Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1151 to 1175 of 4936 results

1151. Winners And Losers

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Back in 1994, 128 runners lined up to compete in the NCAA cross-country championships in Riverside, California. Unfortunately, one of the turns on the 10,000-meter course was not well marked; only five of the 128 runners stayed on the correct path. Mike Delcavo was the first runner to notice the problem. He began waving at the other runners to follow him, but most refused. Can you blame them? One-hundred-and-twenty-three runners took the wrong path, only five took the right one. What did the 123 think of ...

1152. How Do You Explain the Resurrection?

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

I find it fascinating that nowhere in the New Testament do the disciples try to explain the resurrection. They did not need to. The resurrection explained them! The entire New Testament itself plus all of the subsequent history of the Church over the past two thousand years is but a commentary on Jesus’ words, “I am the resurrection and the life!” (John 11:25) Let’s take a look at how these words first came to be spoken. In John 11 we have the touching story of the miraculous raising of Jesus’ friend ...

1153. God's Hello People

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Listen to this passage from an autobiography: "It was on a Thursday, the day before payday in the black community. The teacher was asking each student how much his father would give to the Community Chest. On Friday night, each kid would get the money from his father, and on Monday, he would bring it to school. I decided I was going to buy me a Daddy right then. I had money in my pocket from shining shoes and selling papers, and whatever Helene Tucker pledged for her Daddy I was going to top it. And I'd ...

1154. Food That Is Needful

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Listen to a letter I received from a friend of mine in Laurel, Mississippi, a few months ago. "A few years ago when Lessie and I moved back to Laurel I took on the job of trying to sell a farm that was left to Lessie and her two sisters and one brother. After a period of a year or so of being unsuccessful at the task, I decided to buy the other shares and keep the farm in the family for future years. The farm was overgrown because of many years of neglect. One of the beauty spots of the farm that I always ...

1155. Seeing the End from the Beginning

Numbers 13:1-2, 17-33

Sermon

James Merritt

Disney World. It is the most popular tourist attraction on the planet. The four theme parks, The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM, and Animal Kingdom individually rank among the top ten theme parks in all of the world. In 1998, forty-two million people went through the turnstiles at Disney World alone. It sits on forty-three square miles of some of the most prime property in the entire state of Florida. It is twice the size of Manhattan Island. Originally, it took seven years to plan, and four and one-half ...

1156. Learning to Love Ourselves

Matthew 22:34-40

Sermon

James McCormick

She was a beautiful Scandinavian girl. She had come to the hotel room of Dr. and Mrs. Walter Trobisch for counseling, just one day after they had given a lecture at one of the universities of northern Europe. As they talked about her problems, one basic issue kept coming up – one that seemed to be at the root at all her problems. She could not love herself! In fact, she hated herself so much that she was only a step away from ending her own life. She had been raised in a very religious home. Her parents ...

1157. An Unnerving Experience

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman from a military family tells a humorous story. Her father was stationed at the naval base in New London, Connecticut. Then he received orders that he was to be transferred to Hawaii. The family excitedly prepared for the move. Since dogs and cats have to be quarantined for 120 days upon their arrival in the Hawaiian Islands, they sent their family cat ahead of them. Then the father’s orders were canceled. The family didn’t realize their circumstances were of particular interest to anyone else until ...

1158. Honor Graduate

Exodus 20:12

Sermon

James Merritt

To be an honor graduate is considered quite an accomplishment. These honors, as you know, are in Latin and they are used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree is earned. There are typically three types of Latin honors in order of increasing level of honor. They are: Cum Laude (with honor), Magna Cum Laude (with great honor) and Summa Cum Laude (with highest honor). One of my goals when I went to college was to be an honor graduate. I didn't want to get an ordinary ...

1159. A Day of Singing

Zephaniah 3:14-20, Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Today we want to celebrate the gift of music. After all, what would Christmas be without music? Didn’t angels sing the night Christ was born? (Luke 2) Well, it doesn’t actually say they were singing. It says they were saying, “Glory to God in the highest . . .” but that sure sounds like singing to me. Music is such a wonderful gift. A few years ago a group of junior high school students was given a test of musical terms. Here were some of their answers: Music sung by two people at the same time is called a ...

