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 2273 results

976. Holy Arithmetic

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Donald Macleod

First Series Up-Dating Out-Dated "Holy" After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" ...

977. Oh Me of Little Faith

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Johnny Dean

A couple of years ago, the scientific community announced yet another earth-shattering, history-making discovery. It seems that a group of scientists were studying a meteor that supposedly originated on the planet Mars and had crash-landed on Earth some 13,000 years ago. In a small fragment of the meteor, the scientists found organic compounds that appeared to be bacteriological life forms. Perhaps the most famous scientist of our era, Carl Sagan, said, "If the results are verified, this is a turning point ...

978. The Family of Judas

Drama

William Grimbol

SETTING: Monologues by the father, mother, brother, sister and grandmother of Judas TIME: Christ's ministry FATHER OF JUDAS: I am just so angry with that ... that Jesus ... that self-proclaimed Messiah ... why he knew exactly what he was doing, taking those twelve fine young men down a dead-end path. You can't tell me for a second that Jesus didn't know what he was doing ... he knew he'd be crucified ... he even predicted it, I'm told. No, he knew. He tempted fate every chance he had. He challenged the ...

979. Ash Wednesday

Sermon

William Luoma

The use of contemporary news stories and ashes focuses on our need for a Savior. The Day: Ash WednesdayIt was Ash Wednesday, and a woman sifting in a crowded Catholic church, leaned over to the young man next to her and asked: "What is it that brings so many people out on a cold night, to get a little dirt smeared on their foreheads, and to be reminded that they are sinners and that they are going to die?" He looked at her somewhat oddly and said, "It's habit, I guess." It must be more than habit. Ash ...

980. Living Passionately

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

Text: Luke 4:18-19 - "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Some years ago a friend wrote to the Russian author, Turgenev, telling him that he felt that the most important thing in life was to put one's self in second place. Turgenev replied to his friend: "I suspect that the ...

981. Why I Believe In The Resurrection

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Brett Blair

You probably do not remember the name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin. During his day he was as powerful a man as there was on earth. A Russian Communist leader he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution 1917, was editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda (which by the way means truth), and was a full member of the Politburo. His works on economics and political science are still read today. There is a story told about a journey he took from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly on the subject of atheism ...

982. Counsel for Discouraged Disciples

Habakkuk 1:1-4

Sermon

John Bunyan had a remarkable ability to represent everyday truth in impressive allegory. One of the most vivid representations in his story, Pilgrim ‘s Progress, has to do with what happened in the Valley of Humiliation. No sooner had Pilgrim entered this valley than he saw the foul fiend Apollyon bearing down upon him, breathing fire and smoke. Pilgrim’s first impulse was to turn and flee for his life. As he was about to do so, however, he remembered that the only armor he wore was on his front side. ...

983. Epiphany 2

Jn 2:1-12 · 1 Cor 12:1-11 · Isa 62:1-5

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Isaiah 62:1-5 The Lord marries his people. Picture the situation: The Exiles have returned from Babylon and find their capital city in ruins along with the temple. The prophet brings comfort and assurance that Yahweh will remedy the situation. The analogy of marriage is used. The Lord will re-marry his people and give them a new name as a bride gets a new name from her husband. Israel is the bride and Yahweh is the groom. Married to Yahweh, the bride-Israel will no longer be desolate or forsaken ...

984. Living Forever

John 6:51

Children's Sermon

Object: A ruler, a ball of string, a calendar. Good morning, boys and girls. How long is forever? (Let them answer.) Have you ever heard me talk about living forever? (Let them answer.) I always talk about living forever. I suppose that every pastor talks about those words more than any other words. But what is forever? Some things we know about, like: how long some things are or how long they will last. I have a ruler and I know that this ruler is twelve inches long. It isn't thirteen inches or twenty ...

985. The Lacking Christian?

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said, "They need not go away, you give them something to eat." They ...

986. Does God Give A Damn?

Exodus 5:22--6:12

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"Moreover I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold in bondage and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment, and I will take you for my people, and I will be your God.’ " When someone does not care, bitterly we say in the vernacular, "He does not ...

987. Hiltgunt Margaret Zassenhaus

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Sermon

Carroll Gunkel

One of the members of our congregation recently underwent eye surgery. When I visited her, she commented favorably on the gentleness, the compassion, and the concern of the surgeon who had performed the operation. She commented further on the number of people he helped and yet, at the same time, was never too busy to carefully explain what he would do in the course of surgery. Furthermore, the parishioner continued, every other month the surgeon went to Puerto Rico to work for one week in a free clinic. ...

988. Magnify Your Ministry!

Romans 11:11-24

Sermon

Raymond Gibson

A very important group in any United Methodist Church is the Committee on Pastor-Parish Relations. The Book of Discipline of our denomination says that one of the primary functions of that body is "to counsel with the minister and staff pertaining to their relationship with the congregation, including priorities to be given in the use of their time and skill in relation to the goals and objectives set for the congregation’s mission and demands upon the ministry." When this sentence was read to the newly- ...

