Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 551 to 575 of 1232 results

551. Waiting Is So Hard to Do

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

(Ascension of the Lord) It is said that Americans are the most time-conscious people in the world. We are always in a hurry. We invented fast food, instant coffee, instant messenger, express mail, express oil changes and expressways. We are people constantly on the move. As one man put it, we’re people who shout at our microwave ovens to hurry up. I’m not going to ask you to hold up your hand if you enjoy waiting . . . for anything. That would hold up my sermon too much. And that would be a cardinal sin. ...

552. The Ultimate Evidence of God

2 Peter 1:16-21

Sermon

King Duncan

A Hungarian writer once wrote an amusing, but also very thoughtful dialogue which he imagined between two babies in a mother’s womb. Obviously they were twins. One twin asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?” The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.” “Nonsense” said the first twin. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?” The second twin said, “I don’t know, ...

553. The One Habit of Highly Effective Christians

John 4:19-24

Sermon

James Merritt

I want you to listen to the following poem and see if you can guess its subject: I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me, and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly. I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons I will do it ...

554. Go, Climb A Mountain!

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43)

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

The plane from Amsterdam to Africa was crowded. As three passengers stood in the aisle, you could tell they were hikers. Awkwardly, they stuffed heavy backpacks into already overloaded bins. Excitement seemed to emanate from them. Their conversation was animated as they laughed and focused on their climb up the fourth highest mountain in the world. As the plane flew over the Alps, they strained their necks to catch a view of the majestic mountains. Clouds enveloped the tops of their summits. Soon they ...

555. Another World

Exodus 24:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Two men--hundreds of years apart--climbed mountains and the world has not been the same since. Moses climbed Mount Sinai. He had received a personal invitation from God. "Come up here on the mountain," said the Almighty to Moses, "and I will give you tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that you may teach them." And Moses climbed the mountain and a cloud covered it. And suddenly the glory of the Lord filled Mount Sinai, and the cloud remained more than six days. On the seventh ...

556. Toward the Cross

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

John E. Harnish

Bethpage. Little has changed since the days of Jesus. It still sits perched on the rugged ridge of the Mount of Olives. If you look back down the narrow path, you can see the equally small village of Bethany and the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus where Jesus turned for respite and retreat in preparation for the week ahead. If you look ahead across the narrow valley, you can see the city of Jerusalem surrounded by its ancient walls. Today the "Dome of the Rock," a holy site for Moslems, dominates the ...

557. Apocalypse Wow!

Isaiah 25:6-9

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

A pastor friend of mine recently attended a ministerial meeting at a Presbyterian church, along with clergy representing several different denominations. During refreshment time, she was introduced to the church's sexton. She was familiar with the word "sexton," but couldn't quite remember what a sexton is, and she wasn't about to ask for a definition in that room full of men. Later she had an opportunity to consult a dictionary and was reminded that a sexton is a custodian associated with a church or ...

558. Starting Over

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

A college professor presented his class syllabus on the first day of the new semester. He pointed out that there were three papers to be written during the term, and he showed on which days those assignments had to be handed in. He said that these dates were firmly fixed, and that no student should presume that the deadline did not apply to her or him. He asked if the students were clear about this, and all heads nodded. When the first deadline arrived, all but one student turned in their papers. The one ...

559. The Week

Mark 14:1-15:47

Sermon

John Jamison

[Note to the preacher: This message is not presented as a sermon with an introduction, three points, and a conclusion, though you are welcome to rewrite it that way if you wish. My goal for this message is to invite my listeners to experience the events of Jesus’ week, more as he and his disciples experienced them. This message takes us to the arrest in the orchard of Gethsemane. The messages for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday will complete the journey. My goal was not to explain the ...

560. Flies On The Ceiling Of The Sistine Chapel

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. Paul Pearsall and his wife were attending a meeting in Rome, Italy. Their first stop was a tour of Vatican City. Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel had just been renovated. Dr. Pearsall and his wife waited for hours in line for a glimpse of this remarkable feat. At a distance the paintings did not look all that impressive. People chattered and joked about a paint-by-number replica of Michelangelo's work for their own ceilings. When they drew closer, however, they were overwhelmed. The paintings ...

561. Are You In the Know

Job 19:23-27

Sermon

James Merritt

Most of us don't remember, but many years ago doctors used to make house calls. That is, they would actually come to your house with their little black bag, and they would examine you. One day a man took deathly ill, and his wife called the doctor and the doctor came out to the house. When he walked in, the wife told him that her husband was upstairs. He told her to wait there; he went upstairs; was gone for a little while; after a few minutes came down and asked for a screwdriver. She gave him one. He ...

562. The Last Parable

Mark 12:1-12

Sermon

James McCormick

It took place during that first Holy Week. For about three years Jesus had been teaching and healing and living among his followers. He had been preparing the disciples for the time when he would no longer be with them. He sensed that they were ready, so he went to Jerusalem to confront those who opposed him. On Sunday he made his entry into Jerusalem – that was Palm Sunday which we will celebrate next week. He did it in such a way that his claim to be the Messiah was unmistakable. He had ridden on a ...

563. The Heifer that Will Change the World!

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

Sermon

Larry Lange

The Reverend Clyde Lott is a national champion cattle judge and livestock showman. He's also a preacher recognized by the National Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. Reverend Lott is uniquely qualified, therefore, to breed "the heifer that will change the world," the heifer that will fulfill God's apocalyptic promise of purity for his people. We're talking holy cow, here. Reverend Lott is anxiously waiting for the rapture of the church, because he doesn't want to be left behind. He believes the ...

