Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 101 to 125 of 655 results

John 18:1-19:42

Sermon

Lee Griess

Garbage truck driver, Craig Randall, brings his work home with him sometimes. There was that old-fashioned sewing machine he found. There were some books he rescued from the trash. And then there was that soft-drink cup that just happened to be worth $200,000. Neither Randall nor his fiancée really believed it until he drove his garbage truck up to the restaurant and picked up the check. Twenty-three-year-old Randall said he lifted the cup from a pile of trash while he was on his route in south Boston. He ...

102. Turning Doubt Inside Out

Luke 23:39-43

Sermon

James Merritt

His name is Ben Davis: 18 years old, 6 ft. 3 in. tall, 195 lbs. Davis is a very special young man. He was named the USA Today Baseball Player of the Year. By all accounts, he has a tremendous future ahead of him. This 18 year old phenom signed with the San Diego Padres right out of high school for a $1.3 million bonus. He has been called the best high school catcher in twenty years; the best since long time Atlanta Brave, Dale Murphy, in 1974. He has been labeled a "Can't Miss Prospect." He is absolutely ...

103. A Song for Tomorrow

Psalm 1:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

It occurred to me the other day just how much God loves music. Think about this – the only art of earth that we take to heaven is music. I don't know what all we are going to do in heaven, but if you sing or play an instrument already I know one of the things you are going to be doing. Even if you don't sing and you don't play, you are going to learn very quickly - perhaps to do both. The Bible makes it very plain there is always music in heaven. Of all the arts and crafts that human kind has learned over ...

104. Lent 2

Philippians 3:12-4:1, Jeremiah 26:1-24, Genesis 15:1-18, Luke 13:31-35, Psalm 27:1-14, Psalm 42:1-11

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE The Second Sunday in Lent reminds the people of God, who gather for worship this day, that they are following Jesus to Jerusalem, according to the Roman Catholic ORDO, or, in the other lectionaries, are given a preview of what is going to happen in the Holy City. Almost any Gospel for the Day that is selected from St. Luke, which would fit into the liturgical/theological scheme of Lent, will have some sort of orientation to Jerusalem; Luke's whole gospel makes it absolutely clear that ...

105. Mary - Weeping Woman or Bold Believer

John 20:10-18

Sermon

Carl E. Zahrte

In the name of Jesus Christ, who is indeed the Resurrection and the Life, dear friends: During the past six weeks of Lent, some of you know that I have been preaching in the Wednesday services from the point of view of one who was there, at the scene of the suffering and death of Jesus. This morning again I wish to speak to you in a first-person style, taking the part of one who was there, Mary Magdalene. Please listen, then to what I say, not as a sermon by a pastor, but as a message from a woman who knew ...

106. Joseph

Drama

Charles L. Koester

INTRODUCTION: [This portion is read from the lecturn by the introducer or narrator.] Of all the persons involved and related to the Advent, the coming, of Christ, there is one who is the "forgotten man" of the Nativity. Even the great artists of the world, many of whom have lavished their imagination upon the scene of the Nativity, have been content to make him part of the dark backgrounds of their paintings. Yet, this man was much more than just a piece of fleshly furniture. As his wife, Mary, was chosen ...

107. The King Of Ifs

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Richard Andersen

His throne room was the top of a small hill named Golgatha. His throne was not gilded and set with precious stones; it was a cross of rough-hewn timbers. Though He wore a crown, it was of thorns. Albeit He had been cloaked in a robe of royal color, it was but a discarded rag and even that was taken from Him. Once He held a scepter, but it was only a reed from a creek bed, stuffed derisively in His hand by jeering guards. Yet Jesus, upon Calvary's cross, was more a King than any other sovereign; certainly ...

