Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1101 to 1125 of 1182 results

John 17:20-26

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... only with people who look like us and think like us. We might even claim it is human nature to want to exclude those who differ so that we can associate with those who are most like us. One of my favorite movies is the 1952 classic, The African Queen. The film takes place in Central Africa during the First World War. It stars Humphrey Bogart as Charlie Ulnut, a gin-swilling riverboat captain and Katherine Hepburn as Rose Sayer, a very straight-laced missionary. One night, as they float down a crocodile ...

1102. Witness to Angels

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... they first saw the celestial beings during their 155th day aboard the orbiting Salyat 7 space station. "What we saw," they said, "were seven giant figures in the shape of humans, but with wings and mist-like halos, as in the classic depiction of angels. Their faces were round with cherubic smiles." Twelve days later the figures returned and were seen by three other Soviet scientists, including woman cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya. "They were smiling," she said, "as though they shared a glorious secret."

1103. So, Do Something About It

Lk 1:39-56

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... ?" The boy accepted the challenge, went to his room, and wrote his first hymn. The year was 1690, and the young man was Isaac Watts. Among his 350 hymns are "Joy to the World," "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," "I Sing the Almighty Power of God," and many other classics. HERE'S ANOTHER VERSION OF WATT' S STORY Consider the story of one young man. He was often sick as a baby. He was always small, puny some would say. As a youth he was always frail and delicate. He was not able to play sports with the other ...

1104. What Gets Into Us?

John 18:1--19:42

Sermon

King Duncan

... , or power, or recognition, or knowledge or a host of other things, but I have never known anyone who hungers and thirsts after righteousness. Even the best of us have a part of our life that is in rebellion. You may be familiar with Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick. It is the tale of Captain Ahab, who had a feud going with a great white whale. The captain had already lost his leg in an encounter with the great white whale and had become a brooding, unhappy, sullen, and terribly pessimistic man. Most ...

1105. Surprise--One Got Out!

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... this wonderful sentence: “If man can do the phonograph, God can do the resurrection.” (5) And God can. And God did raise Christ from the grave. And God will raise those whom we love who are in Christ. The resurrection is real. In his classic novel, The Robe, Lloyd C. Douglas has a character called Marcellus, who had become fascinated by Jesus. He wrote letters to his fiancée Diana in Rome. He told her about Jesus’ teachings, about his miracles, then about his crucifixion and his resurrection. Finally ...

1106. The Quality of Mercy

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

The classic quote on mercy is that of Portia in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I, lines 186-197. The quality of mercy is not strain'd It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives ...

1107. Techniques for Daily Success

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

We all need to be reminded from time to time about the basics of getting through the work that is before us. Debra Smith presented these seven classic techniques for daily success at a Time Management seminar sponsored by the Dible Management Development Seminar people (yes, that's Dible, not Bible). They are: 1. Complete daily priorities—central concerns and essentials first. 2. Group together related activities in order to save time as well as create more time. ...

1108. About Unclaimed Luggage

Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... a faith crisis. We have lost faith in other people, we have lost faith in our institutions, we have lost faith in God. Wouldn’t you agree that we have lost faith in people—people we used to admire? We no longer have heroes, do we? Not heroes in the classic sense. On July 17, 2009 legendary television news anchor Walter Cronkite died at the age of 92. His death marked the end of an era that I suspect we will never see again. Cronkite was the face of CBS news from 1962 to 1981. He’s remembered as the ...

1109. Less Fear; More Fruit

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

“Be afraid. Be very afraid.” The year is 1986 and the movie is the remake of the classic horror film, “The Fly.” Jeff Goldbum plays the eccentric scientist, Seth Brundle, who is working on a machine that will teleport people and things by disassembling their molecules at one point and reassembling them at another. Geena Davis plays Veronica Quaife, a reporter who is writing Brundle’s story. Unfortunately, ...

1110. Hugable and Bugable

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

Now, admittedly, people are not always loveable. In a classic “Peanuts” cartoon, Lucy speaks to Snoopy. “There are times,” she says, “when you really bug me, but I must admit, there are also times when I feel like giving you a great big hug.” Snoopy looks up, with a grin on his face, and says to himself, “That’s the way I am, hug-able and bug-able.” That is the way all of us are. Sometimes we are hug-able and sometimes we are bug-able.

1111. Stay on the Road

Matthew 7:13-14

Illustration

Mickey Anders

In John Bunyan’s classic Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian has finally learned not to get off the road for any reason. He has paid dearly to learn faithfulness to the path laid out in God’s word. As he clears a high hill, he sees two large lions waiting on the road ahead. He moves ...

1112. Bless the World

Luke 6:20-31

Sermon

Molly F. James

... tells us that those who are poor or hungry or mourning are blessed because they will be provided for and comforted. Luke tells us not to fight back when we are persecuted, but rather to overcome challenges with kindness and gentleness. We have the classic passage that reminds us to “turn the other cheek” if we are struck. I have often thought of these passages as being about direct confrontation — about the times when we are physically harmed by another person. But in reflecting on these passages in ...

1113. The Garden of Betrayal and the Garden of His Burial

John 18:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... and emotional struggle, but plunges right into the story of Judas’ betrayal. He reports that Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons, a classic case of overkill. Were they expecting to put down an armed insurrection? Jesus, says John, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked the small army who had come to take him, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus ...

