Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 701 to 725 of 1185 results

701. Some Second Thoughts about Giving

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... prejudices were formed. So our attitudes and reactions are galvanized with a protective coating. Too many of us are as open to new ideas as a pyramid tomb is to fresh air. Now this could be the sermon, but it’s really only the introduction so I won’t pursue it any further. I hope the point is well taken: We need to have second thoughts. Today I want to share with you some second thoughts about giving. We are in the midst of our stewardship emphasis and the theme of our emphasis is such an exciting one ...

702. There Is a Price for Everything, Part 2

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... on the altar of popularity and compromise. The truth is a heavy, terrible, demanding one: WHAT WILL IT PROFIT A MAN TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE HIS SOUL. Now that’s the backdrop the scriptural foundation for our theme: THERE IS A PRICE. Let’s pursue the theme by laying down some specific truths. II First, there’s a price for relationship. Note the obvious to which we give too little attention attention. It costs TO BE A CARING PERSON. When Jerry and I were in Amsterdam a few weeks ago, we visited ...

703. When Are We Most Like God?

Exodus 2:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... are stained with the blood of those killed in the name of “good causes,” and of religion, even the Christian religion. Minds capable of virtue produce vice also. But that’s a sidetrack, and we can’t go down that path if we’re going to pursue our theme. Come back to Moses. There’s an interesting twist of irony in the record of this incident. The day following the murder, which Moses thought was a secret, he intervened in a fight between two Hebrews. But he was impotent in the salvation. He had ...

704. The Reluctant Prophet

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... comparison to it. The caravan, he says, “is a group of people banded together to make a common cause in seeking a common destination.” The meaning and the sense of the caravan is found only in its movement toward the destination - its following of a dream - pursuing the cloud by day and the column of fire by night as did the caravan of people who fled Egypt following Moses to the Promised Land. He says, “A caravan has its existence only in a continual becoming, a following of its Lord on his way ...

705. When a Person Is Called

Galatians 1:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... his will. The big point of this study is that it should be no less with any Christian. We are claimed, commissioned, and as a result of that, we can be confident that the power of Christ is at work within us. With that in mind, let us pursue our theme: “When a Person Is Called.” I First, claimed by Christ. That was the unshakable conviction of Paul. He could never quit talking about it. He says it in two different ways in the first five verses. Listen to him. Verse 1: “Paul an apostle - not from ...

706. When God Seems Far Off

Psalm 10:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of the wicked. His primary reason for doing this is to sup with God. He thinks that God should judge the wicked and surely, and God has not done so. In great detail he gives evidence of their crimes and pleads for justice: In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes which they have devised” ( v. 2). “The core of the psalmist’s complaint was that around him were committing all kinds of mayhem and they were getting away with it. God not only seemed far off to the man ...

707. War and the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:2-7

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... it that we humans hunger so deeply for peace and at the same time find ourselves killing one another, to the end that 3,640,000,000 people have died in combat since recorded time? Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University, says that the world needs war so people who pursue their own self-interest will be mobilized at times to die for a good cause. War makes people stop looking at themselves and identify with a whole society. I have a lot of respect for Stanley Hauerwas, but I disagree on that point. Can we find a ...

708. We Hold These Truths To Be Essential

1 Peter 3:8-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... as I have loved you. So, learn to love one another." It is here in the text that we read together today, “Let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit. Let them turn away from evil and do good. Let them seek peace and pursue it, for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer." Easy entry. High expectations. We are in the business of producing Christian disciples. Let it be an anchor for our lives. Let me say a fourth thing. We are Wesleyan ...

709. Praying Our Way Forward

Matthew 7:7-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... wants to be engaged with his children. Ask, and it will be given to you. I ask you to ask. II. SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND The second phrase in this trilogy of sayings of Jesus about prayer is: Seek and you will find. To seek is to hunt, to pursue, to delve into, to explore, to try to discover. There are a couple places I want to ask you to do some searching for the next forty days. The first is within, down in your own heart, in your own home, in the places that are really close to you ...

710. The Time Is Right

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... besides. Claim your inheritance. It’s yours, God wants you to have it. When our son Brad was little he liked to play at the church. It had a small gym and the parsonage was next door, so it seemed only natural for him to ride his big wheel and pursue his fantasies in halls and in the stairways of that facility. Besides I spent most of my time there, so an adult was usually present. One day the custodian found him in the building and told him to go home since he had no business being there. The whole thing ...

711. When It's Time to Reconcile

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... is to harmonize. To reconcile is to obtain an agreement between two records by accounting for outstanding items. If people hope to be reconciled to one another, then rightness must reign. The facts have to be put on the table and all parties have to pursue full disclosure. Justice must become the order of the day. Amos said in 5:24: “Let justice roll down like a river and righteousness as a never-failing stream.” You see, this troubler from Tekoa, this country boy, had come to the city and discovered ...

712. Dreaming Impossible Dreams

Genesis 37:2-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... find the faith to carry on? You see, your dream will be tested. There is no question about it. Most people will think it is a crazy idea and will ridicule you for it. How do people who dream keep the faith alive to pursue it? May I suggest a couple of things? Dreamers accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite focus. Let me say that again. Dreamers accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite focus. When George Fredrick Handel became paralyzed on his right side, he also got himself ...

713. Why Do People Suffer?

John 9:1-7

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... and wrongful actions of others. David was a man after God's own heart. When Samuel anointed him king of Israel, David was as pure as newly fallen snow. But power corrupts. Absolute power absolutely corrupts. Foolishly thinking he needs what he wants, David pursues an affair with Bathsheba, then has her husband, Uriah, killed in an attempted cover-up. This ancient soap opera, as current as today's television programs, stands as a biblical reminder that people, even good people, can cause a lot of pain in the ...

