Sermon and Worship Resources

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Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... that only God could judge. "You meant it for evil," he said, "but God used it for good." It's quite likely that when his brothers first sold him into slavery, he was possessed by the impulse for revenge. At first, it's quite unlikely that he viewed God's design. However, as Joseph learned to place his life in God's hands, he could see how God was active in his life. Faith is not only the ability to envision what life can become, when we trust God; it is also a kind of rearview mirror which enables us to ...

777. Proper 20

Philippians 1:12-30, Jonah 4:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13, Exodus 16:1-36, Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... are those who view the passing through the Red Sea and the provision of the manna as a natural phenomenon (see the Brief Commentary On The Lessons). The Bible clearly describes it as supernatural. Yet the Lord is God of both the natural and the supernatural. He designed the laws of nature and uses them to provide for his people. Viewed in this light, the store-bought bread we place on our table is also the bread from heaven. Instead of trying to demythologize the Bible, so as to make it palatable to moderns ...

778. Proper 7

Mt 10:16-39 · Rom 5:12 – 6:11 · Jer 20:7-13 · Gen 21:8-21 · Ps 86

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... would mind their manners because they fear hurting their parents or bringing dishonor to the family name, would that be a bad thing? I think not. Illustration: William Safire, a New York Times columnist, writes that what fathers want most for Father's Day is not designer ties or polo shirts. Fathers want their authority back. He argues that the proper role of father is not that of friend, which seems to be the role so many parents take these days. No, a father is someone a child should look up to. Safire ...

779. Easter Day

John 20:10-18, John 20:1-9, Colossians 3:1-17, Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... , but the resurrection of Christ was the cement that solidified his faith. Peter boldly proclaimed to a Roman officer and his household that this Jesus, crucified as a common criminal, was raised from the dead; not only that, but he is the One designated by God to judge the living and the dead. There is no need to fear his judgment, however, because "every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name" (v. 43). Eyewitness News. The news department of almost every television station ...

780. Trinity Sunday

Mt 28:16-20 · Jn 3:16-18 · Gen 1:1--2:4a · Ex 34:4-9 · 2 Cor 13:11-13 · Ps 8

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... important verse in the Bible because it asserts that God is the source of all things created. From this fact we conclude that all creation belongs to him and carries his imprint. The cosmos is not a random coming together of various substances. There is mind, design and purpose underlying all life. God was there in the beginning and is the Source of all of our beginnings. Behold the goodness of creation. At various points in this creation account it states that God looked at what he had made and judged it ...

781. Seder Service: The Passover Haggadah

Bulletin Aid

Robert L. Linder and Rabbi Sol Ester

... one "city of slaughter" but for many such cities where six million of our people have been brutally destroyed. The cruelties of Pharaoh, Haban, Nebuchadnezzar, and Titus cannot be compared to the diabolical devices fashioned by modern tyrants in their design to exterminate a whole people. R: No generation has known a catastrophe so vast and tragic! The blood of the innocent, who perished in the gas-chambers of Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Dachau, Majdanek, Treblinka, and Theresienstadt, cries out ...

782. A Good Friday Vigil

Luke 22:39-46

Bulletin Aid

Alexander H. Wales

... , a collection of Gregorian chants and quiet, meditative organ music) is played during the gathering time and after the readings are completed. The combination of candlelight and music creates a wonderful atmosphere suitable to the Good Friday setting. A worship leader is designated as reader for this service and is in charge of candle lighting and extinguishing. The service begins with the playing of the taped music and lighting of all the candles in the room (usually eight to twelve candles and the Christ ...

783. The Meek

Sermon

John A. Terry

... 's will and way. To be meek, to give ourselves over to God's will, we receive what others only long for. It was Dante who said, "In His will is our peace." It reminds me of some advice I received at a seminar I once attended. The seminar was designed for the staff at a psychiatric hospital to help them relate better to patients. The issue came up of what to do if you found yourself in a tug-of-war with a patient over some issue. Various people came up with ideas on how to win the tug-of ...

784. Kindness In Action: Evangelism

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... way to minister in practical ways to human need while at the same time respecting the individuals we serve and their right to worship where and as they decide is right. One very effective local church has a myriad of programs designed to meet human needs characteristic of today. They have divorce recovery programs, Altzheimer support groups, grief recovery programs, blended family programs, strong ministry to children and youth, and a strong program for seniors and shut-ins, while at the same time reaching ...

785. Rainbow In The Sky

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... her two children and decided to take a shortcut home from the grocery. This required that they cross an open field across which ran a railroad track. Her little girl ran ahead and jumped onto the near rail. But her little foot slipped between two rails designed to divert the train when needed. Mother tried to pull the child's foot loose but it was wedged unmovably tight. Fearful that she might injure her daughter, she tried instead to untie the child's shoe but in her nervousness, only succeeded in pulling ...

786. Written On The Heart

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... He got in touch with the authorities and they decided to do some investigating. That night, they saw a shadowy figure skulking in the darkness. Soon, some people who had also been turned away recently were seen approaching the corner of a fence designed to keep them out. The shadowy figure sneaked over, lifted some loose wires, and the miscreants climbed under the fence. Quickly, the man in the darkness was apprehended. To Peter's amazement, it was Jesus. "But master," Peter spluttered. "What are you doing ...

787. Another Kind Of Success

6-16, 2 Samuel 5:1-5

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

... John D. Rockefeller how much money it took to make someone happy. He replied, "Just a little more." Note the way the parables veer from the traditional plot of the success story. The listener would expect the peasant to make a big splash with a palatial house, designer clothes, a fancy stable, and a retinue of servants. The rich man would go on to amass more wealth and power. But that's not the way the versions of Jesus go. These are kingdom stories and the burden of these stories is another kind of wealth ...

