Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1126 to 1150 of 4999 results

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... selected a tiny peekapoo puppy. When they got home Dr. Hinson agreed to build a dog house for the new pet to live in. "The only kind of dog I knew very much about was a really big bird dog," he recalls, "so when I built the dog house, I built a very ... dining hall. They passed through the cafeteria line as tantrums and fights erupted around them. Fortunately none of her boys exhibited any kind of behavioral outburst. They made their way to a table in the center of the busy cafeteria and the boys took their ...

1127. Getting Your Attention

John 2:12-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... by swindling the people who could least afford it. It seems the more money they made the greedier they became charging higher rates of exchange. Jesus was upset by what he saw. We are not accustomed to Jesus being angry. We like to think that Jesus was always kind and loving to everyone he encountered, and at the very least, in control. We would like to think that Jesus never said a harsh word to anyone. Jesus was so angry that he felt he had to do something to get the Temple officials' attention. THERE ARE ...

1128. The Unexpected Jesus

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... man about his faith in Jesus Christ. He told the man that God still loved him. And the two men talked for the next thirty minutes. The next Sunday this man went to church and committed his life to Jesus Christ. (4) Somehow I can see Jesus doing that kind of ministry if he were with us here physically today. Oh, not just in night clubs. But in offices and in living rooms and at Little League ball games ” any place he could be with and get to know people. Jesus cares about people. That means he cares about ...

1129. Catching The Thanksgiving Spirit

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... Mort and said, "Son, through you I have fulfilled all of the dreams I had as a young man when I came to America." (3) That's the kind of debt many of us owe this day. It is a debt that is owed to men and women whose names we don't even know ” but they ... a dozen of the cedars of Lebanon left. An iron fence has been built around them to preserve them from tourists, in a kind of museum. Four hundred years later, Plato warned the Greek people to stop cutting the trees. They went on cutting and cutting to ...

1130. What It Takes

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... in the sense that you can take them home with you. When you give the little girls a few coins, you are entitled to set one of the birds free and thereby add to your achievement of merit. You keep the amulet as evidence of your act ” a kind of ecclesiastical receipt for a righteous act. After breakfast, he visited the temple with a native friend he had made. They walked around to the back. On a wooden table was the rest of the story ” a pan of water, and several uninhabited bamboo cages with bread crumbs ...

1131. The Appearance of Love

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... . We are not born loving. Babies are lovable, to be sure. But they are not necessarily loving. We come into this world grasping. Our chief concern is our own needs. We cry and someone meets our needs, and we are contented. Unfortunately, some people never get beyond that kind of approach to life. But most of us learn somewhere a long the way to share. We learn to quit grasping and to start giving. We learn to return love as well as to receive it. We learn to love because someone important in our life models ...

1132. Searching For Saints

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... they bear. Dr. Henry Poppen, who spent over forty years as a missionary to China, once told Dr. Robert Schuller of his experience of going to a remote village, where presumably missionaries had never been. There he told the people about Jesus, how he was gentle and kind, and that he was able to forgive easily and loved even those who were unlovable. When Dr. Poppen finished telling them about Jesus, some of the men came to him and said, "We know Jesus! He has been here." "No," said Dr. Poppen. "He lived and ...

1133. Have You Seen God's Heart?

Revelation 1:4-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... died. Does that mean, then, that heaven is full? Does that mean that those who are still alive are wasting their time? The doctrine that only 144,000 will be saved has been quietly shelved. Today is the celebration of Christ the King. But what kind of King is Christ? And over what kind of Kingdom will he reign? LET'S AFFIRM, FIRST OF ALL, OUR BELIEF THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF ALL CREATION. We do not believe that Jesus is in a league with Moses and Mohammad and Buddha. We believe that Jesus is in a league ...

1134. What It Means To Be A Family

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... . When the San Phi family left, Bill set his sights on the next Vietnamese family to stay with him. Surely his constant, unreasonable demands and humiliating treatment would make them suffer. But this family, too, worked diligently and cheerfully, repaying Bill's hatred with kindness. Soon, they had to move on, too, and then Bill took in the Chau family. One evening, Mr. Chau mentioned to Bill that the other refugee families had told them about him. Bill was sure they had said horrible things, but Mr. Chau ...

1135. On Eating Peas With A Knife

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... to fall any farther than that. Could you accept her? Forgive her? This is when the Christian faith gets difficult, isn't it? Sometimes it is easier for many of us to relate to Simon the Pharisee than to Jesus the Christ. The only way we can have that kind of accepting heart is to ponder our own acceptance. You and I have fallen short of the glory of God, too, but we have received grace upon grace. As Paul Tillich put it so eloquently: "Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness . . . It ...

1136. Entitlements

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... sumptuously. For a while. Meanwhile, at his gate lay a beggar. The beggar gave the rich man many opportunities to sow a different kind of seed to develop another part of his life the spiritual side the caring, humane, loving side. But the rich man never did ... reaping. That's what grace is all about. Even more damning is the good seed we neglect to sow seeds of compassion, seeds of kindness, seeds of love, seeds that will live on after we are gone seeds that may accompany us when we leave this world. At any ...

1137. What Fragrance Are You Leaving?

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... essential. The hungry are to be fed. The sick are to be cared for. And no one has been responsible for meeting humanity's physical needs more than the church of Jesus Christ. No one has built more hospitals, cared for more orphans, ministered to needs of every kind. But Jesus recognized what we all know deep in our hearts: Humanity's greatest needs are not physical. Feeding a person's soul will often do more for him than feeding his stomach--though he is not apt to hear our message if we neglect his stomach ...

