Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 626 to 650 of 1185 results

626. The Beginning

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Bulletin Aid

Leonard H. Budd

... paper and watch the news and complain about the government and the communists and the economy; but we do not have time to pray for our leaders, for our enemies, or for the world. We have time to make lists of things to do and we even have time to pursue projects which seem to have no meaning or purpose; but we do not have time to begin our days with the searching examination of prayer. 2. O Lord Jesus, you taught us to pray, yet we confess that we have not used this great resource. We do not now want ...

627. Liberty and Civility - Sermon Starter

Galatians 5:1-15

Illustration

Brett Blair

... and simply built our liberty based on biblical principles. In any case our freedom is from God. Now let me temper our celebrations with a caution: With freedom comes great responsibility. We are not free to live excessive lives. We are not set at liberty to pursue selfish ends. Our independence should not make us infidels. As Paul so eloquently puts it: "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature." What is true for the church is true for the nation ...

628. If I Only Had One Wish

2 Chronicles 1:1-12

Sermon

James Merritt

... he easily topped the Forbes 400 list. He was a master builder who constructed mammoth projects. His architectural designs became the world's most important buildings. He built vineyards, gardens, parks, and reservoirs. Tired of commerce, he turned to science, relentlessly pursuing the classification of nature. He was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, building a vast army to defend and conquer. He was unanimously elected President of his country. He became the poet laureate for his nation. He had a ...

629. Don't Forget to Remember

Jude 1:5-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... a "good riddance" and their bondage was ended. Then God proved He could be trusted with their freedom. They were free, for God had declared that they were free. But Egypt still did not want to believe it. If you remember the story, Pharaoh sent his army to pursue the Israelites. All of a sudden, Israel found themselves with the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian army behind them. What did God do? He divided the sea, He drowned the army, and He delivered the people. He proved that the God who sets you free ...

630. The Family That Prays Together Stays Together

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

James Merritt

... of the family legacy. But he chose to go a different route. He became the first member in four generations not to enter the ministry, and quite frankly, was looked upon somewhat as the black sheep of that family. This young man instead decided to pursue his interest in psychology. After earning his doctorate he wrote a book to parents that became a bestseller. As a matter of fact, he wrote several more bestsellers, started a radio program, and is now heard all over the world on more than a thousand stations ...

631. This Feels Like Where I Came In

Mark 13:1-8

Sermon

... , here), my answer draws me to the word "reconciliation" every bit as much as it draws me to the word "salvation." "God was in Christ," said Paul, "reconciling the world unto himself, and entrusting unto us this ministry of reconciliation." And it is hard to pursue reconciling with people you're bombing….at least while you're bombing them. Or so it seems. Fourth, my decision was hard because I am far from convinced that attacking Iraq will make us any safer….and may actually widen the window of our ...

632. Romans 13:9-21

Romans 13:8-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... needs of the saints.” Paul gets specific, discussing the collected monies brought to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem (cf. Romans 15:25‑26). At this juncture his admonition is undifferentiated. Paul urges the Christian community to vigorously “pursue” (“diokein”) the extension of hospitality. Although it might be reasonable to assume this hospitality would be offered to travelers journeying between Christian communities, Paul does not attach any narrow identity to those who should be welcomed ...

633. Philippians 3:4b-14

Philippians 3:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... observant and focused on making the Torah a living reality in the life of every Jew. Paul reveals this to be not simply an intellectual pursuit. His devoutness was a passion so enveloping that it drove him to decisive action, “persecuting” or “pursuing” those like the offending “Christians” who seemed to belittle the law. Paul’s scrupulous religious and ritual observance of the law, Paul’s zeal to abide by every jot and title of the law, allows him to proclaim proudly that “according to ...

