Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 926 to 950 of 2962 results

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

... for all who have such faith - all, without distinction. For all alike have sinned, and are deprived of the divine splendor, and all are justified by God’s free grace alone, through his act of liberation in the person of Christ Jesus. For God designed him to be the means of expiating sin by his sacrificial death, effective through faith. God meant by this to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance he had overlooked the sins of the past - to demonstrate his justice now in the present, showing ...

927. To Thank Is To ...

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

... . Joseph Sittler highlights this dilemma. A modern man "crouches over levers of a crane and guides it to lift stone from Indiana, which he has never touched, to the top of a construction job in Omaha, where it is fixed in walls he need not look at, designed for purposes he has nothing to do with, by men whose names he does not know and whose faces he never sees." It is difficult, then, to have a sense of dependence that is the lifeblood of thanksgiving. When we calculate all we have been given, we easily ...

928. The Third Sunday in Lent

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

... around the issue where her personal life was concerned. "I have no husband," was a truth employed to masquerade the lie of her private life. Our generation is no stranger to such a misuse of language, words true in themselves which are designed to hide the truth of the matter from the listener. Weapons systems are "peacekeepers;" "revenue enhancement" is a tax hike. Government, the advertising industry, and the purveyors of pop psych seek to make us acceptable to ourselves by supplying a "newspeak" that ...

929. The Fourth Sunday in Lent

Matthew 20:17-19

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

... not fail to be grateful to a mother who had so interceded for them. Jesus denies the request by saying it is not his to grant, and then he has to deal with the indignation of the other ten disciples who, it would appear, had some designs of their own on the better properties in the coming kingdom. They, too, it seems, had paid little attention to Jesus' earlier statement about his imminent death. Now, in no uncertain terms, Jesus explains to them the basis for Christian life and service: "Whoever would be ...

930. The Resurrection of Our Lord

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

... , which had been laid in the tomb earlier, had been changed into a spiritual body, and, as such, it had passed through the graveclothes without disturbing them. This is what John perceived, and accordingly he believed. It has been said by one commentator that the design of this chapter is to illustrate the passage from sight to faith. In the case of John, sight passed quickly to faith. For Peter and the others, it happened later. For Mary, it happened very soon. For Thomas, the doubter, it happened last of ...

931. The Fourth Sunday of Easter

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Kendall K. McCabe

... makes of himself later in the same chapter, but in today's Gospel the primary emphasis is on Jesus as door. He is the means of entry to the fold. That should be good news for us. It means the door is provided and we are not called upon to design our own and build it ourselves. We do not have to claw our way into the kingdom of heaven. It was this door through which we passed at our baptism when we died and were raised with Christ. During these Sundays of Easter we are celebrating the work Christ has ...

932. God Is No Respecter Of Persons

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Do you like trivia questions? Try these: In what country of the world are the most Bic pens sold per capita? What has replaced the 44 revolver as the Great Equalizer in the West? What unique design appears on Sears, Roebuck's best-selling women's shirts? The answers: Bic pens are most popular in Zaire. In that African country, however, people don't write with most of the Bic pens - they wear them. Any man who can scrape together an extra $2.00 will buy a ...

933. God in a Glimpse

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

... can glimpse this God who seems invisible. They are the three ways to faith. The first way is by looking at his creation. We can't see God, but we can see the evidence of God. Look at his footprints passing through the universe. Look at nature, its intricate design and beauty of color and form - a flower, a snowflake, the atom, the Grand Canyon. How can one believe the universe was produced by a series of chance accidents rather than a master mind? When Paul said of God, "In him we live and move and have our ...

934. The Focus of Fitness

Jeremiah 18:1--19:15

Sermon

... and he decides not to destroy them. But another girl named Nancy is also working on an outfit. As she begins, she anticipates that this will be the best piece of work she has ever done. However, as she starts in, it becomes evident that this material and this design simply are not going to work. She will have to set it aside and try something else. This too, is what happens when God wants his people to be faithful, but they turn and disobey him. The key question for the lump of clay or the piece of material ...

