Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1001 to 1025 of 4884 results

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... come, not just for the Jews, but for the whole world. Just for a moment, Mary experiences God's vision for the redemption of humankind. How does she respond? "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." There is no more perfect way to say "yes" to God's plan. She saw the vision, she accepted the promise, and she was included in God's plans. That could be the story of every person who seeks to follow Jesus. Evangelist Alan Walker once told about a girl who had a rich and ...

1002. Hope For A New Year

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... God-invaded world. And where God is, there is hope. This is not to ignore the realities of our world. This is not a perfect world. Far from it. For example, there is a moral and ethical crisis in our land that cannot be glossed over. It permeates ... give in to despair and feelings of doom. "The Word has become flesh and dwelt among us . . ." This does not mean we live in a perfect world, but it does mean that our world is never beyond hope. Where God is, there is the possibility of renewal. But where is hope ...

1003. A Failure To Communicate

Hebrews 1:1-4, Hebrews 2:5-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... ? Because 18 years before that day, Larry had survived a more devastating tornado. He had been through the danger before, and he knew how to bring others through safely. (2) The writers of the New Testament vowed that Jesus spoke with that kind of authority. Jesus is the perfect revelation of God. "He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being . . ." You want to know what God is like, you want to know what God desires, you want to know what God's purpose is for creating the ...

1004. What Must I Do?

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... a Christian? What do you think the cross is all about? Of course, you've flubbed it. I've flubbed it. All God's children have flubbed it. Big deal. It's taken care of. God accepts us as we are. God sees us as perfect, according to scripture. There is nothing we can add to perfection. The deal is sealed. You can't buy God with your puny actions. God loves you just as you are. This young man tried to flatter the wrong person and he asked the wrong question. And yet, says the writer of Mark, "Jesus loved him ...

1005. A Picture Of A King

Psalm 72:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... his power to oppress others, this king watches out for the afflicted, the needy, children, the oppressed, and the weak. This is what power plus love looks like. This is what Jesus looks like. Seven hundred years before Jesus' birth, the prophet Isaiah declared that one day a perfect king would set up a kingdom in which the blind would see, the deaf would hear, the lame would walk, and the mute would shout for joy. (Isa. 35: 4-6) And in Matthew 10: 4-6, when Jesus was asked to prove his identity as Messiah ...

1006. Above All--god

Revelation 21:1-27

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes . . . there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain . . ." 21:4. Just like our Moms wipe away our tears, one day God is going to wipe away all of our tears. God is going to make everything absolutely perfect. Our Moms love us and God loves us. They each take good care of us. [Pass out the packages of tissues to the children] When you use these tissues, think about two things. 1. Think of all your Mom does for you, and 2. Think of the fact that God ...

1007. It's Not About Us

Revelation 22:7-21

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... your house? Does it take a lot of work? You know, this is like God's invitation. Did you know God has issued an invitation to everyone in the world? Just like us, when we send out invitations, God is busy making preparations. God is making heaven perfect for us. When you have a party, does everyone come? Even though you invite all of your friends, some don't accept your invitations. That is just like God's invitation. Everyone is invited but only those who believe will accept the invitation. [Pass out the ...

1008. About Marriage

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... the groom. This woman admitted that she had been married four times, but this time she was going to do it right. As Williams wrote, ". . . she was not talking about the marriage, she was talking about the wedding!" She had put so much thought into creating the perfect wedding, but seemingly had given no thought at all into what makes a great marriage. (4) A great marriage takes a lot of work. I wonder if most people are ready for the commitment of marriage. [That is one reason I ask couples to meet with me ...

1009. Streams Of Living Waters

Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... to the breakfast table. "Good morning, darling," she said, "what would you like for breakfast?" "Two eggs," he replied sourly. "How would you like them prepared?" she asked. "One fried and one scrambled," he replied. And she very carefully prepared one perfect fried egg and one perfect scrambled egg. "Humph," he said as she set the eggs in front of him, "naturally you scrambled the wrong one." Jesus didn't bother to point out how childish the woman's question was. He did answer her profoundly, however: "If ...

1010. An Empty Cup

Job 23:1--24:25

Sermon

King Duncan

... ." (1) Is that where Job is now? Is that what broken-ness feels like? What is the prayer of a broken man or woman? Can they even pray? Job may have prayed for healing for his sores, or the restoration of his fortune. Those are perfectly reasonable prayers, perfectly within the normal scope of God's activities. But did he pray that God would turn back the clock and save his precious children from their sudden and senseless death? No, probably not. In this case, Job must have thought, as did C.S. Lewis, "My ...

1011. More Than "Turkey Day" (New) Thanksgiving

2 Chronicles 9:1-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... us in response to their prayers. And the thankfulness and joy start all over again. When Amanda was just a child, she dreamed of owning a brand-new purple bicycle. She worked at odd jobs and saved up every penny in order to buy herself the perfect purple bicycle. And every night she prayed for that purple bicycle. But one day, Amanda’s Sunday School teacher told the class about a missionary’s son in Chile who had contracted hepatitis. The teacher wanted the class to buy the boy something to cheer him ...

1012. Joy In the Midst of Sorrow?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... is done and I am reaping; my joy is as the joy of harvest. Would you like to know how it is with me? I am made perfect in holiness. Grace is swallowed up in glory. Would you like to know what I am doing? I see God, not as through a glass darkly, but ... what blessed company I keep? It is better than the best on earth. Here are the holy angels and the spirits of just men made perfect...I am with many of my old acquaintances with whom I worked and prayed, and who have come here before me. Lastly, would you know ...

