Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 801 to 825 of 1858 results

801. An Unlikely Witness

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... was considered inferior to a man's. So why, asks one commentator, was Jesus' first appearance to a woman? But Mary Magdalene was not only a woman. She was from a town with a bad reputation. Magdala was a town so steeped in sin and wild living that rabbis later attributed its fall to licentiousness. "Why would God entrust such important news to a woman from a wicked town?" asks this commentator. And finally, Mary Magdalene had once been possessed by seven demons. (Luke 8: 2) Although Scripture does not ...

802. Full Barns--empty Souls

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... stopped so suddenly and what they were looking for. He told them that the wildebeest, which migrate by the millions across grassy African plains, are not good learners. An entire herd will take flight at the slightest indication of danger. They will run wildly for a short time and then stop, forgetting why they began running in the first place. Meanwhile, lions, who are good learners, simply follow the stampeding wildebeest herd at a leisurely pace and wait for them to stop. When the wildebeest forget why ...

803. Don't Look Down

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... salespersons are not surprised to find clergypersons looking at their merchandise; motorcycle salespersons are. Why? Does this tell us something about clergypersons and about the church? Lawnmowers are slow, safe, sane, practical, and middle-class. Motorcycles are fast, dangerous, wild, thrilling." Then Wes asks a question: "Is being a Christian more like mowing a lawn or like riding a motorcycle? Is the Christian life safe and sound or dangerous and exciting?" He concludes, "The common image of the church ...

804. Right Choices

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... automobile accident. He was talking on his cell phone. When the news first came out, many of his fans probably assumed that George was off the wagon again. Along with George Jones' talent and genius comes a dark side. Jones has a reputation for wild living and self-destructive behavior. In the past he struggled with a serious addiction to alcohol and drugs. His addictions were so severe that Jones would literally do anything to fuel his habit. At one time, George was almost outwitted by his then-wife, Tammy ...

805. Balancing Act

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... work and family, income and spiritual well-being. And it's time we were paying attention to what modern life is doing to us. Larry Burkett, in a recent magazine article, used the analogy of the Pony Express. As you know, for a few years in the Wild West, mail was dispatched across this country by a relay system known as the Pony Express. Occasionally an express rider would be attacked by Indians. Because his big mount was stronger than the Indian ponies, the rider could spur his horse to a gallop and outrun ...

806. Birdbaths and Flagpoles

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... to give yourself completely to that belief. Pastor John Beukema shares an experience he had a few years ago that really opened his eyes to the parable of the seeds that failed to take root on different types of soil. He had just lead a wildly successful evangelistic crusade. Many people signed commitment cards indicating that they wanted to commit their lives to Jesus. But only a week after the crusade, when Pastor Beukema visited some of these people, he discovered that many of them had already lost their ...

807. What Are You Tied To?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... characteristics of successful families. When the Communists took over China, Glen Adsett was there with his family. Missionaries. They were quarantined at home. House arrest. But the soldiers came one day and said: "You can return to America!" They whipped into a wild celebration! But then the soldier said this: "You can take only two hundred pounds with you!" So they scurried. All those years they'd lived there, Two hundred pounds? Where do you begin to limit the possessions of a lifetime to two hundred ...

808. What In The World Is Happiness?

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... though all of these can satisfy for a while. All of these are important. But there is only one source for true and complete happiness--God. 1. When God Was Man (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1955), pp. 26-27. 2. William H. Willimon, On a Wild And Windy Mountain (Nashville: Abingdon Press). 3. Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995). 4. Illusaurus. 5. “What's Happening to American Families," Oct. 1988, 22. Cited in J. Kerby Anderson, Signs of Warning Signs of ...

809. Unprepared

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... shopkeeper, and a hatter--not exactly the most appropriate occupations when one thinks of surviving in a hostile environment. With the uncertain exception of their captain, Miles Standish, probably none in the party had ever tried to bring down a wild animal. Hunting in seventeenth-century Europe was a sport reserved for the aristocracy. Even those who labeled themselves farmers generally had scant practical knowledge of husbandry, since "farmer" in the 1600s, and for some time afterward, signified an owner ...

810. Take This Job And Love It

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... , with a Roman Inn being located every 20 to 25 miles along the road. These inns were unbelievably filthy and bug-infested. Paul traveled through snowy mountain passes and spring floods. He walked through areas famous for harboring robbers and criminals. He braved wild beasts which imperiled every traveler. And to think, says Paul Rogers, he was walking not for his own health, but for the spiritual well-being of others! (5) St. Paul would have appreciated Paderewski's blood-stained piano. He knew about hard ...

811. Being A Sheep Is Not So Bad (compared With Being A Goat)

Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Did you know that the word "capricious" came to us by way of the goat. We call a person who frequently indulges in impulsive changes of mind, capricious. Generally we use this in a negative manner of speaking. This kind of person is given to wild mood swings. One minute they are lovable. The next minute you would like to give them a good boot. Farmers tell us that no other domestic animal quite matches the goat in its tendency to switch suddenly from frolicking to butting heads. Called the CAPER ...

812. Where Can I Be Safe?

Psalm 46:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... of meat for Brutus. Six pounds only makes him angry and vicious! Sign #2. Dear Mr. Mailman, Please be sure to keep all parts of your body well clear of the mail slot opening. PS. Any sign of that book we sent for, "The Care and Feeding of Wild Jungle Cats"? Sign # 3. Selma, don't come in! The boa constrictor got loose again . . . Sign # 4. Dear Mr. Exterminator, be very careful when you go inside! The termites have eaten through most of the floorboards and you will fall into the basement where all of the ...

