Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 926 to 950 of 4999 results

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

William G. Carter

... as you know. Once there were twelve disciples. No thanks to Judas, the church shrank from twelve to eleven. "And when they saw Jesus, they worshiped him; but some doubted." Even on Easter, with the risen Lord in plain view, the incomplete church has an incomplete faith. This is the kind of church that Jesus sends out from the mountaintop. It's a church that can no longer play, "We've got it and you need it." The only thing we can say is, "All of us need it." All of us need a Word that sets us free and sends ...

927. A Double Dose

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... . We are worn out. Our last vestiges of strength and stamina are sapped by the daily round of church life. We need a double dose to sustain us, to quicken our resolve, to re-energize us when limbs palsy and bones are brittled and wearied. This requires a kind of catharsis, a cleansing of the soul, a revitalization of the Spirit so we might continue the tasks God sets before us. How many of us have petered out or fallen exhausted at critical times in our service to God? The spirit is willing but the flesh is ...

928. Lent 3

Luke 13:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Psalm 63:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... Mark 13:28-31; Luke 21:29-33 -- Jesus uses the sign of a fig tree putting forth leaves to urge his followers to read more spiritual signs. John 1:48 -- Nathaniel is called while sitting under a fig tree. James 3:12 -- A fig tree only produces one kind of fruit. So the character of a person produces only one fruit. Revelation 6:13 -- The image of a fig tree dropping its winter fruit in a gale is used to describe catastrophic events in end times. Context of the Lectionary The First Lesson. (Isaiah 55:1-9) The ...

929. Proper 20

Psalm 79:1-13, 1 Timothy 2:1-15, Jeremiah 8:4--9:26, Luke 16:1-15

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... Deuteronomy 23:19-20 -- Israelites are not to be charged interest on loans but foreigners may be. Mark 12:2 -- An account of rent in kind for use of a vineyard. Luke 12:42 -- A slave serving a master as a steward. John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians ... top dog to benefit the relatively poor. And perhaps Jesus and his hearers knew of such a real incident. It was a kind of Robin Hood story if Kenneth Bailey is correct. CONTEMPLATION Issues and Insights 1. Why the Parable? People are sometimes puzzled by ...

930. The Tale Of Three Women

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... decides to return to Judah and her two daughters-in-law travel with her. On her journey to her homeland Naomi insists that Orpah and Ruth should return to Moab. She urges them, "Go back each of you to your mother's house and may the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with me." But the women answer, "No, we will return with you to your people." Naomi insists that they return to Moab. After giving her mother-in-law's words serious consideration, Orpah kisses her mother-in-law goodbye and returns to ...

931. Mirror, Mirror ON The Wall . . .!

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... one ugly and dirty little part that quit doing its job and the entire plant was shut down! Creation is like that, too. It takes all kinds! Each of us is designed by God to fill a job here on earth. And the Lord, seeing how he wants us to fit in, designed ... image of God! And what more beautiful image is there? You're so special that Christ died for you. You're the only one of your kind! So, why not thank God for making you what you are so far? Ask Jesus to save you, to put his marvelous Holy Spirit within you ...

932. What's In It For Me?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... member of this congregation? Who would ever want to be a Christian? No one in their right mind would ever want to have any part of this kind of life. We want to have a church, a God, a messiah that serve our needs and help us get to the front of the line. ... let go, to die, to drink the cup and be baptized with the baptism. In the drama of our liturgy we get to act out this new kind of life that is already ours in Christ. We get to drink the cup and be baptized with the baptism and let go of ourselves and be ...

933. The Man With Two Umbrellas

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1

Sermon

William L. Self

... raincoat was dripping wet, and on one arm he had two umbrellas. He said, 'I thought you might have a hard time finding your church, especially in the rain. I shall walk along with you and show you where it is.' As I got dressed to go, I thought, 'What kind of fellow is this?' As we walked along in the rain under the two umbrellas, I said to myself, 'If this fellow is so concerned about my religion, I ought to know something about his.' I asked, 'Where do you go to church?' 'Oh,' he replied, 'My church is ...

