Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 851 to 875 of 4681 results

851. When the Word Comes to the Wilderness

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

William G. Carter

... ago, somebody handed me a “Christian Voter’s Scorecard.” As he explained, “This score-card sizes up political candidates on the issues that really matter, like abortion, the freedom to bear arms, and school prayer.” The brochure announced that the best candidates said “no” to abortion, “yes” to bearing arms, and “yes” to re-establishing official school prayer. The writers of the scorecard assumed if we could elect the right Christians to office, we could change the government upside ...

852. All Is Calm, All Is Bright

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

William G. Carter

... he favors!” Maybe we are thinking about peace tonight. A stack of Christmas cards has come to the mailbox. About half of them bear the greeting, “Peace on earth.” Peace is a wonderful thing to wish for somebody else. It is a blessed thing for which ... was king. [Christ] comes to us, not to shield us from the harshness of the world but to give us the courage and strength to bear it; not to snatch us away by some miracle from the conflict of life, but to give us peace — his peace — by which we may be ...

853. A Secret Is Finally Revealed

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... . No wonder the national television crew is focusing on her. She’s so radiant!” “Yes,” he exclaimed. “She’s always been joyous. And it’s amazing that she does all that despite having had a colostomy as a child. She will never be able to bear children.” It was like this lady had been hit between the eyes with a plank. Her face froze in total shock. “My God, you aren’t serious,” she declared. “Yes,” he stated. A few seconds later the spectator whispered something to her husband and ...

854. Your Sins Are Remembered No More! You Are Free!

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... continue. The partners in a shattered marriage relationship, one destroyed by selfish behavior and a failure to forgive, are still living with the consequences of such behavior. So are their children. Neglectful parents and their children bear the scars of such parental neglect. Our nation still bears the scars of our earlier behaviors, of slavery and of sexism. (Those behaviors are still transpiring.) How is it with you? Have I named any of the “exiles” in which you find yourself? Are you castigating ...

855. Why Earthly Powers Need No Longer Enslave

Daniel 7:15-28, Daniel 7:1-14

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... dream to our particular circumstances, more than two millennia after he edited the book.2 This is a dream about the End Times. Let us see what it has to do with us. Daniel dreamed about four beasts that came out of a sea — a lion with wings, a bear, a four-headed leopard with wings, and a dragon-like beast with horns (vv. 4-8). Each of these beasts seems to symbolize one of the empires which had plagued the Hebrews and held power over them at some time in the past. There is much speculation about what ...

856. God Knows

Isaiah 5:1-7

Sermon

John W. Wurster

... found anywhere else, one from the very heart of God. God planted Jesus in the vineyard of the earth, and Jesus says to all of us under the burden of responsibility and consequence, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). At last, the vineyard owner has found a way to grow good grapes. At last, there is a way for us to flourish as our creator intends. At last, there is a way to redeem our failings ...

857. His Cleansing Of The Temple

Luke 19:45-48

Sermon

Brett Blair

... took place. For this incident we must turn to Marks” Gospel for he alone tells it. Jesus was still outside the city. He was hungry so he stopped to pick some fruit off a fig tree. Yet, this was April, and even in a good year the tree would not bear fruit until late May or early June. Mark says bluntly: It was not the season for figs. Yet, when Jesus found no fruit he became angry and said: “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again? The next day, as the disciples reentered the city, they saw that the ...

858. A Theology of Work - Labor Day

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the grass might be bent and broken, which constituted threshing. The religious leaders taught that, if a house caught on fire on the sabbath, its inhabitants could not carry their clothes out of the house to spare them from the flames, because that would be bearing a burden. However, they were allowed to put on all the layers of clothing they could wear and thus remove the clothes by wearing them, which was acceptable. Hmm. The story we encountered in Matthew's gospel is reflective of the custom. Jesus and ...

859. Does God Care Who Wins the Superbowl?

John 14:5-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... and the dean of the Vanderbilt Divinity School, says, "It makes God look immoral and arbitrary. I find that religiously offensive. From my perspective, the Christian message is that God will help you bear up under anything. You will not escape tribulation or suffering or defeat, but God will give you the grace to bear it with dignity and courage." One more theologian. No heavy duty academic credentials here, but he is too big and too strong to ignore - our friend Reggie White. Reggie bristles at these ...

860. Dealing with Depression

1 Kings 19:9-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... knows. But letting it all hang out can be therapeutic. As someone has said, "A trouble shared is a trouble cut in half." That may overstate the case, but the words of the hymn writer surely do not: Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer.(2) Then there is another step in bouncing back. God told Elijah, "'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful ...

861. Of Rubble and Trouble

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict") and, to borrow from Winston Churchill, never, never, never, never give up ("By your endurance you will gain your souls"). This is how people in the midst of rubble and trouble bear witness. Yes, there will be awful times, major collapses. The lights will go out. But despite all that, the good news is that the story is not over; instead it is beginning a new chapter. As Jesus said. "When these things begin to take place, stand ...

862. John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-12, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... come near. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites. You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance.' You have much to repent, and that is the message Yahweh has brought me out of the desert to proclaim. ... on the ground. The only way ANY will be saved is in true repentance. The ax is ready to cut down any trees that do not bear good fruit. Yes, it is a hard message, but it is the one God told me to bring. "I am standing here before you at this ...

863. The Handwriting on the Heart

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile ... yourself in their place. There was that statement about the grain of wheat having to "die" in the ground before it can bear fruit. What has that got to do with the conquering Messiah? That was followed immediately with, "Those who love their life lose ...

