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 1026 to 1050 of 4968 results

1026. In Search of Heroes

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... affluent society where our every need is catered to that we can’t imagine voluntarily giving any of it up. And so we don’t know what to do when we come to church and hear this strange Galilean say to us, “If any man [or woman] would be my disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Say what? Deny myself? Take up a cross? What is it that Christ expects out of us? Let’s consider a couple of things that Christ does expect out of us all. The first thing Christ expects out ...

1027. Extreme Humility

John 13:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.’” What a remarkable story. The disciples are proud men, arguing over which of them is the greatest, and the most remarkable man they’ve ever known--whom we have come to know as the very Son of God--wraps a towel around his waist, kneels down in front of each of them--including Judas--and washes ...

1028. When a Storm Is Raging

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

King Duncan

... is one who did smooth troubled waters 2000 years ago without oil or resorting to any kind of trickery. Jesus had spent a long day beside the Sea of Galilee teaching multitudes of people about the kingdom of God. Evening was coming on so Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side.” So they climbed into a small boat and started across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was tired and fell asleep on a cushion in the stern of the boat. Suddenly a furious squall came up, and the waves broke over ...

1029. The Journey of Salvation

Luke 22:39-46, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... of repentance and shame, Peter turned back to Rome and went to his death. The death of Christ had a tremendous impact on his disciples. It still has an impact on thoughtful persons today. How can you and I live such mediocre lives in the light of what Christ ... 21). So, the last stop on the journey of salvation is our town as we seek to tell the good news, as we seek to make disciples of all men and women, as we seek to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. For you see, the story is not over. The process still ...

1030. Next Man Up

John 17:20-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... major prayer Jesus prayed before his arrest and crucifixion. He had just spent three years in intense ministry with his disciples. Thousands of people had heard his message and seen his miracles. By his coming death, he would save humanity from ... prayers and our availability will decide how much impact we will have for the Kingdom of God. Why was Christ’s last prayer for his disciples and for us? Obviously, it was because there is more work to be done and you and I are an integral part of that undertaking ...

1031. Seat of Power

Mark 10:35-45, Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... (Luke 14) Peter’s Sermon on the Sovereignty of Jesus Sitting at God’s Right Hand (Acts 2) The Sermon and Stoning of Stephen (Acts 7) Matthew’s Witness to John’s and James’ Mother’s Request of Jesus Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to ...

1032. Fleeced

Judges 6:1-40, John 20:24-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . And when we touch and see, we often can be deceived. God however, is not like that. When God invites us to “touch and see,” we can feel reassured. God is entirely faithful, and entirely trustworthy. He is the rock. We know that Thomas is a loyal and devoted disciple. It is Thomas who says to the others when Jesus is about to go to Lazarus, “Let us go and die with him” (John 11:1-16). Thomas is courageous and he is faithful. He also asks Jesus how to follow him when Jesus says, he needs to go away ...

1033. Redemption

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . At Pentecost, 50 days counting from the time of Passover, God’s promise of redemption is fulfilled, all “debts” are “paid in full,” and all are free to feast at God’s heavenly feast. It is the time when all fruits have ripened, when all disciples are ready, when God’s blessings abound, when God’s Spirit will be poured out, as the prophet Joel tells us. At Pentecost, Jesus’ mission to ALL of God’s people is realized. As Peter exclaims in his first sermon during the Jewish pilgrimage of ...

1034. Lord of the Harvest

Matthew 9:35-38, Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... were pleased to do. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Image Exegesis: The Power of Prayer / Lord ...

1035. Secret Savior

Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... your right hand; The sun will not harm you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— He will watch over your life; The Lord will watch over your coming and going Both now and forevermore.” Jesus with this prayer was prepping His disciples for much travail and endurance to come. In a sense, it’s an eschatological prayer. But one that we need in our lives each and every day. It’s a personal prayer. A prayer to be said in secret with just you and God. Jesus would no doubt be ...

1036. Lady of the House / The Practice of Joy

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... Joy of the Lord is Your Strength (Nehemiah 8) Don’t Worry About Tomorrow (Matthew 6:25-34) Peter’s Angel and Rhoda’s Joy (Acts 12) Be Anxious in Nothing, Be Joyful in Everything (Philippians 4) Jesus Visits the Home of Martha and Mary As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be ...

1037. The Sound of Joy

Genesis 17:1-27, Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 18:16-33, Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... to be the father and mother of a holy people, people devoted to the One True God, people who live in joy. They were “commissioned” to parent a people who would be a light to the nations. Likewise, when Jesus, the Light of God, commissions his disciples on a mountaintop in his post-resurrection appearance, he sends them out in joy to spread…what? Good news!!! The same good news that filled the angels with joy at Jesus’ birth. The same good news that provoked the shepherds to joy, the same joy that ...

1038. The Old, Old Story

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . This week, we are looking at the second of those parables: what we call the parable of the bags of gold or multiplication of the talents. Jesus is not speaking these particular parables to a mass of people. Jesus is speaking this time directly to his own disciples. He had begun with them according to Matthew by showing them the Temple and predicting its fall. Afterward, he described a time in which he would be sitting at the right hand of God: at reaping time, harvest time, the time of the Son’s return ...

