Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 726 to 750 of 1858 results

726. Hope for Hurting Hearts

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... culling through the remains of their homes after the bombing of their city. It was to these sad people that Isaiah 35 came. As they picked through the ruins of their lives, the prophet gave them a beautiful vision of the future. Farms had reverted to wild ground, but that land would be covered again with flowers and fruit. All the trees had been cut down either for warfare or for firewood. But soon the land would be covered with the cedars of Lebanon, trees so big it would take twelve people to encircle ...

727. John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-12, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... man of the desert is all about. He is coming to offer a defense. Suddenly, the great doors swing open, and into the hall he comes. He is dressed in homespun - camels' hair with a wide leather belt around his waist. Hair and beard somewhat unkempt. Fierce, burning eyes. Wild looking. He speaks. "My name is John Bar Zecharias. I am also known as John the Baptizer or John the Baptist. I AM NOT THE MESSIAH. Some of you Jews came to me last week and asked if I were. I was gratified that you should even consider ...

728. I'm On a Mission from God!

Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

... to clean out, and 10 pounds to lose ... on a mission from God?(1) YES! All these people may very well be on a mission from God. Just as you and I are. Truth be told, God chooses all sorts of folks to accomplish divine purposes in the world, even wildly improbable ones. Consider the sketch we read a moment ago which could have just as easily been written by the Saturday Night Live folks and starred a John Belushi or a Dan Ackroyd for the silliness of it. God comes to Jonah and tells him to go to Ninevah ...

729. The Lord's Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... worst results of the scandals of the televangelists a few years ago was the negative effect they had on those outside the faith - for all the pious pronouncements over the air, the preachers appeared for all the world to be going out to sow their wild oats then coming into the tv studio to pray for a crop failure. People were not stupid - they saw what was going on, and thought, "Ha! Why bother with the church?" The German philosopher Nietzsche - an atheist - said, "Show me that you are redeemed, and then ...

730. Regis and Jesus

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... -doo. The suspense mounts. "Gee, Regis, I think I know this one. The answer is A) Moth." "Is that your final answer?" "Final answer." Dramatic pause. "You're right! You've just won a million dollars." The confetti comes down, and the crowd goes wild. "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" has become an incredible television success. Huge ratings, lots of ad income for the ABC network, and probably the reason that the parent Disney Company's stock price has been boosted by 30 percent. There are now local versions ...

731. The Incomparable Christ

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the king for stealing his own brother's wife, Herodias. Herodias wanted John killed, but Herod Antipas was reluctant - he knew the people thought highly of John. John's ministry had begun in the wilderness where he subsisted on an ascetic diet of locusts and wild honey. He wore the dress of a prophet, camel's hair and a leather belt. John preached the need for repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, the Christos, the anointed one, and called on people to be baptized in recognition of their ...

732. Ask the Average Person...

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , attend classes, change their lifestyles, in an on-going effort to find that elusive quality, happiness. In spite of all that, I suspect that most people most of the time do not feel happy. As Thoreau said, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." Oscar Wilde once wrote, "In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." He was trying to warn us no matter how hard we work at being successful, success will not satisfy us. By the time we ...

733. Good News for Tenant Farmers

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... walked away with this soldier, and as they walked, the wind blew the soldier's raincoat open to reveal the shoulder badges of a brigadier general. The general said, "You will perhaps be wondering what I am doing here. Years ago Thomas was my Sunday School teacher; I was a wild lad and a sore trial to him. He never knew what he did for me, but I owe everything I am or will be to old Thomas, and today I had to come to salute him at the end." Thomas did not know what he was doing. No preacher or ...

734. He Rose Again

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... wounded as Jesus was, having lost an incredible amount of blood, having gone without food or water for several days, and as dangerous as it would have been for those legionnaires, that requires more of a leap of faith than coming back from the dead. Perhaps some wild dogs got in there and ate the corpse - gruesome, but not unheard of in those days. Still, those would have had to be some incredibly fastidious animals, not leaving even a shred of meat or bone or hair on the floor for someone to notice. And ...

