Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 976 to 1000 of 2815 results

976. Advice from a Billionaire

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... was also happening in the heart of this gardener who had clipped the bird’s wings. The cruel gardener was converted by the loving concern of those geese. He gladly watched them as they finally rose together and all resumed their long flight. (3) To me that is a parable of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is here and now. Wherever love is, there is God. Wherever God is, there is love. Here is the last thing to be said: The kingdom of God is centered in Christ himself. It is not enough to sing simply ...

977. Jesus' Guide to Wise Investing

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... Then Jesus adds, “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Isn’t it interesting that God should call him a fool—not a sinner, not a reprobate—but a fool? We have to be very careful here. Scholars assure us that parables are designed to make only one point. But the term “fool” suggests all sorts of things to me. Probably not all of them relate to this rich man, but they do relate to some men and women I have known. Let’s think of some reasons God may have called ...

978. The Poor Man in the Mercedes

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... at least three things that Jesus seems to be saying to us in this popular story of the rich man and Lazarus. The first is that we are responsible for one another. The message of the story of the rich man and Lazarus is no different than the parable of the Good Samaritan. We are responsible for the good of our neighbor. The great commandment? We are to love God with all our heart, soul mind and strength. The second commandment? We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Who is our neighbor? Anyone who ...

979. Who's the Fool?

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

George Reed

... But Jesus liked to party and have a good banquet. He made wine for the wedding feast and by his own admission was called a glutton and a drunkard because he enjoyed a good meal and wine. So let’s stay away from this kind of interpretation of Jesus’ parable. Other times I have heard sermons which were based on those “who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God” with the basic message that it is okay to be rich as long as we are good church members. After all, didn’t Jesus say ...

980. God Gives the Pharisees the Finger!

John 7:25-44, John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... is not accused by his kingdom. He is king and can essentially take anyone he wants. The “law” in question is God’s law! God’s relationship with David is damaged! He is sinned against God and God only, as he himself admits afterward. Why? In the parable, Nathan explains that a man has “poached” the only beloved lamb of another man. Even though the man is wealthy and has any number of lambs…an entire flock in fact, he steals the only single lamb owned by a man who was in fact his “servant ...

981. Little Ones

Luke 18:15-17, Matthew 19:13-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. The parable is about children ---and all those who believe in Jesus as children do! God will never allow for a child to be harmed. If any one of them wanders off, Jesus will seek that child and try to find that child. And oh the joy when He does. Children are ...

982. The Plank

Matthew 5:38-48; 7:1-6

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay ...

983. The Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... 80: The Restoration of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh The Lord Will Gather All Who Worship Him (Isaiah 56) The Lord Will Restore All of Israel, Including Ephraim and Manasseh (Jeremiah 31) The Apostles Preach and Convert Followers to Jesus in Samaria (Acts 8) Jesus’ Parable of a Good-Hearted Samaritan On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He ...

984. She Waits

Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:50-53, Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... back for you. In the meantime, He will send an assistant, the Holy Spirit, who will prepare them, teach them, make them ready for His return. And when He returns, He describes it as a grand feast! The wedding feast of the King, Jesus describes in His parable of the great feast. That feast again will be echoed in Revelation in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. This is the kind of covenant God imagines with us. Now, I think it was probably hard enough for Jesus’ disciples to think of themselves as proclaiming ...

985. All the Pretty Horses

Luke 12:13-21, Luke 12:1-12, 1 Kings 3:16-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... has a continued dream for God’s Church in this world, and we need to be ready to receive it. That dream is a dream of love and reconciliation. And that kind of love always starts with Jesus. This is what Jesus tells us in this parable today. Focus your eyes on God. Restore that relationship, and all the others will follow. For life is all about relationships. Not storing up money, or resentments, or fear, or hesitancy, but shoring up relationships. Who are the broken relationships in your life? Where are ...

986. Caring for the Vineyard We Did Not Plant

Matthew 20:1-16, Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... s people: “Choose whom you will serve!” The issue of serving is a given! If we are not serving God’s mission, then we are serving our own, or someone else’s. Being in mission in God’s Vineyard means we are not in control. We see that in Jesus’ parable. It also means that we work beside some of us who have been in the Church many years, and others who are new disciples of Jesus. Some of us are seasoned. Some of us are newbies. Some are just learning about Him. Together, we make a team of builders ...

987. Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... nothing can kill off a declaration of love faster than over-analysis. No, a love letter simply calls for a response on the part of the loved one. In a similar way, the song “Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil” reminds us that the proper reaction to Jesus’ parables is not analysis but a response of commitment to and longing for the reign of the love of God in our world and lives. That love for which we long is the source of our sense of belonging and feeling at home with God. After living in any community ...

988. Don't Get Stuck!

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Michael L. Sherer

... .” The Greek word for repentance in this story is metanoia. It means, “Change your mind” or “turn around. Stop going the wrong way. Face a healthy direction, and then go there.” So, in terms of John the Baptist’s words to his listeners, this parable is a cautionary tale about the need to turn around and go a different way. Could the driver, heading for the award ceremony, have known he was heading for trouble? There were all kinds of signs. Surely when the pavement turned to gravel, he should ...

