Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 101 to 125 of 155 results

John 1:1-18

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... love having you — what are your plans for the future? (Dylan and Dorie look at one another and shudder.) Uncle Gus: Guess I just have to become a tutor to my niece and nephew and train them in good manners. I noticed they are quite deficient in that area. (sarcastically) How long have you lived in the ghetto? Dylan and Dorie: (look smitten) We weren’t, Uncle Gus ... (laugh nervously) Uncle Gus: I noticed you dress in trendy clothes — be careful or you’ll look like gang members. Mom: (changes subject ...

102. He With the Most Toys

Matthew 16:26

Illustration

Steve Farrar

... air balloons and countless other toys that he can no longer access. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us words of superior wisdom when he said, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). It is a fatally deficient wisdom that declares "He who dies with the most toys wins."

103. The Parable of the Careless Farmer

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... are going to be walking. It’ll never grow. It won’t penetrate the hard-packed soil. So, said Jesus, the birds came and ate the seed that had fallen by the path. Some of the other seed, said Jesus, fell on rocky places where there was a deficiency of soil. Again, not a very good place to sow. The resulting plants sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, Jesus said, which ...

104. You Are God's Child

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... on the floor to show herself and everyone in the room that the power of God was removing those lies from her life. (5) Can you sense the power in that little exercise? The world tells us many, many lies about who we are loser, unlovable, unworthy, incapable, deficient. And before long we are telling those lies to ourselves. We need to replace those lies with God’s truth about us we are children of the Most High God. We are loved with an everlasting love that gives us worth and confidence and a sense of ...

105. The Word According to Superman

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... not last forever!” So Pastor Steadman prayed with Mark again. Sometime later Steadman received a note from Mark. Mark and his wife had gone back to their home country. There they found the answer to his wife’s difficulties. A doctor discovered a minor deficiency in his wife’s diet which needed to be remedied. When that was done, the asthma and bronchitis disappeared, and she was in glorious, radiant health, and they were rejoicing together. At the bottom of this note Mark had written, “The boat will ...

106. Simon the Sorcerer

Acts 8:9-25

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... thought of commitment to the one in whose name the rite was administered (see note on 2:38 and the disc. on 14:23 and 19:5); and finally, as a result of all this, “there was great joy in that city” (v. 8). There is no hint of any deficiency in their faith. Certainly Philip recognized none, else he would not have baptized them. Nor did Peter and John find anything lacking, for as far as we know, they preached nothing more to them before laying hands upon them (but cf. v. 25). It is hard to believe, then ...

107. Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos

Acts 18:18-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... see notes on 2:2ff. and disc. on 2:38; 19:4). Apollos may have accepted that Jesus was the Messiah without knowing the full extent of his messianic achievement. One wonders whether he even knew of the resurrection of Jesus. 18:26 Whatever his deficiencies, Apollos at least had the courage of his convictions. He first came to Aquila and Priscilla’s notice when he spoke boldly (about Jesus) in the synagogue at Ephesus. Afterwards they took him home and made good what was lacking in his instruction. The way ...

108. Boasting

2 Corinthians 11:1-15, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... abruptly with the adversative conjunction alla: “but in every way [we] have revealed [the knowledge] in all things to you.” The general sense is relatively clear if these two halves are pieced together and the appropriate words are supplied. Paul acknowledges his deficiency in public speaking very much as Moses did (see on 10:10). But, also like Moses, Paul exults in revealed knowledge mediated to others, albeit in this case it is the knowledge of Christ that God reveals through him to others, including ...

109. Freedom In Christ

Galatians 5:1-15, Galatians 5:16-26

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... (2:16). In this he possibly demonstrates respect for the Galatians’ concern that their faith in Christ has not yet made them righteous. After all, the Galatian Christians would not have been attracted to law observance unless they had felt some deficiency in their Christian lives. In response Paul declares that his converts can expect righteousness only through his gospel, which is why they and he may now wait eagerly. The outcome is assured for those “in Christ.” The phrase “the righteousness for ...

