Sermon and Worship Resources

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John 13:31-35 · Revelation 21:1-6

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... about Christians, if you ask the world out there how we are known, some not very flattering answers will come our way. Christians in the so-called “popular” culture are known, not for love but for rigidity. Christians are known, not for love, but for judgment and exclusivity. In my own United Methodist community we are known for our intra-Nicene bickering about whom we will consider to fully welcome in the church. We are known less by our love and more by the ways in which we have taken on the values of ...

952. Do You See Lazarus On Your Doorstep?

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... testimony of Jesus’ preaching of the good news of the restored rule of God; they had the Easter proclamation of Jesus raised by God from the dead. How thoroughly had it been taken? How single-minded were they in their willingness to place their trust exclusively in God? How consistent were they in relying on God alone, wherever they were, whatever happened, no matter what? How about us?”[2] Tom Wright brought the story up to the present where it involves all of us “rich” people, in case we forget ...

953. What, Then, Would You Be?

2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10

Sermon

Dr. Ronald Love

... to answer questions posed to him, Royall threatened to scream if Adams attempted to get out of the water. This would summon nearby fishermen around the bend of the river. While President Adams remained discreetly submerged in the water, Anne Royall got her exclusive interview. We are the newspaper reporters of this day and we have a remarkable story of good news to share with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and anyone whom we may encounter that may be receptive to listening. It is the story of Jesus ...

954. The Mud Room

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... who believes that Jesus is the Messiah will be banned from the synagogue. Only people who agree to abide by the specific beliefs set forth by the Pharisees will be sanctioned, declared clean, and allowed into that community! This is the ultimate in exclusivity! Shunning is about control and order. “Believe as we do or get kicked out!” It’s alienation. And this kind of intolerance and division creates collateral damage. It creates a “fragile” culture. Think for a moment about a piece of pottery ...

955. Mind Your Manners

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

... list with care. But here is Jesus who sends out invitations indiscriminately, despite the cost. Orientation is a time for you to find your place. And manners are a means of keeping in your place. So here is Jesus eating with social discards and here are we, exclusive and excluding, at the university, scrambling for seats of honor at Commencement. Will we feel out of place showing up in a tux or evening gown at one of God's parties only to find the place crammed with a crowd that we've always shunned? If ...

956. The Need to Be for Sure

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

A college student went to the perfume counter of an exclusive store to buy a present for his girlfriend. The saleswoman recommended a perfume that was called “Perhaps” that sold for $35 an ounce. “Thirty-five dollars!” cried the young fellow. “For $35 I don’t want ‘Perhaps,’ I want ‘For Sure’!” There are some things we need to be for ...

957. God's Little Acre

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

Will Willimon

... , for the church -- people on the rolls who have barely to set foot in the church, people on the rolls who may be there more because of social convention than for their Christian commitment. It's embarrassing. If we could just get the church clean, a more exclusive club. Rotary or Kiwanis vote on their members and make them pay dues, but anybody can join a church. Is that anyway to run a business? And so we come to another little story from Jesus as recorded in Matthew. As last week, Jesus is again talking ...

958. God Bless Santa!

Luke 2:1-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... -to-school specials are done in September. The other holiday has a humble birth, lowly shepherds, heavenly angels, God in human flesh, and begins on Christmas Eve. Two Christmas celebrations. Very different, but I would insist that they need not be mutually exclusive. If we can learn to separate them, then we might actually come to enjoy both. They can complement one another rather than compete with one another. Now, with that in mind, hear again this favorite scripture text: “For God so loved the world ...

959. Fearless

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . It requires investment by two parties. When God commits to loving, valuing, and caring for God’s people no matter what, the other side of the coin means that those in “covenant” with God must also agree to love and serve God exclusively and to love God intimately, fully, and to cultivate that relationship each and every day. To be in covenant with God is to be in a kind of “marriage” relationship, which provides stability and security, as well as encourages growth and healthy individuality ...

960. Heroines of the Faith

Mark 1:29.39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... home.” Amy Carmichael was an inspiration and heroine to, not only those girls she rescued in India, but who knows how many others through her extensive writings. There is Donaldina Cameron in San Francisco. In 1882, Congress passed the first of three Chinese exclusion acts which prevented all but a few privileged classes of Chinese men from sending for their families in China. Single men could not send for Chinese wives, nor did the law permit them to marry non-Chinese wives. The small ratio of Chinese ...

961. The Lord Is With Us

Luke 1:26-38, 2 Samuel 7:1-17, Romans 16:1-27

Sermon

Will Willimon

... the holy in our unholy exploits. We know that our lives need some contact with the source of our being. We yearn for some fellowship with the eternal, reaching out, tentatively toward heaven, longing, hoping. But like Groucho Marx who once turned down a membership to an exclusive club saying, "I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would take a guy like me,'' we find it difficult to worship a God who would have a serious interest in guys like us. Our great pride induces us to postulate a God who is ...

