Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1176 to 1200 of 2157 results

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

James McCormick

... my heart that it is – if what the gospel says is true, how can we keep from singing? Once we have come to see, we must go and tell. And we must do it with joy and with song. Do you understand, then, why I say I like the short version of Mark’s Easter story? It is an unfinished gospel. But it is our privilege to complete the story by the way we live and by the way we die, singing joyfully all the while. There is a benediction that says it, and I’ll let this be the final ...

1177. Two Worlds

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

James McCormick

... the living potential of life – people everywhere want that – but they are not at all sure how to do that. To too large an extent, it’s a lost world. Many people have never heard the good news of Jesus. Many who have heard it, have heard a distorted version of it. And many have heard, but have rejected it, and so continue to live less than full lives. So many people feel that they are adrift alone in a small boat with no rudder out there in the midst of a dark and limitless and stormy ocean. The ...

1178. Baptism of the Lord

Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:23b-48, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... descending dove seem, in Matthew's telling, to be Jesus' private perceptions: he is the one who sees. But the word from God is a public declaration. This framing of the events distinguishes Matthew's Gospel in comparison with the other New Testament versions of this story. Matthew displays a concern to relate the depth of Jesus' personal, even private, comprehensions; yet, the voice of God makes clear the meaning of Jesus' insights. This story gives us Matthew's understanding of the person and work of Jesus ...

1179. Christmas Eve\Christmas Day

Luke 2:1-7, Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 96:1-13, Titus 2:1-15, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... stating that Christ "gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds." Luke 2:1-20 - "The Surprising Shape of Salvation" Setting. Luke 1-2 is Luke's version of the story of Jesus' birth. The account is set in a highly dramatic and intensely Jewish environment, though anyone reading or hearing Luke's story must take into account that the religious world of Judaism was part of a larger Greco-Roman political world. The ...

1180. Easter 2

John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... that God will not "give [us] up to Sheol." Significance. This psalm is a natural partner for the reading from Acts 2, because in the course of the Pentecost sermon, Luke has Peter quote this very text. Acts 2:25-28 is a reiteration of the Septuagint version of Psalm 16:8-11. In Acts 2, the psalm has an explicit christological function, since it is related to Christ's own security and to his not having been given to "Hades" and "corruption." Independent of the christological use of the text in Acts, this ...

1181. Easter 4

Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23:1-6, 1 Peter 2:13-25, John 10:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... is unified despite its employment of two distinguishable images. Significance. This psalm is a celebration of the sheer goodness of God. It is surely the best known and most loved of all the psalms. We know this poem so well, most often in the King James Version, that we are in danger of making it profane through familiarity. Indeed, we can purchase posters that pun the poem for amusement. Thus let us recognize and reflect upon the rich images of this psalm. Behind the images of God as shepherd and God as ...

1182. Easter Vigil

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... Jesus appears and speaks to them along the way (28:9-10). Significance. The nuance that Matthew brings to his account of the Passion narrative is seen in the subtle way in which he modifies the telling of the story in comparison to Mark's version of the events. Clearly, Matthew heightens the divine elements of the narrative. Mark had a young man at the tomb, and from the clothing mentioned ("a white robe") one immediately thinks that the young man is an angelic figure. Matthew makes the identity of this ...

1183. Epiphany 2

Psalm 40:1-17, Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-34, John 1:35-42

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace. Another version is: Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us. Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us. Jesus, redeemer of the world, give us your peace. Its appearance in the gospel today makes its liturgical use particularly appropriate. If the Eucharist is not celebrated, it may still ...

1184. Proper 11

Mt 13:24-30, 36-43 · Rom 8:12-25 · Ps 139 · Gen 28:10-19a

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... 36-43 - "God's Somewhat Mysterious Ways" Setting. The literary context is essentially the same as that observed for last Sunday's lesson. This parable, long called "the parable of the wheat and the tares" from the language of the King James Version, follows the allegorical explanation of the parable of the sower. Again, Matthew provides an allegorical explanation for this parable in vv. 36-43. Between parable and explanation there are two other parables and a note about Jesus' consistent use of parable for ...

1185. Proper 14

Genesis 37:1-11, Matthew 14:22-36, Romans 9:30--10:21, Psalm 105:1-45

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... of God. Matthew 14:22-33 - "The Amazing Authority of Jesus Christ" Setting. The general setting for this passage was discussed in the material for last Sunday, so readers may turn to that discussion. For this passage it is also helpful to compare Matthew's version of this mighty act of Jesus with Mark's telling of the story (6:45-52). It is noteworthy that Luke does not include this story in his Gospel, perhaps because the story was difficult even for some first-century believers. In any case, Matthew ...

