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 26 to 50 of 3314 results

26. The Apostles' Creed: Maker of Heaven and Earth

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... 's Digest, 1967, p. 557 3. Further details come from Douglas Linder, via Internet, http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/scopes/scopes.htm 4. Walter Brueggemann, "The Book of Genesis," New Interpreter's Bible, CD-ROM, (Nashville: Abingdon, 1997) 5. John Killinger, You Are What You Believe: The Apostles' Creed for Today, (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990), pp. 37-38

27. The Passing of the Apostles

Matt 10:1-4; Mk 3:13-19; Lu 6:12-16

Illustration

Staff

Tradition holds that the Apostles died in the following manner: Matthew suffered martyrdom by being slain with a sword at a distant city of Ethiopia. Mark expired at Alexandria, after being cruelly dragged through the streets of that city. Luke was hanged upon an olive tree in the classic land of Greece. John was put ...

28. The Apostles' Creed: "God...Almighty"

Mark 15:33-41, Mark 15:21-32

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"I believe in God the Father, Almighty..." Do you now? Is this the same God that the folks down in Colombia believe in, the folks who have just lost homes, health, and loved ones in that devastating earthquake Monday? The same God to whom prayers are directed from those trying to survive the ethnic slaughter in Kosovo? The same God to whom the family of Tiffany Long [a local 10-year-old found raped and murdered] prayed for her safe return from school? "God, the Father, ALMIGHTY...?" Right! In Russell Baker ...

29. The Apostle's Creed: Jesus Christ...Our Lord

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"I believe in God, the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary..." After all, we call ourselves CHRISTIANS...CHRIST-ians. Of course, we believe with Simon Peter that Jesus is the Christ. Let me press you on that. Be specific. What exactly do you believe about Jesus? Some years ago, in my seminary days, our first course in Systematic Theology dealt with that question. Our professor described Jesus as "the ...

30. The Apostles' Creed: "Suffered, Dead, and Buried..."

Mark 15:1-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried..." They killed him. They taunted him...tortured him. They killed him. Why? What had he done? The answer of our faith over the centuries has been NOTHING. He was the only perfect one who ever lived. Sinless. Yet the record remains and our affirmation is repeated: "...suffered ...

31. How Paul Became An Apostle

Galatians 1:11-24

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

Call To Worship Leader: Happy are those who have the God of Jacob to help them. People: They depend on the Lord their God. Leader: He always keeps his promises. People: He judges in favor of the oppressed, and gives food to the hungry. All: Praise the Lord! Collect Lord God Almighty, you have called each of us to serve you. Open our hearts and ears during this time of worship that we may hear your Spirit speaking to us individually about how we can be used to spread the Good News to those who do not know ...

32. How Paul Became An Apostle

Isaiah 1:1-31

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

Call To Worship The Almighty God, the Lord, speaks: "Giving thanks is the sacrifice that honors me, and I will surely save all who obey me." Come, let us worship the righteous God who alone is our judge. Collect O Lord, we would honor you with our prayers of thanksgiving and our songs of praise. Beyond that, our Father, we know that we must truly honor you with our deeds. Bless us in this time of worship, and may your Holy Spirit abide in us so that all that we do may be acceptable in your sight. Amen. ...

33. Advice to the New Apostle

Titus 2:11-14

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, All: training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, One: while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. All: He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. (based on ...

34. The Apostles as Vines

John 15:1-8

Illustration

James E. Talmage

A grander analogy is not to be found in the world's literature. Those ordained servants of the Lord were as helpless and useless without Him as is a bough severed from the tree. As the branch is made fruitful only by virtue of the nourishing sap it receives from the rooted trunk, and if cut away or broken off withers, dries, and becomes utterly worthless except as fuel for the burning, so those men, though ordained to the Holy Apostleship, would find themselves strong and fruitful in good works, only as ...

