Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1076 to 1100 of 4963 results

1076. Is God For Real? (Series: Read Faith For Real People)

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... broken upon them again and again. The image of God creates a hunger. There is a hunger for God in our souls. Even when life has given us more things than we could even long for, more pleasure than we can imagine, more opportunities than we ever dreamed about, there remains in our soul a deep hunger. It is our need for a vital relationship with the living God. The last words John Wesley spoke on earth were these: “Best of all, God is with us.” God is never far from any of us. When I am scared, I sing. My ...

1077. Stewardship of the Church (Series: Stewardship: Discover This Word and Love It!)

Acts 20:13-38

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Stone was right when he wrote: Though with a scornful wonder we see her sore oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed, Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, And mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won. The fact remains, if you want to find God, if you want to speak with God, if you want to worship God, church is a pretty good place to start. Think about that when you complete your Prayers and Presence cards. When God comes to church, hearts are touched and ...

1078. How Do You Know My Name?

John 10:1-21

Illustration

John R. Claypool

I've always loved the little story about the boy who's trying to learn the Lord's Prayer, so he kneels by his bed, and says: Our Father, who are in heaven How do you know my name? Such individualized affection will always remain a mystery to us mortals, and at the same time, let us never forget we're made in the image of that extraordinary love. And doing what Jesus did in loving each one he ever met as if there were none other in all the world is at least an ...

1079. The Wise Men: Going Home Another Way

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... old paradigm would not let them see. Now that’s what happened to the Wise Men. They had a paradigm shift. And that’s what Christmas does for us. From the cradle of Christmas, from an experience and a relationship with Jesus, we go a different way. We can’t remain the same if we see Him, if we take Him seriously, and accept Him for what He came to do and be. So we press the question: What does going home from the Manger of Christmas by another way mean to us? If we are going to experience the paradigm ...

1080. Ministering Angels

Exodus 23:20-33

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... the form of a woman lying fully clothed on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her face expressed no emotion. I leaned over and took her hand, but she made no movement. I mumbled a few words of sympathy and sat down beside the bed. “I remained there without a word, immobile as she, and the phrase kept tumbling over in my mind, ‘I am here to bring you peace,’ but I could not speak a word. “The time passed painfully, interminably, and each time I found myself mentally formulating a sentence that would ...

1081. Come Forward to God's Throne Where There Is Grace (Relief for Guilt)

Hebrews 4:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... s done everything he could, so he thought, to bring about reconciliation, but there was still the tension, the strain, the cold, formal relating without genuine warmth. The fellow told me he dreamed about his son, and would awaken in the middle of the night and remain sleepless for hours, thinking about the painful estrangement. “And the guilt is wearing me out,” he said. “Despite my efforts, I am plagued with guilt, and I can’t get it out of my mind.” I do believe that had I not had that exchange ...

1082. What Would Jesus Say About War?

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... of India in 1946 - 1947. Certainly Jesus encouraged his followers to bless their persecutors, to turn the other cheek, to go the second mile, and to give two coats when asked for one. Were these instructions intended as national policy or principles of personal piety remains a matter of public debate. Jesus may or may not have been a pacifist. Nobody really knows. In between those two poles, moral people of the past have developed what is called a Just War Theory. The Just War Theory is a complex set of ...

1083. What Would Jesus Say About Me?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... for good instead of evil. Even the best of sinners are not very good at it because deep within each of us marred by sin, there remains the image of God. Jesus came to restore us to our true identity. Christ is light shining in our darkness. He is love softening our hatred ... core of our being there is a hunger for something hard to define and almost embarrassing to confess, but which still remains when this world has given us its finest things and every tangible fear has been driven away." We want God! I know ...

1084. The Door of Forgiveness

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... is not violence in your face, but God's amazing grace portrayed there for you and me. I do not pretend to comprehend the atonement. It remains a mystery to me. Even if the Lord were to send a revelation, I am not sure my small mind could contain it. So I ... it. At the cross of Jesus Christ your sins and mine are forgiven. Either our sins have been forgiven by God or they remain in us as sin, for only God can forgive sins. Arthur Dimmesdale, in The Scarlet Letter, with his unconfessed and unforgiven sin reasons ...

1085. Luke 10:1-11; 16-20

Luke 11:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Luke’s text itself does not offer any specifics about the experiences and events Jesus’ emissaries encounter, depending on the brief after-the-fact report they return with and report to Jesus. Luke’s gospel story remains focused on Jesus, on his words and deeds. It will remain for Luke’s second volume, Acts, to give details about the missionary exploits of Jesus’ disciples. Nevertheless there is little doubt that these messengers met with success. They are filled with “joy” when they return to ...

1086. Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:38-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of people. Everyone is hungry. No one person has an adequate amount of food to feed themselves. But instead of worrying about “how much” and “who has what” and “we can’t possibly feed all these hungry people,” the stone soup cook remains calm, hospitable, and inviting. What is more, the stone soup cook eventually entices others to donate enough ingredients to make a lovely, thick soup with enough for everyone to have a hearty bowlful. The gospel text reading for this eighth Sunday after ...

1087. Hunger and Politics

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... talents and marvelous abilities of humankind would make us like impatient children, eager to strike out on our own and find our self-made destinies. Only if God would hold back a sense of full satisfaction from our souls would we search our way back home. This remains a perennial theological paradox: It is the creative act of God that gives us freedom. Yet, when we use our abilities for our own ends we tend to lose what is best in ourselves and often demean it in others, and push like adolescents away from ...

