Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 76 to 100 of 517 results

76. The First Songs of Christmas

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

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... is clearly undeserved. But there’s something missing that makes us feel there is something about this story that is just very, very wrong. So let’s look at Scenario Two. Scenario Two: Child is told not to run in the house. In child’s impulsivity, child runs in house and breaks beloved base. Horrified, child retreats to room, but then is overcome by guilt over not having obeyed the non-running rule, empathy for how much his or her parent loved that vase, sadness over having hurt beloved parent, self ...

The impulse to cruelty is, in many people, almost as violent as the impulse to sexual love - almost as violent and much more mischievous.

Aldous Huxley

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

Henry Van Dyke

Impulse without reason is not enough, and reason without impulse is a poor makeshift.

William James

The community stagnates without the impulse of the individual. The impulse dies away without the sympathy of the community.

William James

81. Chosen and Appointed

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... but also would ask the right questions and seek answers before making decisions. Thomas needed to buy in in order to be convinced that something was worth doing. His steady, scientific-style mind would be needed in the midst of some of the more impulsive, emotional moments exhibited by his fellow disciples. Faith was a bit more challenging to him, but once committed, he was all in. James was quiet, a follower, so quiet, we hear little about him. Simon was a zealot and a revolutionary. Eclipsed by his ...

82. God Think

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ’s the one you want on your side, because he could be an overwhelming force if he’s not. He’s the one with the body of a bear and the temper of a tiger, but inside he’s got the heart of a lamb. He’s courageous. Daring. Even impulsive. But he’s like a bodyguard to Jesus. He’s never going to let anything happen to his team or his Lord. Jesus needed someone like Peter to take the lead among the twelve. He would need someone like this to set the foundation for the early church. Peter the ...

83. Bigger, Better, Basta!

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A hoarder is committed to excessive accumulation regardless of the value of the objects. The more, the better. But the impulse runs much deeper than that. Sometimes thought of as related to obsessive-compulsive disorder, a hoarder lacks impulse control. Certain feelings or insecurities can literally provoke a hoarder into “needing” more, more, and more of the value-perceived object. Symptoms of hoarding can stem from an array of triggers ...

84. Body

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... al.; Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 722; New York: The New York Academy of Sciences, 1994], pp. 179–94 [here 186–87]). Cf. also 2 Esdr. 4:30; 7:48, 92; Sir. 15:14–17. According to W. D. Davies, Paul seems to connect the evil impulse to the flesh, whereas the rabbis do not (Jewish and Pauline Studies [4th ed.; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984], p. 196). In light of 2 Cor. 4:7, where Paul refers to his body as a “jar of clay,” we may point out the frequent wordplay in rabbinic texts between ...

85. Motives Matter

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , our learned behaviors, and the intensity of our desires. But the bottom line comes down to this: we are what we most value. Our core values largely determine our motivations. We as human beings can overcome much of our past, our learned behaviors, our urges, and our impulses when we prioritize our values to guide us.[1] This is not just psychological speculation but goes all the way back to Greek philosophy and to the Bible itself! Within the stories of scripture, we see countless examples of desires and ...

86. Topsy-turvy Christianity

Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

... want to hear and do not challenge their false securities. If the Blessings and Woes of the Sermon on the Plain turn our priorities topsy-turvy, what follows continues the process. Jesus gives a list of ethical precepts which go against every common sense natural impulse about how to get along in this world. Here comes Jesus talking about loving our enemies and doing good to those who hate us; about blessing those who curse us and praying for those who abuse us. What is this about turning the other cheek ...

87. The Collapsing Circle

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

... started, a woman got up and began to sing "Amazing Grace." Allan described her voice as one of the most beautiful he had ever heard. Allan was moved by her singing. It was beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that when she started to sing verse two some great impulse from within prompted him to join his tenor voice to her song. They were singing. Just the two of them black and white in harmony. An old woman from the back of the church came forward and touched him. "Jesus," she said softly. That was the one ...

88. What Money Can't Buy

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... buy her desire to end her master's suffering. Money did not buy her willingness to share valuable information which would ultimately save Naaman's life. Money did not buy her sympathy, empathy and concern for another human being. In this world of the Faustian impulse, where people will sell their souls to the devil on a whim for momentary pleasure, the fact that people are still willing to share something that money cannot buy gives us all hope. There is a vestige of people who will help others because it ...

89. Lent 3

Luke 13:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Psalm 63:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... kingdom. A. Awareness of Wrongdoing. Sins of commission. B. Awareness of Not Doing. Sins of omission. C. Providing Nourishment for Fruitbearing. Resources available from the Holy Spirit, Christian people, scripture, and the church. CONTACT Points of Contact 1. The Revolutionary Impulse. People may be angry about the evils in a society. They may want to change the society or the person whom they hold responsible for the evil. A sense of outrage about particularly heinous crimes or circumstances may make them ...

