Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 51 to 75 of 4935 results

51. It Might Have Been ...

Luke 22:1-6, Matthew 26:14-16, Matthew 27:1-10, Matthew 26:47-56

Sermon

He was born in Judea, in the town of Kerioth. His parents were devout; they probably spent more time in the temple (if only because of proximity) than the parents of any other disciple. They must have been acquainted with Scripture ... and I’ve often wondered if they mused over the Proverbs as they chose a name for their young son: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." In any case, they chose a good name. They chose a name that had been held by one of the twelve sons of Jacob, and as such ...

52. Where Have All the Heroes Gone?

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

I want to talk about heroes today. We all have them. Our heroes are men and women that we look up to. Our heroes are those individuals that inspire us and help us to strive to be our very best. There is a cute story about a Texan who was trying to impress on a Bostonian, the valor of the heroes of the Alamo. After finishing his story about Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and countless others, he says "I'll bet you never had anyone so brave around Boston." "Did you ever hear of Paul Revere?" asked the Bostonian ...

53. Do You Have Any Leftovers?

John 6:1-15

Sermon

James Merritt

Without question, I can tell you what my absolute, all time, favorite meal is. It is so special that I only get to eat it once a year. It is so special, and so good, and so tasty that it is worth the wait. It is not just what I get to eat that makes it the most special meal of the year, but who I get to eat it with. It is the time of year I get to eat it and it is the occasion that brings me to the table. Can you guess what meal this is? It is Thanksgiving. The reason why Thanksgiving is my favorite meal ...

54. Forgive as You Have Been Forgiven

Luke 6:27-38

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

She stood peeking out from behind the curtains. As the jogger passed her house, he recalled the hurt she had inflicted upon his mother. At one time she had been the matriarch of the congregation. His memories of her were not fond. He recalled her wicked tongue and the way she used it to cut down others. He never forgot the day she used it against his mother making her cry. That incident caused their family to leave the church where he had been baptized and confirmed. Here it was fifteen years later, and ...

55. It Doesn't Have To Be This Way

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

James W. Moore

The noted author, John Killinger, tells a powerful story about a man who is all-alone in a hotel room in Canada. The man is in a state of deep depression. He is so depressed that he can’t even bring himself to go downstairs to the restaurant to eat. He is a powerful man usually the chairman of a large shipping company but at this moment, he is absolutely overwhelmed by the pressures and demands of life… and he lies there on a lonely hotel bed far from home wallowing in self-pity. All of his life, he has ...

56. He Has Done Great Things

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Drama

Pamela Urfer

Cast: Two women, MARY and ELIZABETH Length: 7 minutes There are two stools on stage. ELIZABETH is standing by her stool, looking toward the entrance. After a moment MARY enters and runs toward her. They embrace. ELIZABETH: Mary! It's so wonderful to see you! MARY: Oh, Elizabeth! It's been so long. I've missed you! ELIZABETH: Here, sit down beside me. MARY and ELIZABETH sit. ELIZABETH: (Surprised, holding her stomach) Oh! Mary! (With a look of comprehension) Now I understand! MARY: What? What do you ...

57. They Didn't Have To Do It, But They Did

Genesis 14:1-24

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

Life is filled with stories of those selfless saints who have done the great things, made the great sacrifices and moved the boundaries of human reciprocity beyond their current constraints. A friend shared with me his experience at getting a flat tire while traveling at night through Southern Georgia en route to Florida. He knew of black men being lynched on remote Southern roads and now he was stranded on a road at eleven o'clock at night. It was pitch black with no houses in sight, and he was filled ...

58. Must We Have All the Answers?

Gn 2:9 · Deut 30:19-20 · Job 52:5

Sermon

Robert Noblett

The young man and his father were headed into New York City for a Saturday outing. It had been some time since they had spent much time together, and the father reasoned that a day such as this was just what was needed. As they crossed The Tapanzee Bridge into Fun City, the son asked, "Dad, what is the name of this bridge?" The father answered, "Son, I don’t know." Later they were driving along Fifth Avenue and the son asked his father, "Dad, is that the Empire State Building?" Replied the father, "Son, I ...