35. Boasting

2 Corinthians 11:1-15, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... city, Paul used the synagogue as a basis for evangelism (cf. Acts 9:20; 13:5, 14; 14:1; 17:1–2, 10, 17; 18:4, 19, 26; 19:8), since his gospel was “to the Jew first” (Rom. 1:16; cf. 1 Cor. 9:20). The fact that the apostle received a synagogal punishment not only tends to corroborate the testimony of Acts at this point, but also shows that he was taken seriously as a Jew who operated within the parameters of Judaism, as an erring member rather than as an outsider or an apostate. Hence, in a backhanded ...

36. Boasting

2 Corinthians 11:16-33, 2 Corinthians 1:1-11, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

37. Visit

2 Corinthians 13:1-10, 2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... judgment, but Paul opted for a period of grace. Paul made up his mind not to make another painful visit (2:1). The purpose of his absence was to give the church a chance to repent, which it had now done in part (cf. 7:9–11). Even now, the apostle does not want to have to judge the congregation, so in 2 Corinthians he repeats his original warning that he will not spare unrepentant sinners when he returns (cf. 12:21; cf. 1 Cor. 4:21). We do not know with certainty what kind of punishment Paul has in mind ...

38. The God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... halfway to the goal (see further on 2 Cor. 10:13–16; also Rom. 15:19). By referring to the Corinthians as the church of God, Paul draws a direct comparison between his apostleship and the church at Corinth as works of God, for just as Paul is an apostle “by the will of God” (cf. v. 1), so also the church that he founded through God’s competence (cf. 3:1–6) is “the church of God.” In this way, the prescript doubly puts the Corinthians under the authority of God. Paul presents himself as God’s ...

39. Unity in the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... people of Israel that they have been “called” by God to fulfill a specific function (see Isa. 41:9; 42:6; 43:1; 44:2; 45:3, 4; Hos. 11:1). Christians, likewise, have a calling from God, as is evident in the Lord’s disciples (Mark 1:20), the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 1:1), and the Gentiles (Eph. 3:6). In Ephesians, the Gentiles have been told that God has chosen them to be his children (1:4, 5), appointed them to praise God’s glory (1:12), called them to a wonderful hope (1:18), and incorporated them ...

40. Paul's Concern for the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... :43; 105:27; 135:9; Neh. 9:10). The same collocation of terms is used in the NT of Jesus (cf. Acts 2:22) and the apostles (cf. Acts 2:19, 43; 5:12), including Paul himself (cf. Rom. 15:19; Acts 15:12). Just as Jesus of Nazareth was accredited by God ... to retreat in humiliation (2:1–11). It was to spare the Corinthians that Paul did not come again to Corinth (1:23). Instead, the apostle wrote a tearful letter in order to give them a chance to repent, so that when he did come again he might not suffer pain ( ...

41. Accusations

2 Corinthians 2:12--3:6

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... mediator of divine revelation (cf. 2:14), casting himself in the mold of the true prophet (cf. K. O. Sandnes). Paul is not a prophet for profit; he has even put aside his apostolic prerogative in this regard (cf. 1 Cor. 9:12, 15, 18). And when the false apostles use this to accuse Paul (2 Cor. 11:7ff. and 12:12ff.), Paul turns the tables on them by recalling the OT tradition of the false prophets and their sordid gain. Paul, on the other hand, is a prophet like Moses. 3:1–6 Realizing both that his daring ...

42. Hearts / Repentance

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... Paul may be referring to here. Elsewhere, he uses the verb in a variety of senses: “to destroy” (1 Cor. 3:17), “to corrupt morally” (1 Cor. 15:33; Eph. 4:22), “to lead astray” (2 Cor. 11:3). This last usage might be meant here, since the apostle has been accused of leading others astray (cf. 5:16; 6:8). Finally, Paul claims to have exploited no one. He deals more with this accusation in 12:14–18, using the same verb. Evidently, it constitutes a major cause or at least a contributing factor in ...

