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 576 to 600 of 779 results

576. Joseph and the Famine

Genesis 47:13-31

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Joseph’s Administration of the Famine: Joseph is pictured as a wise, shrewd, and compassionate administrator, loyal to Pharaoh as well as concerned for the people. During the harsh famine he displays great administrative skill in distributing the stored food in a way that meets the needs of the people and strengthens the crown. He prudently prepares for the land to return to production at the end of the famine. 47:13–17 The Egyptians and the inhabitants of Canaan groaned beneath the unending famine. After ...

577. Transition to Jesus’ Public Ministry

Matthew 4:12-17

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Anticipating Jesus’ public Galilean ministry, Matthew affirms Jesus as the bringer of restoration to Israel in line with Isaiah’s hopes and intimates the inclusion of Gentiles. Understanding the Text This passage (4:12–16) transitions between Matthew’s introduction of Jesus’ identity (1:1–4:11) and Jesus’ Galilean ministry to Israel (4:17–16:20). In it, Matthew connects an Isaiah prophecy to Jesus’ relocation from Nazareth to Capernaum. Jesus’ mission to bring restoration to Israel is implicit in ...

578. The Disciples Confess Jesus as the Messiah

Matthew 16:1-4, Matthew 16:5-12, Matthew 16:13-20

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: While Matthew warns his readers against the unbelief and wrong teachings of the Jewish leaders, he provides the right response to Jesus in the disciples’ confession of Jesus as the Messiah, which comes via revelation from God. Understanding the Text This passage provides a climactic summary of a number of key story elements that Matthew has introduced thus far. First, the request from the Jewish leaders for Jesus to provide a sign (16:1–4; see 12:38) culminates the various controversies that ...

579. The Good Life

Luke 6:17-26

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: Jesus contrasts the blessings of life in the kingdom of God, with all its hardships, with most people’s idea of the good life. Understanding the Text Following after the selection of the Twelve, this is the beginning of a programmatic sermon on the blessings and demands of discipleship, which continues to the end of the chapter. The parameters are thus established for the role that the disciples will play in the developing story. Outline/Structure Luke 6:20–49 is a much shorter “equivalent” to ...

580. The Conclusion

Revelation 22:7-21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

Big Idea: Those who obey this authentic prophecy from God, which proclaims how to live in light of Christ’s imminent return, will be eternally blessed. Understanding the Text The somewhat random organization of the conclusion results from the many things John is trying to accomplish in this closing section. There are various speakers (John, an angel, Jesus, the Spirit and the bride, the hearers), important parallels with the prologue in 1:1–8,1and three central themes that reinforce the overall message of ...

581. Barren No More

1 Sam 1:1-20–2:11

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The Lord, the incomparable King, vindicates his loyal followers. Understanding the Text The judges’ period was a low point in Israel’s history. God’s people, without effective leadership, hit rock bottom morally, ethically, and spiritually. The final chapters of Judges contain alarming accounts of gang rape, civil war, mass slaughter of entire tribes and cities, and kidnapping. The book ends by declaring, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judg. 21:25). First Samuel ...

582. The Lord Is with David

1 Samuel 18:1-30

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: The Lord protects and grants success to his chosen servants. Understanding the Text The tension between Saul and David has been building in the story line. At first, Saul’s successor was described as one who is in touch with God and superior to Saul (13:14; 15:28), but he was not named. In chapters 16 and 17 he appears and quickly demonstrates his qualifications by bringing the king relief from his distress and then leading Israel to a great victory. All seems to be well. Impressed by David’s ...

583. Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

Ezra 4:6-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Ezra 4:6–23 is a parenthetic statement that tells how opposition to the Jews continued in the time of kings Xerxes I (486–465 BC) and Artaxerxes I (464–424 BC). Thus, this parenthesis must include a period of nearly eighty years, from the events of Ezra 5 (520 BC) until the early part of Artaxerxes’ reign, before Nehemiah is sent to Jerusalem (445 BC). Why does the author skip ahead chronologically? He apparently thought it important to emphasize the continuing opposition, possibly to justify the decision ...

