Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 551 to 575 of 4964 results

551. Can You Dig It?

Genesis 26:1-35

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... . Isaac must decide whether to dig or not to dig the wells of his father and exalt his people to their rightful place in history or allow his adversaries and enemies to foil his plans. The question for Isaac is: Can he dig the wells of hope, prosperity, and the restoration of his people's personhood and spirituality? For Isaac knew, as we know today, that personhood and spirituality go hand in hand, for as long as others have the power to define your personhood they have the power to spiritually define you ...

552. Crown Him Lord!

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

... into one proclamation and celebration all that we have heard and seen about our Christ? This should be a day of prophetic hope and of a clear Christological statement of the Incarnation, a day of important last words. "If you had one last sermon to ... "perk" for contemporary piety. It is such a substantial part of the good news that Paul has written: "If for this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:19)." Crown him the Lord of Life, Who triumphed o'er ...

553. Stairways Of Heaven

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Justin Tull

... victorious neither by virtue of his being fearless (indeed he was quite frightened -- both of Esau and of this stranger) nor by reason of his super-human strength (for he never really defeated his enemy outright). Rather, Jacob received a reward because he was tenacious and hopeful; he would not quit until he got a blessing. But, even so, the story suggests the presence of grace. That is to say, Jacob does not force his enemy or God to give him a blessing. Rather, it seems that God in his mercy awards him ...

554. The Promise Of "I Am"

Exodus 4:1-17

Eulogy

Joe Barone

... ," we can see those words as touching us as well. We can't earn our own salvation. Only God saves. And we needn't worry about the transgressions of our friend, though no one's perfect. For all who put their faith in God's "I AM," there is hope - no, more than hope, assurance - of salvation and of resurrection. Did you listen to the story of Jesus at the wedding feast at Cana? He turned water into wine, and the new wine was much better than the old. Jesus is new wine. He embodies the full expression of God's ...

555. "How Great Thou Art"

Eulogy

Joe Barone

... So Jesus does that for us, and in our faith in him we are given new life - here on earth and then through resurrection. There's real hope in that. I grieve today because I am helping say good-bye to **, a friend and one whom I have come to love. I grieve today ... in the message of the gospel, which tells me * rests in the arms of a loving God, and because of Jesus, I, too, can live in hope for her and me. That's why we so often sing "How Great Thou Art" at funerals. It's a powerful song, not just because it ...

556. Recollections of Enoch, A Jewish Captive In Babylon

Isaiah 12:1-6

Drama

Robert A. Morgan

... as much as I have - in order to tell you about what's recently been happening. For what's recently been happening is the only sign of hope among us - the one sound of joy within our midst - and we still do not know if we can trust it or believe it. But if ... is also coming. I don't understand the details, but I don't care about that. I only care that I'll be able to die in hope and with expectation. The coming, the coming! No matter that I will not see it happen - I have seen it with the eyes of my heart. Our ...

557. The Stranger in the Manger

John 1:1-18, John 1:19-28

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... of it once again ourselves. But isn't there a danger of shrinking Christmas down to something we think we can grasp and manage and control, taking it out of the box for a little while, then packing it away again until this time next year? Don't we hope, in the midst of all that is so blessedly familiar, that we might be invaded by a sense of wonder and mystery that is beyond our knowledge, beyond our ability to know and prove? John the Baptist's announcement is disturbing, but it is also "glad tidings of ...

558. Is He Really Coming?

Sermon

Rolf E. Aaseng

... be accomplished by the triumphant return of Christ, who will subdue every opponent. In other words, the message of Christ's coming gives hope to people who struggle through the problems and defeats of life. If we didn't have this assurance, we might be tempted to ... those prepared for us in the future, we are inspired to live thankful lives in service to God. John wrote, "All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure" (1 John 3:3). Peter said, "The end of all things is near; therefore be ...

