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 1076 to 1100 of 4942 results

1076. Moses Returns to Egypt

Exodus 4:18-31

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

The first half of Exodus 4 continues with Moses’ last three protests. Having responded to Moses’ first two excuses by Exodus 3:15, God pressed on with instructions for Moses’ leadership without giving him a chance to speak. As soon as another opportunity arose, Moses voiced his third objection: “What if they don’t believe me?”; his fourth, “I am slow of speech;” and, lastly, his simple plea: “Send someone else.” In the second half of Exodus 4 Moses has five short encounters: with Jethro; with the Lord for ...

1077. The Widow of Zarephath

1 Kings 17:7-24

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Elijah and the Drought: We have lacked a prophet to address the house of Omri, but now a prophet bursts onto the scene with a vengeance. His announcement of doom on this house will, however, be delayed until 1 Kings 21:21–24. His first task is to tackle the problem of the Baal-worship that Ahab has introduced into Israel (16:31–32), so as to demonstrate beyond all doubt that Baal is no more a god in any real sense than Jeroboam’s calves are. Chapter 17 provides the context in which the climactic ...

1078. The Lord Appears to Elijah

1 Kings 19:9-18

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Elijah and the LORD: Elijah has been involved in a mighty battle. He seems to think it decisive and so he has left the battlefield for Jezreel. Yet there have been several hints in the narrative thus far that it is the queen, and not the king, who is the real general of the opposing forces. She will not be so easily cowed as her husband, and Elijah is now to see that to win a battle is not necessarily to win the war. That realization will send him into retreat, both physical and mental, as victory becomes ...

1079. The Call of Elisha

1 Kings 19:19-21

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

1080. Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead

1 Kings 22:29-40

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Ahab Dispatched: The house of Ahab stands under the prophetic curse. The full outworking of God’s wrath is to be delayed until the reign of Ahab’s son, because of the king’s response to Elijah (21:27–29). Ahab’s own death, however, has now been foretold by two different prophets, with no delay in prospect (20:41–42; 21:19), and we thus anticipate an early fulfillment of their prophecy. The appearance now of a third prophet brings us to that fulfillment, as Ahab marches out to meet the Arameans at Ramoth ...

1081. Jerusalem's Deliverance Foretold

2 Kings 19:1-13

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

The Assyrian Assault on Judah: The second David has arrived. He has reformed Judean worship according to Mosaic law, casting off foreign influence and domination. We wait to see what will happen when the king of Assyria tries to take the kind of vengeance on Judah that he has just inflicted upon Israel. 18:13–16 The beginning of the Assyrian assault is reported in verses 13–16, as a new king (Sennacherib) attacks all the fortified cities and captures them. This is not a very promising beginning. It seems ...

1082. Hezekiah's Prayer

2 Kings 19:14-19

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

1083. Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall

2 Kings 19:20-37

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

1084. Benjamin

1 Chronicles 7:6-12

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

Descendants of Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Asher: In 1.4 and 1.5 the Chronicler included the southern and eastern (Transjordanian) tribes in his genealogical constructions. There, although the Chronicler’s focus is very much on Judah, Levi, and Benjamin in his overall construction, he also included Simeon, Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh in his genealogies, probably to strengthen the inclusivity of his definition of All-Israel. The next section of the Chronicler’s genealogy takes the ...

1085. Naphtali

1 Chronicles 7:13

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

1086. Manasseh

1 Chronicles 7:14-19

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

1087. Ephraim

1 Chronicles 7:20-29

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

1088. Asher

1 Chronicles 7:30-40

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

1089. Sin, Confession and Redemption

Isaiah 59:1-21

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Critique of the Community (59:1-8): While there are positive notes throughout 56:9–59:8, the dominant tone is confrontational, and even the positive notes incorporate barbed comment. The way the passages speak of shalom, which occurs six times (57:2, 19, 21; 59:8), sums up this point. This distinctive concentration of references finds its closest parallel in Zechariah 8, which again belongs to the same period as Isaiah 56–66. Admittedly there are no specific indications of a particular context here, and ...

1090.

Psalm 143:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

No One Is Righteous before God This individual prayer psalm is highly formulaic, that is, it consists of stock phrases repeated elsewhere in the Psalms (v. 3 // 7:5; Lam. 3:6; v. 4 // 77:3; 142:3; vv. 5–6 // 77:2, 5, 12; v. 6 // 63:1; v. 7 // 69:17; 88:4, 14; 102:2; v. 8 // 90:14; in general cf. Pss. 25; 86; further parallels listed in Culley, Oral Formulaic Language, p. 107). Yet it reflects an intimacy with God that is strikingly singular among the psalms. 143:1–2 The opening and closing verses draw ...

1091. The Lord Abhors the Pride of Israel

Amos 6:8-14

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

Israel’s Ill-Placed Confidence: In the preceding group of oracles, Amos announced that God would pass through Israel’s midst to do them to death. Undoubtedly that message met with skepticism on the part of those who bothered to listen to this prophet with a Judean accent. Like everyone who is prosperous and comfortable, most of those in Israel who counted for anything felt that they were enjoying the results of God’s favor toward them, or, if they took no thought of God, that their good life was secure. In ...

