Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 701 to 725 of 4939 results

701. The Day You Were Healed

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

... hurts. The burden of an agonized humanity is on our hearts, and we respond with prayers and gifts, with dollars for research, with bread for hungry children, and with our presence in compassion at the side of someone close to us in trial. We can never give up hope. But sometimes there is one last hope - hope discovered not in looking forward to a wonder cure, but in turning backward to the one who heals. When an anxious family has to hear what seems to be the final word, "I’m sorry. There is nothing ...

702. If Only We Could Remember ...

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... . She grows tired of her obligations, her responsibilities, her promises. She gives her allegiance to other men, men who use her and who, when they have finished using her, discard her. She goes from lover to lover, from allegiance to allegiance. Hosea pleads with Gomer to give up her adulterous ways and come home. He sends the children to plead with their mother. But she sends word back to him: "I will go after my lovers; they give me my food and drink, my wool and flax, my oil and my perfumes." (2:5 ...

703. Proper 24

Lk 18:1-8 · 2 Tim 3:14--4:5 · Gen 32:22-30 · Ex 17:8-13 · Hab 1:1-3, 2:1-4

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... 1. Sooner or later Jacob had to deal with his wronged brother 2. We cannot avoid truthful confrontations with one another. Making peace at the expense of truth and growth will not do it in the Christian community. Wrestle, Christian! Lesson 1: Exodus 17:8-13 Don't Give Up On God. Need: When we grow weary of the daily battle we too quickly assume that God grows weary with us. Christians need to see that God's promises prevail even when we cannot remember to draw on them. A. God keeps faith with his people B ...

704. Death by Water

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

... sand-ships being pursued by Martians, who, after he has killed several more, finally corner Sam and his wife. Sam cries for mercy: "I didn’t do anything ... It was all a mistake ... And that Martian ... his death was an accident." Sam throws down his gun, "I give up ... don’t kill me." They don’t. The leader pulls out another bronze tube, interprets the document it contains for Sam and his wife - it is a deed to 100,000 square miles of Mars; and then he gives him six more deeds like the first one ...

705. Suffering for Christ

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... ) Nor of the verse, ‘Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.’ (Revelation 2:10) "I determined that from henceforth I would serve my Savior and be involved in reaching souls for eternity at all costs, and I vowed not to grumble, to give up whan the going is difficult, or to complain when I am doing more than the rest. In eternity I will be glad I did my utmost for my Savior." In contrast to this dream, there is a well-authenticated story that goes back to the mid-winter of A.D ...

706. God’s Generosity Resented

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... but a tincture of God’s love would we not be glad, as heaven is glad, that the lost sheep is safe in the fold, delivered from briars and wolves? Or are you jealous because I am generous? God asks." (Interpreter's Bible on Matthew) It’s tough to give up our idea of earning what God gives us! The lovelessness of these all day workers is set to contrast the generosity of God. The rewards of God just do not mesh with our human standards and way of thinking. But these men who worked all day were not cheated ...

707. Obeying God Rather Than Men

Acts 5:17-42

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” We are called to serve God and man, but a time may come when we must choose between them. Will we side with those who want us to give up the fundamental tenets and power of our faith? Will we side with men when it means persecuting and destroying others in the name of religious belief? Will we side with men or God when it comes to doing what is right, moral, and just? Are we willing to stand for ...

708. Hungry People

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... She had given up her lunch for some hungry person."(1) Christy sounds like a neat little girl (she has a wonderful name - same as my wife). I suspect that young lad who offered the five loaves and two fish was a pretty neat youngster too... willing to give up his meal as he did. There is much to talk about in this text - the story is the only miracle to be recorded in all four gospels, so the writers must have thought it tremendously important. We could discuss miracles in general. We could talk about why ...

709. A Date With Destiny

Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... of Timothy, whose Christian devotion gave him such strength of character. For those who love God, faithfulness in their relationships is a way of life. Why is that? Does religion make you hard and rigid? Does it make you stubborn? Stubborn people refuse to give up because they're scared of failure, or because they live in a world of the past, or sometimes just because of their silly pride. After the British took over Gibraltar in the 18th century, the Spanish retaliated by laying siege to "the Rock." The ...

710. What Love Looks Like

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... cost you? Love should never cost you your health, or safety, or self-respect. Those things are abuse, not love. But what does your love for others cost you? Perhaps you give up some of your self-centeredness for those you love, or you give up your own agenda, or your need for control? Do you give up your petty, me-first attitude? Do you give up some of your time, or money, or comfort level, or prejudices, or your talents and emotional resources for the sake of others? Do you even count the cost? Jesus didn ...

711. Begin With The End

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... lesson from the gospel, Jesus says to us, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." Christ is saying to us, don't give up or give in. Everything matters. Yes, but everything's all right. Because all of it is in God's hand. And that leads us to a final truth--Life is good, because God is with us in this world and the next. Life is good. The nonbeliever can't really ...

712. Who Needs a Doctor?

Mark 2:13-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... 's another thing to note here that is easy to miss. In our standing with Jesus in His taking the Pharisees to task, we must not miss the fact that there is such a thing as moral contagion. Recovering alcoholics and other addicts, for instance, know they have to give up some of their favorite friends and some of their favorite places in order to recover. But's it's true in a more general way. Not all Christians are able to go anywhere and run in any crowd and not succumb to the temptation of sin. Jesus did ...

