Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 576 to 600 of 4999 results

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... prayer, in meditation, when we connect our hearts through music, our hearts resonate with God’s voice, God’s frequency, God’s presence in our lives in ways that move us, change us, and heal us! Whether or not you engage in musical meditation or whether certain kinds of music simply touch your heart and soul in ways that soften your heart and increase your faith, we know that when our heart beats to the rhythm of God’s pulse, when our soul resonates with the frequency of God’s Spirit, we feel God ...

577. God Is Like...Fire

Malachi 3:1-4 · Luke 3:1-6, 9,16-17

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

... might be best for all concerned if the Lord decided to wait awhile. With all that fire around, they might get burned. The kind of thing they had in mind when the Lord came was some heavy number laid on their enemies, starting with scum like the ... us accept the judgment so God may refine us, purify us, and make us strong to love justice and practice compassion. Then all the many kinds of getting ready for the Lord’s coming will have a purpose. The longing in our hearts for his coming will find an answer. It ...

578. Eternally Yours

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... else will do. It just contains that “secret sauce,” that secret ingredient that no one else can duplicate. And it makes all the difference! That’s what it means to be a Jesus’ kind of disciple, a Jesus’ kind of human being. You have a kind of “salty” compassion, vulnerability, tenderness, and kindness that sets you apart from the rest and allows you to “see” differently. To “see” authentic value. Ever know an antique dealer like that – who can see through the dust and grime on an ...

579. A Living Memorial

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... God has done for God's people. That gratitude sparks a sense of belonging to God because of these saving acts in their history together. God's acts of redemption inspire within the people a desire to be true to God's expectations of them. Jim Tyrer experienced the kind of success in life for which many people strive, but very few ever really attain. At 6'5" and 280 pounds he was a mountain of a man. He starred in football at Notre Dame University and then as an All-Pro offensive lineman for the Kansas City ...

580. Beware Of Your Piety

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Fund raisers and development officers rely very heavily upon the publication of the lists of donors. They create all kinds of lists and many categories to be sure that people will see their names in print among the donors, contributors, patrons, sustainers, and friends. Of course, the real reason donors want to see their own names is to be sure that others will see their ...

581. Dinner Parties With A Difference

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... , to come clean, admitting your wrongs. I realize, says Jesus, that you may feel as though you are not up to my standards, that you feel you may not know how to behave in my circle of friends. But that really doesn't matter. In fact, it's that kind of feeling that qualifies you more than anything else. The truth is, my people are not really all that good. They're sinners just like you, and they know it and confess it. They came to my feast to receive my acceptance and the encouragement of my other followers ...

582. Made New By Interior Design

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

... our stupidity until the light of new sanity dawns upon us. Those who do this in our lives are gifts from God. The love of God is the kind that cares for us just as we are and not as we ought to be. In time, we become the way we are treated, not the way ... to understand. Her loss led her into a depression that she could not get around, but had to get through. There is a second kind of depression that seems to be chemical in nature. Some people have an imbalance in their systems that makes them feel as if there ...

583. Flatliners

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

... Everything's flattened out by the message that Jesus gives on the plains. It's a difficult world that we live in right now. It's kind of a confusing world when all of the traditional roles have been flattened out. We don't know which end is up most of the ... the spirit, in a culture that turns its back on it, by getting people to look through the lens of heaven. And then, for those kinds of people, it may be said, like a paraphrase I read of Psalm 1: Blessed are the man and the woman, the young person, the ...

584. The Blind Guiding The Blind

Psalm 92:1-15, Luke 6:46-49, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Isaiah 55:1-13, Luke 6:37-42

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... not one who says, "Do as I say" or "Do as I do." The Christian teacher says, "Do as Jesus said and did." This looks beyond self to Christ as the model for instruction in what it means to be a disciple. 4. The Influential Teacher. Two kinds of teachers have the most impact on their students. The first does so because students are so impressed by the teacher that they wish to emulate the teacher. The other so alienates the students because of disagreement that the student works doubly hard to demonstrate that ...

