Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 101 to 125 of 5000 results

Mark 8:27-30

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... been able to do . . . although their response might have been cribbed from Herod’s own guilty musings about Jesus’ identity (see Mark 6:14-16). The reported titles, John the Baptist, Elijah, or “one of the prophets” are hardly surprising. John and Jesus ... see Daniel 7:13-14; 1 Enoch 37-71). A suffering, dying Messiah was an oxymoron of the highest order. Mark’s text declares Jesus announced all this startling information “parresia” — “openly” or “plainly.” Peter thinks Jesus has lost ...

102. Mark 10: 35-45

Mark 10:35-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that first must be traveled to reach that goal. The “cup” Jesus refers to has Old Testament roots as the cup of suffering (see Jeremiah 25:15-29; Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17,22). The “cup” is later acted out by Jesus himself in Mark 14:24 and 14:36. The “baptism” Jesus describes is an immersion, which simulates the death Jesus himself will endure. James and John, focused on attaining their goal of greatness, immediately assure Jesus that they are “able” to participate fully in the “cup” and ...

103. On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

John Smylie

... work and discipline. We can quiet the outer senses by fasting and prayer. We can quicken our spiritual memories by reading God's word; these are things which can be very useful when they do not become either a stick for beating ourselves or a measuring rod to mark our great piety. Perhaps our own wilderness will leave us very little room for the familiar methods by which we have met our Lord in the past. Perhaps we shall have to struggle to realize one day at a time it is not ultimately our ability to meet ...

104. Mark 13:34-37

Mark 13:32-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... uses them as signs of the imminent arrival of the Son of Man. When at last this long-awaited figure appears, Jesus uses language from Daniel 7:13 to describe his approach. In Daniel’s text this “one like a son of man” is never clearly defined but here in Mark’s gospel the Son of Man is clearly Jesus (see 2:10, 28; 8:31, 38; 9:9, 31; 10:33, 45). The “clouds” that accompany this Son of Man’s arrival are a familiar Old Testament symbol of God’s presence (1 Kings 8:10-11). Unlike Daniel’s ...

105. Mark 7:24-37

Mark 7:24-30

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... man once again stresses the solitary nature, the one-on-one encounter, between Jesus and a member of the “unclean” population. Jesus separates the man away from the crowd and deals with him “in private” (“kat idian”), a term used everywhere else in Mark to describe Jesus’ secluded moments with his disciples (4:34; 6:31-32; 9:2, 28; 13:3). Once they are alone Jesus focuses fully on the man’s needs, touching his ears and administering spittle, a body fluid that while usually deemed “unclean ...

106. Marked In An Empty Tomb -- The Cross Is Still There

Sermon

George Bass

... Body and Blood in that holy supper which he prepared for us. And he comes to us and allows us to “touch” him by taking the elements in our hands and eating and drinking what he gives us. And when we do that, the invisible, indelible, and illuminated mark of the cross that was traced on our foreheads in baptism assures us that he is alive, that his death has delivered us from sin and death, and that through our baptism we participate, not only in his death but also in the benefits of his resurrection. A ...

107. Marked In God’s Book

Sermon

George Bass

... . That’s God’s way. He writes our names into the book of life, not the honor roll of saints named here on the earth, when we are baptized, sealed into a covenant with him, and marked with the cross of Christ forever. Our names are written there simply on the basis of what he has done, not to record our good marks or meritoriuos service. Well, what’s the point, then, of attempting to be faithful to Christ, to serve in love and mercy, as long as we live? Just this: those who know that their names are ...

108. Marked For Ministry

Sermon

George Bass

... to celebrate their baptismal anniversaries every year by presenting those who are baptized with a small baptismal banner and a candle. The banner has the name of the person embroidered upon it, along with “… child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” The candle is to be lighted every year to remind people that they belong to Christ and his Body, and that they are “to let their light so shine before others that they may see their good works and ...

109. The Marks Of A Spiritual Counterfeit

Jude 1:12-13

Sermon

James Merritt

... fighting churches today, he is joining them! He has placed within churches, colleges, and universities, spiritual counterfeits. Every counterfeit has marks which distinguish it from the real thing. Jude goes to the world of nature and looks at the sky above, the earth ... around, and the sea below, to give us certain marks of spiritual counterfeits. How do you spot counterfeit Christians? They may dress up like a preacher, they may disguise themselves as ...

110. Mark 5:21-43

Mark 5:21-43

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... virtual stranger. Jesus responds instantly, without questioning Jairus about any aspect of himself or his daughter. The text simply states that "he went with him." Sensing high drama in the making, the crowd trails Jesus and Jairus. Here the story suddenly shifts. Mark now zooms in on a woman stubbornly threading her way through the crowd, moving ever closer to Jesus. She too is seeking healing. This woman's illness is not immediately fatal like the sickness attacking Jairus' daughter. But the nature of her ...

111. Mark 9:38-50

Mark 9:38-50

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... or given authority, they command the healer to stop. The use of the phrase "in your name" suggests a technical reference (more specific than indicated in v.37): The man was practicing a sort of "word magic," invoking Jesus' name to perform healings. Mark's description makes it clear that this man had received, no direct authority from Jesus so it would seem the disciples reaction may be justified. But Jesus' response flings wide the doors of discipleship. Jesus includes within his domain individuals his own ...