713. I'll Be Somewhere Listening

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1

Sermon

Curtis Lewis

... the will of God. This Old Testament text speaks to us at the very heart of our faith. God's will and purpose in our lives is very often a call to relinquish our plans and our dreams for a higher good. Doing God's will often means the giving up or the laying down of something we wanted to grasp or control. A pastor friend of mine tells the story of his church organist who was very accomplished. An organist moved to the community from another area of the country and was asked to play the offertory. The guest ...

714. Who Needs A Doctor?

Luke 5:27-32

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

715. A Thousand Years Of Ashes

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... , of course, that is not the real meaning of this holy season. LENT IS A TIME OF REFLECTION ON THE MEANING OF OUR LIVES IN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST’S SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS. He died for us. What have we done for him? Such reflection necessarily calls us to give up any practices that may be a deterrent to us in being the kind of people God has called us to be. Ash Wednesday gives us a unique opportunity for bringing our lives into alignment with God’s purpose for us. But before we get into that, I thought you ...

716. How to Live a Sizzle-When-It-Drizzles Life

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the calf — horns out. Ultimately the lion and its pride-mates were driven off. And, against all possible odds, against the jaws of alligators and lions, the little calf survived. That is some umbrella: the community of faith who will never desert, never give up, never give you away. Second, you need some boots. When it drizzles, wear your rubber boots. You need something to keep you from slipping, sliding, and sloshing. The John 10:10 life has abundant resources for any rainy season. There are no better ...

717. Taking the Long View

2 Peter 3:8-15a

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... Lord's birth, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension all enable us to catch a special glimpse. The privileges herein are remarkable for those who profess his name and seek to live by his commandments. In fact, they are unlimited! When we are ready to give up in attempting to make sense of life (and death), where do we go? We go to Rabbi Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit the needed understanding of the Father's will and ways are forthcoming. That does not necessarily mean clarity and specificity. It ...

718. Matthew 16:21-28

Matthew 16:21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... self was defined not by any individual's life, but by one's relationship within and among a family group. This kinship group controlled the individual, gave identity and maintained the world the individual existed within. Jesus' demand was radical: "Give up your world." Give up the human family that defines you, and instead make Jesus your only family, your only reference point for authority and guidance. Jesus' other command to "take up their cross" pulls the individual even farther away from the safety of ...

719. Advent 1

Psalm 25:1-22, Jeremiah 33:1-26, Luke 21:25-36, 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... all that Christ has done for us. Purge the church of all that is contrary to the truth of Christ and subversive of faith, love, and unity. Having pruned away all deadwood, make us truly fruitful branches of the Vine which is Christ. Encourage all Christians to give up any dishonorable dealings, and to work honestly, so as to have something to share with the needy. In their daily work may no evil talk come out of their mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that their words may ...

720. When Being Christian Has Worn You Down (Compassion Fatigue)

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... That’s our call the call to love. We’re clear about that. There’s no other alternative. When you boil it all down - compassion is the style of the Christian – loving out of the love of God, loving with the Love of God, continuing to love until we give up the last ounce of our being on behalf of the Kingdom. Now that wears us out. We get tired. We grow weary, and there’s no end in sight. There’s always someone standing by to be loved. There’s always a loved one demanding more. There’s always ...

721. Dealing With Life's Setbacks

Illustration

... for the U.S. and won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. In 1938, Karoly Takacs, a member of Hungary's world-champion pistol shooting team and sergeant in the army, lost his right hand when a grenade he was holding exploded. But Takacs did not give. up. He learned to shoot left-handed and won gold medals in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics. Lou Gehrig was such a clumsy ball player that the boys in his neighborhood would not let him play on their team. But he was committed. He did not ...

722. Through His Faithful Death, Jesus as Messiah Redefined Brings Life

Matthew 27:27-31, Matthew 27:32-44, Matthew 27:45-56, Matthew 27:57-61, Matthew 27:62-66

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... . Jesus, however, shows us that true life is about divesting. And we are called to join him. As we do this for Jesus’ sake, we, like Jesus, trust in a God whose resources are limitless. In seeing how Jesus triumphs over death even as he gives up his life, we can have confidence to walk in the footsteps of our king. This illustration could easily lead to application. Consider including one of the two action steps below, or create your own. It would be helpful to research your local context for specific ...

723. Just Who Does This Guy Think He Is?

John 6:56-69

Sermon

Rick McCracken-Bennett

... the Bible for other passages in the Hebrew scriptures that seemed to point to Jesus and his redeeming work and try to put it all together. Yet there was always something that seemed just outside their grasp, not so far that they were tempted to give up, turn back, and no longer go about with Jesus, but, interestingly enough, something mysterious that actually drew them closer to Jesus, closer to God. It is that mystery that still draws people from all walks of life to Jesus, the living bread come down from ...

724. Ten Pounds of Mercy, One Pound of Faith

Luke 19:11-27, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... question is whether God’s mission is going to have a church. Jesus tells another couple of similar stories as relayed by Matthew. In one, virgins wait for the bridegroom to come. Some are ready and “invested.” Others burn the candle at both ends, giving up on him in the end. In the other, servants are vested with bags of gold, which they are bid to invest wisely. Once again, the subsequent stories echo the first. Jesus tells us, there are many who believe the “kingdom” will come any moment. So ...

725. When Life Seems Out Of Control

2 Samuel 18:1-18

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... a kid experimenting, she told herself over and over. With her son dead, this young mother was so wrapped in grief that she was unable to function for several weeks. One day, an older woman from her church came to her home and advised her to give up her constant grieving. "Give your sorrow to the Lord," she pleaded, "and he will give back one hundred-fold what you have lost." The woman prayed with Marie before leaving. She promised that she would continue praying and that she would be back to see her again ...

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