Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 551 to 575 of 1354 results

551. Religion and Politics

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... . Your walk should match your talk. Fortunately, those harsh words are not the last words. God continues, "Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." These are more than general instructions - the admonitions about seeking justice mean to care for the powerless members of the society: the oppressed, the orphan, and the widow. This would be ...

552. A Religion that Shows

Haggai 1:1-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , they got right to work in repairing their place of worship. They got the great stone foundations ready for reconstruction. They repaired the altar. But, along the way, they got side-tracked: their enemies were giving them anxious moments so they had to defend themselves; they had to eat, so crops had to be planted and tended; they had to survive the elements, so houses had to be constructed - all perfectly legitimate undertakings...but they kept the people from finishing their work on God's house...and ...

553. The Freedom in Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... never walked in my shoes." We can identify with that. Will Willimon, dean of the chapel at Duke, writes: "Forgiveness is not natural; it is not a universal human virtue. Vengeance, retribution, violence are more natural human qualities. It is natural for humans to defend themselves, to snarl and crouch into a defensive position when attacked, to howl when hurt, to bite back when bitten."(5) Did you hear about the pastor who quit to go to medical school? "Folks don't want spiritual health. They just want to ...

554. Happy Birthday, Dear Church

Acts 2:14-41, Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to speak at once creating a cacophony of sound such as would be heard at a United Nations celebration. Their gathering looked like a fiesta - no problem - remember, this was Pentecost! No wonder some passers-by thought it was some hearty party. Not so, said Peter. He defended the group's honor by protesting that it was still only 9:00 in the morning, and even on Pentecost they had not had time to get drunk. He stood and preached from the window of the upper room to the people gathered in the streets below ...

555. What We Have Is A Communication Problem

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... two years of fighting, on Christmas Eve, 1814, British and American negotiators concluded the Treaty of Ghent to end the war. Unfortunately there was no way to contact troops in the field. Two weeks later, the British attacked New Orleans, which was defended by a mixed bag of American regulars and volunteers commanded by General Andrew Jackson. The British suffered two thousand casualties and total defeat. The Americans had only a hundred casualties and complete victory, one of their few in the war. The ...

556. The Triumphant Christ

Revelation 1:1-3

Sermon

King Duncan

... parking lot buying a burrito from a lunchwagon. When Vasquez went to trial two years later, the evidence was sketchy. The jury had begun deliberations and was split. It was at that point that Vasquez's jacket was reexamined. For two years the defendant's jacket had sat in the property room of the police station and for two years the evidence in Vasquez's jacket pocket had gone unnoticed. When the jacket was brought out, the righthand pocket contained a wellpreserved foilwrapped burrito! (4) Unfortunately ...

557. With A Name Like That . . .

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... and economic policy. Think what it says about relations between the races and every other problem on earth. Every individual on this planet is important to the Creator. Now, if you can find that truth in other religions, wonderful. No problem. I am not defending Christianity as a religion. I am not claiming any sectarian superiority. I am aware of our shortcomings and especially the shortcomings of individual Christians. But don't you think this is a message that the whole world needs to hear? God so loved ...

558. A Firm Grip On Your Balloon

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... to the landscape that it cannot be an ordinary lamp; it must be the sun. So one sees Jesus in the gospels as he transfigures the lives upon whom his influence falls." (3) Do not be discouraged by the nitpicking of the scholars. No one needs to defend Jesus from either the scholars or the scoffers. His divinity is everywhere present in the record left by the men and women who encountered him. Even more remarkable than the impact that Christ had on the lives of persons in the first century is the impact ...

559. Blood Sprinkled On A Modern Altar

Exodus 24:3-8, Mark 14:12-16, 22-26, Hebrews 9:11-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... that image with some trepidation. There has developed in our society such cynicism over the past several years about the role of lawyers. There have always been tricky lawyers. The Smithsonian magazine carried an article about William Howe of Howe and Hummel, defender of the underworld in rowdy post-Civil War New York. Howe was an enormous, lion-headed man with a wardrobe of costumes for his courtroom performances and a talent for crying copiously over any case, however dull. Once he delivered an hour long ...

560. A Pre-christmas Faith

Jeremiah 33:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... of us “post-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas. Permit me to cite some examples. IF YOU ONLY OBEY THE LAW AND NO MORE YOUR FAITH IS PRE-CHRISTMAS. How is that for a starter? If most of us were brought before Heavenly Tribunal this day and were asked to defend ourselves before the Righteous Judge of the Universe, I suspect that most of us would start off naming the things we haven't done. Let us see, "Thou shalt not kill . . . ." Why there! That's a good start. I certainly have never killed anyone. "Thou shalt ...

561. The Get-ready Man

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... another. We simply do not know what tomorrow may bring. The best we can do is be prepared. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor at the start of World War II, Harry Brown, an Air Force pilot had just returned from a late-night celebration. In an attempt to defend against the attack, he raced to the flight line and took off in a P-36 (airplane) ”still wearing his tuxedo trousers and a pajama top. He obviously had not planned to go flying that night! He was caught off guard. Life has a way of catching us ...

562. From Tears To Triumph

John 20:10-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... concerned about his parent's reaction than he was with the prospect of death. Jesus had tried to break it to his disciples what was to happen to himthat he must suffer and die and on the third day be raised. Simon Peter had protested. He would defend the Lord all by himself if need be. The others never seemed to grasp the full import of Jesus' words. Now he had been crucified and they were scattered like sheep without a shepherd. Their dreams shattered, their hearts broken, they were headed back to their ...

