Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1126 to 1150 of 4946 results

1126. Bonhoeffer of Berlin

Acts 5:17-42

Drama

Michael L. Sherer

"We must obey God, not men ..." Acts 5:27-32 Characters: Lector Announcer Antagonist Protagonist (Participants enter and take their places in the chancel. As they come forward, the congregation sings the hymn "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus." When the hymn is completed, the drama begins.) LECTOR: The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from death, after you had killed him by nailing him to a cross. God raised him to his right side as Leader and Savior, to give the people of Israel the opportunity to repent and ...

1127. The Children of Promise

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

A serial killer is the object of a serious psychological study in the novel The Alienist by Caleb Carr. The alienist in the nineteenth century was an expert in mental pathology. In this story, set in 1896, the alienist is Llazo Kreizler, hired by Theodore Roosevelt, then Commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Mr. Roosevelt was intent upon apprehending the serial killer of the young boys caught in the web of an unsavory lifestyle. As Kreizler tries to develop a characterization of the nature ...

1128. The Christ of the Commonplace

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Familiar story. Two travelers. Friends? Brothers? Husband and wife? We have no idea. Just Cleopas and whomever. Perhaps the reason one remains unidentified is to allow us to insert our own name into the story. Cleopas and David (or Cleopas and Debbie...or Connie or Jim or Jane or Bob or John), out on the road, home to Emmaus. This idea of inserting our own name into the story makes sense. They were just like us. They had the same concerns that have been common in every age - keeping body and soul together ...

1129. Whatever Became of Sin?

Romans 6:23

Sermon

Lowell D. Streiker

On a sunny day in September, 1972, a stern-face, plainly dressed man could be seen standing still on a street corner in the busy Chicago Loop. As pedestrians hurried by on their way to lunch or business, he would solemnly lift his right arm, and pointing to the person nearest him, intone loudly the single word "GUILTY!" Then, without any change of expression, he would resume his stiff stance for a few moments before repeating the gesture. Then, again, the inexorable raising of the arm, the pointing, and ...

1130. What It Takes to Do the Job

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

What is Job #1 in your life? We know what it is for Ford, right? At least they say it's Quality. What is Job #1 in your life? That's not all that bad a question to be asking at the beginning of Lent. Of course we get a lot of answers from our parents, from our teachers, from our politicians, and even from our pastors. Job #1 is being home on time, keeping your room clean, not talking back, doing your homework, getting an A, paying your bills, being successful, supporting the party, staying off drugs, ...

1131. The Highest Bidder

Ephesians 3:14-21

Sermon

Harold Warlick

According to those whose job it is to know such things, it only takes three weeks to become blind to the presence of stationary objects in our everyday worlds. Hang a new picture on the wall, and one is likely to notice it for about 21 days. After that it has become part of the scenery. It simply doesn't leap into the foreground any more. That's why it can be so hard to accomplish the simplest chores of housework before the arrival of guests. We've stopped noticing the screwdriver that's been sitting on ...

1132. In the Lions' Den (Dealing with Stress)

Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I don’t know when it began, but the symbol has been a pervasive one for a long time “The Lions’ Den”. It is a symbol for the conflicts in life. “They threw him to the lions,” we say of those who cruelly thrust an innocent, unsuspecting person into the most difficult of all situations. “The Lions’ Den” is the place where our testing comes, where we struggle to keep our integrity; where we wage the fiery battle with ourselves as well as with others and/or forces outside ourselves. It may be the arena where ...

1133. Love the Lord Your God

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

One Lord, One Love, One Loyalty: 6:1–6:3 This section starting back in 5:32 links the earlier recollection of the past events at Horeb and the actual exhortation and teaching of the law to the present generation that is launched at 6:4. Since it has now been established that Moses is God’s authorized spokesman, then the people’s obedience to what he tells them is effectively obedience to God, and any deviation to the right or to the left will be a rejection of the way of the Lord. In Hebrew, chapter 6 ...

