Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 76 to 100 of 155 results

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Try ordering pillows or mattresses. You'll need to decide whether to purchase pillows that are good, better, best, supreme, or ultimate. In such a lineup, good isn't good at all. It is four steps below ultimate, so good must be significantly deficient. In order for anything to be taken seriously, to be considered worth our recognition, it must be extreme in some way or another--exceptionally wonderful, supremely dreadful, or as FedEx puts it, extremely urgent. Nothing mediocre, nothing in the middle will do ...

77. Advent 2

Matthew 3:1-12, Romans 14:1--15:13, Isaiah 11:1-16, Psalm 72:1-20

Sermon Aid

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

... who come for baptism, but who are actually quite secure in their assumed relationship to God. self-satisfied and exposes the inadequacy of their motives in seeking baptism. Why they come is not clear from the text, but John's remarks expose their deficiencies. The repudiation of these folks is not absolute, however, for John continues to demand that they "bear fruit" as he warns them of impending judgment and destruction. The division among the people in the ministry of John is a foreshadowing of the grand ...

78. When God's Rule is Taken Out of the School

Job 21:22

Sermon

James Merritt

... National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) the percentage of students who failed to obtain basic levels in U. S. history, was as follows: 36% of fourth graders, 39% of eighth graders, and 57% of twelfth graders.3 In reading, the NAEP reported deficiencies among 40% of fourth graders, 30% of eighth graders, and 25% of twelfth graders. Only 7%, 3%, and 4%, respectively, ranked at the advance level or higher in reading.4 It turns out that during the Clinton Administration, which the NEA believes has ...

79. No Excuses

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

James Merritt

... every human failing as some kind of disease. Drunkards and drug addicts can check into clinics for treatment of their "chemical dependencies." Children who habitually defy authority can escape condemnation by being labeled "hyper-active" or having ADD (Attention Deficiency Disorder). Gluttons are no longer blame-worthy; they suffer from an "eating disorder." Even the man who throws away his family's livelihood to pay for prostitutes is supposed to be an object of compassionate understanding; he is "addicted ...

80. The Grasshopper Mentality

Numbers 13:26-33

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... the Christian world. I knew I did not have the resources within myself to meet this challenge. But I came out here anyway because God made clear the call. And I believe that if God calls you to something, He will equip and supply. Sometimes I feel terribly deficient in certain areas, but that’s okay. If you want to see God’s muscles really flex, take on a task that is bigger than you are, a task in which you cannot possibly succeed unless God helps you. God will dazzle you! God wants every believer to ...

81. Whose Side Are You On?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... from a much poorer family, James managed to fit in fairly well, in part because everyone wore the same uniform. But the uniform could not completely conceal years of malnutrition. James was small for his age and his skin still had the pallor that comes from a deficient diet. One day a physician came to the school to give medical examinations for all of the students. As James left the examination room, one of the nuns asked him what did the doctor had to say about him. James answered, “He took one look at ...

82. From Father Failure to Divine Father

Romans 8:12-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... . This is to say we will stop blaming our parents for our failures, even though they may be worthy of blame. We come to worship to be released from the childishness of being forever locked into the regret and despair of hereditary and environmental deficiency. We come to worship, to be released from our fleshly habit of excusing ourselves for our behavior, always justifying our weaknesses and misdeeds by those of our parents and grandparents. By the same token, we come to worship, to be released from the ...

83. The Outstretched Arms

John 19:28-37, John 19:17-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... demonstrates what God's attitude has been all along. Such a display of love poured out in death elicits our repentance and return to God's will. Why Did Jesus Die? If the traditional "AAA's" of the Atonement, taken separately, are inadequate biblically, deficient theologically, and abusive even of Jesus' revelation of who God is, how do we answer with integrity the question of "Why Did Jesus Die?" First, we start with the basic Nicean paradox that Jesus was "one person in two natures." Jesus was both Whole ...

84. Cut It Out!

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 's gospel lesson, Jesus preaches some pretty harsh-sounding warnings to us about the consequences we face should we fail to practice righteousness within every aspect of our lives. Even more graphic are the remedies Jesus prescribes as treatments for our righteousness- deficiency. We are wrong if we read Jesus' words about cutting off our right hand or plucking out our eye as just the reflection of some ancient barbaric code of justice. Jesus' directives are violently vivid metaphors that tell us that we ...

85. The Lord Needs You

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... refused to think of themselves as strong and capable. But God needed them, nonetheless: - Moses - with his stammering tongue - Jonah - with his misguided patriotism - Jeremiah - with his inferiority complex, overwhelmed by a sense of his deficiencies and disabilities - Isaiah - overwhelmed by his unworthiness - Elijah - who was manic-depressive at times, almost immobilized - Ezekiel - rendered speechless - Paul - whose "thorn in the flesh" was constantly crippling him - Peter - fearful and impetuous - Jesus ...

86. James 1:17-27

James 1:17-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... to belong to God and so were redeemed or offered to God. Christians now are the first fruits of the gospel. While God's word is the word of truth, human words are not nearly so noble. In verse 19 James now looks at the deficient nature of human responses. Again James is probably citing a common proverb to listen carefully and not respond rashly - which he now gives a specifically religious ring. James' writings are often characterized by an over-arching concern for the well-being of the Christian community ...

87. 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... exclusive importance over any other group within the body. The final two verses introduce a theme which will be developed more fully next week. Paul not only celebrates his unique "teacherly" role in the Christian community; he brags that he is deficient in "eloquent wisdom" (v.17). One obvious reason so many separate voices were demanding audience was the fact that many individuals thought they had a unique perspective, a particular insight, that warranted a special hearing. In claiming his own role as ...

