Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1026 to 1050 of 4946 results

1026. Love: The Happiness of a Godly Family

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Sermon

James Merritt

Thomas Jefferson could truly say, "Been there, done that, now what?" He was Ambassador to France, the first Secretary of State, a Vice President, the President of the United States, founder of a major university, author of the greatest political document in history, a multi-faceted inventor, architect, author, farmer, and scholar. He was perhaps the most brilliant man ever to occupy the White House. He was present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence; he attended the second Continental ...

1027. When Religion Becomes a Laughing Matter

Genesis 18:1-15

Sermon

John E. Harnish

This is not how we usually think of worship (image of newspaper ad): "The splitting of the gut, the slapping of the thigh, and the peeing of the pants." But if the topic is Sarah and Abraham, it makes perfect sense. I can't do better than to share Frederick Buechner's description of the scene: The place to start is with a woman laughing. She is an old woman, and after a lifetime in the desert, her face is cracked and rutted like a six-month drought. She hunches her shoulders around her ears and starts to ...

1028. The Unchanging Christ in a Changing World

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

When we come to church, we usually do not come primarily to learn about doctrine. We come to find inspiration, to lay our hurts at the altar, and to draw strength from the fellowship. Doctrine can seem kind of dry. Doctrine causes arguments and who needs more of those? The book of Hebrews has been committed to the idea that a proper understanding of doctrine sustains our faith and keeps us from drifting away from it. Our passage for today has something important to say about how we understand Christ, and ...

1029. Pet Rocks and the Big Reveal

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

King Duncan

(Growing Strong in the Season of Lent, Palm Sunday) Does anybody remember when pet rocks became a big fad in this country? In April 1975, Gary Dahl was in a bar listening to his friends complain about their pets. This gave him the idea for the perfect “pet” -- a rock. Think about it. A rock would not need to be fed, walked, bathed, or groomed; furthermore, pet rocks would not die, become sick, or be disobedient. He said they would be perfect as pets, and joked about it with his friends. But Dahl later took ...

1030. Can I Get Some Help Over Here?

John 14:23-29

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

It is not an uncommon scene. A couple of young men found their way into the weight room at the local exercise facility. They were, perhaps, thirteen or fourteen years of age; just beginning to approach manhood; each day the sweetness of self-confidence grows within them. At first they lingered at the edge of the weight room admiring that small group that inhabits every work-out facility. These fellows are usually in their twenties or thirties. Their bodies have been sculpted by thousands of hours of ...

1031. Seat of Power

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

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: Ring and/or Ruby Slippers and/or a Ladder “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” (James and John…according to Mark) How many times have we said this to God? “Lord, we want you to do whatever we ask!” We humans are creatures that want our way. We want what we want and we generally want it “now.” We like to be independent. We are self-assured. And we are ambitious. And ambition is a squirrelly thing. It means that if someone won’t give us our way, we will strive to get whatever we ...

1032. When God Leads

Joshua 3:7-17

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Have you ever been in a situation that needed leadership and direction before it got out of hand? Sometimes one good leader can keep a situation from descending into chaos. But that kind of leadership can be hard to find. When the COVID-19 pandemic first started, health departments around the nation organized mass vaccination clinics in every community. The challenge of vaccinating hundreds or thousands of people each day in a safe and timely manner proved to be a logistical nightmare. The health ...

1033. We Haven’t Got To Them Yet

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

People give evidence that they like things to be pure. A favorite theme is of the poor little rich girl wanting to be loved for herself and not her money. She goes to great lengths to find out, “Do you love me for myself or just for my money?” She’s not alone. We all want to be loved for our own sakes. Our preachers are expected to be truly committed. To think they are in their work for the money is offensive. Our doctors are expected to be single-mindedly dedicated to “my” health. Teachers are expected to ...

