Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 501 to 525 of 975 results

501. Proper 7

Psalm 86:1-17, Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 10:1-42, Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon Aid

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

... simplest is to divide the psalm between vv. 1-13 and 14-17. In which case, the lament is interpreted as proceeding in two phases, with v. 14 signaling a new beginning or an intensification of the call for help. A more nuanced view of the language in the psalm yields smaller divisions, with vv. 1-7 being designated as a call for help, vv. 8-11 as a reflection on the character of God, vv. 12-13 as a vow to praise God, and vv. 14-17 as a renewed lament. The boundaries of the lectionary conforms to neither of ...

502. Proper 10

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon Aid

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

... "Thou Hidden Love of God, Whose Height." This is the only Sunday in which the parable of the sower appears in the lectionary; the parallels are not used in Years B and C, so the preacher may opt to deal with it primarily. The emphasis should be on the amazing yield that God's planting produces, not on chastising the bad soils! For, miserable as we are, it is only by God's grace that we are not unfertile soil.

503. Proper 22

Exodus 20:1-21, Matthew 21:33-46, Philippians 3:1-11, Psalm 19:1-14

Sermon Aid

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

... attempt to rehabilitate the polemical context of the passage. Thinking first about the human condition or ourselves may cause us to be blind to the gospel in this text, but thinking first and foremost about God will give us an entree into the lesson that yields abundant teaching about God and, in turn, about what it means to be human in relation to the divine. PROPER 22: THE CELEBRATION If this day is observed in the congregation as World Communion Sunday, it is only reasonable that the liturgy reflect the ...

504. Proper 24

Exodus 33:12-23, Matthew 22:15-22, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Psalm 99:1-9

Sermon Aid

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

... physical aspects. Yet such piety was highly regarded. When Jesus asked his examiners for a coin—perhaps implying that he didn't have one—they easily and without scruples brought out a Roman coin. The coin itself declared that they were compromised. Al they yielded to the necessity and convenience of political reality. Thus Jesus tells them if they enjoy the comforts of Rome, they should pay their dues to Rome. At base, Jesus' statement in v. 21 is a pronouncement in two parts, and the second supersedes ...

505. What Is God Like?

Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 22:54-62, Luke 19:28-44

Illustration

Mark Trotter

... the events of Holy Week, and described Jesus' betrayal, his trial, his scourging and crucifixion, Genghis Khan became more and more agitated, more engrossed in the story, and more tense. When Marco Polo pronounced the words, "Then Jesus bowed his head and yielded up his spirit," Genghis Khan could no longer contain himself. He interrupted, bellowing, "What did the Christian's God do then? Did he send thousands of angels from heaven to smite and destroy those who killed his Son?" What did the Christian ...

506. Struggling with Doubt, Standing on Faith

Matt 7:15-23; 28:16-20

Illustration

Donald M. Tuttle

... asks. We know deep inside that a life that endures our inevitable struggles cannot be built on Jesus as merely a wise man or as one great religious teacher among many. It rests on acknowledging by faith that Jesus is the very presence of God among us. It rests on yielding to the authority he possesses as God's only Son.

507. We All Need Dad

Eph 6:1-4

Illustration

King Duncan

... it worked. The big bulls quickly established the natural hierarchy and reduced the violent behavior of the younger bulls. "The new discipline, it turned out, was not just a matter of size intimidation," says Raspberry. "The young bulls actually started following the Big Daddies around, yielding to their authority and learning from them proper elephant conduct. The assaults on the white rhinos ended abruptly." Raspberry's point was that young males--whether they are wild animals or human beings--need Dads.

508. What's Your Hospitality Quotient?

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... passerby to help themselves. Curious about the people who showed such hospitality to strangers, Foss knocked at the door. An elderly couple answered, and Foss asked them about the well and the apples. They explained that they were childless. Their little plot of ground yielded a scant living, but because they had a well with an abundance of cold water, they just wanted to share it with anyone who happened by. “We’re too poor to give money to charity,” said the husband, “but we thought that in this ...

509. The Death That Ends All Death

1 Peter 3:18

Sermon

James Merritt

... the spirit to retain the spirit, and no one has power in the day of death." That is, when it is time for you to die, you're going to give up your spirit whether you want to or not. But the Bible says in Mt. 27:50 that Jesus "yielded up His spirit." He died voluntarily for our sins. That's why I call it a sacrificial death. A chaplain was going around speaking to soldiers who had been wounded in battle. He came upon a soldier who was missing his right arm. Trying to comfort the man, he said ...

510. Stand Up and Be Counted

Daniel 3:1-30

Sermon

James Merritt

... to begin with Nebuchadnezzar. Notice, first of all, his doxology: "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Messhach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!" (v.28) The one who began this story blaspheming God, ends the story by blessing God. Then notice his decree: "Therefore I make a decree that any people ...

511. First-Class Christianity

Ephesians 5:18-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... a little bit there. He gives you all of the fullness of the Spirit. The problem is not that we do not have all of the Holy Spirit, the problem is He does not have all of us. We do not need more of the Holy Spirit. We need to yield to the Holy Spirit all that we are. Your house, your temple, is full of the Spirit right now. The question is: Does He have the key to every room in that house? c. It Means To Be Devoted To The Spirit I find it interesting that Paul said, "Do ...

512. Let Me Tell You about the Birds and the Bees

Proverbs 5:15-23

Sermon

James Merritt

... you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress." (Prov. 6:24) "That they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words." (Prov. 7:5) "With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him." (Prov. 7:21) c. Fatal Experience Listen to the way Eugene Peterson in his magisterial translation, The Message, translates two passages: Soon she has him eating out of her hand, bewitched by her honeyed speech. Before you ...

