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 651 to 675 of 4968 results

651. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... chosen twelve companions, and Nathanael's name doesn't appear in any of the Synoptic gospels. Yet the way in which Nathanael is contacted (by Philip) and the dialogue that ensues with Jesus suggest that John did indeed consider him among Jesus' first disciples. Philip uses traditional language and imagery to describe Jesus to Nathanael: Jesus is the one "whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote." The Law text most certainly is Deuteronomy 18:15-19, where the anticipated future coming of the Messiah ...

652. Proper 13

Psalm 17:1-15, Romans 9:1-29, Matthew 14:13-21, Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon Aid

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

... lushness of life in Jesus' presence. But this is a pointer, not a point. The real action takes place as Jesus turns to God. The power for the work Jesus is about to do comes from God. It flows from God to Jesus and, in turn, through Jesus to the disciples, who extend the results of God's abundant grace to those in need. Thus our work as Christians is ultimately God's work. And the thanks we speak for all life's unspeakable riches is thanks to God, from whom all blessings flow. And, in the end, we are ...

653. The Perfect Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

James Merritt

... of that money?" The driver, shaking like a leaf, said, "The first thing we're going to do is to get those stupid brakes on that truck fixed." Sometimes we are thrown into the fire through no fault of our own. Well, the ship is filling with water and the disciples are filling with worry. "But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?'" (v.38) Did you know this is the only time in the Bible where you will ever read that ...

654. The True Feng Shui Life

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... likely to feng shui your life in new directions. And that is the second thing about a windblown-waterborne, feng shui life 2) Are you going in directions you do not wish to go? You may not even want to go in the direction feng shui is taking you. The disciples found themselves blown and borne about so much that they were still in deep waters hours after they had set out for the opposite shore. In fact, right now examine your life: can you name one area of your life where you are going in a direction you do ...

655. Overcoming Fear

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... the storm to be quiet, and a great calm fell upon the Sea. As we consider this story we see right away the cause of excessive fear in any situation. ANYTIME YOUR SOURCE OF SECURITY IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN YOU, THEN FEAR RUNS WILD. The disciples were still rookies in their relationship with Jesus; therefore, they weren't yet sure who he was or how much they could depend on him. They assumed that their main protection against the storm was the little boat, and it was clearly not strong enough or big ...

656. Romans 14:1-12

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the Lord.” Through the gift and grace of Christ, followers of Jesus have been offered the miraculous change of being “the Lord’s.” It is to most fully inhabit that identity that Christians live “to the Lord” (or “for the benefit of the Lord.”) A disciple’s life is to be lived on every level, with every action aimed to bring pleasure and glory to the Lord. Paul feels no squeamishness in linking death as well as life to this service Christians are called to render. Because “Christ died and ...

657. The Double Cross

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... might call Gethsemane Suppers. At Gethsemane, in the garden, Jesus faced his greatest soul struggle. Here, in the evening prior to his death, Jesus left the companionship of the Passover supper table to finish dining alone. It was a bitter dessert. One of his disciples was about to betray him. The specter of an excruciating death on a cross faced him. But at this moment of tremendous conflict and torment, the shadow of the vertical beam of the cross fell squarely upon the praying Jesus in the garden. Jesus ...

658. Luke 24:35-48

Luke 24:35-48

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... citings occurs in v.27 and vv.44-45. In both cases Jesus verifies the truth of his words and the validity of his appearance with appeals to scripture. Jesus does not simply proof text. He spends a considerable amount of time teaching the disciples all they will need to know from the long history of written scriptures concerning the Messiah, his mission, and his message. Luke's careful attention to historical and scriptural continuity is necessary for him to maintain an unbroken line of tradition between the ...

659. Mark 6:30-44

Mark 6:30-44

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... favorites of the early church. Perhaps part of the reason for their popularity is that the feeding miracles communicate on so many different levels. If we focus on Jesus we see the image of a compassionate good shepherd. Shift our gaze to the disciples and the text becomes yet another example of their failure to understand Jesus' power and presence. Finally, the church has always been attracted to this miracle because the church sees itself in the same business: providing bread for those who are hungry. The ...

660. Mark 10:35-45

Mark 10:35-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the other ten are indignant at the foolish, self-serving, unperceiving nature of the brothers' request or indignant that James and John have gotten their names in first on the list for the coveted position at Jesus' right and left hands. Turning to all of his disciples, Jesus now elaborates more fully on what following him requires of them. Sharing in the two symbols of the cup and baptism does not mean riding on the coat-tails of Jesus' impending glorification. Instead verses 43-45 reveal that being a true ...

661. Genesis 11:1-9

Genesis 11:1-9

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Peter's obtuse response in 13:36-38, after which Thomas voices his confusion in 14:5ff. After Philip's uncomprehending statement in 14:8ff, this series concludes with Judas' confusion in 14:22. Philip's question to Jesus in 14:7 reveals just how resistant the disciples still were to the truth they were witnessing. Yet the occasion of Philip's denseness gives Jesus a chance to talk about the unity of the Father and the Son. Philip's desire to see the Father is answered in Christ, who reveals the Father. The ...

662. 2 Kings 2:1-12a

2 Kings 2:1-12a

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... years of tutelage under Elijah, Elisha is incapable of responding to such an overwhelming example of God's power and glory. Relating the Texts In Mark, where there is extensive scholarly debate over the motives and message of the gospel writer, the disciples often appear as some of the densest, most dismally obtuse participants possible in the holy history of Jesus' life and ministry. Whether Mark's intention is to retell the events surrounding Jesus, "warts and all," or whether the gospel writer is using ...

