Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1001 to 1025 of 4963 results

1001. Whether You'll Weather the Weather

Luke 6:46-49

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... whole weight of your life onto the one sure foundation. "Which of all the airy castles can the hurricane endure?" asked Joachim Neander over 300 years ago, concluding that "built on sand, naught can stand by our earthly wisdom planned." And so he resolved, "All my hope is firmly grounded in the great and living Lord; who, whenever I most need him, never fails to keep his word. God I must wholly trust, God the ever good and just."2 Modern meteorology is a highly sophisticated science, and many of us depend ...

1002. The Book that Changes Lives

Nehemiah 7:73b--8:18

Sermon

King Duncan

... find Christ, he found me.” After his release in 1948, Moltmann abandoned his field of physics and went on to study theology. Now he is a theologian whose works are read all over the world. He is best known for his ground-breaking book The Theology of Hope. To this day Jurgen Moltmann carries that New Testament with him as a reminder of what God can do through his word. Does this make sense to you? The Bible not only provides us with a structure for our lives, but when we wrestle with the Word prayerfully ...

1003. The Nature of the Church and Christian Discipleship

1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... property” so, as Christians our relationship to God is unique. As a church, we are God’s people, God’s possession. We remember how God said to Israel, “this people have I formed for myself; they will show forth my praise” (Isaiah 43:21). I hope I will never forget my first visit to Estonia. I was reminded of it again recently when I was in mainland China – Christians in settings like that – in the midst of oppression, in settings where identity is not something that is taken for granted – it ...

1004. In the Wilderness With Moses

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Old habits die slowly. It’s easy to slip back into unsavory ways. So, too, with the children of Israel. For four hundred years they had been in Egypt. The Egyptian lifestyle had permeated their lives. Perhaps God kept them in the wilderness for forty years hoping to purge them of their old ways. But old ways of doing things are difficult to purge. People talk about the culture wars in our own society. And there is a war going on, but it is much broader than conservative and liberal, left and right ...

1005. Where's the Fire?

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... , that part of the text for this morning, that wonderful narrative of Moses, and you get the impression that Moses is hiding there, hoping that God won't find him and will leave him alone. You get the impression that Moses knows that he ought to be ... the course, right up to retirement. Don't get distracted. Mind your own business. Live well. Leave well enough alone. And just hope the duchess doesn't pay a visit. That was Moses' goal in life. Sound familiar? He just wanted an ordinary life. His mistake ...

1006. Healing the Pain from the Past

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... it that God will bind up the pain of the past. God will work in us to bring us peace, courage, and even joy. Our wounds may run deep, and our feelings may threaten to overwhelm us, but God's grace is deeper than our hurt. God offers the exiles hope for a better future: "I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God" (34:23-24a). Ezekiel's congregation heard in this the promise that a descendant ...

1007. Expectancy

Romans 13:11-14

Sermon

James L. Killen

... to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in labor pains until now ..." (Romans 8:19-22). So God is at work in the whole creation to move it toward some future salvation. I hope that you can catch enough of a vision of what Paul was trying to show us to get excited about it. That vision can help us understand what we are doing when we celebrate the season of Advent. Here we are, almost 2,000 years after the birth of Jesus ...

1008. Grace Has Appeared

Titus 2:11-14

Sermon

James L. Killen

... that God has something good in store for us beyond this life. Even in the fulfillment of Christmas there is still the expectancy of Advent. Expectancy is a part of our faith. Because we know that the future is in the hands of God, we look forward to it with hope and we commit ourselves to the accomplishment of all that God is working to bring about in our lives and in our world. Think of a time when you will know that the end of your life is coming near. Will you be able to believe that the investments you ...

1009. Further on Up the Road

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Sermon

Rick Brand

... is no preference of the living over the dead. The power of God's resurrection will bring forth out of the power of death all those who have lived and loved in the joy of Christ. That is why Paul says we do not grieve as those who have no hope. This is the great good news that the Christian faith has to speak to a dying world. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the faith that those who live and love in Jesus Christ will be remembered and reclaimed from the power of death when the kingdom of God ...

