Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 776 to 800 of 990 results

776. A Symphony of Teamwork

Illustration

King Duncan

There was an interesting article in National Geographic about the Mbuti men of central Africa, also known as Pygmies. These small people have a unique way of making music and reinforcing social bonds. The men whittle musical pipes out of soft wood. But each pipe is only able to play a single note. One man may whittle a pipe that can play an A flat; another may whittle a pipe that plays a D, anothe...

777. Advice

Sermon

Will Willimon

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, there is the scene where old Polonius, an aging, sentimental blowhard, gives advice to his son, Laertes. Laertes is preparing to leave for France and old Polonius, knowing what sometimes happens to eighteen year olds in Paris, does what fathers do -- he offers advice. Most of his advice is rather innocuous. In those days, before dreaded social diseases, there wasn't really...

778. Living Sacrifice

Sermon

Will Willimon

I had this man in my last church who frequently greeted me at the end of the service by thrusting into my hand some newspaper article, usually from the Wall Street Journal, which he thought to be of help in his never-ending battle to educate his preacher. One Sunday, he gave me an article by a national columnist, in which the columnist described how a young woman had been indicted in Chicago afte...

779. Finding Your Place

Sermon

Will Willimon

“Some days the world is a tuxedo and you are a pair of brown shoes.” Do you know the feeling? You are the extra wide tie when everyone else has gone narrow, the three piece suit when everyone else heard that it was to be casual, the only one who didn't weep during E.T. Is it too much to simply find a place, to be like others, to, chameleon-like, blend with the landscape? So Ernest Becker sees h...

780. Proper 16

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 1:8-2:10 contains three stories that explore the power of salvation, while Psalm 124 turns the insights gained from the introductory stories in Exodus into the language of praise. Exodus 1:8--2:10 - "The Salvation of the Savior" Setting. Moses is the central human character in the book of Exodus and, indeed, in the remainder of the Pentateuch. He is the one called by ...

781. Romans 12:9-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Paul's discussion of spiritual gifts in Romans 12:3-8 is immediately followed by the apostle's litany of true agape-inspired Christian characteristics. For Paul, Christ is fullness (pleroma). Agape love is the necessary component if the fullness of spiritual gifts is to be activated and exercised within the Christian community. Romans 12:9-21 makes up a unit of Christian "sententiae," similar to o...

782. Romans 12:9-21

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

As new Christian communities were established, the inclusiveness of the invitation meant that all sorts of different people, different backgrounds, regions, religions, found themselves joined together in their new common faith. These differences were genuine and deep-seated, making “community” life in these churches a challenge. Little wonder Paul spent much of his correspondence addressing the ri...

783. The New-Covenant Ethic of Love

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: Paul, like Jesus, says that the new-covenant ethic is love. The thesis here is simple: love sincerely. Love should be shown toward God, fellow believers, and even nonbelievers who persecute Christians. Thus, Paul’s ethic continues the radical call by Jesus to his disciples to love one another. To love others is to sacrificially accept the new-covenant stipulation to love. Understanding ...

784. Love

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Paul clarifies in 12:9–13 that the diversity of believers and their ministries can constitute one body only if their lives are controlled by love (cf. 1 Corinthians 13). The gifts of the Spirit are functions of the body, while love determines how the members of the body function. Love is the esteem and affection believers have for each other as a result of having been saved by God’s love (Rom. 5:5...

785. Love

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

In his famous hymn to love in 1 Corinthians 13 Paul says, “if … I have not love, I am nothing” (v. 2). In Romans 13 he says that “love is the fulfillment of the law” (v. 10), and he enjoins Christians to owe no one anything except the debt of love (v. 8). In the latter half of Romans 12 Paul provides insight and guidance concerning the nature of love. Love is defined at the outset (v. 9), middle (...

786. It Was Only Fair

Sermon

Larry Lange

The blizzard was kind enough to have shown up on Friday evening, so that when it had finished rattling our windows and dumping about ten inches of perfectly packable snow, we were not in school and had an entire day to enjoy it. By Saturday afternoon, we had shoveled our own driveway and sidewalk. Our neighbor, Mr. Schmidt, had finished hours before, because he apparently made enough money to aff...

787. Gross Personality Disorder

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

"BTK." Seldom have three initials struck such terror into the hearts of a local population as BTK (which stands for "Bind, Torture, Kill"). When the BTK serial killer was finally captured in the summer of 2005 people in the Wichita, Kansas area first breathed a sigh of relief, then drew in a gasp of surprise. The man who had left a sadistic trail of tortured and murdered women since 1974 turned ...