59. Do You Have It?

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Lent is one of the primary seasons of the Christian calendar. But this year that phrase "primary season" has a different meaning. Lent may be a primary season of prayer and fasting, repentance and introspection in a theological context. But in 2008 this is "primary season," which means something very different in a political context. No matter how apolitical you may be, it has been impossible to avoid the 2008 "primary season." The pious pronouncements of the endless parade of political pundits can become ...

60. Have You Got a Prayer?

Luke 3:21-22

Sermon

Mark Trotter

In the season of Epiphany we look at those special events in Jesus' life where his presence was especially manifested with power. Jesus' baptism is one of those epiphanies. You heard Luke's version read this morning. The Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased." In newer translations, which are thought to be more accurate, the adjective "beloved" is made a separate phrase to emphasize the intensity of the ...

61. Boast Only In What The Lord Has Done

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Bulletin Aid

Call to Worship Pastor: We are not Christians very long until we are tempted to keep track of our good deeds. People: We cannot help wanting to make ourselves feel we have earned at least a little of God's love. Pastor: Yes, but that breeds sin. None of us, whether by intelligence, or by devotion, can boast of what we offer to our Lord. People: God forgive us, and help us to boast only of what he has done for us! Collect God of all wisdom, who confuses the wise and the strong with the simplicity of faith: ...

62. Do You Have A Forgiving Spirit?

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I want to ask you a very important and penetrating question this morning to set the stage for our sermon today. Please answer it in the quietness of your own heart but with utter honesty. Do you have a forgiving spirit? Do you have a forgiving spirit? You could probably answer this question with both a yes and no. When it comes to the difficult subject of forgiveness, there are always limitations, conditions, circumstances, and varying qualifications to the answer we give. However, as we gather this ...

63. It Doesn't Have to Be That Way - Sermon Opener

Luke 8:26-39

Illustration

James W. Moore

The noted author, John Killinger, tells a powerful story about a man who is all-alone in a hotel room in Canada. The man is in a state of deep depression. He is so depressed that he can't even bring himself to go downstairs to the restaurant to eat. He is a powerful man usually the chairman of a large shipping company but at this moment, he is absolutely overwhelmed by the pressures and demands of life… and he lies there on a lonely hotel bed far from home wallowing in self-pity. All of his life, he has ...

64. Tell The Good News Of What The Lord Has Done

Isaiah 60:1-22

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

Call To Worship Leader: When Jesus was born he was recognized as King of kings and Lord of all. People: He came to rule with righteousness and justice. Leader: Our King judges the poor fairly, and he helps the needy. People: We will worship him as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon gives light. All: Praise be to God! Amen. Collect O God, we give you thanks for the light that brightens our lives because your only Son, Jesus, came to earth to rule over us. We pray for that day, foretold by the ...

65. Did You Know You Can Know You Have Eternal Life?

1 John 5:11-13

Sermon

James Merritt

Did you know, you can KNOW you have eternal life? Even if you are the oldest person on earth, at some point you are going to die. Let's see how you did on the question I asked earlier… The average human life span is 82 years with women living 6-7 years longer then men on average. Did you know that the oldest people in the modern era live in the Dominican Republic? The oldest person died last October. Do you know how old she was? The answer is 128 years. Born January 27, 1875, Elizabeth "Ma Pompo" Israel, ...

66. Have We Kept Our Contract with God?

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Richard Gribble

One day a man went to his son's room and knocked on the door: "John, wake up, it is time for you to go to school!" From inside the answer came back, "I don't want to go to school, Dad." The father was persistent, knocked again, and said, "You must go to school." The answer again came back, "I don't want to go to school!" "Why not?" asked the father. "There are three reasons," came the reply. "First, I find school boring; second, the kids tease me terribly. Third, I simply hate school." Then the father ...

