Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 801 to 825 of 4999 results

801. The Shared Life of the People of God

Galatians 6:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... a shared life. The Greek word used to describe the shared life of the people of God was koinonia. Our best word for it in English is fellowship but the English word is far too limited to encompass the meaning of it. Koinonia means sharing, all kinds of sharing: sharing in friendship (Acts 2:42), being partners in the Gospel (Phil. 1:5), sharing material possessions (2 Cor. 8:4), having fellowship in Christ (1 Cor. 1:9), and sharing life together in the Spirit (2Cor. 13:14). Above all koinonia is fellowship ...

802. The Harvest of the Spirit, Part 2

Galatians 5:16-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... saying in our scripture lesson. In two succinct verses, he underscores the life of the Christian as “the harvest of the Spirit”, as the expression of the living Christ in us. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (verses 22—23). Rehearse a part of what we said last Sunday. Paul doesn’t talk about fruits, plural, fruits of the Spirit, but rather fruit singular, fruit of the Spirit. He talked about works plural - works ...

803. A Goodly Heritage

Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of selection in this part of our inheritance. It is what it is – and must be accepted as such. Ben Hooper knew that – that he had no control over the fact that he was the illegitimate child of a mountain girl and would never know his father. But that kind of ancestry did not completely determine who he was. To be sure it played a role. It does and it always will. But there is another choosing of ancestry that is ours to do. The psalmist knew this. He knew that we pick and choose our spiritual ancestry ...

804. Living on Full Alert

Matthew 24: 36-44

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... a letter without at least thinking a little bit about it. You feel funny around people that are different than you. Living in this kind of fear is going to hurt and destroy us. We cannot do this. Among other things, it is going to make us prejudiced against ... to be received. I did not want the disease, but I would not trade what it taught me for anything in life. It is this kind of watchfulness that the Christian has in life. It is a sense of embracing life, knowing it is no longer a right, but a beautiful ...

805. An Invitation to Christian Discipleship

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... back in the pond. Oh yes, I have fallen out of the boat more times than once, yet the mighty hand of God has reached down into the depths and pulled me back in. I have been in over my head almost all my life, but the loving One, the kind and gentle Savior, has always picked me up and helped me go. Jesus of Nazareth requests the honor of your discipleship today. Jesus said, “If anyone would be my disciple, let them deny themselves, take up a cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose ...

806. Unexpected Invasions

Isaiah 64:1-9

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two - If he came for just a visit, I wonder what you'd do? It is that kind of longing that is happening to Isaiah right in the middle of his prayer. If God were to reveal himself and the works of God were to ... our lives, “All we can do is hope," which is one of the most hopeless statements I've ever heard. Or we say in a kind of Pollyanna existence, “Well, cheer up, there's always hope." The hope of which we speak today is another level of hope. It is grounded ...

807. The Fundamentals of Family Ties

1 Corinthians 13:1

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... that bind us together in the close quarters of family life in the second place is mutual respect. I’ve read this scripture a thousand times as you have read it. It is so familiar, but it is one of the most beautiful poems ever composed. Love is patient and kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. Family is not about power and control ...

808. Faith to Follow

John 3:1-17

Sermon

Lee Griess

... If you're not willing to make a mistake, you're not really trying." The bottom-line is that risk-taking is the only road to success. And companies are finding that it's worth rewarding a few mistakes along the way if it encourages their people to take the kind of risks that can bring huge rewards. And the same is true for people of faith. How much faith does it take to follow? How much risk are we willing to take? That's the crux of the discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus. That's what Jesus meant when he ...

809. Ready for God’s Reign

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

Chris Ewing

... , the usual means of illumination was the humble clay lamp, whose wick drank precious oil to burn brightly so all could see. And so, not surprisingly, the oil that fueled those lamps became a symbol of human obedience to God, a way of talking about the kind of life that God can shine through to brighten the dark places of the world. Centuries before Jesus, the prophet Micah picked up on this symbolism when he asked, "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? ... Will the ...

810. All About Me?

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... with all my weaknesses and foibles, might show up in the various biblical narratives, the thrust of the story is never about me and my kind. It is fundamentally about God and God's gracious actions reaching out to all humankind. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel," Paul ... the Roman Christians to whom he is writing in anticipation of a visit. It is a bold statement meant to get attention, kind of like clinking on the water glass so that the after dinner speaker may begin. His Roman audience may or may not ...

811. Just a Crazy Story

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Larry Lange

... . All Zack wanted was money and lots of it — and babes. Still, Zack had to figure out how to get God to give him the kind of power God gave Bruce in the movie. Unlike Bruce, Zack didn't have a bone to pick with God about how unjustly the world ... t." "There's stuff God can't do? Wow. Anyway. About those babes." "You're all set, Zachary." "I got the power?" "Every bit." "Cool." "Now kindly get yourself out of my way, Zachary, so I can get to work around here." "Yes, sir!" "Now, that's just what I like to ...

812. Dress For Faithfulness

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... which we have available to us in the Spiritual Armor of God, is The Sword of the Spirit or Scripture, the Word of God. I know some folks who think the Scripture IS a weapon and they brow beat people with it left and right. You know the kind, judgmental and self-righteous. That's not what the Scripture is for. Through the Word of God, the Spirit convicts. Through the Word of God, God can and does change hearts. Look at Jesus' example. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, each time Satan tempted him, he ...

813. God’s Most Troubling Promise

Romans 8:28

Sermon

King Duncan

... for work. The heavens unleash rain on your daughter’s wedding. You have lunch with someone you want to impress; afterward you discover that the whole time you were with them, you had a piece of spinach firmly entrenched in one of your front teeth. These kinds of events drive you crazy, but they are just passing flights of bad luck. However, some other challenges are nothing short of heart-wrenching tragedies. The death of a loved one. An ominous diagnosis in the doctor’s office. The loss of a job or the ...

