Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1151 to 1175 of 2404 results

1151. Grace in the Midst of Hopelessness

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

... for concern. But Paul counters in verse 24, "Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Reinhold Niebuhr wrote, "Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime, therefore we must be saved by hope." The Lord of the cosmos is working out a plan that is bigger than our abilities and infinitely longer than our spans of life. Therefore our trust is not in what we may or may not appear to accomplish in ...

1152. Grace in the Midst of Suffering

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

... like Romans 5 and Hebrews 12 and James 1 we receive the assurance that the pain of those who walk with God is absolutely meaningful. It is not random. It is not unknown to God. It is accomplishing something. Paul boldly states that our troubles are "achieving" for us an experience of future grace that will one day make them infinitely worth enduring. Before us is the promise of a transformed body: "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not ...

1153. Gifted People

Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... person of character who ever lived. Perhaps Sumner was correct. In his old age, Lafayette said that he never would have drawn the sword for America had he known that it was to found a government that sanctioned human slavery. To be certain, those who often achieve unity of spirit and purpose fail to mature enough to grant it to others. Misuse of gifts often tears apart the very institution those gifts founded. The call for unity in the body of Christ is no small matter. The whole body needs more than a ...

1154. Humility

John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... car and said, “Now she’s ready for living--in this life and the next.” (2) Great people are invariably humble people. This does not mean that they do not have an ego. They do. If they did not believe in themselves, they could not achieve extraordinary things. But, because they believe in themselves does not mean they devalue others. In other words, just because their names are in lights, truly great people do not see themselves as more worthy than other people. They understand that, in spite of their ...

1155. Yes! (Easter Sunday)

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... an act of nature, not an act of God. When people who have the love of Jesus in their hearts open their homes to hurricane victims, then that is an act of God. Easter is the ultimate act of God. God raised Jesus from the dead. No human being can achieve immortality on their own. Many people have tried. But it cannot be done. It’s like a story that Earl Nightingale used to tell about a man who was observed running toward a large river. As he reached the dock he increased his speed and when he came to the ...

1156. Morning Has Broken

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Curtis Lewis

... the light from the darkness, defining the light as Day and darkness as Night. God's evaluation is not one of finality but of an ongoing process within which it is possible to improve. "Good" here does not mean perfect but that what has happened has achieved his divine intentions. The use of "good" also implies that God remains involved with his creation. The Creator sees what he has created and is affected by what is he sees. God's use of the word "good" to evaluate what he has done begs the question ...

1157. Going Down to Look Up

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Curtis Lewis

... that Israel's defeat is in accordance with the will of God. This defeat at the hands of the Arameans would result in the conversion, for God's glory, of a Gentile military genius, Naaman. In spite of defeat and tragedy, good can still be achieved. Naaman, the Aram general, was a great warrior who was brave and strong. Josephus believed he was the nameless archer who shot the arrow that resulted in the death of King Ahab (Antiquities 15:5). As great as Naaman was portrayed to be, there was something ...

1158. Follow the Signs to God and Eternal Life

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... today is an absolutely necessary sign that there is a different approach possible for humankind than that which is generally promoted by secular society. The church is a sign of a different set of values and virtues. Society today says go for the gusto, achieve much, accumulate as much power, wealth, and prestige as possible. A television commercial of a few years back stated it this way, "Who says you can't have it all?" The church must be a counter sign to this prevailing attitude. The contemporary world ...

1159. Look Inside and Discover Life

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... again from the parable of The Prodigal Son. We can remember here, however, that reconciliation requires not even one word from the son, only his good intent, a condition made possible by his earlier interior journey. God is waiting, but we must respond. Once we have achieved reconciliation then the task of getting our spiritual house in order can proceed forward. We need now to do our best to accept who we are and the lot and status of life we have been given. Often we hear people complain about what is not ...

1160. Teammates in the Cause of the Lord

Acts 4:32-37

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... our way? Do we, as individual Christians, as a church community, as a state or nation, owe anything to those who through no fault of their own or lack of initiative, but mostly through unfortunate circumstance, have not been productive, made the grade, or achieved what others expected of them? Teamwork does not happen overnight; it will take time, but we must begin today. Excuses will always be present, but we cannot allow these to cloud our vision. Our mission and cause, the work of Jesus Christ, is far ...

1161. An Affirming Presence

Ephesians 3:14-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , I was economically, educationally, and socially, deprived. The passion of my life was to overcome the limitations of that deprivation. I became a driven person, an almost hopeless workaholic. I haven’t overcome that yet, a tough task master of myself, wanting to perform, to achieve, to gain status. I drove myself mercilessly, all to prove that I was worthy to others and worthy to God. Along the way, I did learn a very hard lesson - that to love and accept on the basis of worthiness is not worth being ...

1162. Adoration And Confession

Psalm 103:1-22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... fear, dependency upon alcohol and drugs, jealousy, exaggerated ego that puffs self up and puts others down. And perhaps the most common of all sins - that peculiar American notion that we can and must do it by ourselves. That we can be self-sufficient, and we must achieve at any price. “Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me”. Confession is necessary because our sin separates us from God. But hear the good news, hear the good news. If ...

1163. A Star, A Stable, and A Song

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... place to look for the Prince of Peace – in a cattle stall. It’s often so though, isn’t it? Life’s highest comes from unexpected places. When the circumstances of life seem most unfavorable, we witness the loveliest flowers of human and divine achievement. History verifies it over and over again. Hans Christian Andersen was the son of cobbler. His parents were so poor, they had to make their own furniture. Yet out of those circumstances came the most beautiful fairy tales the world has ever known ...