1039. Fever Pitch

Mark 1:29-39

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... wouldn’t he just take the time to minister to the people already at hand? This was the question they posed to him that morning as we read today. Jesus had gone off by himself to pray and refuel his spirit for the next part of the journey. His disciples however hunted him down, and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you!” They didn’t understand why he couldn’t just stay where he was with the people who already wanted to be with him and learn from him. Jesus however replied: “Let’s go on to ...

1040. Chosen and Appointed

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... him? How would they continue to do so after he was gone? Love one another, he said. Enough to lay down your life for each other. Enough to be in mission together. Keep your eyes on what needs to be done. Enough to show the world that being my disciple means that even the most diverse and at-odds people can be in community together and work for the common good. Show the world that this works! Jesus in his very inner team, in his choice of trusted right-hands, would challenge the world and its workings, the ...

1041. Missional Discontinuity

Mark 6:30-44, Mark 6:45-56

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... story of the feeding of the 5,000 and the story of Jesus walking on water and calming the sea. That will come another week. Instead, we jump to the end of that story and an event that was nearly identical to the one we have just seen. The disciples and Jesus escaped the crowd only to be confronted by them and even more when they reached their destination across the lake. This time Jesus responded by healing people. Let’s be clear that the needs of the vast crowds of anonymous people are very real and very ...

1042. The Blind See!

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... the first step in faith toward Jesus Christ. Many of the people in the crowd started to rebuke him and tell him not to make a scene, but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Jesus stopped and said to his disciples, “Call him.” They called Bartimaeus saying, “Take heart. Arise, He is calling for you.” Look what Bartimaeus did next. He threw off his mantle and sprang up and came to Jesus. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to ...

1043. Easter Fear

Mark 16:1-8

Sermon

Will Willimon

... to catch ones breath, take stock, figure things out, sit back and reflect. There was only now this, then this, here, then there. But with him dead, decaying, lying out there at the cemetery, well, in a way, when you think about it, the Romans did us a favor. We disciples who could never quite keep up with Jesus, who always had trouble figuring out what he was up to, where he was headed next, now we know where he is. Out at the cemetery, in a tomb, sealed shut behind a big stone. Let's all go out to the ...

1044. Beneath The Shadow Of The Cross

Mark 14:1--15:47

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... do. The more Peter thought about it, the angrier he got. That was when he stuck his foot in his mouth, big time. Jesus told the disciples he was going away and Peter wanted to go with him. John couldn't forget the pained look in Peter's eyes when he thought ... Up until then, the darkness had kept him hidden. But one of them recognized him, "You're one of them! You're one of his disciples, aren't you?." First once, then twice, then a third time Peter denied even knowing Jesus. As he turned he saw Jesus look up ...

1045. A Life-changing Question

John 9:1-41

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... Copenhaver, in his book Jesus is the Question, notes that Jesus asked 307 questions in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But he himself only answered three questions directly. (5) This is one of those three. And it’s not at all what his disciples expected. Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” And then, using his own saliva and dirt from the ground, Jesus applied mud to the blind man’s eyes and told ...

1046. On the Mountaintop

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... seats as if we’re not ready for the movie to end. I imagine that’s how Peter felt on the mountaintop with Jesus. One day Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain where they could be alone, away from the crowds and the other disciples. The three might have guessed something special was in store for them, for the mountains had long been a significant place for their people to meet with God. Moses met with God on Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal ...

1047. He's Not Dead Anymore

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... the beginning of a whole new story. This isn’t like an old Western movie where all the good guys ride off into the sunset together. Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of a new life for his followers. It is the beginning of a new calling, to go make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It is the beginning of a new adventure in living as Jesus would live in our families and communities and schools and workplaces. And if we are followers ...

1048. The Way

John 14:1-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... not just our heads but our hearts. They mean that we are not always in control. They require love and trust, time, and commitment. And to be in relationship with Jesus requires us to be in relationship with someone we can’t see! Yes, it was as hard for the disciples then as it is for us today. But it gets easier the more you get the hang of it. All you have to do is give up charting your own destination or looking for a simple set of rules to reach your heavenly goal, and focus your attention on getting ...

1049. Count the Cost

Luke 14:25-33

Sermon

Will Willimon

... how many troops you're willing to lose. Finally, he says plainly, "Whoever of you does not renounce all that he or she has cannot be my disciple." Here is the definitely hard sell. We're talking big money. "How much? Well, as J.P. Morgan said, 'If you have to ask, you can' ... and all the other crafty ways we attempt to grasp life for ourselves rather than let go with God. So who needs more disciples like that? He who has ears to hear, hear. Jesus saves only losers. He has come to seek and to save only the ...

1050. Human Things

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... it Pete? God’s ways may seem uncomfortable to you, but God knows better than you do! Want to follow me? Deny your thoughts and turn to God’s thoughts! Your place is not up ahead leading the way by your own judgment and mission, your place as a disciple and my kind of leader is always behind me, in step with God’s mission and vision, and in obedience to God’s wisdom, whether you understand it fully or not, whether you agree with it fully or not. God’s wisdom is greater and wiser than yours –and ...

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