Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 776 to 800 of 4977 results

776. God's Bouncer or God's Ambassador?

Acts 11:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... in the 1980s, a man named Leonard Knight moved to Imperial Valley. Leonard was a welder and handyman from Vermont. He was also a veteran of the Korean War. Sometime in his life, he became a follower of Jesus. His philosophy in life became, “Love Jesus and keep it simple.” So Leonard packed a few belongings in his old truck and moved out into the California desert to fulfill a calling he felt came from God. Leonard didn’t have many resources, but he had a dream to share God’s love with the world ...

777. Overflowing Joy and Rich Generosity

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... to the fund have “flooded in” from the people of Ireland. One Irish donor wrote on the GoFundMe page, “Returning your kindness 170 years and 4,000 miles later.” (3) So if generosity doesn’t depend on resources, what does it depend on? And why do we keep using the excuse that once we have more money, then we will give more to the work of God? In our lesson from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Paul praises the generosity of the church at Macedonia. He uses their giving as an example to ...

778. The Challenge Of Simplicity

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

John Jamison

... my car to go find those folks I needed to patch things up with before I came back to hand out the little cups and crackers? Instead, I stay distracted. I focus on remembering the other things I need to do in the ritual, making sure we keep the lines moving and the spills cleaned up because distractions are easier than actually listening to what Jesus expects us to do. By this point, the Pharisees and Sadducees had looks on their faces that were scaring the crowd. At first, they all looked the Pharisees and ...

779. Ready!

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... them several years ago. That is one way those who felt it was their job to tell us teens what we needed to hear to try to keep us in line — “You don’t want to be caught in the back seat of the Chevy with Suzy and the windows all fogged up when the ... world. (in the public domain) Indeed. There will come a day... We don’t know when, but it is coming. So ready or not... keep your eye out. It is going to be great! Amen! 1. Ann Weems, Psalms of Lament, (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1995), p ...

780. Ready for Change

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and it wouldn’t be good. Jesus advises his disciples to be on the watch for what would happen after that. To be alert. To not allow themselves to become complacent. They’d have to continue to watch their backs. But even more importantly, they’d have to keep “watch” for what God was going to do next. For God had a plan. And that plan would be bigger and better than anything the Pharisees or Sadducees or Scribes or Priests could ever dream up. Things may look askew. But God was still in charge. That ...

781. Fear of Flying

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... world. They tell us we are unworthy, shameful, or guilty. They inject us with fears of rejection and assure us that hiding away our wounds is better than feeling our pain. They masquerade as helpers who would hide us and protect us. But in reality, they are keeping us from enjoying the beauty of life –and who we were created by God to be. Jesus is and always has been a healer. It was one of his primary ministries, because he knew and understood the human condition and the ease and propensity in which our ...

782. You Sent Who?

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

John B. Jamison

... Pilate was the fifteenth governor of Judea and was one of the longest-serving governors. That means he must have known how to keep Rome happy. The role of governor was officially a military position, but the forces he had were used more as a police force ... of God’s great surprises. Every generation has their list of names that represent the power that tries to control them, that tries to keep them from becoming who God asks them to be. I am sure we could list the names of our day as well. And each ...

783. When the Rules Change

7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Sermon

David Coffin

... position or business opportunity. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus’ mission is stated in Mark 10:45, “For the son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The reason Jesus wanted people to keep silent regarding his healing, exorcising demons, and transfiguration meeting with Moses and Elijah, is that the true nature of being a “Messiah” is “to give his life as a ransom for many” on the cross Mark 15 (RSV). What is a person willing to sacrifice for a ...

784. What's In a Name?

Mark 10:2-16 · Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 · Psalm 8

Sermon

Thomas C. Willadsen

... Jesus are the same. There isn’t a shade of difference between the identities of Jesus and God. Image #6 “Sustainer.” Hebrews 1:3 (NRSV). — It says “[Jesus] Hebrews 1:3 (NRSV) sustains all things by his powerful words.” This is more in keeping with the role we usually assign to the Holy Spirit. But remember, Christians believe that Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit have always existed, so it’s appropriate, even orthodox, to say that Jesus sustains all things. One of the ways people talk about ...

785. Don’t Fall Asleep

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ” to what God is doing in our lives and how God is moving among us and within the lives of those around us! Or as Jesus would say in the words of Dr. Luke, we need to “stay awake!” That is, we need to stay spiritually alert and keep our faith fires burning! You know, the scriptures are filled with satire, and usually a kind of humor mixed with horror. Think of the story of Saul, King of the Jews, banning witches from the land and then himself commanding the Witch of Endor to conjure the prophet Samuel ...

786. An Extremely Odd Couple

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

... break through this judge's hard and callous shell? Perhaps. Was she ever on the verge of becoming bitter because of the treatment she was receiving from this powerful man? If so, one could hardly blame her. Did she ever consider giving up? Not this widow! How long she keeps coming to the judge we are not told. But one day he looks up from his bench, and there standing before him once again is the widow. Can't you see him putting his head down on his desk, and wailing in a plaintive voice, "Oh, no, not again ...

787. Children, Just Forever

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

... for us all. Even before he gave his body and his blood on the cross, he gave them to us with the bread and wine of the last supper. In the upper room he prayed the Father to keep those disciples, to keep all of us, safe, to keep us from the evil one. He said to them, "I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling" (John 16:1). That night they all did stumble. But after his resurrection he appeared to some of the disciples before breakfast on the shore where they had been fishing. He asked them ...