585. Proper 6

Luke 7:36-50, Galatians 2:11-21, 1 Kings 21:1-29, Psalm 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... Jesus knew what was in persons. That contradicts Simon's assumption that Jesus was not a prophet because he did not know what kind of persons he was associating with. 3. On forgiveness of debts: Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4 -- The Lord's Prayer on forgiving ... woman shows up and begins to bathe Jesus' feet with her tears and to wipe them with her hair. Simon rebukes Jesus for allowing this kind of woman to perform such an act. Jesus responds by offering Simon a story. 2. Luke 7:41-50 -- Jesus tells the parable of ...

586. Proper 13

Luke 11:1-13, Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-17, Psalm 107:1-43

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... 19:11-17 -- Parables of the Talents and Pounds. Luke 16:19-31 -- The Rich Man and Lazarus (Parable for Proper 21). Luke 19:8-9 -- Zacchaeus finds salvation in distributing his wealth. 1 Timothy 6:10 -- The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. ContentContent of the Pericope The pericope begins with a man who approaches Jesus with the request that Jesus tell his brother to share the family inheritance with him. Jesus refuses to act as a judge and arbitrator, and then warns against the dangers of ...

587. Weather Signs

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... 2:14-18. CONTENT Precis of the Parable After warning the crowd of the way in which his message will create conflict within a family, Jesus asks them to read the signs of the times. People watch the clouds and wind. From those indications they can anticipate what kind of weather is ahead and can prepare for it. In like manner they are to read the signs of the present times. His implication is that trouble is ahead. They should prepare for it. Being a follower of Jesus will not always be an easy life. Thesis ...

588. Having The Last Word

John 18:28-40

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... conflict. In the Gospel of John and especially in Jesus' trial before Pilate, we see these two kings and their kingdoms colliding. In the last analysis, only one can be king. Only one can have the last word. Two kingdoms, two ways of life, two kinds of power, two kinds of authority, continually pushing and tugging against one another, each trying to have the last word. One lives by the power of the sword. The other lives by the power of love. One is driven to accumulate wealth. And there can never be enough ...

589. Simply Simon

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Alexander H. Wales

... my friends over as well. "Well, he arrived last Thursday night with all of his disciples. Can you imagine! Twelve of the scruffiest men you've ever seen -- fishermen, laborers. Why, he even has a tax collector in that group! Not that I mind, though. I'm open to all kinds of people being part of the temple community. But I didn't know he'd bring all twelve of them. I thought the caterer was going to blow a gasket. "We'd just gotten down to dinner when you would not believe who should walk in. There is a lady ...

590. Let Our Kids Pray

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Carl B. Rife

... church in trying and torturing those seen to be heretics. The most recent one was Iran under the leadership of the Ayatollah Khomeni where religion, the church and the state were blended into one with no check on one by the other. So you see it's with this kind of understanding that I have just shared with you that I say in response to the bumper sticker "Let Our Kids Pray." Who in the world is stopping them? For prayer is a reflex of our deepest being to turn toward God, a spiritual tropism, and no one, no ...

591. Behold The Man Who Trained Disciples

Luke 10:1-20

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... we can do something. William H. Willimon told of a man who said, "A good teacher must be content to be a sower rather than a reaper." He went on to say teachers do not see good results immediately. The good they do shows up later on.5 That same kind of success is certain when we remember the importance of caring. A businessman ran an ad in the paper which was printed wrong. It read, "We fake a personal interest in each one." The world has had enough of that. All around people are crying out for someone who ...

592. Professor Of Paradox

Matthew 13:47-52, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... , and gives everything for our sake. On the one hand, said Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that catches every kind of fish in the sea. The kingdom of heaven has the original policy of nondiscrimination. On the other hand, Jesus says, the kingdom ... needed at exactly the right moment." "God gave me cancer to teach me to be more compassionate." I used to be turned off by this kind of talk, and I still am if it isn't sincere. Often it is sincere. People who talk like this really believe that God cares ...