1034. A Glory Revealed by Abiding

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Jesus said unto the Jews who believed on him, "If you abide in my word, you will really be my disciples, and ... the truth will keep you free."1 - John 8:31f In one of his great hymns, Charles Wesley writes: Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature’s night. Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray - I woke; the dungeon blazed with light. My chains fell off; my heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed thee. The words by Wesley serve well as a bridge between the message of last week’s ...

1035. Living With The Nitty Gritty

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Our scripture lesson is from the first epistle of Peter, the 1st chapter, beginning at the 13th and reading through the 21st verses. This is the word of the Lord. Therefore, gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is Holy, be Holy yourselves in all your conduct. Since it is written, you shall be Holy for I am Holy. And ...

1036. Living By The Calendar Instead Of The Clock (New Year's)

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Richard A. Wing

This is the time of year that we look toward 2016 with new resolve, or observe how far we have wandered from last year's resolutions. Have you ever noticed that New Year's resolutions look strangely familiar? As a matter of fact, don't they most often look exactly like last year's resolutions? Too often in this season we look at the resolutions we made for our lives that we never got started. I was in a spiritual life retreat once with a group of clergy who were talking about the joys and pains of parish ...

1037. Hear, Hear

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

Paul W. Kummer

A woman went to see a divorce lawyer. Frantically she told him, "I must have a divorce from my husband immediately!" The lawyer asked, "Do you have any grounds?" "Yes, about five acres." "I mean, do you have a grudge?" the lawyer questioned. "No, just a carport." Then the lawyer asked, "Does he beat you up?" "No," the woman replied, "I get up before he does." Exasperated, the attorney demanded, "Madam, why do you want a divorce from your husband?" "Because it is impossible to communicate with that man!" ...

1038. The Good Soldier

John 20:1-9

Drama

Pamela Urfer

Cast: Two Roman soldiers, FLAVIUS and LUCIUS, and an ANGEL Length: 15 minutes FLAVIUS and LUCIUS are seated on their stools, center stage. FLAVIUS: (Complaining) What was all the hurry about for this burial? I don't understand why we had to rush. LUCIUS: (Distracted but agreeable) Hmmmm. FLAVIUS: I don't know why I even ask. It's so typical of the military: Hurry up and wait. LUCIUS: True. FLAVIUS: First we break our backs to get this job done ASAP and then everyone rushes off and leaves us here without a ...

1039. Epiphany 8

Luke 6:37-42, Isaiah 55:1-13, Jeremiah 7:1-29, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Luke 6:46-49

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:10-13 God's Word will effect its promise of bringing back the Exiles to Jerusalem. Deutero-Isaiah brings his book to a close with chapter 55. It is an appeal for God's people to come to Yahweh, to seek him and find forgiveness. Yahweh promises that his Word will not be void nor fruitless but will accomplish his purpose which is to bring his people out of bondage in Babylon and restore them with great joy to their homeland. Lesson 1: Jeremiah 7:1-7 (8-15) The futility of ...

1040. Jesus And The Disciples

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

Comment: I have always wondered how Jesus gathered his Disciples. The way the biblical stories go, it seems like he knew most of them one way or another. So I hypothesized that they may have known each other as children. How, since they were from a number of different towns not that close together, could they have had contact? Having taught a few lab schools, I decided that maybe something like that might have occurred! Since the Sunday for which I was preparing was Rally Day, I wondered what a teacher ...

1041. God, The Son

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

Comment: I spoke earlier of having someone in mind as I wrote a part. For the second sermon of a series on the Trinity, I decided to interview John the Baptist. In the congregation was a young man who weighed about 240 pounds, most of it muscle. He had a very large, full, nearly black beard. Although he is a gentleman in every respect, he is able to hold his own in a car repair shop and on an athletic field. He also happened to be in the church's drama group. I called him early in the week to see if he was ...

