Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 476 to 500 of 4944 results

476. Lighting up Your Neighborhood

Acts 13:44-49

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Love your neighbor as you love yourself. The Bible is quite insistent about that. Eight times from Leviticus to First John the Bible comes right out and commands it. Numerous times it is mentioned as the foundation of all human relationships. Loving your neighbor is not a plaque to be posted in our court houses. It is a principle to apply in our lives. What part of neighbor don't we understand? I. NEIGHBORS ARE THOSE NEARBY The literal translation of neighbor is the “the person next to a person." Turn to ...

477. Promises to Keep

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

The Days of Our Loves, Herod Style If you like those soap opera type stories of dysfunctional families or maybe royal palace intrigue, you need look no further than the New Testament, the histories of Josephus, and the lives of the Herod Family. Herod the Great was the patriarch of this particular and peculiar family and, as you may recall, he ruled Palestine from about 36 BCE to 4 BCE. History records that he was, quite literally, an evil genius. He was a great builder who was responsible for rebuilding ...

478. All Tied Up

Luke 7:1-10

Illustration

John R. Steward

College students are notorious for their laundry problems while away at college. This seems to be especially true for freshmen. It is not uncommon, of course, for a student to put this task off for as long as possible. In fact, you can sometimes tell that students on campus will soon be dealing with their laundry when they start wearing the nicer clothing that they have. Sometimes they have been known to store up dirty clothes in anticipation of a visit home, where they just know that Mom will be more than ...

479. How Can We Restore the Christian Home?

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Donald Macleod

And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' ...

480. Forgiving the Bully

Matthew 5:38-42, Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

John Jamison

I like the first part of this story about Jesus. All those blessings, and that neat parable about the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. It makes me feel good inside. But now it gets difficult. Let me put this in terms that I can understand. The first time I ever remember hating anyone was in the third grade. The kid's name was Les. Les moved into town part way through the year and from the beginning we had trouble. On the first day, I received a note during spelling. The note read, "After ...

481. Keeping Our Perspective and Priorities Straight

Luke 6:17-26

Illustration

Brett Blair

Leith Anderson, a pastor, shared an experience: As a boy, he grew up outside of New York City and was an avid fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. One day his father took him to a World Series game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. He was so excited, and he just knew the Dodgers would trounce the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Dodgers never got on base, and his excitement was shattered. Years later he was engrossed in a conversation with a man who was a walking sports almanac. Leith told him about the first ...

482. Be Opened

Mark 7:24-37

Illustration

Peter Marty

When Martin Luther put together a baptismal liturgy in 1523, the actual rite required the pastor to take some of his own saliva and touch the ears and lips of every child getting baptized. At the same instant, the pastor was to repeat the words of Jesus to the deaf man, that one with the speech impediment. The baptizing pastor was to say: Ephphatha - That is, be opened. We don't do this anymore in the Lutheran Church. And I'm not sure I'd be serving my congregation very long if I started using this saliva ...

483. Grow Up!

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

The best way to jump-start your spiritual life, according to a recent survey, is to serve others in Jesus’ name, in addition to studying the Bible. Eighty thousand people from 200 churches responded to this survey. What sent shock waves to pastors and leaders everywhere is that the weekly worship service can only carry a person so far in aiding spiritual growth. If the person only attends worship after awhile they become bored, angry, and sometimes leave the church. They describe their experience as being ...

484. Will the “Real” Jesus Please Stand Up

Mark 3:20-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Who is the “real” Jesus? How hard is it for us to see Jesus as a real person who felt sadness, happiness, grief, joy, who experienced laughter, who joked with his disciplines, who got angry, who could wrestle with his own pain? And yet, if we don’t recognize this Jesus, we lose the gift that God gave to us in the reality of the fully human (not just divine) Son. Watching the way Jesus handles his own struggles, reveals his own humanness, can help us to recognize and accept our own. Today, nearly every ...

485. Radio On and Antenna Up

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

The S.S. California was only six miles away when the Titanic sank, but its radio was turned off. The S.S. Carpathia was a far greater distance away, but its radio was turned on. The distress signal was heard and this vessel arrived in time to save hundreds of lives. The California, however, only ten miles away, became aware of the tragic loss only after it was too late. I’ve seen that happen in families and among friends. We can be side by side with people and never be aware that they’re torn up inside. ...

486. Keeping God First in the Polls

John 3:1-21

Sermon

James Weekley

Did you know that a glass of hippopotamus milk contains eighty calories, or that only five percent of people are able to dream in color? Facts are intriguing but, just as quickly, they are easily forgotten. The recent knowledge explosion has had a great impact upon technology. With that technological 'know how,' we thought we had a blank check to the future. Then came the new bullies on the block: environmental pollution and computer impersonalism. The marriage of knowledge and technology were not creating ...

487. Why Do You Keep Crying Aloud?

Mark 9:2-9

Illustration

Scott F. K. Kober

Elie Wiesel tells the story of a prophet who came to a city and delivered his message every day in the marketplace. After a time his ranting became a fixture of the city's life and people regarded him with amusement when they regarded him at all. Finally, a small boy, pitying the old man, approached him and said, "Sir, why do you keep crying aloud like this every day, year after year? The people here will never listen to you." "I gave up hope that they would listen to me a long time ago," said the prophet ...

