Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 851 to 875 of 4936 results

851. Everybody a Cinderella

Hosea 2:2-23

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

Cinderella was a very misused young girl. Her father had died and she lived with a stepmother and two half sisters. The stepmother proved to be extremely mean and the half sisters demanding as well as vain and haughty. Very quickly Cinderella became their maid, and in due time their slave. Cinderella became a slave for two reasons. For one she was a prisoner of the household. She had no other place to go and was helpless before the power of the others. Secondly, she felt herself to be inferior. When the ...

852. Destined To Have A Great Year

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Sometime ago there was a Peanuts cartoon in which Lucy is in the outfield playing a baseball game. Of course, Charlie Brown is on the mound pitching. Lucy calls out to him, "Hey, Manager! Ask your catcher if he still loves me!" Charlie Brown interrupts his pitching and says to the catcher, "She wants to know if you still love her." Then, in the next frame, he turns to Lucy and yells to Lucy, "He says, No!'" Then Lucy wants to know why not. He relays the information to Lucy again: "He says there are so many ...

853. A Cross In A Cradle

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

King Duncan

Jo Carr tells about a children's Christmas program she once attended: "All the songs had been sung, and the candles lit. The shepherds had come to peek at the baby, and the wise men had brought their gifts. The angels had given their message. Then all the cast in the story of the first Christmas began to leave...wise men, shepherds, angels. Only Mary and Joseph and the child remained. Then Joseph turned to go. And Mary, glancing back at the crib, began to follow. But suddenly she turned back, snatched up ...

854. Set Free Through Forgiveness!

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan

Just a few years back, a man in Hardeeville, South Carolina went down to the Jasper County Courthouse. There he filed a deed restriction. The restriction barred the sale of any part of his 1,688 acre plantation to anyone north of the Mason-Dixon Line and anyone named Sherman. It seems that more than a century before, General William T. Sherman's troops burned every building on this man's property and Mr. Ingram vowed never to let his plantation fall into Yankee hands again. (1) Now there's a man who knows ...

855. A Green Couch For God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

Former boxer Muhammad Ali has charmed the world with his swaggering self-confidence. But he is quick to admit that he wasn't always so sure of himself. In the book The Entertainers by Timothy White, Ali recalls a particularly humbling moment from his teen years. He had a crush on a girl named Areatha Swint. Seventeen-year-old Ali sometimes walked Areatha home from school. One day, as they reached the top stair of her apartment house, Ali worked up the courage to turn around and kiss her. And then he ...

856. When Life Tumbles In

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed how quickly people's lives can be turned upside down? Up until December 4, 2002, Robert Mancillas of San Antonio, Texas thought he was doing all right. When Robert arrived at work that morning, however, his boss fired him. After receiving this news, Robert decided to walk over to his mother's office and tell her what had happened, but he never made it. A five-story historical building under renovation collapsed on him. When rescuers arrived, all they could see were his feet. He was ...

857. Remember Your Baptism

Romans 6:1-14, Colossians 2:6-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In his book, The Gospel For The Person Who Has Everything, William Willimon tells of a young friend, age 4, who was asked on the occasion of his 5th birthday what kind of party he wanted to have. I want everybody to be a king and queen, Clayton said. So, he and his mother went to work, fashioning a score of silver crowns – cardboard and aluminum foil, purple robes – crepe paper, and royal scepters – sticks painted gold. On the day of the party, as the guests arrived, they were each given a royal crown, a ...

858. Remember Your Baptism

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

859. Dealing With Your Enemies

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

King Duncan

How do you treat your enemies? This is an ancient question, and it is a question that is still relevant to our world today. A little girl came home from Sunday School and asked her father if she could send a note to Osama Bin Laden. “Why him?” asked her startled father. “Because,” said the little girl, “if Mr. Bin Laden got a nice note from a little American girl, maybe he’d think that we’re not all bad and he might start liking us a little. And then maybe he’d write a note back and come out of his cave ...

860. Supper's Ready!

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

Let's pretend! Let's pretend that you've been invited by the Queen of England to attend a banquet at Buckingham Palace. Close your eyes for a moment and think. What would you wear? What would you talk about at the dinner table? Should you arrive ten minutes early, take a taxi, or will you be nervous? Better still, would you turn down the invitation? When John Kennedy was president of the United States, he invited a number of accomplished artists to a White House banquet. Among those invited was the then ...

861. Proper 24

Exodus 33:12-23, Matthew 22:15-22, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Psalm 99:1-9

Sermon Aid

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

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 33:12-23 is an extended petition of Moses for God to accompany Israel on their wilderness travels. Psalm 99 is a song of praise that celebrates the power of God. Exodus 33:12-23 - "The Power of Petition: Part 2" Setting. See the commentary from last week for an overview of the three-part structure of Exodus 19-34, which is (1) revelation and covenant Exodus 19-31), (2) the breaking of covenant and threat of destruction Exodus 32 -33), and (3) covenant renewal (Exodus 34). The ...

862. Are You Going to Fish or Cut Bait?

Mark 1:16-18

Sermon

James Merritt

There was a young boy who wanted to go down to the lake and fish, and his mother asked him to take his little sister along. Well, he protested vigorously. He said, "Mama, the last time she came with me I didn't catch a single fish." The mother said, "Well, I will talk to her and I promise this time she won't make any noise." The boy said, "It wasn't the noise Mom, she ate all my bait." I have come to the conclusion that there are basically four reasons why people do not catch fish: (1) Some people are ...