735. "A Friend Indeed"

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... By the year 2000, some predict the number will rise to 15%. I doubt that our friend from the gospel lesson would be inclined that way. His THINGS were too important. Strange, really. He was apparently a pretty sharp fellow, a first-in-the-class, wildly successful, model citizen type, even sincerely religious - the kind that Galilean mothers would want their babies to look up to. But he had a first century version of AFFLUENZA, and it was such a severe case that, of all the encounters seekers have with Jesus ...

736. Sunday's Coming

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... throne, and change their sad song. The orchestra was forever ready to play, "Happy days are here again." It had been SO long. Would this be the day? As Jesus rode into his capital city, tourists from all over Israel lined the street and cheered wildly. The faithful cut down palm branches and spread them over the road just as their ancestors had done over a century-and-a-half before in a rare moment of national triumph when the Maccabees finally completed the overthrow of the Syrian Antiochus Epiphanes.(4 ...

737. The Trouble with Stables

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... . It is a rather romantic picture, the way we do it at our house. At yours too? And the reason it is romantic is the same as so many things we make romantic - they are not real. And to be quite honest, our popular picture of that manger scene is wildly inaccurate. Be that as it may. I wonder whether we do the Christmas story an injustice by trying to pretty it up. To be honest, I do not think God wanted it to be pretty. If God had wanted it pretty, it would have been handled differently. For years we ...

738. Terms of Endearment

Luke 3:21-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Arizona, on the Colorado River. Heston points out that in November the water temperature was in the forties. It made for some interesting reactions as the hundreds of extras were immersed, one by one, in the cold Colorado. "As they came up, gasping and wild-eyed, the cameras conveyed pure, heartfelt epiphany." It took several days to shoot the scene. Heston remarks that they "baptized" around sixty a day. He suspects the real Baptist did better. So, after several days of standing in cold water dressed in a ...

739. Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Temptation. Oscar Wilde is quoted a saying, "I can resist everything -- except temptation!" Humorist Robert Orben has observed, "Most people want to be delivered from temptation but would like to keep in touch." Another wag has asked, "Why is it that opportunity knocks only once, yet temptation bangs on the door constantly?"(1) ...

740. East of Easter

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to be near Jesus, one whom they had come to look on as Israel's deliverer, the Messiah. But now they were going home... dejected, depressed, defeated. As they walked, they talked. Probably about mundane things: taxes too high, wages too low, kids too wild...probably a little about the trial and crucifixion, but nothing TOO much...too hurtful. Small talk to survive large pain. We all do it, until forced to do otherwise. Perhaps that is why Jesus engaged them in conversation. The Great Physician was a Great ...

741. The Christ of the Commonplace

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to be near Jesus, one whom they had come to look on as Israel's deliverer, the Messiah. But now they were going home...dejected, depressed, defeated. As they walked, they talked. Probably some about mundane things - taxes too high, wages too low, kids too wild - but more probably about their friend, Jesus - his teaching, his healing, the way he seemed to love everyone he met. What about the events of the past week? Was it really wise for him to have come into Jerusalem, knowing the authorities were out to ...

742. About Kissing

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... story. A man tells of depositing his wife and three-year-old daughter in a taxi during a torrential thunderstorm in New York City. He turned to run back to his office. But he stopped when he heard the taxi honking and saw the driver gesturing wildly for him to return to his vehicle. Splashing through the pouring rain, he went back to the cab, and the foreign-born driver admonished him, "You forgot hug and kiss!" (4) Surely that was worth an extra slosh through the rain. In any successful marriage, there ...

743. Different From A Camel's Hair Sport Coat

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Frank Lyman

... repentance and forgiveness of sins," he truly was the one who got the whole thing started for Jesus! When we consider John the Baptizer, we can't help but notice his distinctive apparel and diet. He wore "a garment of camel's hair . . . and his food was locusts and wild honey." If you and I were to go down to the local department store, we could buy a beautiful camel's hair sport coat. At least, it's called camel's hair. But it would bear no resemblance to the coat John wore. Sometime when you get a chance ...

744. Broken Hydrants

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... became too personal or they talked at length about faith in Christ she would simply tune it out. By her third year of college she just felt like her life was going in circles. "I never really was a drug addict, I didn't have a wild lifestyle," Michelle admits, "but inside I was empty." Michelle was getting good grades and had good experiences, she had a lot of good friends but something was missing. Her friends had a peace and comfort about them that she desired. Michelle remembers walking down the street ...

