Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 101 to 125 of 793 results

101. The Awesome Power of a Mustard Seed (Father's Day)

Mark 4:30-34

Sermon

King Duncan

A man was out on the golf course. He spotted another man who seemingly had four caddies. “Why so many caddies?” the first man asked the second. The second golfer replied, “It’s my wife’s idea. She thinks I should spend more time with the kids.” Well, that’s one way of doing it. I suspect he’s the same Dad who was asked by his wife when they brought home their first baby to help with changing diapers. “I’m busy,” he said, “I’ll do the next one.” The next time came around and she asked again. The husband ...

102. Haman's Plot to Destroy the Jews

Esther 3:1-15

Understanding Series

Timothy S. Laniak

Haman’s Promotion and Plot against the Jews: Esther 1–2 describes the splendors of the Persian court as well as its dangers. One queen was banished and her replacement installed. An assassination attempt by two officials was uncovered and executions followed. Chapter 3 begins with echoes of these earlier chapters. Like the king, Haman is a person with great honor (and wealth, 5:11). He also has a very sensitive ego. Mordecai, like Vashti, refuses to comply with a simple command to perform a gesture of ...

103. Exclusion From the Assembly

Deuteronomy 23:1-8

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Community Laws: Defining and Protecting the Community · These last chapters of the central law code have a “flavor” of concern for a compassionate and caring community that takes seriously the claims of kinship and the needs of the weak and vulnerable. That community itself, however, needs clear definition and measures to protect its religious distinctiveness and purity. This need explains the presence, alongside laws that immediately appeal to us by their charitable nature, of other laws that appear much ...

104. The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

A New Revelation of Yahweh’s Arm: Like 48:20–21, the end of the previous section, 50:4–52:12, both suggested closure and questioned it. The comment about the impossibility of shalom which followed 48:20–21 led into the new twist to the servant motif in chapter 49. The point is less explicit at the end of 50:4–52:12, but the implication is again that not all the prophet’s agenda has been handled. Everything is in place for the restoration of the community to Jerusalem and for the restoration of the city ...

105. Jesus Adopted by Joseph

Matthew 1:18-25

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Matthew confirms that Jesus belongs to Joseph’s genealogy by adoption, showing Jesus to be the Davidic Messiah and the embodiment of God’s presence to save. Understanding the Text Matthew concludes the genealogy from Abraham to Joseph by connecting Jesus’ birth to Mary, not to Joseph (1:16). In 1:18–25 Matthew “solves” this conundrum by emphasizing that Joseph names Jesus (1:21, 25), thereby adopting Jesus as his own son. This birth story also moves seamlessly into Matthew 2, where Jesus’ birth ...

106. Clean and Unclean

Mark 7:1-23

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

7:1–13 Although the NIV presents 7:1–13 as a separate unit, it is important to note that the discussion about Jewish traditional ideas of “clean” and “unclean,” begun in 7:1–13, continues in 7:14–23. Moreover, this topic sets the stage for the episode in 7:24–30, where Jesus deals with a gentile woman’s request for his ministry. The preceding summary passage (6:53–56) is thus a transitional point, and in chapter 7 we should recognize the beginning of a new section in Mark’s narrative. The Pharisees (last ...

107. God's Sovereign Choice

Romans 9:1-29

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

The Election of Israel What remains of God’s promises to the Jews now that the Messiah has come and the Jews from whom and for whom he came have, for the most part, failed to recognize him? That is the theme of Romans 9–11. Finding the exact term to describe Paul’s discussion of the theme is somewhat difficult. On the one hand, Romans 9–11 is more or less an excursus complete in itself. The beginning declaration (9:1) and the concluding doxology (11:33–36) delimit it clearly from the remainder of the ...

108. Expel the Immoral Brother!

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

The move from chapter 4 with its discussion of the ministry of the apostles to chapter 5 with the focused discussion of immorality may seem to be an illogical leap on the part of Paul. Quick shifts in focus such as this one have led a few interpreters to suggest that the document called 1 Corinthians is not a unified composition; but that reading of the text is an overreaction to the diversity of Paul’s remarks. Indeed, in 4:18 Paul confronted some of the Corinthians because they were arrogant (ephysiōthē ...

109. Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

The Practice of Prophecy The discussion returns to the direct consideration of spiritual gifts that was the explicit focus of Paul’s remarks up to 12:31a. One should notice at the outset that Paul’s general concern is with orderly worship, but there are bends and turns to the argumentation that are hard to follow and highly debated. Moreover, as later readers turn to this passage they sometimes forget the concrete historical circumstances that lie behind Paul’s remarks, but to do so is a disaster. Paul ...

110. Orderly Worship

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

Protocol for Practicing Spiritual Gifts Paul steps back from a strict focus on prophecy and tongues in verses 26–33a as he considers more generally the practice of Christian worship. Essentially, Paul delineates regulations for orderly assembly and worship. Behind all the particular instructions about worship practices, however, is the basic theme Paul sets out at the end of verse 26, “All of these things must be done for the strengthening of the church.” 14:26 The modern reader of Paul’s letter gains a ...