935. Let God Be God

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Dean Lueking

... has been turned around by the Kingdom of God revealed in Christ through the mystery of the Holy Spirit. He devoted himself full-time to ministry to those in prison. More recently, however, he spoke of yuppies in America as a mirror of our idolatry. He read designer t-shirt lines: "The one who dies with the most toys wins," or "Nuclear war? What about my career?" He sees these sophisticated witticisms as bearers of the false gods that are set up when people make half-truths into whole truths by which to live ...

936. That They May Be One

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Dean Lueking

... one" is being answered by the heavenly Father as we respond to his grace in the person-to-person encounters that are a part of our daily experience. This can be overlooked or underrated, but it must not be put aside as of little significance in the grand design of the oneness of the people of God. Several instances come to mind. I was on the station platform awaiting a train from Yokohama to Tokyo one fall morning when I noticed a man who seemed a bit lost. I spoke to him, and his beautiful Scottish burred ...

937. Chosen as Witnesses

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

... "What happened?" It was "Who did it?" So, in our resurrection, the essential question is not, "What is going to happen? How is it to happen? Where is it going to be?" but, "Who has it prepared for us?" "God will give it a body," Paul said, "as God has designed." That is all we need to know. God is faithful and God is good. God can be trusted. The mystery is the same as it was on the day of the Resurrection of Jesus. It takes a response of faith to embrace it. When we have the faith, right then ...

938. Easter 6

Jn 14:23-29 · Acts 14:8-18; 15:1-2, 22-29 · Rev 21:10, 22-27

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... "Before the Spirit Can Come". Need: Pentecost is only two Sundays distant. Unlike Christmas and Easter, there is no period of preparation for Pentecost. This may explain why Pentecost is often an empty and unfulfilling occasion in the life of the church. This sermon is designed to help people get ready for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. Sermon: Before the Spirit can come to you this Pentecost - a. Christ must be loved - v. 24 b. Christ must be obeyed - v. 23 c. Christ must ascend - v. 28 Lesson 1: Acts ...

939. Proper 9

Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 · Gal 6:7-18 · 1 Ki 21:1-3, 17-21 · Isa 66:1-14

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... ) Need: Church visitors (the seventy) are ambassadors of Christ. They are "little Christs" who speak and act in the place of Jesus - Christ's surrogates! Every pastor knows how difficult it is to get church members to make calls on prospective members. This sermon is designed to motivate members to visit the unchurched by showing them that they as visitors have the high privilege of speaking for and representing Jesus. Look who's at the door - not Mr. and Mrs. John Doe but Jesus Christ in the persons of the ...

940. Proper 11

Lk 10:38-42 · Col 1:21-29 · Gen 18:1-10 · 2 Ki 4:8-17

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... needs - food, clothing, shelter, medical care? Can we neglect physical bread for spiritual bread? Must it be either-or? Could it be that both are needed? If so, which is more important? In the text Jesus answers this: Mary chose "the good portion." This sermon is designed to fill the need of encouraging church members to give top priority to the spiritual needs of life. Outline: What is your top need? A. Are Martha's concerns not needful? B. Why is Mary's need more important? C. Should not both Martha's and ...

941. Proper 14

Lk 12:32-48 · Gen 15:1-6 · Jer 18:1-11 · Heb 11:1-3, 8-19

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... in others, in a machine. Is this the same as religious faith? Most probably think of faith in terms of blind faith - accepting something beyond reason. To others faith is believing something or someone exists. The author of Hebrews defines faith in our text. This sermon is designed to answer the need people have of a full understanding of the meaning of faith. Outline: Now faith is A. Assurance - v. 1a B. Conviction - v. 1b C. Trust in God's promises - v. 11 D. Obedience - v. 8 2. What Faith Can Do For You ...

942. Proper 16

Lk 13:22-30 · Heb 12:5-7, 11-13, 18-29 · Jer 28:1-9 · Isa 66:18-23

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Heaven. Need: Every person would like to know if he is going to make it to heaven. "Heaven" is the same as being "saved," being in a right relationship with God. Jesus makes it clear that not all who think they are going will get there. This sermon is designed to help people know where they stand and learn what is necessary to be saved. The problem to be faced is to preach so that the impression is not given that good works is the way to heaven. Outline: Who will be saved? A. Not necessarily one nation or ...

