Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 526 to 550 of 4490 results

526. Jeremiah Freed

Jeremiah 40:1-6

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

The Fates of Zedekiah, Jeremiah, and Ebed-Melech: This section narrates the fall of the city of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians, and then focuses in on the fate of three specific people: Zedekiah, Jeremiah, and Ebed-Melech. The section concerning the latter breaks up the story of the Babylonian’s treatment of the prophet. The lesson of all three vignettes is that God repays those who obey him as well as those who do not. Much of this chapter is paralleled to Jeremiah 52:4–16 and 2 Kings 25:1–12. ...

527. Breaking the Bad News

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

A man was out of town on a trip and he asked his brother to take care of his cat for him while he was away. The cat was a beautiful Siamese and meant a great deal to the man, although the brother who was caring for the cat didn't like cats at all. When he got back from the trip he called his brother's house and asked about his cat. The brother was very curt, and replied, "Your cat died." And then he hung up. For days the man was inconsolable. Finally, he phoned his brother again to point out, "It was ...

528. The Little Secrets of Snowflakes

Illustration

Chad Miller

The complex shapes and uniqueness of snowflakes have confounded scientists for hundreds of years. In the past, it was generally recognized that the formation of a snowflake is a two-step process: making a single crystal and then having it grow. This process begins as a microscopic speck of dust is trapped in a molecule of water vapor inside the winds of a winter storm. As the particle is frosted with droplets of supercooled water, it becomes heavier and begins its plunge to earth. The falling ice crystal ...

When theology erodes and organization crumbles, when the institutional framework of religion begins to break up, the search for a direct experience which people can feel to be religious facilitates the rise of cults.

Daniel Bell

Why should we break up Our snug and pleasant party? Time was made for slaves, But never for us so hearty.

John B. Buckstone

531. Drowning in Front of Lifeguards

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

Can you imagine a person drowning in the presence of 200 lifeguards? Well, it happened. In August 1985, 200 lifeguards with the New Orleans Recreation Department gathered at a city pool to celebrate. It was the first summer in memory that there had not been a drowning at one of the city pools. While they were celebrating, a 31-year-old man, Jerome Moody, drowned in the very pool where the celebration was taking place. Isn’t it ironic that the 200 experienced lifeguards would have a man drown in their ...

532. Poem: In Memoriam

Eulogy

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Preface Strong Son of God, immortal Love, Whom we, that have not seen thy face, By faith, and faith alone, embrace, Believing where we cannot prove; Thine are these orbs of light and shade; Thou madest Life in man and brute; Thou madest Death; and lo, thy foot Is on the skull which thou hast made. Thou wilt not leave us in the dust: Thou madest man, he knows not why, He thinks he was not made to die; And thou hast made him: thou art just. Thou seemest human and divine, The highest, holiest manhood, thou. ...

533. The Proof is in the Roof

Luke 5:17-26

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” (Isaiah 61) Prop: Big Box (Bigger the Better) I have here a box. If I were to step inside of it and close it up, not only can’t we see each other, but my life will become very limited and very narrow. And yet, this is the way many of us live our lives today –closed off, ...

534. Lifting the Burden of Guilt

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

"There is a cancerous strain eating away at the average American," writes C. Neil Strait.1 He continues, "It is a strain brought on by too much work and too little play; too much hatred and too little love; too much fear and too little faith. The overbalance has infected life with a strain that eats away at the energies of life like a dreadful disease. The strain that besets a lot of people is more a strain of conscience than any other single factor. Because there is a war with conscience, there is a war ...

535. Daniel Interprets the Dream

Daniel 2:24-49

Understanding Series

William Nelson

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: The stories in Daniel 2–7 probably did not all circulate together originally. As mentioned earlier, evidence for this can be seen especially in chapters 3 and 6. The original author of chapter 3 focuses on Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, seemingly unaware of Daniel, while the original author of chapter 6 highlights Daniel, seemingly oblivious to his three friends. These independent traditions have been brought together and shaped into a literary whole. (For a more ...

