Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 976 to 1000 of 4972 results

976. The Case of the Dancing Men

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... Someone has painted small figures of dancing men on the wall of her garden. These dancing men are symbols of a troubled past that she has tried to forget. From this moment on, she walks about half dazed, with terror always lurking in her eyes. She could not leave her past behind. (1) David, King of Israel, had an experience that struck terror into his heart. It wasn’t a painting on a wall that awakened the past for him. Rather it was a simple story told to him by the prophet Nathan. “There were two men ...

977. The Helpful Blacksmith

Matthew 6:19-24

Illustration

Mike Ripski

... , it'll need to be fixed, and if I'm not here to do it, they won't be able to get their crop in. So would you please leave me, so I can serve my neighbors?" The angel had never run into anybody that didn't want to go to heaven, but the angel pleaded the blacksmith's case ... of our neighbors is very ill, and if we don't help him harvest his crop, his family will be destitute. Will you please leave me, so I can help him get that crop in?" It became a habit. Every time the angel came, there was always something else ...

978. The Lenten License to Steal, Drink, Lie and Swear

Romans 4:1-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of “believer” that is beyond some of us . . . at least the demons have some body motion in their belief. This morning I leave you with a Lenten list of “Believe God” behaviors. Are you ready? You are to “steal, drink, lie and swear as much as ... is a tree, or rather a whole paradise of trees of life, which bring forth fruits every month, and the fruit thereof is for meat, and the leaves for medicine. It is not a pot of manna or a cruse of oil, which were for memory only, or for a meal’s meat or two ...

979. God's Day Off

Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... notices which say "Do not pick the flowers" and "Please keep off the grass." Some might say "Why the fence and the signs? Why not leave people free to do what they like?" But I'm quite sure the answer is this: If there were no notices there would soon be ... survive. I make no judgments as to what is right or wrong on Sunday for you, but I will say this: Judgments must be made. I leave them to you ... to ponder, to discuss, to lift up to the Lord in prayer. We can rejoice that Jesus taught that "the sabbath was ...

980. Jesus Christ, Superstar

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Act Two opens on Thursday night as Jesus hosts the Last Supper. He announces that Peter will deny him and another of the twelve will betray him. Judas confronts him, telling Jesus that he knows very well that Judas is the one that will be the betrayer. Judas leaves and the other apostles go to sleep. Jesus stays awake and prays. He wants to know why he must die, why he must go through with his Father's plan. Judas returns and betrays Jesus with a kiss. Following the arrest, Caiaphas asks Jesus if he is the ...

981. Time’s A-Wasting

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Robert J. Elder

... from their own lives that demonstrates what can happen when the new reality of Christ's love intrudes on our lives. These folks are in the habit of leaving notes for each other all over the house. Now that's not too unusual; lots of us leave notes that read something like, "Don't forget the milk and bread," or "Remember, the meeting tonight starts at 7:30." But these folks leave another kind of note for each other, notes that are simply there to say, "I love you," or "I'm thinking of you." One day, they had ...

982. Flesh and Spirit

Romans 8:12-17

Sermon

Gibson “Nibs” Stroupe

... our being creatures with consciousness. We have an awareness of our finitude and our dependency and our mortality. We are aware of our limits and our dependency: We don't choose when we come into the world, and for the most part, we don't control when we leave the world. There is within us a deep, primordial awareness that we are not in control, that we are dependent, and that we are mortal. Yet, we are also aware that we are individuals, that we are separated on a profound level from every other person and ...

983. Make a 119 Call

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... him. Mr. Ramos and Mr. Zhu stopped. They helped Victor to his feet and supported him as he slowly made his way down the stairs. On the 36th floor Victor gave up, ‘I can’t move my legs anymore,’ he said. A fireman rushing by told them to leave Victor and get out. Mr. Zhu continued down, but behind him he heard Mr. Ramos saying: ‘Victor, don’t worry, I’m with you.’ Mr. Zhu reached Mr. DeVito and the others just as the neighboring 2 World Trade Center was collapsing. Once they were safely away ...

984. Looking for the Child of Bethlehem

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... audience, and moves to center stage. He looks around, confused. When the singing ends, he speaks.) Asher: Excuse me. Am I interrupting something? I did hear the words, “Israel,” “Emmanuel,” and “Son of God,” didn’t I? Or am I hearing things? Perhaps I should leave. (starts to leave, then stops) No, I won’t go! I must know what happened to him. Is what we heard true? Did he make a difference? Leader: Excuse me, sir. May I help you? Asher: I hope so. I’ve had very little help so far. I’m ...

985. You Are in Good Hands with God

Isaiah 40:21-31

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... he arrived at his destination. It was not quite as large as he imagined, in fact it looked somewhat familiar. He found a familiar street, knocked at a familiar door, and met a familiar family. There he lived happily ever after. The story is clear; there is no need to leave your own situation to find the presence of God. All we need to do is be open to the power and presence of the Lord and God will do the rest. Unfortunately, however, too often we are closed off to God. We don't think God could be concerned ...

986. Reconciliation: The Heart of Love

Hosea 2:14-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing" (Joel 2:13). God continually seeks our return. The Lord wants us and thus leaves no stone unturned in a diligent search for us. Like Francis Thompson's epic poem says, God is the "Hound of Heaven" ... As the parable states, if God chooses to be merciful to others, that is not our concern. We are to do the best we can and leave judgment up to God. It is certainly true, God is just waiting for us to return. God is like the father in the parable of the ...

