Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 726 to 750 of 1285 results

Luke 1:26-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... John the Baptist into the "light" motif, clearly distinguishing him from the light, yet maintaining that he was "sent from God." In verse 20 the gospel writer reiterates the distinction between these two John and Jesus using the Baptist's own words. The double use of "confessed" is for emphasis and might just as easily be translated "he spoke out openly and clearly" (TEV). The gospel writer has John himself make it abundantly clear that he is not the Messiah. The priests and Levites seem to be extremely ...

727. Ephesians 3:14-21

Ephesians 3:14-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... this praising text back to the requests made in verses 14-19. In this utterly unique doxology, the only doxology in the New Testament which includes both a reference to the church and to Christ ("in Christ Jesus"), the Ephesian's Paul is using double-compound adverbs of his own coinage. These are the rarely used huper panta or literally "above all things" and huper ekperissou or "above and over and above." In other words, this writer goes to grammatical extremes to communicate that God is able to do ...

728. Mark 8:27-38

Mark 8:27-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... one's life that followers will find the saved life they long for. A life lost for Jesus' sake is in reality a life gained. Jesus uses two rhetorical questions to demonstrate to his listeners how life is not some bargaining chip that can be efficiently doubled or foolishly lost. Life is a gift beyond any sum or value human beings can offer. Its worth outweighs the "whole world"; its value can never be met or "exchanged." In a final pronouncement, Jesus recalls his rebuke to Peter and sets boundaries for all ...

729. Mark 9:30-37

Mark 9:30-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... lesson by reminding his disciples that when they welcome him, they welcome "not me but the one who sent me" (v.37). Jewish tradition taught that a great man's messenger was to be treated with the same deference the man himself would receive. Jesus' words work double duty. They bring God's loving concern and presence down to the very lowest, weakest of human beings even a tiny child. But they also remind the disciples that nothing less than the power of God the Creator stands behind all of Jesus' actions and ...

730. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 12 could easily be rendered "As for you ..." Paul then uses two verbs to express the amount and the intensity of the love he desires the Thessalonians to develop. First, he wants their love "to cause to increase" or "make greater." Then Paul doubles that emphasis by adding an even stronger verb, demanding their love be "more than enough," or "be plentiful." Perhaps it is because both he and the Thessalonian Christians have just endured rough treatment for the sake of their faith that Paul puts such heavy ...

731. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... miracle.” Jesus claims that Nathanael “will see greater things than these” (v.50). With two unique phrases John’s text telegraphs that Jesus’ next words are an important revelation. Jesus’ pronouncement begins with his favorite “listen up” device, the double “Amen” (translated in the NRSV as “Very truly” and elsewhere as “I tell you the truth”). Jesus concludes with the title he claims for himself, “the Son of Man,” or “The Human Being.” Jesus next gives Nathanael a hint ...

732. Ordinary and Humble Princes

John 1:43-51

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... resplendent of all swans. We enjoy it when the moment of truth comes for the characters in a story as they discover that the scruffy-looking character they never quite trusted is actually the true king of the realm. In the classic The Wizard of Oz we get a double treat at the end of the story: first, the great and powerful Oz turns out to be nothing but the man behind the curtain, a puller of levers and switches who looks like a humbug of a charlatan. But then, almost before the dust of that reversal of ...

733. 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... own intentional “multiple personality disorder.” In vv.19-22, through a series of seven “purpose clauses” (six of which are parallel to each other), Paul explains his method for spreading the gospel. In both v.19 and v.22 Paul’s double use of “all” emphasizes his overarching purpose—-to reach “all” he can with the gospel message. Somewhat obscured by most translations is Paul’s continuing emphasis on his “freedom” before everyone and everything. In the Greek the opening word of v ...

734. Mark 1:40-45

Mark 1:40-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... then sends the man away: “exebalen.” This Greek term is the same as is used to describe the command that sends exorcised demonic spirits packing. Furthermore, Jesus’ unquestionably stern directive is a definitive order, made emphatic by the presence of a double negative (“medeni meden” or “to no one nothing”) which recalls his similar commands to silence given to the exorcised demons in 1:25 and 1:34. These words highlight the seriousness of the disease of leprosy, relating it to the spiritual ...