536. Let's Have A Fruitful Christmas Season

Drama

May Dembowski

Running Time Twenty-five minutes (including one two-minute break) What's It About? This is a skit written for a Christian Women's Pre-Christmas-Season program, suitable for a ladies' breakfast, brunch, luncheon, and so forth. It is not evangelistic, but rather an idea-filled dialogue which gives some practical suggestions for keeping Christ in Christmas and heading off the usual frenzy of the busy season. How Many Characters? The four characters are women who are meeting for their regular kaffee klatsch ...

537. Worship is Your Rest Stop

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Psalm 92:1-15, Luke 5:33-39, Luke 6:1-11, Galatians 3:1-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Today, we’re going to delve a bit into our imaginations. I want you to imagine for a moment that you are in your favorite place –that place where you feel relaxed and calm and refreshed and happy. Can everyone think of a place like that? Is it by the sea? In a garden? In the mountains? Maybe for you it’s a real place, or maybe it’s an imaginary place. But I want you to take time and imagine that place right now. What are some of those places for you? [Give people time to answer.] Okay, now close your eyes ...

538. Everything Must Go: The Treasure Principle

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

James Merritt

It was something that I had been putting off for a good while, for a number of reasons, the least of which I just didn’t want to deal with it. Last year, Teresa and I finally took the plunge and we did it. I thought it would be morbid – it wasn’t. I thought it would be kind of miserable – it wasn’t. I realized after it was over it really was a ministry. It took a few weeks for the results of our efforts to be completed, but then the day came that it came in the mail. I opened up the package, looked at the ...

539. The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Introduction to Israel’s Covenantal Constitution: The Decalogue · Here opens Moses’ second discourse (chs. 5–26), the central section of the whole book. It is subdivided into two main parts. Chapters 5–11 are a broad exhortation to covenant loyalty and obedience, following up and amplifying the theocratic and covenantal challenge set forth in chapter 4. Chapters 12–26, with their subheading in 12:1, are more detailed legislation, much of which renews, expands, and sometimes modifies laws already given in ...

540. Be Hatched or Go Bad

Mark 16:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Christ is Risen! [The people respond:] He is risen indeed! Happy Easter, everyone! “Because I live,” Jesus said in John 14:19, “you also will live.” I wonder: how many of you are sitting out there, festooned in your Easter Sunday best, but your fingers are slightly stained? How many of you colored Easter eggs this weekend? I do think I can see some pinks, blues, greens, and purples shining on your fingers from all the Easter eggs you colored, hid, found, cracked, or consumed. Take comfort in this: you are ...

541. Great Joy

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

This is a sensuous season, a season of smells, sights, sounds… ...chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose; yuletide carols being sung by a choir and folks dressed up like Eskimos... Jingling bells and sleigh bells and silver bells, a mother's deep prayer and a baby's low cry. It's a season for the senses. Isaiah the prophet turns poet when he tries to picture the promise of God's salvation, the hope of God's redemption, the joy of God's good news, and new life in our midst. But ...

542. The Ninth Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

Emmaus: In Breaking BreadLuke 24:13-35 Worship Focus A large loaf of bread, broken in half and placed so that the broken surfaces partly show. There could be three plates at the table, with the broken bread in front of the center plate. A Litany For The Ninth Meal Leader: Great God of heaven and earth, we come to you in praise. People: We celebrate the joyous news of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. Leader: Death could not conquer him. People: The tomb could not hold him. Leader: Yet we confess that at ...

543. Trinity Sunday

Jn 3:1-17 · Mt 28:16-21 · Rom 8:12-17 · Isa 6:1-8 · Ps 29

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

THIS WEEK'S TEXT Revised Common: Isaiah 6:1-8 · Romans 8:12-17 · John 3:1-17 Roman Catholic: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 · Romans 8:14-17 · Matthew 28:16-21 Episcopal: Exodus 3:1-6 · Romans 8:12-17 · John 3:1-16 COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Isaiah 6:1-8 The story of Isaiah's call by God in the temple, 742 B.C., probably while he was officiating at worship. As Isaiah is viewing the Ark of the Covenant, enshrined in the Most Holy Place, he sees the Lord in all of his majestic glory on his throne, attended by the ...