864. Tough Love

Zephaniah 3:1-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... 12; Heb. 12:6). Tough Love! If you would like to see a brief summary of how God's tough love is worked out in human history, consider the words of the prophet from whom we read a moment ago: Zephaniah. The three chapters in the little book which bears his name provide a quick synopsis of much of what is wrong with this world, an affirmation that the wrong will not be allowed to continue indefinitely, and a picture of the love and care of a Heavenly Father who really wants the children to turn out right. See ...

865. The Nightmare before Christmas

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... of a man. But there was something about him that told Joseph there was no reason to fear. The silhouette spoke. "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Joseph had no chance to reply - the visitor disappeared. What would Joseph have said anyway? We can see him lying there thinking till morning, then, at daybreak, trying to figure ...

866. The Apostles Creed: "The Holy Catholic Churc"

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... I will give it to you in one simple sentence found in our new Presbyterian Study Catechism: "The mission of the church is to bear witness to God's love for the world in Jesus Christ."(7) Simple sentence. Considerable challenge. And for all its flaws, the church ... and value in the world through the ages. But remember the words of the catechism: "The mission of the church is to bear witness to God's love for the world in Jesus Christ." Simple sentence. Considerable challenge. For all the good works the church ...

867. The Discipline of Discipleship

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... . Jesus dealt with the issue that was concerning the man. He did not say that that would be covered in the lesson series a month from now or a year from now. He did not say that there was something else that was being taught right now, so just bear with the program. The teacher met the student where the student needed to be met, not the other way around. That was one of the problems with Sunday School for so many people as teenagers. The students wanted to hear how the Gospel related to sports and girls and ...

868. Different From A Camel's Hair Sport Coat

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Frank Lyman

... to the local department store, we could buy a beautiful camel's hair sport coat. At least, it's called camel's hair. But it would bear no resemblance to the coat John wore. Sometime when you get a chance, visit a zoo that has a camel. Believe me, he's not wearing a ... his wife would have a child. The angel Gabriel appears to him and announces that his prayers have been heard. Elizabeth shall bear a son and Zechariah shall name him John. Isn't this a wonderfully human story? Here's Zechariah, in the big moment ...

869. A Fishing Trip To Remember

John 21:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... Christ comes to us and confronts us in order to pull us from one dimension of life to a more important one. James K. Baxter tells a most unusual story ” a parable, really ” about a man in Australia who decided that life was too hard for him to bear. However, he ruled out suicide. Instead, he bought a large corrugated iron tank and furnished it simply with the necessities of life. He hung a crucifix on the wall to remind him of the Rabbi and to help him pray. There he lived a blameless, solitary life ...

870. How Can You Tell A Christian?

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... your faith is an illusion." (4) Ouch, that hurts. There are some things in life you cannot fake. How do people know that we are Christians? By our love. Love is our primary witness to our faith in Jesus Christ. How sad it is that so many who bear Christ's name have never reconciled themselves to that one basic principle. Are we giving an accurate witness to the love of Jesus Christ? Or are we sowing seeds of anger, resentment, hatred? Love is not optional for the follower of Jesus. This is the way people ...

871. Living With The Aches And Alleluias

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of fear but a spirit of love and freedom to serve God faithfully. And that brings us to our third piece of good news about the Advent season. ADVENT CALLS US TO BEAR WITNESS IN OUR DAILY LIVES TO THE CHRIST WHO IS YET TO COME. That is what Christ meant for his disciples to do as they waited for history to be culminated. They were to bear faithful witness to the love and the power that they had discovered in Christ Jesus. Sue Monk Kidd tells about when her daughter was small and got the dubious part of the ...

872. Be Joyful

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... . One Christmas, Maxwell was walking through their church offices wishing everyone a merry Christmas. Stopping to speak to one of the volunteer secretaries, he asked, "Are you ready for Christmas?" With a smile she replied, "Almost. Just one more Care Bear to stuff." Figuring she was making the bears for her grandchildren, he asked, "How many grandchildren do you have?" "None," she replied. "But that's okay. I went out into my neighborhood and adopted some. I figured that if I'm going to have a family at ...

873. Jesus, Where Are You?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... be able to see Jesus in one another. You have heard it said, "You are the only Bible some people will ever read." We could also say, "You are the only Jesus some people will ever meet." Now, we could get discouraged at this point. Not every person who bears Christ's name has Christ's heart. "What a pity," observes Annie Dillard, "that so hard on the heels of Christ come the Christians." Philip Yancey tells of a T-shirt that he spotted at a political rally: "Jesus save us . . . from your followers," and of a ...

874. With A Name Like That . . .

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... Hannah, which means, "God has favored me." Ann says, imagine telling a 6-year-old she is favored by God? She says like a bear to honey she inhaled that message, and it lodged deep within her heart and mind and the sweet aroma of it has never ... is bigger than his name. Jesus is big enough for the whole world. And this brings us to our last thought for the morning: PEOPLE WHO BEAR BOTH THE NAME OF JESUS AND ALSO HIS SPIRIT ARE THE ONLY HOPE FOR OUR WORLD. Here is where the task of Christian evangelism comes in ...

875. Ready Or Not

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... asked: "Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children; To remember the weakness, the loneliness of people growing old; To stop asking yourself whether your friends love you, but whether you love them enough; To bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts; To try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you? Then you can keep Christmas, And if you can keep it for a day, why not ...

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