Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 976 to 1000 of 1967 results

976. The Joy of a Thankful Heart

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

On his way to Jerusalem, our Lord passed through the region between Samaria and Galilee. This was never a pleasant place for a Jew to travel. There was just too much animosity with the Samaritans. The Jews preferred to avoid them. Travel in the region of the Samaritans was simply distasteful. As Jesus walked, a group of ten lepers approached him. The group contains a curious mixture. For one thing, both leprous Jews and leprous Samaritans were traveling together.[1] The illness permitted them to rise above ...

977. Sons of God

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

3:26 The basis upon which Paul makes the previous statement in verse 25 is his conviction that the Galatians are all sons of God by virtue of their being in Christ Jesus. Paul continues to work with the metaphor of inheritance to underscore that all of his readers are inheritors of God’s promise. Paul emphasizes that the Galatians already are “sons” or inheritors of God’s promise. (Paul’s use of “sons” is meant not to exclude the female members of the Galatian churches, but to work with the inheritance ...

978. The Flying Scroll

Zechariah 5:1-4

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

Vision Report: A Flying Scroll: 5:1 Zechariah continues the description of his visions with an account of the next thing he saw, I looked again—and there before me was a flying scroll! He does not mention any winged bearers (as he does in the following vision), nor is the scroll itself said to have wings—he does not specify the means of locomotion. The image calls to mind flying carpets, undulating through the air. As impressive as the Persian road system was, a flying scroll could move more quickly than ...

979. Do You Believe in Miracles?

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

King Duncan

Joe Sardler had been blind for six years. His blindness was caused by atrophy of the optical nerve. One night Joe tripped over his dog’s dish which had been left on a step. Subsequently he fell down the basement stairs. As he fell, his head slammed against a wall--and suddenly, miracle of miracles--his vision was restored. All of a sudden Joe could see things he hadn’t seen in years, such as the face of his five-year-old daughter. Can you imagine such an incident? Can you imagine how this event made him ...

980. A Word to Busy Parents

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

King Duncan

Today we’re going to be talking about the Christian family. I believe most of us will agree that raising a family can be challenging. In fact, raising a family changes with each baby. Someone has made a list of the ways having a second and third child is different from having your first. See if any of you can identify with these differences: For example, if you are a mom, your clothes change. With the first baby you begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your gynecologist confirms your pregnancy. With ...

981. A Solemn yet Joyous Feast

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

King Duncan

Maundy Thursday marks the final countdown to Jesus’ last days on earth--his arrest, his crucifixion and ultimately, his resurrection. It is usually not the most joyous of feasts. Even the word “Maundy,” which comes from the Latin word for “commandment,” sounds gloomy. It sounds like a word Eeyore would say a lot. Are you familiar with Eeyore, the pessimistic donkey from the Winnie the Pooh books? Can’t you picture Eeyore saying, “Maundy, maundy” in his gloomiest voice? And then he’d sigh and shake his head ...

982. We Will Be Changed

Ezekiel 37:1-14, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Sermon

Lori Wagner

What is in a name? Nothing defines us in our lives more than what we are named. We are given a name, but through our lives, we also take on other names. We know Jesus by many names: wonderful, counselor, almighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace, as Handel’s oratorio tells us. But we too have names that define us. In the scriptures, often the name that one is born with is not the name God bestows upon them. Jacob becomes Israel. Sarai becomes Sarah. Abram becomes Abraham. Simon becomes Peter. Adamh ...

983. Fired Up and Fit for the Feast

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In this second week of Advent, we have a powerful scripture this morning, a kind of holy hellfire prophetic voice coming from one of the most interesting figures in the gospels –John, known as the Baptist. Though we know little about John directly from gospel stories such as this one, we can glean from mention of him, the circumstances of his life, and the many times Jesus’ disciples and apostles encounters John’s disciples, that his ministry was significant, widespread, well-known, respected, and his ...

984. Who Are These?

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Will Willimon

''Who are these clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?" I said to him..."These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb." In Habits of the Heart, the sociological study of Americans in the Eighties, there is an interview with someone named "Sheila." When asked about religion, Sheila says, "I consider myself religious, but I don't know when I've been to church. My religion is just my own little voice. I guess ...

985. Biography Of A Changed Person

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Robert Beringer

There are many people who outwardly seem to have their lives all together. They have plenty of money, lots of friends, a good deal of power, and they seem at least on the surface of things to be enjoying the "good life." But inwardly, many of these same people feel lost and alone and empty. What they desperately need is to find a turning point in their lives that will fill that emptiness in their soul. Bill Smith (not his real name) was the pastor of a large and thriving congregation. Everybody loved Bill ...

986. Forgiven!

Sermon

Lee Griess

John 12:1-8 On a recent religious talk show the hostess was interviewing a young woman who had just recently come to know Christ and had been received into the church. Until her recent conversion, she had lived on the wrong side of the tracks, lived in the fast lane, and teetered on the brink of destruction. So overwhelming was the sense of forgiveness that this young woman practically gushed with joy as she spoke. "I can't express," she said, "the sense of gratitude that I feel that God has changed my ...

987. Welcoming Christ

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

For his sixth grade year his family moved to the new community. They made careful preparations for the husky, freckle-faced redhead to fit in smoothly. They had meetings with teachers and principal, and practiced the route to the very school doors he would enter on the first day. "Right here will be lists of the classes with the teachers' names and students. Come to these doors and find your name on a list and go to that class." On the big day, all went as planned. Many students had gathered by the time he ...

