Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 901 to 925 of 2157 results

Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:36-49, Luke 24:50-53, Mark 16:1-20

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

First Lesson: Acts 1:1-11 Theme: The ascension of the master means the activation of his disciples Exegetical note Luke begins his second volume, and thus his account of the second phase of the Gospel, with his version of the ascension of Jesus. The author’s intention here - with the disciples’ question, Jesus’ answer, and the angels’ closing exhortation - is to change the church’s perspective from one of hope for eschatological finality and heavenly bliss to one of missionary zeal and earthly ...

902. Proper 7

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 2 Samuel 5:6-16, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Mark 4:35-41

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... God who establishes Kingdoms Exegetical Note This account of David’s becoming king over Israel as well as Judah, the latter of which he had ruled for more than seven years, is not entirely clear and seems to contradict some details of the version in 1 Chronicles 11. Nevertheless, the theological point is clear (and spelled out in verse 12): it is God who has established this Kingdom, against all odds and certainly counter to the expectations of the Jebusites, the prior inhabitants of Jerusalem. Call to ...

903. Proper 10

2 Samuel 7:18-29, Ephesians 1:1-14, Mark 6:7-13

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... us, we pray, and remind us continually to live as though we truly were one in Christ. In his name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 6:7-13 Theme: A mission modeled on the Master’s message and ministry Exegetical Note Mark’s version of the commissioning of the Twelve underscores the continuity between what their mission is to be and what Jesus’ has been: they are to preach, exorcise, heal, and withal suffer rejection. Remarkable here is the eschatological urgency implied in Jesus’ instructions to "travel ...

904. Proper 12

2 Samuel 12:1-31, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:1-15

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... we want no more. In the name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen Gospel: John 6:1-15 Theme: The Christ who feeds the hungry Exegetical Note The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle recorded by all four Gospels. John’s version differs in some details, and is more eucharistic in emphasis and eschatological in signification than those of the Synopticists. Perhaps a miracle of sharing by example, the event nevertheless shows that compassion for human needs is central to the Kingdom of God that Jesus is ...

905. Proper 19

Proverbs 22:1-16, James 2:1-13, James 2:14-26, Mark 8:27-30, Mark 8:31--9:1

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... Christ’s name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 8:27-38 Theme: Bearing the mark of Christ Exegetical Note The famous saying of Jesus about discipleship and "taking up his cross" allows another interpretation worth exploring. Some exegetes suggest that in the pre-Easter version of the saying, stauros meant not a "cross" but a "cross mark" (a tau or chi, perhaps), such as was used to mark livestock. If that is the case, Jesus’ original reference was to the Christian’s taking on a mark of identification rather ...

906. Proper 21

Job 42:1-6, James 4:13-17, James 5:7-12, Mark 9:38-41, Mark 9:42-50

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... greatness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Gracious God, we confess that our words and notions about you often diminish and detract from your divine majesty, and that in trying to render you intelligible we tend to reduce you to a larger version of ourselves. Forgive us, we pray. Remind us again, by the expanding Creation around us and the edifying Spirit within, that you exceed all our images and concepts. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen Second Lesson: James 4:13-17; 5:7-11 Theme ...

907. Proper 22

Gn 2:4-25

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... which human male and female are created in a single act (1:27), this second (Jahwist) account might seem to imply subordination of woman, as it was subsequently used to do in Christian literature (e.g., 1 Corinthians 11:8-9; 1 Timothy 2:13). But this version actually suggests the common humanity of the man and woman ("bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh") and the complementarity of the two ("and they become one flesh"). Call to Worship Leader: We live in an age sensitive to the rights, the role, and the ...

908. Waiting

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Brett Blair

... eat. We stand in crooked lines, then yell out an order, get it down in five minutes and then get back to the rat race. We haven’t got time to sit down and read a book anymore. Perhaps it is a sign of the times that we have condensed versions of the Bible. In kitchens all over America there are gadgets to get the meal prepared quickly. I would guess Mr. Coffee started it all. Simply spoon in the coffee and pour water. The coffee is made before you can even find a cup. When we become sick we want ...