934. Advent 1

Isaiah 63:7--64:12, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Psalm 80:1-19, Mark 13:32-37, Mark 13:1-31

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... represented the ruling leaders of his time, both religiously and politically. They were the so-called "power elite." Yet the scriptures talk about the power of God. Jesus speaks of the Son of Man coming in glory and power. What kind of power does God exercise or represent in the world? What kind of power did Jesus exercise when he was not part of either the religious or the political governing forces of his day? Is power found in righteousness and justice? Does power reside in moral force? Is the word more ...

935. The Heart Of The Matter

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Robert P. Hines

... imagine employees who don't do what you ask of them, but do what they want, even if it's wrong. God and Israel had had that kind of experience and it ended in heartache and pain. But in the new covenant, God will write the law on the hearts of the people. They will ... parents and teachers, from video tapes, and from preachers. It is secondhand knowledge. A person can have a lot of this kind of knowledge about God and still not know God in a personal way, from firsthand experience. You could answer every ...

936. Jesus Our Rock

1 Corinthians 10:4

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... Moses to free them. Then he sent them food and water to get them through the desert. Today, Paul reminds us that God did the same kind of thing for us. Instead of Moses, he sent us someone else. Who was that someone else that God sent to us? (Let them answer.) ... home. He gave us the directions so that we wouldn't get lost. And Jesus left us food for our journey. Do you know what kind of food he left us, boys and girls? (Let them answer.) Yes, he gave us Holy Communion, bread and wine, which are signs of his ...

937. Members Of Jesus' Special Club

Romans 6:3

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... it is fun, but sometimes you have to do really hard things, and then it isn't fun at all. Well, there is one kind of initiation that we have all been through and it was a wonderful one. Does anyone know what that was? (Let them guess.) We ... we became Christians, boys and girls? (Let them answer.) No, we might have worn a nice baptismal dress, but we didn't get any other kind of uniform. We did get something special for our souls -- the wonderful gift of God's grace. This grace helps us to continue each day ...

938. A Lesson From A Shell

Proverbs 10:7

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

... of the oceans. The little creature who lived in the shell is gone, but the shell remains. We do not live in shells, but there is a lesson for us here in the shell. Each day, we leave something of our self behind, for good or bad. When we are kind to others and try to make other people happy, we leave a good memory behind that adds beauty to life. Once the day is over, we cannot change that memory. It is like the shell: what we have done is set. Remember, with each new day, you have a new ...

939. Where Do Our Words Come From?

Matthew 12:34b

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

... say words come from books. I also heard that words come from our brain. Those are all good answers, but there is one other place words come from that I want us to think about this morning. Did you ever stop to think that words come from our hearts? Sounds kind of strange, doesn't it, words coming from our hearts? Hearts don't have lips. Hearts can't talk; they don't speak to us. But in many ways, our hearts are responsible for everything we say. The Bible teaches us that the things we say come from what's ...

940. Trouble

Psalm 34:14

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

... all back, but it's too late. We're in for it and there is no way out. Sometimes we have to sit in timeout, or we get grounded. Maybe we lose our allowance, cannot talk on the phone, or have our favorite toy taken away. There is usually some kind of consequence for getting in trouble. Does it feel better to be in trouble or not in trouble? (Children respond.) Of course, it feels better not to be in trouble. How can we stay out of trouble? (Children respond.) We can stay out of trouble by doing what we are ...

941. The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... diminished. Upon his retirement he found satisfaction in assuming the job of janitor in the congregation to which he belonged. He expressed his gratitude for being able to serve the church in that way after years of benefiting from the services of others who did that kind of work. A missionary to India came to the age of retirement. To supplement his income he became the custodian of the church in the community where he retired. He kept the building in tip-top shape. In a quiet way he became a presence in ...

