Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 51 to 75 of 3160 results

John 6:56-69

Sermon

David Coffin

... zway or zoe life. There are other examples in John’s gospel. In John 14, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the water well who had had five husbands and was living with a man who was not her husband. Yet, Jesus promised her eternal life that was the zway sort of life. She could get on with her life and have a fresh future despite any past mistakes or bad choices. John 4:39 reported that this woman had new life as an evangelist for Jesus. Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s ...

52. Advent 2

Mark 1:1-8, 2 Peter 3:1-18, Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon Aid

E. Carver McGriff

... house. When the fire was extinguished and the firemen had departed, those two young men could hardly budge the piano. They had to call several other friends to move it back into the house. Dad always told us boys that story to make the point that we can do all sorts of things when we really need to. My point is not that God helped move that piano. My point is that God has already prepared us for most problems and enables us to draw upon our own resources. But I have found that on occasion I get in over my ...

53. The Wheat Among The Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... for fuel and save the wheat in the storage barn." If we can put ourselves back into a pre-modern mindset, we can understand this sort of common-sense story in terms of farming. But Jesus took this familiar picture and used it to talk about the rule of God. So, ... example. In World War II Hitler's army overran France and established a Nazi government there that virtually wiped out any sort of French nation or government. There was a French government in exile in England, but in France itself there was only ...

54. And Then Came The Angel

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

... a nation's troops and holding on to their loved ones. Some questioned the wisdom and motives of Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Others just prayed. Teresa knew she wasn't going to get a red and white truck, but it was still fun to ask. It had become sort of a game between mother and daughter. "You're still getting me that truck, aren't you, Mom?" "Why, of course, I wouldn't think of getting you anything else." Truck or not, it would be a wonderful Christmas for Teresa and her family, and some playing around ...

55. Wind -- Word -- Spirit -- Community

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

... promise that can heal, build up, and include. We are called to be messengers, to traffic in words, to speak words that attain to the level of grace. I do not mean the self-consciously pious kind of words. I do not mean the "Hey, friend, are you saved?" sort of words. I mean words that build mutual respect, words that engender a vision of community, words that appeal to conscience, words that call us to be all that we can be -- words that will be bearers of the Word that is the very breath of life. 1. Moule ...

56. The Wish

Hebrews 11:1

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

... today isn't Easter, why did I bring a rabbit? I wonder ... Maybe you can help me figure this out. Is today any sort of holiday?" "Yes," the children reply, "it's Father's Day." "Oh, that's right. Now I remember. That's why I brought the ... was obviously very important to me was to have my dad send me a toy white rabbit. And since I never thought I'd actually have ANY sort of rabbit -- ever -- receiving the wind-up bunny was like a miracle to me. "Many years later, I was talking with a friend of mine who just ...

57. Living By Faith And Trust

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... door of her house everyone in the town was greatly concerned. Her parents were well-respected, for her father was one of the 10 men in town who ruled the synagogue. He had lived within the bounds of the town all his life. If anyone had a problem - any sort of problem - they sought out Jairus. He was kindly, like his daughter, and fair and he knew the holy writings. Many times he had given the advice to pray to Almighty God. "The Lord God will attend to your prayer," he would say. And he believed it. Now ...

58. Who Was the One Who Died?

Mark 15:33-41

Sermon

R. Sheldon MacKenzie

... presence of God is real at all times,and in terrible places.Even when we cannot bear to think of God at all,or even if we are able only to rail at God and against God,that is precisely what the psalmist tells us to do. In a strange sort of way Jesus was misunderstood to the end.Even the words of his final appeal to God were misunderstood by those who heard them.Some people thought he was calling for Elijah.Out of curiosity to see whether Elijah would come to rescue this Son of Israel at the last ...

59. Living Water

John 7:25-44

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... stopped falling. Nor was there any water in that dry gully miles from Jerusalem's walls. It is terrible to thirst and not have the thirst quenched! And, of course, our thirsting in this life is for more than water. You and I may thirst for all sorts of things and conditions and relationships. Thirst can be for money, more money. Thirst can be for power. Thirst can be for success - success in one's chosen profession, or success in family life, success in just being a well-rounded human being! We all thirst ...