735. The Darkness of a Youniverse

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... for a minute or two about what were those things that went “bump in the night” for them. As a kid I was convinced that a giant black widow spider was sneaking into my brothers’ and my darkened bedroom] We’ve always told our kids this double-edged “good news:” “there is nothing that exists in this world that isn’t present both in the dark and in the daylight.” For kids, that is supposed to mean there are no magical creatures that only appear to terrorize children at night. For parents that ...

736. Epiphany 5

Isaiah 40:1-31, 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, Mark 1:29-34, Mark 1:35-39

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... her by the hand." c. He lifts us by his power "lifted her up." Old Testament: Isaiah 40:21-31 1. What there is to know about God (40:28-31). Need: Today there is an explosion of knowledge in the secular world. Every few years our knowledge doubles to the extent our libraries have trouble storing all the books. On the contrary, our knowledge of God is woefully lacking. This was the case with the exiles in Babylon resulting in the feeling that God did not know or care about their plight. Outline: What there ...

737. Proper 12

Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15, 2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... one who could feed them, one who could rid the country of the Romans, one who could bring military might and glory to the nation. Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 1. Remained (v. 1). This word indicates the situation in which David was at the time of the double crime of adultery and murder. David "had it made." He was secure as king. He had conquered his enemies. The country was prosperous and he was rich. No longer did he have to go to war and lead his army. He had others to do the fighting and suffer the ...

738. Just When You Think You Know the Answer

John 10:11-18

Illustration

David Busic

... but it sounds like a squirrel to me." That's a little of how it is with the Gospel of John. Just when you think you know what the answer should be, a different meaning presents itself. As you read through John, you find that it is full of double meanings and multi-layered levels. It's very different than the other three gospels. I heard one pastor say: "If Matthew, Mark, and Luke are Rembrandts . . . John is a Picasso!" That is because they have a different purpose. John's purpose was to prove Jesus was the ...

739. Living with the One

John 15:1-8

Illustration

James W. Moore

... . Watch his gills gasp and scales dry. Is he happy? No! How do you make him happy? Do you cover him with a mountain of cash? Do you get him a beach chair and sunglasses? Do you bring him a Playfish magazine and a martini? Do you wardrobe him in double-breasted fins and people-skinned shoes? Of course not! So, how do you make him happy? You put him back in his element. That's what you do. You put him back in the water. He will never be happy on the beach because he was not made for the ...

740. Too Good Not to Be True

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

King Duncan

... , “Are you going to buy some flowers?” When Carol Noren said yes, the manager continued, “How many do you plan to buy?” On impulse maybe to assure the manager and even herself that she was a serious customer Noren said, “Two,” even though that was double what she’d intended to spend. “That’d be fifty cents, wouldn’t it?” the manager said as she looked around. “I tell you what: how would you like all the flowers for fifty cents?” “You’re kidding,” said Noren. “No, I’m not ...

741. The Third Ear and the Imagination of Jesus

Mark 4:1-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... from Point A to Point B. These days our commuting time can be put to productive work. Your commuting time can be used to practice new language skills, or test the effectiveness of your blood pressure medication, or boost your caffeine intake with some double Venti mocha mash-up mix. As more people keep smashing into things while talking or texting on their mobile phones, more states keep passing stricter anti-cell-phone legislation. If you’ve got a hands-free phone you can still talk. But since that time ...

742. A Life of Trust

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... him takes care of him. He thinks the entire universe was made as his sandbox. Every person that meets him loves him,” says Nelson. “He’s got great big eyes. If you ask him a question and he can figure it out, he’ll give you a little double take [as if to say] ‘Yeah, I know what you’re saying.’ And if you say something that delights him, he cackles.” When something pleases Curt, which is quite often, he cries out with delight. When Curt wakes up in the morning, says Nelson, has his yogurt ...