942. Getting Out Of Our Own Way

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... , it depends who is doing the asking. If I am calling my mechanic to see if my car is done, I'm the owner of a certain kind of car. If I am calling the school to make an appointment with the principal, I am my child's parent. If I am at a family ... with your tithe. You could do community service." What they are really saying is, "I've begun to picture myself as the parent of a certain kind of adult and you are changing my view of myself and of you." We get in our own way, too. Walter Wink, a Bible scholar, has ...

943. Wedding: Deciding To Love (for a marriage after divorce)

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... now and then, but if that becomes the manner in which you address your loved one day after day, love may fade and become no more than a dream. What you will want to add more of to your marriage are simple things like patience and kindness, honesty, humility, and endurance. These are not complicated ideas. The complications arise because we often get to thinking those are the attitudes which the other person needs to develop. Paul is suggesting we need to be mature and look at our own attitudes first. To ask ...

944. Wedding: Miracles Of Marriage

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... the flesh. He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind -- Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. 'Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." That is why a man ... greatest miracle of all is yet to come. It is the miracle of loving. You may think you already have that, and you have begun. But the kind of loving I hope you will aim for is what Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians. It is more than being a friend to each other. ...

945. Mind Your Manners

Matthew 7:7-12

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

... I can't stand about myself as well as others it is a lack of manners. My director of the universe -- my wife -- refers to it as the absence of common courtesies. There's a lot of wisdom framed and hanging in my study which says, "No kindness shown no matter how small is ever wasted." Conversely, no unkindness shown no matter how small is ever harmless. I am reminded of the Texan who was visiting Princeton University. He asked a young Ivy Leaguer, "Excuse me, boy, but where's the library at?" The bluenose ...

946. Holing Out

2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

... mom about the older man. I haven't had a hole-in-one yet. I'm not that jealous or anything. It doesn't bother me that much that four members of the church have had aces in the last year. But I am thinking of stealing -- in a Christian kind of way -- James Dodson's (Final Rounds, 1996) idea and starting a Hole-in-None Society. I'm about to order a pub sign from the latest golf catalogue of useless accessories: "I have never shot a hole-in-one and anxiously await the day I can give this sign ...

947. What Law is Operating Here?

Illustration

John Killinger

... the Memoirs of Casanova. He is very polite, and offers to put his teeth in, but she says he need not. They talk with great ease and candor, for Isabel has been accustomed to conversing for hours with her father. Mr. Spenser says that most people are kind to the elderly only out of guilt. Isabel asks if he doesn't believe in acts of pure generosity. He responds that he finds the very concept of purity rather "jejune." Isabel says he reminds her of a friend she loves but whom she cannot have because he ...

948. Praying To The Congregation

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Thomas Long

... this communion, this intimacy, with God that is the theme of Jesus' prayer in today's text. John 17 is very clearly a prayer to God -- Jesus looks up at heaven and addresses his words to God -- but it is also a stunning example of the best kind of praying to the congregation. Every word of Jesus' prayer flows toward God, and, likewise, every word is intended to be overheard by the church and is expressly aimed at teaching the faithful. What it teaches is that Jesus Christ has made it possible for us, too ...

949. What A Friend He Had In Judas

Matthew 26:47-56

Sermon

Thomas Long

... . For less obvious reasons, the word friend is also a verbal slap in the Gospel of Matthew. In the Gospel of John, friend is a good word. "What a friend we have in Jesus." Not in Matthew. When someone calls somebody else "friend" in Matthew, it has a kind of "Okay, Buster, back off" flavor. For example, in the parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), when the workers who have worked all day long begin to grumble about their wages, a provoked vineyard owner looks one of them straight in the ...

950. The Spreading Word

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... ourselves; what is needed is for God to come and turn us out again and that happens as the word of Christ comes to us. Then we not only see God but we see God's world and our fellow creatures. If we focus first on our response, on what kind of soil we are, we remain turned in on ourselves. Then we domesticate Jesus, we "miniaturize" him (as someone has said), to make his word fit into our ways instead of using our ears to hear him and be pulled outside of our preoccupation with ourselves. There is a helpful ...

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