Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1176 to 1200 of 3852 results

Isaiah 23:1-18

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... exultant city.” Other translations render this a “bustling city,” a “wanton city,” or a “joyful city.” The impression is that it was a prosperous and happy place, which had two especially long dimensions. One was its great age. Isaiah says, “Whose origin is from days of old.” The other was its vast outreach. When Isaiah says, “Whose feet carried her to settle afar,” he means that the country of Phoenicia through its port city of Tyre and its commerce had established colonies in distant ...

1177. Learning The Basics

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

... man to divorce his wife?" Jesus in response asked them what Moses had taught, and they replied correctly that Moses had said a man could simply give his wife a certificate of divorce and that was all there was to it. (Deuteronomy 24:1-4, was designed originally to protect the wife and guarantee her a certain amount of freedom.) Jesus was between a "rock and a hard place." If he answered "yes" to the question he would be promoting marital irresponsibility, and if he answered "no" to the question he would be ...

1178. The Banquet

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

... , the Hebrews believed they had to coax God with sacrificial offerings in order to get what they wanted from him. For the Jews, God was distant, hidden, not readily accessible. God did not associate intimately, so they thought. But this was actually an aberration of the original covenant as we see in today's lesson. So the people had a strong need to lure God, to manipulate him, to appease and pacify him with exclusive sacrifice and ritual. God could never be close if it took this much work and currency to ...

1179. Wisdom In A Proverb

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

What is a proverb? It is a short, popular saying, usually of unknown or ancient origin, that expresses some commonplace truth or useful thought. What is a proverb? It is a pithy saying characterized by "its shortness, its sense, its salt." What is a proverb? It is an adage, easily remembered, that forms either an observation or a judgment. What is a proverb? It is a ...

1180. Pleased To Reconcile

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

... us in story fashion of a man who in his dying agony can find it within himself to royally pronounce forgiveness and reconciliation to a penitent criminal. That old cross at the town dump of Jerusalem was, in reality, the symbol of kingly power that had its origins far back in "the deeper magic from before the dawn of time." It was the power that started death working backward. So Jesus became "the first-born from the dead," the first in a long series of men and women over whom death can never again hold ...

1181. Investing God's Gift

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

... does return, he does not upbraid those servants who reaped lesser profits as long as they conscientiously and faithfully attempted to follow their master's instructions. All those who followed the master's instructions and returned to him, not only his original investment, but the profits they had earned with it, are rewarded. He does have harsh words, however, for the one servant who either from fear or indolence, failed to follow the master's instructions. His self-justifying rationalization for hoarding ...

1182. When Something Is About To Happen

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Thomas Long

... there is left for the church to do is to whistle its liturgy in the dark, collect the pledge cards and keep the copy machines humming. Because nothing is about to happen. Even the second generation of Christians, the ones to whom the New Testament was originally addressed, were not immune to this loss of faith in the coming kingdom of God. In the beginning a passionate hope kept the line taut between their present experience and God's future, but as the days wore on and the suffering became intense, and the ...

1183. Shepherds And Bathrobes

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Thomas Long

... understated when it reports that the shepherds "were sore afraid." Tonight, all across the land, in fellowship halls, sanctuaries, and church basements, those who know and love this story will try to re-create it, and the results, compared to the original, will seem pitiably small. A gaggle of neighborhood boys, the very ones we have seen kicking a soccer ball across the front yard, will stand on a hillside of indoor-outdoor carpet, guarding cardboard and cotton-ball sheep with makeshift staffs, their ...

1184. A Service Of Light

John 1:1-18

Bulletin Aid

J. B. Quisenberry

... may be used as a worship service for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day by simply eliminating the pageant instructions and the last phrase of the welcome. It is also a very good service for community worship that includes several congregations of different ethnic origins. If the sermon is no longer than ten minutes, the approximate production time is fifty minutes. Prelude Welcome Welcome, and peace to you all! With the gift of his Son, God has joined all believers into one spiritual family. All over the earth ...

