Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4801 to 4825 of 5000 results

4801. Just To Laugh

Mark 1:35-39

Illustration

Barry J. Robinson

G. K. Chesterton once mused that Jesus went off by himself in order to laugh. In other words, when he couldn't stand the kind of ridiculous expectations that his friends and followers kept making of him, eventually he went off to laugh just to keep his sanity. Well, maybe. Certainly, everybody seems to want a piece of him in this picture Mark paints. Maybe he went off by himself just to get some peace and quiet for a change. Or, maybe he did laugh. Who could blame him.

4802. No More Static Cling!

John 20:10-18

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... the book!” (quoted by Thomas H. Troeger in Preaching While the Church is Under Reconstruction, p. 114) Melva Costen heard the Risen One call her name. The Risen Christ cannot be confined to the cave tomb of slavery. He can’t be confined to black ink marks on paper. He’s calling God’s children to abundant and eternal life. He calls each of us by name. The Resurrected Life isn’t abstract. It’s personal. II. Mary’s response Mary hears her name and recognizes the Teacher’s Voice. She grabs him ...

4803. The Darkness We Create

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... cave was small. If you weren’t looking for it, you’d miss it. Once inside the cave the passageways were so tight, we often had to crawl on our stomachs. I only had to hit my head once on the cave ceiling above me to appreciate the hardhat. Markings, if you could find them, provided directions in and out. Had our lights fail, and you couldn’t help imagining that possibility, you were lost. You were dead, unless someone came looking for you with light to save you. If we aren’t aware of any darkness in ...

4804. Thin Spaces

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... . Unholy Fear Retired Bishop Ken Carder tells this story in his sermon, “Balancing Beliefs and Behavior.” Some of us bear the scars of a religion that emphasizes being good in order to avoid God’s punishment. An incident from my childhood left an indelible mark on me. Our family lived on several farms as sharecroppers during my early childhood. One day as my older brother and sister and I played on the lawn outside the big white house of the landowner, the landowner staggered from around the corner of ...

4805. You Must Start Over!

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... and exchanging unclean Roman money for clean. Jesus turns over their tables. He makes a whip and cleans house. “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” Those businesses were assumed to be essential for doing religion the way it’d always been done. Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who place the Cleansing of the Temple at the end of their gospels, John places it at the beginning of his. It is his way of signaling what is ahead. Jesus is going to overturn the religious status quo. He’s going to ...

4806. I'm a Leper, You're a Leper

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... identity. Think Ludwig Wittgenstein. Think Adolph Hitler. How did Paul put it: ALL of us have “fallen short” of the glory of God. All of us. No exceptions. We’re all hypocrites. But it’s more than that. We’re all lepers. . . . What’s your leprosy? In Mark’s text Jesus let slip his divine nature by curing the leprous man of his disease. Only the divine, only God can cure leprosy. For leprosy is more than a mere disease. It is an unholy, uncleanness that must be dealt with by the Holy One. That ...

4807. Would You Take The Crown Without The Cross? - Sermon Starter

Mk 1:9-15; Lk 4:1-13; Mt 4:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

... who were waiting to hear the results of the interview. He greeted them with a cheery smile, "The job is mine! The interview went great! First day on the job and I'm already working on a murder case!" In our Gospel reading this morning in Mark 1 it is Jesus' first day on the job. Immediately he is confronted with three major temptations. And he is confronted with this basic question: Would he take the crown without the cross? These are basic temptations in life. These three temptations form the foundation ...

4808. At The Right Time

Mark 1:9-13

Illustration

Brett Blair

... out of the gate and it sets the pace for each of the competitors. In order to be successful in humor, sports and relationships and yes even faith, one must be attentive to timing. There are two essential elements to timing - listening and responding. In Mark, Jesus begins his ministry "At the right time." Jesus begins by listening to God. "At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth..." He didn't arbitrarily arrive at the Jordan river. He arrived at God's perfect time - it required he listen for God's leading ...