1160. Paul's Charge to Timothy

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Another Appeal to Loyalty and Endurance With this paragraph, which focuses on its single imperative in verse 14 (continue in what you have learned), Paul renews the appeal with which the letter began. (Note how many themes from 1:3–2:13 are touched on: Timothy’s long relationship to Paul [vv. 10–11, 14; cf. 1:4, 6, 13]; Paul himself as the model of loyalty [vv. 10–11; cf. 1:8, 11–12, 13; 2:9–10]; the call to suffering [vv. 11–12; cf. 1:8, 16; 2:3–6, 11–12]; the appeal itself [v. 14; cf. 1:6, 13–14]; the ...

1161. Séance in Endor: Bad News from Beyond the Grave

1 Samuel 28:1-25

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: Those rejected by God forfeit his guidance and must face the inevitability of judgment. Understanding the Text The narrator briefly suspends the story of David’s escapades while based in Philistine territory and turns his attention back to Saul. In chapters 29–30 he resumes David’s story before again focusing on Saul in chapter 31. The switch back and forth between the two principal characters reflects their geographic separation, yet also foreshadows their contrasting destinies. David and Saul ...

1162. Ingrafted Branches

Romans 11:11-24

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

A skeletal outline of the history of salvation can be found in the call to Abraham in Genesis 12:1–3. It ends with the promise that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” The fulfillment of that promise lay conspicuously fallow throughout the OT. Only in Jonah and Second Isaiah is the blessing to the Gentiles again taken up. In Isaiah 49:1–6 the servant is told, “it is too small a thing for you to … restore the tribes of Jacob.… I will make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my ...

1163. Elvis and the King

John 18:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

The Rev. Susan Sparks, senior pastor of Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City has published a wonderful sermon online contrasting two kings, Elvis Presley, the king of Rock ’n Roll and Jesus, the King of all creation. You may remember comedian Adam Sadler’s comparison of the two men: Jesus said: “Love thy neighbor.” . . . Elvis said: “Don’t be cruel.” Jesus is part of the Trinity; Elvis’ first band was a trio. Jesus is the Lord’s shepherd; Elvis dated Cybil Sheppard, etc . . . You will find many ...

1164. Beautiful

John 20:19-23, Song of Songs 4:1-16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: A Garden Tapestry if you can Have you ever seen someone on the street walk by with a really grumpy face? It kind of catches you off-guard, doesn’t it? And you kind of walk around them, giving them some space, treading on tiptoes, right? But what happens when you walk by someone on the street, or in your apartment building, or in a store, and that person looks at you and smiles? You smile back, right? If they say, “Good morning!” and smile at you, you say “Good morning” back…and smile. And your day ...

1165. Family Reunion

Genesis 29:15-28

Sermon

Will Willimon

"I wish I had no history to report. I've pretended for so long, that my childhood did not happen. I had to keep it tight, up near the chest. I could not let it out. I followed the redoubtable example or my mother. It's an act or will to have a memory or not, I chose not to have one. Because I needed to love my mother and father in all their flawed, outrageous humanity, I could not afford to address them directly about the felonies committed against all of us. I could not hold them accountable or indict ...

1166. Mind Your Manners

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

Will Willimon

"For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:1, 7-14 If you are new here you have been subjected to what is called Freshman Orientation. That's when PISCES, ASDU, DCM, CAPS, and every other campus acronym tries to orient you to life at Duke, tries to put you in your place, so to speak. If you are a Freshman, you have already been subjected to long hours of sitting in auditoriums, listening to speeches, and standing in lines at receptions. I also ...

1167. You Can Be Like Children

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Michael B. Brown

A friend who is a surgeon stopped by a clothing store in a local mall. He had just returned from a hunting trip and was still attired in cap, plaid jacket and muddy boots. Looking through the showroom for a Christmas gift for this wife, he noticed that each available clerk was obviously ignoring him. None asked if they could help. None even acknowledged his presence. Soon he left, went home, showered, dressed and went to another store where he bought his wife an expensive coat. Then he told her to return ...