634. When What’s Holding You Up Lets You Down

2 Samuel 18:33-19:8

Sermon

Shirley Gupton Lynn

... realized someone was following. They turned and saw a gang of burly Harbor boys bearing down on them. The leader of the gang was at least eighteen, and he had a gun. Panic-stricken, the little boys began to run down the track. The Harbor boys pursued. Suddenly Robert realized his little brother was no longer beside him. He had fallen in the loose gravel between the tracks. Robert looked back in horror to see the huge Harbor boy overtake his fallen brother and sweep him up with hairy arms. Robert held his ...

635. A Real Christian

Matthew 23:1-12

Illustration

... announced that God was calling her to serve as a missionary in Uganda. At first, he refused to let her go. ‘Don't you know that Uganda is a very dangerous place for Christians?" he asked. After two years, the young woman finally set out to pursue her calling. As the pastor watched her plane rise into the sky, he commented that he had wanted his daughter to be a respectable Christian not a real one. What makes the difference between a respectable Christian and a real one? Jesus makes that very distinction ...

636. The Outstretched Arms

John 19:28-37, John 19:17-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... us. Not only is the cross God's answer to evil; it reveals the very heart of God. It is God's own way of turning the other cheek. Many are those who represent God as a great Monarch whose chief aim is to defend his own honor and to pursue his own glory, but that is not the God revealed in Jesus Christ. In Christ we encounter the true character of God - his love, his humility, his meekness. Through we mock him and rail against him, though we crucify him in our hearts as if he were one of those ...

637. Protecting Your Valuables

James 3:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the term to signify "the sum total of principles, ideals, desires, and so forth that constitute the basic motivational structure of a person or, indeed, an entire culture." Now the word "value" means something more subjective than objective. Previously people saw themselves pursuing certain kinds of activities because those activities had value. "Now we are more apt to conclude that persons have values that lead them to behave in certain ways"(158). The down side to this is that we now think of values as ...

638. Terminator 3

Acts 9:1-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... original futuristic, sci-fi, run-for-your-life movie were there, but with one important difference. Schwarzenegger's character, the "terminator," had been transformed - or in this case re-programmed - into a kind of guardian angel for the ever-pursued woman and child. Other equally death-dealing villains awaited the protagonists. But the "good guys" were immeasurably aided by the protection and guidance of their former enemy. The Schwarzenegger-droid had threateningly vowed "I'll be back" at the conclusion ...

639. Isaiah 43:16-21

Isaiah 43:16-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... ’s life. The God who saved them during Moses' time and Joshua's time will save them from this Babylonian exile as well. Verse 17 continues testifying to God's power - not just to bring the Israelites out, but to smash those who would pursue and persecute them. Any number of battle incidents could be on the prophet's mind here - Egypt’s doomed pursuit of the Hebrews, the Chaldees battling Persia, or Sennarcherib's disastrous attempt at attacking Jerusalem. In all these cases the Lord disposes of Israel ...

640. Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-17

Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... runner getting a second wind, our weariness will disappear and all our hurts will be healed. Now, however, the author feels compelled to warn us about what may happen if we do not endure the race. First he exhorts the Hebrews to "strive" or "pursue" after peace and holiness. The self-initiated action that the race imagery suggests becomes a theological issue in this text. In verse 14, the author entreats these Hebrew Christians to seek after peace and holiness because each Christian must take an active role ...

641. Exodus 24:12-18

Exodus 24:12-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Not only is there a definite hierarchy of common people, elders and chosen leader discernable here, there is also a radical reining in of the presence of God. The fleet-footed kabod (the cloud) of God that had led the fleeing Israelites nimbly away from the pursuing Egyptians now settles itself like some setting hen on the lofty peak of Sinai. This image localizes the kabod of God for the first time - for the moment, God's spirit is voluntarily "tamed." It is this kabod of God that is the decisive factor in ...