564. If the Stones Cried Out

Luke 19:28-40

Sermon

King Duncan

(With apologies to Mick Jagger) For most of his ministry, Jesus tried to hide his true identity. He often referred to himself as the Son of Man, and when others tried to worship him or spread the news of his miracles, he told them to keep silent. He didn’t want their praise or publicity. Not yet. His time had not yet come. But it’s time now. As he makes his way to Jerusalem, the time is at hand for him to reveal his mission. Jesus knows what’s waiting for him in Jerusalem. He knows he will be betrayed, ...

565. A Vision of Beauty and Hope

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

In 1948, a World War II veteran named Earl Shaffer was the first person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. This 2,160-mile hiking trail connects Springer Mountain, Georgia, with Mount Katahdin, Maine. It is billed as the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Shaffer was restless after the war and he was grieving the death of his best friend. He needed to find some peace, so he set out alone on this challenging adventure. It took him through forests and streams and over mountains. He reached Maine ...

566. Are You Willing to Be a Donkey?

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

One of the classic images of the Old West is that of the gnarled, grubby gold miner trudging through the creek-beds, canyons, and mountain passes with his trusty, heavy-laden donkey by his side. Miners didn't use horses because they were not sure footed enough to traverse the rough terrain, the narrow, winding trails, the slippery creek-side stones. After all, a successful miner had a donkey loaded with the most valuable cargo in the universe: gold dust and gold nuggets. Such treasure could only be trusted ...

567. An Unnerving Experience

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman from a military family tells a humorous story. Her father was stationed at the naval base in New London, Connecticut. Then he received orders that he was to be transferred to Hawaii. The family excitedly prepared for the move. Since dogs and cats have to be quarantined for 120 days upon their arrival in the Hawaiian Islands, they sent their family cat ahead of them. Then the father’s orders were canceled. The family didn’t realize their circumstances were of particular interest to anyone else until ...

568. When the Unthinkable Happens

Mark 13:1-8, 24-32

Sermon

King Duncan

A priest and a rabbi from local parishes were standing by the side of the road holding up signs. The rabbi’s sign read, “The End is Near!” The priest, on the other side of the road, held up a sign which read, “Turn before it’s too late!” They planned to hold up their signs to each passing car. “Get a job,” The first driver yelled at them when he saw the sign. The second driver, immediately behind the first, yelled, “Leave us alone you religious freaks!” Shortly, from around the curve, the two clergy heard ...

569. The Sermon in the Supper

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Edward Chinn

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Several years ago in England, a man wrote to the editor of the British Weekly. In his letter, the writer reported that he could not remember any sermons preached in any of the churches he had attended. Because of that, the man questioned whether sermons were really as important as preachers thought they were. "I have been attending a church service for the past 30 years and I have heard probably 3,000 ...

570. His Cleansing Of The Temple

Luke 19:45-48

Sermon

Brett Blair

We have made some new additions. Note: This sermon is basically complete. We will be doing some editing and adding other comments about the Passion of the Christ on Wednesday, particularly Roger Ebert's (the film critic) comments on the film. We will probably change the ending as well. Please check back. History often records that in the lives of great people, their finest hours were their final hours. It was no exception with Jesus. So significant did the Biblical writers consider the last week of Jesus ...

571. All I Want for Christmas

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

All done? The rush about over? Any problems? If you were shopping for people like me, there were probably some - I am difficult to shop for. Not that I am so picky or finicky, it is just that, what I want, I buy. No need for anyone else to get it for me, I already have it. If I do not, it is probably too big or too expensive, so I forget about it. Thus, folks are stuck with going for golf balls or cologne or ties -- items which are pretty prosaic, but they are safe, and I can always use them. This does not ...

572. Only Heroes Need Apply

Mark 8:34-38

Sermon

King Duncan

Go with me back to last summer's Olympics ” to one of its most memorable moments. "Before the bomb, before the bowed heads and the silent moments, before the Olympic flag billowing at half-mast, there was the heroic story of Kerri Strug. "Many of you watched the Olympics and were stunned when a 4-foot-8-inch, 18-year-old woman charged down a runway, vaulted through the air and landed on a leg so badly sprained that it could hold her upright for only a second. Just long enough to ensure the first gold medal ...

573. Forever Hopeful

Romans 8:18-27

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 the fire, and be back in time for the afternoon edition. Breathlessly, he raced to the airport and drove his car ...

574. Why Did He Do It?

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Each Lenten season we come to the same troubling question. Why did Judas betray his Master? Thirty pieces of silver was a paltry sum. Why go to the trouble? There is evidence to indicate that before the betrayal, Judas had a place of honor among the disciples. The fact that he was the treasurer shows he was trusted. John 13:29 indicates that he may have been reclining alongside Jesus at the last supper. He was in a place of honor. Why in Heaven's name did he do it? What caused him to betray innocent blood ...

575. An Empty Stage Or An Empty Tomb?

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

In his book, THERE I GO AGAIN, Steven Moseley tells about Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballet superstar of the early 1900s. Ms. Pavlova has been acclaimed as the greatest ballerina of all time. Her most memorable performance, however, took place after her death. Anna was to play the role she made famous, the Dying Swan, at the Apollo Theatre in London. Tragically, she succumbed to pneumonia and died two days before the event. Still, on the appointed night, a crowd of her fans packed the Apollo Theatre. The ...

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