Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 451 to 475 of 832 results

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... she declared, to give up staid respectability and to do outrageous things - things like wearing purple and donning bright red hats. Cooper was so energized by Joseph's poem that she bought a bunch of red hats and gave them to a group of friends, along with a copy of Joseph's poem. The friends then decided to go out to dinner in full red and purple attire. Fast-forward a few years: there are now over 10,000 chapters of the Red Hat Society worldwide. The founding member of a chapter is dubbed the Queen Mother ...

452. Not What We Expected

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor John Jewell once counseled with an engaged couple who wanted to be married on Christmas Eve. This pair of love birds chose Christmas Eve because, as they said, their love for each other was the greatest gift they could give. So romantic, don’t you think? Then, a few days before the wedding, the love birds showed up in Pastor Jewell’s office with their feathers definitely ruffled. The young man had given his beloved an early Christmas present. “That’s a bad thing?” Pastor Jewell asked. The young man ...

453. A New Vision

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

A family was driving through Kansas on vacation. Five-year-old Tyler was looking out the car window. “Boy,” he said, “it’s so flat out there, you can look farther than you can see.” That’s a great phrase--“you can look farther than you can see.” Let’s talk for a few moments today about “looking farther than you can see.” In the early 1930s an engineer named Joseph Strauss looked out over San Francisco Bay. In his mind he formed a picture of a beautiful bridge connecting the two sides of the bay. In 1936 ...

454. Proper 9

Psalm 45:1-17, Romans 7:7-25, Matthew 11:25-30, Matthew 11:1-19, Genesis 24:1-67

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... of having flags (civic or ecclesiastical) in the chancel and carried in procession. Do they compete with the central symbol of the faith, the cross? Should churches (denominations) have flags at all? Is the presence of the national flag an unconscious copying of a European state-church pattern that is not appropriate in the American setting? How are flags different from banners? The intercessions today should include petitions for the nation: the people at large and the various branches of government. The ...

455. Proper 10

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... appropriate challenge. PROPER 10: THE CELEBRATION Today's epistle prompts the suggestion that the unabridged Cranmerian General Confession be used in today's liturgy. For those who, after more than two decades of liturgical revision, may no longer be able to find a copy of the pristine version, we reproduce it here. Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy ...

456. Proper 16

Exodus 1:1-22, Matthew 16:13-20, Romans 12:1-8, Psalm 124:1-8

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 1:8-2:10 contains three stories that explore the power of salvation, while Psalm 124 turns the insights gained from the introductory stories in Exodus into the language of praise. Exodus 1:8--2:10 - "The Salvation of the Savior" Setting. Moses is the central human character in the book of Exodus and, indeed, in the remainder of the Pentateuch. He is the one called by God to be the savior. With this knowledge as background, it is easy to conclude that the central event in the Old ...

457. Proper 23

Psalm 106:1-48, Philippians 4:2-9, Matthew 22:1-14, Exodus 32:1-33:6

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... of the Decalogue in Exodus 20:1-20 provide the groundwork for Israel to enter into covenant with God, which they do in Exodus 24:3-8. Everything looks good at this point, and Moses ascends the mountain in Exodus 24:9-18 to receive a written copy of the newly revealed laws, which will also contain detailed plans for a sanctuary. The breaking of covenant. As the opening verse of the lectionary reading indicates (32:1), the absence of Moses makes Israel nervous, and they begin to think that they need something ...

458. Some Things Must Be Shared

John 4:5-42

Illustration

King Duncan

... -Benz TV commercial shows one of their cars colliding with a concrete wall during a safety test. Someone then asks a Mercedes engineer why their company does not enforce their patent on their car's energy-absorbing car body. The Mercedes' design has been copied by almost every other car maker in the world in spite of the fact that they have an exclusive patent. The engineer replies in a clipped German accent, "Because in life, some things are just too important not to share." Wow! What a great statement ...

459. Changed Lives - Simon Peter (Maundy Thursday)

John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... waist. God with a basin of water kneeling in front of humble fishermen, tax collectors and other common ordinary folk. God doing the work of a servant. God washing feet. I’ve read that in the early days of Christianity kings and emperors used to copy Jesus’ actions on Maundy Thursday. They would wash the feet of poor people, sometimes of beggars. The Kings of England would have homeless people brought to them, one for each year of their reign, and would wash their feet before giving them clothing and ...

460. Looking Into the Eyes of the Risen Christ

John 20:11-18

Sermon

James W. Moore

... a bit… and then he says, “May I have a moment?” He sits down at his computer and pulls up the test results. He stares at the screen and studies it intently. Then, he pulls up another report and studies that with keen interest… then to a hard copy and then back to the screen… and you watch him. You watch his face, his expression, his body language. You watch for any sign and you listen for any sound that will give you an advance signal for what is coming… because you know at any moment he will ...

461. Compliments of the Author

John 10:1-10

Illustration

Jack W. Baca

... who wanted to give her grandmother a very special gift. She bought a beautiful Bible, but decided that she needed to write something special in it. She looked through some of her father's books, and in one of his favorite books she found an inscription she liked that she copied into the Bible. When the grandmother opened the Bible, she opened the front cover and there read, "To Granny, with the compliments of the Author." That is who Jesus is, the gateway to heaven, compliments of the Author.

462. Anyone Feeling Tired?

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... . He noticed that the first section of the song, 13 bars in length, formed an effective loop a track which could be repeated in a slightly unpredictable way. He took the tape loop to the school where he was working in the Fine Arts Department. He copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape. This would allow him later to add an orchestrated accompaniment with rich harmonies played by a live ensemble of strings and brass. The studio in which Bryars was working on his precious tape was next to a busy ...