593. Screaming For A Reason Why

Matthew 26:36-46; 27:45-46 · Job 3:1-26

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... God's will." We do it because that is what we have been taught, and too often taught by the church. We develop the habit of declaring it to be God's will because we have thought that's the way to endure disaster, tragedy, suffering, sorrow. It's a kind of brave fatalism to say, "God's will is being done." I have had trouble with this concept all my life. I still have trouble with it whenever I hear someone trying to comfort a grief-stricken person by saying, "It was God's will." I was a teenager during ...

594. Fools For The Sake Of Christ

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... peace is of more value than strife, that we should give rather than receive. And we tend to notice people who are standing on their heads. So Paul knew that he looked like a fool. "When reviled, we bless; when persecuted we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly." Some of you no doubt saw a story on 20/20 about the youth minister who was dismissed from his church position when his child was discovered to have AIDS. The story focused on the effect the dismissal had on both the father and the grandfather of ...

595. Wedding: Garments Of Marriage (for a formal wedding)

Colossians 3:1-17

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... to bring to your married life together. The only thing is, these clothes are not exactly what you're going to be wearing day in and day out. Have you seen any brides and grooms changing the oil in their car, mowing the lawn or doing the laundry in the kind of clothes you're wearing today? We all know that when it comes to daily living, we have to put on clothes that stand up to the demands of ordinary life. The same is true of the actions and attitudes which you bring to your marriage. On this, your wedding ...

596. Wedding: Faith, Hope, And Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... hard work, doesn't it? It is! But it is worth it! There is another reason Paul talks about love. Not only does he want to bring it back down to earth. At the same time, he wants to point our attention back up to God. Because the kind of love Paul was talking about is more than romantic love, greater than even the warm companionship that is so special between lifelong partners. Paul is talking about a love in which you actually forget yourself and are willing to sacrifice life itself for another person, just ...

597. Wedding: On The Right Track (for a long-time relationship)

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... when we can spend time with each other next June on our vacation. Gotta go now...," well, it's time to get your lives off the fast track and do some preventive maintenance for your relationship. Love is kept strong by those day-to-day gestures of kindness you give one another which say, "I think you are great and I'm glad we're together." The hug, the smile, the shared silliness, the chore done without asking, the surprise gift -- sometimes it is the little things that make the difference between an okay ...

598. Advent 2

Mark 1:1-8, 2 Peter 3:1-18, Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon Aid

E. Carver McGriff

... difficult to make. I pray. Eventually, I make a decision. I'm not saying I'm always right, and I'm not blaming God for wrong decisions on my part. Yet, I find that things always seem to work out if I pray as I go along. "Lead kindly light amidst the encircling gloom" is a request I have never felt denied. 3. Strength. I have always felt that we each have capabilities we fail to utilize, perhaps are not even aware of until some extraordinary situation calls them forth. I have found that often God empowers ...

599. Advent 3

John 1:1-18, John 1:19-28, Isaiah 61:1-11, Isaiah 65:17-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sermon Aid

E. Carver McGriff

... go with Paul's advice. One is contained in those words: "Put all things to the test; keep what is good, and avoid every kind of evil." My favorite, though, is Paul's opening counsel: "Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances." I can ... than bemoaning what we don't have. If there's one thing I learned early in my ministry, it's that everyone bears scars of one kind or another. It's easy to look around and get the feeling that other people have it better in life than I do. You and I ...

600. The Simple Shepherds--And The Lamb Of God

Isaiah 51:17--52:12

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... quit fighting and make less noise out in the street so he could sleep. Over a period of time Roaring Camp was completely changed by the birth of this child, and so were those dirty, profane men who lived there. They were changed by a child.1 That is the kind of thing we see taking place in the dirty little town of Bethlehem. Who are they that receive the news of the Savior's birth from the angels, and then come into town to see this great thing that has happened? It is the shepherds, of all people. Why the ...

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