Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1026 to 1050 of 4490 results

1026. Listen!

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

Sermon

King Duncan

Where are you most likely to get important news and information that you rely on each day? From a print newspaper? From an app on your phone? From social media? From a cable channel? What about from a man or woman standing in the middle of your neighborhood and shouting out the latest headlines? Not likely. If you’d lived about 1,000 years ago in England, you would have gotten the latest news and headlines from a town crier. The job of town crier began officially in the year 1066. What happened in 1066? ...

1027. Redeem the Time

Matthew 24:36-44 · Romans 13:11-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them away, so will be the coming of the Son of man." A man I know, a professor at a nearby university, has decided not to do any reading, writing, or speaking, until we get a total freeze on nuclear weapons. The way he sees it, the Bomb is so awful, the dangers that it poses to life on earth are so awesome, that ...

1028. Master Teacher

Matthew 15:10-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

The Christian Testament scriptures are the most fascinating set of inspired and brilliant stories we can possibly read and learn from. The scriptures are amazing. But too often, we miss the best parts. This can happen when we read either from habit and read over clues that we’ve never noticed before or when we don’t see the entire picture and have a hard time imagining what’s happening in real-time. I like to employ two “clues” or “helps” therefore when reading scripture. These can deepen our understanding ...

1029. A Sermon About Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

A responsible pastor must have a theology of prayer that goes beyond churchy axioms, pious clichés, pop theology, and Bible verses proof texted from the King James Bible. An authentic theology of prayer must offer hope in the promise that God answers prayer, but it must also be prepared to respond to the questions of those whose prayers “availeth not.” We must be, at once, ready to celebrate with those whose cancer went into remission and to weep with those whose cancer didn’t, when both persons’ prayers ...

1030. Blessed Betrayal

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

Have you ever noticed how some things in life sometimes just don't seem to go together? I've always marveled at an expensive Cadillac with a squirrel tail tied to the antenna. It looks absurd. I heard recently of a fellow who saw this bumper sticker: "A WOMAN WITHOUT A MAN IS LIKE A FISH WITHOUT A BICYCLE." Well, you understand what I mean. Paul brings together some words like that, words that do not seem to fit. Listen to them again: The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread .... What a ...

1031. Holy Week

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Monday Holy WeekIsaiah 42:1-7John 12:1-11 Following The Road All people have a vocation in life. Many times the word vocation is applied to priesthood and religious life alone, but this is far too limiting. All people have a vocation, a road that they will follow in life. Some people will follow the vocation to the single life; most will follow the call to married life and family. Some will follow the invitation to become religious and/or priests. Many people will be wives or husbands who work daily to ...

1032. Expecting the Unexpected

Judges 4:1-24

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

Whoever started the tradition of referring to the various documents of the Bible as "books" probably meant well. However, it seems to me, this rather generic designation often obscures an important truth: namely, that the "books" are, in fact, an extremely diverse body of literature -- containing everything from laws to letters, and poetry to prophecy. Even a casual reader soon realizes that the so-called "Good Book" is actually an eclectic collection of pieces written over the course of centuries by God ...

1033. Let It Go!

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Elaine M. Ward

Long ago there was an ancient bell that was famous for its beautiful tone. It had been commissioned by the king. The king's advisors had told him that making a huge temple bell would secure the nation from foreign invasion. The specialist who cast the bell had produced several failures until he concluded that the only way to produce a great bell was to sacrifice a young maiden. Soldiers were sent to find and fetch such a young girl. Coming upon a poor mother in a farm village with her small daughter, they ...

1034. King Ahaz,Idolater

Drama

Peter C. Garrison

King Ahaz has a real problem: he's worshiped about everything but the one true God; a blunder of cosmic proportions as we shall see. Could you be making the same mistake? (Please read 2 Chronicles 28) King Ahaz King Ahaz sits outside heaven with a few other people. They are all waiting for something to happen or for someone to come and tell them something. King Ahaz stands up. He walks back and forth. He clasps his hands together and unclasps them. He peers over the shoulders of the others who wait. ...

1035. Need Help Removing That Roadblock?

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Sermon

Steve Burt

A middle-aged man lived in a small town. He was single and had lived there all his life. Employment opportunities were limited, so he plucked chickens, a job he'd always hated. He secretly longed to be an artist, a painter. The man prayed something might change to allow his dream of freedom to become realized -- freedom from poverty and freedom to create. He felt as if invisible chains bound the true person he suspected was inside him. One day a lawyer called from a nearby city and said the man was to ...

1036. The Merciful

Sermon

John A. Terry

Matthew 5:1-12Matthew 18:23-35 The quality of mercy is not strain'd,It droppeth as a gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath: it is twice blest;It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomesThe throned monarch better than his crown.(The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, scene 1) In our practice of "mercy" there is a kind of "I'll scratch your back -- you scratch my back" philosophy. Be decent to others and they will be decent to you. It is like the story on which ...

1037. The Merciful

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

John A. Terry

The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as a gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown. (The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, scene 1) In our practice of "mercy" there is a kind of "I'll scratch your back -- you scratch my back" philosophy. Be decent to others and they will be decent to you. It is like the story on which George Bernard Shaw based ...

1038. A Seeking Savior

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

Christian thinking about salvation has divided itself into two main streams which I like to think of as: "Monkey-hold" salvation or "Cat-hold" salvation. The difference in theological viewpoint is seen in how monkeys and cats protect their young. A mother monkey will sound the alarm when danger lurks. The baby monkeys come running to her and hold tightly to her fur as she runs to safety. A mother cat, on the other hand, picks her kittens up by the nape of the neck and carries them in her mouth out of harm' ...

