Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 101 to 125 of 517 results

101. Prayers for Epiphany

Bulletin Aid

Rolland R. Reece

... family, our church, our schools, and our community. But in honesty -- for our polished exteriors don't deceive you -- we confess that our predicament can be attributed to the roads we have taken, to the decisions we have made, to the foolish actions of our impulsive moments. To you we confess that we have already missed the mark. We welcome your spirit into our emptiness that our lives may be filled. Then we will rejoice, for your strength is without limit, your love never leaves us lonely, and your ways ...

102. Easter Day

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18, Acts 10:23b-48, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34, Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... afraid to enter. He looked into the tomb, but he was too timid to enter by himself. In our time, we get close to the resurrected Christ, but we do not enter into Christ. We are content to be spectators of the drama. c. A direct position -- Peter. Impulsive, daring, brazen Peter rushes into the tomb. He is not afraid to enter where angels may fear to tread. He sees the absence of Jesus' body, the grave clothes, and the facial napkin. But, the evidence does not lead him to believe Jesus has risen. His bravado ...

103. Easter 3

Revelation 5:1-14, Acts 9:1-19a, John 21:1-14

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... of them decided to go fishing. The account is strangely similar to Peter's call in Luke 5: fishing all night and catching nothing, and the miraculous catch of fish. Only John recognized the stranger on the beach as Jesus. True to his nature as an impulsive activist, Peter swims ashore to be with Jesus. After serving breakfast to the men, Jesus recalls Peter as a disciple who was to express his love by feeding Jesus' sheep. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Gospel: John 21:1-19 1. Again (v. 1). The risen Jesus again ...

104. Transfiguration

Luke 9:28-36

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... booths. We do not know what to say. Then there are other times when you seem so far away. We long for mountain top experiences which are altogether too infrequent. We easily grow impatient. We are quick to complain. We question. Teach us to resist the impulse to cling to things which do not finally matter. Help us to remember that you unfold your finest work within the full view of ordinary people who are engaged in ordinary life situations. Increase our faith. Increase our capacity for surprise. Amen.

105. Advent 4

Mt 1:18-25 · Rom 1:1-7 · Isa 7:10-17 · Ps 80

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... those who insist on being freaks or zombies in the kingdom of Christ. Christ seeks our obedience but it is certainly not unthinking devotion. To the contrary, he urges those who would follow him to first weigh the cost carefully. No place for wild and impulsive devotion in the kingdom of God. Christ does not seek to obliterate our will; rather, he gives us the grace to willingly subject our will to that of God's. Another distinction between Christian obedience and that of the zombie variety is that Christ ...

106. Easter 2

Jn 20:19-31 · 1 Pet 1:3-9 · Acts 2:14a, 22-32 · Ps 16 · Ps 111

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... maintains that Jesus was handed over to those who killed him by the plan and foreknowledge of God. God offered up his Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. God displays not only his love but his power, by harnessing humankind's evil impulses for the salvation of the world. Humpty Dumpty. "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again." Nursery rhymes contain truths about life. The Humpty Dumpty ...

107. Lent 5

John 11:1-16, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 8:1-17, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 23). Gospel: John 11:1-45 "The one whom you love is sick" (v. 3). This brief statement makes clear that there is no logical connection between illness and God's favor. When illness and other misfortune strike, our first impulse is to think that God has abandoned us or, worse, is punishing us. No, he still loves us. Even when he doesn't seem to spring to our aid, as in the case of Lazarus, even when he appears absent from our lives, our plight is not forgotten ...

108. The Nativity Of Our Lord

Luke 2:1-20 · Titus 2:11-14 · Isaiah 9:2-7 · Ps 96

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... , for he enters the world as one of them; he comes to us as a naked, outcast alien. How different in the western world, where many of the churches reach out to the up-and-comers, those who are wealthy, powerful and successful. Even at Christmas, when our impulse to charity is magnified, we do little more than share a few crumbs with the poor of the earth. Our giving centers on those who have favored us with gifts. God's love in Christ is pure grace, giving himself to those of no repute. Perhaps Christ first ...