60. Proper 11

Colossians 1:15-23, Luke 10:38-42, Genesis 18:16-33, Colossians 1:24--2:5, Psalm 15:1-5

Sermon Aid

George Bass

... ) was; a preface to the visit of an angel to a young girl named Mary. God would do for the whole human race the same sort of thing he did for Sarah and Abraham - give them a Son, a Savior. 2. It almost didn't happen - the birth of Isaac, that ... Sarah doubted that such a thing could happen. "She laughed to herself" and that almost put off God. She didn't think God could do that sort of thing - insert himself in human affairs and cause an old woman to bear a son. "Is anything too hard for God?" Like many who ...

61. Marked For Ministry

Sermon

George Bass

... of the church. A theological seminary is a mother lode of these gifts. Every seminary has students who have extraordinary, as well as ordinary, gifts for ministry -- in this case, the ministry of the word and sacraments. God calls all sorts of people to full-time ministry -- young and more mature persons, scholars and scientists, mathematicians and mechanics, poets and police persons, musicians and magicians, teachers and truck drivers, pilots and painters. God gives people gifts for ministry, not only in ...

62. Wash Up First For The Meal Before You Eat!

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... Jesus taught his disciples that evening of the very first sacramental meal. When you truly repent of all your pride and lean on our Lord, when you yearn to serve God and your neighbor, then you are adequately prepared for the sacrament. That is the sort of preparation that frees us truly to receive all the benefits that the Lord's supper provides - to experience the real significance of his sacrament in our lives! If you have truly repented of your pride, see yourself as totally dependent on God, yearn to ...

63. Good Works Will Not Save You!

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... the latest book I read and loved? Was it not first inspired by one of my teachers? Or did it emerge from a conversation with Betsey? Did she first suggest it? I am not certain. Her idea - my idea; my teacher's thought or mine? That is the sort of intimacy and sharing that emerges in a close relationship. Of course, with spouses, it is especially intense. Probably that is because they are together so much. It happens from living together and sharing life in so many ways. Jesus says that he has that kind of ...

64. Competition In The Kingdom?

Matthew 20:17-19

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... the Risen Lord on that first Easter (Mark 16:1ff). The woman had, or was to receive so much glory. Yet it was not enough; she wanted more. She asked Jesus to give her two sons the highest place possible in the kingdom. Is not that kind of discontent, that sort of lust for recognition and reputation, the way it is with us? We faithful followers of Jesus are never fully content, are we? Of course, when we are not content with all that has been given us, we are not being faithful. Yet at any rate, it is true ...

65. The Road To The Wilderness

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... in the midst of some life-changing decision. Maybe as we look at Jesus in the wilderness we can come to better understand how we can face our own wilderness moments. Look at these things about Jesus on the road to the wilderness. I It was a time when Jesus sorted out what he would do. That was one thing he was struggling with. He knew who he was, and what he was all about. He knew what he had to do. But, during that time in the wilderness he clarified his mission, his message and his method. His mission was ...

66. The Tinsel Time Machine

Drama

Edward Long

... a raisin cake - from the bakery. TOM: You are unfortunate! Just think! No Star Wars outfits. No racing sets. No football gear! JIMMY: A different sort of life you've got, I wager. But we've got the candle service at the Abbey and we're just glad to be alive, a ... 's lights go off). NARRATOR: The scene is a rocky hillside near Bethlehem in Judea. We have come to rest in front of a sort of cave in a hillside, a cavern which is obviously fashioned into a stable. The sky is bright and there are thousands of stars ...

67. Altered Expectations

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

... of the father at child birth was to accompany the mother-to-be to the hospital, get her to the door of the Labor and Delivery department, fill out and sign (in triplicate) all the necessary insurance forms, go to the waiting room until further notice and just sort of hang out until the child was born. And I thought, "Well what do you know? After all these years, I finally get to be Joseph!" But as I grew spiritually through prayer and Bible study, I began to realize that Joseph’s role was far greater than ...

