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Showing 76 to 100 of 2331 results

76. A Way Made Ready

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Darrick Acre

... God makes level ground, smooth and plain. The Lord makes a way for His salvation. John the Baptist is a part of that way. He is a prophesied, designed-by-God means of getting the way ready. So here stands John the Baptist, a voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” John is calling out to all who will hear, “The Lord is coming. Let’s get ready. The Lord is on His way. He’s coming in the fullness of His salvation. He’s coming in the form of ...

77. The Ultimate Thirst Quencher (Alternate Addition to the "I Am" series: Living water)

John 7:25-44

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... you could see the stars. Another very important part of this observance took place on each day of the feast. In this portion of the celebration, they celebrated the occasion when the children of Israel were without water and Moses struck a rock in the desert and streams of water poured forth, saving them from death. They celebrated that day when their thirst as a people was quenched by God. And so, each day a procession went to the fountain at Gihon which supplied water to the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem ...

78. God, Or the World?

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... 's obedience the many will be made righteous." It is through the obedience of Jesus, countering the sin of Adam, that we have the opportunity to live and even flourish in a sometimes difficult and troublesome world. Saint Matthew's version of the temptation in the desert is his way to show his readers that any route to the kingdom of God cannot bypass Jesus, yet temptation lurks around every corner. As we celebrate this first Sunday in Lent we must ask ourselves the question, where do we stand, with God or ...

79. Minding the Store of Our Lives

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... proper path. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me" (John 14:6). We must do what we can to lessen the burdens of the Lord. Jesus said it well to Satan during his temptation in the desert: "Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test' " (Matthew 4:7). The pervasive nature of today's world allows us too easily to try God's patience through the misuse of our great gift of sexuality. It is easy today to rationalize, to become ...

80. Practicing the Presence

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... is a huge difference between the Spirit of Christ being present in every disciple’s life, and the Spirit of Christ being preeminent in every disciple’s life. Philip opened himself to the message of the Spirit and ran down a chariot in the middle of a desert road. He did not “trust his gut.” He did not consider the strange circumstances. He did not refuse to take a strange road to a strange place and offer his message to a strange man. Philip let Christ’s Spirit take preeminence in his life. Philip ...

81. Ready Or Not, Here He Comes!

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... be better than we are, and that reasonable measures taken can make us better — then the coming ... the Advent ... of this newcomer is good news indeed. Ready or not, here he comes. Are you ready? To be honest, probably not. We would rather be the snakes in the desert who are content to run to the river for safe haven from the flames. Are there things in our lives that ought not to be? Are there people who have been neglected who need our love and attention? Has life become too hectic, too wrapped up in ...

82. Choosing

Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

Argile Smith

... had encountered a number of deities whose names and reputations they knew well. Back in Egypt, their parents had warmed up to a few idols for themselves, and they had brought them along with them. They kept them nearby in their travels in the desert. Now their children possessed them. With his declaration about what God had done for his people, Joshua challenged everyone at Shechem to scrutinize the idols they kept as heirlooms. What had they enabled the people of Israel to accomplish? Had they been kind ...

83. The Sin and Doom of Godless Men

Jude 1:1-16

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... ; 24:21–22, pride drives some to rebel (Isa. 14:13). Certain angels were expelled from heaven and sentenced to eternal doom (Isa. 24:21–22; see also Matt. 25:41; Luke 10:18). The book of Enoch has much to relate about the angels that “have deserted the lofty sky and their holy everlasting station (1 Enoch 12:4). Those rebels are to be chained until judgment day (1 Enoch 10:15–16). Their ringleader Azazel is sentenced: “Cover him with darkness, and let him dwell there forever” (1 Enoch 10:5). So ...

84. Israel Forsakes God

Jeremiah 2:1-3:5

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... words, prophets may be understood as covenant lawyers. Jeremiah acts this way as he is sent to the people exposing them as lawbreakers, reminding them of the curses, and, at least at first, offering them the alternative of repentance. Like a Nomad in the Desert (3:1-5) 3:1–5 Jeremiah presents yet another oracle of accusation and judgment against the people. He begins by presenting an analogy of a husband who divorces his wife, who then marries another man. The prophet then asks the simple question whether ...

85. Hagar and Ishmael

Genesis 16:1-16

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... so badly that she fled. “Mistreat” (’innah) is for harsh, cruel treatment; this word describes the terrible conditions of slavery that the Israelites suffered in Egypt (15:13; Exod. 1:12). 16:7–12 The angel of Yahweh found Hagar near a spring in the desert, namely, the spring beside the road to Shur. Shur was a site in the Negev on the way to Egypt; its location indicates that Hagar was fleeing toward her homeland. Assuming that Abram was living near Mamre (13:18), she had traveled a long distance ...

86. The Census of the Twelve Tribes

Num 1:1–2:54

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... (e.g., Num. 1:2), though when Moses meets with the whole community, it is almost certainly limited to tribal and clan representatives. The census takers are chosen from among this body (Num. 1:16). It would have been impossible for Moses to meet in the desert with a population of sixty thousand, much less six hundred thousand. 1:46 603,550. This number is used in Exodus 38:26 to estimate the total of the half shekel of silver temple tax levied on Israel. Such a tax is demanded whenever Israel takes ...

87. “Ascribe to the Lord the Glory Due His Name”

Psalm 29:1-11

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... –2) 2. The voice of the Lord (29:3–9a) a. Description of the voice of the Lord over the waters (29:3–4) b. Effect of the voice of the Lord on the cedars of Lebanon (29:5–7) c. Effect of the voice of the Lord on the Desert of Kadesh (29:8–9a) 3. Response of the people to their King (29:9b–11) Historical and Cultural Background The Septuagint augments the title of Psalm 29, “A psalm of David,” with “For the following day of Sukkot” (exodiou sk?n?s; cf. Num. 29:35). It is recited ...