863. Why You Should Trust In God

Proverbs 3:5-6

Sermon

James Merritt

Have you ever wondered "Why people ask why?" Here are some "Why?" questions that I think are worth asking. Why are there Interstate highways in Hawaii? Why are there floatation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes? If a 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors? Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM? Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways? Why is it that when you transport something by car it's called a shipment. But when ...

864. Multiplying Men Of God

Malachi 2:5-7, 2 Timothy 2:2

Sermon

James Merritt

I have been given the task of talking about multiplying men of God. I know that I am talking to some of the greatest men of God in the world today, but before we can talk about multiplying men of God, we must make sure that men of God are doing the multiplying. I read a story about a prostitute who was dying and she knew she was not right with God. She asked one of her friends to go get a minister of the Gospel. They went out and found a pastor and he came to her bedside. She looked up at him and she said ...

865. How Not to Become Distracted

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

We live in what has been called the "Information Age." We have more information at our disposal than any generation before us. We are flooded with bits of information, or should I say "bytes"? I think a much better description of our time would be the "Age of Distraction." Everybody and everything are out to get our attention. And one way to do that is to distract us from whatever we may have been doing or are trying to do. A case in point, I particularly dislike the scroll at the bottom of television ...

866. At Cross Purposes

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

This morning we're inundated with all kinds of crosses. Big crosses, little crosses, old crosses, new crosses. Obviously, the message for today has something to do with the cross. But then doesn't every message we hear? And isn't the cross central to our everyday life? Look at the cross. The Cross it is such a contradiction. It is both a thing of beauty and at the same time, the ugliest instrument of horror and pain ever created. The root words "crucis" and "crucio" from which we get the words cross and ...

867. Did God Really Say...?

Romans 10:8-13

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Today is "Temptation Sunday." Every year on the first Sunday in Lent we focus our attention on the story of the temptation of Jesus. It is a story that has captured the imagination of Christians for centuries. They have sought to portray in art what it must have been like for Jesus to have been tempted by the devil. The picture on your sermon outline this morning portraying this ugly, grotesque, devilish creature is typical of the way the evil one has been portrayed. If the devil looked like this, you ...

868. Righteous, Dude!

Matthew 5:13-20

Sermon

John Jamison

The first thing I need to say is to point out that the story today picks up right where we left off last time. Jesus was sitting somewhere near the Sea of Galilee teaching a large crowd of people who had come to hear him. Along with the usual people who lived and worked in the villages and towns around the sea, there was a group of Pharisees and Sadducees who had been sent up from Jerusalem to check this Jesus out and determine if he was going to become a problem. So far, they had taken a lot of notes. ...

869. Whose Fault Is It?

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

The youth pastor at one of my former congregations had a cartoon taped to his office door. It pictured a little guy standing, trembling, in front of a massive desk behind which was sitting a big, big man. The little guy wore torn jeans and a T-shirt, and had a leather loop around his neck holding a cross in front of his chest. His hair was messy and his toes peeked out the front of his sandals. A stick-on name patch read, “Hi! I’m Mike! I’m the Youth Pastor.” On the dark and imposing desk was a bronze ...

870. Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

John 13:1-17, John 13:18-30

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The new division in John’s Gospel is marked by a long, loosely connected, almost breathless comment by the narrator (vv. 1–3) in which he tries to gather up the themes of chapters 1–12 and 13–17 alike and use them as his stage setting. The first element in this setting has to do with time and circumstances: The notice that it was just before the Passover Feast (v. 1a) brings the temporal notices of 11:55 (“it was almost time”), 12:1 (“six days before”), and 12:12 (“the next day”) up to date. The further ...

871. Food Sacrificed to Idols

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

Contrasting Knowledge and Love At this point in the letter to Corinth Paul enters into the discussion of an issue that will engage him, in one way or another, through 11:1. While the concrete concern that calls for his attention is the issue of “food sacrificed to idols,” at a theological level his focus is Christian rights and responsibilities, especially regarding “knowledge” and “freedom” in lifestyle practices. Interpreters trace the course of Paul’s reflections in slightly different ways, for at one ...

872. Taming the Tongue

James 3:1-12, James 3:13-18

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

Wisdom for the Tongue Like the Pauline churches, James’ church was a church of the Spirit. Though there were formal offices, such as elder (5:14), there was no ordination process or schooling needed to teach and preach. As a result it was relatively easy for people with some ability, but worldly motivation, to put themselves forward as teachers. (Our modern seminary-ordination process makes this take longer, but it is not successful in preventing it; rather, it makes such a person a more permanent fixture ...

873. Two Kinds of Wisdom

James 3:13-18, James 3:1-12

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

874. Cut Down And Lifted Up

Luke 22:66--23:25

Sermon

Lee Griess

Let me tell you an ancient parable from the Orient. Once upon a time in the heart of a certain kingdom, there lay a beautiful garden. And of all the dwellers in that garden, the most beautiful and beloved to the master of the garden was the noble Bamboo. Year after year, Bamboo grew yet more beautiful and lovely. Bamboo was conscious of the master's love, and yet he was still modest and in all things gentle. Often the Wind would come and play a tune in the garden and Bamboo would cast aside his dignity and ...

875. No Need For Weeping Anymore

John 20:10-18

Sermon

Erskine White

Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" (John 20:15) Sometimes we forget. We focus so much on the joy and celebration of this day, on the bright flowers and festive music, that sometimes we forget; the first sound heard on that first Easter Sunday was the sound of weeping. It was Mary Magdalene's weeping. Tears of hopelessness poured out of her in loud wailing and moaning; her body convulsed in grief and her sobbing pierced the quiet of the early morning stillness. We often overlook the fact that ...

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