Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1176 to 1200 of 1967 results

1176. A Life Well Lived

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you noticed that grandmothers have changed? For one thing they seem so much younger than they used to. Some anonymous bard celebrated this truth in a little poem you may have encountered on the Internet. It’s titled, “Where Have All the Grandmas Gone?” In the dim and distant past; When life’s tempo wasn’t so fast Grandma used to rock and knit, Crochet, tat, and baby sit. When the kids were in a jam, They could always call on Gram. But today she’s in the gym Exercising to keep slim. She’s checking the ...

1177. Healed By The Great Physician

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

If I mention the word “healing” here in church, what comes to your mind? Oral Roberts? Professional healers on TV? The Christian Scientists? A place in France where lame people seem to have been made well? Jesus giving sight to a blind man? Perhaps none of the above. If you are at the grocery store and you glance at one of those tabloid magazines and see the word “healing” on the front page, what do you think of? New-fangled diets? Miracle drugs? Perhaps. We tend to compartmentalize healing. If something ...

1178. Getting It Straight

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

What a colorful figure Paul must have been in flesh and blood! His individuality shows a man who refuses to be dominated by anything. For us to be able to experience his ministry, as he went about, would have been something that would have made an indelible imprint on us. As he wove his life and ministry into his day and time the enemies were many. This was especially true among his Jewish brothers and sisters. Only by the grace of God was he able to fulfill what he had been called to do. The hatred could ...

1179. Where a Cross Should Be Worn

Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

King Duncan

The Rev. Timothy J. Kennedy tells a wonderful true story that is perfect for Ash Wednesday. It was told to him by a colleague, Pastor Chris Mietlowski. It concerned a baptism that Mietlowski once performed on an infant named Eric. Mietlowski took Eric in his arms and traced the cross of Christ on Eric’s forehead using a special anointing oil. Following worship, Eric’s family celebrated with a big backyard party. Family and friends ate burgers and chips and played volleyball under a summer sun. Eric, being ...

1180. Jesus Baptism and Ours

Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon

Mike Ripski

I. Life Questions “I’ve got a lot of questions,” says Jayber Crow, a character in Wendell Berry’s novel of the same name. Jayber is recalling his seminary days and a visit to his professor of New Testament Greek, Old Dr. Ardwire. The professor replies, “Perhaps you would like to say what they are?” The inquisitive student runs down the list. He fears his teacher will be like the other professors and discourage his questions. Dr. Ardwire listens thoughtfully for some time and then says, “You have been given ...

1181. Getting Rid of Anger

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever said something to somebody that you later regretted? A man named Bob Monkhouse says he got angry at the manager of his local dry cleaners and expressed his anger quite forcefully. He realizes now that he probably did not leave the manager with a very favorable impression. He knows that because recently he put a red ballpoint pen in the breast pocket of his white shirt and forgot to put the cap on it. It made a ghastly red stain with a dark center all over the pocket. His wife said, “It won’t ...

1182. The Extravagance of Love

Luke 7:36-8:3

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

If there was anything Jesus despised, it was stinginess, especially the holding back of oneself. If there was anything he admired, it was extravagance, especially the extravagance of love. There are really only two ways to live. You can live as if this is the last drop, and there won't be anymore; or you can live as if there is more where this came from. We can live out of scarcity, or we can live out of abundance. In the story from Luke's Gospel, we see these two approaches in conflict. My Bible has this ...

1183. Wearing the King’s Clothes

Colossians 3:1-11

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

There is nothing like putting on a new shirt and pair of pants. Just ask any of the children who are getting ready to go back to school. The best part of that first-day experience is showing up in a new set of clothes. Admit it. We all feel better about ourselves when we put on something new. We have more confidence. We have more energy to tackle and complete our assignments. We feel more comfortable and better received among our peers. The saying, "Clothes make the man (woman)" is true. In our text today ...

