Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 451 to 475 of 972 results

Matthew 7:24-27

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most amazing true stories I have ever heard in my life, is of a builder who developed a subdivision of ritzy exclusive homes somewhere up in Canada. These homes sold, years ago, for over $200,000 a piece. On the outside it was a beautiful looking subdivision. But then winter came, snow fell, the winds began to blow, the rain began to come. All of a sudden, first one house, and then ...

452. How to Lower Your Temper (-ature)

Proverbs 16:32

Sermon

James Merritt

... without anger. Did you know that all three persons in the Godhead experience anger? God the Father knows what it is to be angry. No less than eighteen times the Old Testament speaks of "the anger of the Lord." To those who want to emphasize the love of God exclusively against the holiness of God, Psalm 7:11 is a show-stopping verse: "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked very day." The word angry in the Hebrew language literally means "to foam at the mouth." Do you know how angry you have to ...

453. What Church Is All About

Psalm 100:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

... is not complete until you worship; (4) your worship is not complete until you have gone to church because that is what church is all about. Having just finished a study of the Ten Commandments, I want to remind you that the first four commandments deal exclusively with the worship of Almighty God. No book in the Bible speaks more about worship perhaps than the book of Psalms. In this 100th Psalm, the psalmist has given us a theology of worship. We find in this beautiful psalm the Who of worship; the Why ...

454. Power in the Pulpit

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... of religious faith. Indeed, Washington goes on to say, "Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on the minds of peculiar structure, reason, and experience, both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles."2 Morality, without God, is nothing more than personal opinion and subjective standards that blow with the winds of public opinion, or private proclivity. You may have heard of the McGuffey Readers. McGuffey was a Presbyterian ...

455. Breaking down Barriers

Matthew 15: (1-10) 21-28

Illustration

John Tucker

... destructive. It causes you to constantly compare yourself with others, to feel anguish when you're left out, and deeper anguish when someone close to you gets let in. Worst of all, once you're in, you want to keep others out, because it's the exclusive nature of the group that makes you feel good. Jesus' disciples wrestled often with that desire to be part of the inner ring. They argued over who should have the seats closest to Jesus. They asked Jesus to bring down fire on pagan villages. They rebuked ...

456. For Better, For Worse

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... beneath us. The truth is that marriage is a huge risk but a glorious opportunity. A husband and wife can deliver to each other awful pain or exquisite joy. Only if both partners are committed to the marriage as a permanent and exclusive relationship can it fulfill their fondest dreams and deepest needs. Marriage was not the invention of America’s Founding Fathers or even Western Civilization. God designed and invented marriage. He built commitment into its very charter. God’s word says, “For this ...

457. Not Bad, Just Too Busy

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... innkeeper is cast as something of a villain. We imagine some hard-hearted Scrooge so intent on money-making that he forgets all about hospitality. I heard about a Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg who some years ago tried to get a room at a very exclusive hotel on Cape Cod. This particular hotel was run by some haughty Protestants from Boston, and it excluded Jews. So, when Mrs. Rosenberg gave her name to the desk clerk, he said, “Sorry, we’re all booked up.” “But,” she said, “You have a vacancy ...

458. Saints By Faith: Good to the Last Drop

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... on this side, here and now; saints beyond and above. 1. Here is a word to the saints here and now. Throughout the New Testament, the term "saints" does not primarily refer to the departed dead, the holy, the canonized, the elevated. It isn't used exclusively for the holy, the revered, the pure. When St. Paul says "the saints," he means all the believers, all the disciples, all who are called to follow Jesus Christ…what the great Peter Marshall referred to as the "Saints of the rank and file." Look at ...

459. No-fault Religion

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13), 14-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... something negative: the pain of self-accusation and self-rejection."5 Human communities set up severe requirements for belonging, for being included, for being accepted. A friend of mine, a distinguished professional, told me of his application to an exclusive private club. The professional was well established in his career, was a veteran of several highly placed relationships and groups, and was regarded as a leader in his field. Nevertheless, he was required to submit numerous letters of recommendation ...

460. Modeling a Necessary Future

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... stones with the inscription which read: "Let no one of any other nation come within the fence and barrier around the holy place. Whosoever will be taken doing so will himself be responsible for his death which will ensue." But others were exclusive, too. Remember that there were Roman citizens and then all the others. The Greeks classified almost everyone but themselves as barbarians. The great philosopher, Plato, once said that the barbarians, the non-Greeks, are our enemies by nature, and in our time ...

461. God’s Wisdom or the World?

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... and gives people freedom. And, when one makes a mistake, God forgives, where the world is often very unforgiving and intolerant. James says God's wisdom is without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. In other words, God is inclusive, not exclusive like the world. In the world, social Darwinism continues suggesting that the powerful, rich, and beautiful should dominate others. God's wisdom does not differentiate; all are God's children. Finally, the apostle says that those who demonstrate the wisdom of ...

462. Dots on a Screen

Hebrews 9:24-28

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... plot. The appeal of such shows is measurable, if not comprehensible. People are tuning in in amazing numbers. But no matter what the location or personalities involved, reality television is in reality an oxymoron — a pairing of mutually exclusive ideas — like "jumbo shrimp" or "dry hydrant" or "government intelligence." Television, by its very nature, is not reality. Although some household pets may bark or paw at their television counterparts, young children and even most animals learn quickly that ...

463. Spite Houses

Matthew 18:21-35

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

There once was a millionaire who owned a lot in an exclusive residential area of New York City. This particular lot presented a very unusual problem. The lot was five feet wide and about a hundred feet long. He couldn't do anything with such an odd sized lot, so he decided to sell it one of the neighbors on either side. ...