563. The Explosive Power Of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... NEEDS THE DYNAMIC, LIFEGIVING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Evangelist Alan Walker of Australia often tells about the race of the sailing yachts in which Australia finally defeated the USA for the prized America's Cup. For 132 years the cup was kept and defended by the United States. Again and again there were challenges for the cup, but each time it was retained by the USA. Finally, in 1983 Australia mounted a serious challenge. The event took place as scheduled, and after six races, the two yachts were ...

564. Not Having Seen Him, You Love Him

1 Peter 1:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... influence on the life of humanity is staggering. In every part of this world you will see members of his family engaged in the business of doing good: building hospitals, orphanages, schools; contributing clothing, medicine, food; opening their homes to strangers, defending the poor and the downtrodden, working for justice and freedom and dignity for all persons. Jesus Christ is still the most revolutionary influence for good in this world today. Not all his family is so engaged, of course. There are many ...

565. Where Are Your Loaves And Fishes?

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... it for you." Next he instructed the bailiff to pass the hat around the courtroom. "I'm fining everybody here at least fifty cents. You're all guilty of being members of a society that made it necessary for this man to steal. The collection will go to the defendant." I believe that salvation is by grace and grace alone, but I wonder if one day the Divine Judge won't hold those of us who have so much accountable for those who have so little. The teachings of Jesus on such things ought to make us tremble. We ...

566. No Improvement Possible

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... his son-in-law, a professed agnostic. The son-in-law asks, "Archie, if there is a God, why is there so much suffering in the world?" There is a long, awkward silence. Finally Archie yells, "Edith, would you get in here and help me? I'm having to defend God all by myself." God does not need our defense. Sometimes the church does, however. Sometimes we forget what it is that God really requires of us. We are human beings. We are flawed. It is a shame that our weaknesses mar the reflection of the One who gave ...

567. Idle Tale Or Eternal Truth?

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... to dynamic, from heartsick to heroic, from doubting to death defying, the radical change that took place in the lives of those who followed Jesus is not the kind of change one will find among persons who are perpetuating a fraud. One does not die defending a fairy tale. The disciples were witness to an event that divides all of human history into before and after. Jesus Christ had risen from the dead! There has been much interest of late in the subject of life after death. Researchers have found that ...

568. Mentor, Mediator, Master

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... New York Governor, William S. Cosby. As Gov. Cosby's acts became more outrageous and Zenger's newspaper spoke more harshly against those acts, Cosby had Zenger jailed. Cosby's Supreme Court justice then had the lawyers disbarred who had stepped forward to defend Zenger. Although no charges were placed against Zenger, his bail was set at an enormous 800 pounds. Two months later Zenger still sat in jail, although the grand jury refused to indict him for anything. After 9 months, Zenger want to trial for ...

569. You Can Face Your Giant

1 Samuel 17:1-58

Sermon

King Duncan

... made life difficult for the boy, and he told his father that they threatened to do more harm the next morning. The boy was greatly disturbed; he didn't know what to do. That evening the father taught his son some basic techniques on how to defend himself. Together they explored all the possibilities, including the possibility that he might try to win them over as friends. The father worked hard to build up his son's self-confidence. The next morning the father and son prayed together. And with a reassuring ...

570. He Is Who He Says He Is

Acts 5:17-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... to know it. This brings us to the second reason we know he is who he says he is ” THE CHANGED LIVES OF THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED HIS RESURRECTION. It's been said many times before, but we need to affirm it this day ” people do not die defending a deliberate lie. The men and women who walked with Jesus daily and experienced his resurrection knew without any question that he was what he said he was. Why in the world would they lie about it ” particularly when their lie could cost them their lives? What ...

571. A Time To Remember - Memorial Day

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... tell a parable about a zoo in which all the animals decided to disarm. They arranged `peace talks' to work out the details. The rhinoceros asked for a strict ban against the use of teeth in war. The stag and porcupine agreed, but the lion and tiger defended teeth as being honorable weapons. The bear, however wanted both teeth and horns to be banned, but suggested that all animals be allowed to give each other a good hug when they quarreled. This only served to offend all the other animals, and so they never ...

572. On Knowing What's Best For Your Kids

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... Luckman arranged for his parents to have seats on the 50-yard line. For most of the first quarter, things went smoothly. Luckman was passing crisply and the running game was working well. But then on one play, the Bears' pass protection broke down. Giant defenders rushed in, and Luckman had to scramble, to dodge the tacklers before they could get to him. As he was running back and forth, trying to avoid these huge linemen, you suddenly heard a voice call out from the sidelines, "Sidney, let them have the ...

573. The Most Difficult Commandment

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... esteem movement: that criminals and bullies suffer from low self-worth. Baumeister discovered that just the opposite is true that outlaws most often have an INFLATED sense of self-worth. In fact, he says, many violent crimes result when an individual defends a bloated self-image against a perceived attack. Baumeister's study suggests that even bad behavior on the part of noncriminals temper tantrums, irrational rages, etc. may also be triggered by imagined affronts to pumped-up egos. "The dangerous ones are ...

574. Bound By A Promise

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... AND OUR CHARACTER IS REVEALED BY THE PROMISES WE MAKE AND THE PROMISES WE KEEP. I promise to take this man as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer . . . I promise to defend the laws of the United States of America . . . I promise to be a faithful member of this church. To uphold it with my prayers, my presence, my gifts, my service . . .] Anyone ever make promises like these? Our character is forged and our character is revealed ...

575. Help For Hurting Dads

Galatians 3:15-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Hanoch seemed intent on ignoring the ways in which Frank tried hard to be a good dad. Frank spent time with the boys. He took them out to ball games and brought them to work. He listened to them and gave them fathertype advice, like how to defend yourself against bullies. He even hugged the boys and told them he loved them. But this didn't seem to be enough to smooth the emotional tugofwar that tore father and son apart. In Hanoch's senior year of college, he began reflecting on the estranged relationship ...

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