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 626 to 650 of 779 results

626. The Way Of The King

1 Samuel 8:1-22

Sermon

Charles Curley

This sermon is built around a question, a question which I am not even going to try to answer. If this kind of sermon, one of questions not answers, disturbs you, then we are in trouble. But I'm prepared to leave you disturbed, for you are in good company. The question I find so hard to answer has disturbed and troubled the people of God since the time of Samuel the prophet. The way the question is put in the passage from 1 Samuel which was our scripture reading today is: "Is there any other way, for the ...

627. Easter 2

Acts 4:32-37, 1 John 1:5--2:14, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: The risen Christ confronts us in our doubts and fears with his living presence, fortifying our faith, so that we might withstand the doubt. COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 4:32-35 The church in Jerusalem witnessed to the power of the risen Christ through the quality of their communal life. They were united in faith and love, freely sharing their possessions. In fact, many of those with property sold it and made the funds available to the whole community. Epistle: Acts 3:12a, 13-15, 17-26 (See Easter 3) ...

628. Proper 17

James 1:19-27, Song of Songs 2:1-17, Mark 7:1-23

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Purity is an inside job. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Song of Solomon 2:8-13 The whole of the Song of Solomon is a love poem. In this passage the bride hears the voice of her lover as he approaches her house, then with desire sees him through the lattice. He joyously announces that the winter rainy season is past and that the earth is in full bloom. He beckons his lover to come and celebrate love and life around them and within them. Old Testament: Deuteronomy 4:1-9 Epistle: James 1:17-27 James ...

629. Where You Do Not Wish To Go

John 21:18

Illustration

John E. Sumwalt

Wilma Petersen chaired the social concerns committee in her church. She also headed an action group that lobbied the state legislature on senior citizen issues; she served on the regional Commission on Aging and was secretary of a city task force that was seeking a government grant to build low income housing. When the doctor told her she needed gallbladder surgery, the first thing she said was, "How long will I be laid up?" When she was assured it would only be four to six weeks, she said, "Oh, that won't ...

630. The Blessing of the Ascension

Mark 16:1-20

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note This passage overlaps the selection for the Third Sunday of Easter, which recounts resurrected Christ's final commission to his disciples. Added here, however, is his leading them to Bethany, blessing them and departing. Of particular importance is the emphatic repetition of the verb "to bless" in various forms: Christ blesses the disciples and they in turn bless God joyfully. Liturgical Color White Suggested Hymns A Hymn Of Glory Let Us Sing! Crown Him With Many Crowns Rejoice, The Lord Is ...

631. Proper 9

Mark 6:7-13

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note The commissioning of the Twelve underscores the continuity between what their mission is to be and what Jesus' has been: they are to preach, exorcise, heal and withal suffer rejection. Remarkable here is the eschatological urgency implied in Jesus' instructions to "travel light," which makes for quite a contrast with today's Christian mission, both theologically and practically. Liturgical Color Green Suggested Hymns The Son Of God, Our Christ The Lord Will Come And Not Be Slow Dear Christians ...

632. Who Short-Circuited the Good News?

Mark 6:7-13

Sermon

James Weekley

And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against ...

633. Hope Against Hope

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Erskine White

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told. (Romans 4:18) Sometimes, as we get to this point in the year, it seems that winter will go on forever. It’s been cold for so long that you can hardly remember the last time you put on a pair of shorts and basked in the warmth of the sun. You are so sick of shoveling the driveway that you would almost rather go to the dentist with an impacted wisdom tooth than go through another snowstorm. The trees have ...

634. What Have You Got To Lose?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Erskine White

Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25) Years ago, when the Betty Crocker company first began selling their cake mixes, they offered a product which only needed water. All you had to do was add water to the mix which came in the box, and you would get a perfect, delicious cake every time. It bombed. No one bought it and the company couldn’t understand why, so they commissioned a study which brought back a surprising answer. ...

635. A Farewell Gift

John 14:15-31

Sermon

John M. Braaten

I have never liked saying "goodbye," it always elicits feelings of finality. So I say other things like, "See you!" or "Hope to see you sometime." Most of the time I like quick goodbyes. However, when a loved one leaves there are no formalities. We embrace, sometimes through tears. It is not uncommon to cast out cliches, often with a bit of humor, to lighten the atmosphere. But in the end the word "goodbye" is bound to be spoken. It's a comforting thought really, because it is a shortened form of "God be ...

636. Life on the Roller Coaster

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Johnny Dean

The news media this past week focused a lot of attention on amusement park rides - especially roller coasters. According to their reports, several parks across the country have closed down their roller coasters pending further investigation of serious, sometimes even fatal, injuries sustained by people who were "enjoying" a ride on the roller coaster. Early reports seem to indicate that in some instances mechanical error did indeed account for the accident. But in at least one of these incidents – the one ...

637. The Benefit of the Doubt

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Well, I guess Easter is over for another year. The lilies are gone, attendance is down from last week, the new has worn off the Easter dresses and suits, and the candy has long since been devoured. Things are pretty much back to whatever passes for normal these days, back to the old, pre-Easter routine. And in churches all across America today, pulpits are being filled by substitute preachers. Our denominational leaders advise us that it is wise for preachers to take some time off the week after Easter. ...

638. When the Tie That Binds is a Slipknot

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above A man named John Fawcett wrote the words to that hymn in 1782. Mr. Fawcett obviously had no way of knowing what the church would be like in the year 2000. Today the "fellowship of kindred minds" is under a great deal of stress. The Methodists are still upset about their newest hymnal, mostly over the exclusion of some old favorite hymns. The average Catholic lay person continues to wage a war of ...

