Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 4826 to 4850 of 4943 results

4826. What It Takes

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

An insurance salesman stuck his head into a department store sales manager's office. "You don't want to buy any insurance, do you?" he asked timidly. "Young man, who taught you how to sell?" asked the sales manager. "Don't ever ask that kind of question! Your problem is a lack of confidence. Give me an application blank. I'll buy some insurance from you to give you confidence in yourself." After completing the application, the sales manager gave the young man a lecture: "Now remember, each customer is ...

4827. Facing Up To The Giant Task Of Life

1 Samuel 17:1-58

Sermon

Eric Ritz

From our scripture lesson this morning, we find that facing a Giant task is not a new experience in human history, nor in the life of the people of God. In our passage from I Samuel, we see an incident that would put a challenge into any person. Here are two armies in their camps, each occupying a side of the mountain, with a valley in between them. Out of the camp of the Philistines comes the giant, Goliath, the champion of the group, with an interesting proposal to save bloodshed. It would be well for ...

4828. The Source Of Joy

John 3:22-36

Sermon

Eric Ritz

One cold, rainy morning a teenager awakened on a farm and walked out to the back of the barn where she kept her favorite pet ” her animal friend, the mule. The mule was standing outside in the rain, and as the drops of water rolled off the end of the long nose of that ugly animal, the mule seemed discouraged and depressed. She looked at her favorite friend and said, "You know, Betsy, you would make a wonderful Christian because you look like so many Christians I know! You look like you have lost your last ...

4829. "Say It Ain't So"

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

King Duncan

Back in 1919, the Chicago Blacksocks Baseball scandal was unfolding in the newspapers before the public eye of the American people. One afternoon as Shoeless Joe Jackson was leaving the field, a die-hard baseball fan cried out, "Joe, say it ain't so, say it ain't so." The July 6, 1990, issue of the United Methodist Reporter newspaper reported the findings of a gallop poll that was conducted by the Board of Discipleship and the Reverend Ray Sells, a denominational executive. Here is what it states, "Study ...

4830. Learning From A Little Child

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Dr. Bryant Kirkland, former pastor of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, tells of traveling to preach on the West Coast one winter: "I needed the time on that three hour flight to study and prepare," he said, "so I buckled down and let everyone near me feel the tension ” don't bother me, I'm a busy man with places to go and work to do. A young woman and a baby slipped into the seat next to mine. I thought, This will be difficult,' so I kept a straight face and looked very Presbyterian. ...

4831. Pax Augusta, Pax Christi

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

Have you ever gotten the wrong gift for Christmas? A woman was talking to her nephew just after Christmas. In a very apologetic way she says, "I'm sorry you don't like my Christmas gift, but I asked if you preferred a small check or a large check." With his head hung in disappointment, the nephew replies, "I know, but I didn't think you were talking about ties." I hope none of us will receive the wrong gift this Christmas. IN SOME WAYS, GOD'S GIFT TO US AT CHRISTMAS SEEMS ALL WRONG. Think, for a minute, ...

4832. A Journey To A New Life

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Danne and Jorge Martinez wanted to raise their eleven-year-old daughter Lizbet to do right. Unfortunately, they had no choice but to teach Lizbet to lie. You see, the Martinez family lived in Cuba. They were members of Castro's Communist Party. But inside their home, these devoted parents complained bitterly about the political situation that was destroying their country. And so, when Lizbet was old enough to attend school, her parents sat her down and explained the facts of life to her. She was never to ...

4833. While It Was Still Dark

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

A family was watching a movie of the life of Jesus on television. Their six-year-old daughter was deeply moved as the movie maker realistically portrayed Jesus' crucifixion and death. Tears ran down the little girl's face as they took him from the cross and lay him in a borrowed tomb. She watched as a guard was placed outside the tomb. And then suddenly a big smile broke on her face. She bounced up on the arm of the chair and said with great anticipation, "Now comes the good part." That's why we are here ...

