Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 776 to 800 of 1131 results

776. Woe to the Blessed

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... tired of discipline. I get tired of poring over sermons late at night, but Jesus says, "It is all worth it!" That is not just some "pie in the sky" statement. Jesus is saying that it is not only worth it then, it is all worth it now! A life surrendered to Jesus is the very best of all lives, and that will work in the best of your days and in the worst of your days. I love the story that is told of a factory that was having problems with employees stealing. The company hired a security firm to ...

777. Holy Extravagance

John 12:1-8

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... to do some odd deed to work off her frustration. It needs to be said that radically following Christ can lead any one of us into conduct the world reports as off-the-wall. Those Christians just didn't make much sense to a pagan, ancient culture. Unconditional surrender to Christ in our day and time doesn't make much sense in ours, either. Don't you just love Mary's gall? And to think we are reading, studying, and preaching about it today. Who would have thought the fathers of the church would include the ...

778. Call to Oneness

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... sight of the vision and give up. The Holy Spirit gently reminds us to celebrate the oneness in love which already exists. It may be viewed as partial, but at least, it is that! We are never defeated in our mandate, as long as we refuse to surrender. Love shall continue to abide, as we are open to configurations the Holy Spirit makes available. The leap from who and what we are to Christ's yearning victory remains in our midst but even that not so blissful predicament is accentuated by love! We must never ...

779. New Creations in Christ

Revelation 21:1-6

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... renewal. Jesus' resurrection brings the possibility of new life to us. Let us cast off our slavery to the old world, our old way of life, and place sufficient trust in God's words, "See, I am making all things new." Our trust in God and our surrender to his way will bring us the gift of eternal life, God's promise to all who believe. 1. Summarized from "The Old Man with New Eyes," in Jude Fischer, Be Always Little: Christian Fables for Young and Old (Combermere, Ontario Canada: Madonna House, 1996), pp.103 ...

780. Itchy Ears

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... in the underworld and Inana thinks it will be a cinch to go down and save her. Because she is so much a somebody in the upper world, she thinks the lower world will also obey her will. On the first level on the way down, Inana is asked to surrender her headdress. At the second gate, she is asked for her necklace. At the third, her breast plate, at the fourth her girdle, and at the last gate she is asked to take off her very gown. Naked and bowed low, she enters the underworld. This reminds us so much ...

781. It Wasn’t The Hilton, You Know

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... separates the costume pieces into piles for Shepherds, Angels, and so on.) Director: Sorry I’m late. I was out looking for something that might make a better manger (shrugs shoulder), but no luck. Child 2: (grabbing a piece of white fabric from the pile) Okay, I surrender. Let’s just forget this play. Director: (picking up the box) Look, it’s not that bad. We’ll cover it with some brown paper. Assistant Director: Maybe we could get some hay to put inside. Child 4: It will still be a box. And, if I ...

782. Jesus wins, Pilate loses.

John 18:33-37

Illustration

William R. Boyer

... . When the fighting in America stopped, King George and all his royal cronies in Europe were sure that George Washington would have himself crowned "Emperor of the New World." That's what they would have done. When he was told, on the contrary, that Washington planned to surrender his military commission and return to farming at Mt.Vernon, George III said, "Well, if he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." There is power in giving up power, in emptying oneself. Jesus knew it, Pilate didn't.

783. Startled By Jesus

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... . It's startling because, if Jesus is who John proclaims He is, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world;" if Jesus is who we claim He is, the sinless Son of God, then He didn't need to be baptized. But Jesus startles us by surrendering Himself to God through baptism just like you and me. C. It's startling that after His baptism, Jesus is driven or lead into the desert where He is tempted for 40 days. The only witness we have of that is Jesus. But obviously it was something He shared with ...

784. A Bethany Blessing

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... I gave my life to Christ and was baptized. There's the parsonage in West Plains where Mary and I renewed our wedding vows and made a Christian commitment to one another. There's the spot in the hay field on the farm in West Plains where I surrendered to the call to preach. But then there are all those other places, like the hospital rooms where I held each of my grandsons shortly after they were born. Or the sanctuary at St. Andrews UMC, in Arlington where my grandsons Zach and Nate were baptized. And where ...