1186. Proper 19

Exodus 13:17--14:31, Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 14:1--15:13, Exodus 15:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... topic that the story turns in the closing summary of Exodus 14:30-31, when the reader is told that Israel believed in God and in Moses. Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21 - "Celebrating God's Salvation at the Red Sea" Setting. The narrative version of the event at the Red Sea is, for purposes of lectionary-based preaching, reinterpreted in an antiphonal song, led by brother and sister, Moses and Miriam. Some scripture scholars, however, have suggested that this poetic, hymnic celebration of the event is actually older ...

1187. Proper 23

Psalm 106:1-48, Philippians 4:2-9, Matthew 22:1-14, Exodus 32:1-33:6

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... Twenty-one. Here, let us notice that Luke has the same basic parable Luke 14:16-24), but in a different setting—at a banquet in the home of a Pharisee. Scholars regard the setting in Matthew's Gospel as more plausible. Structure. Luke's version of this parable is much simpler in both content and form. Matthew's edition of the parable of the wedding banquet is highly allegorized (an allegorical ending comes after the parable in Luke's telling of the story), and some interpreters suggest that there are ...

1188. Proper 25

Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 22:41-46, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16, Psalm 90:1-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... and vv. 41-46. In the first section a Pharisee questions Jesus, who gives a straightforward answer. Then in another moment of time, Matthew tells how Jesus questioned the Pharisees, how they and him, and how he responded to them. Mark and Luke both include versions of these encounters in their Gospels, but in his edition Luke recognizes the distinctness of the two sections and greatly separates the units from one a (see Luke 10:25-28 and 20:41-44). There is no compelling reason for the parts of this passage ...

1189. Proper 28

Judges 4:1-24, Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11, Psalm 123:1-4

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... eschatology motivates ethics. The Christians' concern with the future is not stargazing; it is the substance of a forward-looking active life. Matthew 25:14-20 - "Entering the Joy of the Master or Landing in Outer Darkness" Setting. The lesson is Matthew's version of a parable that he shares with Luke, which is found in Luke 19:11-27. Scholars conclude from comparing the stories that Matthew moved this parable into the setting of Jesus' eschatological discourse as part of the expansion of that material in ...

1190. Thanksgiving Day, North America

Luke 17:11-19, Deuteronomy 8:1-20, Psalm 65:1-13, 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... by Christians is not equated with niceness, but with godliness. God gives freely so that we can be like God—free and cheerful givers. The central issue in Paul's reflection is righteousness. We see this clearly in the quotation of the Septuagintal version of Psalm 111:9 (English = Psalm 112:9) and in the commentary on the scripture citation in v. 10. God's fundamental character is righteousness—that is, God's faithfulness in redeeming sinful humanity. Our generous God supplies for us what we as ...

1191. God's Dirty Job

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... dirty. The grosser, the dirtier, the better. Parents like to watch “Dirty Jobs” for two reasons. First, you can threaten your kids with “If you don’t do your homework you will end up doing that!” Second, even if you DO have a dirty job, the TV versions always look worse. It is heartening to believe that no matter how bad your job is, someone has one that is even worse! There is one thing common to every dirty job: your hands will show it. Dirt, soot, muck, leftovers of all sorts, work their way ...

1192. Roll out the Green Carpet

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... me. But he also died for every living creature, and for the restoration of relationships among all creatures and their Creator. In fact, Mark 16:15 says to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every living creature.” Or in the NIV version: "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Our ancestors rolled out the green carpet when they identified a creature with every gospel. Since the gospel of Matthew comes first, the first symbol for a gospel was a human. The creature ...

1193. A Turning Point for Nixon

Matthew 21:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

... wilderness, it was that moment and that gesture of love and compassion." The turning point for us is Palm Sunday. It is our moment of triumph. It was a triumph because God Jesus decided to ignore our miserable state and act on our behalf. He chose to ignore the crowds version of Palm Sunday and go with His.

1194. That's What Jesus Does for Me

Psalm 139:7-12

Sermon

James W. Moore

... a little table with a Bible on it. The Bible was open at Psalm 59… and in the margin opposite verse 10, someone had written in pencil a fascinating interpretation which kindled his mind and warmed his heart (as it does my own). In the King James Version, Psalm 59:10 reads like this. The God of my mercy shall prevent me. Let me hurry to say that in old English the work “prevent” meant “go before.” So, the verse means “The God of my mercy goes before me.” But the penciled interpretation in the ...

1195. Abide With Us

Illustration

David E. Leininger

In the King James Version of the Bible, the invitation of the two travelers reads, "Abide with me; for it is toward evening and the day is far spent," words which were the inspiration for that beloved hymn, "Abide with me/Fast falls the eventide." The hymn was written by Henry Francis Lyte, for 25 ...