4834. I Can Have Anything?

John 14:5-14

Sermon

King Duncan

It is said that Gen. George Patton had great respect for Army Chaplains. He always had them at staff meetings when important decisions were to be made. He was always calling on the Chaplains to "get a hot line to God!" During the Battle of the Bulge when the weather was so terrible, Gen. Patton ordered the Chaplain to write a prayer that would change the weather. The resulting prayer went something like this, "Restrain these immoderate storms, [O Lord], grant us fair weather for battle, graciously hearken ...

4835. Get Out Of That Boat!

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

King Duncan

Gerald Hill, a Baptist pastor in Powderly, Texas, tells about a friend of his who was serving in a mission church in Alaska. The water was so bad in this particular Alaskan community that a thick red scum would appear over the top of it. This little mission congregation was in the process of building a new church building. Since this was a Baptist church, the baptistry [a small pool in the sanctuary] was installed and being used even though the building was not complete. On this particular occasion, the ...

4836. Teamwork

Nehemiah 1:1-11

Sermon

Rev. Dr. Ward Williams

In the fifth century B.C., the Jewish people were captives in Persia. With the enthronement of a new Persian ruler, those who chose to return to Judah were allowed to do so. Many started life anew in the area of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was a Jew who had held a high position at the Persian court. He received permission to return to his native land, where he was authorized to take charge of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was a dynamic leader with a gift for organizing and directing the cooperative ...

4837. The Truth About Miracles

John 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever prayed for a miracle? I'm not talking about a really big miracle like praying for a family member near death. I'm talking about little miracles like, Oh, Lord, please let the traffic light stay green! Or Jesus, please help me to ace this test! Or, God, please let our team win! Is there anyone in the room who has ever prayed for that kind of miracle? Author Jay Kesler says that shortly after he got his driver's license he wrecked his dad's car. The crash tore away the front fender, two doors, ...

4838. Getting The Proper Nourishment

Jeremiah 16:1--17:18

Sermon

King Duncan

Since we are talking about getting the proper nourishment, today, I thought I would share with you eight dieting tips that I picked up recently. Tip 1: If no one sees you eat it, it has no calories. Tip 2: If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, they will cancel each other out. Tip 3: Calories don't count if you eat with someone and you both eat the same amount. Tip 4: Food taken for medicinal purposes does not count. This includes toast, hot chocolate, and Sara Lee chocolate cake. Tip 5: If you fatten ...

4839. Don't Forget Your Ticket

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Luke 14:15-24

Sermon

King Duncan

The Little League coach looked down at his eager second baseman with desperation in his eye. "Bobby," he said, "You know the principles of good sportsmanship that the Little League practices. You know we don't tolerate temper tantrums, shouting at the umpire, or abusive language. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, sir," replied the Little Leaguer. "Well, then," said the coach, "would you please explain that to your mother?" Some of you baseball fans are looking forward with anticipation to the coming season. A ...

4840. The Messiah Who Cares About Feet

John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

M. Scott Peck is a bestselling author, a respected psychiatrist and a growing Christian. He says that the scene of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples stands out as one of the most significant events of Jesus' life: "Until that moment the whole point of things had been for someone to get on top, and once he had gotten on top to stay on top or else attempt to get farther up. But here this man already on top--who was rabbi, teacher, master--suddenly got down on the bottom and began to wash the feet of ...

4841. The First Easter Sermon

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

In his book, JUST AS LONG AS I'M RIDING UP FRONT, Ray McIver tells of belonging to the Kiwanis club in the 1950s in the small town of San Marcos, Texas. The Kiwanians were a lively group, says McIver, all except for Roger Shelton. Roger came to meetings late, sat by himself, and rarely said a word. The Kiwanians would usually have entertainment of some kind before they got down to club business. At one particular meeting, the entertainment consisted of a barbershop quartet composed of local college ...

4842. Bridges Over The River Kwai

John 20:19-23

Sermon

King Duncan

The movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, chronicles the work of a group of soldiers, imprisoned by the Japanese during the Second World War. These soldiers were forced to build a railway across a very difficult section of mountains between Burma and Siam. Eric Lomax, a British soldier, is a reallife survivor of that group of prisoners. Throughout his imprisonment, Eric and thousands of other British soldiers were starved and tortured, and many died. When the Japanese officers suspected Eric of having a ...