1184. Essentials

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

D. L. Miller of Mount Morris, Illinois, was a world traveler among a people who didn't travel much. He was a Dunker, one of the Plain People, who lived in the late nineteenth century. He wore a dark coat and dark pants and a long beard without a mustache. When others bought cars, the Dunkers kept their horses and buggies. If you were a believer, then you dressed like everyone else in your church, and acted like everyone in your church, and made a point of never standing out. His people made a point of ...

1185. Miracles? No Problem!

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

Characters (in order of appearance) Elizabeth Mary Gabriel King 1 King 2 King 3 Mary’s Mother Joseph Mary 2 Shepherd 1 Shepherd 2 Shepherd 3 2nd Angel 3rd Angel Angel Choir Props Stool/chair Bowl Star Broom Sack Carrots and veggies Knife Handkerchief Bundle Notes This play puts the viewer in Mary’s home the day she received the news that she was to have a special child, and is based on Luke 1:26-38. It envisions Gabriel arriving in Mary’s kitchen and Mary’s reaction to the news. As he talks with Mary and ...

1186. The Wisdom of the Wise Men

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I heard a story recently about this negative barber that had a customer in his chair and he said to him, “I hear you’re going to Europe; you shouldn’t do that. The weather is going to be bad in Rome, there is bombing and there’s strife and strikes in London. You think you’re going to get to see the Pope, but he won’t give you an audience, you just shouldn’t go.” About a month later, the same man was in the chair, and the barber said to him, “You didn’t take my advice; you went to Europe after all. And I ...

1187. An Invitation to Christian Discipleship

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Day by day they arrive in the mail. We call them invitations. A new store is opening for business and you are invited to see. A friend is getting married and you are invited to share in the celebration. Your class is having a reunion and you are invited to attend. Hardly a day passes, but someone requests the honor of your presence. There is an invitation of a divine kind that cuts through history and transcends time. It comes from Jesus Christ. It has your name on it. It is an invitation to Christian ...

1188. Out Into The Deep Water

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

How many of you like to fish? It's a great sport isn't it? It's a great way to relax and if you like to eat fish like I do, it's a great way to get really fresh fish. But sometimes fishing has some different kinds of results. I'll never forget the time a friend and I went fishing. He was the former pastor of the church I was serving. We were in seminary and car pooled to classes when possible. He didn't have a whole lot of opportunity to go fishing where he was serving, so I invited him out to go fishing ...

1189. Adopted! Thank God!

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Missionary James King tells the true story of an African woman in one of his churches who attended every service accompanied by an old, mongrel dog. The dog would enter with the lady and sit beside her during the service. She always sat on an outside seat beside the aisle. At the conclusion of the service, the woman would always come and kneel at the altar for prayer, and the dog would faithfully take his place beside her. The woman’s husband was a cruel man who deeply resented her devotion to Christ, and ...

1190. Daring Thomas

John 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Pirates have been in the news over the past few years. Not the romanticized pirates of the Caribbean, but real life pirates in places like Somalia desperate, violent men who have garnered ransoms of millions of dollars by taking hostages from ships. If I were to ask you to name a famous pirate from history, who would it be? My guess is that many of you would come up with the name Blackbeard. Blackbeard was a notorious English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American ...

1191. Sister Act(s)

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke positions the Good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The Good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God." Meet the two M & M sisters — Mary and Martha. They are two peas in the same pod and yet so ...

1192. Prayers For the President

1 Timothy 2:1-7

Sermon

David E. Leininger

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. — 1 Timothy 2:1-2 No doubt, sometimes we are not quite sure how to approach this instruction. If you like the current administration and the way things are going, no problem. If not, well.... A few years ago, one of my friends asked, "Can we just pray for regime change?" Truth be told, you can ...