814. God’s Great High Priest

Hebrews 5:5-10

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

... the author writes about the job of a priest. The priest is chosen from among a group of people to act on their behalf, offering gifts and sacrifices to God. Because the priest is a human being, he can identify with the people. He experiences the same kind of weakness that all people experience. So when he offers a sacrifice for sin, he is offering a sacrifice for his own sin, as well. In other words, what makes a priest effective is his humanity, the way he identifies with the struggles and weaknesses that ...

815. A Plea from The Heart

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... gospel of Jesus Christ. As he puts it in chapter 6, verse 11: "Our heart is open wide to you." And, he wants them to respond in kind, as he says in verse 13: "In return - I speak as to children - open wide your hearts also." "Don't you love me?" I remember the ... their lives and find their answers. It is a process that requires patience. Paul also mentions the twin virtues of kindness and love, the foundation blocks of any church. The church in America has somewhat justifiably received a reputation for being ...

816. Epiphany 7

Genesis 45:3-11, 15, Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40, Luke 6:27-36, 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-50

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... our clothes, our food and our homes. Leader: It’s not so easy, though, to practice at work and at city council Jesus’ message: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; don’t retaliate; give your shirt. People: Nor is it easy to be kind to family members when they have betrayed us, as Joseph was with his brothers who sold him! Leader: Thank God, we can be forgiven and try again to live the teachings of Jesus! Let’s sing and pray — People: listen and hope! Prayer Of Thanksgiving Architect ...

817. Love - The Basic Christian Call

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... seem to speak of service, yet all of these qualities are endemic to it. Service requires us to go out of our way, beyond our immediate purview to meet the needs of some of our brothers and sisters. In such endeavors we must show patience and kindness. We must never be boastful or arrogant, placing ourselves above others. We have all heard the expression, "If not by the grace of God, there go I." Our Christian commitment to love calls us to serve others. We must never shirk this most important responsibility ...

818. Running the Race

Philippians 3:4-11, 2 Timothy 4:7

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... to righteousness under the law, blameless." In other words, he had a closet full of trophies and gold medals. He was admired by his peers. And he was sure that God was proud of him, too. But he found himself in prison, in danger of losing his life. What kind of justice was this? Bitterness and anger could have poured from his lips. Yet, with an amazing sense of grace and peace, Paul felt no need to lament his fate. He felt no need to parade his trophies and ribbons for all to see and demand better treatment ...

819. Living in Chains

2 Timothy 2:8-13

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... . This was a patience of circumstance. Job wasn't angry at anyone in particular. His family was killed. His herds were lost. His home was destroyed and he was covered with sores. There was no one to get mad at, per se. He needed patience with the circumstance. This kind of patience is inspired by hope. Brighter days lay ahead because God is God and I am his. Job said, "I know that my redeemer lives and at the last when my flesh has been destroyed, then from my flesh I shall see God." Paul and Edwards shared ...

820. Extreme Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... bathroom and had not made it. The other patients made fun of the old man. The nurses who came to clean up his bed weren’t kind to him either. In fact, one of them slapped him in the face. Nichols said that the old man just laid there and cried. The next ... because of the love he showed this pitiable old man. Paul finishes up this chapter with these inspiring words: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it ...

821. When We Are Uncertain about The Future

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... be the uncertainty of moving to a new school. Will the students there accept me? For those getting near to the end of high school, it might be, “Will I get accepted at the college of my choice?” And for those getting ready to enter the work force, “What kind of job can I possibly get in today’s economy?” It doesn’t get any easier in adulthood. “What if the company lays me off? The people I’m working with seem to get younger and younger. Do they look at me as an old fossil, no longer able ...

822. Who's the Real Leader?

Joshua 3:1-4:24

Sermon

Argile Smith

... respected him as a dependable person in whom they could place their trust. They were glad when they found out that he had gotten the promotion. In order to celebrate the news with him, they bought him a gift. Well, it was actually more like a gag-gift, the kind that he would place on his shelf and chuckle over every time he saw it. They searched far and wide and finally found the perfect gift for Ben. It was a cap that had two bills sewn onto it instead of one. Both bills faced in opposite directions. A ...

823. Suffered under (Saint) Pontius Pilate

John 18:28-40

Sermon

David O. Bales

... the sake of others we don’t even know. Now, let’s go back and consider if we really want a leader like Jesus. Maybe the Ethiopic and Coptic churches think of Pilate as a saint because through him we continue to hear the question, “Do you want this kind of king, one who sacrifices self for God and others and who will lead you to do the same?” From two millennia away who can tell if Pilate was innocent? He said he was. If Pilate is partly responsible for our finally living within the costly but secure ...

824. Hitting the Boss Key

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... reading the Bible on chickens. And I am not certain if any research has been done. But the rest of Babcock’s beliefs are spot on: people who read their Bibles and go to church often people who know the love of God surely will be more loving and kind to others around them, even to the animals on their farms! TV host Greg Lauri interviewed one of the women from the Survivor television show. This woman had gone on Survivor and been told she could bring five things with her to the location of the shoot. She ...

825. The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... became a butterfly. From a woman shunned by her neighbors, she became a person who pointed others to the Lord. Would you like to have that kind of change take place in your life? There is only one place it can be found. That is at the feet of our Savior. One day ... expects me to do?” (4) “Exactly!” replied Henry Drummond. “Turn the reins of your life over to him!” That’s the kind of experience this woman at the well had the day she encountered Jesus. Someone has captured the longing in her soul in a ...

Showing results