788. Water Won't Quench The Fire

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

William G. Carter

... tapes, return them and owe nothing. VISA and MasterCard accepted." Every church office receives more than its share of spiritual junk mail. Somebody is always trying to sell the newest Bible study programs, the most successful prayer manual, or the latest design of plastic communion cups. These days there are hundreds of opportunities for church people to buy religious merchandise. Christian marketing firms have baptized materialism in an effort to make a buck. Yet this slick brochure stood out from all the ...

789. How To Plant An English Garden

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

Sermon

William G. Carter

... the audience was captivated by his insight and ability. He showed slides of beautiful British gardens, each one a dance of color and vitality. He explained why individual plants are chosen for their size, shape, and color. He spoke about the importance of a careful design for each garden. Along the way, he made an observation. "There are two ways to plant an English garden," he said. "One way is to mark the garden in careful plots. You plant one kind of perennial here, another over there, a shrub over there ...

790. Time Taken, Life Restored

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

William G. Carter

... on a tree. Like it or not, every human life will run its course. One of the great illusions of our age is that we can live forever through better medicine. So we spend billions of dollars on medical research. We build machines that keep our lungs breathing. We design great drugs to keep our hearts ticking. Like that sick woman, we are willing to spend all that we have to clot up that hemorrhage. But we're not necessarily better for it. All we do is buy a little bit of time. The writer of Mark starts with ...

791. Faith That Overcomes Obstacles

Matthew 15:21-28, Matthew 15:1-20

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Notes Matthew's designation of the woman in this passage as a Canaanite (and thus a traditional enemy to the Jews) reveals his intention (in contrast to Mark's) to make this incident speak to the place of Gentiles with respect to the gospel in a most dramatic way. Despite Jesus' insistence (v. 24) ...

792. Separation of Church and State

Matthew 22:15-22

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... Notes The conversation depicted here must be understood in its original setting, in which the distinction between state and religion was blurred in a number of ways, not the least being the claim of the Roman emperor to be divine (and so designated on coins)! Jesus' famous dictum about "rendering," therefore, is a cleverly "safe" way of dealing with a question meant to entrap him, but also a profound statement about the appropriate separation between the secular and the sacred provinces, and thus between ...

793. Reach Out And Touch Someone

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Brett Blair

... He wanted to respond but he physically could not respond. If we are out of touch with people, then perhaps we are also out of touch with God. I have never believed that Bible studies and worship services in the church are as important as nurture is. Programs are not designed to be an end in themselves. These things are to equip us and energize us to go out and touch the lives of people. I am a Christian social advocate and I make no apologies about it. I believe that as the family of God we are called upon ...

794. The Meek

Psalm 37:1-40

Sermon

John A. Terry

795. What’s a Sunday For?

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

... to help us be accountable, not restrict and immobilize us. What’s a Sunday for? Point One: The Sabbath Commandment is a call to Reflect. A lady came to me after a service saying, “That service was so meaningful to me. I felt like it was designed for my need. During your sermon my sixteen-year-old daughter, who is preparing a report for school, was taking notes and she nudged me saying, ‘Mom, are you listening to what he’s saying?’ “ The mother continued, “I just completed my divorce last week ...

796. Here They Come, Singing

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... frailest things on earth, but which actually is stronger than steel of the same dimensions would be. It is fair to ask at this point whether such persons are specially included among God’s people in the church today. It is not enough to have slots designated for wheel chairs. There must be an intense concern and love for such “differently abled” persons, culminating in a desire to have them in our midst and to receive a blessing from them. Their talents must also be used in the mission of the church ...

797. Learning The Basics

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

... man to divorce his wife?" Jesus in response asked them what Moses had taught, and they replied correctly that Moses had said a man could simply give his wife a certificate of divorce and that was all there was to it. (Deuteronomy 24:1-4, was designed originally to protect the wife and guarantee her a certain amount of freedom.) Jesus was between a "rock and a hard place." If he answered "yes" to the question he would be promoting marital irresponsibility, and if he answered "no" to the question he would be ...

798. The Dream For Wisdom

1 Kings 2:1-12

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

... a secular asset, a kind of savoir faire, sophistication, savvy. This aspect of wisdom, Solomon has in good measure as well. His knowledge and capacity to discern, and his savvy, are all used to build Jerusalem's temple and Solomon's palace. Solomon designed courtyards and paths through Jerusalem. This particular aspect of wisdom reflects Solomon in all his glory. Here at Solomon's beginning, during a dream at Gideon, Solomon asks for an understanding mind and the capacity to be a wise servant of the Lord ...

799. Wisdom In A Proverb

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

... Someone has said, "To read through the sayings is like trying to have a conversation with someone who always replies with one liners. The first few may serve to amuse, but after a dozen or so, it gets boring." One stops listening. One stops reading. Proverbs is not designed for continuous reading. Even our short text for today is a case in point: A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver and gold.The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is maker of them ...

800. Who Can Find A Virtuous Woman?

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

... in study hall, when we were doing homework together that was meant to be done alone. "Who can find a virtuous woman, who can find a virtuous woman?" It was our refrain, so it is not surprising that as seniors, when we had the "privilege" of designing the class play (meant to reflect our years at the Ellis School), this passage found its way into prominent position. Between each portion, each skit, there was a chorus of school girls, sidling across the stage. "Who can find a virtuous woman, who can find a ...

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