Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1076 to 1100 of 4999 results

2 Samuel 18:19--19:8, Ephesians 4:17--5:21, John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... our hearts; that by faith we may be so nourished spiritually that we shall grow daily in the reality of the eternal life that is ours in Christ. In his name we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Forgiving God, we confess that we often partake of the wrong kind of spiritual food, and eat to our detriment and damnation. Forgive us, we pray. Lead us to the feast that you have set before us, coax us to feed on the living bread that you most graciously have provided, and fill us until we want no more. Then dismiss ...

1077. The Most Beautiful Word

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... use, Pastor. I’ll just have to take my chances." You don’t get rid of that man or that moment of tragedy with some kind of humorous epigram. Do you remember the words that Shakespeare has Macbeth say to the doctor? It speaks so much for all of us: "Cans ... assaults the heart of any man who is separated from God. And we are not here talking Bible talk. We are not preaching some kind of a revival sermon. We are not shaking the sinners over the yawning jaws of Hell, or something like that. We are talking about ...

1078. The Forgotten Virtue

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... for his homely wisdom as a guide for those who search for successful living, and I suspect that there is not one among us who could not quote at least one or two of the proverbs from Poor Richard’s Almanac. But Ben Franklin once made a rather sad kind of mistake. It was a mistake that is common to many of us. He decided to adopt a system whereby he would achieve moral perfection. He listed twelve virtues on twelve pages of a book, with each page divided into seven columns. His system was to concentrate on ...

1079. The Very Nearness Of Holy Week

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... must have been a teacher or a doctor of medicine. But it sounded as if he was a new religious leader, too. And the words of this troubled man crystallized what I had been trying to comprehend about this young man’s face and eyes. It was love. It was kindness, concern, truth, faith. And I had seen that even under the burden of the Cross - his eyes had been the same. I walked back toward the gruesome Cross - it actually was in my way as I headed into Jerusalem. I didn’t have the nerve to look up. I kept ...

1080. Recognizing The Hidden

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... to light the lamps about the work bench. Carefully they lifted the old man to the bed in a far corner of the room. Beads of perspiration stood on his forehead. His hand was fixed to his chest. The old friar, speaking from years of ritual, but with kindness in his voice, mumbled a few Latin words, looked heavenward, made the sign of the cross. With a look of sympathy, but with authority, he said, "Make your peace with God." The words of the priest cut through the pain. The look of pain changed in an instant ...

1081. Christmas: A Family Service

Drama

Ruthanne Cochran

... . You may be bad people. How do I know what you are up to? No, I won’t open this door. Joseph: I pray you to be kind to us. We are so tired. We came such a long way. Please have pity. Our Lord will reward you. Innkeeper: Who are you to be so ... the world by the Christ Child. Young Son: Bless all mothers and fathers and families all over the world. Young Daughter: Help us all to be kind and good. Older Son: Make us aware of others and the world around us. May the Star which led the wisemen guide all of us to ...

1082. Advent 2: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Promise of Christmas

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

James W. Moore

... you stop to think about it, you can’t help but be inspired by the bold faith of this man called Joseph. As a matter of fact, I think way too little attention has been given to Joseph’s part in the gospel story. His faith, his sensitivity, his kindness, his bigness, his compassion, and his obedience to the will of God have had a far greater impact on Christian thought and the Christian lifestyle than most of us realize. We owe so much to father Joseph and we can learn so much from his faith. His bigness ...

1083. Academics, Fanatics, and Other Disciples

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... occupation to vocation, enlisting them in a spiritual army to do battle with evil, calling them away from the settled, comfortable life to the high seas of adventure, boldly announcing they were out to the change the world. Over the centuries there have been many kinds of disciples. But today let us consider at least two types which must be held in balance -- academics and fanatics. I. Let's consider fanatics first. It must be admitted that the word "fanatic" does not have a popular ring to it. It conjures ...