1092. A Basket of Ripe Fruit

Amos 8:1-14

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

The Prophet’s Visions and Encounter with Amaziah (8:1-3): While this section contains two different types of visions and a biographical insert, it should be regarded as a unit that has been given its present form by the disciples of the prophet. The first two visions, in 7:1–3 and 7:4–6, are “event visions,” portraying what is about to happen, and they are identical in their form. The third and fourth visions, in 7:7–9 and 8:1–3, are “wordplay visions,” in which the meaning of what is seen depends on ...

1093. Prepared Servants

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Watching. Waiting. Preparedness. Servanthood. These are key words that appear in Jesus' teachings and parables in the Gospel accounts. We are told by advertising experts that a product name must be repeated several times before people remember and can identify it. Either Jesus repeated the message frequently so people would remember it, or it was a constant theme which he used in many different ways and on different occasions. In any event it is a theme that occurs so often in the Gospels that it must be ...

1094. Proper 19

Psalm 14:1-7, 1 Timothy 1:12-20, Jeremiah 4:5-31, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:1-7

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Recovering The Lost Most of us have experienced loss. It may be money or something else of value. It may be a pet or an animal we were raising. It may be a person who rebelled against the family or cut all ties with church and community. Loss always results in sadness. If the loss is due to our carelessness or our actions, we probably have a sinking feeling in the pit of our stomach. It is a combination of guilt and sadness at the same time. Even if the loss may not be of great value, we may spend hours ...

1095. Proper 22

Luke 17:1-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13, Lamentations 1:1-22, Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Servant's Duty Question is sometimes raised about the lack of condemnation of slavery in the New Testament. Jesus never seems to have opposed it. In fact, in the parable about the servant's duty, Jesus uses the duties of a slave as a model. Elsewhere he uses the term for the proper relationship among persons, though it is frequently translated as servant rather than as slave. In a time when governments did not provide a safety net for the unemployed and people without land to farm or other means of ...

1096. Proper 13

Colossians 3:1-17, Hosea 11:1-11, Luke 12:13-21

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Hosea 11:1-11 Yahweh so loves his disobedient people that he cannot give them up to destruction. In one of the most moving passages in the Old Testament (Lesson 1), Israel is pictured as Yahweh's prodigal son. Hosea sees God and the nation as a loving father and his rebellious son. As a loving father Yahweh loves Israel when a child, brought him out of slavery in Egypt, and cared for him in the wilderness. He took his child in his arms, taught him to walk, and nurtured him. In ...

1097. Proper 26

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12, Habakkuk 2:2-20, Habakkuk 1:1-4, Luke 19:1-10

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 In a world of adversity the righteous live by faith. Habakkuk and Yahweh are engaged in a dialogue. The prophet, a contemporary of Jeremiah, served during the reign of King Jehoiakim (608-597 B.C.) and during the last days before the Babylonian conquest. Under Jehoiakim conditions in Judah were horrible lawlessness and oppression. In the light of these conditions Habakkuk goes to Yahweh with a complaint: Where is he? Why does he not answer? Why doesn't he do ...

1098. Trinity Sunday

Romans 5:1-11, Proverbs 8:1-36, John 16:5-16

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 Wisdom was with Yahweh when he created the earth. Before the earth was created, Wisdom, a female figure, was created and observed Yahweh's bringing the world into shape: the earth, heavens, the boundaries of the sea, and the foundations of the earth. According to this passage, Yahweh did not create out of nothing, but ordered creation. The climax of creation is humanity in whom Wisdom delighted and rejoiced. In the Old Testament wisdom is used to express God' ...

1099. All Saints' Sunday

Mt 5:1-12 · 1 Jn 3:1-3 · Isa 26:1-21 · Rev 7:9-17; 21:9-11, 22-27; 22:1-5 · Ps 24 · Ps 34 · Ps 149

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Epistle: Revelation 7:9-17 This is an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals. The saints are marked with the seal of God which affords protection from the plagues and coming judgment. During this period of great persecution under the Roman Emperor, Domitian, about 96 A.D., John encourages the struggling church with a heavenly vision of light and glory. A great throng of believers are gathered around the throne of God for worship and praise. They are clothed in white and are waving palm ...

1100. Proper 22

Philippians 4:2-9, Philippians 3:1-11, Philippians 3:12-4:1, Isaiah 5:1-7, Exodus 20:1-21, Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God's judgment on those who do not produce the fruits of righteousness. In the Isaiah text, God pronounces Israel an unfit fruit and votes to let it go fallow. In the Gospel parable of the Unfaithful Tenants, the Lord promises to take the kingdom away from Israel and give it to a nation producing the fruits of righteousness. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 God had, in his grace, freed the Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt and was leading them into the Promised Land. To govern ...

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