Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4951 to 4975 of 4999 results

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... The Jewish people were looking for a deliverer to make things right. They longed for freedom from the oppressive hand of Rome. Some of them thought that perhaps John was the person, the Messiah, God had sent to lead them to freedom. Well, John did offer a unique kind of freedom. However, he made it clear that he was not the Messiah. “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the ...

4952. Traveling Tables

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... us gained a lot more. No wonder the past few weeks every other commercial on TV or banner-ad online is about some kind of weight loss program. We are a nation collectively cringing about our six weeks of binging and feasting. I bring you good ... some weight. But that doesn’t mean we shut down our “table.” It does not matter what time of year it is. It does not matter what kind of gifts of food we can provide. What matters is that we offer a place setting, a place at our table of faith, to any and all ...

4953. A Call for Repentance - Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:12-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... situation because he spent his money unwisely. He could have gambled it away, or spent it on alcohol or drugs. For that matter, he could have with all kinds of good intentions lost it playing the stock market, or starting a business without the necessary experience, financing or research. More likely, his mental condition kept him from getting the kind of work that would have supported him adequately. And certainly that was not his fault. Still, there is a sense in which we do suffer for wrongdoing. One ...

4954. The God of Second Chances

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

King Duncan

... carried a rating system for sermons similar to the rating system we’re all familiar with for movies. It went something like this. The person who designed it was a little bit cynical. Here is the rating he gave to various kinds of sermons: “G” - Generally acceptable to everyone. Full of inoffensive, childlike platitudes; usually described as “wonderful” or “marvelous” by those who leave church to shake the hands of the pastor. “MC” - For more mature congregations. At times this sermon makes ...

4955. Get Out the Ticker Tape - Palm Sunday

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... t the problem. People just didn’t stop! One day he got an idea. Knowing that most people do follow the crowd, he went out and bought several used cars and parked them in front of his store. Sure enough, now people stopped at his store and all kinds of people began to buy his stuff. They assumed that all the cars out front meant that this must be a great place to shop! The same thing happens with churches. Some people are attracted to church because their friends are there. Nothing wrong with that it’s ...

4956. Who's Your Master?

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... or she follows Jesus will buy wholeheartedly into his plan and will live life accordingly. It means living a life of love for all people. It means inviting friends and family to join you in the worship of God. It means doing all you can to make this church the kind of place that is inviting to strangers. It means doing all you can to make this community in some small measure a reflection of the kingdom of God. Can you do that? Will you buy into God’s game plan? When you have a great mission or purpose in ...

4957. The Outlandishness of Lent

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... yet Paul proclaimed that “God made foolish the wisdom of the world” (vs.20). The glory of Lent is not wallowing in fish sandwiches and looking forward to an Easter egg hunt. The glory of Lent is welcoming and accepting a completely new kind of power on this earth, and a new kind of love. “You are God’s love-letters,” wrote St. Paul, “written not with ink but with the love called the Holy Spirit; not on tablets of stone but across the pages of your human heart.” The divine craziness is that God ...

4958. The Door Is Open

John 10:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.’” (John 10:7-9, ESV) That crowd of mainly common people would have immediately understood what Jesus was saying, but you won’t. Let me explain it to you. In Israel, there were two kinds of sheepfolds. There was one that would be near a village or a town and it was an enclosure for the sheep of all the shepherds. The owners of the sheep would pool their resources and hire someone to guard the sheep. He would only let in those shepherds ...

4959. One-Way Street

John 14:5-14

Sermon

James Merritt

... you say?” The vast majority of responses go something like this: “Well I try to keep His commandments.” “I’ve always tried to…” “I’ve never _____ ...” “I try to live a good life.” I thought about that and I realize that to most people getting to God is kind of like going to Home Depot. I am no expert on Home Depot. You know me. For me to go to Home Depot would be like Bill Gates going to a yard sale. When I go to Home Depot I only go to accompany Teresa. I’ve noticed that people ...

4960. What Are You Waiting On?

John 11:1-16

Sermon

James Merritt

... and I am with you when you die and in fact because of me you can never die. You see Jesus was actually speaking of two kinds of death. When He says in verse 25, “Whoever believes in me though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25, ESV) He was talking ... name of Pearl Wait wore several hats. He was a construction worker, but he was also an inventor. And he would dabble in certain kinds of medicines and other things and he was trying to make a living selling his remedies door to door. In the midst of his ...

4961. The Broken

John 8:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... of respect for women. It was the same word that Jesus used on the cross for His own mother. It would be like the term “lady” today. I’ve got a strange feeling it was the first time anyone had ever spoken a kind word to this woman. When she hears this voice of tenderness and kindness, she is all ears wondering what Jesus is going to say to her. Here is the amazing thing. Everyone that wanted to condemn her was unqualified to condemn her so they left. The One man who was qualified to condemn her didn ...

4962. Who Is Right

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

James Merritt

... . The mother said, “What happened? Did you lose this time? She said, “No. I won again.” She said, “What were you voted this time?” She said, “Most stuck-up.” When you meet anyone that is stuck up, just remember they are stuck on themselves. These kinds of people have an “I” problem. Five times this Pharisee uses the pronoun “I”. He suffered from two problems: inflation and deflation. He had an inflated view of who he was and a deflated view of who God was. C.S. Lewis wisely said, “A ...