108. Walk By Faith Not By Sight

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

This sermon covers Philippians 1: 1-6 and II Corinthians 5 1-7. Barbara Brockhoft tells us that a few years ago in DeKalb County down in Georgia, a school had a mock drill as a part of the Civil Defense program. In the test drill there was a fourth grade boy who was chosen to be "hit". He was listed as one of the casualties. In the mock test he was struck down by glass, debris and rubble. An ambulance was to be called to the elementary school where the test was conducted, and at the call of the ambulance, ...

109. The Lord's Song in a Foreign Land

Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon

John E. Harnish

The year was 587 B.C. The nation of Israel was overthrown, the city of Jerusalem was leveled, and the people of Israel were taken into bondage in Babylonia. The survivors of the brutality and the death march found themselves in captivity in a foreign land, cut off from the holy city and their heritage, their hope and roots, and, most important of all, from the temple, the center of their faith. No longer able to offer their worship around the Ark of the Covenant, unable to offer sacrifices on the altar, ...

110. The Roman Trial

Mark 15:16-20, Mark 15:1-15

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: There is a twofold emphasis: (1) the guilt of the Jews and the Romans for Jesus’s death; (2) Jesus as the king of the Jews, continuing his revelation in 14:62 that he is the Messiah and eschatological judge. Understanding the Text The progression of events continues as Jesus moves inexorably toward his divinely ordained destiny. On Wednesday Judas offers to hand him over to the leaders, and the movement accelerates to its denouement. On Thursday evening at the Last Supper, Jesus reveals the ...

111. The Gospel of God in Christ through Paul

Romans 1:1-17

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

Big Idea: Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was divinely chosen to preach the gospel of God in Christ, the end-time fulfillment of the twofold Old Testament promise of the restoration of Israel and the conversion of the Gentiles. Understanding the Text Romans 1:1–7 forms the first half of Paul’s introduction to Romans (1:8–15 is the second half). The introduction, or prescript, to ancient letters consisted of three parts: identification of the author, identification of the recipients, and a salutation or ...

112. “In God I Trust and Am Not Afraid. What Can Mere Mortals Do to Me?”

Psalm 56:1-13

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: To ask God to store our tears “in his bottle” is to affirm our trust in God’s attentive care to the detail of our miseries. Understanding the Text Psalm 56 is an individual lament that, suggested by the Greek and Aramaic translations of “A Dove on Distant Oaks,” came to be used as a community lament (see the comments on the title below). As is often the case with laments, the psalm is tempered by statements of trust (56:3, 4, 11), so much so that we would not go entirely wrong if we called it an ...

113. Babylon

Isaiah 13:1--14:23

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

13:1–23:18 Review · Oracles against the Nations: These messages are called “oracles.” The word “oracle” (literally “burden”) is a technical term and occurs in the heading of Isaiah’s speech against each nation (13:1—Babylon; 17:1—Damascus; 19:1—Egypt; 23:1—Tyre; cf. also 21:1, 11, 13; 22:1; 30:6). Similar collections are found in Jeremiah 46–51 and Ezekiel 25–32. This collection of oracles forms the second major division of Isaiah and prepares the reader for the “Apocalypse of Isaiah” (chaps. 24–27). 13:1– ...

114. The Jews and the Law

Romans 2:17-29

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

Psalm 51 records the confession of David when the storm of guilt from his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah broke upon him. Psalm 51 is, in fact, descriptive of the human condition, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.… Surely I was sinful at birth” (vv. 3, 5). It may be possible to maintain confidence in one’s virtue if one limits or controls the field of comparison. It is common, for instance, in comparative studies of various kinds, to compare the strengths of one system ...

115. Christ the King

Colossians 1:1-14, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Luke 23:26-43

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Jeremiah 23:1-6 The Messianic King. This, scholars say, is the most important messianic passage in Jeremiah. The leaders of Judah are blamed for scattering Judah into bondage. But, Yahweh promises to raise up faithful shepherds who will serve the people. He will gather the exiles back to their homeland. Above all, Yahweh will give as king a son of David who will save his people. Epistle: Colossians 1:11-20 We belong to the kingdom of Christ who, as the image of God, is preeminent ...