785. A Stone’s Throw From: The Harvest

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... another thirty." We know there are three elements to this parable the Sower, the Seed and the Soil. Usually we focus on the Sower and the Soil, and expanding what Jesus said about the types of Soil. This morning I want to look at the Seed. You see, when we surrender ourselves to being a follower of Christ, we are also called to become Sowers of the Word of God. We are called to plant seeds for God's Kingdom. It's part of what we call Social Holiness or putting our faith into action. While I could list a ...

786. Altar Your Service

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... so in 1913. He wrote this short poem: I slept and dreamt that life was Joy; Then I awoke and realized that life was Service. And then I went to work — and, lo and behold I discovered that Service is Joy. (5) True happiness comes from surrendering yourself completely in humble service to God through Christ. And all you need is a servant's heart, mind, mind, eyes and touch. So, the challenge is, "How can you Altar Your Serve?" 1. George Burns, Dr. George Burns' Prescription For Happiness, (New York, NY, USA ...

787. LOST? Pursuing Purpose

1 Peter 2:9-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... simply Pursuing their Purpose. But then are those who understand completely what their purpose in life is all about but they don't want to have anything to do with it. I knew a Chiropractor like that. The year I graduated college and started Seminary, he finally surrendered to the call to preach. I was his pastor and he told me that he'd been fighting that call for over twenty years. When he became a Chiropractor he thought God would leave him alone. And then I was appointed to the Church, we became friends ...

788. Cross Eyed: Rebuke

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... of the old man, thought for a moment then said, "It happened so long ago that I don't rightly remember. But I think it stands for Saint." (3) The Cross of Christ and The Gospel of Christ changes lives. It turns Sinners into Saints when we surrender to God and become people of the Bruised Shoulder who walk with Jesus. Conclusion There's a great story about the artist Rodin, who one day saw a huge, carved crucifix beside a road. He immediately loved the artwork and insisted on having it for himself. He ...

789. Harmony and Humor: The Ties That Bind Christianity’s Many Christianities

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... good laugh, and some good harmony, can’t cure. Every one of you this morning came here to church with something that ails you. Here is some medicine for whatever ails you. It’s a list of some hymns the way we'd sing them if we were honest: I Surrender Some There Shall Be Sprinkles of Blessings Fill My Spoon, Lord Oh, How I Like Jesus I Love to Talk About Telling the Story Take My Life and Let Me Be It is My Secret What God Can Do There is Scattered Cloudiness in My Soul Today Onward, Christian Reserves ...

790. Dead Works

Luke 13:1-9; Heb 9:14; Jer 13:23

Illustration

Stephen Craig Jennings

... is good for my business reputation or my resume or my politics. It is tithing because I am afraid God will ‘get me' if I don't. It is sending my kids to a Christian school, not because I want them to learn the truths of the Christian faith and surrender their lives to the Lordship of Christ, but because there they will run in the right crowd. It is the giving up of a sinful habit, not because I want to be controlled by the Spirit of God instead of the habit, but because the habit inhibits my performance ...

791. Celebration (Series: Fundamentals of Family)

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... lies the tragic mistake of the prodigal son. He thought life was an entitlement to be seized, taken, and demanded. “And the younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me, my share of the estate.’” Never mind that such action meant the total surrender of the father’s social security and certainly a route to an early grave. Those who understand Middle Eastern Culture suggest the boy in essence said, “Drop dead, old man, I want my inheritance now,” hardly, an attitude of gratitude for the gift ...

792. Follow Me (Series: An Invitation to Christian Discipleship)

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... country today who will tell their congregations that following Jesus means health, wealth, and the Lord’s favor on every detail of life, including finding a close parking space in a crowded parking lot. Such prosperity gospel is heresy. I have found following Jesus means surrender, service, and simply trusting day after day after day after day. Following can be easy. Following can be hard. We follow when the way is clear, when we know it is right, and we follow in the darkness of the middle of the night ...