663. Luke 24:35-48

Luke 24:35-48

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

664. Mark 6:30-44

Mark 6:30-44

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

665. Mark 4:35-41

Mark 4:35-41

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... in its description. Jesus is asleep. He is not only asleep. He is safely snuggled down in the ship's stern. He is not only asleep, safely snuggled down in the ship's stern, but he is curled up on a comfy cushion. In panic and despair, the disciples wake Jesus up, howling, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" (v.38). Some scholars have viewed Jesus' command to leave the pressing crowd and his immediate collapse into such a deep and restful sleep as a sign of a very human Jesus' need to rest ...

666. Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the role the Twelve had been given in 6:7, as those "sent out" or "missionaries." Yet it is also true that by the time Mark's gospel was compiled, the term "apostle" had taken on a special, technical definition which identified the uniquely chosen first twelve disciples of Jesus. Certainly, for Mark's readers, the term "apostle" denotes one who operated in the name of another. An apostle claimed the authority of the one who sent him out, which is why the Twelve are so eager to relate to Jesus "all that they ...

667. Luke 9:51-62

Luke 9:51-62

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to delay discipleship in order to bury his father, neither does he cut any slack to this third man who wants to show proper respect for his family by returning home to tell them good-bye. The plowing metaphor Jesus describes as his response to this third disciple wannabe appears to play on the story of the call of Elisha. Elisha is plowing when Elijah calls him to follow. In response, Elisha asks permission to return home and say good-bye to his father a request which may or may not be granted according to ...

668. Luke 11:1-13

Luke 11:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 1 Chronicles 29:11-13) found in some manuscripts as well as in the KJV, but omitted in the NRSV and NIV (Matthew 6:10,13). The next section of the prayer addresses the earthly concerns which Christians face. In the first of three petitions, the disciples are to ask the "Father" for their "daily bread" (v.3). Just as their forebears lived by the bread which came to them daily in the desert (Exodus 16:4), so now they must rely on the Father for their daily sustenance. Although the early Christian exegetical ...

669. Matthew 16:13-20

Matthew 16:13-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the dead" (Matthew 14:2). And didn't the Scriptures promise that Elijah would return (Malachi 4:5-6) immediately prior to the "day of the Lord," reconciling children and parents so that they may be spared the wrath that is to come? The disciples' further reference to Jeremiah or "one of the prophets" continues to emphasize that the people of Israel still only conceive of Jesus as one in a long line of remarkable human figures God has used over the centuries to speak to humanity. Moving beyond traditional ...

670. Mark 9:2-9

Mark 9:2-9

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... describes here. Only after this repeated emphasis on the gritty reality of Jesus' mission does the astounding, uplifting event of Transfiguration occur. Indeed, this moment of grandeur seems almost like a small oasis of exultation for Jesus for the moment he and his disciples descend from the mountaintop, they hit the road leading to Jerusalem and the cross. One of the mysteries of Mark's rendition of the Transfiguration is his careful dating of it "six days later" (9:2) from the time of Peter's confession ...

671. John 12:20-33

John 12:20-33

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... in order to be lifted up (as we will see in v.32) and attain eternal life is part of the Son of Man's glorification. But eternal life does not come sequentially after death. Eternal life is the life promised now to all who become disciples of this glorified one. Eternal life is primarily a qualitative, not a quantitative, concept. Finally, in verse 26, Jesus makes it clear that all those who call themselves his servants share in this eternal life by remaining always in his presence. Even as the unexpected ...

672. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... the New Law) on that “fourth day” (v.51). On the first three days John the Baptist offers key information about the “One who is coming:” that One is the “Lamb of God” (v.29) and “the Son of God” (v.34). John’s own disciples, Andrew and Simon Peter, leave him to follow Jesus, proclaiming him first to be “Rabbi” (v.38) then identifying him as “the Messiah” (v.41). But it is not until the final “preparatory day” that Jesus himself becomes an active agent in John’s gospel. Jesus ...

673. Pentecost

Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 104:1-35, Acts 2:1-13, Acts 2:14-41, John 15:18--16:4, John 16:5-16

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... 17 ("shall"). WORSHIP RESOURCES Psalm Of The Day: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b "When you send forth your spirit, they are created." (v. 30); Psalm 104:25-34; Psalm 104:25-37 Prayer Of The Day: "God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as you sent upon the disciples the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, look upon your church and open our hearts to the power of the Spirit. Kindle in us the fire of your love and strengthen our lives for service in your kingdom." Hymn Of The Day: "Come Holy Ghost, God And Lord" Theme ...

674. Proper 20

Mark 9:33-37, Mark 9:14-32, James 4:1-12, James 3:1-12, Proverbs 31:10-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... are silent when they should have been vocal. We, too, can often be in the same situation. Outline: When silence is not golden a. The silence of fear v. 32. 1. Fear of facing reality; the fact of suffering. b. The silence of shame v. 34. 1. The disciples were ashamed to say they argued about greatness. 2. How number two can be number one (9:33-37). Need: One of the best sellers in recent years has been the book, Looking Out for Number One. It unashamedly is a book to show how you are number one. During ...

675. Follow Your Mission (Series: An Invitation to Christian Discipleship)

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... An African folk song says it simple and well. “We are marching, we are marching, we are marching in the light of God.” If you get tired of marching, you can walk, dance and pray in the light of God. Are you a faithful follower of Jesus Christ? Disciples are lifetime LEARNERS. My father only made it to the 4th grade in school, but he read the Bible every day. He used to say, “People rust out a lot quicker than they wear out.” By that he meant people, like machinery, who just sit around doing nothing ...

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