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Showing 26 to 50 of 4937 results

26. Sin, Confession and Redemption

Isaiah 59:1-21

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... 66. The indictment starts once again from the fact that the people are seeking Yahweh—that is, seeking Yahweh’s intervention in their life (e.g., 58:2, 9a). They are puzzled about the reason the moment never quite comes when darkness gives way to light, drought to refreshment, destruction to restoration, constraint to joy and feasting (see 59:9–14). In their prayers they asked that question and urged Yahweh to hear and save, the two characteristic petitions of the psalms. So why does everything remain ...

27. A Church Shaped By The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... toward two distinctly opposite poles. One branch (soon to be labeled as liberal) refused to abdicate its optimistic commitment to social transformation as the central mission of the Church. Unfortunately, the salvation of souls diminished in priority, thus giving way to what was known as the social gospel. The other branch (the fundamentalists) responded in opposite fashion by stressing “the dangers of the world, the comforts of a separated piety, the centrality of evangelism, and an expectation of the ...

28. Concluding Exhortations

Hebrews 13:1-25

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... . Thus, like the exemplars of faith, the readers are to be controlled by an unseen, future reality (cf. 11:1), the city that is to come. By implication, the importance of the literal Jerusalem, symbolic of the temple and the levitical sacrifices, must give way to that of the heavenly Jerusalem. But it is exactly the latter that the readers will not participate in if they remain in the Judaism of the literal Jerusalem (cf. v. 10). 13:15–16 There are forms of sacrifice—spiritual, and not literal—that ...

29. Riddles and Metaphors

Ezekiel 15:1-8, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Ezekiel 17:1-24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... faithlessness of Jerusalem, and the thwarted passion of God. Note, though, that this is not the end of the story. Beyond Jerusalem’s bloody, shameful end lies new hope and possibility. 16:43b–58 The Lord’s harsh, unstinting message of judgment now gives way to a promise of salvation. It is a curious sort of salvation oracle, however, containing as it does more condemnation than salvation. Still, the shift is clear, and in fact began with the summary that concluded the message of judgment in verses 35 ...

30. Lent 2

Psalm 121:1-8, Genesis 12:1-8, Romans 4:1-25, John 3:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS The themes of sin and death, which have been central to the Lenten Old Testament lessons up to this point, give way to divine promise of life and blessing in Genesis 12:1-4a . Psalm 122 takes the divine promise of life and blessing into the setting of worship, where it functions both as a song of praise to God for the gift of peace and salvation, and as encouragement to the worshiper ...

31. Death Shall Be No More

John 13:31-35 · Revelation 21:1-6

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... greed. Love, you see, is the apocalyptic button we need to push. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…” This is a heaven and earth where people meet one another without suspicion or anger. A place where competition and hard-hearted individualism gives way to a community of compassion and justice. Let us live into a new Jerusalem. Let us live together into a kind of love that will become our identity. Let us step into the world changing role of a people who love radically, a people who give, not ...

32. Epiphany 6

Mt 5:21-37 · 1 Cor 3:1-9 · Ps 119 · Dt 30:15-20

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... ), then there would never be shame (v. 5). This section is really a lament, because it is meant to underscore how the psalmist could not possibly follow all the details of God's law, even though God commands that every law be kept diligently. The lament first gives way to renewed diligence on the part of the psalmist to absorb the law (v. 7), but ultimately it leads to a call for grace ("Do not forsake me!" v. 8), which is how the psalmist got on this road in the first place. The law is not legalism. Rather ...

33. Of Peace and War

Deuteronomy 20:1-20

Sermon

James Merritt

... . 2). Just Intent “When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them.” (Deuteronomy 20:2-3, NIV) As we see here, the ultimate goal of war is to win the peace. The purpose should never be to simply subjugate a weaker nation or to plunder a defenseless people. The motive must be right. 3). Last ...

34. The Disciples' Grief Will Turn to Joy

John 16:17-33, John 16:5-16

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... see. The reality is the departure of Jesus from the world; at this, the disciples will weep and mourn while the world rejoices (v. 20). Jesus then introduces a parable about a woman in labor to dramatize the point that the disciples’ sadness will later give way to joy (v. 21). The reversal implied by this imagery seems at first to demand that at the moment when the disciples’ sadness turns to joy, the world’s joy turns bitter. The metaphor of birth pangs (cf. 1 Thess. 5:3), as well as such distinctly ...

35. The Impending Departure II

John 16:5-16, John 16:17-33

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

36. Anatomy Of A Testimony

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... to give at a party." "Ah, I see. It must be for someone very important." "Oh yes," he says. "It's for my wife!" "That's very sweet. What's the occasion? An anniversary?" "Yes, that's right," the man replies. "Our silver anniversary!" Our smile slowly gives way to a more quizzical look. "Silver anniversary," we ask. "Doesn't that mean 25 years of marriage?" We are understandably confused, for the young man doesn't even appear to be 25 years old himself. How could he possibly be celebrating his twenty-fifth ...

37. Timothy’s Encouraging Report

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

The somber note on which the previous section ended now gives way to joy at the news brought to Paul at Corinth by Timothy. The Thessalonians were standing firm in the faith and still held the missionaries dear. In view of the missionaries’ intense longing for the Thessalonians (2:17), this news is like a breath of life to them—“now we really ...

38. Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... the Day of final judgment. 13:11–12 To make his point concerning the passing away of imperfection (that is, the gifts) and the eternal nature of love, Paul offers a dramatic metaphor in regard to the putting aside of childish ways. Immaturity gives way to maturity, so that a childish concern with flamboyant gifts should run its course and end with the advent of a mature concern for love. Moreover, with the ensuing metaphor of seeing in a mirror dimly Paul articulates a contrast between current existence ...