88. Genesis 12:1-4a

Genesis 12:1-4a

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... in highly human ways. Despite a host of divinities, these religious systems were human-centered: The gods themselves behaved as people do, with human loves, hates, concerns, grievances, reactions. Yet while these gods were highly "personified," they were deficient in meaningful personal relationships with mortal beings. Only through this new notion of a pledged, covenantal relationship forged between a human being (Abram) and a single, omnipotent deity, as described here in Genesis 12, is there established ...

89. James 1:17-27

James 1:17-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

90. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... growing and learning and developing in faith. Paul always wanted "more and more" (Thessalonians 4:1) from those who had already shown they had taken the gospel to heart. It seems reasonable to assume, then, that Paul's reference is not to some specific deficiency he perceived in the Thessalonians' faith. Instead, he feels that as their pastor he has more to offer them. His first visit had been cut abruptly short and Paul longed to continue building up the strength of the body of Christ in Thessalonia ...

91. The Power of Touch

Mark 1:40-45

Illustration

King Duncan

Marcel Gerber was sent by a United Nations committee to study the effects of protein deficiency on Ugandan children. She found, to her surprise, that Uganda's infants were developmentally the most advanced in the world. It was only after two years of age that the children began to be seriously damaged by such things as tribal taboos and food shortages. Ugandan infants were almost constantly ...

92. Patience Is Important

Mark 4:26-34

Illustration

David G. Rogne

... him out of school. Winston Churchill was admitted to school in the lowest level classes and never moved out of the lowest group in all the years he attended Harrow. Albert Einstein seemed so slow and dull that his parents feared that he was mentally deficient. One observer has said, "Great minds and high talent, in most cases, cannot be hurried and, like healthy plants, grow slowly." It is so with God's Kingdom. We scatter the seed, but we are not ultimately responsible for its growth. We cannot make things ...

93. Framing Values – Part Two

Daniel 1:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... coming right along. Last week we talked about framing values for your children. Today, I want to talk about framing values for your teenagers. Have you listened to teenagers talk recently? I want to be honest and tell you that I suffer from TLD - Teenage Language Deficiency. If you have listened to your teenager talk lately, you know that their favorite word now is "like". I counted up one time and Joshua, my son, used the word" like" - 58 times in 21 seconds. Teen speak is almost a foreign language. Let me ...

94. Building a Victorious Life

Luke 6:39-49

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... , what will I have?" So the assistant used every opportunity to feather his own nest. He hired an immoral builder, he used inferior products, he hired inferior workmen; and when the house was completed, it looked fine on the outside but its deficiencies in workmanship and materials would soon show as the tests of time came. When the wealthy builder came back, he said, "Do you like the house?" The assistant replied, "Yes, I do." The builder asked, "Is it beautiful?" The assistant answered, "It certainly ...

95. Testing Time

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... , underlying our witness is the fear of not living by bread alone. Our lives have become so saturated by consumerism, we are hardly able to think outside of such a mentality. The late Pope John Paul II spoke to our spiritual deficiency charitably but firmly. Like most instances, we need to pay attention to his teachings — both Catholic and non-Catholic. Being familiar with actual deprivation and practicing holy disciplines, his message is of one healing our depths and not our surfaces. Our automobiles ...

96. So, Are You The Messiah?

John 10:22-30

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... either God or equal with God. No wonder they insisted on his crucifixion. No one could be labeled God, especially outside of their power structure! Time and again we get the idea, unless they can name him the Messiah and give him their approval, he would always be deficient and not measure up. We may find a form of solace in their ways and even a form of comfort but let us look into our mirrors and be honest about our affinities. Who can begin to define or depict eternal life? Well, we have a few indicators ...

97. 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... time” with the Thessalonians is not just to “rejoice” in their continued existence. The apostle also wants to be personally present in order to “supply” or “restore (“katartisai”) “whatever is lacking in your faith” (v.10). What exactly these deficiencies (“hysteremata”) may be Paul does not immediately reveal. Later in 4:3-8 and 11-12 the apostle voices concerns about the Thessalonians’ attitudes and practices concerning both their sexual and work ethics. It is to more fully teach ...

98. The Upside Down Life

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... spiritually bankrupt. How could the Messiah be anointed and appointed for such as these? The “blind” meant not only those with physical blindness, but those who suffered from spiritual blindness as well. Physical handicaps, infectious diseases, plagues, infirmities, and physical deficiencies were all assumed to be a sign of divine judgment. If you were blind, sick, lame, or diseased you were assumed to be have done something to “deserve it.” How could Jesus possibly imagine that the newest action of ...

99. A Crippling Spirit - Sermon Starter

Luke 13:10-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

... was a woman who was a hunchback. We do not know her name; we do not know about her family background. We know that she has had this condition for eighteen years. The implication is that she had not been born with it. Perhaps it was a calcium deficiency, a spinal injury, or genetic, or some extreme case of osteoporosis. We don't know. We are simply told that a spirit has crippled her. Jesus called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." We are told that she suddenly stood erect, and ...

100. Set Apart at Christmas

Romans 1:1-7

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... has been "set apart" for the gospel. There may be a little irony here because Paul, who himself had been a "Pharisee of the Pharisees," uses the same term the Pharisees used to denote their own "set-apartness" from the average Jews whom they felt were deficient in their devotion to God as displayed by their lax adherence to the law and the traditions of the elders. While we tend to read "hypocrite" when we run across the word "Pharisee," such a reading is not helpful. First, because in the Old Testament it ...

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