788. Managing Your Anger

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever gotten so angry with your boss that you wanted to walk out the door? Not just walk out the door, but to exact a little revenge in the process? Advice columnist Jeffrey Zaslow once asked his readers that question. Here is what he got: Several waitresses and secretaries said their most satisfying career moves were out the door. Gina, a Woolworth's waitress, told how her boss once offe...

789. Putting Out Fires

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

Exegetical Aim: Do not repay evil for evil. Props: A glass bowl, a match or lighter, several pieces of paper, a new and empty gas container, water, a container of ice cubes. Lesson: How many of you have ever been in an argument? (response) I think we probably all have at one time or another. How many of you have ever been in a fight? (response) Yes. I see some of you have even been in a fight. T...

790. Live Peaceably with All

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship God calls us to seek the welfare of all the people. In our worship and in our living let us strive, with God's help, to live peaceably with all. Gather today with this intent! Collect Lord, we come to your sanctuary determined to live in harmony with each other and with the world, not because this is easy, but because this is your will. We no longer wish to repay evil with evil, b...

791. Living Christian Love

Bulletin Aid

James Wilson

Call To Worship Leader: Let all who would praise Christ our Lord, gather now for worship. People: For Christ has always loved us, even when we were not very lovable, Leader: And so we are to love others, extending kindness and care. People: Are we even to care for those who would not wish us well? Leader: Christ, God with us, died on the Cross so we would know love. All: Blessed be the name of the...

792. Proper 18 & Pentecost 16

Bulletin Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The eschatological framework of the church year remains in place, but it does little or nothing to reveal any theological clue for worship and preaching or any specific theme for this Sunday. The church year does exert biblical and homiletical influence, however, in continuing to set aside September 21 as St. Matthew's Day. Those who have been preaching on the Gospel of St. Matth...

793. The Greatest Thing on Earth

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Objects: A cane, a straw hat (give the idea of a circus barker). [Start only when everyone is assembled. Put your straw hat on very carefully and then begin only after you have taken a very long look at the cane in your hand. Point with the cane and be sure to address the children.] "Step right up, step right up, and come on in. You are about to see the greatest show on earth. Here you will see ...

794. Managing Your Anger

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A Road Map Good morning, boys and girls. Here is a familiar scene. A family is on their summer vacation and the children are in the back seat. They are growing very tired of riding in the car and soon they start complaining, "Mommy, how much farther is it? Would you make him give me back my toy? It's too crowded in this car!" Have you ever seen something like that happen? When we are on a...

795. Love Those Who Hate

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Some medicine for burns or some foot powder for itching feet. Good morning, boys and girls. How are you today? I have some questions for you and I want to see if you are as sharp as you look. I want you to think about the last time that you burned yourself. Do you remember how it hurt? [Let them answer.] A burn really hurts, doesn’t it? Suppose that you burned your hand by picking up a ho...

796. Changing Bad to Good

Children's Sermon

Object: Some cough syrup. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever had a bad cough? (Let them answer.) Is there anything worse than a bad cough? It makes you hurt everywhere, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Coughs are awful. I remember one night when I coughed and coughed so badly that I could not sleep. I had to sit up all night in a chair. I not only felt ba...

797. Don't Be a Snob

Children's Sermon

Object: a horn. Are there any conceited people here this morning? Is there anyone here who likes to brag a lot? Would all of the people who think they are better than anyone else please come up and stand beside me so that we can see the people who like to talk about themselves more than anything else? Isn't that strange that there are few here, hardly any at all, who like to brag, or think of the...

798. Keeping on Top

Children's Sermon

Object: A cork, tub, or pan of water. (It would be good to have enough small corks to pass out). Good morning to you, boys and girls. I say that to you every week, don’t I? Maybe you could help me find something new to say. In the New Testament they sometimes said, "Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ," or "Grace be to you." Well, anyway, maybe you will help me find something new to say to you....

799. The Sound of Harmony

Children's Sermon

Object: Choose a live quartet from your choir and let them practice beforehand a very simple number. We want each to sing his own part and then put it together. Good morning to you, boys and girls. Today we’re going to have a great deal of fun because today some of our choir members are going to sing just for you. Do you like to hear people sing? I do too. How many of you know what the word harmo...

800. Patched People

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Objects: Some clothes with patches on them that show a lot of wear, and some other items like used toys that also show wear. [Take some of the patched clothes and used toys out of a bag.] I want to show you some of my favorite clothes and some favorite toys. Here is one of my very favorite pair of pants. When I come home at night, I just love to change my clothes and put on this pair of pants. I ...

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