Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 626 to 650 of 1230 results

James 3:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... too good to be true . . . it probably is." Farmers happily planted this too-good-to-be-true kudzu and began to reap its benefits. But kudzu proved to be too much or a good thing. With no natural predators to control its spread and ideal growing conditions, the kudzu vine exploded into an over-whelming abundance of "over-life" all across the South. Agriculturists now estimate that kudzu covers about 7 million acres – and it is continuing to spread its leafy arms across the mid section of the country. Kudzu ...

627. The Longest Running Parade in History

Psalm 118:1-29

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... was my promise that I wouldn't party while a guest of the hotel. Marriott's Fairfield Inn's require guests at certain times of the year to sign No Party Agreements. The actual document reads as follows: We understand that hotels are the ideal place to celebrate new adventures; however, problems occur when the celebration becomes a disturbance to our guests. In order to help prevent any problems, we have a few simple requests. Parties will not be tolerated (or disturbances to our other guests). You should ...

628. The Golden Bull or the Old Rugged Cross?

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... according to some economic value--it judges the world with justice and mercy. · The Kingdom of God does not glorify wealth and power-it glorifies God. Jesus continually alluded to what the Kingdom of God was "like" without ever pinning it down to one ideal or one expression. In one discussion the Kingdom of God Jesus likened to "a mustard seed" (Luke 13:19), and in the next breath he compared it to "yeast" (Luke 13:21). Certainly neither of these examples sound very lucrative. Jesus never suggested that ...

629. A Case for Living Together

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to be thriving like never before. But America the myth, the dream, is now the monster. America the nation is the galumphing galoot, the wanton, witless interloper on the international landscape. Americans may be welcomed guests, but increasingly we're being told to take the ideals of America back where they came from. And we don't get it. How can every country in the world not want to be like ours, enjoy our freedoms, our choices, our lifestyles? How could any culture turn its back on all the opportunities ...

630. Keep Going, Today, Tomorrow and the Next

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the instinctual drives and primal nature of these cats. They're not just extra big, but now domesticated cats. They're wild animals, with thousands of years of behavior hard-wired into them. When Siegfried & Roy began believing their own illusion, their mythical ideal of a partnership with these wild creatures, they opened themselves up to real danger. Roy was right to insists that his attacker Montecore was a good tiger. It's just that everyone had forgotten what good tigers do - good tigers hunt, pounce ...

631. There Will Be No Adults in Heaven

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... a child. Childhood is the common proving ground through which we all traipse. Jesus reclaimed childhood for heaven. Jesus rescued childhood from the first-century perception of the early years as demeaning and unimportant, as well as from the twenty-first century idealizations and romanticism of our childhood years. According to Jesus, childhood interacting with the world with the heart, mind, and spirit of a child was like stepping into the kingdom of God itself. The heart of a child: offers love and seeks ...

632. Warts and All

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... painting at sporting events. For others the entire body becomes a canvass, emblazoning the story of one's life loves, hates, people, places, triumphs, lost opportunities across biceps, pecs, backs, and backside. But the desire to edit our body into a text (or the anorexic ideal of being without a body or text-less) seems to be picking up steam rather than losing it. I will never forget meeting a burly, biker guy (now balding) who caught me staring at an incongruously cute Smurf tattooed on his huge bi-cep ...

633. The Servant Song

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... morning forms the third Servant Song in Second Isaiah, the others being Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-6; and the famous Suffering Servant Song in Isaiah 52:13—53:12, which we will treat in two weeks. Probably the Servant in this song is to be identified with an idealized Israel of the future (cf. Isaiah 41:8-9; 42:19; 43:10; 44:1-2, 21; 45:4; 48:20) — Israel as she is meant to be, Israel as Second Isaiah calls her to be. As that Servant, Israel is called by her God in 50:4-9a to ...

634. Baptism of the Lord

Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:23b-48, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... celebrate the rule of God, the psalmist has actually entered into a polemic about the character of power in this world—namely, that what appears most powerful to us in our everyday lives (Baal) may not necessarily be the case. Without such revelation, the ideal of being a servant people would be ludicrous. Second, in view of the first conclusion, the psalmist encourages us to look for real power in this world in worship and not in our everyday lives. The introduction calls the community to worship (vv. 1 ...

635. Easter 3

Psalm 116:1-19, Acts 2:14-41, 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, Luke 24:13-35

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... The Lord has risen indeed!" (v. 34). And what are the obstacles? In our familiarity with the Jesus story, we can lose the holiness that is central to it and in the process become blinded to the risen Lord. When this happens, Jesus becomes no more than an ideal of what we would like God to be and to do for us. We can reduce God to ethical behavior, which might not be linked to God's holiness. EASTER 3: THE CELEBRATION The gospel lesson for today provides the preacher with the opportunity to preach about the ...

