Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 101 to 125 of 4999 results

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

... sure, the responsibility for the growth and nurturing of the family is to be equally shared by Mom and Dad. But in a unique kind of way, God has appointed the father to be the family leader and the one whom God will hold accountable for the family's ... as I that it doesn't work that way. As the old Chinese proverb says, "A picture is worth a thousand words." I'm wondering, "What kind of picture do you show to your children?" If your children see a loving parent in the way you deal with them and talk to them ...

102. Family Survival

Genesis 37:1-11

Sermon

Stephen DeFur

... your closet, and begins taking your clothes out of there, because the new wife needs some new clothes. You protest! You say, "No! Those are my clothes." Your husband says, "Well, they were, but you're bigger than you used to be. You've put on weight. Those clothes are kind of tight on you, but they'll fit the new wife just great! Let's give them to her!" (1) It's another way of thinking about it, isn't it? Yet, somehow this comes as a total surprise to every generation of parents. What we have going on here ...

103. Jacob's Sheep

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... baptized –immersed in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are adopted and chosen by God to be part of a community so unique, so different, so extraordinary that people can’t help but say, “I need to find out what makes this people so joyful! So healthy! So kind! So deeply loving! So full of life and potential for growth!” “I want to be part of a community like that!” Being on top of the world is not being elevated or better than anyone else, but it’s being able to see the vista God is showing us ...

104. The Power of the Unseen

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of envy? Or a spirit of fear? Or a spirit of gossip? Or a spirit of judgment? Or a spirit of love? We all have a kind of internal “spirit meter” inside of us. It’s like an intuitive force we have as human beings. The same way we can “sense” danger, we can ... spirit around us. The spirit we allow into our hearts is the spirit that we pass on to others. Anyone who has lived in any kind of family or community knows that if one of your family members comes home after a hard day at work and is angry or ...

105. God's Word Is a Seed

Luke 8:1-15

Children's Sermon

... about God as a farmer, he said that we are like the different kinds of soil. Now comes your part in the play. I want some of you to be different kinds of soil and we will see what kind of seed will grow in you. The first kind of soil is like this. [Hold up the big chunks of hard ground ... something. They start out real well and then in a moment they lose interest in what they are doing. They are the kind who love to come to church on Sunday, and when they are in God's house they look like the best Christians ...

106. The Stepfather of God

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... at first; but now, I have felt changes in my body that tell me I am expecting a child." Joseph felt like he had been hit by lightning. His reaction must have brought tears to Mary's eyes. Joseph was a plain working man with a practical, matter-of-fact kind of mind. He was a realist not given to visions and angels. He did not believe Mary. She tried to hide her tears as she turned and fled to her family circle. Joseph was crushed. He could not conceive of Mary being unfaithful to him. He assumed that she had ...

107. Love: The Happiness of a Godly Family

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... parents today? I know many of you men are objecting in your heart right now, saying, "I'm just not the hugging kind." I realize that hugging and kissing in the family today has become more the exception than the rule. Even in caring homes, ... said, "We're going to buy you a lovely new pair of skates." She said, "Tell me son, do you have a transistor radio?" The little boy looked kind of puzzled and said, "I don't even know what a transistor radio is." She said, "Well, don't worry son, we're going to get you ...

108. Instructions on Worship

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... by their errors and controversies. In fact, Paul does not suggest at any point that Timothy is to set the church in order, as for the first time. In each case the activities seem already to be present. What Paul is doing, rather, is correcting abuses of various kinds. For example, it may be assumed that men pray, and do so with raised hands (v. 8). The instruction here is that they do so with “holy” hands, not “soiled” by anger or argument. If that be so, then what might be the place of this first ...

109. Overseers and Deacons

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... be a person who has a good reputation with outsiders. As noted in the discussion on 2:2, this is a genuinely Pauline concern in the NT. Indeed, this concern is what puts the foregoing list into perspective. That list has to do with observable behavior of a kind that will be a witness to outsiders. As in verse 6, Paul’s Greek is not altogether clear, but the emphasis seems to be that a bad reputation with the pagan world will cause the episkopos to fall into disgrace, or be slandered, and thus the church ...

110. A Workman Approved by God

2 Timothy 2:14-26

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... in v. 21 and therefore that v. 20 can stand on its own, as having its own application—to the church as being full of all kinds of vessels. But v. 21 makes it clear that that is not Paul’s point, and the oun (“therefore”) in v. 21 also makes it ... what has happened to those who oppose the gospel. The emphasis in this sentence has been clearly redemptive. Paul wants Timothy to model a kind of teaching that will not simply refute error (Titus 1:9; 2:15) and save his hearers (1 Tim. 4:16) but that will ...

111. The Resurrection Body

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... in the style of a diatribe with a dialogical argument, leading to Paul’s central point in verse 38, “God gives … as he wishes.” Above all, Paul’s point in relation to the issue of the resurrection of the dead is that the resurrection or spiritual body is a kind of its own. The bodies of those who are raised from the dead are as unique as are other bodies, but the spiritual body is like all other bodies in that it is given by God. 15:35 Verse 35 opens this complex of data, facts, and figures with ...

112. The Catch

John 21:1-14, John 21:15-25, Acts 10:1-8, Acts 10:9-23a, Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going ...

113. A Faith for the Uncharted Way

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Leonard Mann

... tell us what’s happening and what we ought to do. We have to move into the future without the benefit of angels - at least the kind of angels that visit us in our dreams and show us which way to go. Yes, perhaps we have our angels that speak in other ... as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). I know it seems sometimes that almost nothing works out right, that we are hounded by a kind of malevolency. I read of a minor playwright in New York who felt this way about things. Having been plagued by a series of what ...

