Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 901 to 925 of 1044 results

901. The Horror before the Blessing

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

A few years ago, a woman wrote in exasperation to the editor of her newspaper. She demanded to know why the media always publish negative and sad stories during the holiday season. As she pointed out, "Christmas is supposed to be a happy, joyous time."1 Her letter sounds almost as if she thinks that, even if bad news happens during the holiday season, the newspapers and television should simply ignore those things. Maybe we all wish Christmas time had a kind of protective bubble around it. Christmas could ...

902. 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 ...

903. There Will Be Peace

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you will remember an old comedy team from the early part of the twentieth century named Oliver and Hardy. They produced some marvelous work. Their comedy was slapstick, but it also showed a deep understanding of human nature. Conrad Hyers, in his book And God Created Laughter tells about an early Laurel and Hardy film from 1925 titled Big Business. Stan and Ollie are Christmas-tree salesmen in California going from house to house in a Model T truck loaded with trees. The story begins innocently ...

904. Whose Wife Will She Be?

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

King Duncan

A little girl walked into a pet shop. She went up to the shopkeeper and asked in a sweet little lisp, “Excuthe me, mithter, do you have any wittle wabbits?” The shopkeeper bent way down and put his hands on his knees so he would be on her level, and asked, “Do you want a wittle white wabbit or a wittle bwack wabbit? Or maybe that cute wittle bwown wabbit over there?” The little girl thought for a moment, put her hands on her knees, leaned forward and said in a quiet little voice, “Mr., I don’t fink my ...

905. John 1:29-42

John 1:29-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

When dinosaurs roamed the earth — you know, forty years or so ago — kids played a game called “gossip” or “telephone.” Sitting in a circle the first person whispered a secret message into the ear of their neighbor. The game was the comparison of the first and last message. By the time the message was whispered into the ear and passed along to each progressive person, the final reported words bore almost no resemblance to the initial whisper. The text message world makes this game less applicable today, ...

906. Love Lifted Me

Psalm 40:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

In the television drama, “The Sopranos” there is a scene that takes place at a funeral. The guests receive prayer cards with a picture of Jesus on them along with a prayer. One of the guests at the funeral remarks that as a kid he always wondered about the value of these cards. He collected baseball cards, he said, and they increased in value. Why not the prayer cards? “I don’t get it,” says the guest. “Ten thousand dollars for Mickey Mantle and zip for Jesus . . .” (1) I suspect that says something about ...

907. The Triumph and the Tragedy

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

On Palm Sunday April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, General of the Union Army, at the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. This surrender ended the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil. State against state, brother against brother; it was a conflict that literally tore our nation apart. Five days later Good Friday, April 14, 1865 America’s most revered president, Abraham Lincoln, was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth in Ford’s Theatre ...

908. Was There No Other Way?

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

King Duncan

Are you familiar with the legend of the robin? According to this tale the robin was originally a little brown bird. That is, until Good Friday the FIRST Good Friday. On that dark day this little brown bird saw a man nailed to a cross, slowly dying. He was all by himself . . . and there was no one to help him. The little brown bird began trying to free the man from the cross. The bird flew around and around until he found a way to remove a thorn from the crown of thorns that circled the man’s head, and in ...

909. With God’s Help

Matthew 6:24-34

Illustration

Michael B. Brown

A pastor was visiting with a church member one day. They sat together on the front porch of the man's home on a hot July afternoon. He was a recovering alcoholic who had been sober for over five years. That day he talked of his past of spending more adult years drunk than sober, of times when but for the grace of God he should have been killed in a fight or automobile accident, of the patience of his wife and the influence of the church and A.A. in turning things around. He spoke reverently of the role of ...

910. Time’s A-Wasting

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

Just when everything seems as normal as can be ... in fact, just when we almost break into wide yawns from the dull normalcy of it all, that's when something outside our control can break in with a word or experience that changes everything — perhaps forever. Do you remember when the earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay area in 1989, causing the famous collapse of the double-decker Bay Bridge? Its rumbling effect was felt far beyond the Bay area, insisting itself into the consciousness of everyone ...

911. Jesus at Home

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

Have you ever used the phrase, "I felt right at home"? It's a pretty good phrase for purposes of describing some degree of comfort about a situation. I'd say Ichiro Suzuki makes himself right at home standing at first base. I'd say that Tom Brokaw was a broadcaster who was at home in front of a television camera. I know people who feel most at home when they are out tending their garden or working under the hood of a car or standing by a river bank with a fly rod in hand or working a Playstation or Xbox. ...

912. Silence and Darkness

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

John Smylie

Over the last 25 years, I have experienced many different Good Fridays. A few of them stand out and point out my own humanness and inability to embrace the fullness of what the Lord was offering. In answer to the hymn, my answer is, "No, I wasn't there when you were crucified, Jesus." And I have made vain attempts of entering the experience of that awful day, yet there have been glimpses of grace along the way. Today I hope to share a few of those glimpses and in the sharing perhaps you will find a glimpse ...

913. Becoming Like Jesus

1 John 3:1-7

Sermon

Nancy Kraft

Lately, I've been thinking that I'd rather not be referred to as a Christian. I don't always like being put in the same category with the kinds of people who like to call themselves Christians. I'm referring to the ones who will put out a directory of businesses that are identified as Christian businesses so all the Christians can do business with each other. There's something about that that just rubs me in the wrong way. It makes Christianity sound like an exclusive club. If you're in the club, we want ...