4963. When You Reach the Rejection Hotline

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... very rich. Stephen King’s disturbing work, Carrie, was rejected 30 times. Supposedly, after the final rejection, King threw the manuscript in the trash and his wife fished it out. (2) It happens to best-selling writers. In fact, it happens to celebrities of every kind. When Steven Spielberg applied to the film schools of both UCLA and USC he was rejected. But he’s done all right for himself as a director of blockbuster films. When Fred Astaire had his first screen test at MGM, the casting director wrote ...

4964. Tarzan He Was Not

John 15:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... us spiritual nourishment so we can bear fruit. Now, before we leave, what is this fruit that we are to bear? In Galatians 5 St. Paul gives us a partial list which he calls the fruit of the spirit. These fruit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (22-23). We might be tempted to add other fruit like generosity and acceptance, but, of course, these are at least implied by the first of the fruit which is love. If you would be a better spouse or a better ...

4965. Is the Doctor in Today?

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... the teacher anymore?” That’s a normal reaction, isn’t it? You’re hoping against hope for a miracle and a friend shrugs and says, “Accept it, there’s no hope. The situation is futile. Don’t bother Jesus any more.” Have you ever gotten that kind of well-meaning advice? Friends, it’s not over until God says it’s over. II Corinthians 4:8-9 reminds us that, “we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not ...

4966. Hamburgers Don't Grow on Trees

Mark 4:26-29, Mark 4:30-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... act often leads to another, and then another, and so on. Let me give you an example of that. Do you know the name Rick Ruzzamenti? I didn’t think so. Not too long ago, Rick Ruzzamenti, a native of Riverside, California made the news with a radical act of kindness for a stranger. Rick gave one of his kidneys to someone he didn’t even know. Now you and I might donate a kidney for a family member. Maybe even for a good friend. But a complete stranger? Rick was inspired by a friend who had donated a kidney ...

4967. Chickens with Eyeglasses

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... . People with a puffed up sense of their own importance rarely do. It’s difficult to put up with people with that kind of “I” trouble, isn’t it? Contrast that with a quote from the book jacket of actress Katherine Hepburn’s autobiography. Hepburn ... a beautiful witness it would be of God’s power in you, if in the midst of sickness or loss or pain of any kind you are still able to maintain your ability to praise God. The influential pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon was troubled about a thorn in his life ...

4968. No Turning Back

John 6:60-71

Sermon

King Duncan

... to begin a boxing career. But Tillis did not quit. He didn’t accomplish all he set out to accomplish, but he was no quitter. Some of the people who followed Jesus were disappointed. As we’ve noted before, they were expecting one kind of Messiah, but Jesus introduced them to a different kind of Messiah altogether. Let’s think for a moment about the background of today’s text. A few weeks ago we dealt with the feeding of the 5,000. Actually 5,000 was the number of men who were fed. There were children ...

4969. Shall We Take the Escalator?

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... gardens would be so pretty in the forest.” “The giant trees are spectacular but there are too many of the same kind; you should plant different types, for variety.” “Reflectors need to be placed on the trees every 50 feet so people could ... essence of comedy, isn’t it? It’s funny . . . as long as it is happening to someone else. Some of you may feel that you are in that kind of situation--at work or at home or school. Life is coming at you way too fast and you can’t keep up. You need to get away ...

4970. Don't Worry! Give Thanks!

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... another attack within eight years. He recommends that each day we write down one or more things we are grateful for, and read the journal once a week. (1) Dr. Joseph Murphy agrees. In his book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind he describes a man who epitomized this kind of outlook on life. He says: “A number of years ago, I stayed for about a week in a farmer’s house in Connemarra on the west coast of Ireland. He seemed to be always singing and whistling and was full of humor. I asked him the secret ...

4971. A Fig Tree Sprouts Leaves

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... betide them if Jesus turned up and found them at a movie theater! Tony says he grew up with a constant fear, every time he went to the movies, that Jesus would return during the feature and he’d miss the end of the movie. (3) There are still those kind of preachers around who use fear as a motivator, but, fortunately not as many as there used to be. I will say that it is interesting to me that Tony’s pastor was trying to scare kids away from movie theaters back when movies were a lot more wholesome than ...

4972. A Voice Calls in the Wilderness

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... the city, if they were not prepared when the king arrived. It was also an insult to the king if they had not prepared properly for his arrival . . .” (4) In the same way John the Baptist came to announce the coming of a king, a different kind of king. “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will ...

4973. A Dance in the Desert

Philippians 4:4-7

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... which is flown from the castle of the heart when the king is in residence there!" If joy starts in the heart, it is refined in the mind. It is more than an emotion that comes and goes. It is deeper than a reflexive response that needs the right kind of stimulation. It is an act of the will. "I will say it again: rejoice!" commands Paul in his letter to the Philippian Christians. Joy grows from heartfelt relationships. But it is also a choice of the mind, as John makes clear when he applies this treatment to ...

4974. An Unforgettable Baptism

Luke 3:21-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... an amazing truth. Christ humbled himself and was baptized by a mere mortal in our behalf. Whereas you and I would be tempted to enjoy the perks of our relationship with God, Christ humbled himself and became a servant. St. Francis of Assisi had that kind of humility. St. Francis wanted to be as much like Christ as possible. In a story known as the Legend of Perugia there is a very revealing example of Francis’ humility. Hidden in a description of Francis’ practice of traveling and preaching in churches ...

4975. An Extraordinary Wedding Gift

John 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... . The time was not quite here for that. Nevertheless, Mary said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Those are important words: “Do whatever he tells you.” We’ll come back to them in a few moments. Nearby stood six large stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing. Each of these jars held from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to ...

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