988. Lent 2

Philippians 3:12-4:1, Genesis 15:1-18, Luke 13:31-35, Jeremiah 26:1-24

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Yahweh makes a covenant with Abraham who is promised a son and a land. This passage is one of several accounts of Yahweh's covenant with Abraham. It is noteworthy that Yahweh came to Abraham with a covenant proposal. Yahweh comes to Abraham as a shield (v. 1) and thus Abraham has no need to fear being in Yahweh's holy presence. In this account, Yahweh promises Abraham three tremendous blessings: a son, a nation, and a country. The covenant is made legal and ...

989. Good News! You Are Going To Be Tortured

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

Some of you may be familiar with the two-minute radio program, Ask Dr. Science. Dr. Science, as the initiated know, isn't a real doctor. He has a master's degree . . . in science! This disclaimer always runs at the end of the program, however. In the meantime, the announcer asks Dr. Science a question sent in by a listener like, "Why can I only see the stars at night?" Then Dr. Science answers the question in an annoying know-it-all voice that conveys the unspoken message: "This is a highly complex subject ...

990. The Pure In Heart

Sermon

John A. Terry

Psalm 42Matthew 5:1-12 Purity of heart is a common thead throughout scripture. The first of the Ten Commandments says: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For ...

991. The Pure In Heart

Psalm 42:1-11

Sermon

John A. Terry

Purity of heart is a common thead throughout scripture. The first of the Ten Commandments says: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Deuteronomy 5:7). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24). "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and ...

992. Forgiven!

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Lee Griess

On a recent religious talk show the hostess was interviewing a young woman who had just recently come to know Christ and had been received into the church. Until her recent conversion, she had lived on the wrong side of the tracks, lived in the fast lane, and teetered on the brink of destruction. So overwhelming was the sense of forgiveness that this young woman practically gushed with joy as she spoke. "I can't express," she said, "the sense of gratitude that I feel that God has changed my life." The talk ...

993. The Public Effect Of Private Living

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Robert Allen

It happens so often that it seems almost routine to our modern world. We read or listen to certain stories with interest and then we make little jokes about how the private morality of people becomes public information. A U.S. Congressman is found guilty of having sex with a 16-year-old and the story becomes headline news. Jim Wright becomes the first speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives ever to resign his office over ethic violations. He was charged with 69 violations of House rules. The public ...

994. The Boy Who Ran Away

Mark 14:43-52

Sermon

Erskine White

A young man followed Him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body; and they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. (Mark 14:51-52) To understand what follows, cast loose your imagination for the moment. In this sermon, I am going to pretend that I am a Bible character who lived two thousand years ago, and I am writing a letter to the modern-day Christian church. The letter begins as follows: I. My name is John Mark. I was a witness to the last night Jesus spent on earth, and I ...

995. Humility

Luke 3:1-20, Isaiah 40:1-31

Drama

Martha L. Leach

Characters: Moses John the Baptist Narrator Theme: Humility Narrator: At one point in their career, the disciples asked Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" We suppose they were hoping Jesus' answer would be, "Why, you, of course. You who gave up everything to follow me." Instead Jesus called to him a child and told the disciples, "Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the ...

996. Don't Just Stand There! - Get Involved!

Luke 3:1-20, Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Dr. John Thompson Peters

G.K. Chesterton one time said, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. Rather it has been found difficult and not tried." It would seem strange that after almost two thousand years of history there should still be confusion about the real nature of the Christian religion, and yet there can be no question but that it is widely misunderstood and hence misinterpreted. Some men reduce Christianity to something easy, while others make it impossible. With our contemporary situation bringing ...

997. Are There Any Questions?

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

Today our good year in the company of Dr. Luke, the author of the Gospel that had been in focus through these months, begins to wind down toward the end. Are there any questions? If you have a question, and I suspect we have a few in mind, line up in the center aisle and wait your turn. Jesus has been teaching in the temple at Jerusalem, his disciples are at hand, and in the crowd his enemies as well. The question-answer period begins. One by one those who oppose him for one reason or another challenge him ...

998. Fasting: Foolish or Fruitful?

Matthew 6:16-18

Sermon

Today, fasting is a lost practice. Since Vatican II, Catholics do not require fasting. Except for Episcopahans and Lutherans, most Protestants do not know what fasting is. And very few Lutherans and Episcopalians take fasting seriously. Yet, fasting has always been a part of religious devotion, both Christian and non-Christian. For instance, the Bible takes fasting for granted. In looking for a text commending fasting, I could not find one. Fasting is assumed. Jesus took for granted that people would fast ...

999. Authority Through Servanthood

Matthew 20:20-28, Matthew 20:17-19

Sermon

Dean Lueking

The Question Of Our Time Today’s sermon is on the subject of authority, based on the text above. It is no overstatement to say that authority is the question of our time. Wherever one looks in our world today, in family, government, business life, and the church, the conclusion seems unanimous. Authority is in a bad state of erosion. Why is this so? What can be done about a matter so vital to people in every aspect of life? The story St. Matthew tells us in today’s text speaks directly to the problem of ...

1000. The Importance of Forgiving Others

Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon

Archbishop’s Easter Message, read the headlines for one newspaper on Easter Monday, 1986, followed by a sub-heading in larger print, "Runcie applauds forgiving vicar." The reporter, Clifford Longley, wrote, "The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie, yesterday bestowed an Easter absolution on the perpetrators of the recent horrific incident in a west London vicarage." Longley was referring to the attack upon a Church of England clergyman, his daughter, and her boy friend that occurred in the middle ...

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