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Showing 76 to 100 of 609 results

76. Beware! Angels

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Will Willimon

... while crossing the street, or that his wedding would go off without a hitch; the angel came to tell him that his fiancé had been selected by God to change the whole world through the advent of the Messiah. The holy God of Israel doesn't indulge in trivialities. If you check out angels in scripture, I think you will find not only that they don't appear that often, but also when they appear they are usually a signal that something big, strange, and wonderful, scary is about to happen. Second, note how ...

77. The Home Under God

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

In the present century the churches in America have developed the practice of observing Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Children’s Day. The most recent trend is to combine all three into a Festival of the Christian Home. Without indulging in the kind of shallow sentimentality which has too often been associated with these celebrations, especially Mother’s Day, it is certainly appropriate for the church to call attention at least once a year to the importance of the Christian home. It is in keeping ...

78. Proper 17

Matthew 16:21-28, Romans 12:1-8, Romans 12:9-21, Jeremiah 14:1--15:21, Jeremiah 20:7-18, Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... -21 1. How To Live As A Christian (12:9-21). Need: A tragedy of our times is that Christians are so much like the world that people can see no difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. For example, church youth indulge in premarital sex almost as much as non-church youth. Televangelists scandalize the church by their fraud, greed, and sexual exploits. Character is a scarce item even among "Christians." Here Paul gives specific directions how a Christian should live. Outline: Ethics for a Christian ...

79. Slaying the Green-Eyed Monster

Proverbs 27:4

Sermon

James Merritt

... man's revival. Someone has well written: It is a good test to the rise and fall of egotism to notice how you listen to the praises of other men of your own standing. Until you can listen to the praises of someone else without any desire to indulge in detraction, or any attempt to belittle his work, you may be sure there is an un-mortified prairie of egotistic impulse in your nature yet to be brought under the grace of God.3 I am convinced that the antidote to jealousy is contentment; to be satisfied with ...

80. Are You Convinced?

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Larry Powell

... sinners. Once, a leading layperson in his congregation came to him and requested that he refrain from using the word "sin." The lay-person reasoned, "We wish you would not speak so plainly about sin. Our youth and children hearing you will be more than likely to indulge in sin if you keep referring to it. Call it something else, such as inhibition, or error, or mistake, or even a twist in our nature. It would just be better if you would quit using the word sin." The preacher replied, "I know what you mean ...

81. The Chicken or the Egg

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... can one ever know whether one had done enough penance? Just in case, I stored up all sorts of Hail Marys and Our Fathers against that day. The problem with this kind of theology is two-fold: either it leads to spiritual pride (I piled up enough indulgences in heaven to last until the year 2001;) or spiritual despair: (How can I know whether I have repented enough?) II. ALL OF US ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE AGE-OLD QUESTION: WHICH CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG? That question is probably incapable of an answer ...

82. When Ten Equals Two

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Larry Powell

... . Actually named for one of the seven deadly sins, the sloth will spend at least eighteen hours each day sleeping. Even when awake, this lazy creature remains almost motionless. When it does move, its sluggish movements are excruciatingly slow. Being too lazy to indulge in personal grooming, its coarse hair provides a home for two species of bluegreen algae, a cockroach-like moth, and hundreds of beetles. Apparently, the sloth is not anxious about its life, what it shall eat or what it shall drink, nor what ...

83. Clean Hands

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... SUVs. I heard about one group that draws the line at peanut butter. Charles Swindoll shares the story of a missionary family who came under harsh scrutiny and judgement from other missionary families in their community because of their "sin" of indulging in peanut butter. Because peanut butter was a luxury that had to come from the States, some of the other missionaries considered it a sign of spiritual maturity to abstain from peanut butter. Giving up peanut butter was, in their perspective, a sacrifice ...

84. First Things First

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... lambs ... feed my sheep." It was a reissuing of the original invitation to follow Christ and it climaxed the reconciliation of these two. However, right after this high moment of "getting back together," Simon looked over at John, "the beloved disciple," and proceeded to indulge in speculation about what the future held for him. Remember, Simon had just been given his own commission for the present, yet here he was wondering what was going to happen to this other man out in the future. I imagine there was a ...

85. A Man Named Useful

Philemon 1:8-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... by golf buddies; or during charity tournaments where mulligans are sometimes sold to benefit the charity. If mulligans are for sale, that means the golfer can buy, say, three mulligans for a set price each [which sounds very much like the sale of indulgences in Martin Luther’s day.] (4) Fortunately you and I do not need to pay God for second chances. That’s because of something called grace, amazing grace. Second chances are at the heart of Christian faith. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to people ...

86. How Can I Know God's Will?

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... exciting than all the rest of her activities combined riverboat gambling. Almost immediately her life was completely changed and not for the better. Kate would cross the river daily to Illinois and board either the Alton Belle or the River Queen riverboats to indulge in her new passion. Soon she had emptied the family bank account and pawned her wedding ring. She was still gambling when the house payment was 17 months behind. “The day they came to repossess the house, gambling lost its charm. She drove ...

87. Mandatum

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon

Dr. Ronald Love

... the church must be a single coherent unity that is representative of being the Body of Christ. In the Corinthian church there was apostasy, which is a renunciation of one’s religious beliefs. There was debauchery, which is living a life of extreme indulgence in sensual behavior. But in this section of Paul’s letter that we read as our epistle reading this morning, Paul is concerned that there are factions within the congregation. Those factions are distorting the unity of the church as well as violating ...

88. To a Life Beyond

John 6:51-58, Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... . Do we sit on clouds, adjust our haloes, and play harps? In Revelation 7:15, John saw, "They are before the throne of God and serve him day and night...." It would seem, then, that heaven is not an eternal sort of south Florida lazy indulgence in trivia that we call retirement. "They serve him," the Bible explains. When French impressionist painter Auguste Renoir lay dying, he said, "What a pity! I was just beginning to show promise." If John's Revelation is correct, and I believe it is, then our promise ...