1042. Jesus And The Disciples

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

1043. God, The Son

Matthew 2:1-12

Drama

Jerry Eckert

[Author's Note: I spoke earlier of having someone in mind as I wrote a part. For the second sermon of a series on the Trinity, I decided to interview John the Baptist. In the congregation was a young man who weighed about 240 pounds, most of it muscle. He had a very large, full, nearly black beard. Although he is a gentleman in every respect, he is able to hold his own in a car repair shop and on an athletic field. He also happened to be in the church's drama group. I called him early in the week to see if ...

1044. Proper 15

Mt 15:21-28 · Ex 16:2-15 · Rom 11:13-16, 29-32 · Ps 78

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

The Miracle Of A Woman's Faith In the miracle of Jesus' healing a Canaanite mother's demon-possessed daughter, we confront a different kind of Jesus. Is he the same Jesus whom we often describe as "meek and mild?" Can this be the same man who blesses little children, gives sight to a blind beggar, forgives an adulterous woman, heals a lady by her touch of his garment, and tells the story of a Good Samaritan? Here we experience a Jesus who does not seem to fit into this portrait. He ignores a woman's cry ...

1045. The Bells Of Christmas Eve

Drama

The Cast (in order of speaking) Sebastiano Franco Sister Sophia Bruder Hans Antonio Francesca Mario Marchesi Pietro Vermelli Giuseppe Synopsis Scene The First in which Father Sebastiano Franco is bemoaning the non-ringing of the church bells on Christmas Eve and is visited by a panic-stricken nun and a strange monk from Germany. Scene The Second in which a girl and her brother stumble upon a man dying in the cold. Scene The Third in which a rich man and a poor man commit insufficient acts of love. Scene ...

1046. The Ladder of Success

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Paul Hegele

The window into my childhood sometimes opens for me. I can catch glimpses of scenes from the past. The image most vivid is of two small boys - my best friend and me - sitting on the steps of my back porch. Our conversation is always the same. It begins when one asks the other: "What are you going to be when you grow up?" The answers then are much like the answers children give today. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" A cowboy, a teacher, a football player, a doctor. Being Superman was my personal ...

1047. Epiphany 8

Lk 6:39-49 · 1 Cor 15:51-58 · Jer 7:1-7 · Isa 55:10-13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Isaiah 55:10-13 God's Word will effect its promise of bringing back the Exiles to Jerusalem. Deutero-Isaiah brings his book to a close with chapter 55. It is an appeal for God's people to come to Yahweh, to seek him and find forgiveness. Yahweh promises that his Word will not be void nor fruitless but will accomplish his purpose which is to bring his people out of bondage in Babylon and restore them with great joy to their homeland. Jeremiah 7:1-7 The futility of clinging to ritual as a ...

1048. The Blessing Of Bondage

Genesis 2:4-25, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

The Bible’s story of Creation and the Fall gives rise to all sorts of stories, like this one: Adam and Eve were walking near the Garden of Eden, showing it to their son, Abel. Abel saw that it was a very beautiful place, and asked, "Daddy, why don’t we live there?" "Well, son, we once did," Adam replied, "but your mother ate us out of house and home!" It is an old story, a story of trees, a man and a woman, a garden, a serpent, rules kept and rules broken, and of God. God formed a man, Adam, of the dust, ...

1049. How’s Your Appetite?

Matthew 5:6 · Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

In any home where there are small children with parents who do not sanction a complete submission to television, the most familiar request is: "Tell us a story." And those stories are remembered for the rest of their lives. There is not a single adult or child, I dare say, who could not tell the story of Little Red Riding Hood, of Goldilocks and her bears, of the three little pigs, the big, bad wolf, and countless other favorite characters. This is true of a congregation or a reader. A congregation almost ...

1050. The Crowd That Hated Him

Matthew 27:11-26

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Bowl of water We have already found out the different kinds of crowds there are during the last three times that we have gotten together. Do you remember how it was to love Jesus and then to be afraid of him? How did you feel when you were part of the crowd that betrayed Jesus? That was an awful feeling wasn’t it? It is not going to get much better today because the crowds are not very friendly toward Jesus at this time. The leaders of the people were afraid of Jesus and they wanted to get rid of ...

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