909. Report of a Secret Meeting

John 3:1-21

Sermon

George Bass

... boat has been beached directly under the cross of Christ; two fishermen are working on their nets, while a dim figure can be seen walking toward them along the waterfront. Webster says, "He (Jesus) is the ‘young Prince of Glory’ as in the original version of Isaac Watts’ famous hymn. He seems to be holding back the great volume of darkness, forcing its retreat ... But the Cross remains, dominating the world, and the world the artist sees is the world on which Christ looks from His Cross."16 That ...

910. The Passing of the Peace

John 20:24-31

Sermon

George Bass

... were a bit embarrassed to speak such a greeting to each other. They would say, "Good morning" - and rather stiffly, I’m afraid. But it is different now; no one says "Good morning" any more. Young and old alike shake hands and greet one another with some version of Jesus’ words, "Peace be with you." And what is more, the people know why they exchange the Peace: Jesus is alive! Jesus, the Crucified One, is Lord! That makes our fellowship - and our worship - real. A warm "Good Morning" might be a sign of ...

911. When God Almighty Speaks ... Listen!

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1

Sermon

Richard L. Eslinger

... ? Lamentation? Reformation? Well, not really. The response is a bad attack of religious nostalgia. At this very instant, almost every television channel is clogged with "old-timey" preachers offering the "good old days" in living color! It’s a kind of Disneyland version of the old time religion - beautiful, inviting, and sounding almost like the real thing. But in the midst all this language, inside the church, and in the world, the haunting words of scripture cut through the bubble: The word of the Lord ...

912. A Prayer of Wonder

2 Samuel 7:18-29

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... of thinking it’s mostly up to us. Oh, we know that God has created us; "but the important thing is what we do with it." We’ve all heard the appealing slogan, "If it is to be, it is up to me." Gerald Kennedy (and others) have told versions of this story: A rabbi, a cantor, and a humble synagogue cleaner were preparing for the Day of Atonement. The rabbi beat his breast, and said, "I am nothing, I am nothing." The cantor beat his breast, and said, "I am nothing, I am nothing." The cleaner beat his ...

913. An Unusual Legacy

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... , holy, hidden Being, If we love not the world which you have made? Oh, give us deeper love for better seeing Your Word made flesh, and in a manger laid. Your kingdom come, O Lord; your will be done!* *Lutheran Book of Worship, No. 413, Stanza 5. This version in the LBW is altered from the original with permission of Oxford University Press, London, England. Prayer: O God, in your mind the past and the future meet in this day. Help us to accept with grace what we have received, and to share all that - and ...

914. Total Commitment

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

Richard Patt

... worship by many Christians today. Pastors are overjoyed if they can count even half their members in church on a given Sunday. Instead of following through when they sing, "Take my life and let it he, consecrated, Lord, to thee," many Christians are practicing a shorter version: "Take my life, and let it be." Period! The list could go on. The fact is already plain. We are suffering from a loss of commitment at many levels of modern living. II Jesus knows our human failure to follow through on many of our ...

915. Job - A Probe Into the Shadow World of Despair

Job 6:1-7:21

Sermon

... define the source of the power of life and love. The sermon is incomplete without the Word of God defined by the Christ. This sermon from the book of Job allows the words of the biblical text to tell most of the story. The translation used is "Today’s English Version." This sermon was preached in Weaver Chapel, Wittenberg University, on February 7, 1982. - Michael D. Wuchter

916. Faith As Healing Energy

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... and searching, she discovered a deep and meaningful Christian faith. This faith has released in her a vitally creative life. She has become, in spite of her handicap, "a successful commercial artist, a bestselling author, and the star of a $2 million dollar film version of her life" (Time, Dec. 29, 1980). Her spirit and her creative life are a miracle of faith. In one of her books, A Step Further, she writes: "If God’s mind was small enough for me to understand, he wouldn’t be God ... Sometimes ...

