Pride cancels Christianity. So also does coercion. Christians cannot force their lifestyle upon others. Saint Paul knew to his shame that he had once persecuted Christians out of his zeal for pharisaic legalism ...

456. What Do You Mean 'Born Again?'

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... over the list of deaths in our parish for the year, I remembered this little poem as the favorite saying of one of our members who died recently Vicki Tannous. One might also venture to say it was the creed of Saint Paul, the apostle, whose conversion we Christians celebrate. "Only what is done for Christ will last." Saul, the persecutor of Christians, was converted and became Saint Paul, the promulgator of Christianity. "What do you mean 'converted'?" someone will surely ask. "Do I have to go through a ...

457. The Exalted Christ

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

... the ancient church and for Luther, that the crucified Christ is, above all, Christus Victor, triumphant conqueror of the powers of darkness. Paul’s interpretation of the Ascension is just that: "He ascended into the heights with captives in his train." For the apostle this verse from the Psalms lifts the curtain on a majestic scene. The Ascension is a procession of eternal triumph. There flashes upon Paul’s mind the picture of a victorious general riding down the streets of Rome, with defeated kings and ...

458. The Heart of the Reformation

Romans 3:21-31

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

... himself? Is it by giving us his law so that by obeying his commandments we have a right relation to God? "No," says the apostle, getting right with God "has nothing to do with law." God’s law demands perfection and none of us can come up to that ... truth and that his way of life is the best. "I am the way," he says, "I am the truth," "I am the life." And so the Apostle does not say, "I know what I have believed," but "I know in whom I have believed." Faith is total trust in him, total commitment to him. ...

459. He Commanded Us to Preach

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... He commanded us to preach the word in season and out of season. Come hell or high water we must preach. The desire is like fire shut up in my bones. We must preach the word with power, authority, joy, and goodness as Peter and the apostles preached in the days of old. God give us the strength to preach the gospel unfettered and unfazed by the constraints and impediments that hinder the word from reaching present and future generations! God give us strength to preach the word with fire, compassion, joy, and ...

460. Out of the Box

Acts 11:1-18

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... out of the box of spiritual limitation and solitary confinement. We are called to spread the Good News of Christ to all people and not simply stay within the nice, neat little boxes we have fixed for ourselves or that others have forced us into. Peter and the apostles refused to stay in the box. Paul refused to stay in his box. Even if Jack refuses to stay in his box, why do Christians want to stay in their boxes? Christ was crucified and resurrected so that we could come out of the box. Jesus refused to ...

461. The Hospitable Servant: A Woman Named Lydia

Acts 16:11-15

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... Bible to women of power and strength whose faithfulness, humility, and tenacity helped to establish and solidify the early and later Christian movements. One such person was a woman called Lydia who was a true servant of God, a hospitable servant who heard the apostle preach at Phillipi in the district of Macedonia and opened her heart to him and his followers. Lydia was a true hospitable servant of God because she heard the word of God and responded to that word with heart and soul. Hospitable servants of ...

462. You Shall Receive Power

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... receive power, but it is our disbelief that often impedes the full gust of the Spirit’s anointing power in our lives. Somehow it is hard to bring ourselves to believe that this power is given to little old me. But Jesus promises it. He promised it to his apostles and promises it to his people today who have faith in him. You can’t claim what has been given or promised to you if you don’t have faith. If you have faith, you can believe and achieve what God has promised and then you will receive power ...

463. Hard to Believe

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the locked Upper Room; there was one appearance about which we know no details which was witnessed by more than five hundred at the same time, most of whom are still alive (and presumably willing to verify), says Paul; he appeared to James, then to all the apostles again, and last of all, Paul writes "he appeared to me also" on the Damascus Road. Witness after witness after witness. Which leads him to ask then, "How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" Well, Paul, it is just hard ...

464. Jesus Says, 'Just Do It'

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

Dr. Chane M. Hutton

... in real estate?" asked the impressed sales manager. "No," replied the young man. "but he always dreamed of it." Have you ever noticed that the Bible never mentions the dreams of the apostles? It doesn't even mention the ideas of the apostles. However, it devotes an entire book to the "Acts of the Apostles." Some of the most impressive commercials on television in recent years have been the Nike shoe commercials with the theme, "Just do It." These commercials have normally featured famous athletes, such as ...

465. A Service the Church Will Never Forget

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

King Duncan

... daily those who were being saved.” In these few verses we have the true essence of the church--who we are and what we are about. The church, first of all, is a community gathered for study and for worship. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer . . .” That is why you came to this place today. Henry Ward Beecher once said, “The church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians but a school for the education of ...