110. Unity in the Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... goal of the gifts given to the church. Here building imagery indicates that the body is being built as God’s people are prepared for doing the work of the ministry (diakonia). Every member must contribute to this process, or the body will be deficient in areas of its growth. 4:13 From these two general statements, the author goes on to define more specifically the various aspects of Christian growth in the body of Christ. The building up of the body of Christ includes several important features: First ...

111. Rules for Holy Living

Colossians 3:1-17

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... with all wisdom. This is a pedagogical process (cf. 1:28) in which all members share responsibility. In light of Paul’s ministry as a teacher and Epaphras’ as a transmitter of tradition, this verse should not be taken to imply a deficiency in these church leaders. The second manifestation of the word of Christ is in worship. Considerable research has gone into analyzing the different components mentioned, so it is not unusual for commentators to suggest that psalms (psalmois) may have their heritage in ...

112. Thanksgiving and Prayer

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... for their faith, because your faith is growing more and more. Faith can be understood either subjectively as trust, or objectively as the body of teaching, “the faith” (see disc. on 1 Thess. 3:2). In 1 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul spoke of their deficiency of faith in the latter sense—in some areas they needed further instruction—and he may be speaking of faith in that sense again—they were now better instructed. But the two meanings merge. A better grasp of the faith leads (or should lead ...

113. Samson’s Marriage

Judges 14:1-20

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

... . With Samson, the quality of Israel’s leaders reaches an alltime low. But God—once again, strange and improper as it may seem to us—will use even a Samson to accomplish his purposes. Even the structure of this chapter reveals the moral and spiritual deficiency of our hero. It divides into five sections, each introduced by the verb “went down” (Hb. yrd): verses 1–4, 5–6, 7–9, 10–18, and 19–20 (Davis, Such a Great Salvation, p. 170). The verb frequently appears in negative contexts, under ...

114. Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

Ezra 7:1-10

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... is ordered to carry out an investigation among the community in Judah. His role was to be like that of Persian “inspectors” (REB, 5:6; 6:6) sent to conduct inquiries. In this case the Torah was to be the standard by which to assess deficiencies. There is an allusion to this investigative role later on, in 10:16. The task involved a hermeneutical application of the Torah, for which Ezra’s background stood him in good stead. After these brief statements of two of Ezra’s responsibilities, verses 15 ...

115. The Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 10:1-32

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

... . 10:7 The meaning is that the righteous (because of their good name, or reputation; cf. 3:4 and 22:1) are remembered after death, but not the wicked. Blessing is the catchword for verses 6–7. 10:8 Although the verse is antithetic, the parallelism is deficient (v. 8b occurs again in v. 10b). In verse 8b, one would expect the foolish (lit. “a fool as to lips”) not to heed advice, but perhaps it is presumed that a garrulous person is not one who listens. The commands are the recommendations of the sages ...

116. The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

John 9:13-34

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

... to be true, yet the purpose of the appeal is to refute an opponent in partisan debate. 9:34 You were steeped in sin at birth: lit., “Your whole person was born in sins.” The word “whole” (Gr.: holos) is used in contrast to the single deficiency of blindness. The Pharisees are saying that there is more wrong with the man from his birth than just blindness (it is, after all, his tongue that is giving them grief!). His blindness at birth is a symptom of a far more sweeping moral predicament. The ...

117. Timothy and Epaphroditus

Philippians 2:19-30

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... Aleph A P Psi (perhaps under the influence of 1 Cor. 15:58; 16:10). According to J. B. Lightfoot “the work” with no genitive (as in C) is the original text. To make up for the help you could not give me: lit., “in order to fill up your deficiency of ministry to me” (Gk. hina anaplērōsē to hymōn hysterēma tēs pros me leitourgias). The leitourgia would include the gift mentioned in 4:10–20, brought to Paul by Epaphroditus (cf. the verb leitourgēsai used of monetary gifts in Rom. 15:27) but ...