1164. Servants Of The Servant Who Was Lord

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... graphic reflection of it is the advent of assertiveness training. This has been formalized in books, seminars, and workshops. For many people, winning is everything, even if you win by intimidation. In fact there is a book by that title, Winning by Intimidation. Success is measured by achievement and position. The question seems to be, “Can I get what I want out of life and how soon?” The goal is to look out for #1. And, in fact, there’s a book by that title, Looking out for No. 1. Now this is no new ...

1165. The Family: A Place For Persons

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... unique creatures, and the family can be the place where there is a continuing delight in each other’s growth and development. Awareness of each other as persons, where we can all treat each other as subjects, not objects; suffer together, cry together, achieve together, laugh together, win together, fail together. A while ago a Roman Catholic book of Lenten prayers included a breezy introduction by Erma Bombeck, anything she writes is breezy. She’s one of my favorite writers. She admits that it’s not ...

1166. The Secret: Christ In You

Colossians 1:24--2:5

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... do...there in the Big Top, a man is hanging by his teeth, twisting, spinning, spotlights playing over him, the drums beginning to roll. He's going to fall and nothing can be done -- no net -- but in the moments remaining he may yet achieve something remarkable, some glittering stunt, a movement, perhaps of breath taking beauty...any turning away to watch the dancing bears is a betrayal of the dangling man...hold fast, stay with him." Now Wheelis' advice can be adapted to the Christian faith, and especially ...

1167. The Cross: God's Answer To Our Deepest Needs

Colossians 2:8-15

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to the cross. But not only so – he says, "He disarmed the principalities and powers," triumphing over them. Now we know, we don't have to be puppets or the victims of Satan or any evil spirits working within us or in the world. Nor do we have to achieve our own salvation, or be intimidated by those who seek to impose religious or other rules and regulations. We have been forgiven, set free -- and, if we will appropriate it, we have the power to live as victors over sin. So, Paul says that's our first need ...

1168. A Confidence for All Seasons

Psalm 27:1-14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... precisely those things which, at the time, seemed hostile, hard to take, but which by their very challenge saved us. "Dr. Marie Ray, ( a psychiatrist of some note some thirty years ago), after making a wide study of the relation between handicaps and achievements, and going down the list of notable men and women, came up with this conclusion, that most of the shining lights of history were made so by their struggles with either some disability or some responsibility that seemed too great for their powers ...

1169. A Sovereign God With A Shepherd's Heart

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... this word: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel." The Lord shaves with a borrowed razor – He uses what he will, and He acts how he will to achieve his purpose. When Augustus sent out that decree, that all the world should be taxed, and that a census should be taken, neither he nor his vassal Herod would have even imagined that what they were doing would strengthen the credentials of a Messianic claimant to ...

1170. The House Of Our Dreams

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to preach from the Bible will have a road that leads to Jesus. Be sure you find that road and follow it." Good advice for preaching -- but excellent advice for living. It doesn't matter where we live, who we are, our professions, our level of learning, our achievement -- our house -- no matter what house it is -- can be the house of our dreams -- because of Christmas. And it doesn't matter where we go, looking for that house of our dreams -- we find that house only as we find Jesus. To an open house in the ...

1171. The Rest Of The Story

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... that she was paralyzed. The old man, still supporting her, with great patience, encouraged her to kneel, arranging her hands so that she could cling to the altar rail. When he had succeeded in getting her into position, he smiled at her, as though congratulating her on her achievement. Then he knelt beside her. For a few minutes, they remained there in prayer. Then he took a candle, lit it, and gave it to the child. She held it for a moment, then placed it on the altar. The old man picked her up again and ...

1172. Look Carefully How You Walk

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... Thee, O God." (42:1) The King James version translates it "as the hart panteth for the water brook ..." (42:1) Now we may not know it. We may think we're driven by something other than a thirst for God -- the need for success, for achievement, or sex, or recognition, or money. We may not even think that we're particularly religious -- not in comparison with those around us who weem to really be preoccupied with the faith. We may think that we are always concerning ourselves with mundane things and not even ...

1173. I Am Christ's

2 Corinthians 5:17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... ,413th -- that's last. It took four days, two hours, 48 minutes and 17 seconds. The next year he improved that by 17 hours. Listen to his testimony: "Through faith in God, dedication, and determination, there is nothing within the will of God a person can't achieve." What a challenge! What a truth! In Christ, we are related to a new source of strength. So persons like Bob Wieland can make his testimony. And Paul can say, hopefully for all of us, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." There ...

1174. The Ministry Of Making Many Rich

1 Timothy 6:11-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... like a regular fella! I wonder where he went wrong!” Where did Mr. Wilson go wrong? Where do we go wrong? When did we lose that child-like trust and turn into cynics? When did we lose that acceptance of life as grace and turn into dog-eat- dog achievers? When did we cease seeing life as a gift and decide we had to take it by storm? When did we cease believing that word of Jesus, “Unless you become as little children, you will not enter the Kingdom.” That’s the issue Paul was addressing in his word ...

1175. Walk In Newness Of Life

Romans 6:1-14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... Christian. So the noun-adjective distinction with that word makes me very uncomfortable. I hope it does you. J. A. Davidson, who inspired this line of thought, says, "We are misled when we think of being a Christian and being Christian as matters of achievement." St. Augustine, one of the most influential thinkers in Christian history, said that "God deals with us, not as we are, but as we are becoming." Martin Luther reflected this insight when many years later he wrote, "The Christian is not in a state ...

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