Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 901 to 925 of 4936 results

901. What Kind of Name Is That?

Luke 1:26-31

Sermon

Mark Trotter

It is always interesting to discover the origin of names. I suppose most of you were named for a relative. Some are named for saints, or heroes, and some just bear the names that were chosen because they sound distinguished. Some names are unfortunate. I heard about a man who joined the Navy. His name was Tonsillitis Jackson. The Navy couldn't believe it, so they did a check on him, and discovered that indeed his name really was Tonsillitis Jackson. What's more, he had brothers and sisters who were named: ...

902. O Holy Night

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

James Merritt

All of us know the beautiful Christmas hymn "O Holy Night." This carol was written by Adolphe Charles Adam, a French composer. Ironically, it was frowned upon by church authorities who denounced it for poor taste and "total absence of the spirit of religion." In that first stanza the writer invites us to close our eyes and imagine the world before the birth of Jesus. He says it is a world that lay "in sin and error pining." The word pining refers to the wasting away of the human spirit as it grieves and ...

903. Easter: Seeing Is Believing

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I read a great story about a six-year-old boy named David who was taking a walk one day with his grandmother. They decided to detour through the local graveyard. They stopped to read some of the tombstones and Grandma explained that the first date on the tombstones was the day the person was born and the second date was the day the person died. "Why do some tombstones only have one date?" little David asked. "Because those people haven't died yet," his grandmother explained. David was obviously stunned by ...

904. It's Everybody's Business

John 1:35-51

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Abe and Sara were an elderly Svedish couple. They tried their best to keep up with the times, but truthfully, they were a bit backward. They didn't have very many friends so they didn't get much mail. But one day Sara received a single envelope in the mail. She opened it and found that it was a wedding invitation. She proudly announced that they had been "invited to a vedding" but that there was one thing she didn't understand. She asked, "Vat does it mean ven it says an R.S.V.P. is required?" Abe thought ...

905. The Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

One of my favorite plays is “Harvey” by Mary Chase. I’ve seen it stage, on TV and in movie. It is a delight in any medium, more than a delight; it is a challenge, a challenge to our unimaginative, prosaic, living ruts. You may recall that this play is about Elwood P. Dowd, an eccentric, drinking man whose closest friend was an enormous rabbit called Harvey (who was unseen for the most part by anyone but Elwood.) In fact, because Harvey was unseen, yet so real to Elwood, his family hired Dr. Chumley, a ...

906. Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help

Esther 4:1-17

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

The Jewish Response I: Mordecai’s Plan for Esther: There are now two royal documents that refer directly or indirectly to Mordecai. His protection of the king in chapter 2, recorded in the royal annals, would typically guarantee him a place of protection and prestige among the king’s benefactors. He is also a Jew and therefore a target of Haman’s edict in chapter 3. In fact, he is Haman’s primary target. Which of these two documents will determine the future of Mordecai and the Jews? Over the next two ...

907. An Army Officer Deeply Concerned

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a ridiculous story going around about a country church one Sunday morning, where the preacher gave an invitation to the altar. “Anyone who has a special need that you would like prayed over,” he said, “please come to the front.” With that, a young man named Leroy got in line. When it was his turn, the preacher asked, “Leroy, what do you want me to pray about for you?” Leroy replied, “Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing.” The preacher put one hand on Leroy’s ear, placed his other ...

908. Worshipping Other Gods

Deuteronomy 13:1-18

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Sources of the Temptation to Go after Other Gods: Continuing the concern for the purity of Israel’s worship, in line with the first commandment, Deuteronomy warns the people of the kinds of situation in which they might be tempted or pressured into deserting Yahweh for other gods. First, the danger of false religious leaders (vv. 1–5); second, the possible conflict of loyalties when close family members are involved (vv. 6–11); third, the pressure of an influential group of leaders in a community (vv. 12– ...

909. Today Can Be the First Day of Your New Life!

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

King Duncan

It’s said that in Rome, on New Year’s Eve, there is a tradition of literally throwing old things right out the window, to start the New Year free from the past. I guess the moral of that is, if you are fortunate enough to be in Rome, Italy some New Year’s Eve, you best keep an eye skyward. Somebody might be throwing out a heavy piece of furniture just as you are passing by. That’s their tradition. A pastor named Patricia Farris tells about being in Mexico one year with her husband on New Year’s Eve. They ...

910. Three Men Changed by God

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-13, Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

CNN carried a dramatic story about a pastor in South Korea who used to be a trained killer. That’s right--I said a trained killer. His name is Kim Shin Jo. We have been reading much the past couple of years about North Korea. This is a state that has caused the world many headaches over the years. Kim Shin Jo was originally a North Korean assassin. In January of 1968, Jo and a team of other assassins slipped into South Korea from the North in a daring attempt to kill the president of South Korea. The team ...

911. First the Bad News...

Luke 21:5-19

Sermon

King Duncan

I know they’re corny, but I love good news/bad news jokes. We laugh at them because of the element of surprise, but also because we can relate to the scenarios in them. They appeal to the cynic in us that just expects the world to operate in that order--good news, then bad news. A young man phones up his dad at work for a chat. Dad says, “I’m sorry, son, but I’m up to my neck in work today” Son says, “But I’ve got some good news and some bad news for you, Dad.” Dad says, “OK, but since I’ve got no time now ...

912. The Funeral Crasher

John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14, John 14:15-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Ash Wednesday is only a few days away. For most of us Ash Wednesday means a time of sackcloth and ashes, repentance, mourning, sadness, the beginning of a season of Lent, a solemn time of contemplation and seeking until we enter Eastertide. The shift from Lent to Easter is the shift from cerebration to celebration. But most of all, Ash Wednesday reminds us of our ashes-to-ashes mortality. “From ashes we came, to ashes we return” is a reminder of our humanness, our inevitable cycle of birth, life and death ...

