Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 551 to 575 of 1409 results

551. Does God Give A Damn?

Exodus 5:22--6:12

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"Moreover I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold in bondage and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment, and I will take you for my people, and I will be your God.’ " When someone does not care, bitterly we say in the vernacular, "He does not ...

552. Is Your Sin My Business?

Ezekiel 33:1-20

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life." Is ...

553. Isaiah’s Interruption

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

The Sermon text is the ninth verse of the 40th chapter of Isaiah: "Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ " It’s quite a conversation between the prophet and a couple of voices. First a command is given: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord." We’ve heard that passage often enough, if not in church, at least in music. We know, of course ...

554. The Church’s Fear and Comfort

Acts 9:19b-31

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

The sermon today is based upon the 31st verse of the ninth chapter of Acts: "So the church throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it was multiplied." Imagine yourself, for a moment, as the employee of a large corporation. Let’s take the company out of the United States, for what we are about to demonstrate is harder to believe in one’s home country. Pretend, if you will, that you are located deep ...

555. The Disciples’ Dumb Dream

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

The sermon text is from the Gospel of Mark, the ninth chapter, verses 33-35: "... when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, ‘If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.’ " What does one get out of being a Christian? Each of us has probably asked that of himself on occasion. Ask it again, ...

556. "It’s Time to Send Christmas Cards"

2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

By now I would suspect that all of us have received a good number of Christmas cards. They come with regularity in these last days before the great holidays. All of us have a traditional way of dealing with those Christmas cards. In our family we put the cards in a decorative bowl. The cards are there for us to go through whenever we want. There are other traditions as well. As I visit in your homes, I notice some of you tape your cards around doors in order to frame them. Others put cards on mantels. ...

557. "American Express Traveler’s Cheques ..."

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Peter Rudowski

Parables - short stories - are very effective ways to communicate ideas. Again and again we read in the Scriptures parables which are used to communicate God’s message to us. Jesus is a master at the short story. He tells us that the kingdom of God is like a father who had a son leave home with his inheritance. The son is welcomed home after a disastrous journey. Or, the kingdom of God is like a woman who lost a coin and celebrates when she finds it. Or, the kingdom of God is like a field with a treasure ...

558. A Tale to be Told

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

George Bass

In James Michener’s recent novel, Space, Astronaut John Pope is asked by the President of the United States of America to make a good-will tour of the world after an astounding flight to the Moon. In Autralia, he meets a Korean newspaper woman, Cindy, whose real name is Rhee Soon-Ka, who wants to write the story of the astronauts for her paper. They go to an inn and talk at considerable length - and innocently - but a story reaches Washington that Pope and Cindy are having an affair. NASA, the State ...

559. Journey To The Cross VI: Jesus And Pontius Pilate

Matthew 27:11-26

Sermon

James W. Moore

Jesus came riding triumphantly into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday... the picture of success. But then, just a few days later, he was nailed to a cross like a common criminal. What happened? What do we make of this? Was Jesus a success? What do you think? Well, for many years now, we in America... have been highly “success-conscious,” “success-oriented.” And most have agreed with Webster’s definition: “Success is the attainment of wealth and fame.” Think about it. Isn’t it true that when we think of success... ...

560. HAVING A REALLY GOOD FIGHT

Illustration

John H. Krahn

I believe it was the Mills Brothers who made popular the song, "You Always Hurt the One You Love." Fighting is one of the realities of married life. Unfortunately, most of us do not handle it well. Fighting is a negative way of communicating some very strong feelings. If we accept the premise that the point of all communication is to get closer to each other, then we might seek more constructive and positive ways of communicating our strong feelings rather than destructive fighting. Although space doesn’t ...

561. Faith Opens the Door

Genesis 12:1-8

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

Faith opens the door in the human spirit that allows an individual to step from one dimension of living into a higher dimension of living. Dr. Charles Allen tells of a desperate layman who called him one morning over the phone and urgently requested him to come to his office. The businessman continued, "Would you tell me what it means to be a Christian? I have got to know." We ministers are challenged by such a request, but how do we answer the question? It all begins with faith. Faith is a personal ...

562. A SERMON DRAMA FOR CHRISTMASTIDE

Drama

Tom Eberle

Christmas The historical development of the Christmas festival in the late third and early fourth centuries had a distinctly theological intention. [Oscar E. Cullmann, The Early Church, edited by A.J.B. Higgins, (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1956), p. 25] The nativity festival was celebrated in response to those heresies that did not accept the fullness of God’s presence in the humanity of Jesus. Through the festival of Christmas the orthodox branch of the church affirmed the fullness of ...

563. What Do You Think You’re Worth?

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered." [Matthew 10:29, 30] What do you think you’re worth? It is not likely you are worth the billions of a Paul Getty or a Howard Hughes. Do you go to the other extreme when you would sell yourself for a nickel and give three cents change? Are you like the young lad who wore a football t-shirt with the letters 00, a double cipher? Was this the way he ...