109. Proper 19

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... died, the brothers feared that Joseph would seek retribution. Joseph responded that only God could judge. "You meant it for evil," he said, "but God used it for good." It's quite likely that when his brothers first sold him into slavery, he was possessed by the impulse for revenge. At first, it's quite unlikely that he viewed God's design. However, as Joseph learned to place his life in God's hands, he could see how God was active in his life. Faith is not only the ability to envision what life can become ...

110. The Meek

Sermon

John A. Terry

... for they shall inherit the earth." (Van Blair) "Blessed are the humble-minded for they will possess the land." (Goodspeed) "O the bliss of the person who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time, who has every instinct, every impulse, every passion under control because he himself is God-controlled, who has the humility to realize his own ignorance and his own weakness, for such a man is a king among others." (Barclay) "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (RSV ...

111. Turning A Minus Into A Plus

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... perceived weakness was an inability to tough things out, to hang in there and produce when everything isn't handed to us immediately on a silver platter. The American pioneer spirit of making a plus out of a minus, holding on to the fight, seems to have given way to impulsive grabbing of that which already exists. In other words, it is a loss of the ability to call on the power of God which enables us to walk and not faint.[3] Let us soar when we can. Let us run, and work, and play. Let us thank God for ...

112. Times Of Refreshing

Acts 3:11-26

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... forlorn and alone, was the young fellow. As the guard stood just out of sight, he heard the boy's words: "I want my dad." Yes. Our words and actions cannot be recalled. The harm, once inflicted, is done. Melodramatic example? Perhaps. But all of us, under the impulse of such a variety of unwholesome driving forces, do and say things which hurt. And then we must live with them. There are those people, we are told, who do not experience remorse for these things. I have no idea what fate is theirs. But if we ...

113. Kindness In Action: Evangelism

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... to help. The man had at last found someone who treated him as a worthwhile human being and was willing to devote his time, energy, and resources to enable the man to find the answers he sought. That the man asked to be baptized forthwith may seem impulsive at first, but who among us has not hungrily grasped at those answers which suddenly appear in times of extreme stress? He must have seen baptism (a Jewish religious rite at that time) as a way of proactively receiving this newly found power into his own ...

114. Rules For A Happy Life

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... or perhaps a colleague in your work. Or it could be a special friend. Maybe more than one of these. I have two friends, clergy, who have set standards to which I now aspire. Time after time, I have acted in a way I must admit was better than my impulses would have lead me to do because I knew that's how they would act. What about you? Is what you're about to do something you could feel good about if one of these people were to act the same way? Would that person be proud of you? This ...

115. The Meek

Psalm 37:1-40

Sermon

John A. Terry

... they shall inherit the earth." (Van Blair) "Blessed are the humble-minded for they will possess the land." (Goodspeed) "O the bliss of the person who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time, who has every instinct, every impulse, every passion under control because he himself is God- controlled, who has the humility to realize his own ignorance and his own weakness, for such a man is a king among others." (Barclay) "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (RSV) 1 ...

116. Eating Living Bread

John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... enables a person to live faithfully in following the teachings of Jesus even when they make demands that go contrary to conventional wisdom and human prudence. 2. Flesh or Spirit. (vv. 55, 58) A. Doing What Comes Naturally. Do we simply follow our biological impulses? B. Doing What Comes Spiritually. Living in Christ helps us overcome natural desires and to live according to the Spirit. C. Being Fully Human. Jesus was truly human. If we partake of his nature and character we manifest what it means to be ...

117. The Unclean Spirit

Mark 1:21-28

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

... days believed evil spirits were the bearers of disease and mental problems. They believed evil spirits took possession of a person. They attributed insanity to the presence of an unclean spirit or a demon. Evidence of suicidal impulses suggested demonic possession. Demonism, or spirit possession, also was a folk designation for epilepsy. The solution to the problem of demons presented a great difficulty requiring more than physical remedies. Healing came from the spiritual dimension. Jesus regarded ...