793. Stewardship of All (Series: Stewardship: Discover This Word and Love It!)

Matthew 26:6-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... expression of love and devotion. Love knows no limits. Love counts no cost. Love calculates no deal. Love never asks how much. Love gives. “She broke it open and poured it all on his head.” That word all, bothers me. When I sing: “All to Jesus I surrender; All to him I freely give,” I begin to wonder “How much is all?” Yet, how can I make a lesser sacrifice when Jesus gave his all? One Friday night some months ago, while wrestling with some difficult medical news, I walked into our family room ...

794. Does Love Really Make the World Go ’Round? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . Are you willing to devote time to God? It takes perseverance to be Godly. All great Saints struggled with their faith, so what is all the fuss about Mother Teresa? Are you willing to live with the questions when there are no easy answers? It takes surrender to follow the will of God. “Not my will but Thine be done,” cries the Father’s own Son as he knelt there in dark Gethsemane. And the Second Commandment is no less important than the first. “LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF.” Neighbors ...

795. Rethinking Our Riches (Series: Questioning Our Values)

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... ’s gate. It is the prodigal eating with the pigs. It is hitting rock bottom, and having nobody who cares one way or another. What could possibly be blissful about that? Was it not St. Paul himself who said, “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing”? What seems scandalous on the surface has a truth at its core that the wise will understand. We are all poor. “Dust we are and to dust we shall return.” What a sobering thing to say to ...

796. Winning the War Over Fear (Series: Winning the Wars of Daily Life)

Luke 12:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... to put an end to family secrets. III. Know God Soul snatchers are to be feared more than body killers, says Jesus. There are all kinds of false gods that delight in giving people hell. I am troubled these days that Christians as well as Muslims have surrendered to the god of hate. Such fear and prejudice will steal your soul. If there is any value in “fearing the Lord,” let it be a fear born of respect, awe, wonder, reverence. With apologies to Jonathan Edwards, we are not “sinners in the hand of an ...

797. Come To the Water

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... have been asking for centuries. "Why?" If Jesus was the sinless Son of God, as we claim, then why did He have to submit to John's baptism? If you remember, John was preaching a baptism of repentance. As the people came to the water, they were consciously surrendering the guilt of their sin, being cleansed by the water of baptism and rising clean, whole and set free to serve God in a new way. But Jesus didn't need that kind of baptism. He was and would remain sinless. John even tells Him, "I need to ...

798. The Peace of Christ in a World of Chaos - Sermon Starter

John 14:23-29

Illustration

Brett Blair

... obey his word He and the Father will come to you and make a home with you. Right in your heart. Not by force but by choice. They will abide in your heart bringing peace. The world's peace is peace through strength. The Lord's peace is peace through surrender. We have all been asked by our children: if you could have any wish what would it be? I think the most common answer given is world peace. Peace is important. Jesus makes a point to tell his disciples that he going to leave them with peace. Peace is ...

799. The Christian Gospel in a Nutshell

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... him as Savior, and give themselves to his lordship. This friend shared the gospel with Judy, loved Judy, prayed for and with Judy, until one day it happened. Judy repented, accepted the forgiveness of Christ, took that beautiful step of faith, received Christ, and surrendered herself to his lordship. Change began to take place. Not everything and not all at once, but a dramatic beginning. The night she shared with us she had not had a drink in eight months. She was off drugs and her periods of depression ...

800. To Live Is to Choose

Matthew 7:13-14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... different facets of our nature that vie for allegiance. Conflict between the different causes that clamor for our support. Conflict between the false suggestion the exterior world and an inner intuition of our soul. Conflict between self—dominance and self-surrender. Through the continuous making of resolute decisions, we pattern our lives and we order our character. So William James was right when he said: “The hell to which theology refers when it talks about our enduring some punishment after death ...

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