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 1232 results

951. Our Light

Genesis 1:1-5 · Mark 1:9-11

Sermon

Will Willimon

Carl Michaelson knew a philosophy professor at Colgate who, whenever a student used the word "God" in his classroom, would stop and beckon the student to come forward and stand with him at an open window. "Show him to me," the professor asked. What a disadvantage believers have when it comes to empirical evidence for God! At first glance, this seems to be a uniquely modern problem. In the old days, Biblical people are always chatting with God, strolling arm in arm with God in the garden. God is everywhere ...

952. The Main Business of the Church

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Alice Lee Humphreys in her book Angels in Pinafores tells about her experiences as a first grade teacher. She tells about one little girl who came to school one winter day wearing a beautiful white angora beret with white mittens and a matching muff. As she was coming through the door, a mischievous little boy grabbed the white muff and threw it in the mud. After disciplining the little boy, the teacher sought to comfort the little girl. Brushing the mud off of her soiled muff, the little girl looked up at ...

953. Pulling Our Punches

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature Robert Allan Zimmerman — more popularly known as Bob Dylan — has written many memorable lyrics. He has a good ear for the rhythms of speech, poetry, and the Bible. In his song “The Times They Are A-Changin’” Dylan listed a number of factors that should prove to those who stand in the way of truth that “Your order is rapidly fadin’.” He concluded with words that echo Jesus — “For the first one now will later be last, for the times, they are a-changin’.” In the gospels it ...

954. Rock Stars at the Top

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a)

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

If I were a Hollywood writer, the Transfiguration story would be a great setting. I could see it ranking right up there with “The Ten Commandments,” “Samson and Delilah,” “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” or any of the others. I would title it, “Rock Stars At The Top.” The stars would include Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, John, and the Voice and I’m still contemplating who I would cast in the roles. It would be a great media-hype type movie with spectacular special effects…a hard to climb mountain, ...

955. Good Luck?

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Will Willimon

One student was sharing some of their hopes and fears as they move toward graduation. And I said to them, ''Well, good luck.'' Only later, I questioned why on earth I said that, ''Good luck," since I don't believe a word of it. It's not because they are so bright and blessed that they'll never need any help outside themselves to make it. It's just that the help you need outside yourself has nothing to do with luck. Let me explain. Harvard Biologist, Stephen Jay Gould, great writer, though bad speaker, ...

956. Christmas Is Out of Control

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

John Jamison

After hearing the scripture reading, the thought going through your head may be, “What the heck does that have to do with Christmas? Isn’t this the first Sunday of Advent? Why are you talking about Noah? And didn’t Jesus say those things during holy week, like on Palm Sunday? Where is the Christmas story?” Let me try to explain. There is a thing called the lectionary; some of you are probably familiar with it. The lectionary is a list of scriptures for each Sunday of the year, and other special days as ...

957. If It Had Been a Snake

John 1:29-42

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Have you ever been looking for something and discovered it was right in front of you? In the South there’s an old saying about missing something that is in plain view: If it had been a snake, it would have bit you. You shake your head and feel like a fool. But this experience of missing what is obvious is so common that it is even the subject of psychological studies. Alejandro Lleras is a professor of psychology who studies what he calls “inattentional blindness,” or the ability to miss something obvious ...

958. On the Move

Matthew 17:1-9

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: A house key Good morning, boys and girls. What do I have in my hand? That’s right--a key. But this is a specific kind of key. It’s a house key. In fact, it’s the key to my house. Most of the adults in this room have a house key in their pocket or purse. That means we have a home. But some day we may move out of that house. Moving is not always fun to do, is it? It's hard to leave behind old friends. It's hard to begin a new school. Our Bible lesson today takes place on the Mount of Transfiguration ...

959. Imagine This

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

John Jamison

We’re going to start the story today some 400 miles away from the Jordan River. The city of Tarsus was a major business center in what is now Turkey and a place where many Jewish families had settled who had fled the harsh Roman rule around Jerusalem. We’re going to start by looking at one particular Jewish family in Tarsus. It was a devout Jewish family. A son in that family would later refer to himself as “of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a ...