636. Easter 6

Psalm 66:1-20, Acts 17:16-34, 1 Peter 3:8-22, John 14:15-31

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... to separate clearly into a call to ethical action, followed by a theological rationale for action. Upon closer examination, however, the separation is not so stark. The summary in v. 17 makes it clear that suffering in and of itself is not being idealized, and furthermore, that the sufferer is not allowed to make the determination of what constitutes unjust suffering. Note the qualifier in this verse, "if it is God's will." This summary statement makes it clear that unjust suffering for Christians cannot be ...

637. Easter 7

Jn 17:1-11 · 1 Pet 4:12-14; 5:6-11 · Ps 68 · Acts 1:6-14

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... contains ideas that are similar to the text of I Peter. It conveys the same idea that the Church's conflict and suffering in this world are because the power of Jesus is let loose. Thus both texts evince a certain energy in suffering, not to idealize it for its own sake but because suffering bonds the Church to the aggressive mission of Jesus. I Peter ties the Church to the prior Passion of Jesus, while John bonds the Church to the future glory of Jesus. EASTER 7: THE CELEBRATION Preachers frequently seem ...

638. Easter Vigil

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... through the theme of covenant in Genesis 9. The final lesson in Genesis shifts the focus from God to Abraham. Genesis 22 illustrates the important role that the people of God play in God's commitment to bring about a new world by idealizing the faith of Abraham. The (primarily) prophetic lessons sketch out God's future salvation for Israel, the nations, and the entire creation. Isaiah 55:1-11 returns to the theme of covenant to proclaim confidently that God's word will inevitably accomplish its goal ...

639. Lent 3

Jn 4:5-42 · Rom 5:1-11 · Ex 17:1-7 · Ps 95

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... how the power of God need not and indeed must not be tested in the context of worship. Worship is not the wilderness. The first generation of Israelites in the wilderness becomes negative examples in the light of the message of Psalm 95. They become idealized in the psalm as those who are unable to enter God's sanctuary, because they were unable to move beyond testing God. This interpretation goes beyond Exodus 17:1-7 and includes Numbers 20, where the story repeats. The murmuring for water in Numbers 20 ...

640. Lent 5

John 11:1-45 · Romans 8:6-11 · Ezekiel 37:1-14 · Psalm 130

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... to reduce the contrast to the level of the human versus the divine, or worse to contrast matter and spirit. As heirs to Greek thought, especially elements of Plato's dualism, which devalued the physical or real in deference to the spiritual or ideal, we may easily misunderstand Paul. The apostle is not lapsing into a Platonic dualism here. Rather, he is using the antinomic language of apocalyptic eschatology to contrast spheres of power. Flesh for Paul can, and sometimes does, mean the real physical human ...

641. Palm/Passion Sunday

Mt 26:14-27:66 · Php 2:5-11 · Isa 50:4-9a · Ps 31

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... . Verses 11-13 move us from a physical to a social description of the psalmist. Here we learn that this person radiates dread (Hebrew, herpâ; NRSV, the scorn of) to both friends and enemies (v. 11). She is the walking dead (v. 12). This is not idealized suffering. In fact there is no confidence here at all—nothing to grab on to because terror is on every side (v. 13). Up to this point, Psalm 31 has described the agony of social alienation and physical breakdown from personal threat. Yet, it is here ...

642. Proper 10

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... around the theme of the divine promise of progeny, but we must also see that new motifs are introduced as different ancestral figures become the central characters. Even though Jacob carries on the divine promise, he is not Abraham. He is not an ideal of faith, and the account of his birth makes this point clear at the outset. This is a story without heroes. The demonstration of this conclusion will be the central focus of interpretation. An additional introductory word is necessary for interpreting the ...

643. Proper 11

Mt 13:24-30, 36-43 · Rom 8:12-25 · Ps 139 · Gen 28:10-19a

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... promises, but they end with the somewhat unsettling comment that God will not leave Jacob alone until these promises are in fact fulfilled. When one recalls that Jacob was not really looking for God in the first place and that he is not exactly an etthical ideal, one wonders whether these closing words are a divine promise or threat. Third, Jacob's response in vv. 16-22. Jacob makes two speeches after his dream. In the first speech, he comments on the holiness of the place and how he did not know it ...

644. Proper 12

Genesis 29:15-30, Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52, Romans 8:28-39, Psalm 105:1-45

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... characters is yet fashioning a life-style out of God's promise of blessing. Thus neither is able to embody a blessing for others. Second, it also provides positive commentary on Leah's situation, as one who embodies the divine blessing that is being idealized in vv. 2-4. This second reading underscores how Psalm 128 must not be read simply as an illustration of rewards theology— namely, the understanding that belief in God guarantees a good life or getting what one wants. Even though she embodies divine ...