43. Gift

2 Corinthians 8:16--9:5, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... gar), which links 9:1 to 8:24. As in 1 Thessalonians 4:9 and 5:1, Paul tells his addressees that they do not really need his exhortations on a particular topic and then he goes on to remind, reinforce, and clarify what they already know. The apostle has already mentioned the service to the saints (8:4). 9:2 The reason that Paul does not need to write to the Corinthians about the collection is given in verse 2. Paul does not need to exhort the Corinthians about the collection because he already knows their ...

44. Accusations

2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ/God (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10), the Corinthians will completely understand what the apostle says and does and will thus be able to boast in him, and particularly in his heart (cf. 5:12), for at the Parousia ... not telling the truth to the Corinthians, so also the Corinthians’ very lives are at stake (cf. 1 Cor. 11:30) when the apostle comes to visit them. As the situation stood in the time between the painful visit and the news from Titus, Paul did not ...

45. Body / Ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... the message of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:19–22). In that case, Paul would be saying that his knowledge of the fear of the Lord causes him to preach the gospel and to try to persuade people. The thought is, again, similar to that in 1 Corinthians 9: The Apostle Paul, who has “seen” the Lord Jesus as the very basis of his apostleship (v. 1; cf. 15:8–9), has a divine “obligation” upon him to preach the gospel, “and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel” (v. 16). Obviously, the fear of the Lord ...

46. Accusations

2 Corinthians 10:1-18

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... of bad things happen to his body by the hand of God (cf. Schäfer, 84, 85, 91). 10:7–11 Paul further elaborates on the apostolic authority and power that will be demonstrated when he comes to Corinth for the third time. 10:7 The apostle exhorts the Corinthians: “Look at the things according to the face!” (NIV: you are looking only on the surface), referring back to verse 1. Hence, Paul’s exhortation seems to be an invitation for the Corinthians, especially those who remain hostile to him, to take a ...

47. Paul's Vision and His Thorn

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... 1:5; 4:10; see below on 12:8), referred to himself in the third person as the “Son of Man” (cf. Mark 2:10, 28; 8:31, 38, etc.). In any case, Paul’s evasiveness in 12:2–4 is not to be explained as shyness or humility; the apostle is being modestly decorous with his addressees when he says that he knows a man in Christ (cf. the similarly sensitive situation in 7:12), for, after the extensive discussion in 2:14–3:18, there can be little doubt that Paul regards his role as revelatory mediator (on par ...

48. Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Cor. 13:7; 1 Tim. 3:10), but the most important examination and approval comes from God (Rom. 16:10; 2 Cor. 10:18; 2 Tim. 2:15). Inscriptions from the era indicate that those who served in public office should be approved by others. Since the apostles were commissioned by God, they seek to please him (1 Thess. 2:4b; Gal. 1:10; 2 Tim. 2:4). The verb translated “please” appears in inscriptions to designate the good service of citizens and officials on behalf of a city or its people, communicating the idea ...

49. The Glory of the New Covenant

2 Corinthians 3:7-17; 4:1-6

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... to God, who frequently hardens people’s hearts against him (e.g., Exod. 4:21; 7:3, 13; 9:12, 35; 14:4, 8; Deut. 2:30; Isa. 63:17). The unbelievers whose minds are blinded include all those who reject the Pauline gospel, especially the opponents of the apostle in Corinth (cf. 6:14, 15), who are really servants of Satan (cf. 11:12–15). Such people cannot see the light of the gospel. According to Acts 13:47, Paul understood his commission in terms of Isaiah 49:6: “I have made you a light for the nations ...

50. Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

Acts 1:12-26

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... everyone’s heart (v. 24), would show them which of the two should be taken. It is not clear to which person of the Godhead this prayer was addressed, but since the same verb “to choose” is used here as was used in verse 2 of Jesus’ choice of the apostles (also Luke 6:13; John 6:70; 13:18; 15:16, 19) and since Peter had just called Jesus “Lord” (v. 21), it is likely that the prayer was addressed to Jesus. But the same title and the same description—he knows the thoughts of the heart—is used ...

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