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 476 to 500 of 2815 results

476. At the Banquet...In Your Pajamas

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... the verge of murdering him, and he is saying that they will be left out of the kingdom. Meanwhile, those who respond to his invitation to the banquet, bad people as well as good, will be let in. But then Jesus adds a little addendum to this parable, another parable if you will. When the king came in to see the guests who had come to the banquet, he noticed a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. One commentator suggests that special wedding clothes may have been provided at the door by the host, free to ...

477. Will He Find Faith?

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Scott Bryte

... us, we know that God wants good for us, and we know that God eagerly listens and answers our prayers. Surely God is nothing like the judge, and that's the point of the story. It's not a comparison. God is not likened to the unjust judge. Instead, this parable is a contrast. The judge is this ... but God is that. The judge has no respect for people. God does respect people and cares for them. The judge wants to be left alone. God want us to be with him always. The judge gives in out of exasperation. God ...

478. Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , not just for the one being labeled, but for the labeler as well. Jesus is debunking labels for both loved and lover, which is why Jesus doesn’t label the three who came by as the three passersby, as he does in the three debtors’ parable. But at the heart of this parable of “The Good Samaritan” is NOT a lesson about WHO is my neighbor (the lawyer’s question). It is about how to BE a neighbor. Jesus’ answer to his lawyer interrogator is the same both times. DO. ACT. Love is the ultimate verb. We ...

479. How Does Your Garden Grow?

Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . The industrial model depletes the natural nutrients in the soil as it sprays extra “goodies” on the plants. The organic model enriches the soil, while letting the plants naturally feed on what they have offered to them. Jesus, the Master Gardener, offers parable after parable that portrays our role as harvesters of the land and the sea. The “Kingdom of God” is “like” all these roles we play in our lives. The Kingdom of God stories Jesus tells us are revelatory images of a whole new reality ...

480. In Praise of Perseverance

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... surprising comment that links the response of God to persistent prayer to the response of the corrupt judge to the nagging of the widow. Our Lord urges the faithful to be as persistent in prayer as this woman is in her demands on the judge. Of course, the parable does not really compare God to the evil judge. Jesus does not say that you have to keep bugging God to get what is rightfully yours the way the woman had to keep bugging the corrupt judge. Rather than compared to the judge, God is contrasted. If an ...

481. Ruth and Boaz on the Threshing Floor

Ruth 3:1-18

Understanding Series

Michael S. Moore

... [kenapayw] you have come to take refuge,” 2:12) and refashions it to suggest to this go’el that it is his responsibility to become Yahweh’s wing. Like the wise woman of Tekoa, Ruth proves that she is not inexperienced in traversing the path between parable and praxis (see 2 Sam. 14:4–24 and 13). Ruth’s tête-à-tête with Boaz sharply contrasts with the incident in Judges 19:22–30. Reading these texts in tandem, one cannot help but note how this passage counteracts and subverts its canonical ...

482. Woe to Ephraim

Isaiah 28:1-29

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... must acknowledge that, to be prosaically succinct, God teaches farmers to use varying techniques of planting and varying techniques of harvesting at varying times for varying crops. So what? Little in chapter 28 provides the answer. But then, one might expect the interpretation of a parable to follow it, not precede it (as 5:1–6 was followed by v. 7 and further by vv. 8–24, where we have noted that the assertion of Yahweh’s purposefulness was also central). So it is here. The whole of chapters 29–32 ...

483. Divided Loyalties

Luke 12:1-12, Luke 12:13-21

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... chapter 12 (and will be resumed in chaps. 14 and 16). Outline/Structure In 12:1 a large crowd is introduced, but Jesus speaks “first” specifically to his disciples in 12:1–12. Then in 12:13 an interruption from the crowd leads into a more public parable. In 12:22 Jesus will return to addressing disciples, but then he will turn back to the crowd again at 12:54. Historical and Cultural Background While Jesus was with them, his disciples faced some criticism, but by and large it was on Jesus himself that ...