1168. Epiphany 7

Mt 5:38-48 · 1 Cor 3:10-11, 16-23 · Lev 19:1-2, 9-18 · Ps 119:33-40 · Ps 71 · Ps 62

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 A preeminent characteristic of God, according to the Pentateuch, is holiness. The Lord is in a class by himself; God is righteous, just, loving, and forgiving. God's people are likewise holy the Lord's. Their behavior must reflect this reality. They must love their neighbor as themselves because all belong to the Lord. Unfortunately, this love was constricted by a narrow definition of the neighbor a fellow Hebrew. Epistle: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 Paul ...

1169. Spirit and Life

John 6:25-59, John 6:60-71

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

Note: "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life," Jesus says. How can we do anything but give our absolute total attention to every word from our Savior? GREETING Leader 1: Jesus said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." Leader 2: Because he said this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. Leader 1: "Do you wish to go away also?" Jesus asks. Congregation: Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. Leader 2 ...

1170. Proper 18

Lk 14:25-33 · Eze 33:1-11 · Phm 1-20 · Prov 9:8-12

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Ezekiel 33:1-11 The watchman saves his life by giving God's warning to the wicked in the hope that the wicked will repent and live. The setting for this pericope is the defense alarm system of Ezekiel's day. A watchman was posted on a hill to warn the city by blowing a trumpet when an enemy approached. This gave the people in the fields an opportunity to come into the walled city for protection. If the watchman failed to warn, he was responsible for the death of those killed by the invaders. On ...

1171. Strengthened For Life

John 15:1-17

Sermon

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

During these Lenten Sunday mornings we have been thinking together about some of the things which Jesus shared with his disciples on the last night of his earthly life. These teachings of our Lord are recorded for us in chapters 13 through 17 of John’s Gospel. If you will read these chapters carefully, you will find they contain everything that is most precious in our Christian heritage - every gift, every promise, every commandment, every warning, every spiritual resource that the living Christ gives to ...

1172. Reinforced With Joy

John 15:1-17

Sermon

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

Last fall I was invited to a luncheon to hear an outstanding leader in the business world. I sat next to the president of one of our local industries. While we were visiting, stillness fell about our table as everyone there stopped talking and listened to our conversation. When the industrial leader realized this, he looked at the other men at the table and said, "I want to ask the pastor a question which I think we all want to know." Turning to me, he said, "Dr. Gar, why is it that there is so little joy ...

1173. God's Verdict Upon The World (Looking At The World Through The Eyes of God)

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Brett Blair

This week has brought to our living rooms the reality of war. It’s reality TV gone berserk. Now we watch as embedded journalists show us marines and soldiers on the front line as they engage the enemy. Is it a surprise to any of us that mankind loves darkness rather than light? I don’t think these images should be shown 24/7, live, at the push of a button, to every household in America. And yet I cannot tear myself from the TV. I watch in astonishment at image after image. It seems surreal. But the danger ...

1174. Fish Bait

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Two guys go on a fishing trip. They rent all the equipment: the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. They spend a fortune. The first day they go fishing they don't catch a thing. The same thing happens on the second day, and on the third day. It goes on like this until finally, on the last day of their vacation, one of the men finally catches a fish. As they drive home, they are both really depressed. One turns to the other and says, "Do you realize that ...

1175. Someone Is Calling In The Night

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1

Sermon

King Duncan

One summer while Max Lucado was in high school he worked laying pipe in a West Texas oil field. At lunch time the workers in the oil field would tell jokes and play cards. "For thirty minutes in the heat of the day," Max says, "the oil patch became Las Vegas ” replete with foul language, dirty stories, blackjack, and barstools that doubled as lunch pails." One day during lunch a supervisor walked toward the workers. Did he have a job for them that couldn't wait? They wondered. "Uh, fellows," he said. The ...

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