Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 701 to 725 of 4936 results

701. Submission to Rulers and Masters

1 Peter 2:13-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

Respect for Authority 2:13 What living the Christian life entails is now spelled out in some practical detail. Peter applies the admonition Submit yourselves to a series of relationships: to civil government (vv. 13–17), to slavery (vv. 18–20), to Christ himself (vv. 21–25), and to marriage (3:1–7). The relationship of Christians to the state was one which soon became problematic, for in the early centuries of the church all states not only were governed by pagans but included pagan worship within their ...

702. Woe to the Obstinate Nation

Isaiah 30:1-33

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Oh You Obstinate Nation: It has made sense to read much of chapters 28–29 against the background of Judean assertion of independence from Assyria and alliance with Egypt in the latter part of Isaiah’s ministry, but only in chapter 30 does reference to Egypt become explicit. While the setting might be the independence movement during the reign of Sargon in 713–711 B.C., alluded to in passages such as 14:28–32, we have separate reference to alliance with Egypt in the context of the similar events of 705–701 ...

703. The True Story Wins

Matthew 28:11-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: a stone or rock, some scissors, and paper; a basket of stones or rocks that can be handed out Participation: During the sermon, all can participate using the hand motions of “rock, paper, scissors” Are you a liar? That might be a question asked of you if you live in the mountains of West Virginia, where the art of storytelling is called “lying.” It is every artist’s desire to become a “great liar.” To be a great “liar” meant that you could not only write a crafty short story, but you could “tell” the ...

704. Grounds for Blessing

Matthew 13:1-23, Luke 8:1-15, Mark 4:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full.” (Proverbs 8:19-21) Prop: Mustard seeds / soil [Have someone hand out some small black mustard seeds to everyone at the start of the sermon.] In your hand, you have some mustard seeds. These are seeds from the black mustard plant that grows still today in Israel. [Note to pastors: you can ...

705. Big Spender

1 Kings 10:14-29, 1 Kings 11:1-13, Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Shopping addiction is right up there with drug and alcohol addiction. In fact, addicts shop for the same reasons that other addicts do what they do –the “high” of escaping negative feelings, the inability to cope with problems emotionally or spiritually, the need to fill an inner void, or a way to deal with anxiety caused often by approval seeking. The more the inner need to feel good or salve depression or anxiety, the more extravagant and flagrant the spending. The truth is, the lavish spender may be ...

706. Sowing to the Flesh

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

Some years ago a well-to-do man, caught in a scandal, was serving a prison term when a friend paid him a visit. The well-to-do man was sitting cross-legged, and with an enormous needle and a ball of twine was sewing burlap bags. "Hello," said the friend, "Sewing, eh?" "No," replied the prisoner with a sober-looking smile, "I’m reaping." With the arrival of spring upon us, and soon to be followed by growing plants and a subsequent harvest, we who live in North America are reminded of the rhythmical pattern ...

707. Rules for the Road

Joshua 3:7-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

NOTE: This sermon, written in the 90s, read the way it's written below, could be a good introduction on how rapidly things have changed. Think about how to rerwork it as an illustration using the original lanuage or completely adapt it by updating the items. How to cruise on the new-century superhighway. People who work at or own a computer should be aware of these two things: First, they have more processing power at their fingertips at home and at the office than the sum of NASA computers that got the ...

708. Repent

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

There are nineteen more shopping days until Christmas. The big Christmas parade is past. The decorations are up. The parties are on. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. In the midst of jingle bells and Santa Claus, we find our way to church hoping to hear a few strains of “Silent Night.” Instead, we are shocked to our senses by a pit bull-type preacher shouting REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR! Who is this back roads guy with no degrees, no titles, and not many clothes, whose only ...

709. Something To Do While The World Falls Apart

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

William G. Carter

A number of years ago, leaders in a church decided to track down the congregation's drop-outs. They combed through the membership list, put together a list of names, and sent out volunteers two-by-two to knock on doors and invite the absent members back to church. As is often the case, the volunteer visitors discovered that most of the people visited had found other things to do on Sunday morning. One person said, "I would come back to church if it didn't conflict with my tennis time." Another said, "We ...

710. The Witness and the Witnesses

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon

Easter ends and the season of Pentecost begins with the singing of an old and much beloved hymn: Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire And lighten with celestial fire; Thou the anointing Spirit art Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart. Thy blessed unction from above Is comfort, life, and fire of love. Enable with perpetual light The dullness of our blinded sight. Finally, we pray: Teach us to know the Father, Son, And thee, of both, to be but One; That through the ages all along This may be our endless song ...

711. Is the Lord Among Us or Not?

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Can the story of an event, which occurred almost three thousand years ago have anything meaningful or significant to say to us in our contemporary, human situation? The exodus of the people of Israel out of enslavement in Egypt happened that long ago. It is a story with which most of us are familiar; our lesson is a part of that story. In the lesson we find the people of Israel somewhere in the desert wilderness of the Negev, or Sinai area of the southern part of Israel, on their journey toward the ...

712. A Christian's Duty in Time of War

Nehemiah 4:1-23

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

We gather for worship on a weekend that we will long remember as the beginning of the liberation of Iraq. We are concerned about our troops and the innocent people of Iraq. We Christians love peace; therefore, we automatically recoil against the death and suffering associated with war. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” But as a World War II veteran reminded me, “Somebody has to take care of the peacemakers while they are making peace.” That task has fallen upon the armed forces of the United ...

713. Make Up Your Mind!

1 Kings 18:16-46

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

Why hasn’t Hollywood made this into a major motion picture epic? 1 Kings 18 is surely one of the most dramatic accounts in all literature and one of the most significant historical records in the Bible. Its message and natural application are timeless. William Penn said, “Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.” In our Scripture reading for today the people of Israel came together to decide no less a question than who would govern their personal and national lives, who would be their ...

