Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 751 to 775 of 2844 results

751. Wicked Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The parable is found in Mark 12:1-12 and Luke 20:9-19 as well as in Matthew. Question is raised as to whether the parable is given in its original form as told by Jesus or whether it is embellished with additional details from the experience of the church after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The issue is in part concerned with one's belief about predictive prophecy. Did Jesus have prescience about what would happen to the church after his death, or did the writers of the parable adapt it to conform ...

752. Behold The Man Who Took The Victory

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

One Sunday a man was riding a subway in New York. Suddenly another man and his children got on the subway. They were making all kinds of noise, yelling, throwing things, and running around the car. What had been a peaceful group of people reading their papers and minding their own business was interrupted by all this madness. The father of these children had sat down by this other man who was already on the subway. Finally, this man told the father that his children were bothering a lot of people. The ...

753. The Church

Acts 6:8-15, Acts 6:1-7

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: The church has had turmoil from the start. It was as difficult then as it is now. The church can only survive if Jesus is the head. Summary: A mysterious visitor from church "headquarters" calls on the Rev. John Baxter, pastor of a modern day church that is having some major problems. The visitor proposes some startling answers for the church's dilemma and firmly implants the solution by a unique object lesson from history. Playing Time: 10 minutes Place: A church meeting room and then thirty years ...

754. Grapes Of Wrath Or Grace?

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

A musician in a camp meeting where I preached wrote a country-gospel song titled, "Sin Will Take You Farther Than You Want To Go and Keep You Longer Than You Want To Stay." Nineteen words is a tad long for a song title, but it does state a succinct and compelling truth: sin will get you in serious trouble. In this lesson, Ahab is king and is married to the wicked, Baal-worshipping Jezebel, and covets the vineyard belonging to a worshipper of God named Naboth. Ahab had plenty of property of his own, but he ...

755. Whispering The Lyrics

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Thomas Long

Stashed away in a drawer somewhere around my house, now nearly forgotten, is a batch of old 45 rpm records from the '50s and early '60s. Worn and scratchy, long since outmoded by the flashy digital technology of compact discs, these primitive vinyls were once the jewels of a great treasure trove. Elvis' grinding out "Hound Dog," Buddy Holly and the Crickets' hiccuping "Peggy Sue," Chuck Berry's joyful hot licks in "Maybellene," the Coasters' slapstick tour de force "Charlie Brown," the mournful "Tears On ...

756. Speak For Yourself!

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

What do Richard Nixon and Shirley Temple have in common? While they may have shared many common interests and traits, isn't it true that neither one ever outlived their pasts? When Richard Nixon was buried behind the house that his father built, he went to his grave as the president that was forced to resign in the face of humiliation and scandal. Even amid his remarkable rehabilitation which included significant contributions to the world's conversation about public policy, Nixon may as well have had " ...

757. Proper 27

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11, Hosea 11:1-11, Joshua 24:1-27, Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Living in readiness and anticipation of the Second Coming of Christ. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Joshua is now an old man and so he gathers the tribes of Israel together at Shechem to renew the covenant. In the first part of the passage, Joshua recounts the origin of the covenant which the Lord initiated with Abraham. The second portion of the passage calls for a response from the people. Idolatry is still a problem because he calls on the people to cast off the foreign gods and ...

758. The Final Questions

John 6:60-71

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

We are all being taught by God. Jesus cited that in one of the lessons from John's gospel we have heard on the last four Sundays. We have been taught. We have learned. Today we have the final exam. The gospel poses a number of questions. They seem to be rhetorical, asked simply for effect. No answer seems to be expected. But how successful would a student be who, seeing his final examination, looks up and says to the instructor, "I assume all these questions are rhetorical"? Are you ready? Give answers to ...

759. Learning to Live Without Jesus

John 16:5-16, John 15:18--16:4

Sermon

William G. Carter

Everywhere you looked, you saw people in tie-dyed t-shirts. Mothers gave drinks of apple juice to their children, while men in gray pigtails sipped Budweiser and tossed the empties beneath somebody's car. Teenagers spread blankets on the asphalt and took naps in the summer sunshine. Middle-aged hippies danced freely throughout the Philadelphia parking lot. Hundreds of mourners spontaneously gathered outside the Spectrum to bid goodbye to rock guitarist Jerry Garcia. Whenever Jerry Garcia and the Grateful ...