639. A Mission and a Message

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

A rather well-known evangelist used to send a team of workers to visit the cities included on his tour to prepare for his arrival and the subsequent revival meeting in advance. These people were well trained; they knew exactly what to do. One of them was in charge of publicity, and as soon as he was on the scene he would call a press conference, arrange for interviews with the local radio and television stations, and contact leaders of churches that intended to sponsor the evangelistic crusade. Another ...

640. Proper 9

Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 · Gal 6:7-18 · 1 Ki 21:1-3, 17-21 · Isa 66:1-14

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY 1 Kings 21:1-3, 17-21 For refusing to sell his lot to King Ahab, Naboth is falsely accused and murdered so Ahab can take possession of the land. Here we have only the beginning and ending of a dramatic story involving a king, a subject, and a prophet. To understand it, one must know and tell what happens between the first and last verses of the pericope. King Ahab offers to buy or trade the lot of Naboth whose land is next to the palace for his vegetable garden. Because he received it as an ...

641. The Day of Pentecost

Isaiah 44:1-5, Acts 2:1-13, Acts 2:14-41, John 20:19-23

Bulletin Aid

First Lesson: Isaiah 44:1-8 Theme: God alone is God Call to Worship Pastor: All praise to the only God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Judge! People: Only God can create. Only God can redeem. Only God can judge our sins. Pastor: There is none other to whom we will pray; in whom we will put our trust; and with whom we shall live forever! People: Glory be to God our Father, who has shared his Son to be our Savior and his Spirit to be our Companion! Collect Eternal God, who alone possesses the power of our ...

642. And You Thought God Didn't Care!

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Someone asked a man,"Do you think the biggest problem in the church is ignorance or apathy?" The man replied, "I don't know and I don't care!" Lots of folks believe that about God. He is either unaware of all that concerns us or is indifferent to it. For all those who suspect God of this detached inclination, who think God doesn't care, there is marvelous truth in the text to refute that notion forever. Let's lay a bit of groundwork and see how this is so. Moses, the emissary of God, born to deliver his ...

643. The Master Has Come - To Build His Church

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

I remember being on a trip in Tennessee and coming to a crossroads. One road went to Copperhill; the other went to Norris Dam. There at the crossroads was a little white frame church. The church stands at every crossroad. The Christian Church was no accident. It did not just happen. It was not merely a sociological phenomenon, a quirk of history. It was not founded upon a lie, an idea, a philosophy, hope, a dream, a delusion. It was planned, intended, constructed, trained, sent, commissioned, blessed, ...

644. Proper 11 & Pentecost 11

Isaiah 44:6-23, Psalm 103:1-22, Psalm 86:1-17, Exodus 3:1-22, Romans 8:18-27, Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The eschatological framework of the church year is strengthened on this Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, not by the character or content of the church year, but by the Gospel for the Day. With its parable of the wheat and the weeds, plus exegetically subtle support in the first reading (Isaiah 44 - "Let them tell us what is yet to be" and the second reading, Romans 8:27 - "... the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God"), the Gospel for the Day points to the end of time ...

645. Wednesday in Holy Week

John 13:18-30

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Betraying the beloved Christ Exegetical note John alone among the evangelists has Satan entering Judas only after the latter has received the bread from Jesus, raising the interesting possibility that the bread was not just an indication of Judas' prior intention out of malice, but indeed a symbol of Jesus' commissioning of a trusted one as the betrayer! Still, John clearly wants to contrast that role with that of the other "beloved" disciple, for whom betrayal would have been unthinkable. Call to ...

646. Ascension Day

Luke 24:36-49

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Waiting on the supporting Spirit Exegetical note Luke's version of Jesus' ascension is not as detailed as his one in Acts 1, but gives pretty much the same picture. Jesus sets before the disciples a formidable task: to preach repentance and forgiveness to the world. But, instead of sending them out immediately, he instructs them to return to Jerusalem to await the divine power (identified in Acts as none other than the Spirit) that will support their efforts. Call to Worship Leader: Let us prepare ...

647. The Need for Transfiguration

2 Peter 1:12-21

Sermon

Hubert Beck

Who has not felt the need for transfiguration? Who has not felt the Cinderella in them needing to be transformed from a deprived stepsister to a beautiful princess? Who has not felt so drab, so hum-drum, so dull, so boring even to one’s own self that one could hardly stand it? In moments like that - and for some people a good part of their life seems to be spent like that! - we feel that we simply must get beyond ourselves. We want to feel transfigured at least, to feel bright and cheery and extraordinary ...

648. The Post Launch Slump

2 Cor 8:10-11

Sermon

Robert Noblett

If you still haven’t heard of Murphy’s law, let me tell you how it reads: Says Murphy’s law, "If anything can go wrong, it will." Murphy’s law and others like it are not laws in a scientific sense; they are not laws in the sense that the law of gravity is a law. But they do capture human moments that are repeatable among us to the point where they seem more the rule than the exception. An enterprising fellow by the name of Arthur Bloch has put laws of this kind together between two covers and the result ...

649. Jesus Makes House Calls

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

Pentecost XII Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were ...

650. To Be Perfectly One

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Allan J. Weenink

One of the most meaningful experiences of my life took place in the Philippines. In the remote village of Lubuagan, high in the mountain provinces of northern Luzon, is a small mission school of some 250 students. The school and its sister church are on the main highway to Manila, which at this point is a narrow, treacherous dirt road, built on a mountain ledge. This little town literally clings to the mountains. It is half surrounded by graded rice terraces which give the impression of a thousand ...

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