1196. To Be a Christian

Acts 11:19-30

Sermon

James McCormick

... to know him through the pages of scripture, and the more we allow his spirit to shape our lives through prayer, the more we come to know his mind and his heart, so the more we understand what he asks us to do. There is a very popular but distorted version of Christianity which maintains that God is primarily interested in helping us to do the things that are important to us. But that’s not the way I read the New Testament. No, to be a Christian is not to have a God who will do whatever we ask him ...

1197. Why the Word "Doubt"?

Matthew 28:16-20

Illustration

Brian Stoffregen

... . We frequently talk about two things existing at the same time. Mark Allan Powell writes about this verse in his book, Loving Jesus: I want to note that the word some is not actually found in the Greek Bible. Why is it in the English version? Well, Matthew uses a particular construction here that allows translators to think that the word some could be implied. He also uses that construction in seventeen other instances, though no one ever seems to think the word is implied in those cases. It could be ...

1198. A Call to Action

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... therapy. It’s time to support Tom Day, who believes that veterans deserve a real bugler, so has set up a website (www.buglesacrossamerica.org) to encourage people to step up to the plate and play taps on a real bugle. It’s time to stop offering a “canned” version of the gospel. It’s time to stop following red and green lights which we won’t or can’t let others see, and it’s time to tune our lives to Jesus the Christ, God’s Perfect Pitch, God’s tuning fork to the eternal. “Come thou ...

1199. The Healing Power of Touch - Sermon Starter

Mark 5:21-43; Matt 9:1-8

Illustration

Brett Blair

... and touched the garment of Jesus. Immediately he stopped, bolted upright, and asked: "Who touched me?" The disciples were taken aback. Was this some kind of rhetorical question? Who touched you? Why master, look around, everyone is touching you. The New English version quotes their words as being: "What is the purpose in asking?" Jesus replied with one of the most mysterious lines in the Bible. He said: "I felt power flow from me." For years I have been mesmerized with that verse. What exactly happened ...

1200. Slaving for Nothing

Mt 9:35-38

Illustration

King Duncan

... necessary funds. After it was finally paid, Mathilde saw her friend one day. She confessed what they had done. She revealed the hardship through which they had come in paying for the replacement. It was then that her friend explained that the necklace Mathilde had borrowed was the costume version of the real thing. It was virtually worthless. What a parable of contemporary life! People frantically slaving for values that turn out only to be worthless. Harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 1176 to 1200 of 2157 results

1176. Sing the Resurrection Song

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

James McCormick

1177. Two Worlds

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

James McCormick

1178. Baptism of the Lord

Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:23b-48, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1179. Christmas Eve\Christmas Day

Luke 2:1-7, Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 96:1-13, Titus 2:1-15, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1180. Easter 2

John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1181. Easter 4

Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23:1-6, 1 Peter 2:13-25, John 10:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1182. Easter Vigil

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1183. Epiphany 2

Psalm 40:1-17, Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-34, John 1:35-42

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1184. Proper 11

Mt 13:24-30, 36-43 · Rom 8:12-25 · Ps 139 · Gen 28:10-19a

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1185. Proper 14

Genesis 37:1-11, Matthew 14:22-36, Romans 9:30--10:21, Psalm 105:1-45

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1186. Proper 19

Exodus 13:17--14:31, Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 14:1--15:13, Exodus 15:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1187. Proper 23

Psalm 106:1-48, Philippians 4:2-9, Matthew 22:1-14, Exodus 32:1-33:6

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1188. Proper 25

Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 22:41-46, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16, Psalm 90:1-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1189. Proper 28

Judges 4:1-24, Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11, Psalm 123:1-4

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1190. Thanksgiving Day, North America

Luke 17:11-19, Deuteronomy 8:1-20, Psalm 65:1-13, 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1191. God's Dirty Job

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1192. Roll out the Green Carpet

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1193. A Turning Point for Nixon

Matthew 21:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

1194. That's What Jesus Does for Me

Psalm 139:7-12

Sermon

James W. Moore

1195. Abide With Us

Illustration

David E. Leininger

1196. To Be a Christian

Acts 11:19-30

Sermon

James McCormick

1197. Why the Word "Doubt"?

Matthew 28:16-20

Illustration

Brian Stoffregen

1198. A Call to Action

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1199. The Healing Power of Touch - Sermon Starter

Mark 5:21-43; Matt 9:1-8

Illustration

Brett Blair

1200. Slaving for Nothing

Mt 9:35-38

Illustration

King Duncan

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