463. The Paradox of Our Time

Galatians 5:1-15

Illustration

Jeff Dickson

... 've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

464. The Sin of Robin Hood

Exodus 20:15

Sermon

James Merritt

... rather to be chosen than silver and gold." I would far rather a man steal my riches than to steal my reputation. You can also steal personally by cheating. 70% of college students admit cheating at least once a year. We sometimes think it's a very light thing to copy someone else's paper during an examination. But when you cheat on a test, you are not only taking an answer off of a piece of paper, you're stealing from a person's hard work; you're stealing from the study time that he put in that you refused ...

465. The Sword of the Lord

Hebrews 4:12-13

Sermon

James Merritt

... it in this and other lands; Yet dynasties have fallen and still the Bible stands. You think about a book that is 2000 years old and yet it is still the world's all-time best selling and most widely distributed book. Between 1815 and 1975 over 2.5 billion copies were sold. The highest price ever paid for a printed book is $5.39 million for an Old Testament, a Gutenburg Bible that was printed in 1455.3 The Bible is just like Timex, it takes a licking but it keeps on ticking. b. It Is Active The word of ...

466. Going the Second Mile

Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

James Merritt

... that government and letting the army rule the nation. With the fate of America in the balance, George Washington made a surprise appearance before these officers. After praising them for their service and thanking them for their sacrifice, he pulled from his pocket a copy of a speech that he wished to read. But then he fumbled with a paper and finally reached for a set of reading glasses—glasses those men had never seen him wear before. Washington made this simple statement: "I have already grown grey in ...

467. The Fountain of Truth

2 Peter 1:12-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... twenty-five years the Bible would be totally forgotten and Christianity would be a thing of the past. Well, forty years after his death in 1778, a Bible society bought Voltaire's home and made it the head-quarters of a printing press that turned out copies of the word of God. II. The Bible Outweighs Human Experience Now Peter is dealing with false teachers, those who deny the truth of Christianity, and he says in v.16, "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power ...

468. Try a Little Kindness (Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

... & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, originally named Washington Academy because of a gift from George Washington. The name was changed in 1871 in honor of General Lee. While Lee was president of the University, a new student came into his office and asked for a copy of the school's rules and regulations. Lee looked at him and said, "Son, we don't have any rules and regulations in print." The young man said, "You mean this school has no rules?" Lee replied, "Yes, we have only one." He said, "What ...

469. Like a Good Neighbor, Jesus Is There

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

... and you will live.'" (vv. 27-28) Had you seen that lawyer you would not have been surprised that he gave this answer. Attached to the center of his forehead would have been a small black calfskin box called a phylactery. In that phylactery would have been copies of Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Leviticus 19:18, which are the very verses this lawyer had quoted. For a moment, I am sure there was smug satisfaction on this man's face when he realized he had given Jesus the right answer. But this lawyer soon realized ...

470. A Streetcar Named Desire

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... harnessers? B. Franklin, age 40. Some are reading this on the campus of one of the Ivy League universities. Founder? B. Franklin, age 45. Others, in a library. Who founded the first library in America? B. Franklin, age 25. Some got their copy through the U.S. Mail. Its father? B. Franklin, age 31. Now, think fire. Who started the first fire department, invented the lightning rod, and designed the heating stove still in use today? B. Franklin, ages 31, 43, 36. Wit, Conversationalist, Economist, Philosopher ...

471. Why Were the Wise Men Wise?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

James Merritt

... coming Messiah, and in that ninth chapter God told Daniel that 483 years after the command to rebuild the temple, that the Lord Jesus would be born. Somehow either some Jewish leftovers in that land had shared this with them, or they had gotten a hold of a copy of the Word of God that Daniel had written, and had studied it for themselves. You will notice in vv. 3-6 that when Herod asked the scribes where Jesus was to be born, they immediately went to the Bible. They discovered in Micah 5:2 that the Messiah ...

472. O Little Town of Bethlehem

Micah 5:2

Sermon

James Merritt

... until three in the morning. He said it was one of the greatest experiences in all of his life. Three years later in 1868, he was searching for a new Christmas carol for his children to sing in their Sunday School Christmas program. He gave a copy of his text to his organist and Sunday School Superintendent, Lewis Redner, and asked him to compose a simple melody that children could easily sing. Redner struggled with this for several days. Finally, on the evening before the program was to be given, he said he ...

473. Our God Is an Awesome God

Psalm 139:1-18

Sermon

James Merritt

... it to grow. Solar—powered machines capture the energy of photons and store it in chemicals. Electrical machines allow current to flow through nerves. Manufacturing machines build other molecular machines as well as themselves. Cells swim using machines, copy themselves with machinery, ingest food with machinery. In short, highly sophisticated molecular machines control every cellular process. Thus, the details of life are finally calibrated and the machinery of life enormously complex.2 Now let's go even ...

474. The Greatest Place in the World

Romans 12:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

... the word "scheme." What Paul is saying is, don't let the world force you or fool you into living in its scheme of things. Phillips translates this "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold." The Living Bible says, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world." Do you know what a chameleon is? A chameleon is an animal that changes colors with its surroundings. It takes on the color of whatever is around it. The word conform means to give an outward expression that does not reflect ...

475. God's Will: Don't Leave Home Without It

Romans 12:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

... scheme." What Paul is saying is don't let the world force you or fool you into living according to its schemes. I like the way Philips translates it, "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into his own mould." The Living Bible says, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world." Do you know what a chameleon is? A chameleon is an animal that changes color with its surroundings. It takes on the color of whatever is around it. In other words, it "conforms." That word has the connotation of giving an ...

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