989. The Invisible Robe of Righteousness

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . Now, we need to not read over that statement, “both good and bad.” Because when the king comes in to see the guests, only one man is singled out, because he is not wearing a wedding robe. Because of his disrespect, he is removed. The end of the parable quotes, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” So, we must ask, what is it about the wedding robe, or lack of that robe, that causes the “King” to reject that one guest, even though we know many brought in are both good and bad? What we learn ...

990. The Judge of the Living and the Dead

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Albert G. Butzer III

... who feed the hungry, welcome the strangers, clothe the naked, minister to the sick, and visit those in prison. On the other hand, those who do not perform these gracious acts of kindness and mercy get dragged away to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:31-46). Referring to this parable Mother Teresa once said, “At the end of life, we will not be judged by diplomas, money, or the great things we have done. We will be judged by, ‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I ...

991. The Clues Are There

Luke 2:22-40

Sermon

Michael L. Sherer

... to us, who read or hear the story, “Don’t be surprised about what’s coming. I’ve given you clues. You’ve been warned.” What is the meaning of ‘the falling and rising of many’ about which Simeon speaks? Luke spells it out later on, most dramatically in a parable about an obscenely wealthy man who lives in a walled mansion. In the street outside his gate lies a starving beggar. Will the overfed rich man make a move to help feed the beggar? Not on your life. Luke uses the ...

992. R.S.V.P.

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

... like a party? Have some caviar, it's real Beluga! Relax. This whole bash is free." You see, if he had said anything at all, if he had raged or cried out, then the King could have said something to reassure him, could have told him a parable or something. Yet he just sat there in quiet, dull, desperation and he ended up, insider though he was, on the outside. "Bind him up, hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness." Judgment falls down like a thundering gavel upon our rejection of the invitation ...

993. The Good

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

... Jesus eat and drink with if not with sinners, be they of the "good" Pharisee variety or the ''bad" Publican kind. Sinners. Losers. Some of you think I have it easy here just because I only work one day a week. You think it's easy to preach this parable here? Parents, let's face it. Your kids are here because they are good. Lots of other parents have raised Publicans rather than Pharisees. A daughter at Duke, no less? Well, good for you, you must have been quite a parent. How did you do it? Sure, there was ...

994. Fertilize Your Faith

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of God’s vineyard, we don’t need to be victims of a fig tree without fruit. We ourselves can devote our hearts to God, and in turn, we will receive God’s resurrection gift of fruit-bearing and seed sowing. For we know from Jesus’ parable of the mustard that once seeding of the gospel begins, nothing can stop its growth and perpetuity, not even a barren fig tree.[3] Jesus (God) is an artist of fertilization. He creates life from barrenness and fruitfulness from out of wastedness. This is the truth ...

995. A VIP Seat

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... lesson for today from Luke 14. Our story begins “One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable . . .” When I read this passage, I can’t help but laugh. Picture this scene through Jesus’ eyes. Jesus is invited to the home of a prominent Pharisee. We don’t know how Jesus got picked for this particular dinner party, but Luke tells us that while ...

996. More Fully Understanding Christ

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate ... person can spend their whole life in church and never be fruitful. Notice that only one-fourth of the seeds in Jesus’ parable ever bore fruit. The rest were lost, wasted on those who listened but never really understood. Will the message of the kingdom ...

997. Overcoming Envy

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... legion. Even in the New Testament we read about Herod who sought to kill every baby that was born in that region because he was so envious of any would-be rivals who might come to the throne. The same envy is displayed by the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son. “It isn’t fair that my younger brother should receive a welcome like this, when I have stayed home all these years in the father’s house, and I have never received a party like this one.” Wa-wa-wa—the green-eyed monster—envy ...

998. Mind Your Manners

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

... delightful surprise of being invited up to sit with the dignitaries. It's a bit of practical advice, useful, but of no great consequence. But Luke doesn't call it advice. He calls it "a parable" told "when he marked how they chose the places of honor." It's more than manners, it's a parable, like other parables, meant to reveal something about the way God looks at things. How does God look at our table-time etiquette? "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted ...

999. Enemy in Disguise

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... or as a hallucinogenic drug, much the way some do with other drugs today. Throughout literature, darnel has been employed therefore as a symbol for treachery and toxicity. It’s no wonder then that Jesus employed the metaphor in the story we call his parable of the “wheat and tares.” Sometimes we forget that Jesus did not live in a vacuum. He would have been living in a time in which some of the greatest minds were writing in science, agriculture, literature, and philosophy. Pliny, Theophrastus, and ...

1000. Going and Doing

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Steve Molin

... hand and said “God bless you, Andy.” And he responded, “He already has brother. He already has.” I don’t tell you that story to lift myself up; good grief, I tried twice to avoid Andy altogether. I tell you that story for the same reason Jesus told his parable; to remind us of others, all around us there are others who have needs that we can fill. And what if the Andy’s in our midst are Jesus? In the coming weeks, we will begin preparing the bud- get for coming year. We will plug in a whole gob ...

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