Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 626 to 650 of 1795 results

Mt 6:24-34 · 1 Cor 4:1-13 · Is 49:8-18 · Ps 131

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... of judging prior to receiving all the facts. Paul concludes: "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes ..." (v. 5a). Paul experienced prejudice personally from the Corinthians; perhaps he was found wanting in appearance or leadership style, not sufficiently worldly wise. They erred because they were using the wrong criteria for judgment. Paul urges that they must look at his ministry with different leadership lenses and regard him as a servant of Christ and a steward of ...

627. Epiphany Of Our Lord

Mt 2:1-12 · Eph 3:1-12 · Is 60:1-6, 9 · Ps 72

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... to all? Is the worship space cheery and inviting? What about the congregational climate? When a new person comes to worship is he/she made to feel welcome? Do worshippers feel comfortable in being themselves or must they conform to certain outward standards of style and dress? Most importantly, does every person who passes through the doors have equal access to the gospel or are the worship, educational, service, and social opportunities directed to our kind of people? It is God's plan that all people might ...

628. Proper 11

Romans 8:18-27, Isaiah 44:6-23, Genesis 28:10-22, Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... are as sand. Only the Lord is the Rock of our salvation. Lesson 2: Romans 8:12-25 Refer to Lesson 2 (RC, L), Pentecost 8 Lesson 2: Romans 8:26-27 Prayer beyond words. Many people conceive of prayer as talking to God employing certain vocabulary, syntax and style. In this text, Paul informs us that the Spirit of God prays in us and for us, and that the form that those intercessions take are not always verbal. God is less interested in our words than our hearts and when we get to the end of ourselves, the ...

629. The Wisemen

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

... to stay. There were two major problems that I had with this one.The most important was the fact that I was bound to the textand read it. The people were unaccustomed to that and didnot really like it. So, I opened with an introduction in mynormal style to establish why I was reading the story!Second, to try to minimize the "reading" feel of the story,I worked on differing voices for the various characters. AndI had quite a few! I discovered I was not as talented atthat as the readers on the state radio ...

630. I Want To Go South, Lord

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

... out in the open or down behind thepulpit, or even at the back of the church, could do the God-voice. For this text, I will write God's part in CAPS and thenwrite underneath in parentheses how the pastor could phrasehis response in the Bob Newhart style. I leave the reader to imagine which would work best. Genesis 12:1-10 Commentator (Pastor or lay person): We've been goingthrough the stories of Genesis this summer. So far, we haveseen God, using the tool of love, fashion a creation out ofthe raw material of ...

631. The Persecuted

Sermon

John A. Terry

... of universal niceness," he offers "R.C. Light"; for the conservative tradition, "R.C. Classic"; for the group most interested in liberation theology, "R.C. Free." As for the Protestants, he says, "Many of the Protestant churches (PC's) have maintained a standback style since the Reformation and have been watching their market share shrink for about 400 years. After the big RC push, we can expect to see some of the more marginal, undifferentiated PC's go belly up." To right the situation he suggests the ...

632. Rainbow In The Sky

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... : the ability to see our rainbows in the sky, our ever-present promise of God's presence and active participation in our lives. So, we see the epidemic of drug use, psychosomatic illness, depression, suicide, unhappy old age, broken marriages, unproductive life styles, cynicism about religion, alcoholism -- the list goes on. Surely, "there hath passed away a glory from the earth." Dark clouds hang over the minds and spirits of many people today. So many of us have the wrong idea of where happiness is ...

633. Another Kind Of Success

6-16, 2 Samuel 5:1-5

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

... working for you." Here is the universal fantasy. Why do stories like Treasure Island and Cinderella retain an enduring appeal to children? Here is the odd quirk. We cherish the memory of log cabin beginnings but we are not content with simplicity. It's the life styles of the rich and famous that evoke popular curiosity and adulation. A modern realtor wouldn't even classify a log cabin as a starter home. Upward mobility is the name of the game. But which way is up? And what about those in our land whose ...

634. A Blessing Behind Locked Doors

John 20:19-23

Sermon

William G. Carter

... is here among us, bearing a perfect love that casts out fear. He gives us the power to forgive and to stand with others. So what are we going to do about it? 1. Aidan Kavanagh, Elements of Rite: A Handbook of Liturgical Style (New York: Pueblo Publishing Company, Inc., 1982), pp. 77-78. 2. Gilbert Cope, "Gestures," The Westminster Dictionary of Worship (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1979), pp. 187-88. 3. Fred B. Craddock, John (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982), p. 111. 4. Richard Guentert, PresbyNet ...

635. Discovering The Unexpected

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... expectation they were willing to bear the indignities of exile and Roman occupation. But the birth of Jesus was so unexpected, not as to his coming, but because of the manner of his coming. The Messiah did come, but they did not know it, because the manner and the style of Jesus' life was unexpected. John the Baptist was the first one to raise some doubts when he asked, "Are you the one who is to come, or must we look for another?" The fact that John has such doubts is startling since he had been so close ...

636. He Abides In Us

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... their conception of power. The Camelot that JFK created at the White House vanished. On the other hand, King, the pacifist who believed in non-violence and achievements through suffering and patience, made lasting impressions on our society. In like manner, the contrast in styles and understanding of power in ordinary people makes for differences in their lives. People who in their quiet ways draw life from the One who is the Vine discover that they not only live in him by love and grace and he in them ...

637. Clean House

John 2:12-25

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... Lord Jesus was capable of herculean strength and prowess because of his outdoorsy lifestyle and vigorous walking missionary tours. However, others have been concerned that this public demonstration which had all the earmarks of a near riot was most unbecoming of the normal life style of Jesus. Also, if this were a pique of temper, could not someone accuse Jesus of being guilty of a sin which all of us dislike very much? Then, of course, there is the additional problem of finding this story in the beginning ...