1084. Out of the Wilderness Comes New Life

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

George Bass

... then, suddenly, he discovered that he was not on a leash this time. He began to run wildly, in circles, and he dashed around the large, fenced-in backyard, leaping into the air, twisting and turning in a glorious dance of freedom and joy. He was meant to have this kind of life - free from ropes and leashes, free from people who would not let him run as he was meant to. (He wasn’t even bothered by the four-foot-high fence that he would later attempt to leap over.) The next morning, when I put him out again ...

1085. When Ten Equals Two

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Larry Powell

... to our fellows. What does God expect of us and how are we to conduct our affairs among our own kind? From earliest times, human sacrifices, the slaughter of animals, food offerings, and self-mortification were practiced by those generations whose ... couple, then set fire to their house, burning them alive. If given a choice between identifying with certain characters of our kind, against the alternative of descending from a respectable monkey, there are times when we would incline to agree with Huxley and " ...

1086. Worthwhile Arguments

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

Richard Patt

... of suffering and pain that he would endure. But they preferred to carry on their own discussions of self-interest. Jesus must have suffered some disillusionment in these moments! So you and I must be very careful about win-or-lose type arguments. After all, in most kinds of arguments we run the risk of hurting another person’s feelings. All of us - and I put myself at the top of the list - need to be on our guard about hurting other people’s feelings with our words. You see, in worthless arguments we ...

1087. "I Don’t Hate Any More!"

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... the Lord." Vengeance is not our business. God is just; God knows the score; God will do what is right. On this basis I might be sorry for the one who hurt me; he has hurt himself, or herself, even more. Remember, it is not easy to be kind and forgiving in this kind of world. Our grandfathers had lots of room. They could do pretty well as they pleased on their property. But today we live house to house: we work elbow to elbow; we drive fender to fender. That’s tough. We get in each other’s way. This hit ...

1088. How to Profit from Prophets

Luke 1:67-80

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... whose mind all thoughtful beings find their true home, we worship and adore you. You have given us voices to speak of your glory, souls to feel your love, and ears to hear of wonders too grand and mighty to comprehend. We thank you for your panoply of splendor. Look kindly upon us as we bow in your presence, and receive us not so much as the people we are, but as the people we want to be. The visions we have, the ideals we embrace, and the goals for which we strive seem often to recede as we approach them ...

1089. Today

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

William G. Carter

... ? Is this day really the day? Jesus said, “I have come to preach good news to the poor.” Well, that is a noble thought, but what about us? The poor don’t live on our streets. They don’t move in our circles of friends. Even if they did, what kind of good news would we say to them? It is far easier to feed them from a distance, and send a few dented cans of creamed corn from the food pantry. Instead of getting involved, it is possible to perform a small deed to ease the conscience and avoid talking ...

1090. A Town of Promise

Micah 5:1-4

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... we consecrate the bread of the Sacrament God gives God’s Son to us. As Christ became incarnate as the Second David at Bethlehem, at the Sacrament, Christ is given again to us under the form of the bread. The Christ comes to us “housed” in bread. The kind of joy that filled the stable, or the cave, where our Lord was born awaits us as we come to the Lord’s table. Shepherds at Bethlehem, where the First David had tended sheep, were invited to come and see the Second David in a helpless, homeless, and ...

1091. The Lightest Touch

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... and firmness of mind to deal with the serious issues that confront us. In the First Lesson appointed for today we hear that kind of confession from Jeremiah who protests a call from God to serve as God’s prophet to the people of Judah. Jeremiah struggles ... the other nations of his day. We can take heart that the word which we do share as the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has that kind of force and power in the lives of people. Jeremiah went on to do the work of God. All of us know we will not match what ...