488. Keep at It

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

William G. Carter

A number of years ago, Dr. John Hubbard, the former president of the University of Southern California, took a trip to Texas. While he was there, he met Tom Landry, the coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who gave him a Dallas Cowboy t-shirt before he left. Sometime later, Dr. Hubbard put on the shirt, and went out to play a round of golf. His caddy noticed the t-shirt and said, "Sir, are you the coach of the Dallas Cowboys?" Without thinking, Dr. Hubbard said, "No, I'm not the coach. I guess I'm a scout." The ...

489. Looking Up: Looking Out

Mark 9:2-9

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

This passage serves as a gift to the church as we prepare to enter into the season of Lent beginning with Ash Wednesday this coming week. At the outset, it is important to realize that this fantastic vision of the transfigured Jesus follows upon the hard prediction Jesus made concerning his own death: Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. — Mark 8:31 Any ...

490. Keep an Inventory of Good

Illustration

Staff

Many years ago a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. John D. Rockefeller was then running the firm. On the day the news leaked out most of the executives of the company were finding various ingenious ways of avoiding Mr. Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads. There was one exception, however; he was Edward T. Bedford, a partner in the company. Bedford was scheduled to see Rockefeller that day and he kept the ...

491. Be Sure of Your Course and Keep on Going

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

The setting was a cold January morning in a little town in Wisconsin, on the southern shore of Lake Superior. It happened to be the Saturday when they had their annual dog sled derby on the ice. A one-mile course had been staked out by sticking little fir trees in the ice. The whole course was easily visible because of the steep slope of the shore. It was a youngsters' meet and the contenders ranged all the way from large boys with several dogs and big sleds to one little fellow who didn't seem over five ...

492. A Ministry Of Hospitality

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Richard Patt

Maybe you've heard the humorous story about the pastor who was having difficulty with his assigned parking space on the church parking lot. People parked in his spot whenever they pleased, even though there was a sign that clearly said, "This space reserved." He thought the sign needed to be more clear, so he had a different sign made, which read, "Reserved for Pastor Only." Still people ignored it and parked in his space whenever they felt like it. "Maybe the sign should be more forceful," he thought. So ...

493. Keep Growing!

1 Peter 2:4-12

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

Growth is important in all areas of life. Lesson: Do any of you have baby brothers or sisters at home? Have all of you seen a little baby? They're so cute and cuddly, but they need lots of help; they can't do anything for themselves. Have you ever watched babies learn to eat? What a mess! They get food all over the floor, all over their clothes, and all over themselves. It's in their hair, it's in their ears, it's everywhere! But eventually, they get a little better and don't spill so much on the floor and ...

494. Holy Friendship

John 6:60-71

Sermon

Donald Macleod

After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:66-69 (RSV) Jesus said to the twelve, "Will you also go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." It is easy to think of Jesus' life as being ...

495. Rise Up

1 Corinthians 15:20a

Children's Sermon

Object: a package of quick-rise yeast, a bowl, a pitcher of hot water and a spoon Good morning, boys and girls. Happy Easter! Easter is a very happy day, isn't it? (Let them respond.) Our verse says that Jesus has been raised from death. What do you think "raised from death" means? (Let them respond.) It means Jesus died on Good Friday his friends buried him in a tomb or cave and on Sunday, Easter Day, God made Jesus alive again! That makes it a happy day! I brought something with me that's alive today to ...

496. Holy Diet

John 6:24-35

Sermon

Donald Macleod

So when the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for ...

497. Holy Believing

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Donald Macleod

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last ...

498. Keeping Alert

Luke 9:28-36

Illustration

John A. Stroman

In Luke's account, Jesus prayed but the disciples slept. They had fallen asleep. With their heads in the clouds, they drifted off into an unconscious state. Remember the story of Rip Van Winkle? He fell asleep one day in a quiet spot on the banks of the Hudson River and he didn't wake up for twenty years. When he went to sleep, the sign above his favorite tavern read: "King George III, King of England." He was a subject of the British crown. When he woke up, King George was replaced by George Washington ...

499. Giving Up Our Monkeys

Hebrews 12:1-13

Illustration

Several years ago the news media reported on a man who was, for a prolonged period of time, marooned alone on a small Pacific island. A passing ship was prepared to rescue him, but he refused to go. It seems that while there he had acquired a pet monkey which he was unwilling to leave behind, and the ship's regulations would not permit it on board. Here in church today we meet Christ, our rescuer, our deliverer. He says, "Come, go with me." He comes to set us free - and he will, if we are willing to give ...

500. Facing Up to a Power Problem

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

Today we have a power problem. Before Pentecost the disciples had a power problem; they were helpless. There’s all the difference in the world when the power is turned on. Jesus said to his ineffective disciples: "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you." Then it happened. The air was charged with change. Against their souls in strain A furious wind was hurled. Down some invisible wire, Exploding into fire, God’s lightning came; And their night Was burned away. (a parody on ...

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