Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 951 to 975 of 4968 results

951. Acts 19:1-7

Acts 19:1-22

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... hadn't thought it necessary to re-baptize that Spirit-filled believer (Acts 18:25). The baptism described in today's Acts text is, in fact, the only case of "re-baptism" recorded in the New Testament. Paul is moved to offer these disciples, who like Apollos had already received John's baptism, an additional baptismal experience because they present to the apostle an obvious spiritual deficiency: they may be believers but they aren't Spirit-filled believers. The text notes that Paul laid his hands upon ...

952. Proper 6

Matthew 10:1-42, Matthew 9:35-38, Romans 5:1-11, Psalm 116:1-19, Genesis 18:1-15

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... for this Sunday. Matthew 9:35-38 reports Jesus' compassion for the crowds as he went about doing ministry. Then 10:1-4 tells of Jesus' authorizing the twelve, and it records their names. Finally 10:5-23 forms a collection of Jesus' instructions to the disciples as he sent them out in ministry. Any one of sections could serve as a text for preaching. Indeed, there are a dozen or more potential texts in the materials in 10:5-23. Some focusing may prove necessary, because otherwise one confronts the difficulty ...

953. John 11:1-45

John 11:1-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... days in the grave, his shrouds and stench still clinging to him? Yet, if we read the John’s Lazarus story with careful attention to the layers of detail, this miracle also reveals as much failure as success: 1) the failure of faith from the disciples, Martha, Mary, and “the Jews;” 2) the failure of Jesus to enable those around him to see more than a miracle worker. In sum, the very event that reveals unknown dimensions of God’s glory through the Son also reveals the depths of human misunderstanding ...

954. Changed Lives - Thomas

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... Christ’s tomb, that would not be the end of the world. St. Paul said in I Corinthians 15 that at death we throw off our physical bodies and put on new spiritual bodies. Notice in the story of Thomas, Jesus was able to appear to the disciples behind locked doors. The doors were not a barrier to his resurrected body. How would Paul know about the new spiritual body unless he had heard from the apostles’ report about Christ’s appearances? Jesus had a body, but it was not exactly the same body he ...

955. An Emmaus Experience

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Mark R. Smith

... do, the junk might come falling down on top of us. What I’m saying is this: Christ must be invited into every part of our lives for the full power of a transforming and loving God to be at work in us. It all started with a talk. The disciples had a talk with Jesus. He listened to them, He responded to them. They invited Him to stay, and He revealed Himself to them in the breaking of the bread. CHRIST OFTEN REVEALS HIMSELF TO US THROUGH COMMUNION, THE BREAKING OF BREAD. I can’t pretend to explain the ...

956. Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26

Matthew 9:9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... and influence that clothed his manhood with governmental clout. Outside the protection of the tax booth, Matthew was a despised toady of the oppressive ruler, a Jew of decidedly dubious piety and purity. But this time Matthew stepped out of the booth and became a disciple of Jesus. Although the text in v.10 does not precisely stipulate in whose house the ensuing dinner was being served, it seems likely that his meal occurred at Matthew’s own home (see Luke 5:29). Who else would invite a house full of ...

957. Just Know Him in His Victorious Resurrection

Acts 13:29-39

Sermon

James Merritt

... written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.'" (vv.32-33) Both the testimony and the truth of all that Jesus spoke and said, was verified and authenticated by His resurrection. You see, in the three year period that Jesus spent with his disciples, he taught them over and over that He was going to rise from the dead. He said in Mark 8:31, "And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be ...

958. Breakfast on the Beach

John 21:1-14

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... of the right side of the boat?" Now John doesn't record it, but I am sure there was a big silence right there. Then the disciples responded: The right side of the boat? You've got to be kidding. Never did it that way before. Oh my, no! We've always fished ... we are willing to cast our nets on the other side of the boat to do the business of fishing for Jesus Christ. So the disciples haul in the nets…and they are filled. Filled to overflowing. So many fish they were not able to haul them in. (My guess is ...

959. Baptism: The Common Call To Holiness

Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... central call for all who follow in the footsteps of the Master is to live a holy life. Antony discovered there were many paths to God and sainthood. Living in the light of the Christmas season just passed, we must see our call to be disciples, to live holy lives consistent with Jesus' message of peace, humility, and love. Saint Mark's version of the baptism of Jesus is rather brief, only three verses. Nonetheless, we learn some very important things about the Lord. First, we learn of the connection between ...

960. Matthew 23:1-12

Matthew 23:1-39

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... also unusual. Its use here is the only reference in the New Testament, and seems to denote an especially honored or gifted teacher. The uniqueness of the term and the unique place of the Messiah compliment each other. The final identity Jesus proclaims for his disciples is a familiar one to them. In 18:1-5 and 20:26-27 Jesus already had urged his followers to find their identity in childlike humility and humble service to others. Jesus promises that the Pharisees and scribes who are so concerned with their ...

961. A Womb With a View

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... who appear to be out in the world may actually be nurturing fetal faith. Wombs can take on a variety of guises; we seek sanctuary from the unknown in our jobs, in our addictive co-dependent relationships, in our ideologies, even in our churches. The disciples certainly appeared to be out in the world. They had hiked all over Galilee and were now on their way to Jerusalem, guided by none other than Jesus himself. But their reaction to Jesus' passion narratives reveals that their faith in Christ was still ...

962. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... stood at the center of faith in most pagan and Gnostic religions. Judaism put obedience to the Torah as its central tenet. Paul insists, however, that Christians have hearts of faith saturated with joy, a joy rooted in the hope brought to all disciples because of Christ, because of the gospel. It is the “good news” that makes it possible for Christians to “rejoice always.” Prayer is also transformed by Christian faith. Prayer is no longer to be practiced as just a means of petitioning the Divine ...

963. Luke 21:5-19

Luke 21:5-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... at the hands of loved ones - parents, brothers, friends and relatives. Despite all these trials and tortures, Jesus finishes in verses 18-19 by announcing that "not a hair on your head will perish." By risking life and limb for the sake of the gospel, disciples may suffer pain and persecution. But they "will gain their souls." Not even the very hairs on their heads, already numbered and accounted for by God, (Matthew 10:30), will perish. While others run the risk of true death by denying Christ during these ...

964. Luke 21:5-19

Luke 21:5-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

965. John 20:19-31

John 20:19-31

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... have long been perceived as a specific admonition to Thomas: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (v.29). Yet, these comments were directed not only to Thomas but to all of the disciples who had behaved in precisely the same manner as their doubting friend. Not one of them had believed in the absence of some evidence. All of them "did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead" (v.9). Although John was the first to ...

966. Remember Your Baptism

Acts 19:1-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of Christ in that Gentile/Jewish city. Baptism of water and wind saves one, but serves many. To be born of water is to be a minister. But to be born of wind is to be a missionary. It is the Spirit that creates not just ministers but missionaries, disciples of doing, disciples of daring. It is the Spirit that gives faith its feet. Baptism in water, as an act of repentance and re-birth, is a “once-and-for-all time” gift from God, a dying to self and a living to Christ. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a ...

967. Mark 10:2-16

Mark 10:2-16

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... what God has joined together [literally "yoked together"], let no one separate" (v.9). But the lesson on divorce, loyalty and God's intentions for men and women in relationships does not stop there. Mark's gospel breaks up this discourse by having the disciples and Jesus now leave the crowds and retreat to the privacy of their local home base and the intimacy of a private tutorial. The "whatever cause" phrase from Matthew that is dropped in Mark's gospel remains absent in Jesus' final private words on ...

968. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... ?” Which is a good question to ask when we are. For some doubt is not a passing phase, it’s a form of God’s grace. Even though Thomas said he’d not believe until he saw and touched the wounds of the crucified Jesus, he stayed with the disciples. Even though he lacked what they had, he stayed in Christian community. He didn’t know how long he would have to wait for Jesus to appear to him. He didn’t even know if Jesus would honor his request. However, at some level, in some form, Thomas trusted in ...

969. Easter 2

Acts 4:32-37, 1 John 1:5--2:14, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... :19-31 1. If a Christian, prove it! (20:20). Need: What distinguishes a Christian from a non-Christian? How can you prove that you are a Christian? It is a problem of a Christian's self-identity. Jesus faced the problem when he first appeared to the disciples on Easter. How could he prove to them that he is real and alive? He shows them his scars. Paul, in Galatians, refers to the marks of Jesus on his body. The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his relationship with Jesus. Does the world see Christ in ...

970. Easter 3

Luke 24:36-49, 1 John 2:28--3:10, Acts 3:11-26

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... book ever written. Before the Bible is read, there needs to be a prayer for Christ to open our minds to understand what we read. If our minds are open, we will see Christ's face shining through the pages. 4. Name (v. 47). Jesus explains to his disciples that in accordance with scripture they are to preach repentance and forgiveness to all nations. This is Luke's version of the great commission in Matthew. What are we to do about this life, death and resurrection of Jesus? Is it only a page of history, a ...

971. If You Really Want to Be Number One

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... Peace. He lived out his final days in a humble hospice in Switzerland. Upon his death a diary was found in which he gave these instructions for his burial: “I wish to be carried to my grave like a dog without a single one of your ceremonies. I am a disciple of Jesus, as in the first century, nothing more.” That kind of radical commitment might be too much for us. But we dare not forget where we came from and who we are. We are the Company of the Committed; we are the Servant Community; we are the Body ...

972. What Are You Looking At?

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19). Jesus promises the disciples they will receive that same Spirit to go about the same task. It is not a task that any one of us can accomplish by ourselves, but together we are expected to go about it anyway! Perhaps that is the greatest reason Jesus ascended into heaven. Had he remained ...

973. Easter: Seeing Is Believing

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" [18] Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. We make pilgrimages to the spot of ... Moore, the author of over 30 books on Christian living. (4) That's Easter. The Risen Christ came back to life to assure the disciples that they were forgiven. The Risen Christ came back to life to assure us we are forgiven. III. The Resurrection Is A Reminder A ...

974. CSI: Jerusalem

Luke 24:36-48

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... saw where the body had been laid. Second: There were the burial clothes. The linens used to wrap the body were lying where Jesus' feet had been. While the one that had been wrapped around head was rolled up lying in another place. Third: The Disciples saw Jesus. They saw Him and thought he was a ghost. Fourth: Jesus spoke to them. They heard Him. They heard his query, "Why are you afraid?" After their shock wore off, they heard and remembered Jesus' teaching about the fulfillment of Scripture. Fifth: The ...

975. Luke 9:28-36

Luke 9:28-36

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms.” Although Peter, James, and John are present on the mountain top and they witness the glory shared by the trinity of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, Luke suggests these three disciples weren’t quite “all there.” As will happen later in the Gethsemane garden, sleep had “weighed down” or “overcome” Jesus’ companions. Luke is more forgiving of discipleship faux pas than the other gospel writers. Here Luke implies it may be simply sleep ...

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