813. How Many Times?

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... he should repay all that was owed him. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you," said Jesus, "unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Jesus continually linked forgiveness for our fellow human beings with our forgiveness by God. Jesus purposely used wild exaggeration in this story to make a point: You and I have been forgiven by God for every sin, every indiscretion, for every stupid thing we have ever done. Can we not find it in our hearts to forgive others? Ron Lee Davis, in his ...

814. The Good Son

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

Frank Lyman

... that is our hope--that we who have said that we will go into the vineyard will be helped to actually go there. Once there was a little girl whose parents sent her to church each Sunday, but they never attended. The town knew of the wild parties this couple threw at their home on Saturday nights. A lot of inappropriate behavior took place there. Then, each Sunday morning, the little girl sat in church alone. One Sunday, the pastor looked over the congregation and saw the little girl with her parents! They ...

815. Why Did I Do That?

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... somebody to help him feel better about himself. He wants to be a new person--a person liberated from the Law of Sin. Some of you may be familiar with Jack London's classic story, WHITE FANG. White Fang is half dog--half wolf. After living in the wild, he is domesticated and learns to live among people. White Fang was very fond of chickens. On one occasion he raided a chicken roost and killed fifty hens. His master, Weeden Scott, scolded him and then took him into the chicken yard. There he placed White Fang ...

816. Any Friendly Bears Out There?

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... , but Keller was short on funds and hoped the animal would work out until he could afford a better one. "When Keller got the dog back to his ranch, it quickly became clear that the animal had been beaten, starved, and neglected. It was wild and nervous, filled with fear and suspicion. Keller spent several days just trying to win the dog's trust. He spoke repeatedly and gently to the animal, never moved quickly, tried cautiously to pet it. Nothing worked. The dog remained suspicious and unpredictable and ...

817. Any Friendly Bears Out There?

Matthew 22:34-40

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... scientists tell us that in the very earliest days of human history, when people still lived in caves, they learned to tame dogs for protection. There was one thing the dogs could give them besides love. Dogs have a very highly developed sense of smell. They could smell wild animals approaching and give their owners warning. I have a drawing of a nose here. I am not much of an artist. Noses come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, don't they? But regardless of how well our noses work, they are not as sensitive ...

818. Better Ignorant Than Uncaring

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... swimmers in his heat were disqualified because of false starts, Moussambani was forced to swim alone. Eric Moussambani was, to use the words of an Associated Press story about his race, "charmingly inept." He never put his head under the water's surface and flailed wildly to stay afloat. With ten meters left to the wall, he virtually came to a stop. Some spectators thought he might drown! Even though his time was over a minute slower than what he would need to qualify for the next level of competition, the ...

819. Are You Ready For Your Inheritance?

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... to choose a path that is temporarily more painful, but ultimately more rewarding. This is what following Jesus is all about. It's living a life of integrity, faithfulness and love--and that's not always easy. Years ago Jack London wrote a book titled, The Call of the Wild. It's a story about a dog that was brought to Alaska during the Alaskan gold rush. This dog, named Buck, was sold to a couple of men, Hal and Charley, who knew nothing about dogs and sleds, but were determined to try to operate a dog team ...

820. Beautiful Words Of Life

John 6:60-71

Sermon

King Duncan

... to certain types of snake venom. But the single most effective defense mechanism opossums possess is the ability to "play dead." When threatened by a predator, opossums react by falling into a coma-like state, which can last up to six hours. Most wild animals will not eat a dead animal, so the predator often leaves the opossum alone. (5) In the southern U.S. people use the expression, "playing possum." It means that people are immobile, feigning death. That reminds me of many Christians. It's like ...

821. It Isn't Easy Getting Ready For Christmas

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... breaking point. He told his wife not to be alarmed. Then he sent his daughter across the street where a police officer lived to tell him to also disregard what he would be hearing in a few moments. And then he got his gun and began firing wildly into the ground. Later, under arrest for reckless endangerment, he said he thought discharging the gun would help him get rid of his anger. (1) Many of us sympathize with that poor man. Hanging lights on a Christmas tree can be most stressful. Someone made a list ...

822. Begin With The End

Revelation 21:1-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb." What a beautiful picture of the end of the journey of faith. So that's how it all comes out--the holy city, the city of God. Stephen Covey in his wildly popular book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, tells us to begin with the end in mind. (2) Covey is referring to the end of our earthly life--what people will remember about us when our lives are done. But for the believer in Christ, death is not the ...

823. It's Not About Us

Revelation 22:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

... so exclusively involved with himself, with his need to announce and re-announce himself, that there's no room for another person." (2) I wonder if anyone has ever clued Trump in to the reality that the world doesn't really revolve around him. Rick Warren begins his wildly popular book, The Purpose-Driven Life with these words, "It's not about you." That's a good sentence to remember as we come to this last in our series of messages from the book of the Revelation that we have titled "Touching God." It's not ...

824. Bacon Grease And Abounding Grace

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... cope with illnesses, diseases, and addictions without the help of a higher power. (6) Steve Rubell is one of the founders of the famed Studio 54 nightclub. At its height in the "˜70s, Studio 54 was the hottest nightclub in the country. Studio insiders recall wild parties and endless supplies of drugs. But in the late "˜80s, Steve Rubell reports that he saw all the old clientele of Studio 54 in a new place---coming out of a church. They had been attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. As one observer ...

825. The Not-So-Secret Service

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... a spy. At least that is what MI5 said recently. Our ideas of what makes a good spy have been shaped--or more accurately, distorted---by movies and television. So this particular news item comes as a shock to those of us who grew up on the wildly successful spy movies. In March 2003, MI5--Great Britain's domestic intelligence agency--reported that characters like James Bond are too tall to serve as a spy in Her Majesty's Service. According to MI5, good spies blend in with those around them. Since the average ...

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