484. What To Do While Waiting for the Judgment?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... failure to act. We even make excuses in our relationship to God. But we can, in truth, play no such tricks. God knows us better than we know ourselves. There’s no way to evade the consequences of our own acts and attributes, and that’s what this parable of Jesus is about. I. Someone Is Coming When Jesus described the kingdom of God or taught about judgment, he often used the image of someone or something coming and the need to be prepared. The Kingdom comes like a thief in the night, like a flood, like ...

485. Being Too Generous

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

... have sent his manager? Then, at the end of the day, he does an even stranger thing. He gives the same wage to every worker, regardless of whether the worker started at daybreak or noon or one hour before quitting time. This is clearly a different kind of landowner. The parable is a little like cod liver oil. You know Jesus is right. You know it must be good for you, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow. We think that the way to win God's attention is to be the first one into the vineyard in ...

486. Understanding Outrageous Grace

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... big a man as you are in Knoxville.” (2) We all like to think we’re a big man or a big woman in some arena, don’t we? It’s no fun when our ego trip gets derailed. Imagine how Jesus’ listeners felt in our Bible passage today. This parable would have been shocking to them, mind-blowing. Let’s hope their big egos don’t get in the way of them hearing and understanding it. And let’s hope that our big egos don’t prevent us from hearing it and understanding it today. This Bible passage starts with ...

487. Beyond Fairness

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Roy Howard

... by hard work. The greatest thing in our life actually comes as a gift from God, not as a reward for our work. That is an occasion for joy! But before we wrap up that package, we should note that there is no mention of the word grace in this parable, and there is certainly no denunciation of work implied, as if the hard work of the early risers were held against them in favor of those who worked less and received a reward. That would be a common misreading of the value of hard work over the abundance of ...

488. The Invitation

Matthew 20:1-15

Sermon

Will Willimon

... , intrusive, never-ceasing mercy, we may hope for more than justice, more than just what's right. We may get the Master, constantly, persistently, relentlessly pursuing us and everyone else until the midnight hour, unhappy until everyone is there. I say to you this is an Easter parable. That's why I’m telling it to you today. It's a story (you can think of others) about a God who refused to leave us alone, refused to leave things with just what's right, a God who came out and pursued us, sought us ...

489. Giving Away the Kingdom

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

Dave Zuchelli

... of him before he got to enjoy the fruit of his labors. Like him, these servants are up against a timetable without a clock. They don’t know when their services will be required. They just have to be ready when the time comes. The final line of the second parable explains the real meaning. “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Luke 12:40). The tie-in becomes obvious when we think about our lives and our possessions in terms of time. We don’t ...

490. Do You See Lazarus On Your Doorstep?

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... to charity and watched the latest shows on PBS. In many respects he might have been considered a “good guy” in his time. But he did not “see” Lazarus on his doorstep. Now, we take a look at the poor man, named Lazarus. Incidentally, this is the only parable of Jesus where the central figure of the story is given a formal name. Lazarus means “God is my help.” He was described as a poor man sitting on the doorstep of the rich man. He was covered with sores. He was constantly hungry and begged for ...

491. Getters of Things Done

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... ’s neighbor?” And by “this man,” he was talking about the victim. Who was the victim’s neighbor? The lawyer rightly said, “the one who helped him.” This is important because, if we aren’t careful, we will flip- flop the roles. We will make the parable into a morality play; the lesson that anyone who is in need of help should be considered our neighbor. But that is decidedly not the point that Jesus made with his question to the lawyer. Who, he wanted to know, was the wounded man’s neighbor ...

492. The Main Thing

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... the job and at home, and when Sunday morning comes, our eyes grow heavy with the fatigue that has built in us all week and we want to trade that hour at church for just one more precious hour of sleep. We get distracted by doubt. The watchmen in the parable stood at the gate and waited for the master’s return. They didn’t expect him to return immediately, so they didn’t worry about it for the first few hours. But then, after a few hours, in what is called the second watch, they began to note that it ...