116. Pleased To Reconcile

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

Did you ever secretly wish that we had kings and queens here in America? I think that must be a secret wish of many of us, if the tabloid newspapers and magazines which are always on sale at the supermarket checkout counters are any indication. Between the romantic antics of Hollywood and the goings-on of the British royal family, the tabloids do a rushing business. (I won't embarrass any of us by asking how many secretly enjoy reading those tabloids as we're standing in line.) There's hardly a week goes ...

117. The Ultimate Mystery

John 18:28-40

Sermon

Lee Griess

An event is like a living organism. Its life depends on the inter-working of all of its parts. Take any one part and you steal the life from the whole thing. This is especially true of John's account of the death of Jesus. John, the theologian of the Gospel writers, more than any of the rest, views the crucifixion of Jesus as more than mere history. In the death of Jesus, John sees the person and purpose of Christ revealed. Let's take a step forward and, by means of John's description of Calvary, stand at ...

118. Please Pass The Salt

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

I have for a long time been a fan of a major league outfielder by the name of Brett Butler. A few years ago he was traded by the San Francisco Giants to their cross-state rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Butler returned to San Francisco for the first time as a Dodger, he was greeted by some cheers and boos. But then Butler did something that turned all the cheers into boos. He walked over and embraced the Los Angeles manager, Tommy Lasorda. After the game, a sportswriter asked him why he did that. He ...

119. Strengthened For Life

John 15:1-17

Sermon

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

During these Lenten Sunday mornings we have been thinking together about some of the things which Jesus shared with his disciples on the last night of his earthly life. These teachings of our Lord are recorded for us in chapters 13 through 17 of John’s Gospel. If you will read these chapters carefully, you will find they contain everything that is most precious in our Christian heritage - every gift, every promise, every commandment, every warning, every spiritual resource that the living Christ gives to ...

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. Galatians 6:7-18

Galatians 6:7-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

As he approaches the end of his letter to the Galatians, Paul rings a warning bell...Freedom from the law means each believer takes on responsibility for his or her actions. The gift of Jesus Christ is free, but not cheap - and individual actions continue to have significant repercussions. In verse 7 Galatians inclined towards libertine behavior are warned with the proverbial "God is not mocked." Since the term translated here as "mocked" is not a usual part of Paul's vocabulary, we may assume that this ...

122. Galatians 6:7-18

Galatians 6:7-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

123. Love Finds a Way

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

Characters (in order of appearance) Singer 1 Singer 2: Franz Gruber/Guitar Player Singer 3: Austrian Choir Member 1 Singer 4: Austrian Choir Member 2 Singer 5: Austrian Choir Member 3 Assistant Choir Director Choir Director Joseph Mohr Franz Gruber / Guitar Player Austrian Choir Member 1 Austrian Choir Member 2 Austrian Choir Member 3 Austrian Choir Member 4 Props Choir robes Wool scarves Sheet music — English and German versions of “Silent Night” Guitar Notes “Love Finds A Way,” which tells the story ...

124. When Nature Says No

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

You, who keep account of crises and transition in this life, sit down the first time nature says plain “No” to some “Yes” in you, and walks over you, in gorgeous sweeps of scorn. We all begin by singing with the birds and running fast with June days, hand in hand; but once, for all, the birds must sing against us, and the sun strike down upon us like a friend’s sword caught by an enemy to slay us, while we read the dear name on the blade which bites at us! That’s bitter and convincing: after that we seldom ...

125. David Becomes King over Israel

1 Chronicles 11:1-3

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

All-Israel Anoints David at Hebron: Whereas the previous narrative about Saul formed the introduction to the Chronicler’s description of David’s kingship, the next section narrates David’s actual anointing and coronation as king and the consolidation of his military power. It is quite clear that the Chronicler wanted to get to this point in his historical description as swiftly as possible. For that reason he skips over some events that are considered important in the Deuteronomistic History (see 2 Sam. 1– ...

Showing results