584. The Example of Paul’s Suffering

Colossians 1:24--2:5

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:24-27 · Paul declared himself a servant of Christ in 1:23 and in the next few verses fleshes out what that means in terms of Christ’s sacrifice and the growth of the church. He uses terms such as “flesh” and “body” (1:24) that carry a range of meaning and impact. In 1:22, Paul declared that Christ conquered sin with his death (on the cross) in his fleshly body, and in verse 24, Paul expands the connotations of Christ’s body to include the church. He has both meanings in mind when he declares that he ...

585. Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

2:1–3:13 Review · The gospel arrives in Thessalonica:Having finished the initial thanksgiving (1:2–10), Paul now begins the body of the letter. The themes of the thanksgiving are now taken up again and elaborated, with 2:1–12 explaining the character of the apostles and their entry while 2:13–16 reminds the church of their reception of the gospel in the midst of great persecution. The following section (2:17–3:13) recalls the story of the apostles’ absence from the church and their continued care and ...

586. The Beast of the Sea

Revelation 13:1b-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

In Revelation 12, Satan was unveiled as the force of evil in our world, the phantom menace behind human history who wages war against God’s people. In Revelation 13, the dragon calls forth two legendary creatures, Leviathan from the sea (13:1) and Behemoth from the earth (13:11), as its agents of suffering and sin. According to Jewish tradition, these beasts were created on the fifth day, and their separation between the sea and the land was symbolic of God’s establishing order to the primordial chaos (Gen ...

587. Personal Greetings

Romans 16:1-27

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

At first glance the final chapter of Romans offers little more than a list of names, of interest to Paul and his readers perhaps, but of doubtful consequence for modern readers. Of what significance after all, is a list of unidentified names? Is not a name about which we know nothing really no name at all? Is not our commentary reduced to an exercise in historical trivia at this point? Does not the strangeness of the names remind us how foreign and remote Paul’s world really is from ours, lessening the ...

588. The Resurrection of Christ

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

The letter moves toward its conclusion with a long, crucial defense of the truth of the resurrection of the dead and its intrinsic importance for all of Christian faith and living. The length and complexity of this reflection, coupled with its subject matter, make this portion of the letter important for understanding early Christian belief and practice, the foundational nature of resurrection faith for all of Christian theology, and the reconstruction of Paul’s overall understanding of God’s work in and ...

589. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Lion's Pit: In this familiar chapter, Daniel’s enemies conspire to get him thrown into the lions’ pit for making petitions to his God. Just as we wonder where Daniel is in chapter 3, so we wonder where Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) are in chapter 6, for there is no mention of them. We can be sure that they, like Daniel, would have continued their daily prayers in spite of the threat of being devoured by wild animals, yet there is no explanation for their absence. This ...

590. Jesus Heals Many

Luke 4:38-44

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Jesus Casts Out Demons: With the exorcism in 4:33–36 we have the first of some twenty-one miracles performed by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. These miracles may be assigned to four basic categories: Exorcisms, healings, resuscitations, and nature miracles. (1) In addition to the exorcism of the demon-possessed man in the synagogue, Jesus exorcises two other demon-possessed persons (the Gerasene “demoniac” in 8:26–39 and the mute man in 11:14). Luke 4:41 refers to exorcisms in general, while elsewhere in ...

591. Personal Requests

1 Corinthians 16:5-18

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

16:5 Paul sketches his future itinerary, indicating the intention to pass through Macedonia on the way to Corinth, which was in Achaia. This particular route meant that Paul did not plan to sail directly from Ephesus to Corinth, and from 2 Corinthians 8–9 one learns of the Macedonian Christians’ participation in the collection. 16:6 Paul’s reference to a possible stay in Corinth is simple. He intended to spend the winter, the season when travel was impossible, in Corinth; then, when spring came he could go ...

592. The Glory of the New Covenant

2 Corinthians 3:7-17; 4:1-6

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

In contrast to the death that the law brings because of the people’s inability to obey, Paul affirms that the Spirit gives life. According to Ezekiel, the life-giving Spirit is the central feature of the prophetic expectation of the restoration from exile. After the people have been punished and purged and brought again through the wilderness in a “new exodus,” they will be given a new Spirit that will reanimate the nation dead in its trespasses and sins (cf. Ezek. 11:19; 18:31; 36:26). The Vision of the ...