917. The Marriage of Adam and Eve

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

... a personal agenda that is so well hidden even from him/herself - the agenda of self-seeking. The honeymoon is over then. The Hilton bridal suite becomes the penthouse sour. Idealism to Realism Be sure of this! The story back in Genesis is not another version of the marriage dream - the fairy tale of prince and princess who found happiness forever. Every pastor at the altar has seen the starry-eyed, love-blinded couples on their happy day. They were full of optimism and idealism and enthusiasm. That’s a ...

918. Are You Pentecostal?

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Brett Blair

... the Trinity, was about to descend upon them? The result would be the beginning of the church. Pentecost became the primal fact of church history. They received God’s power. This power comes on a day when they were in one accord, that’s the King James Version. In other words, there was unity and agreement. There was a commonality among them. They shared all things in common; we learn later. It is important to note that it would not be that way forever. Later a major split would occur in the church over ...

919. Counting the Cost

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

... is good for nothing. A salty Christian is not only an antidote for rottenness but he also gives people a taste of what true Christianity is all about. "Christian men and women," says Moody, "are the world’s Bible and in most cases a revised version is needed." These are stiff requirements which the Master lays down as he speaks to us about the cost of discipleship. If we are honest with ourselves, we must confess that we have been poor disciples. We have rendered only lipservice when he has asked ...

920. Dealing With The Dividing Walls

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

James W. Moore

... and sadly… we start building up again those dividing walls… those walls that exclude and belittle and separate… those walls that encourage hostility and hatred and bigotry… Walls that divide people Walls that divide nations Walls that divide races End of longer version]] What are these walls that divide us? Let me underscore three dangerous walls of hostility that plague and separate and divide people today. If we want to be Christ’s servants, if we want to take up His torch… and continue His ...

921. Letting Go

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... the call of the future. This is a gamble with our lives as the stake, our life stance, our way of relating to the world, our way of being in the world, our very selves. The risks we are called upon in moments of life are in a sense immediate versions of the ultimate risk which is death. Then I am reminded of Him who faced the terror of self-surrender with the cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me...?" and who was willing to assume the risk that life had no future yet with faith in the ...

922. Smart, Wise, and Foolish

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

... dynamics of that breakdown, in order to insure a better chance for success in any new relationship. Yet there are thousands of persons each year who seem not to profit from their mistakes of the past, and who repeat a second and a third version of the tragedy. A mark of wisdom is to learn from experience - particularly the experience of failure. There are few failures which cannot be redeemed, where new understandings and some continuing support ensue. It has been out of failure that many of our greatest ...

923. Be Careful How You Live

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

Brett Blair

... quite pleasant. But let me ask you. What is your attitude while doing these things? Paul gives us a long list in chapters four and five of do’s and don’ts for Christian living. In fact he insists we follow these admonitions. Here is an abbreviated version: Put off your old self. Put off falsehood. Do not let the sun go down in your anger. He who is stealing must steal no longer. No unwholesome talk. Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice. There should be no hint of sexual ...

924. Anything Better Than the Golden Rule?

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

William G. Carter

A few years ago, I accepted an invitation to preach in a church in upstate New York. The sermon was based on Matthew’s version of what we have just heard from the Gospel of Luke: “Turn the other cheek. Give to everyone who begs from you. Pray for those who curse you. And love your enemies.” These are nearly impossible words to put into practice, much less hear, and I said as much in ...

925. Divide and Destroy

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... sermon. Certainly the good news or “joy” in Christ transcends any one of the four stories about Jesus that have been preserved from earliest times.2 Tradition has it that there is only a single gospel, not four. We possess four versions of an indivisible gospel. Paul shares this traditional view that there is but one single gospel. Consequently he can forcefully remind his hearer that they are in partnership with the gospel. In our contemporary world of specialization, division, and quantification, no ...

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