Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 501 to 525 of 990 results

Eulogy

Richard F. Bansemer

Suicide The meditation text is Romans 8:28 and 31: "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love, who are called according to his purpose." And, "What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us?"Good morning, lovers of God. Good morning, lovers of ___________ What can we say about this day? "God works for good with those who love him," you lovers of God.As ...

502. The Deeper Meanings of The Christian Faith by Dr. Bryant M. Kirkland

Sermon

Leonard Mann

I would like to talk with you about the meaning of Christianity. I took seriously the assignment that was given to me. I studied about Paul’s sermon at Mars Hill where he stood up in the great place of debate and spoke so eloquently that the people said, "Tell us what is the meaning of this Jesus and the resurrection that you proclaim." I have tried to work out this message mindful of what I imagi...

503. Grace in the Midst of Hopelessness

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

Submarine accidents are rare. Successful submarine rescues, unfortunately, are rarer still. The complex variables of depth, pressure, temperature, and time conspire to doom most trapped sailors. During one celebrated rescue attempt a message could be heard reverberating through the hull of a downed sub. It was tapped out in code from the inside, metal clanging against metal: Is there any hope? At...

504. Romans 8:26-30

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The lengthy, complex section of Romans that is this week’s epistle lesson includes some of Paul’s most theologically “loaded” language. Rather than getting bogged down in centuries-long debates over such terms as “predestined,” “called,” “justified,” “sanctified” and “glorified,” we are going to look at the larger picture Paul is painting with his distinctive vocabulary and stunning promises. In v...

505. What Can Christians Learn from Buddhists?

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Scott Peck opens his book The Road Less Traveled with these words: “Life is difficult." Indeed it is. It is a way to handle life's difficulties which is the essence of Buddhism, the world religion we want to consider today. Buddhists are challenged to wake up to the pains of life and become enlightened in how to deal with it, a worthy mission for any person. Let me tell you a little bit about...

506. The Spirit and the Glory of the Age to Come and the New Covenant

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: Paul showcases another blessing from the Spirit of the new covenant: glory. More particularly, the Spirit is a sign of the glory of the age to come and the new covenant. And yet, that glory occurs in the midst of this age and suffering. Understanding the Text 1. Suffering/glory (8:18) 2. Three groanings (8:19–27) a. Creation groans (hope for the revelation of the children of God) (8:...

507. Future Glory

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

8:18–39 Review · Suffering in hope and ultimate triumph:In the concluding section of his description in chapters 6–8 of God’s saving righteousness through Jesus Christ in the lives of the believers, Paul reflects first on believers’ suffering in the present (8:18–30) and then on the triumph of God’s grace in the future (8:31–39). 8:18–30 · Paul points out that believers’ present suffering is nothi...

508. Future Glory

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

As we near the conclusion of the first half of the epistle Paul summarizes a number of vintage ideas. From the immediate context he continues the themes of liberation from slavery (vv. 2, 21), resurrection (vv. 11, 23), sonship and adoption (vv. 14–17, 19, 21, 23), and the role of the Spirit. From earlier portions of Romans he reintroduces the themes of creation (1:20, 25; 8:19, 21), futility (1:2...

509. Heart-Healthy Christians

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Beach and bathing suit season has begun. And I’ve noticed something I wonder if you’ll agree with me. The coolest new hot trend is “tiny.” No, not tiny swimsuits those have long been fashionable, at least since Brian Hyland’s 1960 hit single “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Polka Dot Bikini.” No, the new big thing is small . . . small and smaller portions of food. Worrying over waistlines has encourage...

510. Why Are You Acting Like Orphans?

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There comes a time in every child’s life when he or she entertains two possibilities. One: your parents are from Mars. Two, you must have been adopted. Usually these revelations occur in tandem . . . after a huge fight with Mom and/or Dad; or after a sibling beats us up or puts us down. It dawns on us that no way could we really be related to such mean, bossy, completely opposite people. We must ...

511. Birthpangs of the New Age

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

It is not easy to promote someone else. Human nature rises up against it. If we believe in our self-worth and capabilities, why should we try to sell someone else? Yes, and why should we seek to gain acceptance of a religious leader, who will eventually cause us trouble. For example, Jesus for some was not only an irritant; he was an anathema as well. As usual, Saint Paul is not much interested i...

512. Why Not a Christian Live 8 for the Environment?

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If I say "LIVE 8," how many of you know what I'm talking about? I thought so . . . It was the biggest, hippest rock concert in the history of the world. How many of you have already signed The One Declaration? You're more than one in a million. And a million was the number that attended the Philadelphia Live 8. That doesn't include the millions more that were showed up in Moscow (20,000), Toky...