90. Proper 18

Psalm 139:1-24, Philemon 1:8-25, Philemon 1:1-7, Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Luke 14:25-35

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... the kind of self-surrender that is the loss of all things an ego holds as supreme for the meaning of life. It usually means a radical change of lifestyle. It is not something to which one commits on the basis of an emotional high or an impulse of the moment. Such a commitment requires a mature decision. It requires a dedication of reason, emotion, and will to a sustained endeavor to submerge oneself in the life of Christ, whatever that requires or means. Jesus wanted his followers in the days of his flesh ...

91. Miracle Four: Healing A Paralytic

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... their paralyzed friend to Jesus in the hope of a healing should serve as an example for Christians. We are admonished by Christ to care for our fellow human beings. Fortunate are those who receive help from people moved to charity because of Christian impulse. Among the works of Thomas Carlyle is the story of a widow. She lived in Edinburgh with her three children who were dependent upon her for their support. When she fell ill with typhus, she made a desperate appeal to her community. She said that ...

92. Something Old, Something New

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

... and wrong, but also gives us the ability to choose right! No longer is the law inscribed in stone, but on every heart that knows Jesus! We don't hear only prophets' stark words but have our minds set on things above. Our love for God is an impulse and inspiration from within, not something difficult to follow like an external dictator. No, he is our friend! Why did God promise this and then fulfill it with Jesus and his Spirit? Because God is patient. Another word is long-suffering. He "suffers long" in our ...

93. Focus On The Son

Romans 1:1-17

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... articles in popular magazines about Mother Teresa and her Sisters of Charity. Invariably the authors of these articles express eloquently her extraordinary work among the world's poor, but frequently what is missing, or only touched upon lightly, in the articles is the driving impulse behind this unique ministry. No one can help but stand in awe of the sisters who go into the streets to serve the lepers, the homeless, the disabled and the dying, and then bring them back to their shelter and give them love ...

94. Down A Garden Path

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

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... 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 or driven somewhere else. Our faith is meant to guide and keep us in the most usual moments and places, as well as ...

95. Choosing Sides

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... seriousness, anyway. This may all be for the good: maybe we have stopped blaming someone or something outside ourselves for the problems we get ourselves into. Maybe we have begun to admit that we are to blame, that it is our powerlessness over ourselves and our impulses that has led us to difficulty. This would be for the good, too, if we would then follow through with the obvious: that we need to repent, make amends for what we've done, and reform our attitudes so we don't make that same mistake, engage ...

96. Expecting the Unexpected

Judges 4:1-24

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... you know it, you have shovel in hand and are digging up the earth -- and there, lo and behold, lies a buried treasure. Or you're strolling through the swap meet on a Saturday afternoon and come across an item of such immense value that, caught up in the impulse of the moment, you cash in all the savings bonds and take a second mortgage out on the house just to purchase it. That's the way God's grace works. If you will, being unpredictable is part of the present. It's always meant to be surprising, because ...

97. Proper 19

Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 14:1--15:13, Exodus 13:17--14:31, Psalm 114:1-8

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... sorry." It had to be a sincere change of attitude toward the one who had done the wrong. CONTEMPLATION Issues and Insights 1. Unlimited forgiveness · It has been proposed that the biblical understanding of retaliation and forgiveness developed progressively. In the original impulse toward wrongdoing, retaliation was unlimited. In the cases of the violation by Achan at Ai, the people not only stoned him, but also his sons and daughters and his oxen, donkeys, and sheep (Joshua 7). And the same was also done ...

98. Christ the King

Psalm 100:1-5, Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... know at our deepest being that we do not want condemnation for that part of us that is dark. Generally we try to hide it and to present ourselves from our light side so that we will be accepted. We want help to be released from the dark impulses that we feel. It is not condemnation but salvation that we really desire. From that personal awareness we can understand that it is also the condition of others. Out of that awareness we act to offer help to others rather than condemnation and rejection. When we do ...

99. More Than Sex

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... to be needed; most of all we long to be in relationship with our family, with a meaningful community, with a significant other and with God. When our Lord commands us to "love one another," (John 15:17) it is not simply bestowing a blessing upon the natural impulses we feel toward a few select individuals. It is rather to be so grounded in our love for God, and to be so secure in the love and relationship of friends in community, that we can "go and bear fruit, fruit that will last" (John 15:16). In the ...

100. Come As You Are

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... fishing in a boat. No doubt they were sweaty and tired. Probably they smelled pretty bad: fishing boats are smelly. Their faces no doubt were dirty, and their hair was all messed up from the wind and the waves. Peter was dripping wet after having impulsively jumped into the Sea of Tiberias and waded to shore. But there's no hesitation, no standing on formality in the Risen Lord's invitation or welcome. It's "Come and have breakfast!" (And what more intimate and informal meal is there than breakfast?) "Come ...

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Showing 76 to 100 of 517 results

76. The First Songs of Christmas

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

Sermon

Lori Wagner

The impulse to cruelty is, in many people, almost as violent as the impulse to sexual love - almost as violent and much more mischievous.

Aldous Huxley

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

Henry Van Dyke

Impulse without reason is not enough, and reason without impulse is a poor makeshift.

William James

The community stagnates without the impulse of the individual. The impulse dies away without the sympathy of the community.

William James

81. Chosen and Appointed

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

82. God Think

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon