Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 701 to 725 of 4508 results

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Immediately following the beatitudes Matthew has Jesus move on to the "salt" and "light" sayings. Both are such familiar, even hackneyed images that we rarely consider what first-century meanings they might have conveyed to their audience, or why these sayings are placed at this point in Jesus' discourse. Isolated from its surroundings, Matthew 5:13-16 appears to uplift independent truths. But con...

702. Sharing God’s Blessings

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Country music artist, Martina McBride asserts in one of her hit songs that “WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED." Indeed we have. This world is a beautiful place. Most of us have people who love us. Few, if any, of us got out of bed this morning wondering where we would find something to eat. All of life is a blessing. That is where I would like to focus our attention for the next few weeks. I. OUR POSSESS...

703. Sermonon the Mount: The Beatitudes

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Jesus begins this kingdom sermon by announcing the reality of God’s kingdom as reversal of fortune and restoration of right values and by calling his followers to live out their distinctive identity as God’s covenant people. Understanding the Text The narrative introduction to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (5:1–2) indicates that Jesus’ disciples are the more focused audience of the sermon...

704. The Beatitudes

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

5:1–7:29 Review · Jesus’s first discourse—the Sermon on the Mount: The first major section of 4:17–16:20 highlights Jesus’s teaching ministry. It is no accident that Matthew begins his narration of Jesus’s ministry with an extended teaching by Jesus. Matthew structures his Gospel in part by arranging most of Jesus’s teaching into five major blocks, or “discourses” (see “Structure” in the introduct...

705. How Blest Are Those Who Know Their Need Of God

Sermon

Mark Radecke

You may be familiar with the story. It is as wonderful as it is true. A successful businessman was invited, over 30 years ago, to give a commencement address to a group of 61 sixth graders. The youngsters were about to graduate from an elementary school in a very poor part of one of our major cities. If these boys and girls followed in the footsteps of the school's other alumni/ae, only about six...

706. Hallelujah! Come On, Get Happy

Sermon

David G. Rogne

At the entrance to Disneyland is a sign that reads: "Disneyland — the happiest place on earth." Millions of people have come from all over the world to visit and partake of the happiness it was designed to create. Happiness is something that humans seek naturally. We are all on a pleasure hunt. We Americans even wrote the pursuit of happiness into our constitutional rights. Yet the more earnestly ...

707. The Beatitudes

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Ethics and the Law: Matthew’s Gospel has a didactic purpose. Special emphasis is given to the message of Jesus. One of the distinct features of Matthew’s Gospel is that the teaching of Jesus is collected into five sections. The Sermon on the Mount (chaps. 5–7) is the first of these blocks. The others are Instructions to the Twelve (chap. 10), Parables of the Kingdom (c...

708. This Is a King?

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created ... in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell... — Colossians 1:15-16, 19 I grew up during all those Godfather movies, and I never saw a single one. I don't know why. I was busy. It was a three-hour movie. I had to study. So when I heard jokes about a horse's he...

709. Searching For Saints

Sermon

King Duncan

"Life is a mystery Charlie Brown," says Lucy, "Do you know the answer?" Charlie Brown answers, "Be kind. Don't smoke. Be prompt. Smile a lot. Eat sensibly. Avoid cavities and mark your ballot carefully . . . Avoid too much sun. Send overseas packages early. Love all creatures above and below. Insure your belongings and try to keep the ball low . . ." Before he can get out another platitude, Lucy i...

710. Roll Call

Sermon

King Duncan

A few years ago a group of Christians from the United States visited war-torn Nicaragua. While there, a young man in this group was killed by the Contras. This left the group confused and full of questions. On the next Sunday a memorial service was held. From the altar the priest said, "The peace of the Lord be with you" and people from the congregation, Nicaraguan people, began to embrace these A...

711. What Does It Mean to Be Blessed?

Sermon

King Duncan

“‘I’m so blessed.’ You hear it more and more these days,” notes Pastor Richard Allen. “Most noticeably . . . from famous people, and often in acceptance speeches. Clutching a golden statue they say, ‘I’m so blessed to be here today’ . . . My issue,” continues Allen, “with such usage is not that it is flippant, or even untrue. Actors and politicians can be deeply sincere about feeling blessed. My i...

712. How To Be Truly Happy

Sermon

King Duncan

Is there anybody in this world who is truly happy? There was a Peanuts cartoon years ago in which Lucy asked Charlie Brown if he has ever known anybody who was really happy. Before she could finish her sentence, however, Snoopy the precocious beagle came dancing on tip-toe into the frame, his nose high in the air. He danced and bounced his way across two frames of the cartoon strip. Finally, in th...

713. The Poor in Spirit

Sermon

Most of us would say that the Beatitudes are well known and greatly loved by Christian people. They are beautiful. They dance and sing on the lips of those who say them. They have an unparalleled syntax that only the Jewish mind can capture and express. They are immortal. Hymns, anthems, songs, prayers, and liturgy have reflected upon their meaning and beauty. Although we read them in our persona...

714. Training Session

Sermon

The recruiting of the twelve disciples is now complete. Jesus has chosen a group of unlikely candidates - fishermen, tax collectors, unsophisticated Galileans, and others - to communicate the good news to the world that he is the Messiah. Training these people for their task is the second phase of this operation. Jesus takes the disciples away from the crowds for an educational retreat on the side...

715. Heaven Can’t Wait

Sermon

As we struggle with the burdens of the day, we sometimes wonder, but let the word go forth this morning that we have a future, that however threatening the skies appear, there is no cause for faith to fail. We have the promise of our Lord for that, and he is just as active in our world as he has ever been in anybody’s world. He is at work, in a series of unfolding promises, to bring his ultimate p...

716. The Trifocal Festival

Sermon

(The sermon for All Saints’ Sunday takes the form of a dialogue. At least two voices are required and more can certainly be employed.) Introduction: The festivals of the church year - occasions to contemplate and celebrate the divine mysteries. Both ingredients are essential. Churchly celebration without contemplation can be form without substance, a liturgical extravaganza for who-knows-what re...

717. Rejoice and Be Glad

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship (Unison) O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oa...

718. Cross Your Is, Dot Your Ts

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Two: Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind. Three: For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you. (based on Psalm 26:1-3) Collect As the salt of the earth, as the light on the hill, let us do the good works of the Lord as we p...

719. Rejoice in Your Suffering

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship Men: For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you." Women: For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good. (Psalm 122:8-9) Collect Lord, we acknowledge your call to us. The night is far gone. The day is at hand. You shine your light on the words of the prophets, and we see Jesus. You call us to be ready, and our spiritual bags are...

720. Just Who Are You Kidding?

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship Let us call upon the Lord, not as a co-signer to our worldly ambitions, but as a redeemer, who erases the debts of our sins. Collect We have heard it said by others that the Bible says this or the Bible says that. You have given the Word into our hands. May we listen for ourselves this day, and read for ourselves these days, so your grace can shine into our lives. Amen. Prayer Of...

721. Prayer

Bulletin Aid

Blessed? Happy? Christians are supposed to be happy? I thought the 11th commandment was "Thou shalt not smile in church"! When I see a Christian on a TV show Or I think about the "religious people" I've known, The image is sober Solemn Frowning Disapproving... Not Happy! And what about the Beatitudes? "Happy are the poor Those who mourn The hungry and thirsty"? Somebody's got to be kidding! Eit...

722. The Beatitudes

Bulletin Aid

Call to Worship Pastor: One of our greatest goals in life is to find happiness. People: We do not enjoy being unhappy. But the more we strive for happiness, the less we seem to have. Pastor: Perhaps our attempts to be happy, work against what our Lord does to make us happy. People: Our concept of happiness needs to be redesigned by our faith. May God give us the joy of true happiness. Collect Mer...

723. Prayer

Bulletin Aid

David MacKinnon

This prayer is based on Matthew 5:1-10 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (we must recognize our neediness, our brokenness, our need for God's grace and presence) 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (pr...

724. The Blessings of Christ

Bulletin Aid

James Wilson

Call To Worship Leader: Let us come together all who find their joy in the Lord. People: For the Lord is our Shepherd in good times and in hard times. Leader: And the Lord is with us in all that we experience in life. People: And whether we are at home or afar the Lord knows our every need. Leader: Then let us raise our voices in praise and adoration. All: Blessed be the name of the Lord! Collect...

725. Prayer

Bulletin Aid

How many "saints" do I know? A few - People whose faith is obvious to those around them People whose words are always kind People always ready to give Encouragement Assistance - Whatever is needed Whenever it's needed Without thinking twice about it, And to forgive Again and Again. Probably none of them think of themselves as saints - Or even as outstandingly good! They are conscious of their fau...

Showing 701 to 725 of 4508 results