Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4776 to 4800 of 4884 results

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... medical care. He was also influential in getting the Jesuit order to focus their ministries on those living in poverty. (6) Friar Arrupe wrote a beautiful poem on what it means to live with only one purpose, only one focus. I think its message perfectly expresses what Jesus wanted Martha—and us—to discover. He wrote: Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will ...

4777. How to Pray

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... ’t need to “encourage a kinder, gentler God.” He knew God as his loving Father who could be trusted with his honest questions and his deepest needs. A loving Father who always answered him. A loving Father whose name is holy and whose will is perfect. And with this one word—Father—he was trying to teach us the same thing. Prayer is not about the words we use; it is about the relationship we have with God. We’ve mentioned before a remarkable woman named Sojourner Truth. Sojourner Truth escaped ...

4778. First World Problems

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... Maybe you don’t need to own all this stuff.” Once he and his wife began giving away their stuff, they discovered an even greater desire and ability to help those in need. They gained God’s perspective on their wealth. Generosity toward the poor is in perfect alignment with the character of God. And aligning our mindset and actions with the character of God is a sure way to avoid foolish living. So, the first reason God called this man a fool was this: he saw his wealth as a storage problem whereas God ...

4779. Wake Up! Get Ready!

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... before we read verse 32, let’s put it in context. Jesus’ ministry has become so popular that he and his disciples are being followed by a crowd of “many thousands” of people. The crowd is so rowdy that they are trampling each other. This would be the perfect moment for Jesus to perform a few miracles or a fire-breathing sermon. Anything to wow the crowd. But Jesus knows two things that his disciples don’t: 1) that popularity is not a measure of success in God’s eyes; obedience is. 2) And that he ...

4780. More Than a Popularity Contest

Luke 12:49-53, Luke 12:54-59

Sermon

King Duncan

... had been chasing after were meaningless. He says of his life after that prayer, “I was washed, cleansed—I couldn’t believe it . . . Suddenly when I had admitted that I was sorry for the life I had led without God, everything collapsed, and I was perfectly balanced. I had been given day one again.” (3) Following Jesus is never about improving your life. Jesus made that very clear. Following him is about dying to your old life and taking up his life. Decision is a sharp knife. Following Jesus divides ...

4781. A Miracle of Grace

Philemon 1:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... —especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So, if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.” (Philemon, verses 8-17) Imagine yourself in Philemon’s shoes. In that time and place, it was perfectly legal and acceptable to own slaves. Today we know that it was a horrendous practice, but at that time it was a way of life. Your slave, who was part of your household, stole from you and ran away from your employ. You know the law, and you know ...

4782. The Joy of Being Found

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Of course, if enthusiasm is contagious, then lack of enthusiasm must be contagious too, right? Pastor Ed Rowell once wrote about watching a famous country singer perform a live concert at a county fair. He said that she and her band gave a technically perfect performance. They were polished and professional, and they didn’t miss a beat. But as Rowell watched her, he says he got the impression that, “She’s not only tired, she’s bored out of her mind.” There was no enthusiasm to her performance ...

4783. Fear and Blessing

Psalm 128:1-6

Sermon

Will Willimon

... be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Lo, thus shall the one be blessed who fears the LORD. (Psalm 128:1, 3-4) What a perfect text for a Sunday when there are many parents present, when there are (due to the presence of their parents) many STUDENTS present. A good time to say something good about obeying the Lord and being blessed with good families. Even though it may have been some time ...

4784. Brush It Off

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... go out into the world in strength. You don’t need the security of plans. You don’t need the security of a roadmap. You don’t need the security of success. You don’t need the security of everyone liking you. You don’t need the security of perfect harmony each and every day. You don’t even need the security of knowing that your efforts have proved worthy. You simply need to know that you are a blessed child of God, embarking on God’s mission, to love God’s people. The rest Jesus will take care ...

4785. The Lawyer

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Dave Zuchelli

... , they were either assuming the man was dead, or they weren’t going to take the chance he could die while they were helping him. Even if he was alive, they were leaving him for dead. The law was on their side, after all, and they had a perfect excuse to remain uninvolved. One other possibility exists that may explain each of their failures to check more closely on the wounded traveler. That possibility was simply that the whole thing could have been a trap. The beaten man could have been used as a lure to ...

4786. Seeing A Familiar Friend All Over Again For The First Time

John 13:1-17 · Philippians 2:5-11 · 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... to pick a club, it wouldn't be the church. Not everyone in this room shares the same interests as I do. Some of the things I enjoy doing most are boring to you. Some of the things you like to do aren't interesting to me. But this is perfect for God's family. The fact that we are here together this evening to share in the Lord's Supper proves God is at work. Jesus gives us the example. The figure of unutterable majesty, who was revealed in the Transfiguration as Lord and God, the Word made flesh who ...

4787. Have Mercy!

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... congregation. But what about a stranger? That’s transcendent compassion. Jesus knows how hard this is for us. He knows how impossible it is for us to love like he does, to love like God does. But he challenges us just the same –not to be perfect, but to strive always to be guided by the love of God who shows us infinite, over-the-top mercy, undeserved salvation, unexpected compassion, and unconditional grace in real, tangible ways. The more we allow God to guide us and to become the primary relationship ...

4788. I Need

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Dave Zuchelli

... . The entire thing says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” If the Lord is our delight, he will also be our desire, our aspiration, and our stated need. In the context of Psalm 37, this verse makes perfect sense. The preceding verse also tells us to “trust in the Lord and do good.” The following verse says, “Commit your way to the Lord.” In essence, it relays to us the following proposition. If our recognized need is for God, many benefits will flow our ...

