Sermon and Worship Resources

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2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... various kinds of affliction, whereas the severity of the situation in Asia caused a momentary lapse. 4:10–11 On the death of Jesus, see J. Lambrecht, “The Nekrōsis of Jesus: Ministry and Suffering in 2 Cor. 4:7–15,” in Apôtre Paul. Personnalité, style et conception du ministère (ed. A. Vanhoye; BETL 73; Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1986), pp. 120–43. Although for the most part v. 11 merely explains v. 10 in other words, it does add the idea that Paul is being given over to death. The same ...

577. Gifts You Can’t Return

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Mary Austin

As we near the end of the Easter season, we hear Jesus speaking as part of his farewell message to his disciples. He originally spoke these words just before his death, to prepare his friends. These same words have the same special resonance for us now. The disciples have to learn to live in the world without Jesus’ physical presence, just as we do. We listen in, as Jesus spoke to God about his followers. John 17:6-19 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, ...

578. Officers of the Tribes

1 Chronicles 27:16-24

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

First Chronicles 27:1–15 enumerates David’s military, including the various levels in the army’s chain of command. Verse 1 makes it clear that David’s army was not an ad hoc force but rather a standing army on defined rotation, able to defend Israel constantly. First Chronicles 27:16–22 lists the leaders of the tribes of Israel, leaving out the two tribes of Gad and Asher, separating Aaron from the rest of Levi, and dividing the Joseph tribes into three groups (Ephraim, half Manasseh, half Manasseh), to ...

579. The Tale of the Widow and the Wolves

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Of all our childhood fairy tales, some of our favorites, and most feared, have to do with wolves. Can you name a few? The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, The Wolf and the Fox, Peter and the Wolf. These are a few of the many tales we tell with wolves in the villain’s character. Why? Because wolves are known not just as carnivores but as “opportunistic predators.” Most often preying upon their victims in ...

580. Gospel Grandmothers

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

... hold a special evening meeting to honor and celebrate the ministry of Pastor Mike Snyder. Someone on the board had found out that this year was the 25th anniversary of Pastor Snyder's ordination. Everyone agreed immediately that there should be a party, a Texas-style party to honor their pastor's 25 years of ordained ministry. And so it was. The party for Pastor Snyder's anniversary was held on a hot Texas summer night. Just about the whole congregation turned out for it. Choirs sang their favorite numbers ...

581. The Spice of Death

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... that people want to pay the highest respect they can for loved ones. Or sometimes it is guilt that prompts relatives to become lavish in doing the best they can for the deceased. Whatever the motives of the living are for sending the dead to their graves in style, we do take note of the results. We draw our own conclusions about how the dead are buried. Most generally, our real estimate of what has been done for the deceased is how much love has been poured into the arrangements. The dollars do not make all ...

582. The Spirit Of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... , phonology, vocabulary, syntax, and lexicon of Christian belief, but may not have the unity and power of the Holy Spirit to place us in one accord. These variations are just as present in the content of spirituality as the mode and style by which the content of belief is expressed and conveyed. What do we mean here? People may speak different national languages and dialects which make communication with foreigners unintelligible, but they can also speak different languages of faith and spirituality which ...

583. Lent 4

Psalm 32:1-11, Joshua 5:1-12, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Luke 15:1-7

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... Rejoicing. (vv. 23, 32) What are the occasions when the church needs to celebrate and rejoice? A. Lost and Found B. A Personal and Corporate Response. Do we show God's joy over those who find life in our personal and corporate actions? C. Style of Worship. Are music and dancing appropriate ways to celebrate worship? How does the church show in its worship and fellowship its joy at life found? CONTACT Points of Contact 1. Squandering Our Property. Each person is born with certain gifts and abilities. They ...

584. Weather Signs

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... because of such activity as healing the sick, feeding the multitudes, and building on the popular preaching of John the Baptist, the conflicts increased on almost every side. The disciples of John the Baptist had doubts because of Jesus' different style. The leaders of the religious institutions resented his challenge to their authority and the breaking of some religious taboos. The revolutionaries who wanted to overthrow the Roman occupiers by force were disappointed when Jesus refused to take up arms and ...

585. Proper 18

Psalm 139:1-24, Philemon 1:8-25, Philemon 1:1-7, Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Luke 14:25-35

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... his flesh to consider carefully what discipleship meant. Christ asks no less today. 3. Fighting Life's Battles. Jesus rejected the fighting of battles in the way of the king whom he used to illustrate the parable. He calls his disciples to a different style of fighting. It is no less important to consider what resources are needed for the battle or for undertaking any major project on behalf of Christ. As persons join the army of the lamb, they should consider what resources they have for the battle. They ...

586. God's Most Unmistakable Message

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

... do not know the first thing about painting. Even if I did, I would not be a painter like Picasso just because I have one of his prints. I have in my library books by writers such as Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and others. I could work at copying their styles, but I will never be a Faulkner or a Hemingway. Their example alone is not enough to change me. You see, all great artists and writers have one thing in common -- they are dedicated to their tasks with such devotion that they put the rest of us to ...

587. When Your Nets Are Empty

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... congregations often get in over their heads, move into deep water, take risks -- and they are the stronger for it. I often wonder where Jesus will tell us to lower our nets next? It may be with victims of AIDS, or street people, or the homeless, or in fresh styles of worship, or a different sort of music, or the fight to save the environment. My question to you: If life is at one of those stuck places, what are you going to attempt this year you didn't attempt last year?Into what deeper waters will you ...