513. We Don't Know How To Pray

Sermon

Johnny Dean

The name of the game is control. Control is a big issue for us. We seem to feel that we have to be in possession of something, in charge of something, ANYTHING, or we are just worthless. Perhaps it’s the pioneering spirit that gave birth to this nation that drives us to believe so strongly that our worth is determined ultimately by our possessions, the things over which we appear to have control. ...

514. Forever Hopeful

Sermon

King Duncan

Sometimes life hands us some tricky situations. Former President Ronald Reagan likes to tell a story which he says is true about a newspaper photographer out in Los Angeles who was called in by his editor and told of a fire that was raging out in Palos Verdes. That's a hilly area south of Los Angeles. His assignment was to rush down to a small airport, board a waiting plane, get some pictures of t...

515. Get Off The Orphan Train

Sermon

King Duncan

Alice Marion Ham knows little about her origins. She only knows that police found her and her brother, Robert, who was only a toddler at the time, abandoned on a New York City street in 1926. The two children were subsequently bundled by orphanage workers onto a train that carried them from the city to a new life in the rural Midwest. Alice wound up moving from one abusive home to another, while R...

516. Positive Faith

Sermon

King Duncan

The teacher of a junior high class was trying to illustrate the word miracle. "Young people," he said, "Suppose I stood on the roof of a 10-story building, lost my balance and fell off. Then all of a sudden, in midair, a whirlwind swept me up and brought me safely to the ground. Now what word would you use to describe this?" After a long silence a boy raised his hand and asked, "Luck?" "True, tr...

517. Out Of Our Control

Sermon

King Duncan

No matter what happened to a certain gold miner he always described it as pure luck. It was a particularly bitter winter. He was nearly freezing to death, but he kept digging for gold in the granitelike ground. Finally, as the Earth thawed in the Spring and he was down to his last meager ration of food, he broke through the hard crust and dug and dug until at last he hit a box. Inside the box was ...

518. When The Going Gets Tough

Sermon

King Duncan

The theologian of the comic strips, Charlie Brown, was once talking with his friend Lucy about the meaning of life. Lucy asks Charlie Brown, "Do you think life has any meaning?" Charlie Brown starts to answer her, but she interrupts with, "I mean, do you think life has any meaning after you've failed nine spelling tests in a row and your teacher hates you?" To which Charlie Brown calmly says, "Th...

519. Prayer Beyond Words

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship Come before God, all you who are God's people, to worship our Lord. Come prepared to speak. Come prepared to sing. Come prepared to - (silence for ten seconds) - listen. Amen. Collect Lord, we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to your purpose. Help us in our weakness through your Spirit. We do not know how to pray as we ou...

520. Who Vouches for Us?

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: This is the day that the Lord has made. All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it. One: Lord, you are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. All: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. One: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. All: For his steadfast love endures forever. (based on Psalms 118 and 119) Collect Today we come to...

521. Proper 11

Bulletin Aid

Second Lesson: Romans 8:18-25 Theme: The great expectation Call to Worship Pastor: We sometimes feel that life gives us more than our share of problems. People: There are always others who are worse off than we are; but we still tend to feel sorry for ourselves. Pastor: The suffering of this world is quite insignificant compared to the glory we look forward to with Christ. People: We anxiously a...

522. Security for Believers

Bulletin Aid

James Wilson

Call To Worship Leader: Come, let all who walk in the ways of Christ gather now to worship! People: But the world seems in turmoil and our lives seem under attack. Leader: Let us come together for worship! Is any power greater than God? People: But bad things seem to be coming and there is much to be done! Leader: Come now for worship and remember God will always be victorious! All: Blessed be the...

523. Proper 11

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: The mystery of good and evil. In Genesis, Jacob tricks his brother and flees from his wrath. In Romans, Paul bemoans human moral weakness. The Gospel parable deals with the mystery of the weeds growing together with the wheat COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Genesis 28:10-19a (C) Upon hearing of Esau's plan to kill Jacob after Isaac's death, Rebekah spirits Jacob back to her relatives in her native l...

524. Proper 12 & Pentecost 10

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Once more the eschatological framework of the church year is reinforced by the day's readings, especially the lesson from Romans 8 and verses 47-50 of the Gospel of the Day, which speak specifically of the "end of the age" and the judgment that will come with it. Matthew's Gospel also spells out the nature of realized and present eschatology in the two little parables of the trea...

525. Proper 11 & Pentecost 11

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The eschatological framework of the church year is strengthened on this Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, not by the character or content of the church year, but by the Gospel for the Day. With its parable of the wheat and the weeds, plus exegetically subtle support in the first reading (Isaiah 44 - "Let them tell us what is yet to be" and the second reading, Romans 8:27 - "... the S...

Showing 501 to 525 of 990 results