Sermon and Worship Resources

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4951. The Lord Has Need

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... aside and decided he had had enough. The bartender, seeing that he was startled, tried to calm him by saying, “Oh, don’t let the donkey bother you. He belongs to the Methodist Church up the street.” Thinking about that, the man decided it was time to leave. (Dynamic Preaching, Nov./Dec., 1988 p.29) Well, there are some donkeys in the Methodist Church, some in the Presbyterian Church, some in the Baptist Church, some, I am sure, in all of the churches. In fact all of us act like donkeys at one time or ...

4952. God’s Greatest Gamble

Mark 12:1-12

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... our lives so exciting...and dangerous; both to ourselves, and to God. God’s creation of us and giving us freedom - even the freedom to reject Him - is God’s greatest gamble. You see, in all of Christ’s management parables, the kings go away and leave their servants to work things out for themselves. They have the freedom to make their own decisions in the absence of the owner. God left Adam to be the manager of the earth, to till it and subdue it; and God continually gives to humankind the capacity ...

4953. On the Singing of Hymns

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... the strength for the struggle ahead. During the First World War a cynical English colonel delighted in badgering an old village priest, where the colonel’s regiment was billeted. One Sunday morning, as he passed the church, he saw a mere handful of people leaving mass, and he said to the priest at the door, “Not very many at mass this morning, Father, not very many!” “No, my son, you’re wrong,” the priest answered. “Thousands and tens of thousands!” In the old priest’s heart was still ...

4954. What the Maid Said to the Fisherman

Mark 14:66-72, Mark 14:53-65

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... words of that great hymn, “O Young and Fearless Prophet:” “We marvel at the purpose that held thee to thy course/While ever on the hilltop before thee loomed the cross;/Thy steadfast face set forward, where love and duty shone/While we betray so quickly and leave thee there alone.” We dare not point the finger at Peter, for when we do, we find three fingers pointed back at us. We warm ourselves at the fires of Jesus’ enemies. (How much does our high standard of living derive from the arms race? I ...

4955. On Being in the Wrong Place

Mark 15:21-32

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... other was directing traffic. The first officer looked up as this little red car zipped by. He ran to his motorcycle and followed her with siren screaming. When he pulled her over, he said, “Look, lady, don’t you know it is against State law to leave the scene of an accident?” She replied, “I haven’t been involved in any accident.” He raised his eyebrows and looked at the front end of her car and asked, “What happened to your car?” She replied, “An elephant sat on it.” That is when the ...

4956. The Unfinished Story

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... side by side. If you have a Revised Standard Bible, the translators and publishers were courageous enough to note that the best manuscripts end at verse 8, and they put the two variant readings at the end for the sake of interest. Some even dare to leave these verses out altogether and put them in a footnote. I have editions that are printed both ways. There is much in these last verses of Mark that seems strange. This “lost ending” tacked onto the Gospel has Jesus saying, “He who believes and is ...

4957. Good Friday

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... us, of what benefit is that to us? No, there must be something more that was accomplished by Christ’s death on Calvary, than merely the example of a good man (even God Himself) suffering and dying for us. Neither of these views is totally wrong, but both leave something to be desired. 3.) A third view of what happened on the cross has been set forth by a Swedish bishop and theologian of our own day. Some 35 years ago, Swedish theologian Gustav Aulen wrote a little book which has had an enormous impact on ...

4958. Blessings Beyond Our Dreams (Part 2 )

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to God for a future filled with great possibilities. And he knew he would never be ready for the future without God’s blessing. Dear Abby once received a letter that describes the "if only" attitude: "It was Spring, But it was Fall I wanted, the colorful leaves and the cool dry air. It was Fall, but it was Winter I wanted, the beautiful snow and the wonderful holiday season. It was Winter, but it was Spring I wanted, the warmth and the blossoming of nature. I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted ...

4959. Please, Don't Let me Jabez Anyone Else (Part 5)

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... in her power to draw Steven back into his old lifestyle. Because he was afraid of losing her, he gave in. Max reports that Steven wept uncontrollably on their last day together. He knew what he was giving up, but he couldn’t find the strength to leave behind his old lifestyle in order to find new life in Christ. (3) There are people whose impact on our lives can be destructive. That is why we tell our young people, "Be careful who you run around with." And that is why the fellowship of the church ...

4960. The Ultimate Thirst Quencher (Alternate Addition to the "I Am" series: Living water)

John 7:25-44

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the spiritual writings of the late Roman Catholic priest Henri J. M. Nouwen. Nouwen, in the eyes of the world, had achieved great fame serving at prestigious universities where he taught about the spiritual life. However, from time to time, he would leave these places of comfort and prestige behind and serve God in the most barren and difficult of circumstances. He realized that human recognition was okay, but divine approval was better and more important. He would often say that one of the greatest ...

4961. Who Is the Light of Your Life? (I am the light of the world)

John 8:12-30

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... dark days of the Communist regime in Poland. She would not renounce her saving faith in Jesus Christ. She was placed in a rat-infested jail cell with no windows. To make matters worse, the jailer unscrewed the one light bulb in the cell and smashed it, leaving her in the frightening darkness. The jailer lit a cigarette and taunted her by shouting, "We have taken away your light. Now what will you do?" The young woman responded, "You cannot take away my light. Jesus is my Light and my Salvation." It was a ...