642. Luke 6:27-38

Luke 6:27-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... just the beginning formulation of a general principle _ a principle that is immediately made specific and active. The "love" Jesus calls for is not an emotional or sentimental attachment. This love is actively oriented _ it is "love" only because it is actively pursuing good for the enemy. "Do good," Jesus commands. He doesn't say "think good thoughts or have good feelings," but actually "do good to those who hate you." Just as there were four blessings and four woes above, verses 27-28 detail another four ...

643. Acts 16:16-34

Acts 16:16-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... there, Lydia; Paul and some pilgrims become embroiled in a conflict that pits religious, economic and class forces against them. The dramatic series of events in today's text begins with an exorcism. A slave girl possessed by a spirit of "divination" begins to pursue Paul and company, crying out "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation" (v.17). Literally this young girl is described as having a "spirit of pythoness" that is, the same spirit that spoke through ...

644. Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of focusing on the faith of their leader, Moses. Although the fleeing Israelites had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their lack of faith later in the Exodus story, at this crucial moment in their salvation history their faithfulness stood strong. The Egyptians who pursued hot on their heels felt the watery weight of the Red Sea crush down on them. While the Egyptians had the courage and daring to attempt to cross over, absence of faith sealed their fate. Rather surprisingly, the name of Joshua is a ...

645. Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... world of sexual extremes, such a tertium quid position was unique. While "love" may be the impetus behind all these commands, there is one form of "love" the author strictly warns against "the love of money" (v.5). Simplicity and contentment should be pursued, not riches. At the root of the "love of money" is an insidious form of idolatry which shifts one's faith from God the Creator to an overarching faith in a created thing called money. Obsessing after money will destroy personal contentment and leave ...

646. Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1-8

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... on the law in Jewish society, see Derrett, "Law in the New Testament" [New Testament Studies 18 (January 1972)], 178-191.) This widow was not content to wait for God to grant her justice and vengeance at some unspecified day in the future. She therefore pursues the matter in the administrative courts. Usually such a woman has an advocate who will act on her behalf. Not this woman, however. Poor and alone, she dares pester the judge into looking into her case. Derrett thinks the judge gives in because the ...

647. Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... guard against the human tendency to somehow invoke self-salvation, Matthew's own additions give Christians something more to do than to sit passively by waiting for the eschaton. The material from the "M" source enjoins Christians to be involved in showing mercy, pursuing God's will, making peace, or even suffering persecution for doing God's will (284). The message of Matthew's beatitudes is for Christians to be moved to help bring in the eschatological future by doing. Hans-Dieter Betz ("The Sermon on the ...

648. John 6:24-35

John 6:24-35

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... or "work" is demonstrated by the fact that the fourth gospel writer never uses pistis faith as a noun, only as a verb. Faith, for John, is never some accomplishment. It is always an ongoing process. Living in faith is our true work. Instead of pursuing the meaning behind Jesus' response, the crowd in verses 30-31 now request another sign some proof-positive that would take the risk out of believing and having faith. Jewish musings on the Messiah's return often referred to the great signs that their new ...

649. A Dramatic Career Change

Mark 1:14-20

Illustration

Scott H. Bowerman

... like a NASCAR driver. Brauer is doing quite well since he made the transition from bricklayer to fisherman - In one recent year, he earned almost $800,000 in prize money and endorsements. Denny Brauer is a man who made a gutsy, courageous career change to pursue his passion of fishing. As they say, it's nice work if you can get it. But our scripture tells the story of four fishermen who themselves made a dramatic career change, so to speak, trading one kind of fishing for another, after Jesus of Nazareth ...

650. Help in Facing Our Fears

Mark 1:21-28

Illustration

Leslie Weatherhead

... glancing fearfully over his shoulder. The first time he looked back, the cat was the size of a calf. The next time he looked, it had grown to the dimensions of an elephant. Then the boy fell, and was unable to go farther. Resolutely he got up and faced the pursuing horror. It stopped. So he took a step toward it. It backed away. As he continued to advance toward it, it began to shrink in size as it retreated from him. Finally it changed into a mouse and ran under the door of the witch's cottage to be seen ...

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