Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 76 to 100 of 4489 results

76. Jesus Breaks Our Chains

John 11:1-45

Sermon

Richard Gribble

He was chained, held bound in a life of torment and blasphemy. In the end, however, God would set him free. John Newton, a name probably not familiar to many of us, was born in July, 1725, to a pious English woman and her seafaring husband. From his earliest days, young Newton was attracted to his father's side of the family and to the life at sea. Thus, when he was only eleven years old he became an apprentice aboard his father's vessel, a cargo ship which ferried products throughout the major ports of ...

77. The Coffee Break

Matthew 20:1-16

Illustration

Brett Blair

The coffee break, where did that come from? It was a necktie manufacturer out of Denver called Wigwam Weavers. Wigwam Weavers made these very intricate silk neckties and during World War II they lost all their best loom operators to the war effort, all men of course. Then they hired women to do it and they could do it beautifully, and these were very intricate patterns, very complicated looms. The women could do it really well but only for about four or five hours. So they called a meeting. The owner said ...

78. Things Change

1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

Sermon

Stan Purdum

Here's a fact about life: things change. Now that is hardly a profound observation, but it is a significant shift in thinking that for many of us can only be gained by living a while. Think back to when you were a child living with your parents. Whatever the circumstances of your home life, you likely had a sense that how things were in your family was more or less how things would always be there. It is a natural mark of immaturity to think that things won't change. In high schools, for example, kids who ...

79. Valley of Suffering (Series: Peace in the Valley)

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

At the tender age of 18, I was appointed to my first church. On Saturday following my first Sunday there, the main man in that congregation, a husband, a father, a grand-father, a leader in the community was killed in a tragic farming accident. Without a single course in theology or pastoral care, I was confronted with the question, “Why do people suffer?” My simple answer as a teenager was “I don’t know.” The number one question people would ask God if they could be assured of an answer is “Why do people ...

80. The Messed Up

John 4:1-26

Sermon

James Merritt

In 2006, Alitalia Airlines, the official airline of Italy, made a slight mistake on its website regarding international airfare from Toronto, Canada, to the island of Cyprus. They advertised business-class seats for $39. It was supposed to be $3900, but somebody left two zeros. Two thousand tickets were immediately snapped up and it cost the airline $7.7 million. Somebody messed up. In 1990, 75 million phone calls across the United States went unanswered after a single switch at one of AT&T’s Switching ...

81. Courage to Break

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

From 2009-2013 television viewers couldn’t wait each week to watch an innovative, if disturbing, show called “Breaking Bad.” The storyline followed an ordinary chemistry teacher turned villainous meth kingpin. The idiom “breaking bad” which comes from a southern expression for “raising hell” seemed to suggest within the series the contagion of “hellishness” that Walt brought to everyone around him, including his family. All this resulted and escalated from one initial choice. Choices –they fill our lives. ...

82. Which End Is Up?

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Exegesis: Ephesians 3:1-12 The epistle text for this week can be read with two different agendas in mind. On one hand the focus is on establishing apostolic tradition. In the first century there was a necessary concern with creating a continuity of tradition and authority for the fledgling Christian church. Hence Paul’s apostolic authority, his priority of leadership, is part of these verses’ testimony. Especially since these Ephesians probably had not known Paul’s preaching personally, it is an imperative ...

83. Grounds for Blessing

Matthew 13:1-23, Luke 8:1-15, Mark 4:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full.” (Proverbs 8:19-21) Prop: Mustard seeds / soil [Have someone hand out some small black mustard seeds to everyone at the start of the sermon.] In your hand, you have some mustard seeds. These are seeds from the black mustard plant that grows still today in Israel. [Note to pastors: you can ...

84. Reassessing Our Laughter (Series: Questioning Our Values)

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

On that tragic Tuesday of September 11, 2001, a New York City parish priest standing on the corner of 14th Street and 1st Avenue witnessed the first terrorist plane plunging into the Twin Towers. “I stood there in shock and disbelief,” says the priest. “Without fully comprehending what was happening, I walked into the church and said the morning Mass.” Normally, about a hundred persons attend this weekday service. That morning there were several hundred. The Gospel reading for the day was, “Blessed are you ...

85. We Believe in Jesus Christ

John 20:19-31

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

“We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he arose from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead." We believe; may God help our unbelief and our struggles to believe. Christ, Himself, is Christianity. I. HE IS THE SON OF GOD. John says in today's ...

86. What Would Jesus Say About Materialism?

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A religious coalition led by Rev. Jim Ball launched a media campaign three months ago asking Americans “What Would Jesus Drive?” The advertisement, designed to discourage religious people from driving SUV’s, pickups, minivans and other gas guzzling vehicles, quickly captured the attention of Americans. The three major auto makers publicly stated that they already made fifty models of fuel efficient cars, but trucks and SUV’s now outsell cars at dealerships across America. Comedian Jay Leno said Jesus would ...

87. Marching Forward by Faith!

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Have you heard the story about a man who slipped and fell while trying to clean the limbs from his roof? He slid down the steep shingles, slipped over the eave, and barely managed to grab hold of the gutters. Dangling there three stories from the earth, the man looked to the heavens above and shouted “My God can any body help me?" Suddenly time stopped, the clouds parted and a voice from heaven said, “Have faith, turn loose." The man took one more glance at the ground below, then looked back to the heavens ...

88. The Spiritual Fitness Demands of the New Age

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

It is possible to be overweight spiritually: groggy, sluggish. Perhaps we need to work out on the weights or to start jogging. The story goes that when a man was asked how he was feeling, he answered: "I just feel medium." "What do you mean by medium?" "Well, I feel worse than I felt yesterday; but not nearly as bad as I’m going to feel tomorrow." Or it’s like an old song I heard last night: "I’m down in the depths on the ninetieth floor." These people need some spiritual calisthenics. Even Paul admitted ...

