Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 601 to 625 of 4963 results

601. The Season Of The Resurrection

Luke 24:44-53

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

... the city until they had been clothed with power. If Christ's Spirit provides the power, consider how we manage to remain so powerless. What keeps us from plugging into the power source? In silence, write down what blocks you from receiving the ... way in which my life falls short of what I want it to be. The evidence of this is all around me, and I choose to remain powerless, rather than plugging into your power. Yet, I am also aware of the possibilities of life, and the new things that struggle within me to ...

602. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

... Our being here has little to do with how we feel and everything to do with our obedience. Hymn of Adoration "O God of Vision" Prayer of Adoration Incorporate how the people came to worship with God's faithfulness to meet them as they are. God remains faithful even when we are less than faithful, and constantly look for excuses and scapegoats. CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS Introduction to the Act of Confession Tom Oden, in his book, Game Free, says, "The deeper problem may be that we do not know how to use our ...

603. The Season Of The Holy Spirit

Mark 2:1-12

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

... as servants in the world. M: We have come to discover once again what this means, and to receive the grace we need to remain faithful, even when, especially when, the world, including some of the church, insists that we give in to the demands of the culture. ... present our whole selves as we present our time, money, energy. Charge to the Congregation If we want to become and remain free, responsible people, then we need to remember the rhythms upon which the universe is constructed -- work and rest -- and keep ...

604. Mary Ponders

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... the profundity of the pondering Mary must have experienced. But even you cannot know it all, for every birth is unique, and no one can see into the depths of anyone's heart, or know its deepest secrets or its intimate conversations. Mary's inner thoughts will remain hers alone. Neither the scriptures nor tradition has read her mind. Might it have been that not all the angel said to her nine months before in Nazareth is recorded for us? Might not there have been some indication that a cross and a crown of ...

605. Moving At The Speed Of Light: Nazareth: Family Ties

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... talked about the things Jesus had said to them and of how he bewildered them. "How could he have moved away?" They hoped sometime he would come back to stay. On one thing they could all agree: "The world would have been a better place had Jesus remained a hometown boy." It appears that the tensions in Jesus' family centered around loyalty to Nazareth, the town of his upbringing, to his clan, and to his immediate family. After all, this was a family/clan/tribe which was of the davidic line from which the ...

606. Moving At The Speed Of Light: Jerusalem: What Word Would You

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... enough to understand when the word comes in our own language. We are told that most Americans use about 400 words of the English language about eighty percent of the time. Which is to say that the remaining 400,000 words to be found in the standard English language dictionary remain mostly unused. Carolyn Davidson helps us make our point with this short quiz. (Quiz answers may be found in footnotes.) 1) Tolerate the batologist! a) a baseball team's incompetent batting instructor b) a person who repeats ...

607. Just In Time

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... calling numbers as the Eagle Lunar Lander eases toward the moon. Finally, the historic words from Armstrong, "Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed." At 4:17 p.m. EDT, July 20, 1969, the first humans landed on the moon with sixteen seconds of fuel remaining -- just in time.2 Or consider a young Hebrew who has been challenged by God to bring God's people out of bondage. He has been arguing with the leaders of Egypt for some time, and finally by signs and wonders has convinced Pharaoh to free ...

608. The Hope Of A Girl-- And The Hope Of The World

Isaiah 7:1-25

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... the ground. The weight of it was too great to hold up. The city of Stalingrad no longer bears his name. Jesus Christ remains, but where is Stalin now? With what are you filling your life? What kind of monument are you building? Monuments we build to ourselves are ... always too heavy to hold up. They sink in the ground. Those which show God is ruling over us always remain firm. Some tourists in Brazil came to a place where they could see that great statue of the Christ of the Andes. But the ...

609. Grapes Of Wrath Or Grace?

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... years than Ahab reigned in days. He was also obeying the law of God. According to covenant law, all land belonged to God, who graciously allowed the people of Israel to use it. The land was the people's inheritance from God, and any property was to remain in the family to which it had been given. Naboth was not afraid nor ashamed to show himself a worshipper of Yahweh -- so he refused to sell his vineyard. And therein is the problem: Naboth had the land; Ahab wanted it. Ahab offered to buy; Naboth refused ...

