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Showing 451 to 475 of 975 results

451. The Gospel of the Little Man

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Children of all ages quickly recognize Zacchaeus as the little man who shimmied up a sycamore in Jericho to get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed through town. His story has long been a favorite with the children of the church schools, especially those who have experience in climbing trees. His image is imprinted on the mental screen of everyone familiar with the story, for when pilgrims tour the Holy Land and come to Jericho, to see a sycamore rates high in their priorities, and travel guides who find ...

452. The Turnstile at the Pearly Gate

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

Carveth Mitchell

Have you ever been among the great crowd moving toward the entrance to a big time football game? At first the entrance seems wide and open to all; but once you begin seriously pushing and struggling to go in you discover that the gate is not wide at all. The broad gate narrows down to a turnstile where you enter one by one, and the keeper says, "Hold your own ticket, please." So Jesus describes the door to the Kingdom. It begins wide and open to all - but then comes the struggle to go through the narrow ...

453. The Godness Of God

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Ex-Senator Sam Ervin tells about a man known as the most ignorant man of Burke County, North Carolina. When he was asked if he knew what county he lived in, he said, "Nope." Did he know the name of his state? "Nope." Then he was asked whether he had ever heard of Jesus Christ. "No," he answered. Finally, in desperation, they asked him if he had ever heard of God. "I believe I have," he replied "Is his last name Damn?" This might be considered a very unusual case, but this is just about all that many know ...

454. Proper 8

Lk 9:51-62 · Gal 5:1, 13-25 · 1 Ki 19:15-21

Sermon Aid

COMMENTARY 1 Kings 19:15-21 Elijah obeys Yahweh's command to anoint two kings and a prophet. This and the previous two lections deal with the problem of depression as Elijah experienced it. A preacher might use these three Lessons for a series on overcoming depression. The way out: (1) Elijah is physically restored by rest and food provided by an angel; (2) Elijah had an experience with God on top of Mount Horeb where he heard the still, small voice of God; (3) in today's Lesson the final step in ...

455. PROPER 10

Exodus 2:11-25

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Exodus 2:11-22 Theme: Always under God's care Call to Worship Pastor: We worship a God who is always present, no matter where we are. People: Many times we are not sure what life has in store for us, but we trust God to make his will known. Pastor: God will never abandon us, even when we feel we have left him. People: Thanks be to God who is the author of our life! Collect Almighty God, who always knows where we are in the wandering of our lives: Assure us of your presence in all our life ...

456. But Where is the Lamb? John W. Cobb

Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon

As one stands to the West of the temple area in the old city of Jerusalem and gazes upon the remains of the Temple of Herod now spoken of as the "wailing wall," then looks beyond to the domineering Dome of the Rock, it is to recall the great epochs of history and tradition associated with the place called "Mount Moriah." How much of human history and the traditions of the "people of God" is linked to that spot! One of the most moving and poignant of those traditions is the story of Abraham’s ultimate ...

457. A Noble Patriotism John D. Mauney, Jr.

Exodus 2:11-25

Sermon

"The first breath of freedom stirs the air." So exclaimed President Reagan in his address to the students and faculty of Moscow State University, as he commented on his talks with Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the Moscow Summit of June, 1988. Mr. Reagan went to Moscow as an agent of peace and a champion of human rights. The people of the U.S.S.R., who are enslaved under the Communist regime, must have the opportunity to chart their own courses in life, and Mr. Reagan envisioned himself as their ...

458. The Penalty for Betraying God’s Trust

Numbers 27:12-23

Sermon

It was when the people of Israel were almost within sight of the Promised Land that Moses received the biggest disappointment of his life. He had been their prophet and leader from the beginning of their departure from Egypt right up to the very border of the land God had given them. It had been a difficult time, forty years of dealing with the fear and faithlessness of the people. There were so many crises during that time that he probably had forgotten, at least the incident must have been tucked away in ...