914. Thank You for Sending the Rattlesnake

Illustration

Wayne Brouwer

Once there was a cattle rancher who despised religion as something only for wimps. The local pastor had visited him a number of time but got nowhere against the grizzled one's spiritual intransigence. In fact, the last time the preacher had dared approach the ranch house, he had been run off with a shotgun. The rancher had always taken care of himself. He didn't need any namby-pamby religion stuff to make a go of his life. That is what he taught his three sons, as well. So the pastor was mighty surprised ...

915. The Difference Between Getting and Giving

John 1:1-18

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

Theme: Exploring the difference between selfish getting and gracious giving Characters: Narrator Old Man Old Man’s Pastor Former Girlfriend Beggar Man In Santa Claus Suit Devout Gentleman The Lord (or voice) Tone: Humorous and thought-provoking Setting/Props: Park bench Two chairs Bible Logo or sign suggesting “Heaven” Spotlight (to represent the Lord) Special white robe Approximate time: 5-9 minutes (The scene opens in a park. The Old Man is sitting on a bench pondering something deep.) Narrator: Once ...

916. Thanks for the Memories!

Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14

Sermon

Ken Lentz

The dark of the night began to turn to the gray of morning. In the clouded distance could be heard the cries of mothers and fathers discovering the lifeless forms of their firstborn sons. The elders rushed from one adobe structure to another. "Quick!" they whispered, "pack the unleavened dough! Finish the lamb! Grab what you can! Now is the moment! Follow Moses to the sea while the Egyptians are preoccupied with their tragedy." Hurriedly and silently, the dark shapes of men, women, and children passed ...

917. Never Enough

Illustration

Charles Sell

In his men's seminar, David Simmons, a former cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, tells about his childhood home. His father, a military man, was extremely demanding, rarely saying a kind word, always pushing him with harsh criticism to do better. The father had decided that he would never permit his son to feel any satisfaction from his accomplishments, reminding him there were always new goals ahead. When Dave was a little boy, his dad gave him a bicycle, unassembled, with the command that he put it ...

918. Acting on Faith

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

King Duncan

You’ve probably heard the ridiculous story about the man who was refused entry into a fancy dinner club because he wasn’t wearing a tie. The doorman sent him away with instructions to return if, and only if, he had a tie wrapped around his neck. The fellow rummaged through his car, but couldn’t find a necktie. However, he did find a pair of jumper cables in the trunk. He decided to fashion a necktie from those jumper cables. He returned to the door of the club. The doorman saw those jumper cables around ...

919. Toss Your Cap Over the Wall

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Even though this is baseball season, I want to begin with a basketball story. It is about Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest professional basketball player of all time. One night he scored sixty-nine points in a single game. In that same game, rookie Stacey King made his inauspicious debut. He shot one free throw and made it. After the final buzzer, a reporter asked King for his thoughts on the game. Stacey King, with tongue planted firmly in his cheek, replied: “I’ll always remember this as the night ...

920. The Coat Off Your Back

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

Thanksgiving — cornucopias, fall harvests, turkey and pumpkin pie, corn stalks, and scarecrows — outward signs associated with the holiday we celebrated only seventeen days ago. Even before Halloween and Thanksgiving ended, holiday colors had changed. Orange pumpkin lights were replaced by white or multicolored twinkling lights. A small town policeman looks forward every year to hanging his outside Christmas lights. His goal is to measure up to Chevy Chase's outlandish display in the movie, Christmas ...

921. Sister Act(s)

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke positions the Good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The Good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God." Meet the two M & M sisters — Mary and Martha. They are two peas in the same pod and yet so ...

922. Don’t Be Afraid

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

"Don't be afraid." How many times have we heard those words in our lifetime? Our parents whispered them: Don't be afraid of: thunder, darkness, branches scraping against the window. Don't be afraid of: striking out on the ball field, flunking your physics exam, or your driver's test. When those words are spoken with love and sincerity they can be some of the most soothing words we could ever hope to hear. "Don't be afraid, I'm here with you. You're going to be all right. I love you. Stop worrying. Don't ...

923. Eyes Up!

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

David E. Leininger

A bit of a contrast, isn't it? The sweet strains of "Away In A Manger" followed by "... nations will be in anguish ... the roaring and tossing of the sea ... People will faint from terror ... the heavenly bodies will be shaken." Ho, ho, ho! Where is Santa when we need him? Why in the world would the church choose a gospel lesson such as this to begin Advent and our preparation for the coming of the Christ Child? Good reason. The sad truth that all of us who are old enough knows is we do not live in a " ...

924. The Gospel By Starlight

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2). Star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.[1] The annual observance of the birth of our Savior is almost over - Epiphany, recalling the visit of the wise men, is commemorated on January 6 and ends the liturgical celebration following the "Twelve Days of Christmas." No gifts of turtle doves, French ...

925. A Rock Thrown, A Lesson Learned

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

King Duncan

Author Ron Dykstra tells about a young and successful executive who was traveling through a neighborhood, driving a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. Suddenly a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! The young executive slammed on the brakes and backed up to the spot where the brick had been thrown. He then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, “What was all that about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that ...

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