943. Rules for the Redeemed

Exodus 20:1-21

Bulletin Aid

... to his love; and live in accordance with his will. Collect Eternal God, you have set us free to be your obedient children. Quicken us to obey your commands, and live in harmony with your will; that we may enjoy the blessings of life according to your design. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Prayer of Confession Your laws are necessary, O God, for us to live with one another, and with you. But we take them lightly as we rewrite our own guidelines for living. Forgive us when we claim your love, but reject your ...

944. Epiphany 7

Isaiah 49:8-26, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, Matthew 5:27-30, Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 5:33-37

Bulletin Aid

... storms, but it survives because Jesus is the sure foundation. People: Human nature in the church makes it subject to all kinds of disagreements which hurt the unity of the church. Pastor: The faith of the church is in Christ, not in the doctrines and dogmas designed by man. People: Many persons have done great things in the church. But we know Christ is the real source of our being. Praise his name! Collect Gracious Father, whose Son is the only foundation on which the church is built: Use the labors of ...

945. Deliverance by a Dream

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

... is pleased. Israel, Egypt and all nations must become friends who honestly respect one another. God wants us to promote peace all over the world, not simply talk about it or yearn for it. Christians are peacemakers by nature and by God’s design. We Christians need to be engaged in activities which will alter the life-styles of people in refugee camps, who desperately need relief and assistance. Someone has said Americans react generously when a physical crisis occurs, such as the recent famine in Ethiopia ...

946. Pentecost’s Promises Judith Ann Cobb

Isaiah 44:1-5

Sermon

... Rite of Confirmation. They are afraid. They go to school one day and they are liked and popular. The next day, they are "put down" and labeled "nerds." They are under extreme pressure to achieve: win the game, get the grades, earn the money. They wear designer clothes to feel secure. They are freely offered the options of fast driving, free hours, and fantasy escapes into alcohol and other drugs. They say to me, "How can we make a public profession of our faith promising to continue in the Covenant God made ...

947. Some Crossroads of Family Life W. Dexter Moser

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

... of ________________ squad. It’s a bad time when children play around needles and drug dealers." "A Vietnamese woman huddles with her children Thursday after the refugees arrived on an island off Hong Kong. The government this week announced a policy designed to stem the influx of refugees." "Bethel Home for Children ... was ordered closed last Friday when a judge ruled that its residents were subject to physical abuse, medical neglect and detention amounting to imprisonment." Each of you has observed, in ...

948. Remember Toward the Future John M. Cobb

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

... American national holidays. 2. In Luther’s German, literally, "You shall have this day for the memory." 3. "Die Briten," colloquial in Canada for those (also in Canada) of more pronounced (European) British origin. 4. The writer has seen this day designated on some Canadian calendars simply as "Civic Holiday," although the Heritage Day theme seems to be quite strong in Alberta. 5. "im inneren Menschen," literally "in the inner man." 6. Volkslieder 7. The quote is for purposes of homiletic style. Actually ...

949. Treasure's Tug

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

... where God's will is done and where there is no yawning gap between what God desires and what we do. It's that new world coming to be, where we will take shape as the people God intended us to be instead of the creatures of our own warped design. It's the new world of God's good for us. That new world is the treasure. Sometimes it tugs at us, and other times, in our unbelief, it turns us off. But it is always treasure. This means that we come to know its goodness when we try it ...

950. No Appeal

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

... in their sorrows, felt "goose bumps" of joyful excitement at Easter. If it is now someone else's turn to know the benefits of Christ - benefits which include the joy and meaning found in serving - then there is no appeal to a higher court. This is the way God has designed it: that all might know "the riches of his grace, which he has lavished upon us." (Ephesians 1:7-8) This is the third lesson then: that God gives grace as God desires and we have no reason to complain. God is a God who gives and gives and ...

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