593. Paul's Vision and His Thorn

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

12:1–10 Up to this point in the “Fool’s Speech” Paul boasts that, as a servant of Christ, he is superior to his opponents (the so-called super-apostles) mostly in terms of his far greater sufferings (11:21b–33). In 12:1–10 the apostle goes on to boast of his surpassing revelatory experience. In contrast to the disgraceful descent from the wall in Damascus (11:33), Paul here recounts a glorious ascent into heaven (cf. T. Jos. 1:4 for a similar contrast between descent as humiliation and ascent as exaltation ...

594. Faith or Observance of the Law

Galatians 3:1-14, Galatians 3:15-25

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

Paul’s Appeal to the Gospel the Galatians Have Known and Experienced 3:1–2 The apostle begins this section of his letter by addressing his readers as foolish Galatians! This designation appears to have been a common one for the Galatian tribes who were often considered barbarians and “foolish.” The ancient Greek writer Callimachus (c. 305–c. 240 B.C.), for instance, uses the word as if it were a standard epithet, writing: “the foolish tribe of the Galatians” (Hymn 4, To Delos [Mair, LCL]). Paul uses this ...

595. The Power to Forgive

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor John Ortberg tells a humorous story about an umpire in a softball league in Colorado. One day, during the off season, this unfortunate umpire got stopped by a police officer for speeding. He pleaded for mercy. He explained to the policeman that he was a good driver and told why this particular day he had to be in a hurry. The officer didn’t buy his argument. “Tell it to the judge,” he said. When softball season rolled around, the umpire was umpiring his first game. Guess who was the first batter to ...

596. The Power of the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

It is not by strength that one prevails. (Hannah’s Prayer) Props: hiking boots or tricycle (you’ll need a child volunteer from the congregation for this) and matches (or one large match) to light a candle; oil Some of you have probably seen the movie Wild, based on the recent best-selling book. The story is about a young woman, Cheryl Strayed, who takes a long trek through the mountain trails of Washington State in order to deal with her “inner demons.” She is mourning the loss of her mother. She is trying ...

597. Scandal

Matthew 16:21-28, Matthew 17:14-23, Matthew 20:17-19, Matthew 26:1-5

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop (Animation): large mouse trap with “prop” piece; stone or rock; basket of river rocks People I know are hooked to two tv shows right now. One they admit right away: “Empire.” The other is more a “guilty pleasure” they admit to only when pressed: “Scandal.” Back for its fifth season, “Scandal” is the story of a president’s mistress. A married US President, Fitzgerald Grant, has fallen in love and is having an affair with crisis management professional, Olivia Pope. While her job is usually to “handle” ...

598. Bittersweet

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh / Anointing Oil – Frankincense and Myrrh Animation: youtube of the Seinfeld clip on re-gifting The term “re-gifting” was coined by Jerry Seinfeld in an episode of the comedy show Seinfeld in 1995 called “The Label Maker.” Elaine is horrified to discover that Jerry has received a gift (a label maker) from someone. But it’s the same “label maker” that she originally gave to the guy who gifted Jerry. They uncovered a “re-gifter!” Anyone remember Seinfeld? [Pause to see how ...

599. Deep Faith

Genesis 6:1-8:22, Genesis 5:1-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“If we were logical, the future would be bleak, indeed. But we are more than logical. We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope.” (Jacques Cousteau) “Deep waters call out to what is deeper still; at the roar of your waterfalls all your breakers and your waves swirl over me.” (Psalm 42:7) "For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me.” (Jonah 2:3) “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Now ...

600. The Wind Came

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman named Alice tells about her nephew’s 10-year-old son who came for a visit one hot, July weekend. “Look, Alice,” he said as he ran over to where she was sitting. “I found a kite. Could we go outside and fly it?” Glancing out a nearby window, Alice noticed there was not a breeze stirring. “I’m sorry, Tripper,” she said, “The wind is not blowing today. The kite won’t fly.” The determined 10-year-old replied. “I think it’s windy enough. I can get it to fly,” he answered, as he hurried out the back door ...

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