Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 626 to 650 of 4508 results

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A piece of charcoal and a white handkerchief Good Morning, boys and girls. Jesus told people to repent. Repentance means to turn around--to quit doing things that hurt you and hurt other people. Everybody needs to repent from time to time. For some people repentance will mean choosing different friends because some friends will lead us to do wrong. Let's use an example. If you rub an uncl...

627. The Powerful Moments that Change Your Life Forever

Sermon

James W. Moore

I am a collector of lists. I want to share with you this morning my favorite list of all time. It’s a list of answers given by English school children on their religion exams. Noah’s wife was called Joan of the Ark A myth is a female moth. Sometimes it is difficult to hear in church because the agnostics are so terrible. The Pope lives in a vacuum. The Fifth Commandment is “Humor your father ...

628. The Curriculum of God’s Kingdom

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” We can do startling new things because God has drawn near enough to enable them." Matthew 4:17b It was an awful time in London. In December of 1952 a toxic mix of dense fog and thick black smoke killed four thousand in four days. Coffins ran out, as did funeral flowers. It was one of the deadliest environmental disasters in English history. Here is ...

629. As The World Turns

Sermon

King Duncan

Baby Boomers will probably remember the name of the rock star Alice Cooper. If you think Alice Cooper is a "she"--you give your real age away. Alice Cooper was the first "shock -rock" act. He used to parade on stage with makeup and live snakes and simulate his own decapitation--a pretty raunchy act. A few years ago his career received quite a boost when he appeared in the movie WAYNE'S WORLD. The ...

630. Followership

Sermon

Mark Radecke

In today's Gospel text, Jesus calls for repentance, expects Peter and Andrew to drop their nets and follow him, and calls James and John to leave their Father Zebedee in the boat without so much as a "So long, see you later." My task today is to issue that same call to repentance, that same call to radical obedience and decisive discipleship. For that call is urgent and cries out to be issued in a...

631. If the Shoe Fits, Wear It

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

On a recent trip I noticed that my wife had one suitcase for clothes and another suitcase devoted wholly to shoes. No, her name is not Imelda. Her name is Elizabeth. Since I habitually travel with one pair of black loafers and one pair of brown loafers, this seemed a mite excessive, but not surprising. The floor of Elizabeth's closet looks like it belongs to a well-shod centipede. So I suppose it...

632. Kairos Commitments

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

One snowy day a few years ago, after I had declared the church a "nonessential" business and closed the office for the day, I experienced a luxury I often dream of, but rarely do. I climbed back into bed to read. But dare you think I was totally decadent, what I chose to read was our congregation's Annual Report. It turned out to be more enjoyable than any novel could have been. What a remarkable ...

633. Catch of the Day

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

The year I turned sixteen, we loaded up in family station wagon and drove to Florida to see my Dad's brother Bob. Uncle Bob and Aunt Betsy lived in Miami. One of the cool things about living in Miami was the fresh seafood. You see, I love seafood. If it swims in the water, I'll eat it. I'd rather eat seafood than almost anything else. It doesn't have to be fried, either. It can be baked, broiled, ...

634. The Lonesome George Church

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Theme: Here is a sermon on evangelism that doesn’t use the word “evangelism” once. The text for this week’s gospel reading is a combination of three pericopes which portray the beginning of Jesus’ public Galilean ministry. While Matthew’s description mirrors much of Mark’s version, Matthew’s unique focus on theological nuances and precise historicity bring added details and depth to Jesus’ action...

635. The Art of Following

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

If you’re my age or older you may remember Homer and Jethro. They were a comedy team who specialized in country music parodies and satire. They were sometimes referred to as “the thinking man’s hillbillies.” One of their routines went like this: HOMER: Jethro, if you was to win the Irish sweepstakes for two million dollars, would you give me half? JETHRO: Why, Homer, you’re my best and closest...

636. Lion of Judah

Sermon

Lori Wagner

[If there is a Lions Club still functioning in your community, find out if any member of your church is a member. Then either use this moment as an interactive to talk about their club, and rituals, or you tell the story and use them to back you up so that you make sure you’re getting the story right.] So the interview might go like this . . . . or turn this into a narrative . . . or make it a pe...

637. Via Maris

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and in...

638. Epiphany 3, Ordinary Time 3

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Litany Of Confession Leader: Discord, dissention, strife, All: anger, violence, hatred; Leader: we confess to you, O God, All: our schemes, our willful rebellion, our hidden hostilities toward your children. Leader: We confess to you, O God, All: our lack of trust in your presence, our need to control, our insatiable appetite for praise. Leader: We confess to you, O God, All: our fear of speaking ...

639. Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter--Psalms 27:1, 4-9 First Lesson--The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Isaiah 9:1-4 Second Lesson--Allegiance to church leaders other than the Crucified and Risen One disjoints the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Gospel--Jesus begins his public ministry in enlightening preaching and calling disciples. Matthew 4:12-23 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of ...

640. Essential Personnel

Illustration

William B. Kincaid, III

Even if we live where it rarely snows, the phrase is a familiar one. When budget talks collapse and the government shuts down, this is the phrase that is trotted out. When the earth suddenly moves under the people of California, often a certain group of people are called out while the rest are told to stay at home.When tornadoes blow through the Southwest and disrupt everything in their course, on...

641. Right Questions

Illustration

James W. Moore

I am a collector of lists. I want to share with you this morning my favorite list of all time. It's a list of answers given by English school children on their religion exams. Noah's wife was called Joan of the Ark. A myth is a female moth. Sometimes it is difficult to hear in church because the agnostics are so terrible. The Pope lives in a vacuum. The Fifth Commandment is "Humor your father and...

642. Dreaming to a New Future

Illustration

Keith Wagner

In 1904 a man from Milwaukee took a neighbor girl, Bessie Cary to a picnic on an island in Lake Michigan. After awhile Bessie got a craving for a cool, refreshing dish of ice cream. Ole (that was his name) rowed 2 ½ miles back to the mainland to get some. Unfortunately, the summer heat melted the ice cream into a globby mess by the time Ole made his return trip. The embarrassing incident prompted...

643. Jesus Calls the Common Man

Illustration

Gary Inrig

In May 1855, an eighteen-year-old boy went to the deacons of the church in Boston. He had been raised in a Unitarian church, in almost total ignorance of the gospel, but when he had moved to Boston to make his fortune, he began to attend a Bible-preaching church. Then, in April of 1855, his Sunday school teacher had come into the store where he was working and simply and persuasively shared the Go...

644. Trying Something New

Illustration

Keith Wagner

After falling twice in the 1988 Olympic speed-skating races Dan Jansen sought out sports psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr, who helped him find a new balance between his sport and his life. He also helped Jansen learn to focus on the mental aspects of skating. Peter Mueller became his coach, putting him through workouts that Dan would later described as the "toughest I have ever known." By the time the 1...

645. They Cast Their Nets In Galilee

Illustration

William A. Pierce

A poem of repentance and discipleship: They cast their nets in Galilee, just off the hills of brown; Such happy simple fisher folk, before the Lord came down, Before the Lord came down. Contented, peaceful fishermen, before they ever knew The peace of God that filled their hearts Brimful, and broke them too, brimful and broke them too. Young John, who trimmed the flapping sail, Homeless in Patm...

646. The Worst Thing Is, He's Right

Illustration

William Willamon tells about going with his wife to the funeral of a friend, which was held in a little country church out in the back woods. The minister took advantage of the occasion to berate those who had come: "You people need to decide for Jesus now. This dear, departed brother is safe because he had chosen Christ. Now is the time! Repent before it is too late!" After the service, Willamon ...

647. God Reigns

Illustration

William Temple

While we deliberate, God reigns; when we decide wisely, God reigns; when we decide foolishly, God reigns; when we serve God in humble loyalty, God reigns; when we serve God self-assertively, God reigns; when we rebel and seek to withhold our service, God reigns The Alpha and the Omega, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

648. A Moment of Decision

Illustration

William Barclay

In his commentary William Barclay notes the significance of Jesus' move from Nazareth to Capernaum. He says, "There was a kind of symbolic finality in that move. In that moment Jesus left his home never again to return to live in it. It is as if he shut the door that lay behind him before he opened the door that stood in front of him. It was the clean cut between the old and the new. One chapter w...

649. Turning Toward the Light

Illustration

Brett Blair

A little boy named Bobby entered his first science fair in second grade. Because his Mom has a green thumb, they decided to experiment with the growth of plants. He took two small green plants and placed one on a sunny windowsill and the other in a cardboard box. After a couple of weeks, Bobby checked on the two plants. The one on the windowsill had grown a couple of inches and had vibrant green l...

650. A Problem In Presentation

Illustration

King Duncan

Jesus came preaching that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." What was there about that kingdom that got these fishermen so excited? And why are we not just as excited? Maybe we don't understand what the kingdom is. Or maybe it just hasn't been presented very well. It reminds me of a woman who read somewhere that dogs were healthier if fed a tablespoon of cod liver oil each day. So each day she f...

Showing 626 to 650 of 4508 results