4962. The Road to Somewhere (I am the way, truth, and life)

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , but I cannot follow your instructions in this horrible place. Please help me!'' Then there came another man. His face reflected sorrow and suffering. He came down in the well and pulled me out. He gave me dry clothes, and said to me: ''Follow me, I will never leave you or forsake you.'' That man was Christ. That is why I became a Christian. He descended into the depth where I was. He saved me with His own hands, and I will follow Him." He had found the road that leads to somewhere. I realize that the ...

4963. When It Is Tough to Follow Jesus: The Third Word

John 19:17-27

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the world, but clearly it was God''s mission that now dominated Jesus'' life, not his family. Mary knew this day would come, but it was still difficult to accept. You can only imagine the emotions that swept across Mary''s heart as she watched her son leave his earthly family, preach his ministry, and finally come to the moment we are examining today--his painful death on the cross. So many times Jesus had told Mary and others that his hour had "not yet come." However, as Mary kneeled at the foot of the ...

4964. I THIRST: The Fifth Word

John 19:28-37

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... there is no joy in the human soul unless God fills it. We are not here to manipulate life to serve our own ends. We are here to serve the living God. That is our number one priority in life. Everything else is a poor substitute which will eventually leave us hungering and thirsting. The world''s cup and plate might satisfy us for a meal, or even a season, but not for the long haul. We thirst for meaning. We thirst for purpose. We thirst for the presence of the holy. Jesus boldly declares that only He can ...

4965. What Is Your Response toe the Resurrection?

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... experienced it. We know by the question the women asked, "Who will roll away the stone from the tomb for us?" that they were not exactly expecting a miracle to have taken place. Even when they see that Jesus is not there, they must be instructed by the angel to leave the tomb with the Good News. They were like Flip Wilson who said, "I am not a Jehovah''s Witness. I am a Jehovah''s bystander. I am not sure I want to get involved." It was necessary for the messenger to commission them to be a witness, not a ...

4966. Dealing with the "F" Words of Life

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... to their resignation and gives them a new assignment. Christ still shares the same ministry with those who follow Him. Do not be afraid to bring your failures to Him. As a matter of fact, the only way we can fail is if we do not bring our failures and leave them at the foot of the Cross. History reveals that Peter and the other disciples picked themselves up and got back into the race. By the grace of God--so can we. Breakfast is ready --Will you come? Amen and amen.

4967. The Third Commandment: God's Last Name Is Not...?

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... titled "Ten Reasons Why I Swear." 1. It pleases my mother so much. 2. It is a fine mark of manliness. 3. It proves I have self-control. 4. It indicates how clearly my mind operates. 5. It makes my conversation so pleasing to everyone. 6. It leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind as to my good breeding. 7. It impresses people that I have more than an ordinary education. 8. It is an unmistakable sign of culture and refinement. 9. It makes me a very desirable personality among women and children of culture ...

4968. The Tenth Commandment: How Zacchaeus Got His Groove Back

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... everyone--which is why it is in the Ten Commandments. Fyodor Dostoevsky in his classic novel, The Brothers Karamazov, writes the famous Parable of the Onion: Once upon a time, there was a peasant woman and a very wicked woman she was. And she died and did not leave a single good deed behind. The devils caught her and plunged her into the lake of fire. Her guardian angel stood and wondered what good deed of hers he could remember to tell to God. "She once pulled up an onion in her garden," said he, "and gave ...

4969. Nightline

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , and speaking, the clergy decided to march en masse to the office of Mayor Henry Loeb, as a symbol of love and reconciliation. We wanted the Mayor to reconsider his opposition to the striking sanitation workers as a symbol of repentance and love. "After leaving the sanctuary, we formed ourselves in lines two abreast and started walking toward the city hall. Just before we had completed one block of our march a young deacon from St. Mary''s ran back into the church and brought out the processional cross ...

4970. Honestly, Are You Worried about Tomorrow?

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... day. It is when tomorrow''s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourself so. If you find yourself so loaded, at least remember this: It is your own doing, not God''s. He begs you to leave the future to him, and mind the present." Or as Jesus said to the disciples: So do not be anxious about tomorrow, tomorrow will be anxious for itself. It is amazing, but the power of God''s presence is available now for your journey in faith. In order to have ...

4971. Looks Like We're in for Stormy Weather

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... our eyes off Jesus! If we are honest, we've all been in storms like that. They come at us from any direction, or from no direction at all. They come from within, rising up from way down deep where the beasts do dwell, to explode upon our peaceful world, leaving us crying out to God: Lord, sometimes it just seems to be too much for me to keep my head above water. The Gospel of Mark says, "A great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that the boat was already filling." (Mark 4:37 ...

4972. Biblical Baseball

Illustration

e. e. flack

In the big inning Eve stole first, Adam stole second; St. Peter umpired the game. Rebecca went to the well with the pitcher; Ruth in the field won fame. David struck out Goliath; A base hit was made on Abel by Cain; The prodigal son made one home run. Brother Noah gave out checks for rain.

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