1013. Some Said It Thundered

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... that hiddenness, for how could we stand to look directly at God? But we do catch glimpses of God once in awhile. St. Francis believed that the red-breasted cardinal flashing into his view was not an accident but was rather God’s deft brush-stroke perfectly timed to take his breath away. And who can say that he was wrong? British Methodist Colin Morris, in a book titled Mankind My Church, tells of a West African creation myth which puts the point beautifully. In the beginning, God existed, and so did men ...

1014. Slippery Rock

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... mistakes, to confess their sins, to pick themselves up and start all over again. In other words, people just like Peter, and you, and me. They are precisely the kind of people upon whom Christ builds His Church. Not perfect people, but people who, in the old Methodist phrase, are “going on to perfection.” There is an ancient legend about Peter, which became the basis for a famous book and motion picture. It may or may not be true. Historians disagree as to whether or not Peter was ever in Rome, but the ...

1015. The Saint without a Name

Luke 6:12-16

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... was completely sincere. Jesus said that he had “no guile.” I’ve not known many people who have no guile. Most folks seem to have an “angle,” especially if they are trying to sell you something. But Nathanael was a man without guile. He was not perfect, but open and willing to learn. Some folks seem to be walking illustrations of the motto, “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts.” At first Nathanael seemed to be that sort of fellow. “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ...

1016. On Talking to Oneself

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... are necessary for the wish to be fulfilled. Henry Ward Beecher once said, “Every day has two handles; we can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” This poor woman took hold of the day with the handle of faith. She perfected the fine art of talking to oneself. She sent positive messages of hope to herself, and she was healed. That is something we could all learn from her. When it comes to sending messages to ourselves, many of us are our own worst enemies. We send the wrong ...

1017. Only the Abba Knows

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... childlike to be used in prayer or theology. But Jesus so used it! To speak of God as Abba conveys the sense that God is no longer stern and distant, but close and loving. What is the “Abba” like? Well, Jesus said: take a picture of the most perfect and loving parent you can possibly imagine, magnify it a million trillion times, project that out upon the universe and you will just begin to catch a glimpse of the hem of God’s garment. Jesus said that the Abba acts mercifully, even to those who hate Him ...

1018. Holy Tuesday

Mark 11:27-33

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... don’t get out a screwdriver and start tinkering with its innards. I consult an expert. So with life. We had better consult an expert. But is there such a one? Christians believe that back there in Galilee nearly 2000 years ago there appeared One who lived the most perfect life ever to appear on this planet. We may not always follow Him but we believe He is to be followed. Put aside for the moment all of the theology which has been built up around Jesus. Some of it is good, some of it is harmless, some of ...

1019. Connected to Christ: I Am the Vine

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... that there can only be one Number One priority in our journey of life. This one priority sets the tone for the rest of life. You may know the story of a young man who went to a Hallmark card store. He looked through the cards. He finally found the perfect card. This card''s verses expressed his deep love and devotion for the special girl of his life. He then told the clerk at the register, "I need six of these." You can''t have six priorities. There must be one that ranks above all the others. Jesus has ...

1020. The Lord's Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the F.B.I. and hardly anybody could get into the United States of America from Mexico and Canada. Finally, J. Edgar Hoover sent out a memo saying he meant the borders on the new memo pads and not the territorial borders of our nation. In this portion of the perfect pattern prayer taught by Jesus to his disciples, he was teaching them and us to watch the borders of our lives and actions. We are to be sure that all our actions and activities fall into the arena of the kingdom of God. It is his will and work ...

1021. GIVE ME YOUR SINS: The First Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... prayer that Jesus offered some 2,000 years ago is still the same prayer that Christ would offer at this very moment for us today in this place. Please remember, Christ did not die on the cross for the perfect. Christ did not die for the Godly. Christ did not die for the Good. If Christ would have died for the perfect, the Godly, and the good, there would be no hope for our souls today. However, since he died for the imperfect and the un-Godly, there is hope for all of us. I realize that sometimes we feel ...

1022. Tripping the Tempter

James 1:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... James wrote this instruction manual to keep us from being tripped up by the devil. In fact, he contends that through the Power of the Resurrection at work in our lives, we are capable of defeating evil. Before I go much further, I want to make it perfectly clear that God never tempts us. God allows the condition or environment in which temptation or testings take place, but God never tempts His people with sin. Sin is totally contrary to the will of God. Turn now in the Book of James, Chapter One, Verses 13 ...

1023. The Test of a True Testimony

James 1:19-27

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... some thoughtful engineering, but the frog had all the details worked out. He rigged a string tied to one leg of each goose and he held onto the middle of the string with his mouth. It was a neat arrangement, and once they were airborne, it worked perfectly. As they flew in low, just south of Orlando, and a man saw the geese and the frog hanging on the string between them. He commented: "Those are very smart geese!" The frog was furious. He just could not take that! Before he could think of the consequences ...

1024. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part III)

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Maurice Boyd put it so beautifully when he writes, "We do not belong to the Church because we are perfect but because we are loved." The Church does not exist for the sake of morality, but to declare forgiveness and grace to those who know they are not ... good. The church is not an exhibition of perfect character but a workshop for the making of character. We know that the doctrine of human sin is the one doctrine whose truth is ...

1025. Good Friday: The First Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... give everyone. Yes, the prayer that Jesus offered some 2,000 years ago is still the same prayer that Christ would offer at this very moment for us. Please remember, Christ did not die on the Cross for the perfect. Christ did not die for the Godly. Christ did not die for the good. If Christ would have died for the perfect, the Godly, and the good, there would be no hope for our souls today. However, since he died for the un-Godly, there is hope for me and hope for you. I realize that sometimes we feel that ...

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