989. "Can Do" Christianity

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

Raymond Gibson

Those who lived through the long years of World War II remember a remarkable group of men called the Seabees. "Seabees" was their nickname, based upon their official designation as the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions. These were the men who went ashore right behind the Marines during the Pacific island battles, constructing the new facilities necessary for the support and establishment of our nation's combat forces. They referred to themselves as "can do" people, and were often quoted as saying, "The ...

990. A LITURGICAL DRAMA FOR ALL SAINTS’

Drama

Tom Eberle

A LITURGICAL DRAMA FOR ALL SAINTS’ [Placed in the chancel area of the sanctuary is a large cardboard box, about two to three feet high, with a chair setting in it. At the end of the prelude "Box" takes his place on the chair. Immediately in front of the pews, on both sides of the center aisle, is an arrangement of candles. Five candles are necessary for the chancel drama, plus a candle for each member of the congregation who died in the past 12 months.] Prelude Box: Before we go any further, let’s lay all ...

991. Manasseh

2 Kings 21:1-18

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem ... And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Here is a small hinge of truth upon which a tremendous door swings open to a profound question. Why is it that a merciful God one who is perfect goodness, absolute love, incarnate justice permits an evil man to live a long, successful life? At the same time, why do righteous individuals sometimes survive a few wretched years amid poverty and misery ...

992. WE ARE THE BELIEVERS: TESTIMONIES

Drama

Marcia Miller

As the lights come up, the characters who participate are seen with their backs to the audience. The first speaker turns to the audience and begins to speak. The next speaker turns toward the first speaker, begins, and then directs his speech to the audience. This same technique should be followed throughout the remaining testimonies. If possible, the speakers should be standing on different levels. If this isn’t feasible, the characters should be in a staggered line with, perhaps, one sitting on the floor ...

993. Save It!

John 6:1-15

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A patchwork quilt and some patches. Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to talk about the value of saving things and a miracle that Jesus performed. Do you like to save things, or are you the kind who throws away everything you do not use the first time? [Let them answer.] I am a saver. I always think that I will find some use for everything. Some of the scraps that I save make very lovely things. Let me show you what I mean. I have saved little patches of different kinds of material ...

994. Nazareth: The Hidden Years

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

Although I have been privileged to travel in the Holy Land three times, I have been to Nazareth only once, and that was a hurried visit. Now and then I tell myself that I want to go to Israel again some day, and that when I do, I will decide (not the travel agent) how long I will stay in each place. If that ever happens, I will spend more time in Nazareth. If you go to Nazareth today, you will find a city of nearly 30,000 people. It was much, much smaller in Jesus’ day, of course, but around 600 A.D., ...

995. Repentance and Forgiveness

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

"Daddy. When you came home last Saturday night and stumbled up the stairs and hollered at Mom I was scared to death. I get really scared and upset when you drink too much." Tracy Hayes was the speaker. She was eleven years old. She spoke these words to her father during what is called an "intervention." Mrs. Hayes and her children, Tracy and Kevin, along with their pastor, a few friends, and Mr. Hayes’ boss made the very difficult decision to "intervene" in the life of Wendall Hayes. It was their ...

996. How Old is God?

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: A clock that ticks very loudly, a calendar, and a cane Good morning (evening), boys and girls, and how are you on this beautiful day? It is really nice to come to church and be together. Sometimes we begin to think that worship in God’s house is only open to big people like our moms and dads and that we just kind of come along. It is really good to know differently, isn’t it? I have been trying to think about some more of the questions that boys and girls like to ask about God and see if I can’t ...

997. The Forgotten Virtue

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

An author by the name of Vardis Fisher has written a novel, which I have not read, but I suspect that the title suggests more than all of the material that might be included in that volume. The name of the book is Forgive Us Our Virtues. Forgive us our virtues - it’s a prayer that we all might offer. It’s quite easy to pray "forgive us our trespasses"; the higher devotion allows us to say "forgive us our virtues." Benjamin Franklin is often quoted for his homely wisdom as a guide for those who search for ...

998. The Generation Gap

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

William McKee Aber

We live in an age of gaps. There is the generation gap (best known, probably, because of the alliteration of the title, and for the fact that we have all felt ourselves a part of it at one time or another), and the marriage gap, the racial gap, the economic gap, and a host of others. In a world desperately needing unity lest it blow itself to smithereens, we live separated by chasms and gulfs. It would seem that God - if He is really a part of our world in the present age - speaks to our separations. Hence ...

999. Confrontation in the Temple

John 2:12-25

Sermon

George Bass

Jesus laid claim to a special relationship with God the Father. He demonstrated an all-consuming love for the Temple (where formal business with God was done in worship and study) when, according to Saint Luke, he was twelve years old. Neither Matthew, Mark, nor John includes that account in their gospels. But Luke evidently considered the incident to be a true story that was important enough to be included in the gospel that bears his name; he was interested, as his Acts of the Apostles affirms, in ...

1000. The Healing Community

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Ron Lavin

Dr. Granger Westberg, the founder of Wholistic Medicine, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, asks this question when he talks to nurses, doctors, and pastors: "What is the healthiest hour of the week?" How would you answer that question? Dr. Westberg surprises many people by answering, "The hour of worship on Sunday morning." Why is that true? In order to answer that question we need to consider two other questions which Dr. Westberg often puts to his audiences: (1) What is the major factor in sickness? and (2) What ...

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