745. My Younger Brother Gets Away With Everything

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... his life so that Dad would be proud of him. Is this the reward he receives ” to be forced to attend a party honoring his worthless younger brother? He is furious. He refuses to go in to the party. Two sons, one who has wasted his inheritance on a wild and destructive lifestyle, and the other who cannot welcome his brother back home. Here is what we need to see in this story: Both boys were in the wrong. The younger boy turned his back on his father, the older boy turned his back on his brother, and both ...

746. On Fooling a Mafia Don

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... regard to those situations as well. Some years ago, in Newark, New Jersey, the front page of the newspaper carried the startling headline that ducks by the hundreds were drowning in one of the bays in the vicinity. It seems that great flocks of these migrating wild ducks were settling down upon the water as usual, but there was a new unsuspected hazard. From a nearby refinery a large quantity of crude oil had spilled into the bay. The oil itself was not harmful; it was not poisonous, it had no hurtful acid ...

747. The Problem With The Big Ten

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... were not driven crazy by drugs, nor were they racially motivated. They assaulted and could have killed this 28-year-old woman for one reason and one reason only: fun. They even had a name for what they had set out to do; they called it "wilding." Not more than 250 miles away in our nation's capital, a jet airliner crashed on takeoff from National Airport during a blinding snowstorm. It hit the Potomac Bridge at the height of rush hour. As traffic snarled to a halt, emergency rescue services were immediately ...

748. Last Words

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

King Duncan

... personalities and humor of the individuals more deeply. Voltaire, a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher known for his wit and criticism of Christianity, reportedly said, when asked by a priest to renounce Satan, "This is no time to make new enemies." Oscar Wilde, an Irish poet and playwright known for his epigrams, said, "Either that wallpaper goes, or I do." This was in reference to the wallpaper in his room at the hotel where he was staying. Bob Hope, a comedian, replied to his wife's ...

749. Gambling On God

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... must choose between the two candidates, and so they prayed mightily for God's guidance and then they cast lots to make their selection. In their defense we might make two important observations. First of all, both candidates met the qualifications. They were not taking a wild risk in the matter or the manner of their selection. And second, they had a great trust in God. They believed that God would lead them to make the right choice. Thus this casting of lots seemed to be a practical way of seeking God's ...

750. A Firm Grip On Your Balloon

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... comfortable just as they are. They would rather stick with what they know ” even if it's not all that satisfying ” than take the risk associated with change. In the eyes of some of the spectators at the first Pentecost, these disciples were a group of wild-eyed extremists. They were letting things get out of hand. Fanatics ” that's what they were. When you study the root of the word FANATIC you find it comes from the Latin word FANUUM, which means "temple." It referred to someone so devoted to their ...

Showing results

Showing 726 to 750 of 1858 results

726. Hope for Hurting Hearts

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

727. John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-12, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

728. I'm On a Mission from God!

Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

729. The Lord's Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

730. Regis and Jesus

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

731. The Incomparable Christ

Matthew 11:1-19

Sermon

David E. Leininger

732. Ask the Average Person...

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

David E. Leininger

733. Good News for Tenant Farmers

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

David E. Leininger

734. He Rose Again

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

735. "A Friend Indeed"

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

736. Sunday's Coming

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

737. The Trouble with Stables

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

David E. Leininger

738. Terms of Endearment

Luke 3:21-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

739. Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

740. East of Easter

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

741. The Christ of the Commonplace

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... to be near Jesus, one whom they had come to look on as Israel's deliverer, the Messiah. But now they were going home...dejected, depressed, defeated. As they walked, they talked. Probably some about mundane things - taxes too high, wages too low, kids too wild - but more probably about their friend, Jesus - his teaching, his healing, the way he seemed to love everyone he met. What about the events of the past week? Was it really wise for him to have come into Jerusalem, knowing the authorities were out to ...

742. About Kissing

2 Corinthians 13:11-14

Sermon

King Duncan

743. Different From A Camel's Hair Sport Coat

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Frank Lyman

744. Broken Hydrants

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Sermon

King Duncan