559. Love Over Logic

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Carl Jech

... ourselves as part of God's plan to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven seems grandiose and unrealistic. Yet the Christian Gospel speaks urgently of a Kingdom of God which is at hand! We are to take the Gospel of faith, hope and love with utmost seriousness. But how to do it without despairing? By combining our serious efforts with a profound sense of humor - with an overriding awareness of God's grace and forgiveness! Our sense of humor is a corollary to God's grace. A sense of humor ...

560. Are There Any Questions?

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

... greatest privilege this side of heaven in the banquet of grace? With hearts fixed on his exalted throne from which he condescends to be with us in mercy, life has to bounce with joy. When all is said and done, when everything we lived for, planned for, worked for, hoped for has been taken from us, when torn hearts spill their grief at graveside, the promise heals. "In my Father’s house are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you ... and I will come again, and I will take you to myself." And in the not ...

561. Proper 9

Exodus 1:1-22

Sermon

... proved to be strong enough to pull the Hebrew people out of their slavery and propel them into a new world. Moses came into a world which didn't have much hope. The dreams of the people were small. Their aspirations, at least as far as the Hebrews were concerned, were almost non-existent. But, in Moses, they found hope. How do people like Moses come to pass? One can't explain it totally by the environment. There must have been ten thousand children in the Pharaoh's court that, to all outward appearances ...

562. A Place for You

John 14:1-4

Sermon

Dean Lueking

... specific expectations of the future. It rests upon God’s promise in his Son. This promise not only made Abraham travel to unknown territory; it is also the guiding motive for us who keep pointing to new life even in the face of corruption and death. Such a hope prevents us from clinging to what we have and frees us to move away from the safe place as we enter unknown and fearsome territory. When we walk in the valley of the shadow of death, that good and gracious shepherd of our souls will be our faithful ...

563. The Nativity of Our Lord

Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 96:1-13, Titus 2:1-15, Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon Aid

... to the Lord, all the whole earth. Sing to the Lord and bless his name;} proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. The Psalm Prayer Lord Jesus, the incarnate Word, when you consented to dwell with us, the heavens were glad and the earth rejoiced. In hope and love we await your return. Help us to proclaim your glory to those who do not know you, until the whole earth sings a new song to you and the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. THE READINGS Isaiah 9:2-7 This pericope ...

564. My God, My God, ... Why?

Mark 15:33-41

Drama

... your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on all loins, and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son, and the end of it like a bitter day." Such judgment is not what I was hoping for. You know I really cannot count myself as one of his disciples. But I sincerely wish it could have been different for Jesus and different for the people of Israel. (Shakes his head) A very sad day. (Stares at his book, then into the distance.) You have ...

565. Is Jesus Still in the Healing Business?

Luke 4:38-44, Luke 4:31-37

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... how life could ever be good again. But it is, although we miss him every day. He is always bicycling up the sidewalks of my mind. God’s four miracle medications have kept us going. We have faith that God is taking care of our son. We have a firm hope that we will see him again. We know that God loves our son and us more than we can imagine. And, God has continued to pump joy into our souls. Dear friends, we ought to be the healthiest people on the planet. The world’s most powerful medications are free ...

566. The Gospel According to Christ’s Enemies

John 11:1-16

Sermon

Richard Hoefler

... Three simple words, yet these words, according to John, brought Lazarus back from the grave, sentenced Jesus to death, and proclaimed the sign of our eternal life. Reality - Not Factuality So Lazarus was raised from the dead. It is a great story! For us it is a story of hope - hope for a newness of life and being. We need, however, to view it as did the evangelist John. For him it was not so much a story about Lazarus as about Jesus who was the Christ. Try as we will, none of us can prove the factuality of ...

567. The Easter Event - After The Resurrection

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Robert Allen

... the risen Lord. When you do, you will discover a God that cares about you. II. After the resurrection, there was a joyful hope. When the women went to the tomb, there was sorrow in their hearts. They were thinking about the task which lay before them. They ... love and care ... Surely God can be trusted to be as kind to you as you were years ago to me. This is the joyful hope of the Easter Event. I do not completely understand the mystery of the Resurrection. I have no answer for "why" and "how" he walked out ...