1185. Lessons for Lent 3

John 2:12-25

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... and spiritual renewal, beginning with God's house and God's people. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 20:1-17 The decalogue, the Ten Commandments, is presented as Israel's response to God's act of redemption through the Exodus (v. 2). In the Hebrew form, they were originally very brief, two words long, and called the "Ten Words." According to this account, God spoke first to all the people but they didn't want to hear God's voice directly (v. 19) and so God gave the commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in ...

1186. Maundy Thursday/Holy Thursday

John 13:1-17, Exodus 12:1-30, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, John 13:31-38

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... Lord's Supper appears within the context of the apostle Paul dressing down the Corinthians for abusing the Lord's Supper. In recalling this direct verba from the Lord, the apostle wishes to impress upon the unruly Corinthians the sacredness of the Eucharist's origins. The church members are to remember the roots of the church's meal and observe it with reverence. The verse about profaning the Lord's Supper (v. 27) has been widely misunderstood. Discerning the Lord's body has to do with recognizing the Lord ...

1187. Passion Sunday

Mk 14:1 - 15:47 · Isa 50:4-9 · Phil 2:5-11 · Ps 31:9-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... with ointment, a kind of pre-burial rite. With interest we note the story of our Lord's earthly life closes in the company of a host of nearby women disciples, most of whom are nameless (15:40-41). There were no women counted among the original twelve for a number of reasons, but there have always been women ministers among the followers of Jesus. Jesus never put women in their place and they were among his most loyal disciples. PREACHING POSSIBILITIES Lesson 1: Isaiah 50:4-9a Sermon Title: The Power Of ...

1188. The Day Of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21 · Jn 15:26-27; 16:4-15; 20:19-23 · Eze 37:1-14 · 1 Cor 12:4-13 · Ps 104

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... . They felt that there was about as much chance of their fortunes being restored as there was for a skeleton suddenly to come back to life. Ezekiel's vision gives hope to the exiles that God would restore the nation to newness of life. Though the original context of this passage does not refer to personal resurrection, it does show that God's Spirit has the power and the will to raise his people from the clutches of death. Nothing is impossible with the God who gives life to all that exists. Epistle ...

1189. Proper 12

John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15, 2 Samuel 11:1-27, Ephesians 3:14-21

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... with the children of the earth, he does not waste that which he has created. "That nothing may be lost" conveys God's attitude toward his children; he sent his Son to gather in the broken fragments of his human family. God was the original conservationist and it is his will that the church conserve and save that which is the Lord's. Sermon Title: There Is No Hunger Appeal. Sermon Angle: The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has an ongoing emphasis on elimination of hunger, called the ELCA Hunger ...

1190. Advent 4

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... drift of the message is that the Lord doesn't need such a house. From the time of the wilderness wandering, his special abode has been the Tabernacle. Some scholars regard much of this passage as a later attack on temple worship inserted in the original material, though their arguments are not completely convincing. The text is a wordplay on the word house (Hebrew bayrith). David desires to construct for the Lord a physical house but is told that God would himself make of David (his family) a house, defined ...

1191. Corpus Christi

Mk 4:12-16, 22-26 · Heb 9:11-15 · Ex 24:3-8 · Ps 126

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established" (v. 16). Before one can inherit money or property bequeathed in a last will and testament, a death certificate must be issued. It must be firmly established that the original owner of the property is really dead. Some have tried to fake death in order to collect insurance. The writer of Hebrews states that Jesus really did die. This is necessary so that what Jesus bequeathed to us might rightfully be conveyed to us. Not only ...

1192. Easter 7

John 17:6-19, Acts 1:12-26, 1 John 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... would hold office in Christ's church. Epistle: 1 John 5:9-16 God on the witness stand (vv. 9-11). The O.J. Simpson trial brought before the world the importance of having credible witnesses. The officer who investigated the crime scene, Mark Fuhrman, originally testified that he had not used the word "Nigger" during the past ten years. Later, tapes of him using the "N" word with other racist remarks cast a thick shadow on his credibility as a witness. John asserts that God's testimony remains steadfast and ...