39. Church Divisions and Confusion of Allegiance

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

... and agreement. To “speak the same” and have the “same purpose” does not translate into full agreement on all issues in the church. It does, however, rule out any notion of “I alone can be right.” Personal agendas have no place and must give way to the greater purpose of creating a community that imitates Christ and exists to give him glory. 3. Christ’s power to transform. It is always a danger for a church to downgrade itself to a mere religious expression of the culture that surrounds it ...

40. Proper 25

Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 22:41-46, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16, Psalm 90:1-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... future, which makes it an incomplete story. The result is that our final snapshot of Moses is less about his death, than it is about him standing tiptoe on Mount Nebo, while God singles out some of the high points of the country, before the divine travelogue gives way to a promise: that one day Israel will reach the end of their journey and live in this land. There is powerful material here to be exploring in preaching. The central point of the text is that the death of Moses is about the future. The text ...

41. Winners Losers

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

... you maturity, self-governance for your good and the good of those around. I want you to be a winner, and here’s how:” 3.) Continue. Accept whatever word of the gospel that grasps you and follow through with its possibilities. Do not give way to fanciful daydreams, but invest yourself in that word by daily practice, putting one foot ahead of the other until you experience the meanings of Jesus’ word (now your word) and develop skills for profiting from its power. Such continuing is a fundamental skill ...

42. Jesus’s Identity as Messiah and Son of God Established

Mark 1:1-8

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... ” for the coming of God’s final kingdom in Jesus the Messiah. His ministry in every way foreshadows Jesus. He is the first great prophet in four hundred years, the one coming “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17), yet he gives way to Jesus, the greater prophet (a major emphasis in Luke 1–3) who will perform the miracles of Elijah and bring God’s salvation to humankind. He preaches repentance (Mark 1:4), preparing for Jesus’s proclamation, “Repent and believe” (1:15). His task is ...

43. Future Glory

Romans 8:18-27

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... final state, then despair would be the only possible result. But creation has been given the promise that it will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God (v. 21). The subjected world must give way to the liberated world, creaturely existence must yield to existence as heirs and children of God. The “when” of hope is not yet known because liberation from bondage lies in the future; but the “what” of hope is already known, for God wills to ...

44. Afraid of Hope

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... name of Jesus Christ the Lord over the cross, come away from that kind of thinking and believe the good news: Jesus lives! Thomas believed it could not be and, so for him it would not be. Before you can believe good news you must hope it. Then let hope give way to belief. Act as though the good news is true and it will come true through you. Thomas had to learn the good news that doubt is not true. Only this is true: Jesus Christ is alive. He is risen and we can face whatever comes our way with the ...

45. Assured by the Certainties of Faith

1 John 5:13-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... 1984 edition of the NIV changed “assurance” to confidence. 5:16 The Elder does not actually forbid such prayer, but he has no confidence that it will be heard and answered, in contrast to the confidence he feels about God responding in a life-giving way to all of the other prayers of the believing community (cf. vv. 14–16ab). On the phrase “not unto death,” see D. M. Scholer, “Sins Within and Sins Without: An Interpretation of 1 John 5:16–17,” in Current Issues in Biblical Interpretation, ed ...

46. The Mud Room

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... new things, grow ideas, generate thoughts, create new beginnings. Everything renewed or created, whether a brainstorming idea, molding a piece of pottery,or forging a new relationship, begins with an amorphous, ambiguous mess. Messy entrances give way to new and interesting beginnings. Messy re-entrances give way to renewed and revitalized beginnings. In our scripture for today, Jesus offers us a vital lesson about mud and about how we truly see: how we perceive God, ourselves, and our world, and how we ...

47. Hope Against Hope

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Erskine White

... always know in the back of your mind that sooner or later, flowers, birds and baseball will all come back. Even as the blizzards rage, you can pull out your calendar and be reassured that it is just a matter of time before this long night of winter gives way to the brightening dawn of spring. It’s easy to be reassured and it’s easy to cling to hope, where the seasons of the calendar year are concerned. But what about the seasons of life? What about the winter seasons we go through in life, when we are ...

48. Assurance: The Privilage of All Believers

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... what some Christians today label the “Doctrine of once saved, always saved.” Listen carefully to this succinct word of Wesley: “A man may be in God’s favor though he feels sin; but not if he yields to it. Having sin does not forfeit the favor of God; giving way to sin does. Though the flesh in you “lusts against the Spirit,” you may still be a child of God; but if you “walk after the flesh,” you are a child of the devil. So get the matter straight. It is not a question of whether God is able ...

49. The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-35, Luke 14:15-24

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother. Jesus often exaggerated in order to make a point forcefully, and few interpreters have supposed that actual hatred is meant here. It is a matter of priorities: even the most basic of human attachments must give way to the demands of God’s kingdom (cf. 18:29). For a similar use of “hate” in the sense of “love less,” see 16:13, and compare Genesis 29:31–33; Malachi 1:2–3. The Matthean parallel here has “love more than” (Matt. 10:37). 14 ...

50. Easter 3

Psalm 116:1-19, Acts 2:14-41, 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, Luke 24:13-35

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... . Clearly the story presents a transition from blindness to sight, from faithlessness to faith, and in the process, it presents a journey that ends where it began—in Jerusalem, with one significant difference: What was judged as nonsense in v. 11 gives way to a meal with the resurrected Jesus in vv. 44-49. The central task in preaching this text is to convey what events in the Emmaus story have allowed for this transition—namely, scripture and the Eucharist. First, the context for Jesus' teaching ...

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