714. Religion and Politics

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Religion and politics. In years past, we were told those were two subjects that were not good for pleasant conversation. In the church, many of us grew up hearing that religion and politics should be kept strictly apart - "separation of church and state," after all. But in 2004, we are being treated to regular helpings of both from every point on the partisan spectrum. There are regular references to personal faith by candidates on the right and left. The press has taken note of the phenomenon and has ...

715. The God Of Peace

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

The NEW YORK TIMES one Christmas carried a picture of a priest walking through a metal detector manned by Israeli troops on the occupied West Bank. As soldiers looked on, the elderly priest, cane in hand, walked solemnly through the security device. As paradoxical as this picture is, one is inclined to say that some things never change. The imagination would say that this is perhaps something like it was on the first Christmas morn. The caption for the TIMES picture read like this: "In Bethlehem, Christmas ...

716. From Coping To Conquering

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

How do you know its going to be a bad day? One cynic says its when you call suicide prevention and they put you on hold...when your horn gets stuck behind a Hell's Angels motorcycle gang...when you see a 60 MINUTES news team waiting in your office...when you hit a hole-in-one in golf, and you're playing alone. A cowboy out west was in a heap of trouble. A wild bull was after him. Head down and nostrils snorting, the bull charged toward him. The cowboy dove into a convenient recess in the ground. As soon as ...

717. On the Road with Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

James W. Moore

When our granddaughter Sarah was 12 years old, she tried out for cheerleader at her Middle School. After her try-out we asked her how she did. She said – “in a word ‘flawless’ and she said ‘the judges really liked me.’” Evidently she was right because she did make the cheerleader squad. Well, Zacchaeus was not flawless… and he was not liked by anybody until Jesus came into Jericho that day. When Jesus came over to him and reached out to him with love and acceptance, Zacchaeus was bowled over… and he came ...

718. A Lesson from Dr. Seuss

Romans 6:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

“Congratulations, today’s your day. You’re off to great places. You’re off and away. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Those rhythmic words of advice come from the delightful little book by Dr. Seuss titled Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (1) “You’re on your own,” he continues. “And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.” It’s up to us, says Dr. Seuss. The world is ours and we are free to choose what kind ...

719. The Widow and the Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We all do it. The door of heaven’s House of Bread, the ultimate pastry palace, is standing open. But we keep trying to break in the back door of the local bakery. A parable by a well-known rabbi tells the story of a moth and a fly. One day a moth and a fly were together near a window. The moth sat comfortably on the side peering out, watching as the fly relentlessly flew up and around and straight into the window. The stunned fly would fall, then get up and try again. On and on the fly tried to find a way ...

720. A Message About Babylon

Jeremiah 50:1--51:64

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

50:1 The superscription that begins the final oracle against the nations identifies the object of this long section as Babylon. It introduces not only the last grouping of oracles but also what are by far the longest in the oracles against the nations. The prophet pulls out all the stops to articulate the destruction that was coming Babylon’s way. Jeremiah understood that the Babylonians were being used by God as an instrument of his judgment against Judah and the other nations, but this fact did not ...

721. The Resurrection of Jesus and the Promise of Victory

Mark 16:1-20

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: The victory of God and the vindication of Jesus are anchored in the reality of the resurrection. Yet the women, who symbolize faithful discipleship, struggle with inadequate understanding and failure. We as disciples can overcome our failures only by joining the disciples and the women in encountering the risen Lord in our “Galilee.” Understanding the Text In God’s sovereign plan, suffering also leads to victory, and persecution to vindication. The resurrection of Jesus concludes not just the ...

722. A Prophecy Against Jerusalem

Isaiah 22:1-25

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

22:1–14 Again the enigmatic title comes from the body of the poem (v. 5), though in this case the location of the Valley of Vision becomes explicit (vv. 8–11). We have to accept that many of the poems in these chapters do not tell us their historical background, so that reading them is a little like reading a parable, or understanding a film when you arrive halfway through. While the prophet’s first hearers would probably have known more than we do and therefore would have understood his words in a more ...

723. The Law of Unintended Consequences

Matthew 5:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

Series: Seeing God More Clearly in 2020 How many of us consider ourselves to be law-abiding individuals—let me see your hands? Most of us take it for granted that most of the laws in our society are worthwhile and reasonable, and we’re thankful for them. Laws are absolutely essential to keeping us safe and providing us with an orderly society. But ever so often we encounter a law that has unintended consequences. For example, many states enact laws to protect the general public from those who have ...

724. The Promise of Prayer

Luke 1:5-25

Sermon

Lori Wagner

All of you know “The Blabber!” You know, the guy or gal who always “by mistake” blurts out the news about the “surprise party” planned for your friends. Or the one who gives away what’s inside of the large box with too many unsubtle hints. Or the one who deliberately guesses the gift you got and ruins your surprise. Or what about the smart aleck older kids who snidely remark about the identity of the one and only Santa Claus right in front of your toddler! The Blabber is less interested in honoring you or ...

725. Who Is This Jesus?

John 2:1-11

Sermon

John B. Jamison

Let’s begin by remembering the story together. Jesus was attending a wedding in the village of Cana, about eight miles north of Nazareth. His mother and disciples were there too. At some point, Jesus’ mother came to him and told him they had run out of wine. Jesus took some jugs of water and performed his first miracle by turning the water into wine. That is the quick version of the story, and on its own it creates a lot of questions. The obvious question is why did Jesus do it? Why did he use his powers ...

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