1193. Proper 21

Mark 9:38-41, Esther 7:1-10, Esther 9:18-32, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:42-50

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... was marked by celebration, exchange of food, and giving to the poor (vv. 22-23). 4. Every Sunday is a celebration of our deliverance in Christ. Show your joy by giving of yourself and your substance. Epistle: James 5:13-20 1. Sermon Title: The Original HMO. Sermon Angle: In an effort to cut the cost of medical care in our country, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO's) have assumed a much greater importance. The HMO's attempt to prevent many of the maladies that plague us and maintain a high level ...

1194. Proper 28

Mk 13:1-32 · Heb 10:11-25 · 1 Sam 1:4-20 · Ps 16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... and the world. If so, how does one reconcile Jesus' words: "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away before all these things take place" (v. 30)? The destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem by the Romans is the original apocalypse that Jesus predicted. However, added to this is material concerning the end of the age and the last judgment. Reading God's sign language is not easy, especially for those who have not studied. Sacrilege (v. 14). The reference to the desolating sacrilege ...

1195. The Righteousness Of God

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Mark J. Molldrem

... respond to any given situation. There may be reasons backing our choices, but it is the individual who makes the final choice. This places the responsibility where it has always belonged from the beginning of time. "I have sinned," Adam said originally. And we can say that also. As Soren Kierkegaard (nineteenth century Danish theologian) has stated, "How sin came into the world every man understands by himself alone; if he would learn it from another, he eo ipso misunderstands it." With this affirmation ...

1196. Made, Lost, And Found

1 John 1:1-4

Sermon

Mark J. Molldrem

... living being." I am someone whom God forms. God holds me in his hands and gives me shape. The great God who creates the universe and scatters the stars throughout the majestic heavens reaches down and caresses the earth so lovingly as to sculpture me as an original pattern. Then, in an act so selfless -- for this great God does not want me to exist as an inanimate object for his pleasure only -- this great God breathes into me his own breath and I become alive to experience the world for myself. What a gift ...

1197. New Life From Old

1 John 2:28--3:10

Sermon

Mark J. Molldrem

... to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you." The new life in Christ imitates Christ, and that means a life of service. For centuries the servant's role has been considered one of lowly origin. The servant's quarters were distinct from the main house; the servant's entrance was around the side or in back, not at the main gate into the estate. In God's brave new world, it is the servant who is elevated to the status of the right hand of ...

1198. Overcoming Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Lee Griess

... fail. The sure antidote to temptation is to be focused on Christ, to be so filled with his power, his salvation, his life and service, that there is no room for temptation. Shortly after the Reformation, some young followers of Martin Luther wrote him (kind of like an original Ann Landers) with a question, saying, "We are harassed by many temptations which appeal to us so often and so strongly that they give us no rest. You don't seem to be troubled in this way and we should like to know your secret. Don't ...

1199. A New Command

John 13:31-38

Sermon

Lee Griess

... Pan first premiered on the London stage in 1904, author Sir James Barrie began to hear complaints from parents who were upset with his play. They even got together and petitioned him to make a change in the script. It seems that in the original version, Peter Pan told the Darling children that if they simply believed strongly enough, they could fly. And apparently there were children who had seen that play who tried to do just that, who took Peter Pan literally at his word, and hurt themselves attempting ...

1200. Cut Down And Lifted Up

Luke 22:66--23:25

Sermon

Lee Griess

... and was even yet more glorious in his brokenness. For in his brokenness, life became abundant. Through his brokenness, the master could give new life to the dry fields. And by his brokenness, many were made whole. Even though this ancient oriental parable may have originally been intended to say little more than that bamboo is useful and to give praise to nature for its goodness, we know it has deeper meaning than that. And especially as we hear it this morning, we cannot help but understand that it is a ...

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