610. What Do You Do When Life Ain't Fair?

Genesis 29:15-30

Sermon

Steve Burt

... offers a lame excuse. "Around this neck of the woods," he says, "we don't allow the younger sister to be married off before the elder sister." Laban is trying to snare Jacob in a you-didn't-know-the-custom trap. But the question remains about Laban's integrity: Why didn't he spell that out before, seven years earlier? Uncle Laban has deceived his nephew, and it must be tempting for Jacob to consider deceiving Uncle Laban in return, paying back evil with evil (something Jesus would admonish us centuries ...

611. Easter 2

Jn 20:19-31 · 1 Pet 1:3-9 · Acts 2:14a, 22-32 · Ps 16 · Ps 111

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... so the one fell into deep despair, saying, "If conception ends in birth, what is the purpose of life in the womb? It's meaningless! Maybe there is no mother after all!" "But there has to be," protested the other. "How else did we get there? How do we remain alive?" "Have you ever seen our mother?" said the one. "Maybe she lives only in our minds. Maybe we made her up, because the idea made us feel good!" And so the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear. Finally the moment of birth ...

612. Epiphany 4

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Micah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... weakness of our old hearts to get us on the operating table so that he might implant in us new hearts, hearts that no longer lust after things forbidden but long for the living God. WORSHIP RESOURCES Psalm Of The Day: Psalm 15 Who are those who will remain in God's dwelling? Those who walk blamelessly before the Lord; Psalm 37: 1-11 The arrogant, proud people will be replaced by the meek, who will inherit the land. Prayer Of The Day: God of grace, imprint on us the spirit of your Son, who humbled himself ...

613. Epiphany 5

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 5:17-20, Isaiah 58:1-14, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... only as strong as its weakest link. Only a society that cares for all of its people (a just society) will remain strong and secure. In ancient days, cities would attempt to secure their safety by building walls around it but the only ... not to keep the secret, but to make it known. Through Christ we have revealed the mystery of God's plan of salvation but God himself remains something of an enigma. If God were fully transparent to us, he would no longer be God; rather, we would ourselves be divine. God wants ...

614. Pentecost

1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Joel 2:28-32, John 7:25-44, Acts 2:14-41, Acts 2:1-13, John 20:19-23

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... those at the temple festivities because, every day during the feast, water would be drawn from the Pool of Siloam and taken to the temple. That practice was to portray God giving the children of Israel water from the rock, as they journeyed through the desert. Water remains the prime symbol of life and Jesus takes it unto himself. Gospel: John 20:19-23 (RC, E, L) This is John's Pentecost story. The setting is not out in public, as in Acts, but in the Upper Room, where the disciples were cloistered behind ...

615. Proper 18

Romans 13:8-14, Romans 13:1-7, Ezekiel 33:1-20, Exodus 12:1-30, Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... as a remembrance of the Lord's great act of deliverance. Old Testament: Ezekiel 33:(1-6) 7-11 God reminds Ezekiel that he is his watchman, whose charge is to warn the evildoers to repent. If he warns them and they refuse to change their ways, their sins remain but the prophet is not held accountable. If he fails to warn the people and they continue in their sin, their sin will be on their own heads and the prophet of God will also be held accountable. Epistle: Romans 13:8-14 Paul instructs the Church to ...

616. Proper 24

Exodus 33:12-23, Isaiah 45:1-7, Matthew 22:15-22, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... cards and cancel car insurance, bank accounts and so forth. Revere regards his outpost as a sovereign nation. He has also set up embassies of Heaven in the "foreign lands" of Oregon, Utah and Texas but plans to go worldwide. The citizens of Heaven remain accountable only to God. (Derived from an article in the Omaha World Herald, August 27, 1994) Paul Revere's argument is essentially that of the Pharisees and religious zealots in Jesus' day. WORSHIP RESOURCES Psalm Of The Day: Psalm 99 "Extol the Lord our ...