1010. I Thought You'd Never Ask

John 1:35-46

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... to characterize what I believe evangelism is and the way it should be done than "Come and see." If you like labels, I hope you will label this church's style of doing evangelism as "Come and See" evangelism. The implication of which is, everybody is a seeker ... know in part. Someday we'll understand everything, even as we have been fully understood. But in the meantime, what we have is faith, and hope, and love. And that's all we need. I saw that. I saw an old man, his heart breaking with his own loss, hear of ...

1011. Jesus Breaks Our Chains

John 11:1-45

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... were very close. Why then does Jesus linger for three days when he learns that one of his best friends is sick, possibly to the point of death? Would any of us so linger if we could go to the aid of one of our friends who needed us? Hopefully not. Jesus answers this question, saying that Lazarus' illness is to show God's glory. We might take that one step further and say that Jesus lingered so that the Spirit could set Lazarus and all people free from death, not just physical death, but more importantly the ...

1012. Can These Bones Live?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... 14, the Lord interprets the vision for his prophet. Israel has been dead in exile. But like bodies being exhumed from the grave, Israel will be raised up once more by her Lord and returned to her homeland, where she will be granted life and a future and a hope anew (cf. Jeremiah 29:10-11). Israel is not “clean cut off,” as she has believed (v. 11). She is not destined simply to wither away and die in a foreign land. God has not deserted her (cf. Isaiah 40:27). Rather, he treasures her as the “apple of ...

1013. Cha-cha-cha Christians: The Dance that Advances

2 Peter 1:12-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... all stumble on the dance floor. But we keep dancing because we see the power of God’s love, the redemption of the world, the hope for a new future, in the form of a man on a cross. Instead of a tragic ending, do you see a new beginning? Instead ... see Jesus defeating death, and re-claiming life? Instead of seeing hatred and despair winning out, do you see the victory of love and hope? Your legs are made for dancing, not for sitting, not for balancing, but for dancing. Will you dance the Cha-Cha-Cha? Will ...

1014. Easter 6

Psalm 66:1-20, Acts 17:16-34, 1 Peter 3:8-22, John 14:15-31

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... Even in Suffering (vv. 13-17) A. Question: Who Can Harm You, If You Are Zealous for Good? (v. 13) B. Answer: No One 1. First Exhortation (vv. 14-15a) - Do not fear persecutor/Sanctify Jesus in your hearts 2. Second Exhortation (vv. 15b -16) - Make an account of your hope/Fear God with good conscience C. Summary: Better to Suffer for Good Than for Evil, If It Is God's Will (v. 17) II. The Reason Why There Can Be Blessing Even in Suffering (vv. 18-22) A. Jesus Died in the Flesh (v. 18a) B. Jesus Lives in the ...

1015. Proper 9

Psalm 45:1-17, Romans 7:7-25, Matthew 11:25-30, Matthew 11:1-19, Genesis 24:1-67

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... are serving God, but when, in fact, they are serving evil. This passage calls us to make this point in proclamation; and sadly, illustrations abound. Only when we see our hopeless situation is the gospel heard as the good news that it is. What is the hope of a pitifully deceived humanity? Jesus Christ (read v. 25a). Paul says that Jesus Christ liberated us from the deception of sin. Paul does not say how, but we may infer the answer. Humans who were intent upon serving God crucified Jesus in order to rid ...

1016. What in the World Are We Doing?

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

... was their question… and they simply did not know how to answer that. They didn’t have a clue. But, then their hope was rekindled. Their direction was clarified. Their dream was still alive… because their Lord was still alive! Jesus Christ came out of ... away he says to himself: But first I must finish my vacation in Jericho. Then, there are those sheep I want to buy. Well, I hope someone will come along to help that poor man. I am so busy. If he only knew, I’m sure he would understand. He should have ...