588. The Tiger At The Edge

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

There is an ancient folktale about a tiger that is brought up with a herd of goats. From the day his eyes opened all he saw was a goat's life, so it became his style of life, too. The tiger munched grass with the rest, butted heads with the younger goats for recreation, and learned to bleat in an odd sort of way a sound that resembled, or so he thought, a goat's voice. Once in a while there was a nagging voice inside ...

589. Mirror, Mirror ON The Wall . . .!

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... opposite of this in western society today. The emphasis now is on outward glamor, physical beauty. You have seen a body beauty pageant. But have you ever seen a character beauty pageant? People want sex appeal toothpaste, eye-catching hairstyles, shapely bodies, and style-of-the-minute clothing. Now don't get me wrong! I am not against physical beauty. I think a Christian should try to look as pleasing as possible. What I am saying is that character is more important than physical glamor. Character lasts ...

590. Telling The Truth

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... ! I am free! I can do as I please! But the truth of the matter is that we are not as free as we like to think. Always having to "keep up with the Joneses," always having to have the latest computer or electronic gadget, the latest SUV, the latest style of jeans or cut of hair -- I would hardly call that freedom. It seems that the great cultural orthodoxy to which we must all conform and which we dare not question is that we must always have more and more, always have the latest, the newest, the fastest, the ...

591. Having The Last Word

John 18:28-40

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... been involved in its share of conflicts. Some might even call them wars. There have been battles over slavery, over the role of women, and even over the Bible. Today many congregations and even denominations find themselves caught up in a war over styles of worship. Many criticize the church for being out of touch with modern society. Its strange language, customs, and traditions make it seem foreign and alien. In order to relate to an ever-changing world and to take seriously Jesus' command to evangelize ...

592. Will The Real Messiah Please Stand Up?

Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

William L. Self

... play the game today with the many false messiahs presenting themselves as we approach the twenty-first century. In fact, throughout history, we have always had our false messiahs, from David Koresh and Jim Jones to Nero and Philip of Macedon. Each one in his own style offers a safe civilization to humankind if we would but submit. The problem is that it is difficult to distinguish the false messiahs from the real Messiah. There is a hunger within each of us to say, "Will the real Messiah please stand up?" I ...

593. Point Of Origin

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... his baton. The members of the orchestra rose to their feet in applause. Toscanini stood there until they ceased. Then he said, "That was not Toscanini. That was Beethoven. You just never heard him before."3 Perhaps you and I are so familiar with the style and characters of the Genesis 1 account of creation that we can almost recite it from memory. Perhaps these first five verses of the Bible have been subject to more minute examination than any other opening verse of any book, religious or secular. But just ...

594. Open Grave, Open Hearts

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

... youngster's shoulders, pulled gently and asked him what he was doing. The boy said he was interested in cars and had read a lot about different models. The owner talked with the boy for a while explaining to him details about this particular model and style. After a little while, the boy asked, "Mister, how much did you pay for this car?" The man replied, "Nothing. My brother gave it to me." The boy responded, "I wish ..." but stopped without finishing. The man chuckled, "You were going to say, 'I wish I ...

595. The Other Resurrection

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

Alexander H. Wales

... " -- a little nothing of a town whose greatest asset was a wall that protected it. It was also remembered that in that same area, in just about the same place, the prophet Elisha raised another woman's son. A little bit of deja vu, biblical style! The first resurrection story proved that Elisha truly was a prophet who had inherited the mantle of Elijah. In the second story, the people proclaim that there truly was a prophet in their midst. Jesus was repeating history that proved that God was in the process ...

596. Exercise Your Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... such superlatives, David Steele noticed the following ad: "Imperfect church, imperfect pastor, seeks imperfect DCE (Director of Christian Education) in order that grace may abound." Steele never met the Nebraska pastor who wrote the ad, but he liked his style. He could not but believe that he was swamped with applicants. Maybe we should put an ad in our local newspaper that would read as follows: "Imperfect church, imperfect pastor, imperfect members, invites imperfect visitors that grace may abound ...

597. The Hope Of Peace

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... " nor "innocent as a child." It means that, having been put on trial, we are acquitted; we are free to leave the courtroom and return home. The courtroom drama is a familiar one to those of us who watch television. A favorite ploy of Perry Mason-style mysteries is to have the attorney stand up in the courtroom and begin to peel away the layers of the crime, discarding theories and alibis one by one, turning false testimonies into a defense of the accused, so that the client -- who is of course falsely ...

598. Be Wise In The Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... aware of what is happening. John XXIII was a pope who endeared himself not only to his own Roman Catholic communion but also to many Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians and even to people outside historic Christianity. His ready smile, simple style of living, and obvious vulnerability attracted believers and unbelievers alike. Not the least of his commendable attributes was his charming wit. Once a prominent bishop had an interview with the pope scheduled for 11:00 a.m. The bishop was kept waiting ...

599. Week Five Of Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... your own eye before you pull the splinter from the eye of your neighbor. Jesus would not be trapped by the insensitivity of the Pharisees. Their accusation contained condemnation as well. Jesus is above the righteousness of those who think themselves self-styled and important. Let us take stoc_esermonsk of the way we conduct ourselves in our relationships with others. An attitude, a frown, an unkind word can accuse or condemn. Let us take the attitude of reconciliation which Jesus professes in word today ...

600. The Seventh Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

... Zacchaeus' house was a time for action. He began with repentance; next came restitution, a generous restitution. (The law required a thief, if caught, to pay back double; Zacchaeus, repentant, paid back fourfold.) Then there could be renewal. Zacchaeus' whole life-style changed from me-first money-grubbing to an outgoing care for others, "Half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor." Palm procession in Jericho, Palm Sunday in Jerusalem: both were times of renewal. The encounter in Jericho brought ...

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