493. Clever Christians

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Richard Patt

... serve God and mammon." All of them know that there must come a day when Christ is either Lord or he is not Lord, when Christ is served or he is not served. This "day that must come," frankly, is always today -- now. It is this fact that this parable is all about. Clever Christians know that now is the time for action, for doing, not the time for denial about the crucialness of the situation. Clever Christians know that not to choose is to choose; that the apostle Paul was right when he said, "Now is the day ...

494. Advent 1

Luke 21:5-38, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Psalm 25:1-22

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... All the Trees." (v. 29) Luke adds the phrase "and all the trees." Perhaps it was added since Luke was writing for Gentile readers who might not know about a fig tree leafing out at the beginning of the summer season in Palestine. The point of the parable as the need to read the signs of change would be lost on readers who did not know the fig tree's cycle of growth. 7. "My Words Will Not Pass Away." (v. 33) The material or physical manifestations will have limited existence. The truth of personal existence ...

495. The Fruitful Vine

John 15:1-17, 1 John 4:7-21, Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:1-31

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... If we fail to bring forth the fruits because of the life of Christ flowing into us through the activity of the Holy Spirit, we are as dead wood that is to be discarded. 4. Pruning the Vine. The church has usually found discipline a difficult problem. This parable with its image of the pruning of the vine and the cutting away of dead branches suggests the need for some discipline. The issue is not whether discipline is needed, but who exercises it, how it is done, and for what end. It is clear that with the ...

496. To All Those Who Have, More Will Be Given

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

... who loves us is the storyteller. And if we look closely at the context of the story, if we study every character, putting ourselves in the place of each one; if we think about what is actually happening, this story doesn't seem so out of place. This parable doesn't go against the rest of scripture's understanding of the kingdom of God. This story, that sounds on the surface to be about a harsh master who takes from the poor and gives to the rich, is not about shrewd financial investing. Instead it is about ...

497. Epiphany 5

Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... of God. It is revealed through the spirit of God to the human spirit. It is a gift given to those receptive to hear it. Gospel. (Matthew 5:13-20) The reading from the gospel includes the beatitudes as well as the two brief similes or parables. The parables are the consequence of those who respond to the call of the presence of the kingdom of God and manifest the characteristics given in the beatitudes. The Psalm. (Psalm 112:1-9) The theme of light is also found in this passage, "They rise in darkness ...

498. Proper 19

Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Jeremiah 4:5-31, 1 Timothy 1:12-20

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... lost, we must seek and find them to bring them back to God. That return to God is being "saved." 3. One (vv. 7, 10). In these parables the emphasis is upon "one." One sheep is worth leaving 99 to care for themselves while the shepherd looks for the one animal. There is more ... admits to a loss of a million members in less than 10 years. Each member is a potential "lost" member. In the parables of the sheep and coin, both at one time were "saved" and then became "lost." The same can happen today to a ...

499. Proper 25

Luke 18:9-14, Joel 2:18-27, Joel 2:28-32, 2 Timothy 3:10--4:8, 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... To be Christian, we think we should be nobodies and confess that in us there is no merit or worthiness. We want to be somebody and we want to feel good about ourselves. Can one feel this way and still be a genuine Christian? This issue is involved in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. Outline: It is okay to feel good about yourself a. Like the Pharisee, feel good about yourself vv. 11-12. 1. You believe in God. 2. You go to church. 3. You do good. b. Like the Publican, do not feel too good about ...

500. Jesus Heals A Paralytic

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon Aid

Richard A. Jensen

... have traced above are ripe for story telling! We can tell stories which place this story as the climax of the healing stories. We can tell stories which see it as the beginning of the four controversy stories. We could follow Tolbert and bring in the Parable of the Sower here to understand what kind of hearers these Jewish religious leaders were. We could deal with the theme of blasphemy or authority. Good luck with any of them! We have said little in this chapter about the two authoritative words of Jesus ...

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