459. Enter, the Conductor

Illustration

Staff

Have you at sometime watched a symphony orchestra as a performance is about to begin? The musicians sit and stand about, strumming on strings, blowing into horns, beating on drums. There is a lot of noise, but no music. Then the conductor enters. He walks to his podium and steps up onto it. His eye sweeps the scene before him - all the musicians and all their instruments. He lifts his baton, pauses there for a moment. Then he gives the downbeat. Instantly there is music, all instruments blending into one ...

460. Christian Values Christian Competition

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Bulletin Aid

Call to Worship Leader: Paul wrote to Timothy, "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ....If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules." Men: An athlete who cheats doesn’t always get caught, but what has he proved? Perhaps he has proved that he can run half the course in less time than the others can run the full course. His trophy is meaningless. Women: A Christian can cheat by being strong on his own instead ...

461. Beyond the Ordinary

Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Joe Pennel

At 7:00 a.m. every Monday, I teach Bible study. About twenty of us meet from 7:00-7:15 a.m. for coffee, juice, and a light breakfast. Each week, a different member of the group brings the food for the rest of the crowd. The fare consists of biscuits, muffins, bagels, and various breads complete with the appropriate condiments. For fifteen minutes, we sip hot coffee and nibble on high-calorie homemade delights. After breaking our fast, we settle in for the Monday morning Bible study. When we studied Matthew ...

462. January 1

Lk 2:15-21 · Php 2:5-11 · Num 6:22-27 · Ps 67

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Numbers 6:22-27 Theme: The power of God's name Exegetical Note The famous tripartite blessing in this passage is presented as a liturgical way to put God's name on Israel, which to the ancient mind meant to bestow upon them the full force of God's very being, saving presence, and sustaining providence. Call to Worship (based on Psalm 67) Leader: May God's grace and blessing be upon us! People: MAY GOD'S FACE SHINE UPON US! Leader: May God's ways be known upon the earth! People: MAY GOD'S ...

463. Proper 10

Matthew 13:1-23

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Facing failures with the gospel proclamation Exegetical note The main point of the original parable (vv. 1-9), rather than the almost certainly later allegorical interpretation of the Church (vv. 18ff.), seems to be that, despite the fact that eventually it will find a fertile audience and yield extraordinary fruit, the gospel will initially and repeatedly fail to take root. In this regard, the injunction in verse 9 is telling the hearers of the parable either to heed its lesson, or simply to let ...

464. A Zealot’s Greatest Battle

Drama

Cast (in order of appearance) MATTHEW BARABBAS SIMON ANNA JAMES THE LESS PHILIP JUDAS, NOT ISCARIOT ANDREW Introduction If one is to get a true picture of the great conflict that went on in the mind of Simon the Zealot, one needs to consider his background. Perhaps a paragraph could be included in the program that would establish Simon’s ties with the Zealottes and his hatred of Rome. Care should be taken that the paragraph not be too long, or the interest of the readers will be lost. Scene: Three crosses ...

465. The Wolf and The Lamb Inside Us (Sermon Series 1)

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Try to imagine a world in which the wolf and the lamb will share the same stall. The leopard and the baby goat will sleep together. A little child will put halters on a lion and a calf and lead them around. The lion will eat straw like the oxen. A little child will reach down into a cobra’s den and not be harmed. That’s what the world will be like one day, according to Isaiah the prophet. At some future time the earth will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the oceans are with water; then no ...

466. Let Yes Be Yes!

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

A popular folk song among Christian youth in the 60s went like this: And God said Yes! Yes! Yes! Said Yes to the world once more! Said Yes with a cosmic roar! Said, Open that Other Door! Said Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! In one word, that’s God’s message for this planet. It’s the gospel. It’s the hope we need, the doorway to the future. Each of us has asked ourselves and one another and the silent stars at night: "Must there not be a better world than this? Must our lives not have been meant to be put right, ...