617. A Good Friday Vigil

Luke 22:39-46

Bulletin Aid

Alexander H. Wales

... seated, the worship leader reads: Luke 22:39-48, 52-71. Pause for silent meditation and prayer after extinguishing one of the three reading candles. The worship leader then reads: Matthew 27:1-5 and Mark 15:6-20. Pause for silent meditation and prayer after extinguishing one of the remaining two reading candles. The worship leader then reads: Luke 23:26-27, 32-34, 39-46 and Mark 15:39, 42-47. Pause for silent meditation and prayer after extinguishing the final reading candle and all but a few of the ...

618. Standing Firm

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... were, when criticized until I could reflect and pray about the situation. After all, no one is always right and it behooves even the most firmly convinced person to stop and re-examine. Sometimes we're wrong. As to how we can be sufficiently sure of ourselves to remain firm in the face of criticism and strong opposition, it's obviously important that we say our prayers and that we earnestly try to listen to our opponents. In Isaiah's case, we can't really measure him on that. Perhaps to be a prophet in the ...

619. Acquaintances Or Friends?

2 Samuel 16:15--17:29

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

... failed relationship of Saul and Samuel. No jealousy is present as in the stormy love/hate relationship that would develop between Saul and David. And if you read on in this narrative you will see the rare kind of friend that Jonathan was to David while yet remaining loyal to his father and finally dying beside him on the field of battle. David was devastated when he heard that news. How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain upon your high places. I am distressed for you, my ...

620. Leaving A Legacy

1 Kings 2:1-12

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... life." Solomon had the assurance that night that God would be with him as he set out to rule the chosen people. Solomon retreated to a quiet place seeking God's guidance. God spoke to him in a dream which would empower him the rest of his life. If Solomon remained obedient to God, then God would give him more than he ever expected. Then Solomon awoke from his dream. It was time for him to go back to the royal palace. It was time to put into practice what God had promised him. One thing was clear to him ...

621. Have You Heard The Good News?

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... way place that was shadowy, barren and unknown. Today, Christ comes to the shadowy and barren places of our lives. This is what Advent is all about. This is the good news! Jesus was born amid the poverty and obscurity of those Judean hills, but the fact remains that he transformed human life in the first century. It all began in such lowliness and unpretentiousness. Today Christ comes to those shadowy and barren places of our lives and brings the light of God's love and grace. It was good news for the first ...

622. The Ascension of Our Lord

Luke 24:36-49

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... came the time for the next step. Taking the message into the world proved to be a difficult next step, but it was necessary. There are times when we feel we would like to remain in church. Faith is easier to express here. It is relatively safe. People understand. They usually do not ask tough, probing questions. But we cannot remain in here. You have entrusted us with the gift of faith in order to share it with others. Sharing is difficult, but necessary. Tough questions will be asked. But by your grace, we ...

623. Fifth Sunday of Lent

John 12:20-36

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... it's any comfort to you, my daughter and I will never, ever forget what Reverend Ken did for us. (She exits.) Don: Terry, do you remember the scripture that Ken kept quoting? Terry: How can I forget? "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." Don: Ken lived that scripture over and over, and he is still bearing fruit. Terry: He followed Jesus every step of the way. I just hope I'm strong enough to do the same. Don: Come on. I ...

624. We Haven’t Got To Them Yet

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

... put them together as others had before him. Here was the essence of the faith, taken from Deuteronomy 6:4 and Leviticus 19:18. As the centuries went by, the prophets and priests and Jesus boiled down over six hundred laws until, at last, only these two remained. The Jews had seen a lot of life before this distillation could be made. A lot of other components of life had been boiled off in the experience of the years. Like us, the early Jews wanted to guarantee a pure religion. Burnt offerings and sacrifices ...

625. When Matters Hang in the Balance

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... in the balance with them. And it can be a torturous business to be so suspended. Hanging in the balance could easily describe what happened to David in this episode from 2 Samuel. David had repented of his sin involving Bathsheba, but a heavy matter remained and that was the illness and probable death of the child born of their imprudence. Bad Theology Greatly troublesome is the first verse from this episode in David’s life: “The Lord caused the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David to become ...

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