1134. Jesus’s Ministry and Popularity Continue to Grow

Mark 1:40-45, Mark 1:35-39, Mark 1:29-34

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: Jesus’s ministry of power and authority is universal. He helps every person who comes, and his popularity with the crowds grows in phenomenal ways. However, his desire is not for the plaudits of the people but to proclaim the kingdom truths to everyone. Understanding the Text Mark 1:21–38 describes one twenty-four-hour period (from Sabbath morn to Sunday morn). All of this material (including through 1:45) traces Jesus’s ministry to the crowds, who are filled with wonder at each new illustration ...

1135. Can It Be Sin to Be Shy?

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a wonderful story from long ago about a man in Maine named Ike who was exceedingly shy. Ike fell in love with a beautiful young maiden named Anna. Anna seemed to Ike to be too wonderful for him to ever ask her to be his wife. So, he went on loving her in silence for ten years. He remained single, as did she. During this time, he built a fine house, with a barn and outbuildings, and a beautiful rock garden. Still, though he was very much in love with her, he hadn’t yet dared to propose. Finally, ...

1136. Faces of Failure: Peter

Matthew 26 (selections)

Sermon

Don Tuttle

On the counter above our kitchen sink, my wife keeps a little flip calendar. It’s called, “If You Want Breakfast in Bed, Sleep in the Kitchen,” and each day it offers a bit of pithy wisdom. Things like—“We all get heavier as we get older because there’s more information in our head,” or “Confidence is the feeling you have before you really understand the situation.” One saying this week seemed appropriate for our current series on the Faces of Failure. “It may be your purpose in life,” it read, “to simply ...

1137. Could the Pharisees Have Been Irish?

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Sermon

King Duncan

Our Roman Catholic friends celebrate a feast day known as Corpus Christi (the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ). In some countries such as Ireland which is heavily Catholic, this is an important celebration. In many rural communities there is a Corpus Christi procession through the streets of the parish. Altar boys go ahead of the procession ringing bells to alert the faithful that the procession is coming near. People come out of their houses, kneel, and cross themselves as the Holy Eucharist passes ...

1138. What We Learn from Love

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

King Duncan

Do you ever have trouble falling asleep? Drew Ackerman is the host of the podcast Sleep With Me, and his goal is to tell stories that help people fall asleep. He refers to his show as “the podcast the sheep listen to when they get tired of counting themselves.” According to Ackerman, the key to the perfect bedtime story is to make it slow and boring. Ackerman, who is from New York, slows his speaking tempo and speaks in a really low voice. His plots are hard to follow, and he goes on long tangents where he ...

1139. Dinner Guests

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

David E. Leininger

The lectionary uses verse 1 of Luke chapter 14 to set the scene: "When Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched" (Luke 14:1). Jesus and dinner is an important tableaux in Luke's gospel — some rainy afternoon, take some time and read through Luke and see how often you find scenes just like this one. Now, notice four important details in this one little verse. First, Jesus is a guest at a dinner party. In the ancient Middle East, the importance of the table was ...

1140. On Taking Candy from a Stranger

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

King Duncan

A man tells the story of leaving a grocery store when he was approached by two small boys selling candy bars for their school band. The man told the boys, “I’ll buy a chocolate bar from you on one condition. You eat it for me.” The boys agreed. The man bought the chocolate bar and promptly handed it back to one little boy so that he could eat it. The boy shook his head and said, “I can’t.” “Why not?” the man asked. The boy looked at him gravely in the eye and said, “I’m not supposed to take candy from ...

1141. In Times Of Need

1 Kings 17:7-24

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

She was worn and thin, a lonely woman solemnly gathering sticks in a lonely place. The yellow sun scorched the brown earth. It was a dry and desolate place. She had no fortune. She had no prospects for the future. As a widow she had no means of income save the occasional dole of the monarchy and her religious community. After gathering the sticks, she would then go home, kindle a small fire and cook a last jar of cornmeal and oil for her son and herself. She knew that she would soon die. Food had run out. ...

