Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 576 to 600 of 1044 results

576. Redrawing The Landscape

Multiple Scriptures

Sermon

Harold Warlick

One summer's day my wife and I journeyed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to attend a conference. We packed early in the morning and joined a colleague and his wife for breakfast. The other couple was also attending the Pittsburgh conference. After saying "goodbye" to our friends, we indicated that we would see them at the hotel in Pittsburgh. We were leaving directly from the breakfast while they were not leaving for another two or three hours, after they went home, packed, and took their children to the ...

577. “You Did That for Me!”

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

A friend and I were having lunch. We enjoyed jumping from one topic to another, sharing, interrupting, countering. I did a double-take when my friend slipped in a surprise. “My marriage is in trouble.” The conversation changed at once. Another new topic had occurred to me, but I dropped it. The time had come for listening. Our conversation had changed from a freewheeling exchange to an intimate opening and sharing. I asked leading questions and made observations. I was trying hard to listen, actively using ...

578. The Rich Young Ruler

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Brett Blair

The rich young ruler falls into that unique category of Bible characters that have been maligned by generations of commentators. We might compare him to the elder brother in the story of the prodigal son. It seems like both of these young men have always gotten bad press and therefore a bad reputation. We have been impressed with the f ct that the rich young ruler was seemingly so near to the Kingdom, but alas his love of money kept him out. We see him as a moral coward, a man who lacked commitment. And ...

579. "Something's Coming"

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

Robert Beringer

Could it be? Who knows? There's something to anything, I will know right away, soon as it shows. It may come cannonballing down from the sky - Who knows? It's just out of reach ... down the block ... on a beach . . . under a tree,I got a feeling there's a miracle goin' to come true, coming to me! Could it be? Yes, it could ... Something's comin', something good if I can wait. Something's comin', I don't know what it is, but it's going to be great! Something's comin' - don't go away!1 Perhaps you recognize ...

580. Mission Possible

Sermon

Robert Beringer

Almost all of us have seen the popular television program, "Mission Impossible." For many years the MI Task Force took on what seemed like an incredible assignment, and in less than an hour, they did the impossible! How wonderful it would be if carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ in this world were as easy. The challenge to us in this season of Epiphany is the ongoing proclamation that the "light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5)." But in more ways than one, this ...

581. Mary Christmas

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

John Jamison

So, where are the shepherds? And what about the "multitude of the heavenly host" shining their glory on everyone and breaking into song about God, and salvation, and peace? Sure, there is an angel. One angel, who sounds more like a meditating attorney in a three-piece suit, speaking in one long sentence which tells Joseph he ought to see this thing through and try to work things out with Mary. And that even happens in a dream. But that seems to fit Matthew's purpose. Matthew isn't interested in the ...

582. A Good Thing To Know

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

This is one of those times when our gospel lesson tells us too little! To understand today's parable we must first understand the reference to "these things." Events previously reported are the important antecedents to today's reading. "As they heard these things, he [Jesus] proceeded to tell a parable." Luke assumes that his readers know what "things" they (and Jesus' original audience) have been hearing. As we hear the lesson read, we have little chance of knowing. Few are likely to remember that "these ...

583. For a Nineteen-year-old Who Died of Cancer

Mark 15:1-15

Eulogy

Arthur H. Kolsti

A Time For Thanksgiving This meditation was delivered at a memorial service for a young man of nineteen whose death was caused by cancer. The words of remembrance were delivered by an uncle, a sister, a close friend, and a neighbor/employer. These were prepared prior to the service and delivered to the pastor. The aim of the meditation was to bring everything together, provide a theological perspective, and seal the service with a word of hope. Thank you William, Susan, Adam, and Jonathan. You have, ...

584. Giving

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Brett Blair

Robert Fulghum, who wrote All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, says that he placed alongside the mirror in his bathroom a picture of a woman who is not his wife. That's risky business! Every morning as he stood there shaving, he looked at the picture of that woman. The picture? The picture is of a small humped-over woman wearing sandals and a blue eastern robe and head dress (sari). She is surrounded by important-looking people in tuxedos, evening gowns, and the regalia of royalty. It is ...

585. The Tinsel Time Machine

Drama

Edward Long

Production Notes A minimum of characters are needed. No elaborate costuming, make-up, or stage setting are involved. The play can be performed in chancel or on stage. "Extras" may be readily incorporated at the last minute (wearing winter coats) into the "carolers" in the England segment. It can be performed books in hand, or some or all of the cast may wish to memorize their lines. Only three rehearsals are needed for an effective presentation. The action is simple. The actors and actresses are urged to ...

586. What Do We Hope For?

Isaiah 25:1-12

Sermon

John P. Rossing

The theme that we hear over and over in these closing Sundays of the church year is hope. Our attention keeps getting drawn to the promised fulfillment of our expectations. God is going to do something to resolve our human predicament, to relieve our despair. But what is it? What is God going to do? What do we dare hope for? There was a story in the news not too long ago of a 13-year-old girl dying of a degenerative brain disease. Her doctors wanted to end life-support and let her die, to release her from ...

587. Honor by Serving

Revelation 14:6-13

Eulogy

Richard F. Bansemer

Death of a Ggrateful Person The meditation text is Revelation 14:13: "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Our duty today is to look upon the completed life of ___________ and say:"Blessed."Some of you have already said it out loud, in words that mean the same thing. You said it when we agreed ...

588. Elizabeth and Mary

Luke 1:39-45

Sermon

Brett Blair

Despite the Scrooges among us who annually decry the commercialization, the crassness and the blatant sentimentality of so much of the Christmas preparations, it is still a magical time of the year. The daily popping out of multi-colored lights at doorways and windows, the Christmas tree lots that seem to spring up over night, the magnificent window displays, the wreaths, the tinsel, the reds and greens and sound of bells--it all evokes a tone of excitement and anticipation. It is as if the entire world is ...