788. The Perisitent Noise Of Solemn Assemblies

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... a black soloist came by, but he was already late for his church service, his solemn assembly, so he couldn't, in good conscience, keep the people waiting at the church any longer, and he hesitated, but then went on. But it so happened that a black militant ... Suppose a brother or a sister is in rags with not enough food for the day, and one of you says, 'Good luck to you, keep yourselves warm, and have plenty to eat,' but does nothing to supply their bodily needs. What is the good of that? So with faith, if ...

789. The Silence Broken, The Bride Restored

Isaiah 62:1-12

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... Instead of lament, we have the urgent, passionate clinging to the promises of God. Instead of despair, we have the hopeful task of reminding God of the covenant. This is done both at the beginning and the end of our text: For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch (v. 1). Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels; all day and all night they shall never be silent. You who ...

790. Anticipation Proclamation

Zephaniah 3:1-20

Sermon

Tony Everett

... want to celebrate them right now. In times like this, it is difficult to learn from the experience of others. It is hard to make meaningful connections to the experience of God's people throughout history. It is a real uphill struggle to understand that God keeps promises of deliverance and strength for all God's children. It is no easy task even to remember our own past experiences of God's presence and guidance. When our world becomes so narrow that we do not allow ourselves to learn from past experiences ...

791. The Spirit Of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... style by which the content of belief is expressed and conveyed. What do we mean here? People may speak different national languages and dialects which make communication with foreigners unintelligible, but they can also speak different languages of faith and spirituality which keep them divided as a faith community. Because we speak the same language does not mean we understand the full depths and breadths of its meaning. The same is true in the Church. Because we speak a common language about Christ does ...

792. No Freudian Slip!

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... rise and fall on the basis of the latest Dow Jones average. They don't count calories and grams of fat in order to be sure they keep that svelte figure and attract the admiring glances of the opposite sex. So why do we do these things, we who are worth so much more ... serving another master. Our worry, even the simplest of worries, is a Freudian slip. It reveals the secret we want to keep hidden not only from God but also from ourselves: we are people of little faith. Instead of worrying about tomorrow, we ...

793. Miracle Three: Healing A Leper

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... that if a law was thought to be unjust, it was permissible for a person to disregard it. Right, or justice, was given priority over legislative bungling. Moral righteousness was placed ahead of flawed justice. In this miracle, the leper disobeyed the command to keep his distance from other people. He brushed aside this law and approached Christ reverently. Kneeling before the Lord, he pleaded for a cure. But in this instance, he was in contact with the Son of God, the ruler of the universe. The man- made ...

794. Miracle Six: Stilling A Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... safety, a refuge from life's turmoils, sin, and death. "Do You Not Care If We Perish?" · God indeed cares, and sent his Son to keep us from perishing because of our sins. The story is told of an ancient king who dearly loved his son but wanted him to grow in ... hand for his protection. In life we may think we are alone. We need to remember that a loving and caring heavenly Father is keeping watch over his own. We are never alone. God cares and he is watching over us. When trouble arises, where, or to whom, do ...

795. Forever Plaid

Isaiah 42:18-25

Sermon

William L. Self

... but they had not figured it out. It is true that often a successful past will block our vision of the future. What shall we do? There is no going back. A pastor may find a quiet church where he can do ministry -- perform rituals, conduct weddings, attend rehearsal dinners, keep traditions, but he/she won't like it. It is impossible to go back to Egypt as the Israelites begged to do. We are not called to safety, nor are we on a career track. This is an adventure. We have to go forward. We cannot be like the ...

796. Ready Or Not -- He Comes

Mark 13:32-37, Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... Take heed. Whether it be heard as good news or bad news depends, to a great extent, on your location or where you happen to be and under what circumstances you find yourself when you hear it. Today's message, good or bad, is that God is coming. Keep awake! Today's text has a strong eschatological imagery. It talks about the sun and the moon darkened, the stars falling, and powers shaking. It sounds like a text for the second coming of Christ rather than his birth. This is not what you would expect for the ...

797. Ya Can't Make Me

Luke 9:57-62, Luke 9:51-56

Sermon

Alexander H. Wales

... it, saying, "I'm ready but not just yet," will not create a situation of conditional salvation. It's a little like putting faith on layaway. It just is not the same as having the item in your possession. We can put the obstacles in our own way that keep us from following Jesus. We can refuse to let him in because of our fears. We can avoid his presence by saying, "Not yet." We can even prevent a relationship from developing because we aren't ready to put away the past to deal with the future. Whatever the ...

798. Too Good To Be True

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Thomas G. Rogers

... about it too." She gave her husband a quick glance and continued. "What makes this a new agreement is that we believe that you will keep your promise this time. You messed up and we have forgiven you. We hope that, in the process, you have come to a better ... God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Corinthians 3:3). At other times, we do a very poor job of keeping God's law. We blow it big time. I know those times in my life. You know those times in your life. Yet, when it happens ...

799. All The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... to venture out to meet our Lord in our own life's tomorrow -- a tomorrow which is not fully here but is real, visible, already broken onto our horizon. Now we venture into the life we most profoundly longed for, not the life we've settled for. Not the keeping on that passes for life, but rather the life for which we have hungered and hoped, the life God intended for us. All this is possible because we know that God has the power to bring life from death. Such an event should be no less wondrous just because ...

800. Worship Aid, Drama

Drama

Dann J. Ettner

... which human reason and pridewants to teach. C: Teach us, O Lord, to ever trust in the complete work ofYour Son as He died and as He rose again for us. P: Remind us of the reliability of Your Word, as it teachesus the truth about Your salvation. C: Keep us always trusting in You for our forgiveness andeternal salvation. P: We pray this in Jesus' Name. C: Amen. Epistle Lesson 2 Timothy 1:8-10 Psalm 118:14-24 Gospel Speech Drama Matthew 27:62-66; 28:11-15 NARRATOR: The next day, the one after Preparation Day ...

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