Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 501 to 525 of 4939 results

501. A New Attitude

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... of mind and for the sake of those around us, we must change our liking. But we do have the power to choose. I want to challenge you today to look at your life. Is there some area in which you need an attitude adjustment? Whether it is giving up a long-held resentment, or treating a spouse with more kindness, or whatever your need might be, this is the time. Peter wants to build three shelters and stay on that mountain. While he is still speaking, a bright cloud envelopes them, and a voice from the cloud ...

502. Culture Shock

1 Kings 18:21-40

Sermon

James Merritt

... doesn't show any mercy. He begins to taunt them and make fun of their god, "Maybe the battery in his hearing aid is dead. Maybe he is too busy to answer the phone. Maybe he took too many sleeping pills." He shows absolutely no mercy at all. After they give up, he takes his turn. "Then Elijah said to all the people, 'Come near to me.' So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons ...

503. Through The Eye Of The Needle

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... a flashpoint for controversy in the church for centuries. They have ignited heated debates about the role of money in the Christian life. These tough words of Jesus have usually provoked two kinds of reactions. One interprets Jesus' words to mean that you had better give up your money. Money is at least a source of great temptation if not a tool of the devil himself. Therefore, if you want to be in the kingdom, give your money away and go off and join a monastery. The other perspective maintains that Jesus ...

504. Proper 18

Lk 14:25-33 · Eze 33:1-11 · Phm 1-20 · Prov 9:8-12

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... , the responsibility of the children, etc.? When you were ordained, did you bite off more than you can chew? 3. All (v. 33). This is probably the hardest saying of Jesus. To be his disciple is to renounce "all" that one has. To renounce is to give up, to place it at least in secondary place of importance. Everything and everyone is inferior to Christ. He gets top priority in our affection, devotion, work, and time. Whoever said it was easy to be a Christian? If this is the criterion for being a disciple ...

505. 101 Ways to Spend Your Time

Illustration

Tim Kimmel

... dates. Have a "quiet Saturday" (no television, no radio, no stereo...no kidding). If your children are little, spend an hour playing with them but let them determine the game. Have your parents tell your children about life when they were young. Give up soap operas. De-clutter your house. If you have a habit of watching late night television, but have to be to work early every morning, change your habit. Don't accept unnecessary breakfast appointments. Write missionaries regularly. Go through your closets ...

506. In Praise of Perseverance

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... and good sense.” If there is a problem for which you seek a solution, pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you. If you have a worthwhile goal or project, pray to God, get started on it, and don't give up. Expect to achieve. After all, if a corrupt judge responds to the persistence of a poor woman, how much more will the God who loves you respond to you? Be persistent. Nothing of much importance is accomplished without it. Never give in except to convictions of honor ...

507. Jesus Defines Himself as Lord in Contrast to the Leaders of Israel

Mark 12:41-44, Mark 12:35-40

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... her a prime example of true discipleship, one who gave “all she had” to God. So she is another of the “little people” (see “The Text in Context” on 7:24–37), who demonstrate radical surrender (she does what the young man in 10:21 could not: give up everything for God). It is the heart of the giver, not the amount given, that pleases God (see Matt. 6:1–4). Teaching the Text 1. Jesus the Messiah is also the cosmic Lord. Mark is often accused of having a “low Christology,” but in reality it ...

508. Two Parables about Prayer

Luke 18:9-14, Luke 18:1-8

Teach the Text

R.T. France

... temple in Jerusalem, where Israelite men stood to pray in the court of Israel overlooking the court of the priests, where the sacrificial ritual took place (cf. 1:10). Interpretive Insights 18:1 to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke sometimes gives an introductory “steer” to guide his readers’ interpretation of a parable (cf. 18:9; 19:11). This one is expressed in quite general terms; it does not relate specifically to praying for the coming of the Son of Man, which has ...