960. The Ear of the Heart

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Dr. Ronald Love

Carol Klein, with schoolbooks under one arm and a sheet of music under the other, got off the express train from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The year was 1957 and the 15-year- old was determined to be a singing sensation. Wearing bobby socks, white sneakers, and a black skirt with a pink poodle embroidered on it, she opened the New York City telephone book. Starting with the “As” in the directory, she visited every music industry executive until she found one who would record her songs. After being turned away ...

961. The Mountain

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

John Jamison

Up in the northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee, a mile or so past the village of Bethsaida, there is a mountain. Or, as near what you would call a mountain in that area. If you go there today, there is a parking lot nearby, and from there you walk a steep and rocky trail for about a mile and a half to get to the top of the mountain. Even with the trail, it is a tough trek. As Jesus, Peter, James, and John walked up the mountain that day there was no parking lot and no trail. It was an ideal place to go ...

962. When God Leads

Joshua 3:7-17

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Have you ever been in a situation that needed leadership and direction before it got out of hand? Sometimes one good leader can keep a situation from descending into chaos. But that kind of leadership can be hard to find. When the COVID-19 pandemic first started, health departments around the nation organized mass vaccination clinics in every community. The challenge of vaccinating hundreds or thousands of people each day in a safe and timely manner proved to be a logistical nightmare. The health ...

963. A Courageous Leader

Judges 4:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

I’m sure most of you have served in a leadership position at some time in your life. I think you’ll agree with me that leadership is hard for many reasons. But one of the biggest stressors for leaders is always being in the public eye. Which means your mistakes are public too. And all of us have had those moments where we wish our brain and our mouth had been working as a team. I heard an old joke about a politician who was out campaigning when a journalist pushed a microphone in his face and asked, “Are ...

964. Seating Arrangements

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

John B. Jamison

Jesus and his disciples had spent the day at the temple again. As had happened every time they went to the temple, they were confronted by the temple priests, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and a lot of others, all wanting to argue and try to make Jesus and all of them look like a bunch of radical losers. On most days, Jesus just dealt with them and then left. But today, as they had left the temple, Jesus had said that God was going to come back and destroy the temple, as well as all of those people who had ...

965. Creation Reborn

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

When I was a pastor in rural southern Alberta, we held our Easter Sunrise worship services in a cemetery. It was difficult to gather in the dark, since neither mountains nor forests hid the spring-time sun, and the high desert plains lay open to almost ceaselessly unclouded skies. Still, we mumbled in hushed whispers as we acknowledged one another, and saved our booming tones for the final rousing chorus of “Up from the grave he arose…!” We did not shake the earth as much as we hoped. But we were confident ...

966. Last Things First

Matthew 24:36-44

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

I was given my first library card for the grown-up section of the Azusa (California) Public Library when I was in the fourth grade. It was a special moment. I felt like I’d read everything in the kids half of the library and I chafed to read new books. Holding my card out like a passport, I walked tentatively into the grownup section fearful I would be challenged, but I had my card in hand, just in case. But the doors opened. I entered. A new world beckoned. The first book I checked out that day was the ...

967. Where's the One?

Luke 15:1-10

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard some variation of the following over and over again: “I’m craving some good news.” “I am longing for beauty.” “I’m tired of feeling beaten up and not good enough.” Maybe you’ve heard versions of these sentiments, too. Or maybe you have expressed them. I’m not sure why I’m hearing this from so many sources now, but I can guess it is because there is so much bad news, so much ugliness, so many people willing to be critical, pointing out flaws in themselves, their friends ...

968. Ascension

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

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

It is a great day when a hero returns to his people. We Americans put on a gala reception with a ticker tape parade usually in Manhattan. Hundreds of thousands gather to see the procession of victory. They cheer. The bands play. Banners wave in the wind. Spontaneous shouts are heard blocks away. The hero may be a Charles Lindbergh, a Dwight Eisenhower, a Neil Armstrong, a Pope or a Nelson Mandela. It is a great day of welcome, festivity and victory. But, the greatest day of all occurred not on earth but in ...