987. The Divine Deal ...

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... call of God to pastors and priests who are beckoned to enter the land of parish ministry is similar to the call of God to Abraham. Dietmar Linke was a pastor called into church ministry in the former DDR. At Christmas 1983, he and his family were ordered to leave the DDR. The record of his "criminal activity" began when he was the pastor of his first congregation in the East German town of Meinsdorf. He noticed that the Jewish graves in the town cemetery were not cared for. He decided to organize a week of ...

988. The Place beyond Revenge

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... neighboring St. Paul's. How has she changed in eight years? Not much. The horror remains close and precise. The exhibit gives her a frame for the chaos of the experience. She compares herself to the one elderly woman on the last Staten Island Ferry to leave the city on the original day. "We were all there in stunned silence, with orange life jackets on us. Helicopters flew overhead and you could hear us all think, Finally, the government has come to help and protect us from whatever is going to happen next ...

989. What Does It Mean to Be Blessed?

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... should be okay being on the island. Just being in the Kingdom with the King ought to put you in a blessed location. One of the ways you know that you aren’t blessed yet in the biblical sense of the word is that you got to keep leaving the island to have fun. You need more than your relationship with God to have peace. You crave more than your communion with the Father to have joy. The blessed person finds their sufficiency with Him.” (5) But perhaps the best explanation of being blessed comes from rock ...

990. Danger: A Fair Warning

Illustration

... either. He wrote down the names of the next of kin of the twenty or so people who gathered there to party through the storm. They laughed as he took their names. They had been warned, but they had no intention of leaving. It was 10:15 p.m. when the front wall of the storm came ashore. Scientists clocked Camille's wind speed at more than 205 miles-per-hour, the strongest on record. Raindrops hit with the force of bullets, and waves off the Gulf Coast crested between twenty-two and ...

991. By Comparison How Rich We Are!

Luke 12:13-21

Illustration

Steve Williams

... as many as a billion people in the world. Take out all the furniture in your home except for one table and a couple of chairs. Use blanket and pads for beds. Take away all of your clothing except for your oldest dress or suit, shirt or blouse. Leave only one pair of shoes. Empty the pantry and the refrigerator except for a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a few potatoes, some onions, and a dish of dried beans. Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, and remove all the electrical wiring ...

992. Kids' Letters To Santa

Humor Illustration

... ? Do they like cookies, too? My mom won't let me bring hay into the living room. Your friend, Sandy Dear Santa, I need a new skateboard for Christmas. The one I got now crashes too much. Band-aids would be OK too. David Dear Santa, Would you rather I leave you cookies and milk or pizza? Dad says you'd probably like the pizza. Write back right away to let me know. Love, Lisa Dear Santa, Please give me a tank, a jet fighter, 20 green soldiers, and a bazooka gun. I'm planning a surprise attack on my brother ...

993. Seeking Christ

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... . There is another true story that comes out of World War II. A platoon of American soldiers was stranded on one side of a mine field they had to cross. The commander of the platoon came up with a plan: one man would walk across the mine field, leaving clear footprints for others to follow. If this first man hit a mine, then another man would take his place and would also walk across the field in his footsteps . . . until he fell as well, and so on . . . until finally someone had cleared a path for all the ...

994. Mark 1:1-11

Mark 11:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Greek “periblepesthai” (used six times by Mark) suggests a critical, piercing scrutiny of a situation. Yet here in Mark’s text Jesus’ survey of the temple and all that was going on there is not immediately followed by the temple “cleansing” scene. Instead the only action Jesus takes is to leave. Mark ends this “triumphal entry” scene not with any more great drama, but with an eerie silence. Jesus and his disciples not only ...

995. Will You Be an April Fool for Christ?

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

996. God’s Two Hands

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... you going’” seems to flatly contradict 13:36 and 14:5, it seems Jesus has heard the self‑absorption that lay behind both Peter and Thomas’ earlier inquiries. For the disciples, “where” Jesus was going was of far less concern than why he was leaving them and where they would go. No wonder Jesus notes that, “sorrow has filled your hearts” in response to these final words about the future he is offering. Jesus now insists that it is important the disciples do know his destination, because it is ...

997. This Fellow Welcomes Sinners

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... to make up for the loss of his mother. One reason the older brother might be such a hard worker, never allowing himself time off, is that he has become the missing person, the mother figure who is taking it upon himself to make everything right, not leaving room for anyone else's efforts because it is all on his shoulders. Maldonado wonders if the younger son is so irresponsible because he can never measure up to the older brother's standards and has stopped trying. He simply wants to get as far away ...

998. Sit Up and Speak!

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... with wheels. Lying on the gurney is someone waiting to be restored. Who lies there? Is it someone you know? Is it you? Is it me? Picture Jesus reaching out and touching and speaking, "Young man, young woman, young of heart, I say rise! Leave your coffin. Leave your sick bed. Leave your cynicism, your anger, your hostility with God or whatever is deadening you to the things of God and the abundant life. For after all, it is I, Jesus, who promises, ‘I have come that you might have life and that you might ...

999. Quitters

John 6:60-71

Sermon

King Duncan

... times of trouble . . . you can entrust your life to him . . . He is Emmanuel, God with us, God with us all, whether we are together or apart. That’s what it’s all about. That’s all I know.” Jesus turned to the twelve and asked, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 1. Rev. Donald Ng, http://www.fcbc-sf.org/sermons/srm092709.pdf. 2. The ...

1000. The Jump To Judgment

Luke 6:39-49

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , but we need to be careful about them. Sadly, one of the problems in today's church is that no one feels compelled to exercise solid judgment. It takes the most egregiously awful behavior before anyone is willing to call a halt. Ask someone to leave a church? Horrors! Not these days. But if you go back into the history of our tradition, you will find that the Protestant definition of the church is "that place in which the word is preached, the sacraments are administered, and discipline is exercised ...

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