Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 101 to 125 of 2844 results

101. Prayers for the Sundays After Easter

Bulletin Aid

Rolland R. Reece

Our Creator, how we enjoy the arrival of spring. Lush green grass rises in our lawns decorating our streets with home to home carpeting. Bird songs, silent in winter, now fill the air with enchanting melodies. The brown loam of our gardens and fields warms in preparation for the coming seeds and plants. The brilliant colors of jonquils, tulips, and hyacinths edge our flower beds and ring our trees. Who are we that you lavish upon us such splendor? The air warms as the sun dispatches the winds of winter. ...

102. The Supremacy of Christ

Colossians 1:15-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

The Hymn to Christ Scholars are virtually unanimous in their opinion that verses 15–20 constitute a hymn. Since the existence of hymns in the early church was common (Phil. 2:5–11; Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19), it is not difficult to believe that this is a carefully written poem intended to convey a specific self-contained message about Christ to the readers at Colossae. Paul has already alluded to the work of Christ with respect to deliverance and the forgiveness of sins (1:13, 14). In the hymn he continues to ...

103. Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

Daniel 8:1-14

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Vision of the Ram and the Male Goat: Here in chapter 8 the language reverts back to Hebrew. When the Aramaic section began, the narrator introduced it by saying, “The astrologers answered the king in Aramaic” (2:4). There is no explanation given in chapter 8 for the change back. The author inherited the Aramaic material (2:4b–7:28) but shaped it for his purposes. He then added chapters 1 (actually, 1:1–2:4a) and 8–12 in Hebrew. Chapter 8 is linked to chapter 7 explicitly by informing the reader that ...

104. Peter, Our Folk Hero

Mark 14:27-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Some of you may know the name Roy Riegels. Many who don’t know his name will identify him as I tell his story. The year was 1929. The University of California was playing Georgia Tech in the Rose Bowl. Stumpy Thomason, Georgia Tech’s halfback, had the ball and was hit hard by Bennie Lom, so hard that he “coughed up the ball,” - that’s the way the sportswriters would say it. He fumbled and Roy Riegels picked it up, which you could do in college ball in those days. Riegels began to run. But Stumpy Thomason, ...

105. Lent 1

Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16, Luke 4:1-13, Romans 10:8b-13

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Leader: You’re here! Winter is upon us and things seem very still. But we know that dormancy hides the workings of life soon to erupt into spring! Six weeks of Epiphany and transfiguration are finished, and we find ourselves with ash smudges on our heads and hands. (Candles can be lighted to count the Sundays until Easter.) People: It surely does slow us down when we consider how our lives are spent and how we manifest God’s loving presence! Taking seriously our own suffering and the pain ...

106. Love One Another

1 John 3:11-24

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

Loving One Another Verses 11–18 are unified by the theme of loving one another. Love among the members of the community was first raised in 1 John 2:10 (as love for one’s “brother” or sister) and was the link into this section of the letter in 3:10b. The background to this emphasis on love is the schism which has divided the community (1 John 2:19) and has set former community members against one another. The schismatics have shown a flagrant, Cain-like disregard for their fellow believers. The Elder is ...

107. The Reversal of the Deuteronomic Curses and Blessings: Replacing Law with Faith

Romans 9:30--10:21

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: The key issue in this controversial text is the role of the law in light of the work of Christ. Paul reverses the Deuteronomic curses and blessings: non-Christian Jews experience the Deuteronomic curses because they attempt to be justified by the law, while believing Gentiles are justified because their faith is in Christ, so to them belong the Deuteronomic blessings. Understanding the Text Romans 9:30–10:21 forms the second unit in Romans 9–11 (9:1–29 is the first, and 11:1–32 is the third). The ...

108. Eliphaz

Job 4:1–5:27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

4:1–14:22; 15:1–21:34; 22:1–27:23 Review · Three Cycles of Dialogue: Job has no idea how true his last few words are. He has spoken them of his past. He will soon discover that they anticipate his future. The frustrating dialogues with the friends lie ahead—agitating trouble has indeed come. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar will by and large collectively affirm a traditional doctrine of divine retribution: God rewards good and punishes evil. Job will declare his innocence. The friends will increasingly grow ...

109. Job's Second Reply to Bildad

Job 19:1-29

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

God Has Wronged Me Job’s response to Bildad’s second speech alternates between recrimination against his friends’ lack of compassion and lament over the divine attack he is experiencing. The friends attack and torment Job because they are convinced he is at fault (19:4, 28). Job continues to claim his innocence and to call the friends to compassion and mutual support (19:21–22). He concludes with a warning that if the friends continue to align themselves with God’s unwarranted attack on Job, they might ...

110. Proper 10

Luke 10:25-37, Colossians 1:1-14, Amos 7:10-17, Psalm 82:1-8

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Neighborly Samaritan The parable of the neighborly Samaritan demonstrates the enduring and provocative power of a good story. The language and point of the parable have worked their way into our language. People who have never read the New Testament or have no idea whatsoever of who a Samaritan is are influenced by it. Many states have what is referred to as a Good Samaritan law. It relieves persons who give aid to an accident victim of liability. In their attempt to render assistance in an accident ...

111. Resurrection: From Slave to Child

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

So often a road is built upon the back of an earlier pathway - one upon the other, built up and strengthened by what went before. The busy Detroit Avenue before our church (Lakewood, Ohio) was once a Pony Express route, carrying mail toward Detroit City in Michigan. That route was earlier an Indian trail through forest lands. So it was with the road that came from Bethany, climbed across to the Mount of Olives, snaked down into the Kidron Valley, moved through the region of the Garden of Gethsemane and ...

112. A Guide to a Rich and a Joyous Life

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

Leland Gregory, in his book Stupid History, tells of a colossal error that once occurred in transmitting the Ten Commandments. In 1631, King Charles I ordered 1,000 Bibles from an English printer named Robert Barker. Printing was not an exact science in those days, and sometimes mistakes were made and usually overlooked but not in this case. Barker inadvertently left out a single word in the Seventh Commandment in Exodus 20:14 the word “not.” Readers were shocked to find out that God had commanded Moses “ ...

113. Living a Jesus Powered Life

Genesis 9:1-17, Genesis 6:1-8:22, Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands…” --Hebrews 4:1 The story of Noah is one of great depths, no pun intended. Actually, maybe it was intended! We all know it’s a covenant story, the story of yet another attempt God makes on establishing a lasting and binding relational covenant with God’s self and God’s people, those created in the image of God. But it’s also a story of relationship, love, bonding, and a brand-new start in a fresh, new place. A place without the turbulence of ...

114. Welcoming The New Millennium

Sermon

James Angell

At a wedding I attended 50 years ago, the bride's brother sang a love song, "At Dawning." I was the groom, and have since forgotten the lyrics. But even the words of the title have a nice sound. Dawn is a gorgeous time of day. Drenched in pastel beauty, mist, and quiet, it comes very softly, even as the freeways begin their hum of first traffic. For ships at sea, it is a time to do important navigational work. Sailors call it "morning twilight." And though the twenty-first century is still a few heartbeats ...

115. Rebuilding the Altar

Ezra 3:1-6

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

Making a Start: Here the first of the two implementations of the divine mandate given through Cyrus is completed. A nucleus of the exiled people had come home in order to rebuild the temple. To this end they brought with them Gentile gifts and recovered vessels from the first temple (ch. 1) and then added gifts of their own (2:68–69). Now they were to take the first step of reestablishing the worship of the Jerusalem temple by restoring the sacrificial system on a reconstituted altar (3:1–6) and laying ...

116. The Servant of the Lord

Isaiah 49:1-7

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

To Restore the People and the Land: So 49:1–6 is a major turning point. So far the Poet’s focus has been Jacob-Israel. Henceforth it will be Jerusalem-Zion. So far the addressee has been Jacob-Israel. Henceforth it will be Jerusalem-Zion. So far Yahweh’s promise has thus concerned the fall of Babylon and the end of the Judeans’ enforced residence there. Henceforth it will concern the restoring of the city that virtually none of the exiles have ever seen. Once more there is no need to infer that time has ...