509. This Is Athletics -- Check Your Christianity At The Door

Drama

Karren Boehr

... 't forget, the devil eats his followers for lunch. JOHN: (Resignedly) I know ... I know. Guess you'll be skipping the post-game party. MARK: The bash? JOHN: Yeah. (Pauses) The drinking I can leave. (Gives MARK a playful shove) It's the girls that I hate to give up. You don't get much cuddling at youth group, and I'm a growing boy. MARK: Serious about any of those girls? JOHN: Naw, just a good time, that's all. A little arm around the shoulder, a little necking ... just messin around. MARK: (Pauses, sits on ...

510. Who’s Keeping Score?

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

William J. Carl

... with the threat in verse 35 but with the unbelievable unmerited forgiveness of a God who does not keep score on us, a God who gives us not only second, third and fourth chances, but a string of them to infinity. God is like a mother who will never ever give up on us; a mother who loves us when we don’t feel very lovable any more, a mother who accepts us when we feel like we have no place to turn. It’s a love that’s hard to accept, says Paul Tillich, especially when you don’t have much ...

511. Finding Our Roots

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

John M. Braaten

... and family. They would be required to leave their occupations behind, and all their possessions. They would have to endure persecution and hardship; they would grow old before their time. How could Jesus ask his disciples to do that sort of thing? To give up everything which formed the foundations of their lives? And if they accepted that challenge, where would they find the motivation for living? Where would their roots need to dig in so that they could be sustained, and draw nourishment and strength for ...

512. Cross-Bearing

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... self-denial for the Lord Jesus to come down from heaven to rescue a world? Was it self-denial? No, it was love - love that swallows up everything, and first of all self." During Lent, we talk a lot about self-denial. We usually think of that meaning to give up things and say "no" to certain habits or pleasures in our lives and use the money saved to contribute to the work of God’s kingdom. While that is an admirable thing to do, and good discipline for our Christian lives, that’s a small part of what it ...

513. An Invitation to a Feast

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... us in our own lives and on this day. The invitation that God gives to us is one to a feast as happy as a wedding reception or a rehearsal dinner. The invitation God gives us is a joyous one. If we think of Christianity as some kind of gloomy giving up of everything which brings laughter and sunshine and happy fellowship to life, we have the mistaken idea about our faith. It is to joy that we are invited by our king. It is joy that we miss if we refuse and do not attend the banquet. Jesus was the kind ...

514. Martyrs, Monsters, and Miracles

Acts 9:19b-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... wore every day. It stood for "Everything's going to be OK." Memories of her mother's hard work, resourcefulness, and positive attitude came in handy when, in 1999, Terri was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The popular actress and dancer didn't give up her career. In fact, she expanded her career. As a spokesperson for an organization called MS Lifelines, Garr travels the country giving humorous and informational talks about coping with multiple sclerosis. She refuses to focus on the negatives of her life ...

515. A Chosen People

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... HIS HAND ON YOU, HE DOES NOT LET GO. That’s the other side of being chosen by God. It is very difficult to get God to give up on you. I suppose it is possible, but you are going to have to fight very, very hard against God to make Him throw up His hands ... of Jesus. And finally, we can rejoice, whatever mistakes we’ve made or how far we have gone astray: God does not easily give up on those He has chosen. 1. “The Folly of Good Intentions,” Christianity Today, October 23, 1995, p. 96. 2. Next Door Savior ...

516. When Saying No Means Yes

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... to deny yourself some comfort, and see what happens. Can you do without drinking for forty days? Can you do without eating all you do for forty days? Can you stop buying so many things for forty days? Can you stop watching television for forty days? Can you give up whatever it is that you are beginning to fear you are addicted to? If you can't give it up, then it has replaced God as the center of your life, the source of your strength and comfort. We make fun of temptation. Flip Wilson stayed on television ...

517. Promises to Keep

Hebrews 8:1-13

Sermon

James McCormick

... faithlessness, God is still faithful. One of the great scriptural texts declares: “God makes His sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and sends His rain on the just and on the unjust.” God never forsakes us; He never abandons us; and He never gives up on us. He continues to love us and to provide for us even when we turn our backs on Him. That tells us something important about the nature of God, doesn’t it? His faithfulness is not dependent upon our faithfulness. His love does not wait for us ...