743. Paul’s “We-With” Body-Building

2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... — papyrus. The advantage of exchanging sheets of animal skins for sheets of papyrus was the thinner papyrus sheets could be folded, and then sewn together at the edge or “spine.” These papyrus sheets could be inscribed on both sides, doubling the amount of information that could be contained in these sewn together sheets. In other words these papyrus “membranae” became “codices” — or as we call them today, “books.” This cutting edge technology of the 1st century, these papyrus codices ...

744. Proper 12

2 Samuel 11:1-27, Psalm 14:1-7, John 6:1-21, Ephesians 3:14-21

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... weak for the faults of the strong. We are strong in our denunciation of the sins of others and loud in our demands for their punishment. We are apologetic in the admission of our own sins and plaintive in our cries for mercy. Forgive our double standard, and grant us pardon for our offenses through Jesus our advocate. Amen Declaration of Pardon Pastor: Friends, hear the good news! God has laid on the crucified Christ the consequences of our sins, People: so that we will not die. Pastor: Friends, believe the ...

745. Proper 19

Psalm 19:1-14, Proverbs 1:20-33, Mark 8:27-38, James 3:1-12

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... by the confession of your name, Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. Amen PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING God of life and health, we would thank you for health by caring for the sick. We should show our gratitude for freedom by working for the release of prisoners. We double our enjoyment of what we have by sharing with those who don’t have. We echo the good news we have heard to those who live in the sadness of bad times. Receive the worship we present in word and deed in the Spirit of Jesus our Lord. Amen ...

746. Mark 6:14-29

Mark 6:14-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... qualms. She nurses her hatred of John. She bides her time until her moment comes to take her ultimate revenge. In Mark’s text verse 22 names Herodias’s daughter also as “Herodias.” But even for the Herodians that is an unlikely doubling-up of the family name. Josephus’ history, which also details this story of John the Baptist’s execution, names this daughter of Herodias as “Salome” — which not incidentally is yet another multiply-used name in the Herodian family tree. This “daughter ...

747. Penguins in Mission

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... . For some people this passage stirs up the troubling doctrine of predestination that all of history is predetermined and that some are chosen without their knowledge and consent from the beginning of time for salvation. Even more troubling is the idea of double predestination that some are chosen before the world was created for heaven and all others are chosen for hell. Nothing in this passage supports that idea. If anything, we could easily surmise that all are chosen for salvation. What is important is ...

748. Proper 25

Psalm 65:1-13, Joel 2:23-32, Luke 18:9-14, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... your prayerful Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. PRAYER OF CONFESSION Great God, mighty and awesome, you are above all pettiness and unmoved by cheap bargaining. Forgive our preference for people just like us, our suspicions of those alien to us, our double standards of caring for those of our kind and those of other customs. Excuse our neglect of justice on behalf of those who are not in a position to speak for themselves. We have forgotten your outgoing grace which found us when we were still ...

749. Decoding the Da Vinci Code (Part One - Exploring the Fiction)

1 Timothy 1:4

Sermon

James Merritt

... but one thing I assure you is true - the reason why this debate is so important is because your eternal destiny will be determined by who and what you believe. [1] www.BarnaResearch.org [2] www.Outreach.com [3] Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (New York: Double Day, 2003), 1 [4] www.DanBrown.com/media/multimedia/final/larger/Today_Show2.mov [5] I Am Indebted To My Friend, Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Seminary For This Summary. [6] Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code, p.234 [7] Ibid, p. 245 [8] Ibid ...

750. All in the Family

1 Timothy 3:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... completely unless you get involved in a small group. One of the things you get to share in a small group are your problems. The Bible says, "Share each other's troubles and problems." (Galatians 6:2, NLT) Somebody once said that when you share a joy it is doubled and when you share problem, it is cut in half. That is one of the greatest advantages of being in a small group. You will never go to this second level of fellowship until you get into a small group where you can bear one another's burdens, share ...

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