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Showing 876 to 900 of 4914 results

876. Epiphany 5

Psalm 112:1-10, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Isaiah 58:1-14, Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The theological framework provided by the church year for the Epiphany season throws light upon this Sunday primarily in the incarnational/manifestation scope of the season. By this time in Epiphany, the preacher may well have the same reaction that is often felt in the Pentecost Cycle; there seems to be little theological help for the preacher in the church year or the liturgy. One has to keep in mind that the readings emphasize the early stages of Jesus' ministry in the world. In this ...

877. Resurrection: Temporal to Eternal

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

Almost two thousand years ago today The stone upon His grave was rolled away, And in the blinding darkness of the tomb He rose and shattered there the grief and gloom Within the hearts of those who worshiped Him. Although that day and time have now grown dim, One message through the ages has been hurled: His love is hope and light for all the world. And as the dawn of Easter fills the skies We, too, with Him in spirit must arise; For even underneath us in the earth There is a faithful promise of rebirth. ...

878. What Making a Difference Looks Like

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

I am told there are at least eight million cats and eleven million dogs in the Big Apple. Since New York is mainly concrete and steel, when you have a pet that dies, you can't just go out in the back yard and bury it. In response, city officials decided that for fifty dollars they would dispose of your pet for you. Now in that grand city was a certain enterprising lady. She thought to herself, “I can render a service.” So she placed an ad in the paper: "When your pet dies, I will take care of the carcass ...

879. Every Day God Equips

John 14:15-27

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I grew up in construction. My Dad worked in construction either for someone else or later for his own construction company. I learned about tools and how to use them early on. If Dad was working on something and hollered for a Magillacuddy's double-barreled left-handed wedginator, I'd better know what it was. When I was in the Coast Guard, I was a marine diesel mechanic and while in school we had a week long class on tools. Until that time, I'd never met anybody who didn't know how to use the business end ...

880. The Foolishness of God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever done anything really foolish? Maybe it wasn’t your fault. Maybe you were simply in a situation you didn’t understand. There is a story of a man from a third world country who came to this country. He went with a friend to a restaurant. They ordered tea. The waitress brought them a pot of boiling water and set cups and some tea bags in front of them. The third world man poured a cup of hot water. Then he picked up the tea bags and tore them open and proceeded to dump the tea into the cup of ...

881. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

The Practice of Prophecy The discussion returns to the direct consideration of spiritual gifts that was the explicit focus of Paul’s remarks up to 12:31a. One should notice at the outset that Paul’s general concern is with orderly worship, but there are bends and turns to the argumentation that are hard to follow and highly debated. Moreover, as later readers turn to this passage they sometimes forget the concrete historical circumstances that lie behind Paul’s remarks, but to do so is a disaster. Paul ...

882. Deep Faith

Genesis 6:1-8:22, Genesis 5:1-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“If we were logical, the future would be bleak, indeed. But we are more than logical. We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope.” (Jacques Cousteau) “Deep waters call out to what is deeper still; at the roar of your waterfalls all your breakers and your waves swirl over me.” (Psalm 42:7) "For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me.” (Jonah 2:3) “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Now ...

883. Witnesses For The Lord

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

Hear these powerful words of Erasmus.How much more wonderful the work of redemption is, in comparison with creation. It is more marvelous that God was made man than that He created the angels; that He wailed in a stable than that He reigns in the heavens. The creation of the world was a work of power, but the redemption of the world was a work of mercy.1 So we gather on this glorious Easter morning to celebrate God's wonderful work of mercy. As we celebrate Easter today, we seek to make it a celebration ...

884. Turning A Minus Into A Plus

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Harold Warlick

One of the finest minds in our country belongs to a man named Charles Merrill. Charles' father founded a company called Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, a rather successful stock brokerage firm. With part of that vast wealth, Charles Merrill founded the Commonwealth School in Boston. The Commonwealth School has enjoyed a tremendous academic reputation. It has excelled in educating students from diverse backgrounds. On a cold, windy day Charles Merrill and a minister friend were walking to lunch, and he told the ...

885. Living With The Aches And Alleluias

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Eric Ritz

She had every reason to be bitter. "Though talented, she went unrecognized for years. Prestigious opera circles closed their ranks when she tried to enter. American critics ignored her compelling voice. She was repeatedly rejected for parts for which she easily qualified. It was only after she went to Europe and won the hearts of tough-to-please European audiences that stateside opinion leaders acknowledged her talent. "Not only has her professional life been a battle, her personal life has been marked by ...

886. Singing The Lord's Song In A Strange Land (ii)

Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A few months ago, I told a lawyer story in one of my sermons. It was a funny story that didn't speak too well of lawyers. One of our attorneys, Charles Patton, told me he was going to get me back. He hasn't done so, but he did send me a cartoon -- not about preachers -- but again, about lawyers. So, lawyers, I'm not picking on you -- this came from one of your peers. In the cartoon, Moses is on the side of Mt. Sinai. Aaron and other Israelites are there with puzzled questioning looks on their faces waiting ...

887. The Thorn of Discontent

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

DISCONTENT Like a thorn in the flesh, like a fly in the mesh, Like a boat that is chained to shore, The wild unrest of the heart in my breast Tortures me more and more. I wot not why, it should wail and cry Like a child that is lost at night, For it knew no grief, but has found relief, And it is not touched with blight. It has had of pleasure full many a measure; It has thrilled with love's red wine; It has hope and health, and youth's rare wealth-- Oh rich is this heart of mine. Yet it is not glad--it is ...