4809. Second Chances

Mk 1:9-15

Illustration

King Duncan

... a good living finding golf balls that others thought were lost and irretrievable. It wasn't always easy work, but it brought him great rewards. Jim Reid is not the only one who specializes in finding that which is lost. God is the ultimate finder of that which others have marked off as irretrievable. What God finds is not lost golf balls but lost people. Our baptism reminds us that when we stray from being what God has created us to be, God comes to us to give us a chance to start over.

4810. We Have a Choice to Transform

Mark 8:31-38

Illustration

Brett Blair

... who were caught stealing sheep. The punishment back then was to brand the thief's forehead with the letters ST which stood for sheep thief. As a result of this, one brother left the village and spent his remaining years wandering from place to place indelibly marked by disgrace. The other remained in the village, made restitution for the stolen sheep, and became a caring friend and neighbor to the townspeople. He lived out his life in the village an old man loved by all. One day a stranger came to town and ...

4811. The Miracle Fruit

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... what it sees and hears because nothing makes sense. Cognitive dissonance can obscure the truth. Cognitive dissonance makes what is false and wrong appear to be right and true. When Jesus made his public announcement, his first of three passion predictions in Mark’s gospel, Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was suffering from cognitive dissonance. Peter had just answered Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” with his right-on declaration: “You are the Messiah” (8:29). But ...

4812. John 2:13-22

John 2:12-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , and in some cases tossed out, to make room in our closets and consciousness for the new life of spring. This week’s gospel text is Jesus’ burst of spring cleaning. While the synoptic texts place Jesus’ temple tantrum towards the end of his ministry (Mark 11:15-17; Matthew 21:12-13; Luke 19:45-46), John’s text puts this redecorating at the beginning of Jesus’ public mission. John’s placement keeps up a theme of “newness,” re-creation, which propels the first words and action of the public ...

4813. What Makes You Angry?

John 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

Paul Harvey told about a robber in Oceanside, California wearing a motorcycle helmet and carrying a gun who strode into a branch bank. He selected a teller who appeared fiftyish, soft, kindly, an easy mark. He handed her a note demanding money or her life. The woman reached for the cash drawer. Then she looked again at the note and her eyes flashed, her lips clenched. She pulled the entire cash drawer out, but instead of giving him money, she clobbered the robber over the ...

4814. Lent 4

Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:1-21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Christ. Grace is what saves us and it is received by faith apart from works. Yet, we were created in Christ to do good works. Gospel: John 3:14-21 This lection is of two parts. Verses 14 and 15 constitute words of Jesus spoken to Nicodemus. Note the question marks at the close of verse 15. Verses 16-21 are John's commentary. With the cross in mind, John describes God's love for the world in giving Christ that the world might be saved. It is his will to save and not to condemn the world. Yet, some will ...

4815. Advent 3

Isaiah 61:1-11, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, John 1:1-18

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... witness for Christ – a. Accept the call to witness vv. 7, 8. b. Confess the truth v. 20. c. Know Jesus personally vv. 26, 27. Old Testament: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 1. Locked in a room with open doors (61:1-3). Need: A chapter in Hans Sachs' Marks of Love and Life is titled, "Locked in a Room with Open Doors." An older brother threatens his brother who is afraid of open doors: "Some day I'm going to lock you in a room with open doors." Many of us share this condition. We are scared of freedom ...

4816. Proper 15

John 6:25-59, 1 Kings 2:1-12, 1 Kings 3:1-15, Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... should be (5:18-20). Need: Is our church all that Jesus intended it to be? Are we satisfied with our church? Is Christ pleased with our church? We can get an idea of what a church should be by studying the early church. In this text we see the marks of a church which would be pleasing to Christ. Outline: What a church should be – a. A Spirit-filled church v. 18. b. A singing church v. 19. c. A thankful church v. 20. WORSHIP RESOURCES Psalm Of The Day: Psalm 111 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning ...

4817. John 10:11-18

John 10:1-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... “who do not belong to this fold” but do belong to the good shepherd are part of the mutuality of “knowing” that exists between the Father and the Son. It is this willingness to sacrifice for the “outsider,” for the “other” that marks a completely new role for the messianic good shepherd and that most demonstrates the mutuality of love that exists in the godhead. The complete nature of the “knowing” that exists between the Father and the Son gives purpose, clarity, and assurance to the ...