112. On Your Mark, Get Set, Hope!

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... day. Not even death can separate us from the Love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord. Hope that gets us through the day is not based on facts and guaranteed results, but upon courageous assurances that inspire the heart to act. So, on your mark! Get set! HOPE! Hope is an action verb. Hope is of scant worth unless we are willing to act. Hope is a forward adventure. When the children of Israel wanted to return to the flesh pots of Egypt, Moses pushed them further into the wilderness adventure. Hope ...

113. Style: Some Distinctive Marks of a Methodist

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... Beliefs of a Methodist Christian – we have only one other sermon to go. I want to talk about the style of a Methodist — some distinctive ingredients that make up that style. As I do this, you need to hold in your mind the fact that these distinctive marks are said in context of all the essential things we’ve been talking about during the past seven weeks. First, let’s talk about the catholic spirit. This is a celebrated aspect of the Methodist style. We suggested this in our sermon on the church two ...

114. X Marks the Spot

Illustration

Charles Steinmetz retired from General Electric after a lifelong career. Later, a system breakdown had GE engineers stumped, so they called on Steinmetz as a consultant. After inspecting the machinery at length, he marked an "X" on a defective part and billed GE for $10,000. The company protested, asking for an itemization. Steinmetz's reply read simply: Making one chalk mark $1.00 Knowing where to place it $9,999.00

115. Mark 10:35-45

Mark 10:35-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... off all the other disciples, most notably their compatriot Peter, from claiming any special seats in the world-to-come. Since Mark’s gospel only rarely invokes the names of individual speakers, and in this case the connection is so negative, the Petrine ... discipleship entails. His language of “cup” and “baptism” has specific connotations for post-resurrection Christians — that is, to Mark’s audience, but not, apparently, to Jesus’ pre-crucifixion disciples. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, on ...

116. Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:28-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... this individual Scribe. He judges which commandment is “first,” but also points beyond the Torah to the kingdom. It is not the Torah that brings this Scribe “not far from the kingdom of God.” It is the man’s reception to Jesus and his words. Mark’s final comment on this exchange asserts that “After that no one dared to ask him any question.” Though this may seem like a “throw-away” comment, it actually reveals one of the greatest betrayals of the faithfulness of those groups who had been ...

117. Mark 12:38-44

Mark 12:35-40

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... text) risk a greater judgment against them when they so blatantly trespass on its true nature and intent. In contrast to the “appearance is all” attitude of these Scribes, Jesus now finds an example of genuine faith and commitment right in front of him. Mark’s text situates Jesus directly across from the Temple, observing the Court of the Women, the outer area where women and children were allowed to pray and worship. As the area open to the greatest number of people, the Temple treasury was located ...

118. Carrying God's Mark

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Drama

Various Authors

... re really great. Leader 2: You mean we’re trying to impress other people instead of really talking to God? Leader 1: Exactly. And the black cross on our foreheads isn’t so other people will know we’re Christians. It’s to remind us who we are and to mark us for the Lenten journey ahead. Leader 2: But I’m not even sure what Lent is. Leader 1: It’s the forty days before Easter. During these forty days, we’re trying to walk with Christ as he walks to death on the cross and through his resurrection ...

119. Prayer for Mark 10:17-31

Mark 10:17-31

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... to such trust. Liturgical Color Green Suggested Hymns Thee Will I Love, My Strength Your Hand, O Lord, In Days Of Old A Multitude Comes From East And West Lord, Save Your World O God Of Earth And Altar Where Restless Crowds Are Thronging Prayer for Mark 10:17-31 All things are possible with you, Lord God. Nothing will ever stand in the way of your will being accomplished in the world. Nothing! We may run into obstacles which appear insurmountable, but your power is unstoppable. Our decisions may be based ...

120. Marked For Community

Sermon

George Bass

... a handkerchief out of my coat pocket and threw it right into the baptismal font. We laughed silently, and I quickly fished it out and held it and the baptism was completed without any other unusual occurrences. I realize now that I should have had a cross marked, or sewn, on that handkerchief and that I should have given it to him as a token of his baptism, his initiation into the family of God, the Church of Jesus Christ the Lord. That handkerchief is a symbol to me, too, because, unlike the paper towel ...

121. Marked For Mission

Sermon

George Bass

“Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:14-20 Yes, “the cross is still there,” and that means that we are all responsible for the business of telling the story of Jesus to the world. Shortly before it actually occurred, Jesus spoke of his impending death on the cross, ending with, “And I, if I be ...

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

Mark Twain

123. Making Your Mark

Mt 23:1-12

Illustration

King Duncan

... I never would. I wanted to do something to make people notice me...and remember me." The need to be recognized, to be appreciated, to have people know your name can carry a tragic price tag. Note: We could not find any ancient renditions of this event so we have marked this legend.

124. Mark 7:24-37

Mark 7:24-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... him out. Breaking into his hiding place, she respectfully bows at his feet (v.25). But suddenly the focus of this story shifts from her faith to her identity. No longer is this story about what this woman believes. It is obsessed with who she is. Mark describes her as a "Gentile" and further defines her racially as "of Syrophoenician origin" (v.26). The point the text is anxious to make is that she is a Gentile, a pagan, a non-Jew. If our "politically correct" sensibilities are not irritated by the edginess ...

125. Mark 7:24-37

Mark 7:24-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... in need presents herself at his door. Both healings described in this week's gospel text are requests on behalf of someone else. In this first story the Syrophoenician woman comes to Jesus to beg for her daughter's healing. In our second pericope (Mark 7:31-37), the deaf/mute man is brought before Jesus by a group of friends, who implore him to cure the man of his dual malady. A common chorus of stubborn, demanding insistence colors both these encounters perhaps because those who compassionately speak ...

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