518. The Ride of Your Life

1 Peter 1:17-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... terrifying. But when you let Jesus be in control, not even the wildest stretch of white water should be feared. Only enjoyed. God wants us to get a buzz from living. Calvin Klein offers us a life-style. Jesus Christ offers us a life- substance. The gospels challenge us to give up lifestyle for life-substance. In a Christian life-substance, you can stop white-knuckling your way through life. Go through life white-water rafting with Jesus instead. Only Jesus can give you the ride of your life.

519. Put Me In Coach!

1 Peter 4:10

Sermon

James Merritt

... is what God is looking for in His church - faithful servants. Do you know what faithful means? It means you don't give up. It means you don't quit. It means you finish the job. Jesus could say to his heavenly father, "I glorified you on earth by completing down to ... the last detail what you assigned me to do." (John 17:4, MSG) Jesus didn't give up. He didn't give in. He didn't give out. He finished the job. I Corinthians 4:2 says, "The one thing required of servants ...

520. Being a Woman of God

Acts 16:11-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... named Lois. If there is any one thing that you women should learn from these two women tonight it is this: You, as a woman, should get serious about studying the Bible. You ought to meet with God on a regular basis everyday. You need to start giving up time that you consume with magazines, novels, television, and listening to gossip-garbage from your neighbors, and put that time toward studying the Bible. If you want to become a woman of God, you have got to become a woman of the Word, and you will be ...

521. On Your Mark, Get Set, Hope!

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... the Law, but to fulfill the Law. So He explains the nature of the further mile one may go to love his neighbor, even if they act like enemies. What does it mean to go the second mile? It means don’t stop; don’t stop too quickly; don’t give up too soon; don’t turn back before it’s time. Push on. Hope is lying out there in your future. It’s an adventure that you take, it’s a direction you turn; it’s a life you live Shall anything less than Paradise restored satisfy our hungry souls, where ...

522. Hearing the Questions of Children

Genesis 22:1-14

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... What a strange word for Americans. We come to worship in the 21st century hoping to get something out of it, to assess it, and comment on it on our way home. But bring something to it? That is strange to us. To ask anyone to delay a gratification, to give up a possession, to forego a pleasure, even for God’s sake, is strange in our culture. But Isaac asked the question. When we introduced the word sacrifice a few months ago, one of our members came to me and said, “Howard, you have a lot of nerve to be ...

523. Return to the Lord, Your God

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Lee Griess

... , but opted for modern running shoes. Shrove Tuesday, known in England as Pancake Day, is traditionally the last day for merrymaking before the start of Lent. Pancakes are thought to be a good way to get in the eggs and fat that faithful church people were supposed to give up for Lent. Legend has it that the Olney race started in 1445 when a housewife, dashing to get to church on time, arrived at the service clutching in her hand a frying pan with a pancake still in it. The pancake race is but one of many ...

524. God’s Anthills

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

... for some peace and quiet with their teacher. The disciples were probably tired and cranky and hungry themselves. They had missed their lunch, after all. Jesus seems to take the interrupted day off in stride. He sees these people as sheep needing a shepherd. He gives up his afternoon of rest to give them what he could: an afternoon of teaching. But now Jesus tells the disciples they must come up with some food for this crowd. The disciples try to sidestep the issue, saying "Let the people go find their own ...

525. The Season of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

... that takes us from the grave that none of us can escape to the surprising gift of an empty tomb that changes everything. No doubt some of you may have already entered into some sort of Lenten discipline, like increasing your Bible reading or, God forbid ... giving up chocolate. Before we travel too far on our Lenten journey, let's look for some guidance from the scriptures. The Lenten verse from Joel that we sing in our Lutheran liturgy serves as a good summary for the focus of this season: "Return to the ...

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