714. The Holy Spirit and You

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... came upon them. They formed a new religion that day, a religion that is grounded in grace. What God did for Peter He wants to do for you. We will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Nathaniel Hawthorne once said, Happiness is a lot like a butterfly. Pursue it and it will always be just beyond your grasp. Sit down quietly and wait for it and it 's likely to land right on your shoulder. It is a lot like that with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the living God is not something we see, but someone ...

715. Embracing an Endless Line of Servants

1 Corinthians 3:5-23

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... fame as a classical musician, but the pressure of making a living, raising a family, dealing with a deaf son, resisting the temptations of a seductive student, and handling the music program cut-backs of the school board, denies him the opportunity of pursuing his dream. So for a lifetime, he drags to school and teaches less than enthusiastic high school students music, until one day the music program is eliminated completely and here, a man after thirty years is jobless. At the depths of his despair ...

716. Why Join a Church?

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... joiners. “I believe in God but I’m not into organized religion.” Somebody in this community says that to me every week as I move from place to place. Maybe there was a time when we could practice our faith privately, get our religion electronically, pursue our beliefs individually. After all, rugged individualism is the American way. For nearly half a century, the mass media has told us we could “have it our way.” So why bother with people in a church when we can build our own sacred spaces and ...

717. Why Am I A United Methodist?

I Timothy 1:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , as some of our critics would like to say. Beliefs are important, for what we believe determines how we live, move, and connect with others as a community. In essentials, let us seek unity. In non-essentials, let us allow liberty. In all things, let us pursue charity. That is the Methodist way. Let me push that just a little further. A. In Essentials, Unity We believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. We believe in the Holy Spirit ...

718. Battle Hymn of the Reformation

Luke 8:26-39

Illustration

Brett Blair

... Luther had to battle his personal demons and exorcize them from his own life. Luther felt utterly worthless and incapable of carrying the burdens of priesthood. On occasion Luther even flogged himself in an attempt to keep himself from sin. He was often, he felt, pursued and tormented by Satan and his cohorts. Until one day, while reading Paul's letter to the Romans, he suddenly understood the meaning of God's grace and how it is appropriated by faith. In that moment he came to understand that he was ...

719. What Would Jesus Say About the Media?

Mark 9:1-9

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . It was full of mystery. The immediate response of Peter is to institutionalize it and market it. Jesus says just keep it to yourselves. Just leave it as a mystery. Some things are best not reported. Ponder the power of the media. II. PURSUE ITS POSSIBILITIES Seize the day—Carpe Diem The genius of the Christian Church has been its ability to adapt its methods without abandoning its message. In the oral tradition of the first century, the gospels were written. By writing them, the scriptures were ...

720. Stepping Into the Stream

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... generous? What might God do with our giftedness if we trusted him enough to be daring? What might God do with our relationships if we trusted him enough to be loving? What might God do with our character if we confessed our sin, acknowledged our temptation, and pursued holiness in thought, word and deed? What might God do with our time if we became passionate about rescuing the perishing, caring for the dying, and hearing the cry of the needy? What is God calling you to be and do that cannot be done without ...

721. What is the Connection Between Church and State?

Mark 12: 14-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... state-of-the-art community center was built with the help of area churches. Habitat houses are replacing shacks in the neighborhood. And last year, the first young person from their youth group enrolled in Lindsay Wilson College, the first of her family to pursue a higher education. Changing lives, one person at a time. Shortly before I left Louisville, I asked my district superintendent for the use of an abandoned church in downtown Louisville. He was in the process of closing it and I had a youth minister ...

722. We Want to Be in Charge

Luke 9:57-62

Illustration

Maurice A. Fetty

... glee we have when the church has problems raising a budget or launching a program. He may press the question, "If you're not on my side, just whose side are you on?" We may want to say, "Let me go tend my field, bury my father, seek my pleasure, pursue my happiness, build my nest egg," but he says, "Follow me."

723. What Can Christians Learn from Muslims?

Genesis 21:1-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . From much corroding care I would be free, If I could determine which is really me. Nationally, Jihad has been interpreted in Islamic countries as a means of self-defense, to be declared by the chief of state, much like the Just War Theory pursued by the United States. It is almost exactly the same. But Muslims have their extremists. Christians do too. Remember, we produced Jim Jones. In February 1998, Osama Bin Laden and four other leaders of radical Islamic groups in various countries issued a fatwa, or ...

724. From Laziness to Passion

Psalm 51:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Sins" - Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust. Even a casual listener will likely react by asking, what's so deadly about these seven? Compared to murder, rape, and theft, anger, lust, and greed seem rather tame. Tell me one war that has been pursued out of sloth! The seven deadly sins are not listed for rogues; they are warnings for the righteous-church people who, if they admit to sin at all, usually have several excuses. G.K. Chesterton was asked by a British newspaper to contribute an ...

725. Develop Leaders—Humbly

Colossians 3:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... in the human psyche, there are primitive desires and norms of morality which the sense of self must manage and direct. So the ego is the “I" or “self" of any person. The greatest obstacle to effective spiritual leadership is people pursuing their own agenda rather than seeking God's will. Spiritual leadership is not about inflated egos. Spiritual leadership is not about bigger than life charisma. Spiritual leadership is not about personal success. Spiritual leadership is young Jesus saying, “I must be ...

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