4843. On Eating Peas With A Knife

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

King Duncan

There is an ancient verse by an unknown poet that goes something like this: I eat peas with honey, Been doin' it all my life; It tastes kind of funny, But it keeps the peas on my knife. Most of us have never known anyone who eats peas with a knife. It sounds like quite a feat. I suspect I would scatter those little green varmints all around the dining room if I tried it. And yet I understand that there was a time when some people practiced that quaint custom. I thought about this when I read a story that ...

4844. Dogsleds And Dogged Determination

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

King Duncan

Beverly Masek is a Native American living in Alaska. Beverly was born and raised in Anvik, a very small village in the interior of Alaska with a population of about seventy people. Anvik is one of the sites on the legendary Iditarod. The Iditarod is a dog sled race where one person runs through blizzards, ice and wilderness for 1,029 miles! The racer is all alone with help from no other human being. Just the dog team. The musher, as they are called, has to provide for himself or herself as well as the dogs ...

4845. If You Really Want To Be Helpful

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A nationally known minister of the Gospel was involved in a question/answer session. He was on stage with several prominent church leaders in front of a large audience made up of pastors and lay persons. The minister had just responded to a question from one of the other leaders on the panel when he was shocked to see someone rise in the audience. The person who stood up seemed to be out of place. Actually this person was a friend from the minister's past whom he had not seen since he had professed his ...

4846. Are You Available?

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

King Duncan

Jeff Hill is with IBM. But like many people nowadays he works from home. Working from home, he says he needs a professional sounding voicemail greeting so everyone will know he's hard at work. While he was recording a new message one morning, Jeff's wife was across the hall from his office, folding clothes with their six-year-old daughter, who had just emerged from the shower. Jeff's professional message ended up sounding like this: Male voice: "Hi, this is Jeff Hill with IBM." Female voice: "Look at you! ...

4847. To Be Abased, To Abound, To Be Content

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Frank Lyman

It's the awkward moment of Christmas morning. The family is gathered around the tree having a grand time opening the presents. As the presents are opened, everyone "Oohs and Aahs" and gives thanks to the one who gave the gift. Then comes that moment which spoils the mood. A gift is found beneath the tree which cannot be identified. No one remembers wrapping it. No one recalls receiving it, and worst of all, there's no identifying gift tag attached to the present. If this has happened at your house (as it ...

4848. Embedded In Bedrock Or Destroyed By A Typhoon

John 18:25-27

Sermon

Dale Dickerson

On March 17, 1930, construction began on what was to be the tallest skyscraper ever built. Towering 1,472 feet, an incomprehensible 102 stories, the Empire State Building remained the tallest man-made structure from 1931 to 1970. It was built at a cost of more than 40 million dollars. During a typical storm this great structure absorbs as many as 20 bolts of lightning. In July of 1945, due to low visibility, a B-25 bomber inadvertently crashed into the side of the Empire State Building. Strangely enough ...

4849. Please Use The Servants' Entrance

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Dr. M. Scott Peck is a respected Christian psychiatrist and noted author. You may have read his best-selling book, The Road Less Traveled. Peck is not a theologian, but listen for a moment to his comments regarding our scripture lesson for the day: What a strange way for the guest of honor to act during a final meal with his friends. What incomprehensible behavior from a ruler who would momentarily announce, "I confer on you a kingdom." In those days, foot washing was considered so degrading that a master ...

4850. Wounded, In Pain. Serving Still

Luke 22:7-38

Sermon

Siegfried S. Johnson

And you (Peter), when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. -- Luke 22:32b Jonathan Meigs sought to win the hand of the girl he loved. Her father, a stern Quaker, coldly rejected Jonathan. Beneath expectations. Entirely unsuitable. Told he was unworthy, Jonathan mounted his horse and left. Heart shattered. Not far away, he heard his love's voice. "Return! Jonathan! Return!" Jonathan never forgot that day, the day the simple word "return" overcame an awful sense of rejection. So sweet was the ...

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