645. Proper 18

Psalm 149:1-9, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20, Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... this understanding of universal sin that a universal salvation is implied. There is nothing noble about the salvation of the Passover, for the first thing that anyone waking up the next morning must confront is blood dripping in their doorway. There is no idealizing of ones own cultural context here, and the imagery invites reflection on the nature of the Eucharist for Christians. Psalm 149 - "A Call to Praise" Setting. Psalm 149 is a hymn of praise that evolves into a call for the worshiping community to ...

646. Trinity Sunday

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... up our memory of Old Testament mountains that were places of divine work and revelation, so the mention of a mountain here creates a level of expectation. The strange note about the reaction of the disciples is probably an editorial device to create an ideal sense of a historical reality, namely that there was a mixture of reactions among the disciples to the Resurrection with some doubt mixed into the worship. Matthew does no more than recognize and recall this phenomenon. His candor may help us use this ...

647. Do You Have It

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... words, most notably Isaiah 26:19 and 60:1,2. Yet in this context a first century baptismal hymn is also completely reasonable as their source. The allusions to waking and rising from the dead to live a new life in the Lord are certainly ideals common to both an Old Testament experience of salvation history, and a New Testament experience of personal baptism. What this final exhortation does affirm without doubt is that new life, a life as "children of light," is found only in Christ. For it is only Christ ...

648. John 11:1-45

John 11:1-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 1:49) had all variously used the terminology of “Messiah,” “Son of God,” and ”coming into the world,” none of those individuals had grasped the new thing that God was accomplishing in Jesus. In short, Martha’s faith is still rooted in the messianic ideals of traditional first century Judaism. Verses 28-37 describes a new encounter: the focus is now on the exchange between Mary and Jesus. Unlike Martha who went and sought out Jesus, Mary has stayed in the house until her sister informs her that ...

649. A New Shalom

John 20:19-23

Illustration

Harry N. Huxhold

When Jesus appeared to the disciples, his greeting was, "Peace be unto you." The Hebrew word shalom, for "peace," is a most comprehensive word, covering the full realm of relationships in daily life and expressing an ideal state of life. The word suggests the fullness of well-being and harmony untouched by ill fortune. The word as a blessing is a prayer for the best that God can give to enable a person to complete one's life with happiness and a natural death. If the concept ...

650. The Spirit of My Mother's Church

John 7:25-44

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... families bring along only the most basic provisions--rice, oil, utensils, believing that God will provide them with everything else they will need to eat from the richness of the creation around them. Others bring along the best of foodstuffs and create the ideal picnic. But whether you eat what you bring in or what you take out, the Spirit celebrated by Romeria is the Spirit of Wonder, the Spirit of Beauty, the Spirit of Surprise. No one was more surprised than the apostles on that first Pentecost ...

Showing results

Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 626 to 650 of 1230 results

626. Kudzu Frittata

James 3:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

627. The Longest Running Parade in History

Psalm 118:1-29

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

628. The Golden Bull or the Old Rugged Cross?

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

629. A Case for Living Together

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

630. Keep Going, Today, Tomorrow and the Next

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

631. There Will Be No Adults in Heaven

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

632. Warts and All

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

633. The Servant Song

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Elizabeth Achtemeier

634. Baptism of the Lord

Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:23b-48, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

635. Easter 3

Psalm 116:1-19, Acts 2:14-41, 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, Luke 24:13-35

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

636. Easter 6

Psalm 66:1-20, Acts 17:16-34, 1 Peter 3:8-22, John 14:15-31

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

637. Easter 7

Jn 17:1-11 · 1 Pet 4:12-14; 5:6-11 · Ps 68 · Acts 1:6-14

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

638. Easter Vigil

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

639. Lent 3

Jn 4:5-42 · Rom 5:1-11 · Ex 17:1-7 · Ps 95

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

640. Lent 5

John 11:1-45 · Romans 8:6-11 · Ezekiel 37:1-14 · Psalm 130

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

641. Palm/Passion Sunday

Mt 26:14-27:66 · Php 2:5-11 · Isa 50:4-9a · Ps 31

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

642. Proper 10

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

643. Proper 11

Mt 13:24-30, 36-43 · Rom 8:12-25 · Ps 139 · Gen 28:10-19a

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

644. Proper 12

Genesis 29:15-30, Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52, Romans 8:28-39, Psalm 105:1-45

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

645. Proper 18

Psalm 149:1-9, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20, Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

646. Trinity Sunday

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

647. Do You Have It

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

648. John 11:1-45

John 11:1-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

649. A New Shalom

John 20:19-23

Illustration

Harry N. Huxhold

650. The Spirit of My Mother's Church

John 7:25-44

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Showing results