464. Litmus Test

1 John 4:7-21

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... all are loved. Amen. Prayer Of Confession If we do not love each other, then what will the world think of the Lord of love? If we who claim to witness in his name succumb to contentions, stupid controversies, bickering, prejudice, racism, exclusion, nastiness, name calling, backstabbing, if we who claim Jesus as our Lord denigrate other believers and pull down our pastors, work against our leaders and chase away our newcomers, silence our children, discourage our youth, belittle the young adults, ignore the ...

465. When Life Isn't Fair

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... you are thinking: Why not, then, go ahead and live a life of sin and wait until the last moment to repent? I mean, if you’re going to get the same reward, why not party hearty right up until the last moment? This, by the way, is not exclusively a Christian teaching. Our Jewish friends wrestle with this same conundrum. Herman Wouk, in his book, This Is My God: The Jewish Way Of Life tells a story about his grandfather, a learned and pious Jew. His grandfather had in his apartment a lodger less learned than ...

466. The Parable of the Choices

Matthew 21:28-31

Sermon

Shirley Gupton Lynn

... since. Remington Arms made a bad choice. In the 1950's Sam Phillips made a record for a young man who wandered into his Memphis studio. The fledgling singer wanted to record his voice for his mother. In 1955 Sam Phillips chose to sell his exclusive recording contract with Elvis Presley to RCA for $35,000. Bad choice. Former President Nixon chose to install in the White House voice-activated tape recorders to insure his presidency would go down in history. Bad choice! Life is full of choices. Sometimes we ...

467. The 6 Words that Can Save Your Life

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... called the “garth.” The “garth” was protected by the walls of the cloister, by the labyrinth of out-buildings, by the multitude of pathways. Unlike others parts of the monastery grounds open to the public, the “garth” was reserved for the exclusive use of the monks. The “garth” was a sacred space, a place for prayer, prayer-walking, Bible-reading, meditation, solitude, and solace. The “garth” acted as the “keep” for the spiritual health and well-being of the community. In the sacred ...

468. False Dichotomies

Matthew 22:15-22

Illustration

Tim Pauls

... you eat cereal and enjoy football? Can you be Lutheran and live in America? Of course; in fact, you can be an American Lutheran who wears shoes and eats cereal while enjoying football after you've traveled to and from church in a car. None of these things are mutually exclusive. Beware of the one who asks such questions, because there may well be an agenda behind them. At the same time, rejoice! Such scheming is no match for the crucified and risen

469. Setting All the Idols Down

Hosea 2:14-20

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... to God's jealousy. We understand our relationship with God as a covenantal relationship. We love God in response to God's saving action, both in liberating the people from Egypt, and then in liberating us from our sins in Jesus Christ. This is an exclusive relationship with our Creator and our Redeemer. No room for others. So we see how Hosea addresses this concern using the story of his marriage. We see a people gone astray after other gods. And we see God's forgiveness upon their return. It begs ...

470. With Friends Like These ...

Job 38:1-7 (34-41)

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... cannot find God. Where is a burning bush when you need one? Maybe God is wearing earplugs. Finally, from a majestic voice in the midst of a whirlwind, God speaks to Job, calling all these human arguments useless. God did not create the universe exclusively for use by humans. Therefore, the world and its Creator cannot be judged solely by human standards and goals. The natural world, though it is beyond humanity's understanding, does reveal to people its beauty and order. It is reasonable to believe that the ...

471. The First Duty of Love Is to Listen

1 Cor 13

Illustration

Edmund L. Hoener

... to listen, we put all our energies into remaking the world in our own image. But when we really listen, we risk being changed ourselves. Jesus was saying to them, and to us; that there's no accounting for faith; no scorecards, no report cards, no card carrying memberships, no exclusive association of any kind - at least not in God's scheme of things.

472. Who Is Our Neighbor?

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

James R. Gorman

... him. He is a theologian who believes deeply in the cross of the crucified Christ and believes that forgiveness from such a cross must in some way inform the way we live our lives. At the beginning of his book about embracing the enemy [Exclusion and Embrace: Abingdon,1996] he recounts a story about giving one of his lectures that would become his book: "After I finished my lecture, Jurgen Moltmann [a world-renowned professor of theology] stood up and asked one of his typical questions, both concrete and ...

473. Tweed Jackets, Sweat Pants and Wet Suits

Luke 3:21-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... time in the life of faith when it becomes inappropriate attire. A little boy watching his father squeeze into a dinner jacket pleaded, "Daddy, please don't wear that suit. It always gives you a headache the next morning." This is what happens when we exclusively wear inherited clothing and not clothing that is fitted to our time and clime. A growing soul and a complex world demand that we sometimes change our spiritual clothes. "Let us then stop discussion of the rudiments of Christianity," Hebrews 6:1 says ...

474. Unum Humanum

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to the situation where only one way of thinking, one way of seeing, is allowed and accepted. Historians have finally noticed in the last few decades that a hegemonious skewering of history has led to textbooks filled with the exclusive viewpoints and experiences of Western white males. Breaking that hegemony has led to the rediscovery of Afro-American history, women's history, Eastern civilizations history, Native-American history, Latino-American history - experiences which had been deemed without worth by ...

475. Toys R Us. NOT!

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the largest toy store in the world, has become so phenomenally successful that its name would more accurately reflect its true status if it boasted "Profits 'R' Us." The key to its marketing success, of course, is that it gathers a vast amount of exclusively children's merchandise - from newborn's booties to the most sophisticated video games - all under one roof. Despite the huge variety of goodies crammed into each store they are all of one "type": kids' stuff. The temptation to develop only one facet of ...

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