467. Which Way?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

There is something contradictory and unexpected - inexplicable, in fact - about the way that leads to life. Given the two choices Jesus offers in this text, we on our own would not, not in a million years, make the right choice. Given the options of redemptive suffering on the one hand and, on the other, strongarming the enemy for Jesus’ sake, we’d choose the latter every time. Simon Peter chose plan B even after Jesus gave him all the clues he needed to reject it. It should not surprise us that humanity, ...

468. Mary's Revolutionary Song (Sermon Series No. 3)

Luke 1:39-56

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

In one of the world’s most revolutionary documents, is found these immortal words: “We hold these truths to be self—evident, that all men are created equal.” Of course, that document, the Declaration of Independence, is the charter of the American Revolution. Though we have not yet lived up to it, it has been the vision that inspires us. It's vision has also been the target of oppressive regimes around the world. Not least of which is Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. The only document I know that is more ...

469. Heart To Heart

Ezekiel 18:1-32

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!" "A new heart I will give you and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26) Do you have heart trouble? You may be one of thirty million Americans who have physical heart trouble. Heart disease costs Americans fifty billion dollars a year. In some people, the heart needs repair or a ...

470. Christ My Light

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

If someone were to suggest the term most descriptive of life today, a very possible reply might be that of "darkness." Such a response would fit not only our physical and environmental condition following the initial energy crisis announced in the early 1970s, but also our present economic situation, our international tensions, and our domestic relationships. However, most noticeably it characterizes the current moral and spiritual malaise evidenced across our nation and throughout society. Individuals ...

471. The New Covenant

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

The meal which we celebrate here tonight has not simply been celebrated annually on this Maundy Thursday for the past twenty or fifty years, like many church customs. In fact, unlike even the more stable of church traditions, it has not simply been observed since the beginning of the Christian Era - but it has been celebrated far back into the distant reaches of history, back even further than Moses and the Exodus from Egypt. In a sense, the celebration of this meal, which is linked to the blood covenants ...

472. Salvation Through His Suffering

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

The people of his ignoble day harassed him, hunted him, and lied about him until they got him where they wanted him - on a T-shaped scaffold intended for the worst of criminals! But though it is true that Jesus thus suffered, nevertheless when we look at Calvary, we are not witnessing a murder. We are not witnessing the death of a martyr. We are not witnessing the execution of a political revolutionary who made a mistake in public relations and got himself crucified. We are not witnessing drama - an actor ...

473. Magnify Your Ministry!

Romans 11:11-24

Sermon

Raymond Gibson

A very important group in any United Methodist Church is the Committee on Pastor-Parish Relations. The Book of Discipline of our denomination says that one of the primary functions of that body is "to counsel with the minister and staff pertaining to their relationship with the congregation, including priorities to be given in the use of their time and skill in relation to the goals and objectives set for the congregation’s mission and demands upon the ministry." When this sentence was read to the newly- ...

474. Are You Under Arrest?

Heb 5:11-13; 10:39

Sermon

Robert Noblett

It was a Saturday morning and I recall it all well. I was at my grandmother’s house when a call came from my mother that there was a policeman who wanted to see me at home. I could hardly believe what she was relating! I couldn’t imagine why a policeman would want to see me. Home I went and there sitting in a chair in the living room was a great big hulk of a sargeant! I still remember his opening greeting - "Hello, Bob!" It seemed that a woman two doors down the street had sent a letter to the Rochester ...

475. Dessert in the Desert

Deut 32:10-12 · Ez 37

Sermon

Robert Noblett

On one occasion our family went to a park for a picnic, and as my wife and I sat watching our children play, we beheld the most unsettling of sights. There was a child, perhaps eleven months of age, playing in the sand next to his mother, and he was eating handfuls of sand the way you and I consume handfuls of Planters Peanuts. One of his siblings brought this matter to the attention of his mother and her comment was, "Don’t worry about it; it won’t hurt him!" After watching him wolf down a few handfuls of ...

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