67. All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Durwood L. Buchheim

In the middle 1960s, a seminary student interned in a Lutheran congregation in Berlin, Germany. This intern was much interested in the history of World War II, since he was born about the time his father was fighting in Germany. However, he soon discovered that most of the members of that congregation did not want to talk about the war. It was too painful. But one day, an uncle of one of the intern’s friends came to see him and shared this personal story.1 He was an engineer on the train from Amsterdam to ...

68. Having a Good Name

Proverbs 1:20-33

Sermon

Donna Schaper

Proverbs is right: Having a good name is a terribly important thing. It is important in business, it is important in society, it is important at home, in a family. When we lose our good name, we have lost our trustworthiness. Sometimes it cannot be replaced. How do we know if we have a good name? What is the measurement? Is it the absence of gossip? Or the presence of trust? Is a good name something that we start out with only to find it comes up missing once we have done one or two things wrong? Or does a ...

69. Preaching Because We Have Something To Say

Sermon

James Angell

The pulpit is less than half of the mystery of preaching. If we attempt to separate it from what is happening on the listening side, it can be an empty gong or a clanging cymbal. Sermons are one-dimensional until a warming current begins to flow along the fragile wiring of the heart. One Sunday at 10:55 a.m. I was stopped in the hallway by a young church member who appeared in great distress. He asked me, as the preacher who would be leading the service, if it would be all right if I asked the congregation ...

70. On Having The Right Credentials

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

Humorist Robert Orben says that when he was in grade school, he was told if he wanted to get a good job he had to graduate from high school. So he went to high school. When he was in high school, he was told that to get a good job he had to go to college. So he went to college. When he was just about to graduate, he was told everybody had a bachelor's degree, and to get a really good job, he had to get a master's degree. So he got his master's. Then he was told that a master's degree would take him only so ...

71. All Choices Have Consequences

Drama

Karren Boehr

Theme: Teenage Drinking Teenage drinking often brings with it painful, irreversible consequences. This particular drama not only shows the price of uncontrolled actions, but also incorporates the role every responsible Christian has in the problem. Scene: Living room of a house several days after a fatal car accident Characters:ROB: Nice-looking Christian young man, clean cut, has just killed his mother while driving drunkMARY: Christian young woman, Rob's classmate, sensitive, caring JIM: Christian young ...

72. Rare, Yet Well Done

Hebrews 9:11-28

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. (Psalm 84:1-2) Collect Bravo, Lord of life! You have done it! Found us, bought us, bound us, and brought us here in your dwelling place. We offer up our songs, our prayers, and our praise. Amen. Prayer Of Confession Lord Jesus, you appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by your sacrifice. It is appointed for ...

73. The Faithful have Confidence in God

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

Call to Worship Pastor: God has called us to be faithful to him in all kinds of circumstances. People: We know that if we are faithful to God, he will keep faith with us. Pastor: And that means God will judge us as righteous because of his love and mercy. People: May God enable us to live a faithful Christian life until he calls us to receive his crown of righteousness. Collect Our Father, whose faithfulness under girds us in our daily discipleship: Make us strong in loyalty and service, that we may offer ...

74. What Would You Have Given the Prodigal Son?

Luke 15:11-32

Illustration

Fred Craddock preached one Sunday in a neighboring town when the regular minister happened to be away. Fred preached on this text ... not by choice, so much as by assignment. Leading a fellow to say after the service: "I really didn't care much for that, frankly." Fred continues: I said, "Why?" He said, "Well, I guess it's not your sermon. I just don't like that story." I said, "What is it you don't like about it?" He said, "It's not morally responsible." I said, "What do you mean by that? "Forgiving that ...

75. We Are Not Ghosts

Luke 24:36b-48

Illustration

Keith Grogg

On Easter morning, before the sunrise service in Carolina Beach, I was standing next to my friend Steve Hall, the minister at St. Paul's Methodist. And the sun hadn't quite peeked out above the horizon, but there was a spectacular red glow all along the skyline, reflecting on the ocean. And I was just about to say, "Steve, I can't figure out why I'm not out here every morning," but he had started to speak first, and he said, "Why am I not out here every morning?" John, the most sacramental of the four ...

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