1088. Mistaken Identity

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... . Moreover, Jeremiah did not disappear from the scene easily. At the end of his prophecies he urged the remnant remaining in Jerusalem to stay there and rebuild. But they were fearful of a return visit from the Babylonian armies, so ... it seems so sad Everything he gave to us took all he had. Jesus is their familiar stranger. He is the man who lives down the hall, yet remains an enigma. The disciples know they don't really know him, yet they are willing to live with the tension as long as nobody has to name it ...

1089. The Road No One Wants to Travel

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... , and the lonely. He gathers them to his own body, and takes the pains into his own heart. Then he gives new clothes to new lives with new purpose and new joy. Finally, around midday, the Ragman finds himself at the center of the city where nothing remains but a stinking garbage heap. It is the accumulated refuse of a society lost to anxiety and torture. On Friday afternoon, the Ragman climbs the hill, stumbling as he drags his cart behind him. He is tired and sore and pained and bleeding. He falls on the ...

1090. Kingdoms in Conflict

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... For Jesus' audience of religious leaders, the message communicated was that all of humanity had the same opportunities to remain in fellowship with the creator, and all are equally responsible for their distance from God. But Jesus also couched ... The Book of Sorrows), captures both the scope of the divine mission as well as the under-rated character of the team. If the focus remains on the team apart from the mission, the point is lost. God is reclaiming God's creation, but does so through human agency. The ...

1091. Dressed for the Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Chris Ewing

1092. All Who Share This Hope

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Chris Ewing

... what the communion of saints does for all of us. It reminds us of who we are, it gives us pictures of faith in action, and it encourages us to keep living out our calling in Christ Jesus. We need that, because when we are baptized into Christ, although we remain part of the human family in the same way as everybody else, we are inducted into the Christian family, which has a unique way of looking at and living in the world. We don't always get encouragement for the Christ-life from the world at large, so we ...

1093. Restoration Frustration

Isaiah 63:7-9

Sermon

Tony Everett

... " would listen to us. If only "someone" would live up to their promises. If only they would show a little appreciation for all our hard work. Do these laments sound familiar? They sure sound like the complaints of the returning exiles: If only those who remained in Jerusalem would have restored the temple. If only they would have kept God's law. There was no "quick fix" for the returning captives. There is no quick fix for us either ... that is, without first returning to the center. Salvation comes as a ...

1094. Backseat Drivers: Named, Claimed, Commissioned

Isaiah 49:1-7

Sermon

Tony Everett

... at the baptismal font. "Here is where your mother and father promised to introduce you to an enormous family who would support you always. Here is where God named and claimed you and chose you as a child in God's forever family," said Pastor Michael. Kathy remained silent still clutching the towel around her arm. Yet she allowed the pastor to lead her down the center aisle toward the altar. "Look at the cross, Kathy. Here is where Jesus suffered and died so that you might have life. Here is the altar where ...

1095. God, What Are You Up To?

Genesis 12:1-9

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... realistic model than the television show. In fact, it's not difficult to understand why, as the series developed, Joan came to obey God somewhat more readily; it's because she saw how his previous instructions worked out. In our lives, God's purposes often remain a mystery. During the opening credits for Joan of Arcadia each week, we heard the song "What If God Was One of Us?" being sung by another Joan — Joan Osborne. Actually that song was written back in 1996, and was a hit for Osborne then. Although ...

1096. Show Me What’s Real

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... that the betrayal stirred in the heart of God, God did not seek the death of the people but rather that they would continue forward, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy," God told Moses. While God remains loyal to past promises God is always free to be whoever God needs to be in any new situation. Then God directs Moses to a "cleft of the rock" where he could safely observe the glory of God. Moses would see the glory of God pass and for a brief ...

1097. Hearts on Fire

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... has touched our lives, has written God's law on our hearts, living out our faith. As we leave this place of worship may we do so knowing we can make a difference and cannot remain silent any longer. May we take our stand and speak out against injustices knowing that Jesus is with us always. The church remains the world's great hope! Amen. 1. Anne Lamott, Plan B: Further Thoughts of Faith (New York: Riverhead Books, 2005), p. 195. 2. Lisa Miller, "The Innovator," Newsweek magazine, July 3/July 10, 2006, p ...

1098. Showing Up

Ephesians 3:1-12

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you...." In his revelatory experience, Paul had been given a charge (a commission) to share God's grace with others, even Gentiles at Ephesus. Paul tells us that the true nature of Christ had remained mysterious, unknown to him until it was revealed, uncovered, made known. The term "revelation" (the same term from which the last book of the Bible takes its name), here indicates knowledge that lies beyond the realm of human reason: It can only be made known ...

1099. Fido’s Dilemma

Romans 6:1-11

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... . Usually it shows up in some form of lackadaisical indifference or sloth. You have heard the excuses: "I can't change. I'm just human, a victim of circumstances. That's just the way things are." And nothing changes. God's mercy becomes an excuse to remain the same old jerk. Nothing changes. Throughout my years in the ministry, wherever I have served I have always been afraid that the gospel I proclaimed would be misheard as nothing more than "cheap grace." When I announce that you don't have to do anything ...

1100. A Truly Universal Operating System

Romans 14:1-12

Sermon

Larry Lange

... above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them.' Exodus, chapter 20!" "I am well aware of the content and location of the first commandment," the presbyter replied, remaining as composed as possible. "Mr. Gaitius," the presbyter turned his attention to Billius. "Do you worship the god of computers?" "I do not, sir." "Do you worship the emperor?" "I pay the emperor the taxes, respect, and honor he is due. No more, no less." "A ...

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