89. Will The Real Messiah Please Stand Up?

Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

William L. Self

In the early days of television a popular game show, To Tell the Truth, held the attention of the American audience. A panel of interesting and colorful experts was in place, along with an engaging host. They were presented with three contestants, each claiming to be a famous person or a person who had accomplished an unusual feat. The identity of the real person was known only to the host. After a period of questioning by the panel when the panel and everyone else had been given a chance to vote for their ...

90. The God Who Doesn’t Give Up

Hosea 11:1-11

Sermon

"How can I give you up, O Ephraim!" (v. 8) Prayer: Dear Father, we cannot fool you or pretend to be something we’re not; you know us too well. Open our minds and our understanding to know you as best we can, and to grow in appreciation of your great mercy. Amen "I’ve given him a chance three times now. Three times he let me down. I’m not going to be generous any more. I’ve had it. I don’t want to get burned again." This was Douglas, a man usually willing to go the second mile. He was known for his good ...

91. The Surrogate

Matthew 1:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: Ring (engagement ring preferably) or letter from a prior wartime soldier (if you can find such) Have you heard the riddle? Question: In a bacon-and-egg breakfast, what's the difference between the Chicken and the Pig? Answer: The Chicken is involved, but the Pig is committed! Commitment is sometimes a “dirty word” in our culture today. People are wary of making commitments that may not last. Our marriage rates are going down. More people are renting homes than buying. Many are buying gold, fearing ...

92. Head's Up!

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Wait a minute! Christmas is coming. What about Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, All is bright?" Instead we hear "...nations will be in anguish...the roaring and tossing of the sea...People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world...the heavenly bodies will be shaken." Ho, ho, ho! Where is Santa when we need him? So why in the world would the church choose a Gospel lesson such as this to begin Advent and our preparation for the coming of the Christ child? Good reason. The ...

93. The Knot: Bound

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

James Merritt

Do you ever wonder how a pastor determines what he is going to preach on each week—or each year? Sometimes it’s difficult, but other times there is a clear, strong call from God on a specific area of teaching. In this case, the area of marriage has for me been a clear, strong call from God in terms of teaching for this time in the life of our church. The reason is very simple. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear of someone having trouble in their marriage, both in our church and outside our church. It ...

94. Light a Candle

Matthew 5:14

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

It was a large impressive waiting room, furnished with the finest of furniture and stocked with the latest magazines. On this particular day, it was packed full of people waiting to see one of three physicians. In the corner of that packed waiting room there sat an elderly lady crying. At first she wept softly, but as the hopes and fears of all of her years began to burst inside of her she began to weep openly. People sitting in that waiting room did what nice people tend to do. They tried to ignore what ...

95. The Salvation Army Parade

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Churches celebrate Palm Sunday in different ways. At one church the people meet in a room beneath the sanctuary. When everyone is ready they emerge through a side door to process around the outside of the church. Joining in the procession are people waving palm leaves, others playing musical instruments, including the bagpipes, others shouting and singing, "Hosanna." This celebration has become an important tradition in their church. One year when Dr. Walter Bruggemann was pastor, he and the rest of the ...

96. Are You Giving Up Chocolate for Valentine's Day?

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Welcome on this Valentine’s Day. It is ironic that this is also the First Sunday in Lent. Lent is generally that season of the year when people have chosen a favorite treat or some vice to give up for these six weeks. One man said his children traditionally gave up something like candy for Lent. Last year, however, he urged them to go beyond that to giving up some habit or sin that they knew was bad for them. About halfway through Lent he asked the children how they were doing with their Lenten promise. ...

97. Facing Up To Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Thomas Long

Searching the aisles of the hardware store the other day for a tube of "Super Glue," I couldn't find it, so I went up to the customer service desk to ask for help from the young man standing at the cash register. He was on the telephone and, when he saw me coming his direction, he turned his back toward me. I could tell he was making a personal call, but I just waited. The call went on and on ... "So did you like the movie ... really? ... Oh you're kidding! ... What did Susan say? ..." Finally I cleared my ...

98. You Can Take It to the Bank

2 Peter 3:1-10

Sermon

James Merritt

I read a story about an angel of the Lord who telephoned the editors of five major newspapers with this message: "God says the world will end tomorrow." The New York Times carried a front page headline which read: "The World Will End Tomorrow Reliable Source Says" A box read: "Analysis on page 11." The Wall Street Journal's front page headline read: "World Ends Tomorrow; Market Plunges" The headline in USA Today read: "We're Gone!" The Headline in the LA Times read: "World Ends Tomorrow; Bill Clinton says ...

99. Make Disciples—Intentionally

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

It was a clear crisp autumn afternoon. I was on an airplane headed for a preaching mission in Centerville, Kansas. As I got settled into my seat, a big muscular man wedged his way into the seat beside me. The man took a quick glance at a magazine, then turned to me and said, “What do you do?" For most people that must be a simple question. For me it is a temptation to tease rather than answer. So sometimes I say, “I bury people." This guarantees moments of silence. Sometimes I say, “I stand up and make 20- ...

100. Who Are You? Where Are You?

Matthew 7:15-23

Drama

This sketch is a pantomime; there is no dialogue. The congregation sings a joyful song, referring to the togetherness and unity of the Church ("Stand together for what you believe," "Songs of God"). After the last verse, a group rises from the congregation (four to eight people). They sing through the last verse of the song again as they approach the altar and gather around it, holding hands with their arms crossed. The group is joyful, laughing, celebrating. When they finish the verse, they drop their ...

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