568. The Ultimate Christmas Gift

Psalm 85:1-13, Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Erskine White

... proscribed rules for initiating and conducting a "just war" - the war must be fought for a just cause, the war must be declared by a legitimate authority, civilians are not to be attacked, the force used must be proportionate to the need, and so on. The hope was that restraint in war would cause less hardship and breed less resentment, thereby making peace more likely once the war was over. Most historians agree that the American Civil War marked the end of the limited or just war era. As our Civil War ...

569. When Things Don’t Work Out, What Then?

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

Edward Chinn

... ’t always work out. Death or divorce may intervene. Young parents bring their first child to be baptized. They have marvelous plans for this new life, but forty years later the mother says, "I’m so disappointed in my son. Things didn’t work out with him as we had hoped." I heard a man who was approaching retirement, as he surveyed his life, say, "If I had it to do all over again, I would never have gone into the line of work that I did." Things did not work out for him. The Bible holds up a mirror to ...

570. Christmas 1

Isaiah 61:1-11, Isaiah 62:1-12, Galatians 3:26--4:7, Luke 2:21-40

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... WE WERE NOT CHILDREN, BUT SLAVES, PRISONERS, HOSTAGES TO THE LAW. Leader: But through a Son, God adopted us as sons and daughters, and made us heirs of a great inheritance. People: LET US THEREFORE LIFT OUR HEARTS TO GOD, OUR FATHER, OUR MOTHER, OUR COMFORT, OUR HOPE. Collect Almighty God, whose gift of a child was also the gift of adoption for us: let us feel in our depths your divine parental love; that we may be better sons and daughters in your holy family and more worthy brothers and sisters of Christ ...

571. Out of Chaos

Luke 3:1-20

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... us out of chaos. Leader: When the increase of demands upon us twirls our lives in confusing circles, People: We call upon hope, and hope calls us out of chaos. Leader: When unexpected events rip apart our goals, People: We call upon hope, and hope calls us out of chaos. Leader: God enters our wilderness. People: Come, O long-expected Jesus, call us into hope. Collect Sustaining God, who stands by us and guides us through the rough, we trust in you. Amen. Prayer Of Confession At first, it does not occur ...

572. Gold, Circumstance, and Mud

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... circumstance, the mud. We can choose which of those will influence us most. For me, I choose the gold. I hear the angels gathered above saying "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news..." while we bring the gold, circumstance and mud or "the hopes and fears" of this past year...really, all the hopes & fears of our lives. They are not extra baggage. They are who we are and what we are. What we do with them is up to us. Would you like some help with them? Ultimately, that is why we are here tonight, isn't it ...

573. Doing Battle with Demons

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to take control of natural processes and often were thought to take possession of persons or control their fate. The demons could enter a person through the ears, nose, or mouth. Amulets, magic, sacrifices, and rituals were needed if one were to have any hope of appeasing or escaping these spiritual powers. But then we meet Jesus and find that HE has a power these demons cannot match. Move to 1998. We no longer attribute calamities or illnesses to unseen forces, but rather understand them as functions of ...

574. Mary's Song

Micah 5:1-4

Sermon

King Duncan

... His creatures, no matter how small. Lisa came away from the banquet with a new sense of peace. She knew that God was still in her life, and that she could trust God's timing in all things. Occasionally, Lisa still visited the nest. She didn't have much hope of seeing a change, but she just couldn't give up after all this time. Then one day, Lisa went out to the nest and found it full of baby swallows. After 10½ weeks of incubation, the eggs had hatched. Normal incubation for swallow's eggs is approximately ...

575. Working For Love

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... they both know that no one can truly know the pain of another. They share a genuine concern to help people who are hurting, and people often respond to their concern, sometimes writing a letter of gratitude in return. (5) Yes, pain is universal. But through people like George and Hope, God's love is made manifest. And this brings us to our final point: GOD'S LOVE IS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US. If it is true that God's love is universal, then it also means that it is available to you and me whoever we may be ...

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