1142. Proper 18

Psalm 139:1-24, Philemon 1:8-25, Philemon 1:1-7, Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, Luke 14:25-35

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Price Of Discipleship In the mid-1960s President Lyndon Johnson introduced a so-called war on poverty. At about the same time he got involved in escalating the American participation in the Vietnam war. It soon began to cost about two billion dollars per month. He was unwilling to raise taxes. The attempt to wage the wars on two fronts, domestic and international, soon affected the economy adversely. Through the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations the effects of deficits sent inflation rates up ...

1143. Dad, Does God Play Football?

Drama

Karren Boehr

Theme: When Life's Priorities Need Changing Victory in one's Christian life often comes down to priorities, priorities that the world parades before God's people as everyday fare. However, sometimes "everyday fare" can rob us of the very life of Christ. Setting: An ordinary family living room Characters:FATHER: Energetic, an obvious football fanaticSON: Twelve to fourteen years old, warm, open, serious thinker Costumes: Modern casual at home dress; Son has on a football cap Props: Two chairs, or a chair ...

1144. Proper 9

Galatians 6:1-10, 2 Kings 5:1-27, Luke 10:1-24

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Kings 5:1-14 General Naaman of Syria is healed of leprosy by obeying Elisha's order to bathe in the Jordan. The confession of faith by an unknown Jewish slave girl in the home of Syria's chief of staff results in the cure of leprosy for her master, Naaman. On the basis of the confession Naaman goes to Israel. When Elisha the prophet orders him to wash in the Jordan seven times, he goes off in a rage feeling insulted. But his aides convince him to stay. Naaman then dips himself ...

1145. How To Plant An English Garden

Mark 4:26-29, Mark 4:30-34

Sermon

William G. Carter

A service club gathers for lunch each week in a nearby hotel. After lunch and a little business, someone from the group usually introduces a speaker. Club members rarely know in advance what the program will be. They may hear from a Mexican exchange student, a tax attorney, or a team of skydivers. They discover the topic when they arrive. Anticipation was high when one speaker arrived with a carousel of slides. Much to the chagrin of many, he was introduced as a landscaper with an interest in English ...

1146. On Sacrificing Others - Dramatic Monologue

Genesis 22:1-19

Drama

Jerry Eckert

Comment: To get an unusual angle on their story, storytellers sometimes take on the persona of someone in or close to the event they are describing. The following look at the story of Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac comes from a neighbor who lived in that region, a practitioner of religion and life as it was understood by the indigenous inhabitants. Dramatically, the pastor can read it out loud as if he were writing it, as I did. Or he can introduce it and let someone from the congregation read it. ...

1147. What's a Good God Doing In a World Like This?

John 16:5-16

Sermon

James Weekley

But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. "I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth ...

1148. Even God Called Time Out

Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon

James Weekley

One sabbath he was going through the grain-fields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it ...

1149. Rocky

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

William J. Carl

It is said that Winston Churchill never liked talking to subordinates. He always wanted to go to the top because he figured that was the only way he could get any action. So, as the story goes, when Churchill went to heaven, he met St. Peter at the gate and said, “Who are you?” When Peter said, “I’m St. Peter,” Churchill said, “To hell with you, get God!” How did poor Peter get this job in the first place? It all started with the story recounted in this text when Jesus renamed him “Rocky” and gave him the ...

1150. Is God With You, Or Not?

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

A mortician tells of an incident on the way to a funeral one day. He pulled up to a curb, the rear wheel of his car dropped off the edge of the road and fell into a drain, and the car was stuck. Since he was already late for the funeral he rushed over to the trunk of the car, got out the jack, and started to raise the wheel of the car out of the drain. The motion of the jack caused the trunk lid to fall down and hit him squarely on the head. It was getting really late now, so he decided he'd better call ...

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