Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 751 to 775 of 4936 results

751. What's in It for Me?

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Michael Milton

This message comes both to a rich young ruler and to the disciples. It comes to them after a teaching on becoming as little children in order to come into the kingdom of God. Right after this teaching, a rich young man runs up and we see the response of the disciples to Jesus’ teaching, and He has more to say. This morning Jesus has something to say to those who are seeking Him and want to have eternal life. But He also has something to say to those who have been found by God and have eternal life And as ...

752. A Call to Build the House of the Lord

Haggai 1:1-15

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

August: The overlaps between Haggai’s various sayings in verses 2–11, with their repeated resumptive beginnings describing them as Yahweh’s words, suggest that these are sayings Haggai delivered on different occasions and that the narrator has brought them together into a coherent longer account of Haggai’ s challenge concerning the need to take up the task of building the temple. The account thus brings together the fact that the people are living in restored homes when Yahweh is not and the fact that ...

753. The Knot: Frayed (Part 2)

1 Peter 3:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

There is a man in Chicago by the name of Slats Grobnik who sold Christmas trees. One year he noticed a couple on a hunt for a Christmas tree. Someone told him the couple was barely making ends meet. After looking at all the expensive trees they found a Scotch pine that was okay on one side, but it was really bare on the other one. They picked up another tree that was not much better. It was kind of full on one side and scraggly on the other. She whispered something in her husband’s ear and he walked over ...

754. The Lord Speaks

Job 38:1--41:34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

God’s Appearance and Examination of Job Excursus: It should be clear from the outset that the fact God that appears in response to Job’s plea for a meeting immediately puts the lie to any claims to the contrary that Elihu and the other friends have made. God does appear in response to Job. His very appearance, therefore, proves Elihu’s earlier claim false—that God will not respond to Job because he has already spoken his final word of judgment in Job’s suffering. Deciding how to characterize this divine ...

755. Unreasonable Mercy

2 Kings 5:1-27, Matthew 8:5-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: YouTube Clip from the Emperor’s New Groove (provided below) and Ad for Discover Card. You can also optionally play some of the clip from Abbott and Costello. [Hold up a cell phone.] Technology. We love it. And we hate it. It makes our lives easier, faster, more convenient, for sure. But like any form of mediating communication, it can also confuse, convolute, cause misunderstandings between us. And we have enough trouble understanding each other without it! Remember the old skit from Abbott and ...

756. Mending Fences

Luke 16:1-15, Luke 16:16-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) It’s almost Halloween, the time of costumes, candy corn, and above all, creepy movies. One of the movies that made a life-long impact with me came out at Halloween in 1990 --Joel Schumacher's horror-thriller, “Flatliners.” “Flatliners” followed the lives of four young medical students, who manually induced “near-death” experiences in order to find out what lay beyond the grave. What they found was ...

757. Jesus the Bread of Life

John 6:25-59

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The discourse begins as a dialogue between Jesus and the crowd, and becomes more and more of a monologue as it continues. The crowd had begun following him because of the miracles he had done (cf. 6:2), but since the multiplication of the loaves, they have been pursuing him as one who can satisfy their physical hunger and (they hope) their political ambitions as well (cf. 6:15). They think they have found him, but they have not. They have been fed, yet they have not begun to receive what Jesus has to give ...

758. What's In It For Me?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

One of the most dominating characteristics of our modern American culture is our worship of the free market. We live in a society where the free market reigns supreme. The free market determines which companies will profit and which will go out of business. The free market determines which political party will win the election. The free market determines which products will sell. The free market determines which ideas will triumph. The free market is the people. The marketplace is where people shop for the ...

759. Why Were the Wise Men Wise?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

James Merritt

Go back in time 2,000 years, and imagine that you are one of the most respected scholars in the city of Babylon, perhaps even a professor in the university. You are getting your camel ready for a trip; one of your students comes by and says, "Teacher, where are you headed?" You reply, "I'm going to Palestine." He says, "Why, that is several months journey from here. Why are you going to Palestine?" You say, "Oh, I'm going to search for a king." He says, "Well, who is this king?" You reply, "I don't know. I ...

760. Remember: Live Worthy of the Calling

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A group of tourists were visiting a rather picturesque town on the outskirts of a well know city. As they walked by an old man sitting beside a fence. One of the tourists, in a rather patronizing way, asked, "Were any great men born in this village?" To which the old man replied, "Nope, only babies." (1) That wisecrack answer holds a lot of truth. There are no instant heroes, there is no instant status or fame, whether in this world or in the Kingdom of God. Growth takes time. We live in the instant age. ...

761. Paradoxes Of The Christian Faith

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

There is something strange and paradoxical about the faith of Christians, and many people struggle to understand how we can celebrate the life of someone who died on a cross; someone who didn't fit the conventional criteria of success; someone who brought good and joy to the world, yet was executed by the very people to whom he brought goodness. How could God take someone who was penniless and make us wealthy; someone who was homeless and provide us with a many-roomed mansion in our Father's house? What a ...

762. Servants Without Portfolio

Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Our second scripture lesson and the text for our message this morning is from Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. I’m going to be reading from the Revised Standard Version. I’m reading the 5th-11th verses of the 2nd chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. This is the word of the Lord. Hear it. “How this mind among yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a ...

763. Family Re:Union - For the Love

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

James Merritt

It happens to all of us at some point. We can do it in everyday life, or we can plan it meticulously. We can even do it when we walk out of this worship center. What we all do is leave something behind. Many times it’s not on purpose. Today one or more of you might leave a purse, a cell phone, your car keys in your seat. Other times it’s very much on purpose. Many of you have prepared a last will and testament, spelling out in details each and every thing you will leave behind when your life is over. So ...