89. Transformation to the Light

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... we are and what we have to bring some joy, that is God's light to another. We can make time, time we do not have, to meet the needs of those who are shrouded in the darkness of pain, depression, and maybe even self-indulgence in its many manifestations. We can stand tall against the contemporary forms of idolatry so prevalent in our society — power, wealth, and prestige — and offer instead the gospel message of humility, voluntary poverty, and love. We must remember what Saint Paul (2 Corinthians 12:9 ...

90. Proper 15

Luke 12:54-59, Hebrews 12:1-13, Luke 12:49-53, Isaiah 5:1-7, Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... do to persons who disappointed you and turned out bad? You had all kinds of hope for the child. You had daily family devotions. You took the child to church school and worship. You provided the child all the material necessities. And now the child indulged in drugs and has a child outside marriage. God had the same problem with his people, Judah. Outline: What are your options? a. Make excuses for the person. b. Disown the person -- vv. 5-6. c. Forgive and give the person a second chance -- the Christian ...

91. Jealousy: Cancer of the Heart

Proverbs 27:4

Sermon

James Merritt

... else's success. Someone has well written: It is a good test to the rise and fall of egotism to notice how you listen to the praises of other men of your own standing. Until you can listen to the praises of someone else without any desire to indulge in detraction, or any attempt to belittle his work, you may be sure there is an un-mortified prairie of egotistic impulse in your nature yet to be brought under the grace of God. [2] I am convinced that the antidote to jealousy is contentment; to be satisfied ...

92. How Beautiful You Are

Song of Songs 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

... responds with an indirect (third-person) invitation that maintains the garden imagery. In his reply he claims that he has already entered and enjoyed the garden. The section closes as what is most likely a chorus (NIV “Friends”) invites the lovers to indulge in “eating” and “drinking.” 4:1–7 This is the first of four descriptive motifs in the Song. The descriptive motif consists of a description of the admired person part by part (see “Forms” in the introduction). The speaker here is no ...

93. The Most Generous Gift

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... and the bed of straw. How absolutely astonishing it would have been to that humble first family of our faith huddled in that crude stable if they realized that the birth of their child would become an excuse for a garish display of materialistic indulgence in our world today. Dismiss it as silly sentimentalism if you will. But in our world where billionaires live lives that would have made Solomon in all his glory envious, in our world dominated by the pursuit of pleasure and the almighty dollar, we need ...

94. Act Quickly - Catch It Early

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” I suspect the Master is indulging in a little hyperbole here. He doesn’t really expect us to gouge out an eye or cut off a hand. At least I hope not. But the principle is the same. Do not let sin take root in your heart. The consequences can be tragic. Andy Andrews in his book ...

95. The Evangelism Of Emphasis - 1946

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Kent Moorehead

... doing. Negative Christianity is no Christianity at all. It is a contradiction of terms. To be Christian we must be positive. A second significant emphasis of the Master’s was upon appreciation rather than upon criticism. Not that he ever indulged in any Pollyanna panegyrics, or sentimental encomiums. He was always ruggedly, almost ruthlessly, realistic. He never glossed over evil, nor in any way did he condone sin. He was terrifically condemnatory of smug self-righteousness. "Woe unto you, hypocrites!" he ...

96. Here Comes Jesus

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

James Bjorge

... that make them uneasy, but rather by weak nothings that make them contemptuous. The Lutheran bishops of Norway during the Nazi occupation declared: "Harmlessly edifying preaching would be a denial of God." John would never be accused of sugar-coating the message. He indulged in no generalities which would allow loopholes through which people could escape. Once he thundered in the streets of Jerusalem and it echoed in the palace of the king: John was sticking out his neck; but he knew that like a turtle you ...

97. The Divine Opportunity

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

... them right. To the soldiers, John gave a two-pronged answer: "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages" (v. 14b). Perhaps the most notable thing about John's advice is that it was so practical. He didn't indulge in cliches, like "Pray about it," or "Seek the will of God," or "Work for a just social order." He spoke directly to the world in which his people lived, in terms they could put to work that very day. I'm impressed, too, that he wanted them to ...

98. The Clone Zone: The Bible and Cloning

Genesis 1:26-28

Sermon

James Merritt

... we could use for other parts of the body? That is called research cloning. Now most everyone is against reproductive cloning, or at least they say they are. Most everyone goes on record as saying they do not believe we should ever indulge in cloning to reproduce human beings. The debate is raging over research cloning. Although, quite frankly, it is a slippery slope, because if you advocate research cloning, you ultimately will have to defend reproductive cloning. Now this is how research cloning works. You ...

99. Beyond Togetherness

John 17:20-26

Sermon

John M. Braaten

... I suppose that is not strange, since we have been brought up on a diet of theological ingredients which are not only palatable for us but have come highly recommended by God; at least that's what our clergy tell us. So we are suspect of those who indulge in denominational dishes of a different sort. It is important to realize, however, that God's docrtinal tastes are not so narrow. According to Jesus, all who love the name of the Lord are welcomed. Notice, that while he wants us all to be one with him and ...

100. Flesh-eaters; Blood Drinkers

John 6:51-58

Sermon

King Duncan

... true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." (NRSV) You can imagine how the early church's neighbors responded to these words: "Eat my flesh?" "Drink my blood?" What kind of sect was this? Did they indulge in cannibalism? You and I know that Christ was foreshadowing the central feast of the early Christian community--the sacrament of the Lord's Supper--but his words surely caused much confusion when he spoke them. In the early church, worship centered around the Lord's ...

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