4818. Just When You Think You Know the Answer

John 10:11-18

Illustration

David Busic

... what the answer should be, a different meaning presents itself. As you read through John, you find that it is full of double meanings and multi-layered levels. It's very different than the other three gospels. I heard one pastor say: "If Matthew, Mark, and Luke are Rembrandts . . . John is a Picasso!" That is because they have a different purpose. John's purpose was to prove Jesus was the Messiah sent from God. But he used symbolism and metaphors to communicate that message. The symbol John employs here ...

4819. Afraid No More

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” 1. Teddi’s Humor, teddi@alohabroadband.com. 2. Keith Krell BA Th.; M. Div., http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=3670. 3. Mark Bowden, Mind of a Monster,” The Atlantic Monthly, reprinted in Reader’s Digest, Aug. 2002, pp. 112-119. 4. Jerry Adler et al., “The Fight to Conquer Fear,” Newsweek, 23 April 1984, vol. 103, no. 17, 69. Cited in David Jeremiah, Slaying The Giants ...

4820. Too Short to Be Saved

John 3:1-17

Illustration

After his grandfather's death, Donald Hall, once the poet laureate of New Hampshire, went into his grandfather's attic and found many, many boxes, one of which was filled with short pieces of string. The box was marked in an old hand: STRING TOO SHORT TO BE SAVED. He was astonished. The box of string had caught him completely off-guard. And from his off-guardedness and unguardedness, he was able to write a beautiful poem. The poem states the obvious: his grandfather had saved the string that ...

4821. The Ride of Your Life

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... t have his disciples sit in a yeshiva learning Torah tidbits. Jesus took his disciples to “work” with him, to apprentice with him, so they could learn by doing. Like all children, the disciples got it “wrong” a lot of the time. That’s why in Mark’s gospel the disciples are often called the “Duh-sciples.” Today’s gospel lesson shows just how “duh!” they could get. After a long exhausting day Jesus and the disciples get in a boat and start across the Sea of Galilee, heading out into open ...

4822. Jesus at the Center of the Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Illustration

Will Willimon

... been our body on most days becomes an angry, raging sea. And this story is about that. Perhaps you thought that there would be smooth sailing with Jesus. You thought that, with Jesus in the boat, there would be no storm, no waves, no fear. No. Almost every page of Mark's gospel proclaims that Jesus is the center of a storm. When Jesus is near, the wind picks up, the waves bang against the side of the boat, and there is trouble.

4823. Paul’s “We-With” Body-Building

2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of Paul.” Did you even know we had one? Actually, I confess, this pastor just found out about it. From 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, the Christian church was supposed to celebrate a commemorative year dedicated to St. Paul, partly to mark the approximately 2000th anniversary of the saint’s birth. Pope Benedict XVI, who proclaimed this special jubilee year and invited the Orthodox and Protestants to join in its celebration, hoped that the “Year of Paul” would inspire others to similar missionary zeal ...

4824. Where There's Death, There's Hope

Mark 5:21-43

Illustration

Robert Deffinbaugh

... outcast for twelve years. She could not take part in any religious observances, nor could she have any public contact without defiling those whom she touched. Apparently, she was also forced to be separated from her husband. Last of all, this pathetic woman has lost all of her financial resources. Mark tells us that she had spent all of her money on doctor bills, with no relief — indeed, with added affliction. And in those days, there was no such thing as a malpractice suit.

4825. Proper 10

Mark 6:14-29, Psalm 24:1-10, 2 Samuel 6:1-23, Ephesians 1:1-14

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... before King Herod in today’s Gospel. 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 Second Lesson—Paul rejoices in the eternal purposes of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3-14 Gospel—The martyrdom of John the Baptist is remembered long after his death and burial. Mark 6:14-29 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: Believer/Priests, you are clothed with the garments of salvation. People: As loyal servants of the heavenly realm we shout for joy ...

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