1138. Fishing Stories

John 21:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... of life. Now's the time to decide: will they return to fishing, or will they commit to being "fishers of men?" Management consultant Peter Drucker says there are four kinds of risks. One kind of risk is the risk you simply MUST TAKE. You have no other option. A second kind of risk is one you CAN AFFORD TO TAKE. You calculated the cost, and it's worth it. A third kind of risk is a risk you CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE. The results would be too disastrous. And fourth is a risk you CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO TAKE. It is a ...

1139. Whatever It Takes

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... not having the law I became like one not having the law . . . so as to win those not having the law." St. Paul was willing to do whatever it took to win people to Christ and Christ's church. A motivational speaker once said there are two kinds of people in this world: those who say “whatever" and those who say, “whatever it takes." And he's right! Some people live their lives with the motto of a petulant teenager on their lips, “Whatever." Have you ever asked a young person to do something that you ...

1140. The Tenth Man

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... it! You are so thoughtful for doing this! Thank you!" Because Mrs. Smith liked the pie so much, Carol decided the next week to bake her another one. When she took it over, Mrs. Smith opened the door and said, "Thank you so much. You are so kind!" When she took another pie over the following week, Mrs. Smith simply replied, "Thanks." Carol took another pie over the next week and Mrs. Smith responded, "You are a day late with that pie." The following week she baked her another pie. This time her neighbor said ...

1141. The Bold And Beautiful

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

... shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." Do these groups of people make you think of strength? Get real! "Poor in spirit . . . mourning . . . meek . . . merciful . . . pure in heart." The worldly person would say, "Give me a break." What kind of person is Christ seeking--wimps for Jesus? Then we turn to Paul's words in I Corinthians, the first chapter. They are just as discouraging to those who believe that life is about power and accomplishment. Paul writes: "But God hath chosen the ...

1142. Beginning Again

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... because it leaves us chained to the past. Regret provides the ammunition for the twin demons of shame and guilt. It erodes our self-esteem. It is the little voice that whispers in our ear, "Remember your failures, remember your foolish decisions. Remember the kind of person you were." The apostle Paul, of all people, understood the corrosive power of regret. As a devoted Pharisee, Paul--then called Saul--had been a chief persecutor of the early Christian believers. In the book of Acts, chapter 7, we read of ...

1143. Don't Be Ashamed . . .

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

King Duncan

... right there and say their morning prayers together. The men meekly complied. Every last one of the gang kneeled down in this nun's office and said his morning prayers. They left without giving her any trouble. (1) Wouldn't you like to have that kind of presence, that kind of authority? It's very difficult for us to change our basic personalities. But the truth is, that the more Christ is alive in your life, the more he can give you the courage and the confidence that you need to do astounding things. St ...

1144. A Life Without Apology

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

King Duncan

... opening himself up to the ridicule of his community. But he can't back down. And the reason he can't or won't back down is because of a particular sermon that changed his life. Many years ago, Mr. Hall's pastor preached on three different kinds of believers: "if," "because," and "regardless." An "if" believer follows God if he receives blessings and rewards in return. He waits to see what God will do first, then decides whether or not to respond in obedience. Jacob is a good example of an "if" believer. A ...

1145. Something To Brag About

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... one who gave his life for us. You and I have all the benefits that go with being citizens of this free and prosperous land. What kind of people would we be if we did nothing to help make this an even stronger and freer country? It's always amazing to me that ... an old grouch. You can be sleazy. You can be totally irresponsible. Do you hear what I'm saying? Christ has set you free. But what kind of person would you be if you didn't feel a sense of obligation, a sense of call, a sense that you should live life on ...

1146. Who Should I Invite To My Party?

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... party that you hoped made a good impression? There are many of the teachings of Jesus that we give lip service to, but if we were to follow them, we would be regarded as eccentric and a bit radical. Today's lesson is a good example. At first it's kind of amusing. Jesus was eating at the house of a prominent Pharisee. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable: "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone ...

1147. Marks Of A Champion

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... of the other qualities are in vain. Love is more than a feeling. There is no word more overused in the English language than the word love. People love their children, they love their pets, they love their cars, they love their soft drink. But that's not the kind of love St. Paul is talking about. Love is more than a feeling, a mushiness inside. Love is a commitment to do good for another. When the Gospel of John says, "God so loved the world . . ." it means God was committed to do something that would save ...

1148. The Eleventh Commandment

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... of God. In an unloving world, there are yet people who really do care about others. Where did such love originate? It came from the very heart of God Himself. We witness to the world that Christ lives in our heart every time we perform any act of kindness to another. "BY THIS," said Jesus, "shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another." So, how about you? Like Alexander Dumas have you missed the point of it all? The primary requirement that Christ asks out of us is that we love ...

1149. When The World Goes Crazy!

Genesis 6:1-8:22

Sermon

King Duncan

... image had rejected God's ways. They wanted what they wanted, and they wanted it now. Some say that we live in that kind of world today--a world in which each person pursues happiness without regard for the welfare of society as a whole. Some ... God said, after I destroy everyone on earth, I am going to make a covenant with you. You and your family are to bring two of every kind of animal on the ark. Also, store enough food for you and the animals. One of these days, when the rains come, you'll understand what ...

1150. "God News" For Bad Times

1 Kings 17:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

... of the Lord have never been very popular. A soldier was trying to get a check cashed in the small town near the base to which he had been assigned. "I'm sorry," said the merchant who was waiting on him, "but I can't cash your check without some kind of identification. Haven't you got any friends at the base who could vouch for you?" "Not me," the soldier answered. "I'm the camp's bugler." I can understand that. We wouldn't look too favorably on one who rousts us out of bed at an ungodly hour each ...

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