962. You're In the Army Now

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Will Willimon

... for an essay on, “My Most Memorable Summer” in his English classes here. However, if they did, I would be happy to tell you about my worst summer. It was after my Junior Year of college when I spent an unforgettable nine weeks as Uncle Sam's guest at an exclusive camp for boys known as Fort Bragg. There, in spite of our drill sergeant's efforts, I proved, beyond a shadow of doubt, that I was one of the worst soldiers this country has ever produced. The five-mile runs at dawn, the days of K.P., the field ...

963.

Psalm 76:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... 3). The next section narrates this event of Yahweh’s defense of Zion. 76:4–10 This evidence is unpacked as praise addressed directly to Yahweh. With this turn to praise there is no subsequent mention of Zion or its distinctive privileges—attention is focused exclusively on God. The Hebrew text of verse 4 is somewhat problematic. We should perhaps read, “You are feared (cf. v. 7, nôrāʾ instead of nāʾôr), more majestic than the everlasting mountains” (see LXX and cf. Deut. 33:15; Hab. 3:6). In ...

964. Advocating For Whom?

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

Sermon

David Coffin

... are at the county food pantry.” The civic groups and churches in charge decide that each family is to show identification that they are indeed residents of the county and that they have had their one visit to this food pantry. Is this too elitist or exclusive? What happens when a person who lives just over the county line comes in with crying children who need a meal? John’s gospel would suggest the church err on the side of grace. But this might have consequences, such as, causing those who wish to ...

965. Daniel Interprets the Dream

Daniel 2:24-49

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... Hebrew names (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) in Daniel 2:17 looks back to chapter 1, while the use of the Babylonian names here at the end of the chapter (v. 49) looks ahead to chapter 3, where that account uses the names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego exclusively. Additional Notes 2:28 The phrase in days to come (Aram. beʾakharit yomayyaʾ; Heb. beʾakharit hayyamim) occurs fourteen times in the OT. In passages such as Gen. 49:1; Num. 24:14; Deut. 4:30; and 31:29 it is not eschatological but indicates ...

966. Judgment on Israel

Amos 2:6-16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... said “no.” And its “no” is symbolized by the fact that it has debauched the Nazirites and silenced the prophets, verse 12. Nazirites, two of whom are named in the OT (Samuel, 1 Sam.1:28; Samson, Judg. 13–15), were those set apart by special vows for service exclusively to the Lord. As a mark of separation, they vowed not to cut their hair; as a mark of self-denial, they abstained from wine; and as a mark of purity, they did not go near the dead (Num. 6:1–21). They thus bore witness to Israel’s ...

967. Schadenfreude

Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... our tribal “win” (on seeing others as “other”) than seeing ourselves and others as a connective and relational part of a universal interaction or goal. That sounds like a lot of “jargon.” But the basic idea lies in whether we see ourselves exclusively or inclusively, as alike with others, or as different and separate. The more relational you are, the more likely you are to see others in harmony with yourself. The more individualistic you are, the more you are likely to see difference…and often ...

968. More Than Gimmicks

John 6:24-35

Sermon

David Coffin

... . Jesus wanted to provide life. In John’s gospel Jesus invited people into a relationship with him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Such a relationship is not simply learning how to say the right things, or confessing the right words, though that is not mutually exclusive to this life. In the epistles of John, the elder reminded believers that one has to confess that Jesus is the Son of the Father 1 John 2:18-28 (RSV). The symbol of “bread” is another metaphor for Jesus in John’s gospel. Roman ...

969. Living Bread

John 6:51-58

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... get it out! Jesus interestingly used the metaphor of yeast in both negative and positive ways. He warned against emulating or reproducing the “yeast” of the Pharisees –the prolific negative, internal character they represented with their exclusive and hypocritical tendencies. But on the other hand, he advocated for internalizing and reproducing the “yeast” of the “kingdom”! Both could multiply prolifically. Whether one chooses to reproduce negative or positive characteristics (or spirits!) in ...

970. For the Love of Children

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... his disciples a couple thousand of years earlier! “Let the children come to me! Let them be. Do not reprimand them. Do not trip them up and cause them to lose faith. Do not infuse into them your biases, your rigidness, your human-made rules, and your exclusive traditions. Do not let these kinds of bad behaviors by the adults and leaders within my church go on one more generation! Let the children be children! For to these belongs the kingdom of God! In fact….. let’s take it a step further. Unless each ...

971. You Are the Christ....Now What About Them?

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Will Willimon

... do people say that I am?” would range from, “You are an inspired and wonderful teacher," to “You are a charlatan and a complete quack," but few would say, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” how could Peter make such bold, exclusive confession of faith in Christ? Now, in one sense it's odd to expect guidance for our encounter with other faiths from this text. From one perspective, this text in which Peter says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God," kills inter-religious dialogue ...

972. God Is Like...a Name

Exodus 3:1-15

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

... . It’s worth getting paying attention to. The great Christian mystic of the Middle Ages, Meister Eckhart, wrote: That I am a man I have in common with all men, That I see and hear and eat and drink I share with all animals. But that I am I is exclusively mine, And belongs to me And to nobody else, To no other man Nor to an angel nor to God, Except inasmuch as I am one with him. (in the public domain) You and I are created in the image of God, with a unique identity. Discovering that identity, learning ...

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