1114. The Sign of the Dove

Matthew 3:1-17 · John 1:1-34 · Mark 1:1-8 · Luke 3:1-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... .” Cohen wrote one particular song that sums up the “bittersweet” song of the dove –a cooing both joyful and mournful. It’s called “Dance Me to the End of Love.” Cohen says that he wrote the song ruminating upon the holocaust. In the German camps, classical music was played as Jews were marched to their deaths in gas chambers. Many Jews were forced to sing and dance each day even in the midst of the knowledge of their neighbors’ deaths. It’s easy to dance when things go well in our lives ...

1115. Do you need a Pharisectomy?

Matthew 9:27-34, Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 12:15-21, Matthew 12:22-37, Matthew 12:38-45, Matthew 12:46-50

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... God---what kind of church is that?! A church that values pleasing people IN the church instead of reaching people OUTSIDE the church----what kind of church is that? The news Jesus wants to tell us is….the church does not exist for itself. This is classic Pharisee-ism. The church exists to be the redeeming, healing voice of the Holy Spirit. The voice that unlocks mute voices of those unheard, and the voice that opens eyes that could not see. What does your “house” look like? Is it tidy and untouched ...

1116. Stargazers

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art.” (John Keats) Animation: clip from Pinocchio Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight….. Those are the words of the age-old poem spoken by Pinocchio, wishing upon a star in the Disney classic animated movie. Following his wish, a song was sung by Jiminy Cricket (aka Cliff Edwards) that made it to the top of the music charts. It was the number one selling record in 1940. Can anyone tell me what its name was? . . . . That’s right: “When I ...

1117. Liminal Space

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... Story. Enter into it. Live it. Love it. Cherish it. And remember this: that even if they are not “at home” this Christmas, either physically, mentally, or spiritually, Jesus is most “at home” among the homeless. Here is G. K. Chesterton reminding us of this in his classic Christmas poem: A child in a foul stable, Where the beasts feed and foam; Only where he was homeless Are you and I at home: We have hands that fashion and heads that know, But our hearts we lost—how long ago! In a place no chart ...

1118. Clear to Enter

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18, John 20:19-23, Matthew 28:1-10, Luke 24:1-12, Hebrews 10:1-18, Hebrews 10:19-39, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... all of the divine metaphors from Genesis to Revelation! And in the resurrection story, we see them come together in such a unique way! When I read the story, “The Secret Garden,” which was also made into a movie, I loved the similar metaphors. In the classic English story by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the popular metaphor of the garden is hidden away. When the “key” to the gate is located, and a child and injured cousin enter in, the garden becomes a place of healing, and it ends up healing other ...

1119. The Neverending Feast

1 Kings 17:7-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Bread is an age-old staple. For thousands of years, bread has been the primary nutrient for many cultures and peoples. Made from grains ground into flour, oil, salt, and sometimes yeast, bread could be made easily and quickly and baked over a fire. Numerous scripture stories talk about bread, not only as a cultural food necessity but as a metaphor. Bread means sustenance, survival, life, nourishment, provision, day-to-day living. But it can also mean “the stuff that someone is made of!” As we say in our ...

1120. You Are What You Wear

Luke 24:1-12, Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“You remove my sackcloth and clothe me with joy.” (Psalm 30) “The Lord is clothed with splendor.” (Psalm 104) “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) The fashion industry is one of the largest money makers in the world. From jeans to Cartier pearls, your fashion is your statement. Your dress is your address. Style is a statement about who you are and what you stand for, a form of visual and tangible ...

1121. A Supernatural Leap

Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In the Napa Valley there is a place called “Stag’s Leap.” There, it is said that a supernatural stag leaps across the craggy slopes in the light of the moon. The tale goes back to the time of the Native Americans, but it soon was continued by early pioneers who claim also to have seen the mysterious animal leaping through the night. At one point, it’s said that a team of hunters followed the creature but despite their efforts to shoot it, (and some swear they did!) still the stag continued to leap to and ...

1122. The Tempest

Jonah 4:1-11, Jonah 3:1-10, Jonah 2:1-10, Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... a “dream vision.” A dream vision is when a character encounters a dream or vision that reveals truth not available to the dreamer in his or her waking state. In ancient literature, a dream vision was felt to be of divine origin. Think of the Medieval classic, The Dream of the Rood or Dante’s Inferno, the poem Pearl, or the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich. All of these are examples of “dream visions.” This kind of dream vision is prevalent in the scriptures. Think of the sleep of Adam, in which ...

1123. Look At Your Fixations!

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Carl Jech

The Shadow: Fixation Introduction In one of his classic comedy routines Victor Borge sits down at the piano and says to the audience: "Pardon my back. Pardon my front ... But that's the way I'm built!" Every coin has two sides. Our body has a front and a back. And every body casts a shadow. These facts are ...

1124. The Power of the Unseen

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... us to bits and infuses dread into even the most rigid spine. We fear the unexpected more than anything else perhaps in our world. Speaking of unexpected, a new movie opened this past week, The Invisible Man. A new release by Universal Studios, this remake of the original classic is said to be a first-rate rendition of this chiller. In the movie, a woman fights an abusive ex who she can’t see. She must not only fight her unseen attacker but must convince the world that her threat is real and not just in ...

1125. Daddy's Love

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... make people act in irrational ways. Fear gets a hold on us and even when we know it doesn’t make sense, we can’t shake the apprehension that something bad is going to happen to us. More than half a century ago Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror film Psycho burst on the movie scene with its infamous shower scene. Behind that iconic shower curtain was the late Janet Leigh. Her attacker was played by Anthony Perkins. According to an interview Leigh did with The New York Times before her death, she said ...

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