1092. The Fruit of One's Doing

Jeremiah 16:1--17:18

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... at the age of 57. At times Mr. Bogart gave evidence of literary and speaking skills which make one wonder how much he quietly berated himself for failing to make better use of his gifts. All of us know that feeling to some extent. Yet Mr. Bogart represents the kind of case history of how devastated one’s life can be if one does not experience a way in which one can deal with the failure to achieve what one ought to be. For that reason it is a wholesome exercise to examine the First Reading appointed for ...

1093. The Fruit of Forgiveness

Genesis 45:1-28

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... himself. That was even too much for Jacob, the father. Jacob did not think it was a bright idea for Joseph to share this kind of stuff with him and Joseph’s brothers. He remonstrated with Joseph about that. At the same time, Jacob did keep the matter in ... brothers had despised him and had sent him not only into slavery but also to an alien culture. There was no support system of any kind for him. There was no chaplain to visit and comfort him. There was no teacher to come and advise him. No one sent him a ...

1094. The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

James W. Moore

... , or today when you say “so long” so someone you love, or tomorrow in conversation with a prized co-worker, or whenever you want to express something special to someone you care for… try it… say, “I treasure you so much!... and see what kind of response you get. Jesus treasured Bartimaeus personally! He stopped for Bartimaeus. I love that! I want to preach a sermon sometime on the subject “Jesus Stopped!” And in it look through the scriptures at all the places where Jesus stopped what He was ...

1095. His Triumphal Entry

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

Brett Blair

... and it makes you want to act sacrificially. We will talk more about the film in the coming weeks. Let’s turn now to how it begins. It was Sunday the first day in Passover. Jesus is preparing to make his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It was a strange kind of a day, a day of contrasts: of climax and anti-climax, of fulfillment and frustration; of hosannas and tears, of tragedy and triumph. I First let’s look at why Palm Sunday was tragedy. Excitement was running high in the city as it always did at the ...

1096. The Peace Of Christ In A Chaotic World

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Brett Blair

... gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. There is a defining phrase in that statement. One that tells us what kind of peace it is that Christ gives us. Listen to it again and see if you can pick it out: “Peace I leave with you; my ... exist but we all know every time we get up in the morning, watch the news, hear from family, talk to friends that this kind of peace is temporary at best. II But there is the peace the Lord Gives. When Dante knocked at the door of the Franciscan monastery ...

1097. Liberty And Civility

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

Brett Blair

... ; rather, serve one another in love." Use your freedom to serve. In other words: Freedom ought to be used to pursue good. After Paul's long defense of freedom in Christ he launches into the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The message here is clear. Liberty and civility are two parts of a whole. Alexander Fraser Tytler lived at the end of the eighteenth century, but his book The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic sends ...

1098. All I Want for Christmas is Hope

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

James W. Moore

... in our lifetime that right now are just unbelievable.” The presiding bishop was intrigued by the college president’s remarks. The bishop interrupted him and said, “What do you see? What specifically are you talking about? What kind of new things do you mean?” And the president of the college said, “Well, all kinds of things, Bishop. I believe we’re coming into a time of great inventions. This is the year 1870 and I believe for example that one day soon we will be able to fly through the air ...

1099. Jesus and Mary and Martha

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Dr. Boyd E. Wagner

... and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, My rock and My redeemer. Amen. I stayed away from this scripture for a long time because of the misunderstanding of what it really says. If you have your Bibles you might want to just kind of stay with the Bible text a moment as there are really just two things I think are crucial in understanding what the text really says and I want to begin looking very carefully at these. We begin with that first verse in which Martha receives Jesus into ...

1100. The Ten Commandments #3: God's Name

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... s name, whatever power that one might have over you might somehow be diminished and turned over to you. The name of the god was used like we might use "Abra-Cadabra," for magic, and God says do not do that. Whether we realize it or not, that kind of usage occurs very often in the church today. Every so often, we run across folks who punctuate almost every sentence with "Praise the Lord" or "Praise God." Now, there is obviously nothing wrong with praising the Lord. But when a phrase is used over and over and ...

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