913. Click to Unfriend

Hebrews 10:16-25

Sermon

John B. Jamison

Mary Magdalene stood at the edge of the road and cried. She knew this was going to happen. Jesus had told them over and over that he would be arrested and killed. She thought she had prepared herself for it but she was not at all prepared for what had actually happened. As she stood at the edge of the road, her eyes moving back and forth from the men lowering his body from that cross to his mother standing just behind them watching it happen. She thought about all that had happened since last night. After ...

914. The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Introduction to Israel’s Covenantal Constitution: The Decalogue · Here opens Moses’ second discourse (chs. 5–26), the central section of the whole book. It is subdivided into two main parts. Chapters 5–11 are a broad exhortation to covenant loyalty and obedience, following up and amplifying the theocratic and covenantal challenge set forth in chapter 4. Chapters 12–26, with their subheading in 12:1, are more detailed legislation, much of which renews, expands, and sometimes modifies laws already given in ...

915. The Plank

Matthew 5:38-48; 7:1-6

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."” (John 8:7) “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18) Props: Colored Vases / Plants (one withered and one healthy) / volunteers I need a volunteer today! [Choose someone.] Super! –Come on up! Now, you’ll see everyone that I have two very beautiful colored ...

916. A Story of Two Sisters

Jeremiah 3:6-4:4

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Two sisters, Israel to the north and Judah to the south, are each characteristically tagged: “ever-turning” (backsliding; NIV “faithless”) Israel, and “wicked” (runaway; NIV “unfaithful”) Judah. In 722 BC Assyria captured Samaria and occupied Israel. In Jeremiah’s time Judah was still an independent nation, but the Assyrian garrison was only a few miles away. God argues that Judah is more evil than Israel. For Israel, distressed because of God’s punishment, there is an earnest plea to return to God. For ...

917. Wilderness Work

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. I was sixteen, and it was my first game as the captain of the varsity cheerleading squad. Much to the dismay of the popular girls in the school, my loud voice had won me this hotly contested honor. The squad had been practicing all summer and we had our routines almost perfected. That early September night we were very excited and more than a bit nervous. The band picked up, the energy of the crowd erupted, and immediately the ball began to move ...

918. Get off the Throne and Learn Wisdom

Matthew 7:1-6

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

A check-out clerk once wrote columnist Ann Landers a letter of complaint: she had seen shoppers with food stamps buy luxury items like birthday cakes and bags of shrimp. The angry woman went on to say that people on welfare who treat themselves to non-necessities were “lazy and wasteful." A few weeks later Lander's column was devoted entirely to people who responded to the grocery clerk with letters of their own. One woman wrote: “I didn't buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of shrimp with food stamps. So ...

919. Doing Right When You Have Been Done Wrong

Ephesians 4:31-32

Sermon

James Merritt

I have been ordered by Dr. Freddie Gage to speak on the topic of bitterness and forgiveness. Now like most preachers, I don't like to be told what to preach, but in Freddie's case I gladly acquiesce because I knew if I didn't, Freddie would get bitter and never forgive me. Now some people might think it strange to speak on a topic of bitterness to a bunch of Baptists. But bitterness is certainly no stranger to Baptist churches. I heard about a Baptist businessman that was taking a business trip on an ...

920. A Few Remaining Tremors

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

James Merritt

I will call him “Ray.” I met Ray back when I was a student pastor, in another church, here in Atlanta. He and his wife kind of took me in and we became the best of friends. As a matter of fact, he was instrumental in helping me and Teresa finally get together. I never dreamed I would tell you this story about Ray. It had been almost 25 years since I had seen or heard from Ray and out of the blue he called me when we were moving into the home where we now live and graciously offered to purchase the light ...

921. Seder Service: The Passover Haggadah

Bulletin Aid

Robert L. Linder and Rabbi Sol Ester

The Passover "A program of fellowship for adults and/or youth in Christian congregations desiring a better understanding of the heritage and the meaning of the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion." This work was inspired and initially written by Rev. Robert L. Linder while pastor of First English Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio. He was assisted by Jewish leaders of the community. It has since been revised by others, including Rabbi Sol Oster of Lima, Ohio. BLESSING OF THE FESTIVAL CANDLES Before ...

922. Clouds and Son-Shine

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Hubert Beck

Motivation is the key to life. It is not only the key to getting work done, but it is the key to living itself! Once a person loses the will to live, health suffers and death is never more than a step or two away. Motivation is hard to sustain at times, though. The cloudy moments of life cause us to say, "What’s the use of it all?" We want to chuck everything and let come what may without care or concern. That’s when we need to see again the glory of the Lord revealed, for in God’s presence among us we ...

923. 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 ...

924. Mending Fences

Luke 16:1-15, Luke 16:16-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) It’s almost Halloween, the time of costumes, candy corn, and above all, creepy movies. One of the movies that made a life-long impact with me came out at Halloween in 1990 --Joel Schumacher's horror-thriller, “Flatliners.” “Flatliners” followed the lives of four young medical students, who manually induced “near-death” experiences in order to find out what lay beyond the grave. What they found was ...

925. Faith is a River That Flows

Genesis 19:1-29

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Faith is a river that flows. May our prayers be reeds that cling to the rock From which springs somehow the living waters." I’ll bet all of you remember the first time you climbed the “big slide.” I mean the “BIG” slide, that one that you looked at as a child and thought –that’s awesome. But scary! Real scary! I mean, it’s WAY high, and it’s a long way to the bottom, and okay, wow! On the one hand, you are filled with that weird exhilaration to climb up there and have that experience of the wind whipping ...

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