764. Everything Must Go: Striking It Rich

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

James Merritt

I didn’t grow up poor, but I certainly didn’t grow up rich. If you were to divide the middle class into lower, middle, and upper my family would probably have been close to the upper part of the lower end. We lived in decent houses, but never one that had air-conditioning or a fireplace. Probably the nicest car we ever drove was a brand new Volkswagen Beetle. I wore decent clothes, but never name brands. The most money my dad ever made in a week was $100 dollars. Every summer my dad would raise ...

765. The Death of John the Baptist

Matthew 14:1-12, Mark 6:14-29, Luke 9:1-9

Sermon

Lori Wagner

On the news one day a short while ago --some of you may remember this—we heard that eight young high school boys viciously attacked and gang raped an 8 year old girl, a special needs child. One by one, they took turns raping her and beating her until at last she died. The town was shocked. These were their star varsity players…their A students...their church acolytes...their beloved sons. How could this happen? It's called “peer pressure.” A similar thing happened in the case of a young college freshman, ...

766. Himself The Real Presence

John 6:25-59

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

Accustomed as we are to hearing the words, "This is my body" in the consecration of the sacrament and "The body of Christ" as we receive holy communion bread, do we still draw back in surprise at hearing our Lord say "flesh"? Accustomed as we are to hearing the words "The blood of Christ" when we take the chalice, do we still find a murmur rising in our minds as we hear this text: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you"? The gospel for today seems very ...

767. A Few Remaining Tremors

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

James Merritt

I will call him “Ray.” I met Ray back when I was a student pastor, in another church, here in Atlanta. He and his wife kind of took me in and we became the best of friends. As a matter of fact, he was instrumental in helping me and Teresa finally get together. I never dreamed I would tell you this story about Ray. It had been almost 25 years since I had seen or heard from Ray and out of the blue he called me when we were moving into the home where we now live and graciously offered to purchase the light ...

768. “In the Lord I Take Refuge”

Psalm 11:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: When our theological foundations are threatened, our fears are disabled by remembering God’s just and majestic character. Understanding the Text Psalm 11 is an individual lament. The lament is quite brief (11:1b) and obviously grows out of the immediate threat of danger that David faced (11:2), which itself grows out of the nature of the wicked “who love violence” (11:5). It is that bigger problem that shakes the foundations of faith and life (11:3), until Yahweh’s vision from his heavenly throne ...

769. The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Introduction to Israel’s Covenantal Constitution: The Decalogue · Here opens Moses’ second discourse (chs. 5–26), the central section of the whole book. It is subdivided into two main parts. Chapters 5–11 are a broad exhortation to covenant loyalty and obedience, following up and amplifying the theocratic and covenantal challenge set forth in chapter 4. Chapters 12–26, with their subheading in 12:1, are more detailed legislation, much of which renews, expands, and sometimes modifies laws already given in ...

770. Love Without Demand

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

Sims Robert

“But Ruth said… where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay; your people will be my people and your God, my God; where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me severely if anything but death separates you and me (Ruth 1:16-17).” These beautiful words, with the possible exception of 1 Corinthians 13, have been quoted at more weddings than any other text. Even though they have nothing to do with romantic love, they seem right for the occasion because they reflect the ...

771. Fasting: Foolish or Fruitful?

Matthew 6:16-18

Sermon

Today, fasting is a lost practice. Since Vatican II, Catholics do not require fasting. Except for Episcopahans and Lutherans, most Protestants do not know what fasting is. And very few Lutherans and Episcopalians take fasting seriously. Yet, fasting has always been a part of religious devotion, both Christian and non-Christian. For instance, the Bible takes fasting for granted. In looking for a text commending fasting, I could not find one. Fasting is assumed. Jesus took for granted that people would fast ...

772. When the Bills Come Due

1 Timothy 6:6-10

Sermon

James Merritt

Our Extreme Home Makeover is going according to plan, but there is one little matter we have not yet discussed. How are we going to finance the project? When the bills come due, can we finance this project without going into bankruptcy? The answer to that question is very easy. It all depends on whether or not we have managed our money properly. That is exactly what we are going to be talking about today - managing money. How many of you feel like the former pro golfer from Georgia, Doug Sanders, who said ...

773. Have You Accepted Jesus' Invitation?

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

George Johnson

This morning I want to talk to you about becoming a Christian - the invitation of Jesus to come and follow him. It is not my intention to judge who is or is not a Christian, or criticize anyone's experience of salvation, or to suggest that you are not already a member of God's family. My intention is rather to allow this text to speak clearly to us about Jesus' invitation. My purpose is to give voice to Jesus' call to discipleship. I approach this text from Matthew with a few assumptions, a few underlying ...

774. Marriage 101

Ephesians 5:22-23

Sermon

James Merritt

Let me begin by making a statement that all of you either do know or should know. That is, the institution of marriage is in big trouble in America. The number of Americans getting married has dropped to a 40 year low, and "I do" has been replaced with "I won't" or "I no longer will." A study by Rutgers University National Marriage Project found that Americans have not given up on marriage as an ideal, but there has been a catastrophic drop since 1960 in the number of couples who actually walk down the ...

775. Family Matters

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Mark Trotter

First of all, I want to thank all of you who made out your estimate of giving cards for this year. Going into this day, we've heard from approximately a third of those that we expect to hear from, and those families have pledged well over half a million dollars already to the operating and benevolence outreach of this church. This is wonderful--but we have a way to go. The leadership of this church also has a lot of work to do, because budget requests are way over what the finance people estimate our ...

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