564. Incalculable Riches by Bishop Roy C. Nichols

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Mann

In Ephesians, Chapter 3 and verse 8, Paul says, "To me, least of all the saints, is given the grace to preach the unsearchable riches of the gospel of Jesus Christ." One of our modern translations renders the text thus: "the incalculable riches." I like that better, because it expresses the vastness of the gospel, rather than its "mystery." Paul was sharing this testimony with the members of the churches of the city of Ephesus. They knew him well; for he had first preached in their midst and nurtured them ...

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

Romans 8:18-27

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 imagine are your thoughts, my own thoughts, and the troubled thoughts that are characteristic in this modern period ...

566. Swept Up Together

Luke 11:14-28

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A vacuum sweeper and some objects that can be picked up and some that cannot be picked up. Good morning, boys and girls. Isn’t it great to be together? There is something about all being together with Jesus here on Sunday morning that we think is absolutely great. Jesus likes for us to stick together and he said so a lot of times. He knew that it was better for us to be together than separated because for some reason it seems that we are stronger when we have each other. We act better, think better ...

567. You Are Bigger Than You Think

Matthew 13:31-35

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A mustard seed or any tiny seed that can be passed out to the children. Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever thought about how small you are when you compare yourself to the whole world? Just think: there is only one of you in this whole world, and God thinks that you are important. You are more important than a big building or a jet airplane or a mountain or even an ocean! To God, little you are more important than the stars in the sky or the coal in the ground. But if you think that you ...

568. A Knife of Many Uses

Matthew 22:34-40

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A knife with many blades that includes a screwdriver, bottle opener, corkscrew, and some may even have a spoon. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever seen a knife like this? [Hold it up.] A lot of you. Can you tell me what I can do with this knife? [Let them answer.] That’s right, I can cut rope, take the skin off an apple or orange, and sharpen a stick. But what else can I do with this knife? [Let them answer.] Did you know that I can open a can, fix a loose screw, pull a cork ...

569. God, Help Us to Laugh

Sermon

Harold Warlick

Each of us is a partial mirror of our childhood. The things we saw grownups do when we were children give us our clues as to how to handle life. In fact, most of our expressions and attitudes toward church date back to our childhood. This past week I attempted to uncover my own childhood experiences and lay bare the initial and most reaching elements of that period in church. Without a doubt, my memory returned to one awareness: the tremendous sadness of the adults or "big people." I would look around and ...

570. For Losers And Cowards

Judges 6:1-40

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

You know what a "loser" is, don’t you? A loser is a woodpecker in a petrified forest. A loser is a guy who sticks his hand out to make a left turn and smacks a traffic cop in the face. A loser is a guy who plays hide-and-seek and nobody goes to look for him. That’s what Gideon was - a real "loser," before he teamed up with God. This story is a lesson for all losers, all little people, all those who feel they are too timid to ever be brave, all insignificant people, all fearful people, all defeated people ...

571. Defended By the Divine

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Women have sometimes had the reputation for doing some pretty dumb things. My preacher-husband, John, and I drove to a preaching mission in Mississippi recently. Three different times, the same day, we found ourselves behind a woman (a different one each time) who signaled to make a turn, then turned the opposite direction from her signal. It reminded me of the person who said "When a woman sticks out her arm, and indicates a left turn, the only thing you can be absolutely sure of is that the window is ...

572. Love of God, Self, and Neighbor

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

The religious people of Jesus’ day got together to try to trap Jesus with their questions. They asked him about paying taxes. They asked him about rising from death. We read today that they asked him what was the greatest commandment. The Jewish rabbis liked to distill the meaning of religion into little phrases like the ones we put on our Burma Shave signs. They had 632 laws and rules for the practice of their religion. They tried to break it down into a couple of inclusive commandments. "Teacher," he ...

573. Embalmed Leaders

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

In the best tradition of science fiction, it is always a little, three-toed, one-eyed, green skinned creature with a radio antenna sticking out of the top of his skull that steps out of a flying saucer space ship and says to the first American he meets: "Take me to your leader." Have you ever asked yourself, if you were confronted by such a question, just where or to whom would you take this visitor from another planet? I suspect that many of us would be forced to answer: "I’d be glad to take you to our ...

574. Embalmed Alive

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

The words are probably the most plain, the most authoritarian, the most all-inclusive of the great "I am" statements made by Jesus Christ. In Chapter 14 of the Gospel According to St. John, verse 6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." In unmistakable, explicit words, our Lord is saying that the human being cannot have life without him. I suppose that our culture can be divided into two types of persons - those who say in whatever comfortable and luxurious situations they find themselves in: "This is ...

575. God is Laughing at Us

Zechariah 9:9-13

Illustration

Jon L. Joyce

"LO YOUR KING COMES TO YOU. TRIUMPHANT AND VICTORIOUS IS HE, HUMBLE AND RIDING ON AN ASS, ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF AN ASS." Surely one sign of the lack of perceptiveness of us humans is sometimes we don’t know when we are being ridiculed, laughed at, satirized, made fun of. I remember when we arrived in Japan for the occupation years ago, the missionary’s son who was our regimental interpreter, told me to watch how the Japanese people greeted me. If they would bow and say "Koneechiwa Gozaimas" they were ...

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