118. David’s Charge to Solomon

1 Kings 2:1-12

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

... ). It is deuteronomic language such as this that we shall find recurring throughout Kings, as first Solomon himself (1 Kgs. 11) and then all the succeeding kings of Israel and Judah are weighed in relation to the Mosaic law code and found wanting. Their deficiencies in this respect, of course, are not unimportant. For as David makes clear to Solomon in verse 4, the continuance of the dynasty depends upon obedience. Those are the terms of God’s promise to David. The reference here is apparently to 2 Samuel ...

119. An Unholy History

Ezekiel 20:1-29, Ezekiel 20:30-49

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... an annual pilgrimage to the central sanctuary represented a defiling concession (i.e., a cultic sin of omission): the sacrifice of (only) the firstlings—with its corollary, the profane slaughter of all non-firstlings—was completely deficient by stricter Priestly standards, especially concerning the handling of blood. Furthermore, the consecration of firstlings that was commanded by the Deuteronomic code and the substitution that was allowed were totally inadequate from the Priestly perspective. (Hahn ...

120. Oracles of Restoration

Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ezekiel 35:1-15, Ezekiel 36:1-38, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Ezekiel 37:15-28

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... God’s compassion in 39:25, likely belongs to an editor rather than to the prophet). As Gowan frankly observes, “Ezekiel does not speak of the love of God, as other prophets do, and as the nt does, and his theology seems deficient for that reason” (Ezekiel, p. 118). Indeed Greenberg claims, “The restoration would not be a gracious divine response to human yearning for reconciliation. . . . It would be an imposition on wayward Israel of a constraint necessary for saving God’s reputation” (Ezekiel ...

121. Sabbath Controversies with the Pharisees

Matthew 12:1-14

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... With the statement that “something greater than the temple is here,” Matthew’s Jesus points to the arrival of God’s reign over all of life. The mission of Jesus and his disciples has precedence over what came before, not because what came before was deficient but because the kingdom is the climax of the covenant. When the kingdom comes in its fullness, it will bring about the culmination of God’s restoration of Israel and the nations for all those who follow the ways of Jesus. And as Matthew will ...

122. Jesus’s Ministry and Popularity Continue to Grow

Mark 1:40-45, Mark 1:35-39, Mark 1:29-34

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... as well as spiritual. His compassion was universal. The hurts and ailments of people had absolute priority, even over the rituals and traditions of his Jewish roots. That is the message for the church today: reach out to people in their spiritual and physical deficiencies with the compassion of Christ, care more for people than for “success,” and tell people what they need rather than what they want to hear. 3. When our life has been touched by Jesus, we must tell others about it. As part of his ...

123. Barren No More

1 Sam 1:1-20–2:11

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... ideal Davidic king, through whom God will bring about the fulfillment of his ancient covenant promises. Teaching the Text This story has two main themes, the second of which has various dimensions: 1. Even when the Lord’s covenant community is spiritually deficient and plagued by a leadership void, his commitment to his people prompts him to provide leadership. Ancient Israel needs a king (Judg. 21:25)—not just any king, but the kind of king envisioned in Deuteronomy 17:14–20. This king, in contrast ...

124. The Ark Does Some Damage

1 Samuel 5:1-12

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... misinterpret Israel’s defeats as being due to the Lord’s weakness or to the strength of the foreign gods. So in this section of the Former Prophets (Judges and 1 Samuel), the narrator affirms that Israel’s defeats are punitive, not due to some deficiency on the Lord’s part.1 As part of his strategy, the narrator demonstrates the Lord’s superiority to foreign gods, in particular Baal, the Canaanite god of the storm, and Dagon, the god of the Philistines. The Song of Deborah depicts the Lord as ...

125. Be Careful What You Ask For

1 Samuel 10:9-27

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... appear in the story. Though Samuel presents Saul to the people as a qualified king based on superficial physical appearances (10:23–24; see 9:2), the narrator’s presentation of Saul reveals a serious character flaw that was foreshadowed in deficient leaders of the judges’ period. Despite his divine commission, Saul is hesitant to carry out the Lord’s purposes. Furthermore, some of the people, observing his hesitancy and realizing this is not the kingship arrangement for which they have asked, refuse ...

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