1193. The Truth about Warren Buffet's Secretary

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

The election is now behind us. I guess it’s safe for me to talk about Warren Buffet’s secretary. In case you’ve been on a deserted island somewhere cut off from all media, Warren Buffet, one of the richest men on earth and a prominent Democrat, caused quite a stir sometime back when he said that his secretary pays a higher percentage of her salary in taxes than he pays. That is because wages are taxed differently than are investments, and wealthy people have a clear advantage in accumulating more wealth ...

1194. The Assurance of Things Hoped For

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

In the movie, Cast Away, Tom Hanks' character, Chuck, is stranded on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean. To keep himself company, he finds a volleyball that has washed up from the wreckage of the plane he had been flying in before becoming stranded. Chuck paints a face on the volleyball with his own blood and names him "Wilson." Wilson becomes Chuck's only companion while he remains on the island. He talks to and sometimes even for Wilson to keep himself company during the lonely months. After four years ...

1195. The Kingdom Is at Hand

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

King Duncan

If any of you are Will Ferrell fans, you may be familiar with the 2006 film, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Ferrell plays the role of Ricky Bobby, a dimwitted daredevil who is also the most successful driver on the NASCAR circuit. In typical Will Farrell fashion, Ricky Bobby is morally and ethically bankrupt. The only things that matter to Ricky Bobby are winning races and self-indulgence. But Ricky Bobby is religious, after a fashion. He even prays when it suits his desires. In one scene he ...

1196. The Challenge to Forgive

Luke 7:36--8:3

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little. — Luke 7:47 It is a dramatic scene out of America's mythical past — a Western scene of cowboys, saloons, and gunslingers; a scene of wide-open spaces conquered by fierce individualists, liquor, and true grit. It is a scene, however, a little different from the cowboy heroes of my childhood, the scenes of the good guy, white hat heroes like Roy Rogers and Gene Au-try, not even to ...

1197. The Arrest of Jesus

John 18:1-11, John 18:12-14

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

Jesus’ exit with his disciples from the place where they had eaten supper (v. 1) corresponds to the notice in Mark (14:26) that “when they had sung a hymn, they went out” to Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives. Though John’s Gospel does not give the name “Gethsemane” to the place where they stopped, and though only John’s Gospel calls it a “garden” (RSV, GNB; Gr.: kēpos), it is clearly the same place and the same occasion (the NIV translation olive grove is based on the assumption that it is indeed “ ...

1198. The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-35, Luke 14:15-24

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: The kingdom of God demands our full commitment; you cannot be a half-hearted disciple. Understanding the Text Jesus’s table talk in the house of a leading Pharisee continues with a parable about a similar banquet, which picks up the theme of 14:12–14, the challenge to invite those who cannot reciprocate. In the parable, however, the host represents God himself, whose open-hearted generosity is the model that we are called to follow. But the parable also highlights the obverse of that free grace, ...

1199. Getting Ready for the Passover

Luke 22:7-38, Luke 22:1-6

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: It is at Passover time that Jesus is to die, and he is determined to have a last Passover meal with his disciples before his death occurrs. Understanding the Text In 21:37–38 Luke rounds off the account of Jesus’s teaching in the temple courtyard, which began at 20:1. With the mention of the Passover in 22:1 the long-anticipated climax of the story (see 9:22, 31, 44, 51; 13:31–35; 18:31–33) begins, as these verses relate the plotting of the Jerusalem authorities, the fateful decision of Judas ...

1200. Tell It Not in Gath!

2 Samuel 1:1-16, 1 Samuel 31:1-13

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

Big Idea: Rebellion against the Lord culminates in humiliating defeat, but the demise of the Lord’s rebellious servants is to be lamented, not celebrated. Understanding the Text Chapter 31 returns the focus of the story to Saul and picks up where chapter 28 left off. Samuel’s prophecy of Saul’s impending death and of Israel’s defeat (28:19) is fulfilled. In 2 Samuel 1 the focus returns to David. There is a flashback at the beginning of the chapter: verse 1 informs us that this episode takes place on the ...

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