114. With What Shall I Come?

Micah 6:1-8

Sermon

James Bjorge

... if you truly want to see God. You must make a declaration of dependence to him. Then God will put you on your feet so you can walk straight and tall and humbly with him. Let’s put it all together now and bring it to the Manger Child. Justice, kindness and humility will be wrapped up in your person and that shall be the present that God will enjoy opening all through the year. As they offered gifts most rare At the manger rude and bare; So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin’s alloy, All ...

115. Loving Close-up

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... -- demanding a lot of attention. It must be watered with intentional honestly and fed with deliberate care, else it will fade and lose its fragrance. During the early years of our marriage -- perhaps the first seven years -- I didn't give our flower of marriage that kind of attention. At least, I remember, I almost chopped the flower down. We had been married only a few months, and this was our first conflict. I wasn't prepared to recognize conflict, much less deal with it. I had told myself that to become ...

116. The Lenten License to Steal, Drink, Lie and Swear

Romans 4:1-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... For better or worse, 'till death do us part I'll love you with every beat of my heart And I swear If you believe God, you swear by one thing only: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” You know, maybe there are three kinds of people in the world, not just two: the wills, the won’ts, and the can’ts. The won’ts oppose everything. The can’ts fail in everything. The wills accomplish everything. Will you be one of the wills? Will you steal, drink, lie and swear this Lent? You know ...

117. You Provoke Me...and That's Good

Hebrews 10:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... one another . . .” Here is the first thing we need to see in this passage: The church of Jesus Christ is intended to be a community that encourages one another that provokes one another to love and good works. We are to provoke one another to acts of love and kindness. Is it all right if I tell a really bad joke? I’m really not asking for permission. I’m only giving you a warning. A guy goes into a bar. He’s sitting on the stool, enjoying his drink when he hears a voice say, “You look great!” He ...

118. Doing What is Good

Titus 3:1-11

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... it back to a narrower view of “every good work” in v. 1. However, both the immediate context of vv. 9–11 and the full context of the letter make it clear that the concern is not with “occupations” but with Christian behavior of all kinds. Final Exhortations and Warnings Against Errors With these final exhortations Paul brings the “argument” of the letter, which began in 1:5, to its fitting conclusion. Actually these verses do not so much form a new paragraph as bring the paragraph begun in 3:1 ...

119. Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... Christians. This gift is a special form of Spirit-inspired utterance, distinguishable from prophecy, that aims toward God rather than comes from God through the speaker to the people. The person who was so gifted was privileged to talk to God in different kinds of tongues. This reference itself generates debate, but from Paul’s comments one can see almost certainly that Paul does not have in mind the speaking of other known, human languages that the speaker had not studied in a normal fashion. In fact ...

120. Shepherd Dreams

Jeremiah 23:1-8, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 80:1-19, Psalm 23:1-6, John 10:22-42, John 10:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... He is prepared to lay down his life for the sheep. He bears the heart of God. A shepherd too is one who can read the signs of the times, one who can stay alert to the ways of the world and head off trouble before it becomes a deadly kind of force. A shepherd is one with a heart invested in God. For God is the True Shepherd of Israel. We know this from the prophet Isaiah, from Jeremiah, from others like the Psalmist: “The Lord is my Shepherd…..” (Ps 23) “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I ...

121. A Disciple After God’s Own Heart

Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... to be burnt wholly and fully. As the smoke would “ascend” or rise up (the word means ascension or even stairway [to heaven]), the connection between heaven and earth would be covenant sealed. But the connection in this word to ascension, resurrection, rising up, a kind of baptizing by fire is clear. Through this ritual, Isaac will be raised up and consecrated into his new role as covenant bearer of God’s people. Both of Abraham’s sons had to go through a “passing of age” ritual. In the chapter ...

122. Yada, Yada, Yada!

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . We all want someone in our lives who knows us and loves us just as we are and no matter what we do. That’s the kind of love Jesus offers to all of us, if only we will allow ourselves to see and be seen. For whether we acknowledge him or not ... the time of the womb, and desires to “know” each one of us, invites each one of us, into personal relationship with Jesus. This kind of “knowing” is a mystery. Anyone in a human relationship knows that! Why do we feel attracted more to some people and less to ...

123. How Costly Grace? Or Does Spelling Count?

Micah 6:1-8

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

... what God wants is not that we obey a list of laws, no matter how correct. Rather what God wants is that we love God with our whole being and that we love our neighbors, near and far, and ourselves. Everything else is fine print. And Jesus lived out that kind of life before the people of his time. God did give some guidance prior to Jesus, however, though it was hidden in the midst of the laws and fears and sacrificial traditions of the Jewish people. The prophet Micah was a prophet from 742-687 B.C., a time ...

124. A Fool’s Tools

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

... , they can’t make me buy that." At that moment I knew I had just heard a young boy being his own boy. I hoped I could be as much my own man. Being your own person is crucial to staving off a full performance of Act III. Without this kind of personal determination we will not keep the opportunity either to use our own tools or to help anyone else use theirs. Act III has not yet reached full-performance, and I would pray that it never does. Perhaps at times here, when I’ve talked about leaving tools in ...

125. Eternal Echo Of Easter - Part 1

Matthew 28:1-10

Drama

Esther R. Russ

... the Son of the Highest and the Lord God would give him the throne of David, and his kingdom would never end. I was confused and perplexed, but my fear was gone. "How can this be since I have no husband yet?" I asked. The stranger told me ever so kindly that the power of the Holy Spirit would come upon me and, therefore, this offspring shall be called the Son of God. I covered my face with my hands. The messager of God again calmed me, telling me about my cousin. She was in her sixth month of child bearing ...

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