117. The End Times

Daniel 12:1-13

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Final Revelation--The Body: We enter now into the body of the last main revelation of the book of Daniel. There has been some progression in the visions of the book from a more general scope, encompassing larger blocks of history, to a more narrow focus on shorter periods of time. So, for example, Daniel 2 spans four and a half centuries by outlining the four human empires of Babylonia, Media, Persia, and Greece, which are swept away by the fifth—the eternal kingdom of God. Aside from the fact that the ...

118. Rebuilding the Temple

Ezra 3:7-13

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

119. Life's Loose Threads and The Tie That Binds

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

In 1481 Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint an altarpiece for the chapel of a nearby monastery. He devoted an inordinate amount of time and energy to the depiction, compiling countless preparatory sketches and carefully attending to each intricate detail. The result was revolutionary: one of the most dramatic and innovative renderings of the Renaissance, before which succeeding generations of artists would later stand awestruck in absolute wonder. Mysteriously, though, just seven months into the ...

120. God Hears

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Over the past several weeks the world's attention has been particularly focused on the news from Camp David. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat have been in the midst of peace talks. As the talks opened, Barak and Arafat engaged in a mock pushing match for the cameras as they entered the main cabin. Arafat, perhaps because he has been hunted as a terrorist for most of his life, likes to be the last into a room. Barak insisted the Palestinian go first. Arafat refused. So ...

121. How Have We Made It This Far?

Acts 1:6-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Charles Killian, a Professor at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky has described a mythical modern worship service like this: Pastor: “Praise the Lord!” Congregation: “Hallelujah!” Pastor: “Will everyone please turn on their tablet, PC, iPad, smart phone, and Kindle Bibles to First Corinthians 13:13. And please switch on your Bluetooth to download the sermon.” [There is a pause.] “Now, let us pray committing this week into God’s hands. Open your Apps, BBM, Twitter and Facebook, and chat with ...

122. Generic Christians Or Disciples?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

As Maxie Dunnam was driving one day on Poplar Avenue, in Memphis, Tennessee, he noticed a bumper sticker on the car in front of him. He inched closer and saw that the bumper sticker read in big letters, "I am a Generic Christian." That got his attention. He tried to get closer. Some smaller letters were written beneath the larger ones. He got dangerously close to the back of the car to read the words, "Ask me what I mean." He was intrigued even more. What was the person with this bumper sticker trying to ...

123. The Vastness of Relationships

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

John N. Brittain

At this time of year, the Christmas and Epiphany seasons, various preachers, teachers, and Sunday school lessons remind us that we sometimes overdo things in our Christmas pageants and Christmas cards by mixing distinct Bible stories together into one great mish-mash. We have the angel choir and shepherds from the Luke 2 Christmas story, which we celebrated last week, along with the kings from the East (not numbered in the scriptures, although we usually settle for three) from Matthew 2, which we will ...

124. The List of the Exiles Who Returned

Nehemiah 7:4-73a

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

Preparations for Consolidating the City: Was Nehemiah’s mission complete with the rebuilding of the wall? Did that satisfy his ambition to rebuild Jerusalem (2:5)? At the very least, security measures were required. In this section we read of such measures and also initial steps taken to increase the number of residents in Jerusalem. Since the Hebrew verb “to build” can connote community building, the definition of Nehemiah’s mission in 2:5 implied the repopulation of the city. 7:1–3 The memoirs of ...

125. Offerings for Priests and Levites

Deuteronomy 18:1-8

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Leadership in Israel: Priests and Prophets: After the two sections on “secular” leadership (the judge and the king 16:18–17:20), we now have two sections on the “spiritual” leadership provided by the priest and the prophet. Priests and Levites The responsibilities of the tribe of Levi were broadly twofold: the service of the sanctuary, especially the role of the priests at the altar; and the preservation and teaching of the law (cf. Lev. 10:11; Deut. 10:8; 33:10; 2 Chron. 15:3; 17:8f.; 35:3; Neh. 8:7–9). ...

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