1017. The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Fellowship (koinonia) is a gift of the Spirit. Often fellowship alights unexpectedly and then lifts off. When we experience its presence, we must embrace it and participate in its revelation. But our participation in and of itself ends in confusion. “We had hoped he was the one.” Something is missing without the next step. Second Step of Transition: Anticipation. As they walk Christopher Robin uses this last little-boy conversation with Pooh to ask him what he likes doing best in the world. Pooh starts ...

1018. You've Gotta Believe

Hebrews 11:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." People sometimes talk about "blind faith." Faith is not blind. It is unbelief that is blind! ... faith was found on the wall of a concentration camp. On that wall a prisoner, who had been in there for many years with no hope of release, had written these words: I believe in the sun, even though it doesn't shine. I believe in love, even when it ...

1019. Just Know Him In His Visible Return

Revelation 1:7-8

Sermon

James Merritt

... . Every effort was made to rescue them, but all failed. Near the end of the ordeal, a diver placed his helmeted ear to the side of the vessel, and heard a tapping from inside. He recognized it as Morse code. It was a question forming slowly: "is. . .there. . .any. . .hope?"1 More and more it seems as if we are trapped in this prison of death called life. Every sign seems to indicate that this world is a runaway train, headed for a cliff with no engineer at the wheel. All of the world seems to be asking, "is ...

1020. Star Witness

John 1:35-51

Sermon

James Merritt

... or in a restaurant; it could be in a funeral home, the waiting room of a doctor's office; it could be in the woods. But the principle is, as the Apostle Peter put it, "Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Pet. 3:15) One of the greatest stories of situational evangelism I've ever read in my life occurred in the deadliest hijacking in aviation history. Many of you have probably seen on programs such as "Real TV" the actual video of this plane crash ...

1021. The Revelation Code I: DaVinci, A to Z

Revelation 1:1-20

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever. (Philippians 2:10, Revelation 11:15) So in-between, stand firm and live in hope in the presence of the Risen Christ who walks in the midst of his people and holds us in the very palm of his hand. If I may mix my metaphors with an image John would not understand…it's like a chess game. Every good chess player knows that ...

1022. God Our Protector and Shield

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... me, for you are my refuge" (Psalm 18:3-4). In Psalm 62:5-8 we hear: "For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock, and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; ... must be the vehicle used to fight our battles. The gospel must be our constitution, the written and lived word by which we bring hope and strength to a world that badly needs our assistance. Guided by God's Word we are daily challenged to bring the message of ...

1023. Momentous Moment

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

David T. Ball

... . Communion is that place, and we are blessed to have it in our lives. I know of a college student who came from a fine Christian family, and a good community, and who had, if not an affluent background, certainly every advantage that one should hope for while growing up and going through school. He attended a good college, made plenty of friends, and enjoyed his studies, and dreamed of one day becoming a television sports reporter. He also had a problem with alcohol. In his social group, binge drinking was ...

1024. Dusting Off Our Gratitude

Joel 2:21-27

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... divine wrath is not an end in itself, but that confession of sins can motivate a change in God. The prophet offers his people hope, for God "is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love" (2:13). "God can change," Joel explains, "depending on ... inadvertently unleash metaphorical "locusts" on the land. Yet, if we turn away from our wickedness, by the grace of God, we have hope for renewed life on earth and a brighter future. Joel speaks of a time when God will pour out the Spirit on ...

1025. An Exquisite Attitude of Gratitude

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... uneven, and wore a dreadfully ill-fitting, cheap-looking suit. He looked like the guy who never could get a date, and was a member of the chess club (but not one of the really smart ones!). He looked like the one destined from the womb to only hope to achieve mediocrity. Have any of you seen this YouTube clip? Then you know the rest of the story. Paul comes out stuffed into his shabby suit, and announces to the judges (including the dread-inspiring “Simon”) that he is going to sing opera. The judges set ...

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