1039. Walking The Familiar

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

There was still a slick of morning moisture covering the path into the town as Eli and Samuel walked by Nathan's orchard, crossed the small stream, and finished the prescribed sabbath day's journey to the synagogue: in length, 2,000 cubits. By our modern standard of travel it was not far. It was about 1,000 yards. They walked at hurried pace. Their prayer shawls were pulled tightly around them, which helped protect them from the morning chill. Sabbath. The day of rest. In Nazareth the gathering was a ...

1040. The Gospel of the Little Man

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Children of all ages quickly recognize Zacchaeus as the little man who shimmied up a sycamore in Jericho to get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed through town. His story has long been a favorite with the children of the church schools, especially those who have experience in climbing trees. His image is imprinted on the mental screen of everyone familiar with the story, for when pilgrims tour the Holy Land and come to Jericho, to see a sycamore rates high in their priorities, and travel guides who find ...

1041. At Table With The Lord

Drama

Production Notes The drama may be presented either as a reader's theater presentation, with all parts read, or as a dramatic presentation with parts memorized. If produced as reader's theater, be certain that all parts are read with animation, in a mood appropriate in each case to capture the character of the person and the part. If offered as a dramatic presentation, characters may want to consider costumes and some simple props and staging. At those places where action is suggested (such as Jesus washing ...

1042. The Glory of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Hubert Beck

If someone said they would "glorify" you, what would you expect? Honor? Wealth? Power? Fame? Although some of you - perhaps most of you, for that matter - will immediately recognize the words and know their context, play a little guessing game with me for a moment. In what context would you expect these words of Jesus to have been spoken? "Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified." Stress the "now" in the sentence so that your guessing is almost pinpointed to an instant in time, for the ...

1043. The Forgiven and the Forgiving

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

The miracle of Christ is that strange power that enables me to know that I have been forgiven and, therefore, by grace to possess in my own life the strange and wonderful capability of forgiving others. We want justice. No, we don’t! We want mercy. I have done things in my life that I cannot now straighten out. I need mercy. I need forgiveness. I am caught. There is no hope. I have done so much that I cannot un-do. Woe is me. I’ve had it! I can love, and care, and maybe God will love and care for me, so ...

1044. A LITURGICAL DRAMA FOR LENT

Drama

Tom Eberle

Lent In its historical development, Lent was an outgrowth of the fasting prior to the annual observance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. In addition, those who were to be baptized into the Christian faith on Easter Sunday underwent a period of disciplined training before their baptism. With the ascendancy of the Christian Church in major areas of the Roman Empire during the fourth century, a new problem was encountered. Discipline was no longer imposed upon the church from the outside in the ...

1045. Come Celebrate! Send in the Light!

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Richard L. Eslinger

It was a time of growing darkness for the covenant people. There was not much light in sight. Israel, the northern kingdom, had fallen to the Assyrians and now they threatened Jerusalem itself. Isaiah had pointed to these disasters as sign of judgment from Yahweh, the Covenant God. But the people learned nothing from all the disasters. With nothing but tiny Judah and David’s city left unconquered, it only seemed a matter of time. It was a time of growing darkness. And to the people walking in that darkness ...

1046. Feet Of Clay

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Roger Prescott

Introduction King David was riding a crest. He had broken the Philistines’ control over Canaan once and for all. He had captured the old fortress of Jerusalem, despite the boast of its occupants that it was impregnable. He had rescued the Ark of the Covenant from the place of oblivion in which it had rested since the fall of the confederate sanctuary of Shiloh, and had brought it to Jerusalem. He had begun to consolidate the Israelite nation. He was a leader, and he was loved. He seemed to be able to do ...

1047. God Cares About Justice!

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

The Gallup organization regularly conducts polls to determine the religious beliefs and practices of modern Americans. Despite new attitudes about morality, fluctuations in church membership, higher levels of education, and so on, there have been remarkably few changes in responses in recent years. The polls generally show that about 95% of us believe in a God of some sort. People may call God by different names, if indeed they believe that God is callable at all, but they do believe that a God exists. In ...

1048. Dealing with Depression

1 Kings 19:9-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

One of the reasons I love the Bible is that it is not afraid of the truth, even the sometimes sordid truth about its heroes. Abraham was a liar. Jacob was a thief. Moses had a murderous temper. King David was an adulterer. Heroes of the faith, everyone of them, but the Bible refuses to gloss over their shortcomings. It shows them "warts and all." We find another "wart" in our lesson from I Kings - one of the greatest of the prophets - Elijah. To briefly recount the background of the story, three years ...

1049. Stealth Christians

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

King Duncan

Since this is the beginning of football season I thought you might enjoy Harry N. Hollis, Jr.'s report on a most unusual game: A funny thing happened at the football stadium. After taking the opening kick- off, the home team went into a huddle as usual to get the formation from the quarterback and to encourage one another. Then came the unusual. The team did not break out of the huddle to move into action! Soon the red flag was dropped, and the referee stepped off a five-yard penalty for delay of game. ...

1050. Take Time To Pray

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

King Duncan

It is said that one of President Reagan's favorite stories was the one about the minister's son who was taken out camping one day. His companion warned him not to stray too far from the campfire because the woods were full of wild beasts of all kinds. The young boy had every intention, really, of following that advice but inevitably he was drawn by curiosity and wandered farther and farther from the fire. Suddenly, he found himself face to face with a very large and powerful looking bear. He saw no means ...

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