969. Proper 25

Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 22:41-46, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16, Psalm 90:1-17

Sermon Aid

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

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Deuteronomy 34:1-12 is the account of Moses' death on Mount Nebo, his burial by God, and the passing on of his leadership to Joshua. Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 is a prayer ascribed to Moses. The lectionary does not include v. 13, but it is included here since it introduces the prayer ascribed to Moses. Deuteronomy 34:1-12 - "Standing Tiptoe on Mount Nebo" Setting. Deuteronomy 34 is the account of Moses' death. The chapter consists of careful to graps location in Moab and includes a reference ...

970. Easter 7

Jn 17:1-11 · Acts 1:1-14 · 1 Pet 4:12-19, 5:6-11 · Ps 68 · Ps 27 · Ps 47

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

THIS WEEK'S TEXT Revised Common: Acts 1:6-14 · 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 · John 17:1-11 Roman Catholic: Acts 1:12-14 · 1 Peter 4:13-16 · John 17:1-11 Episcopal: Acts 1:(1-7) 8-14 or 1 Peter 4:12-19 or John 17:1-11 · Ezekiel 39:21-29 · Acts 1:(1-7) 8-14 Lutheran: Acts 1:(1-7) 8-14 · 1 Peter 4:12-17; 5:6-11 · John 17:1-11 Theme For The Day: Prayer is the golden thread that ties together the three lections. Acts 1:12-14 states that after the Ascension the disciples went back to the place where they were staying ...

971. Transfiguration

2 Peter 1:12-21, Daniel 7:1-14, Exodus 24:1-18, Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: The transfiguration of Christ was an experience of divine transcendence. The Spirit gifts his children with glimpses of the transcendent Christ and the life to come. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 24:12-18 God instructs Moses to ascend Mount Sinai to receive the law of the Lord. The glory of God appeared to the people on top of the mountain as a consuming fire. Moses enters the mysterious cloud and approaches the fire to receive the divine revelation. Old Testament: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 In the ...

972. Transfiguration

2 Corinthians 3:7-18, Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 9:28-36

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 34:29-35 After 40 days on the mountain with Yahweh, Moses' face shone. In this passage Moses makes his final descent from Mount Sinai where in communing with God he receives the Decalogue on two tablets of stone. When Moses came back to his people, his face was still reflecting the glory of Yahweh to such an extent that Aaron and others were afraid of him. Moses had to urge the people to come near him. To reduce the brilliance, he put on a veil which he removed when he went ...

973. The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Lk 9:28-36 · 2 Cor 3:12--4:6 · Ex 34:29-35 · Deut 34:1-12

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Exodus 34:29-35 After forty days on the mountain with Yahweh, Moses' face shone. In this passage Moses makes his final descent from Mount Sinai where in communing with God he receives the Decalogue on two tables of stone. When Moses came back to his people, his face was still reflecting the glory of Yahweh to such an extent that Aaron and others were afraid of him. Moses had to urge the people to come near him. To reduce the brilliance, he put on a veil which he removed when he went to his tent ...

974. Transfiguration

Luke 9:28-36 · Matthew 17:1-8 · Mark 9:2-8

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they awakened they saw his glory and the two men who ...

975. “As the Deer Pants for Streams of Water, So My Soul Pants for You, My God”

Psalm 42:1-11, Psalm 43:1-5

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Even in adverse circumstances of place, atmosphere, and our own troubled thoughts, we can rally our hearts to joy and hope in God. Understanding the Text Psalms 42 and 43 are distinct psalms in the Hebrew (MT), Greek (LXX), Syriac, and Vulgate, which suggests that they were separate compositions. Yet the seamless relationship of the two poems is indicated by these factors: (1) they share a refrain (42:5, 11; 43:5); (2) Psalm 43 has no title (Ps. 71 is the only other exception in Book 2); (3) both ...

Showing results