589. When You Least Expect It...

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Before I went to seminary, I was an avid reader. I especially enjoyed reading novels by authors like Stephen King. Often I would literally devour a novel in one or two days. Then, a few weeks later, I would go back and read the same novel again at a slower pace to make sure I hadn’t missed anything the first time through. Seminary requires a tremendous amount of reading, much of it dry as dust and about that interesting, too. Very few of the books we had to read during seminary were less than 400 pages in ...

590. There's Blindness, and There's Blindness

John 9:13-34, John 9:1-12

Sermon

Johnny Dean

John Killinger tells the story of a man who visited one day in a classroom for visually impaired children. Troubled by what he saw, the man remarked, insensitively, "It must be terrible to go through life without eyes." One little girl quickly responded, "It’s not half as bad as having two good eyes but still not being able to see." Her point was well made. There is physical blindness, and there is another, even more tragic form of blindness that affects the spirit. Both forms of blindness are present in ...

591. Not Your Favorite Father's Day Scripture

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Ever since the publication of the immensely popular book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, there seems to have been a deluge of studies, books, and newspaper articles about the differences between men and women. I read one such article this past week. Some behavioral scientist claims to have discovered what most women probably already knew – that men get bored more easily than women. In other words, men have a shorter attention span than women. Now I know that there are some men, perhaps even some ...

592. Loving

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Larry Powell

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (verse 1) A gong has always impressed me as an almost unnecessary instrument. Each time a musician slams into one with a mallet to achieve the dull, disconcerting clash, I fully expect a secret passage to appear, or an oriental servant to fawn onto the stage. Cymbals provide slightly more flexible, functional accents of emphasis. However, both the gong and the cymbal produce but a single monotonous tone ...

593. Discipline Hurts But Helps

Matthew 18:15-20

Children's Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

Object: A Doctor's Syringe Good morning! I hope all of you are feeling well today! What often happens when you are not feeling well? Where do your parents take you when you are sick? (Let them answer.) That's right! They take you to see the doctor. Hold up your hand if you have ever been to see the doctor. Tell me, what did you like best about going to the doctor's office? (Let them respond.) What did you not like about going to see the doctor? (Let them answer - surely, one of them will say "getting shots ...

594. Encounters With Christ III: Jesus and Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

Sermon

James W. Moore

His name was Paul. He lived in a small town in the Pacific Northwest some years ago. He was just a little boy when his family became the proud owners of one of the first telephones in the neighborhood. It was one of those wooden boxes attached to the wall with the shiny receiver hanging on the side of the box… and the mouthpiece attached to the front. Young Paul listened with fascination as his mom and dad used the phone… and he discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device called a telephone lived ...

595. Innocent of the Blood of Jesus

Matthew 27:1-10

Drama

Joe Barone

As we continue our walk with Jesus to the cross, it might be well to consider where we've been. It all started when Mary anointed Jesus with an expensive flask of oil. From there Jesus went to the last supper where he acknowledged that Judas would betray him. We were at Gethsemane with the apostle James, and we watched Jesus stand before the Sanhedrin through the eyes of the high priest Caiaphas. Today, we look through the eyes of Pontius Pilate. Dramatic Monologue: Pontius Pilate He was no threat to the ...

596. Monologues: Disciples Redeemed

John 20:10-18, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Drama

Raymond I. Keffer

Saul Of Tarsus "I am Saul of Tarsus. Like my fellow Jews, I am a true believer in the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. I have a commission from the leaders of the one true church to eliminate a troublesome group known as Christians, the followers of Jesus of Nazareth; the same Jesus who was crucified for His false teachings. I intend to give these Christians the same punishment for blasphemy Stephen got: death by stoning. This threat to the one true religion and to the one true God, Jehovah, cannot be ...

597. Epilogue: Some Early Witnesses to Christ

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

Robert V. Dodd

Epilogue: Some Early Witnesses to Christ Joseph and Mary were the initial human witnesses to Christ. They had experienced angel visitations concerning their first-born son. And they knew for certain that he was God's special Child - unlike any other person who ever walked the face of the earth. They were privileged to watch him grow and to help him grow in his own understanding of who he was and what he was to accomplish on this earth. Other early witnesses were the shepherds on the night of our Lord's ...

598. Come From Anywhere

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

"... Great is your faith!" - Matthew 15:28 When Jesus walked with his disciples among the hills and valleys and towns of Palestine, he often led them in directions they had not expected to go. Traveling from Judea to Galilee, he chose to take his disciples through Samaria, although the Jewish people, who had no dealings with the Samaritans, normally went around another way. Although there was grave danger to them in Jerusalem at the time of that final Passover, and although his disciples objected ...

599. An Everyday Theology

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

There are two major ways of talking about the Christian gospel. One of them is a learned style, with terms and concepts forged by the scholar and the classroom. The second way of speaking theologically is to use the situations and relationships of everyday life. Every Christian works out his or her understanding of the gospel, using something of both of these approaches. Even the ordinary, uneducated Christian knows something of the learned theological style, for many passages of the New Testament are ...

600. To Be Somebody

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

A few years ago, Vance Packard wrote a book he called The Staus Seekers. From him and others like him we learn that having an office with a window and a carpet might be more important than getting a raise. So what encouragement is there for those who make sandwiches for a cafeteria? Or who fill mail orders at Wards? Or who make boxes at Hoerner Waldorf? Or who are retired - whose job history is in the past? Martin Luther King Jr. coined a word that says what we all hunger for: somebodiness. It seems to me ...

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