68. It Just Doesn't Work That Way

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... you tell just by looking at them which is which? It doesn’t work that way, does it? And Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is sort of like that? There is so much messiness in the church! Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations, and look who showed up ... And what a mystery is this thing called church. What’s the farmer going to do about that messy field? How does he ever expect to sort it all out? Aren’t those weeds going to do a lot of damage to the healthy wheat if he just lets them grow there ...

69. The Invisible God?

Colossians 1:15-23, Colossians 1:1-14

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... world the festival of Christ the King. It’s okay if you didn’t know that. We Disciples don’t follow the calendar of the Christian year very closely, except, of course, we do observe Advent and Christmas and Lent and Easter. Those are the "main event" sort of celebrations. But I think it’s important that we observe the events of the calendar of the Christian year all year long because it helps us remember whose time we live in. It’s not the government’s time, even though our schedules are marked ...

70. He Has Done Great Things

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

Drama

Pamela Urfer

... you grow old, who will care for you? If they kill your son, who will you have? MARY: I don't know, Elizabeth. ELIZABETH: Perhaps before you take on this ... responsibility, you might consider making some sort of an ... arrangement with God. MARY: An arrangement? What sort of an arrangement? ELIZABETH: You know. Some sort of a bargain, where you would be assured that everything will turn out all right. MARY: A bargain? With God? ELIZABETH: Sure! You're doing so much for him. Why shouldn't he do something for ...

71. The Two Fires

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... run toward Jesus’ words, "I came to cast fire upon the earth." Unless one seizes upon such words with a ruthless and unimaginative literalism, they can speak richly to us. Christ describes himself as fire, and I’m suggesting the fire of which he speaks is of two sorts: the fire of judgment and the fire of the spirit. Unless we have taken all the vitality out of our Christian faith, we will have to allow that Christ is the fire of judgment upon us. How could it be otherwise? The quality of his life, when ...

72. Some Man

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

... ’t even know if it is going on." He is supposed to spend his life, the rest of it at any rate, in that sort of situation. Oddly enough, so many people choose the wrong priorities in life and fashion, as did Martha, a limited style of living that ... . Charlotte’s Web is a delightful and much loved story, isn’t it? But it is only a kind of fairy tale about an ordinary sort of pig and an extraordinary spider, who gives all she has, including her life, so that Wilbur might be spared from certain death. It is ...

73. The Fifth Sunday in Lent

John 11:1-16

Sermon

Kendall K. McCabe

... turning water into wine and now, by the time we get to today's Gospel, he is turning death into life! Awesome, as they say in some circles. Obviously, we are going to respect someone who does that sort of thing (never know when you may need him in a pinch), but I'd be hesitant to try and cozy up to that sort. I am glad two things occur in today's Gospel which give me another insight into the Jesus who is described by John. First, Jesus describes Lazarus as his friend, and later we are told Jesus wept. To ...

74. A Desperate Question

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

George Bass

... who he really was and that’s why he said for a second time, "Unless a man is born anew, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus would not allow himself to be classified as another of the Mediterranean magicians who was able to do all sorts of magic tricks with and upon the sick and the handicapped. Morton Smith, in his book, Jesus the Magician, writes: "Jesus the magician was the figure seen by most ancient opponents of Jesus. Jesus the Son of God was the figure seen by that part of his followers ...

75. Proper 11 & Pentecost 11

Isaiah 44:6-23, Psalm 103:1-22, Psalm 86:1-17, Exodus 3:1-22, Romans 8:18-27, Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43

Sermon Aid

... about one-third of the way through it. Thoroughly eschatological in its perspective - the judgment will come at the end of the era - the parable gives assurance to those who attempt to live out the faith in the righteousness of Christ, as well as giving an odd sort of comfort to those who may wonder why the wicked seem to get away with so much in this world. The addition of verses 36-43, which explain the parable by giving it an allegorical twist, does not make the problem too long; it does, however, create ...

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