118. Advent 4

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... quality within them. It's God's nature to bestow his favor, even on the sinful, the weak and the undeserving. God grants his favor to all who freely let the gospel conceive new life in their hearts. Holy Fear. When Mary encountered the angel her first impulse was fear, even though the message was one of grace (v. 29). Such a response is quite natural, as we can see from numerous accounts in scripture. When we sinners stand in the presence of the One who is eternal and holy, we are overwhelmed with a sense ...

119. Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:16-18, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Bulletin Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... and considers how he might breathe new life into his relationship with his children. 4. If we sigh (truly repent) of our sins, the Spirit will breathe new life into our being. Walter Wangarin, Jr., relates a moving personal story involving his son, apparently an impulsive little boy who permitted his desires to dominate his conscience. One day his father happened into his room and observed the boy on the bed with a pile of comic books. The father was perplexed. "Where did you get all those comic books?" He ...

120. Epiphany 6

1 Corinthians 10:23--11:1, 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, Leviticus 13:1-46, 2 Kings 5:1-27, Mark 1:40-45

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... . Athletic training points to the vital role of self-discipline. The body needs to be brought under control in order to attain the goal. An athlete exercises self-control not only in sports but, as Paul states, "in all things" (v. 25). Giving in to bodily impulses dissipates energy. The follower of Christ must bring body and mind under the control of God's Spirit to win the heavenly prize. Energy conservation. When Paul states that he does not box as one aimlessly beating the air (v. 26), he's talking about ...

121. Remembering The Saints

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

... and religious life as well. We ignore, actually devalue, what generations of Christians have learned about God before us. We are ignorant of theology, ignorant of the great tradition of spirituality and worship which has preceded us, content often to live only for the spiritual impulses of the moment. We don't know that we stand upon the shoulders of giants, and that if we can see any glimpse of God at all, it is only because there have been faithful witnesses who have helped us see, and who are now ...

122. A Big Fisherman · Peter

Mt 16:13-20 · Jn 1:35-42

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

... his face as he pitted his little craft against a gale, his calloused hands locked on the tiller, a defiant cry on his lips. And when the wild trick was over how he must have boasted of his feat to friends sharing his hearth! He was an impulsive man, quick to make decisions and equally quick to make mistakes. Yet he never let either stop him. Instead, he plunged straight on, rushing from one concern to another, always in the thick of things, acting first and thinking about them afterward. So, too, he was a ...

123. Easter Sunday

Luke 24:33-41 · Psalm 23 · Acts 4:33-36

Bulletin Aid

Jack Brownlee

... from the grave. He believed that Jesus was a new covenant that somehow made complete, somehow fulfilled, somehow made new and made sense of the law that Moses had given the people. His hesitancy was not doubt. It was that final struggle from within resolving on impulse, what had been (in a profound way) his plan. Joseph had only intended to stay in Israel a short time when he arrived from Cyprus nine months ago. He had traveled to Israel for the Passover one occasion before, but this time he came to clear ...

124. The TV Audience

Sermon

Michael Rogness

... our children, visits our shut-in grandparents and listens when we have problems. No television personality can begin to match the close bond between the preacher and the audience! The Perspective When we examine the effect television has on an audience, our first impulse might be to become discouraged. We are using simple speech to convey a message to people who are accustomed to more than speech. How can we communicate by speaking to people who are used to learning by television? Simply put, we need to ...

125. An Old Enemy

Colossians 3:1-17

Illustration

John E. Sumwalt

... could have sat with any number of people, or I could have sat by myself. For some reason I chose to sit beside him. The plane took off, and after we had been flying for a little while I asked him if he was Japanese. He said yes. On an impulse I decided to tell him a story that I had just heard -- about a man who died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell. He decided to go to hell because he thought that was where his friends were most likely to be. When he arrived ...

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