760. Can Christians Dance?

Sermon

William G. Carter

Mark 2:23--3:6 (C, RC) Mark 2:23-28 (L) A few years ago, I was asked to serve as the worship leader at a regional church conference for teenagers. The enthusiastic recruiter told me about the wonderful experience I could expect from the gathering. "Every summer," she said, "the conference brings together about a hundred or so young people at a camp that has no swimming pool. We gather during the dog days of August. The conference is so much fun, nobody misses the pool!" My assignment was to preach sermons ...

761. No Strings Attached

John 3:16

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

Object: A stuffed animal with a "leash" of rubber bands. Lesson: Generosity; stinginess. "My stuffed cat, Cecil, and I would like to invite all the young people to come join us on the steps at this time." So do I begin yet another children's sermon, trying to add a little variety by including the stuffed toy in my invitation, the name of the cat coming to me simultaneously with the thought. As the children settle down, I ask one of them to hold "Cecil," to whom I have attached a "leash" of rubber bands. As ...

762. Costumed Christians

Colossians 3:14

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

Object: None. The children's excitement about Halloween piques their interest. Lesson: Discipleship; love; tolerance; Halloween. "This is October, right?" The assembled children nod affirmatively. "And October has 31 days?" A few knowing grins break out as young minds realize where I must be headed. Receiving a positive response, I then ask, "Does October thirty-first have any special significance for any of you?" "Yes!" come the now-vocalized replies. "It's Halloween!" I look slightly puzzled and ask, " ...

763. The Servant of All's Second Prediction

Mark 9:14-32, Mark 9:33-37

Sermon Aid

Richard A. Jensen

The lectionary moves directly from the story on the Mount of Transfiguration (9:1-8) to Jesus' second "passion/resurrection" prediction (9:30-37). In the intervening passages we see the fear and unbelief of the disciples clearly portrayed. Peter, James and John come down from the mountain with Jesus. They have failed to understand what Jesus means by the "rising of the dead" (Mark 9:10). These are precisely the same disciples who were with Jesus when he raised a twelve-year-old girl from death (Mark 5:35- ...

764. Pathway To God's Kingdom

Mark 4:26-29, Mark 4:30-34

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

Jacob knew nothing of the geography that stretched beyond his farmland to the Great Sea. He did not even know that a Great Sea existed out there, westward beyond his land. He had never been further than half a day's journey from the collection of 15 stone houses that formed his village. Nor did he know anyone who had been further away than those eight or 10 miles. Nor did anyone in his village think much about far-off regions. Jacob only knew of the fields and gentle slopes of land that he could see as he ...

765. Easter 5

John 15:1-17, Acts 8:26-40, Acts 9:19b-31, 1 John 4:7-21

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: The life of faith, begun in baptism, remains alive if we stay close to Christ. Christ is the vine and we are the branches. COMMENTARY Epistle: Acts 8:26-40 Philip is instructed by an angel to go to the road that leads from Jerusalem past Gaza down to Egypt. On the road he encounters an Ethiopian official, the steward of the queen's treasury. He is traveling along in a chariot and reading the Old Testament, Isaiah 53. He was either a proselyte of the Jewish faith, one who was circumcised and accepted ...

766. Epiphany 7

2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4, Isaiah 43:14-28, Mark 2:1-12

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Forgiveness of sins. In the First Lesson God identifies himself as the one who "blots out your transgressions." In the Gospel Jesus heals the paralytic by pronouncing the forgiveness of his sins. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 43:18-25 The prophet announces that the Lord is about to accomplish a new thing: he will free Israel from captivity and restore them to a more idyllic existence. The image here is that of a new Exodus, as God provides for his people, as he leads and guides them back home (vv ...