88. The Temptation of Jesus

Luke 4:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... (pp. 507–8) believes that Matthew has retained the original order, which is reflected in the logical progression of the temptations (from desert-floor, to pinnacle of temple, to a high mountain) and in the descending order of Jesus’ quotations from Deuteronomy (i.e., Deut. ... s understanding and usage of the narrative must be determined. Let us first consider the original meaning. The setting in the desert (v. 1) and staying in it for forty days (v. 2), during which time Jesus ate nothing (v. 2), are ...

89. Soul Food

Luke 9:10-17, Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:30-44, John 6:1-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five ...

90. Untamed

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... –your church is meant to be a “wild place,” where you get in touch with God, where God can touch you, and where you remember who you are as an authentic child of God and member of the created and natural community. Jesus will come out of his desert experience to be a “wild card” in the ordered life of everything everyone expected and new. His disciples would be too. Don’t let the world tame your God-feisty spirit. Don’t let the world destroy the human part of you! How wild are you? Isn’t it ...

91. Allowing God To Do A New Thing

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... return God's people from their exile in Babylon. How will God do that? "I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19). This new exodus promises to be an even greater and more wonderful event than the first one. God's people have been called ... renewal that will sustain our spirits. In today's passage of scripture, the journey of the people of Israel through the desert was marked by many signs and wonders. The most compelling image in this biblical account is the gift of water. In ...

92. The Little Boat

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... life assail us, we turn to God. At least, we think we turn to God -- but often this turning is no turning at all, for we are still in the center asking the questions. "God, why did this happen to me? Are you punishing me? Are you there? Have you deserted me? Don't you care? Aren't you there? Are you asleep?" Saint Paul the apostle, as he writes to his friends in Corinth who have found faith but are in danger of going back to former ways of thinking, says, "From now on, therefore, we regard no one from ...

93. Down A Garden Path

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... , fasting, prayer, and the works of love to surrender our lives. Why should we seek to be in control of our lives when we have such a good and gracious God offering to be our Lord? That's the faithful and needed response in both the garden and the desert: to let God be God. To let God be our God. With God's help, let us unravel ordinary events, test familiar impulses, unmask our habits and routines and learn whether our lives are growing in the love and grace and goodness of God, or whether we're drifting ...

94. Proper 25

Luke 18:9-14, Joel 2:18-27, Joel 2:28-32, 2 Timothy 3:10--4:8, 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... and not for an award. Maybe we ought to re-think this. Today we award a trophy to those who win athletic contests such as the Olympic gold medals. Is not an award appropriate for one who has "fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith"? 3. Deserted (v. 16). When all goes well and you are winning, people are with you. If you are a loser, friends fall away. This can be seen in athletic teams; the crowds come out for a winning team. When Paul was on trial in Rome, his Christian friends "all ...

95. We Come to Jesus for Rest

Mark 6:30-44

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... , "They brought their sick and those who touched even the fringe of his cloak were healed." No great artists would be needed to prepare a long, narrow banner to hang across the front of the sanctuary. Use stencils and markers to add these words, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." (To center the words on the banner put the "a" in "all" at the center of the banner. Add the other letters as you move toward either end of the banner.) Ask someone to sketch a Currier and Ives-type ...

96. Revealed Glory

Exodus 16:1-36

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

... from our study of revealed glory is that looking back is deadly. The Israelites said, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death… (Exodus 16:3).” In other words, they argued that death by the hand of God is more honorable than death by starvation. The Israelites became guilty of looking back. To look back means that one takes his or her eyes off ...

97. Recollections of Abdul, Camel Boy for An Eastern Potentate

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Drama

Robert A. Morgan

... that they did not mind the hardships of the journey now. After two days and nights, we seemed to have escaped the soldiers, but we were now set upon the most difficult route toward home. Somehow we made it, but just barely, and if we had had another of those desert storms to contend with, that might have finished us. As it is, we are now back. I don't know what my future will be here with Casper, but I know he feels I gave good service on that special journey. And strangely enough, hard as it was, it was ...

98. A Night of Farewell - Peter

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... Son that thy Son may glorify thee ... Sanctify them in truth; thy word is truth. I do not pray for these only, but also for those who are to believe in me through their word, that they all may be one. Amen." Someone asked him, "You won't desert us, will you Lord?" "No," he replied, "but tonight you will all desert me. You will be scattered like sheep (as the prophet says). But when I am risen, I will call my sheep again." I couldn't hold it in. All this talk about leaving us ... Now he says that we will ...

99. Temptation

Mark 1:9-13

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

... I don't want you to eat any of them. OK? (response) Return to the Children. Now, where were we? Oh, yes. When Jesus started his work do you know what he had to do? (response) He had to go out into a desert. Who knows what a desert is? Describe a desert for me? (response) That's right and Jesus had to stay in the desert where there was very little water and no food. For 40 days he didn't eat anything and he was very hungry. You know what happened next? (response) The devil came up to Jesus there in that ...

100. Sandy Bread or Fertile Harvest

Joshua 5:12

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

... ) Yes, it is dry, and it can get hot or cold. There is lots of sand and rocks, and there is hardly any water. And there certainly isn't a lot of food. Show the bowl with sand and bread Well, the people of Israel had to live in the desert for forty years! And there were thousands of them. Do you know where they found food? (response) Every day for forty years, this is what would happen. Tear off pieces of bread and throw them up in the air so that they drop on the floor among the children. Do ...

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