513. Saving Private Ryan

Acts 1:8

Sermon

James Merritt

... that had never been seen before; a love that took him all the way to the cross, and all the way to the very pit of hell. The heart of that hardened headhunter was softened by the power of Jesus Christ, and one day he got on his knees and yielded his life to the Lord. He then led 200 of his tribesmen to Christ. It was this Peruvian headhunter, Chief Tirari, that pulled the switch at the New York World's Fair in 1964 that illuminated the Tower of Light! Because two brave women cared about a single Private ...

514. Body Building at Its Best

1 Corinthians 12:13-27, Ephesians 4:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... way." The Tools were at one another's throat bickering and arguing until the Carpenter from Nazareth took them all to his work bench, using each Tool. He made a pulpit from which to preach the Word of God. Then the Tools discovered that when they were yielded to the hands of the Master Carpenter, they could be used working together to build something no one Tool could build alone. Mr. Hammer addressed the Tools again, and said, "It seems to me that when we work together, each doing what we were made to do ...

515. If You're Not Loving You're Not Living (Fruit of the Spirit: Love)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

... , will be eliminated. Now all of that sounds wonderful. But I want to repeat that outward love will not be truly exercised until the upward love is totally emphasized. You see, the key to fruit is the root. Pr. 12:12 says: "The root of the righteous yields fruit." The root of all love is God, because God is love. You know, in actuality, love is a chain reaction. Love is the spark that kindles the fire of compassion. Compassion is the fire that flames the candle of service. Service is the candle that ignites ...

516. A Trip to God's Woodshed

Hebrews 12: 5-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... bitter medicine it will be good for you in the end. IV. The Positive Results of Discipline The wonderful thing is what happens to you when God does discipline you, because the result, if you will allow it to be, is always positive. a. Peace "Nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness." (v.11) The first result of God's discipline is peace. The most miserable man in the world is not the man who is lost and does not know God. The most miserable man in the world is the man who is ...

517. Don't Get Too Big For Your Spiritual Britches

Judges 16:20

Sermon

James Merritt

... Samson could not defeat was his own lust. How many times a great man has tripped over this thin, almost invisible, wire stretched across the path of life. Samson's life is simply a commentary on Proverbs 7:21-22: "With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks." I think it is very instructed that where twelve chapters of the book of Judges are devoted to ...

518. He's Everything I Need

Psalm 23:1

Sermon

James Merritt

... voice, perfect articulation and great drama recited the psalm. When he finished the crowd exploded with applause. Someone then asked that the old preacher also recite the psalm. Well, the pastor was very embarrassed to try to follow what this actor had done. But he finally yielded to the pressure and he had very little of the actor’s elocution; certainly none of his dramatic flair. But as he began to recite that psalm it was obvious he wasn’t talking from his head, he was talking from his heart. When he ...

519. Why You Should Spend Time with God

Psalm 37:4-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... , because there are tremendous benefits and blessings that will accrue to the person who will “be still and know that He is God.” (Ps. 46:10) Leveraging is a popular investment strategy. When you use leverage you simply borrow money to increase the yield on your investment. Hopefully the amount that is due is paid back with interest, and then you keep the profits. If done correctly, costs can be minimal and the dividends can be tremendous. Likewise, when you will leverage your time and invest a certain ...

520. The Marks Of A Spiritual Counterfeit

Jude 1:12-13

Sermon

James Merritt

... hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” (Jere. 17:7-8) IV. They Are Precarious Like Wild Waves They are called “raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame.” (v.13) My absolute favorite place in the world to be is at the ocean. It is not because I am a sun person, because ...

521. On Running Afoul of the Dress Code

Mt 22:11-14

Sermon

... grace does not come in response to good works, surely it can't come in response to fine dress. This is harsh ... judgmental ... un-Jesus-like. But it is very Matthew-like. Matthew's gospel presents difficulties not found elsewhere. Matthew's gospel yields images of judgment that cannot be found elsewhere. Whenever we hear words like "weeping," "wailing," "gnashing of teeth," and "outer darkness," we can assume that we are reading Matthew. But back to the story. The evictee was speechless. Wouldn't you be? I ...

522. Never Say What You Won't Do!

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... , THE OTHER MUST AGREE. That request is non-negotiable. If either partner feels that their attempts to solve some persistent problem have been unsuccessful, then marriage counseling is a necessity. Even if the other partner doesn’t see it that way, he still must yield to the other if he values the marriage. The seventh and final guideline is this: WORSHIP AND PRAY TOGETHER. Remember, it is not your task to change your partner. That’s God’s business. Your task is to love your partner well. If a ...

523. I Am the Keeper of the Zoo

Isaiah 11:1-9

Sermon

... it will be easier to turn swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks (two other images from Isaiah describing things that will come to pass when that old stump of Jesse….David's father, for those of you who flunked, or never took, Old Testament 101…yields forth a shoot, then roots, then a branch, on whom the Spirit of the Lord shall fully rest, and in whom the Spirit of the Lord shall fully dwell, and through whom the Kingdom of the Lord shall fully come….meaning Jesus, for those of you who ...

524. What Ever Happened to Norman Rockwell?

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... spilt it backhand, side arm, forehand and elbow first. She has upset glasses with her head, her feet, her shoulders and knees; with her rump, her belly and the middle of her back. And with endless variety of time and circumstances. Upon thick tablecloths, yielding a white swamp which spreads ominously toward us all; or upon plastic tablecloths for a high-velocity attack. (I can remember only one successful escape from milk spilled on plastic. I nearly broke the chair to do it.) At that moment someone yells ...

525. Singing at the Table

Joel 2:21-29

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... and redemption. Return, and be glad. Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things. Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield. Be glad, O sons of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain, abundant rain, the early and the latter rain. I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter ...

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