638. The Miraculous Power of Love

Matthew 14:13-21

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Notes Though it is extremely difficult to try to get behind the narrative accounts of Jesus' miracles to what "really" happened, an interesting possibility has recently been suggested that both fits with the style of Jesus' ministry and preserves the miraculous side of this particular event: perhaps what is preserved here (with later eucharistic and fantastic overtones) is an authentic miracle of sharing on the crowd's part, instigated by Jesus' example. The incident, then, becomes a lesson in the ...

639. I Want To Go South, Lord

Genesis 12:1-8

Drama

Jerry Eckert

... in the open or down behind the pulpit, or even at the back of the church, could do the God- voice. For this text, I will write God's part in CAPS and then write underneath in parentheses how the pastor could phrase his response in the Bob Newhart style. I leave the reader to imagine which would work best. Genesis 12:1-10 Commentator (Pastor or lay person): We've been going through the stories of Genesis this summer. So far, we have seen God, using the tool of love, fashion a creation out of the raw material ...

640. Attitudes

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

Object: A brown paper sack in which I have placed several different styles of calendars, an egg timer, a mechanical timer, and an alarm clock. Lesson: Attitudes; time; control; New Year's Day. Text: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Whether by serendipity or grace (if, in fact, there is a difference), light snow during ...

641. Serving Our Purpose

2 Corinthians 3:18

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

... culture have changed a lot, the church is finding it more and more difficult to fulfill that purpose. Like the pencil, the church may have to undergo some change in order for the world to receive its message. It may need to consider offering alternative styles of worship or additional worship opportunities for folks at new times or even other days of the week. The church may have to be willing to try new things, stepping out of its traditional ways of being, in order to deliver the gospel message. "People ...

642. The Persecuted

John 15:18-27

Sermon

John A. Terry

643. AUGUST 14-20

John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... from a place like C.M. Almy & Son (10 Glenville St., Box 2628, Greenwich, CT 06836-2628). These symbols are easy to sew onto parament sets. Since the gospel lesson is very graphic, then why not make the visuals very graphic too? Place a small restaurant-style table in the front of the sanctuary. Put two chairs at the table. Cover the table with a white table cloth. Set the table with elegant china, crystal and silver. Add some lighted candles, cloth napkins, and a vase of cut flowers. The only foods that ...

644. Seeking Honor

Mark 10:35-45

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... high class to present a puppet play that will accompany the reading of this gospel lesson. The class may want to elaborate and expand the dialogue, or they could contemporize it into modern language. They could also do the play using a favorite musical style. A group of liturgical dancers could portray Jesus, James and John. Three or four other dancers could portray the other ten disciples, or the choir could be recruited to do this. When the reader reads about the cup from which Jesus drinks, the dancer ...

645. Loving God with Our Whole Being

Mark 12:28-34

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... dancers to add motion to the hymn's words, so that the congregation may see their love and praise given visible expression. Visuals If you are going to hold a love-in, as suggested under "Responses to the Word" above, then pass out strings of 1960s-style love-beads to the worshipers. The worshipers could keep the beads as a reminder of the commandment that is "first of all." Put the word out ahead of time, and invite people to bring flowers to the worship service to honor God and to proclaim their ...

646. What Triggers Your Panic Button?

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

... But how many people do you know who have become apathetic or left the church or changed church affiliations because of uncontrolled and unguided arguments over such matters as, the role of women; differing expressions of charismatic, pentecostal and liturgical styles; and attitudes and policies on sexuality and abortion? As if these were not enough, a shaky morale hovers over many parishes and clergy due to unsatisfactory clergy deployment policies. Have I mentioned anything that has, could or would trigger ...

647. There Is Healing in the Touch

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

... the touch. First of all, every baby comes into this world needing to be touched. That need persists until death. As far as I am concerned, that need persists beyond death. The Disney movie, Three Men and a Baby, dramatized the hunger for touch with a unique style and humor. Our daughter-in-law gave us the unique experience of the value of touch when she privileged us to observe the delivery of our eighth and last grandchild. As the baby came through the birth canal, her total body was being touched. We saw ...

648. David and the Devil

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... Researchers have found that an active sense of social responsibility behaving helpfully and cooperatively, for example is unlikely to take root under parents who are either loosely permissive or strongly dictatorial. Parents who can integrate the best of both styles, combining firm authority with warmth and clear communication, seem most successful in planting the seeds of concern and thoughtfulness toward others.” (US. News & World Report, November 21, 1988, p. 68) Hope for David We tend, it would seem ...

649. When Matters Hang in the Balance

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... out and get something to eat, get some fresh air, and clean up a bit. He resisted. While different people will require different treatment, if there is any principle that can be operative here, it is the principle that folks have a right to grapple with matters in a style that is theirs. Maybe it’s not the way we would do it, but it is their way and provided it isn’t fundamentally injurious to them or others, it is to be honored. And we are to be there listening, supporting, reflecting or, as we say in ...

650. David's Turn From Wisdom

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

... the first time last summer that is crisp and clean. Some have markers to note a beloved section or a poem I'd like to find with dispatch. Some are helpful in a direct manner, some reflective. My line-up includes Strunk and White's Elements of Style, Willa Cather's My Antonia, St. Exupery's The Little Prince. William Zinnser's Willie & Dwike is the one I read last summer. I have Edna St. Vincent Millay's Collected Poems, in which the poetry reflects labor, love, loss. Her sonnet on grief moves me no matter ...

Showing results