4789. Have a Very Messy Christmas!

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

John Jamison

... saying that the one coming after him was more powerful, when we listen to what the others say the whole story is a bit messier. What do we do with all this, and maybe more importantly, why am I telling you all of this? Why am I messing up a perfectly nice little story? I actually have two reasons. First, is to recognize how difficult it sometimes is to be number two. I don’t know if John actually did end up competing with Jesus or at least had a hard time giving up his high-profile role, but I can ...

4790. Stay Awake

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... at every moment as an opportunity to share the love of God. Heather Thompson Day is a university professor, author and podcaster. She posted a story not too long ago about how prayer can change both our hearts and circumstances. I think it perfectly illustrates the three lessons we learn from Jesus’ daily life. A few years ago, Heather Thompson Day was teaching at a college in Michigan. One of her students, named Shatina, didn’t seem interested in the course. She avoided eye contact with her professor ...

4791. Have Your ID Ready

Matthew 11:2-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... professor, author and podcaster. She closed one of her podcasts with a blessing that she says is for “when there is hope for someday, but someday is not now.” I’ve shortened her blessing a little bit, but I believe this is the perfect prayer for anyone who is struggling with questions and doubts this Advent season. She says, “Blessed are you in this terrible, wonderful now . . . Blessed are you for whom prayer feels hopeless, disappointing, futile. Blessed are you in your radical honesty, in the ...

4792. What We Learn from Love

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... is the host of the podcast Sleep With Me, and his goal is to tell stories that help people fall asleep. He refers to his show as “the podcast the sheep listen to when they get tired of counting themselves.” According to Ackerman, the key to the perfect bedtime story is to make it slow and boring. Ackerman, who is from New York, slows his speaking tempo and speaks in a really low voice. His plots are hard to follow, and he goes on long tangents where he explores odd information, such as “a detailed ...

4793. "Head" Lines

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... there’s a visual image that gets the imagination going. “Iraqi Head Seeks Arms.” In light of Saddam’s ultimate outcome, the former head of Iraq probably should have been seeking a brain rather than arms. But this absurd headline is a perfect description of today’s Bible passage. A head seeking arms. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of books on the market today under the title “So-an-so for Dummies.” Golf for Dummies. Investing for Dummies. Philosophy for Dummies. If you have ever consulted ...

4794. The Foreigner

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the writer him or herself, due to the “forest for the trees” syndrome. Looking at something too familiar can make it hard to see both its beauty and its flaws. As any good restorer knows, to truly restore a painting to its original form, one cannot “perfect” it; but one must restore it flaws and all. What appear in fact to be flaws to us, often make a painting most unique, exquisite, character-building, and meaningful. To honor what lies beneath the surface of every one of us was important to Jesus ...

4795. Silent Sinning

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... good on paper. We may feel good among each other. But when it comes to our hearts, they’ve grown cold and exclusionary. We can look down our noses at others whom we deem to have sinned “worse” than we. But here’s the news: Mistakes are human. Perfection is not. And repentance to God is like sweet perfume. Ever try to help a drowning swimmer? They will fight you off with every strength they have. God cannot help those who feel they’ve already got it in the bag. God can only save those who realize ...

4796. Stop in the Name of Love

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... “to utterly prohibit.” John might as well have been saying, “STOP and smell the roses, STOP right there, pilgrim, STOP billion dollar fine, and STOP in the naaaame of love.” He recognized that Jesus was already holy and without sin; his mind was already perfectly aligned with the holiness of God. He didn’t need to repent. Let me stop right there and ask you a question: what if Jesus had listened to John instead of God? What if John said, “Stop!” and Jesus said, “You’re right, it doesn ...

4797. The Sound of Silence

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... of course. But surely they were getting excited at the success of Jesus’ ministry. So it must have seemed strange that, as we read in Matthew 5, Jesus walked away from the huge crowds and retreated to a mountainside. Why interrupt a good thing? Wasn’t this the perfect time to draw the crowd in with a few more miracles? But Jesus knew that before he went any further, he needed his disciples to catch his vision for his ministry God had called them to. So he took them away from all the noise of the crowds ...

4798. A Tattoo for the Heart

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... little regard for people who made a show of their religion. Rather, his kingdom would be built through people who are authentic in the faith they profess. Some of you may remember a wonderful true story the Rev. Timothy J. Kennedy tells that is perfect for Ash Wednesday. It was told to him by a colleague, another Pastor named Chris Mietlowski. It concerned a baptism that Mietlowski once performed on an infant named Eric. Mietlowski took Eric in his arms and traced the cross of Christ on Eric’s forehead ...

4799. Do You Know the Gift of God?

John 4:5-42

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... starters are: What do you think about the weather today? What is the best TV show you’ve seen in the last month? Do you have anything planned for later today? Some of the more intimate or meaningful conversation starters are: What would constitute a “perfect” day for you? For what in your life do you feel most grateful? What is one of your most meaningful memories? Why is it meaningful for you? Epley’s work has shown him that even short, meaningful conversations with strangers improve our sense of ...

4800. The Complete Picture

John 11:1-45

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... writes, “The agony he suffered for our sake left me breathless. He, too, had endured heartache and had confronted the face of evil. And he bore such affliction—our affliction—for us . . . The Lord took my despair and fashioned a canvas for his perfect work. Just as Christ raised Lazarus so that others might believe, so he redeems suffering—the gunshot wounds, the mourning, the lost jobs, the despondency beside bridge railings—for his glory.” (5) We are two weeks away from Easter. Two weeks away ...

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