767. A Thankful Heart

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Erskine White

Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice ... giving Him thanks. (Luke 17:15-16) If you ever doubted the importance of saying "thank you" to someone when a "thank you" is due, consider the story which is our text for this sermon. Luke tells us that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem and as He passed near Galilee and Samaria, He was met by ten lepers. They called out to Him, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" Jesus sent them on to the priests and as they went ...

768. Epiphany 4

Psalm 71:1-24, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Jeremiah 1:1-19, Luke 4:14-30

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The birth story, with the visit of the magi, and the baptism of our Lord, at the beginning of the season, and the Transfiguration story, at the conclusion of Epiphany in many lectionaries, combine to enclose the other Sundays of Epiphany in a period of time when the manifestation/ministry of Jesus are celebrated in worship and preaching. Each Sunday, some aspect of Jesus' Epiphany in his teaching and/or his miraculous works/signs is put before the people of God to confirm the faith of ...

769. Easter 5

John 13:31-38, Revelation 21:1-27, Revelation 19:1-10, Acts 14:8-20, Leviticus 19:1-37, Acts 14:21-28, Psalm 145:1-21

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The Fourth Sunday after Easter, in the classic lectionary, carried the title of Cantate Sunday, from the introit, which began "O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things, alleluia (Psalm 98)." In parts of the church, it became known as Church Music Sunday, an occasion for special musical presentations, choir concerts, and the general promotion of the church music. This was not all bad, except that the singing of the "new Easter song" sometimes got lost in the ...

770. Proper 20

Luke 16:1-15, Psalm 113:1-9, Psalm 130:1-8, Amos 8:1-14, Hosea 11:1-11, 1 Timothy 2:1-15

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The rather indistinct shouts of the resurrection of our Lord - "Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed !" - continue to sound in our ears as we approach mid-October and, depending on the lectionary followed and the calendar year. We have to listen for them to hear them; the celebration of Easter is so far behind us! But the church year reminds us that the "sound" of the resurrection reverberates throughout the entire year and should be repeated every Lord's Day, every Sunday of the year. ...

771. An Invitation to Rest

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Jesus' invitation to the disciples to leave the crowd and to rest; peoples' unwillingness to leave them alone; Jesus' compassion toward them. Pastoral Invitation Suggestion: Begin, what do you expect to happen today? God promises that if we expect little, we will receive little; if we expect much, we will receive much. The decision is in the eye of the beholder. Continue with this litany: Pastor: The call of Christ is not an easy one. People: It is an invitation to self- ...

772. This Is My Body

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Thomas Slavens

Sunday • World-Wide Communion Sunday • World While Americans were sleeping, Christians in Zaire left their homes for places of worship to see their pastors take bread in their hands and declare, “This is my body.” In Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Istanbul were heard the words, “This is my body.” In Saint Paul’s in London a hush fell across the congregation as the pastor declared, “This is my body.” In churches and cathedrals across the United States today pastors take bread into their hands and declare, “ ...

773. A Second-place Finish

John 1:29-34

Sermon

John Jamison

When his parents died he was still too young to be on his own. Zechariah and Elizabeth had been very old when John was born, so it was no surpirse that it happened, but apparently nothing had been done to prepare for it just the same. The rest of the family had gone north to Nazareth because of political problems, and John was alone. According to tradition, he was taken in by a group of old men who lived in a little village down by tahe Dead Sea. The place was called Qumran, and the men were known as the ...

774. The Spontaneous Routine

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

The Duty Of A Nation History records that the Pilgrims celebrated a good harvest as early as 1621, and that Massachusetts celebrated a thanksgiving day now and again until the 18th century. But our first President, George Washington, is credited with establishing our first national day of prayer and thanksgiving. By proclamation President George Washington set aside November 26, 1790, as a day of official thanksgiving "for the many single favors of Almighty God." In that first proclamation, President ...

775. Our Living Hope

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

Not every question requires an answer. Sometimes the hope is that there will be no answer. Questioning can be "posturing," that is, taking a position rather than soliciting information. By the questions raised, information is given as well as asked. Often playing to the audience of listeners or bystanders, questions are intended to manipulate others while vindicating the posture of the speaker. One needs only to listen to a congressional hearing or a political debate to watch masters of an art most of us ...

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