888. Dim Visions And Blind Guides

Sermon

Harold Warlick

The societal limits which impinge on our world also affect our personal existence in profound ways. Nowhere is this more critical than in our own dreams and visions. Dreams and visions are important in life. Every action we take in life was designed by someone. Every piece of clothing, every building, every hymn book, every chair, every light fixture, and every automobile existed first in someone's vision. Someone had to have the idea or the dream to turn out the product. The same holds true for the way we ...

889. Easter 2

Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 105:1-45, 1 Peter 1:1-12, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Sermon Aid

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Two major changes were made in the rationale of the Easter season in virtually all of the new lectionaries: the first was dropping the Latin names for the six Sundays between Easter and Pentecost, as was done in Lent. Since these names come from the introits, the psalms, rather than the gospels, and established the theoretical and real themes of the Sundays, something of Easter was often lost in the process. For example, the Fourth Sunday after Easter was Cantate and became known as Church ...

890. Is Jesus Still in the Healing Business?

Luke 4:38-44, Luke 4:31-37

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

In a city where I pastored years ago, a clergyman caused quite a controversy. When visiting his church members in the hospital, he would not pray for healing. He believed that the laws of cause and effect are constant and could not be swayed by prayer. It put me in a tight spot because his members began to ask me to come to the hospital and pray for them. There is no doubt that Jesus was in the healing business. Indeed, healing miracles made Jesus famous. Even Rudolf Bultmann, one of the most skeptical New ...

891. The Heart of the Reformation

Romans 3:21-31

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

There are many inadequate views regarding the essential nature of the Protestant Reformation. Some consider Luther as an ecclesiastical rebel who sought to overthrow an ancient church organization. Nothing was further from his purpose. He pleaded only that the gospel of Christ be given free course within the church. The Reformation was not a summons to attack the Roman Catholic Church but to affirm the positive convictions derived from God’s revelation of himself in Christ. Another misconception is that ...

892. A Kingdom Investment Policy

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

It is by chance that Damian discovers a huge bag of money near his home. It is just days before British pounds are converted to Euros and the old money is worthless. In the scenes that follow, Damian and his brother spend money as fast as they can, with Damian giving to the poor. Their father eventually discovers their secret, and Damian learns that the money was stolen. This is the moral dilemma and plot of the movie Millions. The thief who lost the money soon figures out that Damian is the finder. They ...

893. Rise Above It

John 21:15-19

Sermon

James W. Moore

Let me begin with three quick stories. See if you can find the thread that links them together. First… Have you heard about the couple who had been married for over sixty years? As they approached yet another anniversary… they became nostalgic and reflective about their life together. The husband said: “I have always wanted to ask you something. From the night we married, you have always had a box in your closet. I have never looked in it. It’s your private property, but I have always wondered what is in ...

894. The Weak and the Strong

Romans 14:1--15:13

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

The general exhortation on agapē in chapters 12–13 proceeds now to a specific discussion of the “strong” and “weak” in 14:1–15:13. Paul divides the entire unit into three subsections. In the present section he argues that self-righteous judgments are divisive in the body of Christ; in 14:13–23 he teaches that responsibility for the other takes priority over individual rights; and he concludes in 15:1–13 with the servant role of Christ as the example for behavior within the Christian fellowship. Although ...

895. Faith and Freedom

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

During World War II, a General and one of his Lieutenants were traveling from their base to a base in another state. They were forced to travel with civilians aboard a passenger train. They found their compartment, where two other folks were already seated. There they found an attractive young lady and her grandmother. The four of them had a friendly visit for most of the trip, at least until the train entered a long and rather dark tunnel. Once inside the tunnel, the passengers in this particular car ...

896. A Little Child Shall Lead Them

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

MORTON T. KELSEY is an Episcopalian priest, now a professor emeritus of the University of Notre Dame. He is nationally recognized and sought after as a theologian, psychologist, educator, priest, and man of prayer. The last designation in particular reflects the intense interest Kelsey has sparked by reintroducing and reintegrating the spiritual-meditative-mystical tradition of the church into modern life in general and professional pastoral practice in particular. Isaiah 11 contains the classic passage of ...

897. Blind Man's Bluff

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

Who would believe it? Saul, the primary punk adversary of the followers of the way, blind in Damascus? Saul, the instigator of Stephen’s stoning and death, the one who breathed out murderous threats against the followers of Jesus, now in Damascus in a spiritual safe house? Is this a bluff? Could this be a trick? Could this be a game concocted by the enemies of Jesus to lure us into a trap? How could a man who was feared by so many now be a blind, helpless squatter at a house on a street called Straight? ...

898. Some Healing Is Up To You

John 5:1-15

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There is a famous legend in Buddhist folklore in which the Buddha compares philosophical preoccupation with the matter of God’s existence to a man shot with a poisoned arrow. Before the man would allow the arrow to be withdrawn, he insisted upon knowing who shot him, what kind of poison was in the arrow, who was going to administer the cure, and what was going to be the medication. Needless to say, he died before his questions were answered. The Buddha concluded that in the same way, people need to be ...

899. A Prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:14-21

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

Praying for Enlightenment This section follows the same structural pattern that the author established earlier in the epistle. He began with a great hymn of thanksgiving for all of the spiritual blessings that God provided in Christ (1:3–14) and followed this by a prayer for his readers to understand their hope and inheritance in the Lord (1:15–20). In 2:1–3:13, the author provides a lengthy exposition on the believer’s position in Christ (2:1–10), the incorporation of Jews and Gentiles into one body, the ...

900. An Altered State of Consciousness

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

Now we move to the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, and from the reading we select the text: "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." We shall come into new life by his life. That means a different life, a new way of seeing things, "an altered state of consciousness." Let me give it to you in the terms of one man’s experience. He was an exceptionally fine plumber - so good that he was employed in a nuclear ...

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