466. A Man Who Walked the Talk

Acts 7:55-60

Sermon

King Duncan

... someone who believes in God bears witness to his faith--particularly if such a witness could cost him his life. Our lesson for the day from the book of Acts tells about one of the most beautiful and important acts of witness in Christian history. The Apostle Stephen had been so effective in telling people about Jesus that he was brought on false charges before a council to be tried. Standing in front of that council, Stephen’s face shown like the face of an angel. Here was a radiant, wonderful witness for ...

467. Get Your Third Class Tickets Here!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... is also a power that only waiting and praying can give us. That’s what the disciples discovered. Prayer and waiting are necessary preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Followers of Jesus are to look outward. They are to look upward. Finally, they are to look forward. The apostles watched as Jesus was taken up to heaven in a cloud. They stood there looking up amazed at what had taken place. Suddenly two men in bright white robes stood before them. They asked the ...

468. Embedded In Bedrock Or Destroyed By A Typhoon

John 18:25-27

Sermon

Dale Dickerson

... . "And I tell you, you are Peter," Jesus says in Matthew 16:18, "and on this rock I will build my church" (NRSV). Peter WAS a rock--a man of faith who was a devoted follower of Jesus even to the point of giving his life--an Apostle who was a leader among the Apostles. Similar to the tall buildings of Manhattan which are embedded in bedrock, the church of Jesus Christ is embedded in Peter the rock. St. John tells us a story about Peter as a back drop to the trial of Jesus. Unlike the other Gospels, St. John ...

469. A Healthy Body

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... 00. So the value of the human body is roughly equal to the price of a movie ticket in most major cities. (1) Makes you feel good, doesn't it? Our Bible passage for today is about the church being the body of Christ. Why do you think the apostle Paul used the image of a body to symbolize the church? Our bodies are strange, and wonderful, and complex, and awesome, and awkward things. Our bodies are capable of amazing physical feats--just think back to last year's Olympic Games. Those athletes gave the world a ...

470. How A Christian Grieves

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... wants to know what he ought to do when that time comes. So, for any of us who are as wise as Mike, listen to what the apostle Paul writes: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no ... Christ has triumphed over the grave. And how do we help others who are going through the grieving process. The apostle Paul says near the end of this passage, “Therefore, encourage each other with these words.” Encourage each other by talking ...

471. A Green Couch For God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

... , he is referring to his crucifixion, but not all of Jesus' listeners understand this. Many of them think he is speaking blasphemy or nonsense. Verse 66 records, "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." Jesus turns to his original twelve apostles and asks, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" And Peter answers for all of them when he says, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Jesus ...

472. Redefining Life

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... He doesn't. Sometimes we receive spiritual healing instead. And then Pastor Dobson's friend left him with this advice: "You need to get lost in the wonder of God. If you'll get lost in that wonder, who knows what He'll do for you." (6) The apostle Paul was surrounded by threats, persecution, and suffering. How did he endure it? He got lost in the wonder of God, and that, my friends, is a pretty good prescription for anything that happens to us in life. 1. "Whisperin' Bill Anderson. I Hope You're Living As ...

473. Faith-based Living

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... to Jesus and said, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" Andrew was on the right track, but still he hadn't completely switched from fact-based to faith-based thinking. Remember how the apostle Paul defined faith in Hebrews 12:1-- "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (NIV) Philip saw a problem and gave up. Andrew saw a problem and offered a limited solution based on his own resources. Andrew's ...

474. Discerning The Will Of God

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... stake, and so prayer was intense and urgent. I am reminded what someone said about prayer in schools. His comment was: "I regret that they banned prayer in the public schools. That is the only way some of us got through." Prayer was no mere exercise for the apostles. Nor is it for us when we seek to know God's will. But we also must understand that such prayer is not easy. As the great believer Dr. Leslie Weatherhead has written, "I have always found prayer difficult. So often it seems like a fruitless game ...

475. The Saint Who Played Second Fiddle

John 1:35-42

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... was Andrew’s hometown. It is located at the upper end of the Sea of Galilee, about 70 miles North of Jerusalem, as the crow flies. Bethsaida was a small village but very important. It was from Bethsaida that Jesus recruited five of His twelve apostles: Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Philip: “The Bethsaida Boys.” But that is getting ahead of my story. Andrew grew up in this modest little fishing village with his brother Simon, and his father Jonas, or John. Together they operated a fishing boat on the ...

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