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

Judges 16:20

Sermon

James Merritt

He is undoubtedly one of the most amazing human beings I have ever seen in my life. His name is Niam Suleymanoglu. He stands 4 ft. 11 in. tall, weighs all of 141 pounds. You may not recognize him by his real name, but you may recognize him by his nickname. This hero of Turkey has been given the nickname "Pocket Hercules." He did something in the ‘96 Atlanta Olympics no one in Olympic history had ever done. For the third consecutive Olympics he won the gold medal in weight lifting. He won his division by ...

545. Lord of the Sabbath

Luke 5:33-39, Luke 6:1-11, Luke 7:18-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“If you call the Sabbath a delight then you will find your joy in the Lord.” --Isaiah 58:13-14 “Happy is he who is aware of the mysteries of his Lord.” --Abraham Joshua Heschel Visuals: Have Hubbel Space Images scrolling on screen during your sermon / Psalm 92 may be spoken with a musical background or sung You may also opt during or after your sermon to have people sing the psalm (you can find tunes with words on youtube) https://youtu.be/1I_X2bxfAq8 (This version by James Block is particular beautiful.) ...

546. Casting Out An Evil Spirit

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

[While King Duncan is enjoying a well deserved retirement we are going back to his earliest sermons and renewing them. The newly modernized sermon is shown first and below, for reference sake, is the old sermon. We will continue this updating throughout the year bringing fresh takes on King's best sermons.] Original Title: Casting Out An Evil Spirit New Title: Good Religion The idea of casting out an evil spirit sounds too much like superstition to many of us. We prefer to relegate such things to the ...

547. Whatever Became of Sin?

Romans 5:12-21

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

Death pervaded the whole human race, inasmuch as all men have sinned. But, its effect is vastly exceeded by the grace of God and the gift that came to so many by the grace of one man, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:12, 15 NEB). Paul puts it more succinctly in 1 Corinthians 15:21: "As by man came death, by man comes also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." William Barclay explains: "Sin had man in its power. There was no hope. Into this situation there came ...

548. A Mother And Her Son (Mother's Day)

Matthew 12:46-50

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman had quit work to stay home and take care of her new baby daughter. Countless hours of peekaboo and other games slowly took their toll. One evening she smacked her bare toes on the corner of a dresser and, grabbing her foot, sank to the floor. Her husband rushed to her side and asked where it hurt. She looked at her husband through her tear-filled eyes and managed to moan, "It's the piggy that ate the roast beef." (1) Another harried mother had three very active boys. One summer evening she was ...

549. Sitting Shiva Behind Closed Doors

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Story Lectionary for Post Resurrection Week One: Hebrew Testament Connections: Genesis: The Story of Noah and the Mourning of Methuselah Genesis: The Sealing of the Garden Psalm of Jonah and/or Psalm 98 Psalm 30 Prayers: The Kaddish and the Tziduk Hadin Song of Moses (Exodus 15) Song of Judah (Isaiah 26) Gospel of John: Jesus’ First Appearances to His Disciples in a Locked Room The Scripture in Story: “Disciples in Hiding” --the Good News Witness as told by John Early in the morning, on the first day of ...

550. Gentle Touch

Isaiah 42:1-9

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

Exegetical Aim: God's gentle with our lives and shortcomings. Props: Sticks that are partially cracked and almost broken or weak, and one that is strong and difficult to break. Lesson: How many of you like to play with sticks? (response) When I was young, I loved to play with sticks. Hold up the whole stick, and mimic the following. Sometimes I would pretend that I was Robin Hood and the stick was a bow. Sometimes I was a knight and the stick was a sword. Sometimes I was a baseball player and the stick was ...

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