Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 476 to 500 of 4490 results

476. Greed or the Gospel?

Acts 8:9-13, 18-24

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

How do you spell success? Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Success is to laugh often and much, to win the respect of people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, and to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is success." Simon the Magician thought success was to get people’s attention, win their admiration, and ...

477. The Humble King

John 12:12-19

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

C.S. Lewis once said, “The best thing about Christianity is that no one could have guessed it." Our Messiah is born in a stable. We let our King ride in majesty on a donkey. We hang our Savior on a cross. How odd of God. Who can imagine it? A horrible week in the life of His disciples becomes a holy week in the life of His followers. Who can comprehend it? Even Palm Sunday, a simple parade becomes a paradox. Those who crown Him King will soon call for His crucifixion, for God can never be put in a box. The ...

478. Giving Our Gratitude

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

When my medical scans last May revealed one more opportunity to live a life that really matters, I asked the Lord to tell me what I needed to do with the time I had left on earth. The question became a matter of deep prayer. And as clearly as I've ever heard the Lord speak, the Lord said to me, “Preach, pray and serve people." I ran my revelation past Sandy and she replied, “You might lighten up on the preaching when you are out of the pulpit, but otherwise go for it." Today I raise that question with you ...

479. Lust

Galatians 5:16-26

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Remember the furor that arose a few years ago when Jimmy Carter was interviewed by Playboy magazine and was asked if he had ever had any extramarital affairs? He said that he never had but admitted to lusting "in my heart," which as Jesus made clear, was just as bad as actually committing adultery. Now, whatever one might think about Jimmy Carter's presidency, everyone would agree that he was and is a most committed Christian. If someone like Jimmy Carter would admit to a problem with lust, I suspect that ...

480. Breaking Down the Walls

Ephesians 2:13-22

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A tray with candy on it Boys and girls: I'm going to be very popular this morning. I want to give somebody a piece of candy. Any volunteers? I thought so. O.K., _____. In just a moment, I am going to let you have all the candy you can pick up. First of all, though, I need for you to make a fist. See just how tight and how angry you can make that fist. Now, you can have all the candy that you can pick up with your fist just as tight as it is now. What? That's a problem? Of course it is. It's very ...

Sobering up was responsible for breaking up my marriage. That's what it couldn't stand.

James Taylor

482. Night and Light

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

A friend of mine had rewritten a familiar proverb and used it ominously. “Just remember,” he said, “things always look the darkest before the lights go out completely.” There was something of that threatening anticipation which always washed over us on this darkening night. We join Jesus and his disciples as dusk falls. They did not know it yet, but within hours the blackness would become very bleak. Jesus would be arrested, they would be scattered, and even Peter would deny and reject his relationship ...

483. A Homecoming To Remember

1 Kings 8:22-61

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

In the heart of our nation's capital, in sight of the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, is the Holocaust Memorial Museum. The Holocaust Memorial Museum is unlike any museum you are ever likely to visit, for it presents the history of the 6,000,000 Jews and millions of others who suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis during the Second World War. Upon entering the museum, visitors are issued an identity card bearing the name and picture of a Holocaust victim, matching the person's age and gender. The ...

484. Good News Or Bad News?

Sermon

Rolf E. Aaseng

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ..." Then he will say ...

485. Give Me A Break

Mark 6:30-44

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

Call to Worship Leader: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." People: We do so much coming and going that we have no leisure even to eat. Leader: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." People: We give and give and give until nothing is left of us to give. Leader: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." Collect Just the thought of a time-out, a pause and respite, brings us comfort, O God. Let us find during this service ...

486. The Ten Commandments #10: No Covetousness

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Will Rogers once told of being approached by someone in a great state of excitement claiming that an enemy submarine had invaded one of our harbors; the man was wanting to know how the country could get rid of it. Will thought for a minute and said, "That's easy...boil the water in the harbor." But the questioner persisted. "That's a great idea, but how do we do that?" Rogers responded, "Hey, I am a concept man. You will have to work out the details for yourself." I confess to feeling a bit like Will ...

487. Filled with Fear, Accepted with Grace

Luke 24:13-35

Illustration

J. Daniel Hester

Ernie Pyle, a well known WWII news Correspondent, was known for writing about the average GI. He didn't write about the strategy and the campaigns. He wrote about the guy slogging through the mud and dodging bullets to get back home. He knew the GI's because he lived with them, and eventually died with them. In one of his books, he tells the story of a German soldier who had been taken prisoner. This German soldier had been told horrible stories about what the Americans would do to POW's, and so he was ...

488. Ephesians 5:15-20

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

After spending considerable time on the woeful ways of those untouched by Christ (5:3-14), the Ephesians' author now moves to the positive characteristics that distinguish Christian behavior. Although the general tone of these passages is more upbeat than downcast, the author continues his established pattern of citing a negative example followed by a positive Christ-inspired condition or action. The tightly woven, tersely interlocking nature of separate texts and ideas is quite evident throughout this ...

489. Mark 10:2-16

Mark 10:2-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Mark's journeying Jesus moves beyond the Jordan as he approaches his final entry into Jerusalem. But although he has moved into new territory, Jesus continues to confront the same establishment adversaries and to battle the same obstinate ignorance of his disciples. The issue specifically designed to "test" him now is the question posed by the authorities about the legality of divorce. Supposedly, the formulation of this issue was intended to put Jesus on the spot before two different groups _ the body of ...

490. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23

Sermon

Mike Ripski

Last Sunday was glorious. Brass and timpani. Stirring music. Lilies and caladiums. A full sanctuary. The Hallelujah Chorus. Was it just a dream? If what we celebrated seven days ago was true, where is everybody today? It’s enough to make you wonder. Even make you doubt. Could it be that those of us who have gathered for what is called “Low Sunday” – are we just fooling ourselves? The disciples likely wondered the same thing. It is Easter evening. They have gathered in a house and locked the doors. They ...

491. How Much to Spend on The Poor?

John 12:1-11

Illustration

Richard Meyer

What happened at Jesus' anointing in Bethany has plagued the followers of Jesus from then until now. How much do we spend on ourselves and how much do we give to missions? Couldn't we do more good by giving all this money to the poor instead of spending it on, say, a new building? In partial response to this question, my mind goes back to an experience of William Willimon, chaplain at Duke University. Willimon tells of the time the faculty of Duke was discussing a proposal to renovate the seminary chapel. ...

492. What Matters In the Light of Eternity: “God Matters”

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity. What Charles Dickens said of Europe in the eighteenth century could be said of religion in the twenty-first century. In short, the world is polarizing over religion. It is getting both more and less religious at the same time and that’s what I would like to talk about today. When the Apostle Paul walked among the idols on Mars Hill in ...

493. Resurrected Place (Series: Living on the Resurrection Side of Life)

John 14:1-4

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Swiss psychiatrist Paul Tournier opens one of his most popular books with these words. “Basically we are always looking for a place–for somewhere to be.” I think the good doctor is right. From the first breath of birth to the final breath of death we are in need of a place, a place to be. Maybe that’s why John 14 is such a beloved passage of the Bible. “Let not your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house are many rooms. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” Jesus is providing a place for you, a ...

494. Celebration (Series: Fundamentals of Family)

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

When our Lord wanted to drive home a truth, he told a story. There were 99 sheep safe in the fold, but the good shepherd went searching for the one that was lost. A woman had 10 precious coins. She lost one of them. A certain man had two sons. The Bible never gets better than here in Luke 15. The thread that binds these stories together is the single word celebration. (Luke 15: 23-24) “Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to ...

495. Stewardship of All (Series: Stewardship: Discover This Word and Love It!)

Matthew 26:6-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Something beautiful, something good, sometimes I need a dose of that. How about you? All the great philosophers of history describe truth, goodness, and beauty as supreme values. Christopher Morley once said, “In every man’s heart, there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.” So, today I want to tell you a beautiful story. It’s in the Bible. To preach it would be to abuse it. So let me simply tell it as well as I can. I. A Beautiful Act “Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of ...

496. Stewardship of the Earth (Series: Stewardship: Discover This Word and Love It!)

Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

When God made you and God made me, He gave us a wonderful place to be. We have woods and hills and waterfalls; We have varieties of creatures, great and small. When God made you and God made me, He gave us an awesome responsibility. There is a great political debate waging in our world concerning global warming. Some affirm it and others deny it. Meanwhile, the rest of us sweat our way through one of the hottest, driest summers in history, but I have not come to preach about an inconvenient truth. I. I ...

497. Finding Common Ground

Galatians 3:15-25

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

After visiting six different countries the past two weeks, I found myself humming the tune of Lee Greenwood’s song as I touched back down in the U.S.A. a couple of days ago. While we were treated well everywhere we went, I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. The Apostle Paul was proud to be a Christian for Christ had set him free. Spiritual freedom was on his mind when he wrote this little letter to the churches in the region of Galatia. Some might call this letter in the Bible a ...

498. We Believe in the Trinity

John 16:5-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Most of us have had those words spoken to us as water was sprinkled on our heads or our bodies were plunged into some pool. If water is a sign of God’s grace, then the Trinity is a mystery of God’s nature. This is Trinity Sunday. Sunday after Sunday we sing about the Trinity, pray to the Trinity, and hear great thanksgivings expressed to the Trinity, but who of us understands this uniquely Christian expression of faith? I’m ...

499. Radical Love is Forgiving (Series: Radical Love in a Risky World)

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Alexander Pope said “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” Lewis Smedes says, “God invented forgiveness as a remedy for a past that not even he could change nor forget.” Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven. Those who are forgiven much, love much.” Come, let us take a closer look. Jesus is invited to join Simon the Pharisee for dinner. Why Simon invited Jesus is anybody’s guess. Maybe Simon sincerely wanted to know Jesus. Maybe dinner was a trap. Maybe Simon was just curious and decided to find out for ...

500. Praising God All the Way Home

Psalm 150:1-6

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below. That’s what we are trying to do this Thanksgiving Sunday. Psalm 150 tells us how; it is a rousing invitation to praise God. Praise the Lord. I. Where: Praise God In His Sanctuary, Praise God In His Mighty Firmament. From sanctuary to sky, praise the Lord. Praise God on the highway, in the byway, in waiting rooms and working rooms, through field and forest, in the city and the country-side. When I walk through the valleys of the ...

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