111. God Disciplines His Sons

Hebrews 12:1-13, Hebrews 12:14-29

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

Looking to Jesus as the Perfect Pattern With the glorious history of the faithful in mind, our author turns now to his readers. The standard of faith has been set by the record of God’s faithful people in the past, who moved out into the unknown with confidence and who endured hardship without giving up their expectation of a future fulfillment of the promise. But the author now comes to the supreme example of this kind of faith in Jesus—the name that must be the climax of any list of paragons of faith. ...

112. Warning Against Refusing God

Hebrews 12:14-29, Hebrews 12:1-13

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

113. Daniel’s Training in Babylon

Daniel 1:1-21

Understanding Series

William Nelson

Daniel and His Three Friends Avoid Defilement: Chronological notations frame the opening chapter. It begins with the third year of King Jehoiakim of Judah, at which time the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem (1:1). It ends with the first year of King Cyrus of Persia (1:21). These are roughly the parameters of the exile; apparently they are also the bookends for Daniel’s career. Nebuchadnezzar deported to Babylon the Jewish leaders, including Daniel and his friends; Cyrus conquered Babylon ...

114. Christian Success and Christlikeness

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: When the Christian faith is reduced to a mere complement to cultural norms, churches come to affirm the very things they should despise and despise the very things they should affirm. Understanding the Text First Corinthians 4:6–13 ends Paul’s response to the deeper and broader issues in the report coming from Chloe’s household. Paul brings the tension between Corinthian ideals and true Christian ideals into their sharpest contrast yet by pointing to his own situation. Everything about Paul, both ...

115. Trinity Sunday

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS The two Old Testament texts for Trinity Sunday focus on the creative power of God, and, as such, they provide commentary on the Gospel lesson, where Jesus proclaims to his disciples in Matthew 28:18 that "all authority in heaven and on earth" has been given to him. Genesis 1:1-2:4a is the sweeping account of creation of order from chaos. Psalm 8 is a hymn that celebrates the creative power of God. Taken together these texts provide the vast stage upon which we must interpret this final ...

116. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

Sarcastic Introduction Job’s response to Bildad’s third speech is extended (six chapters long)—even for the usually loquacious Job! Many commentators divide up the chapters attributed to Job to supply an extension to Bildad’s brief speech, as well as to wholly reconstruct a missing third speech for Zophar. Such reconstruction, however, can only proceed on a presumptive assumption of what each speaker would have said—and is thus controlled ultimately by the reconstructor’s theory rather than challenged and ...

117. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Daniel 2:1-23

Understanding Series

William Nelson

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: The stories in Daniel 2–7 probably did not all circulate together originally. As mentioned earlier, evidence for this can be seen especially in chapters 3 and 6. The original author of chapter 3 focuses on Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, seemingly unaware of Daniel, while the original author of chapter 6 highlights Daniel, seemingly oblivious to his three friends. These independent traditions have been brought together and shaped into a literary whole. (For a more ...

118. Hearts

2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

In 2:14ff. Paul has given a sustained defense for the legitimacy of his apostleship. He has already pointedly urged the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain by rejecting his God-given apostleship (6:1). In 6:11–7:4 Paul turns once again to exhortation and, in the process, draws the whole apology to a fitting conclusion that recalls its beginning (this rhetorical device is called an inclusio). The appeal pivots on the word hearts, which Paul has used extensively in the course of his apology, ...

119. Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

The Opening Greeting 1:1 Except for the omission of Timothy, the opening of this greeting is quite similar to Colossians 1:1. The letter claims to be from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. This term was one that Paul used frequently to indicate that he was “one who was sent” (apostellō, “to send”) as a missionary or special envoy of God. It is used of the twelve disciples as well as for others who fulfill an apostolic function, such as Andronicus and Junias (Rom. 16:7). At times, it is applied to ...

120. Jesus' Teaching on Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

This section is made up of three parts: (1) the Lord’s Prayer (vv. 1–4), (2) the Parable of the Persistent Friend (vv. 5–8), and (3) the exhortation to trust God for meeting needs (vv. 9–13). The first and third parts evidently come from the sayings source and appear in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, though not together as they are here (see Matt. 6:9–13; 7:7–11). The Parable of the Persistent Friend occurs only in Luke. Evans (p. 43) suggests that Luke may have seen a parallel with Deut. 8:4–20 where ...

121. The Resurrection Body

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

Comparing Bodies and Seeds These ten verses assemble a wide variety of materials as Paul continues to argue in behalf of the reality of the resurrection of the dead. Here, Paul offers a collage of data as he quotes the LXX, alludes to stories from Genesis, and develops analogies related to seed, flesh, body and glory, and Adam. The lines of the discussion open 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 ...

122. My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Psalm 22:1-31

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

This is an extraordinary psalm that takes us to the extremes. Its haunting words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” were quoted by Jesus on the cross. It develops from an individual in the dust of death (v. 15) to universal acknowledgment of the kingdom of God. In the lament we read “all who see me mock me” (v. 7) and “all my bones are out of joint” (v. 14), but in the praise sections we hear, “All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!” (v. 23), “All the ends of the earth will . . . turn to the ...

123. Advent 4

Isaiah 7:1-25, Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Isaiah 7:10-16 (C); Isaiah 7:10-14 (RC); Isaiah 7:10-17 (E) Yahweh gave King Ahaz the sign of a child as deliverance. The historical situation behind this Lesson needs to be known for an understanding of the passage. It was the time of the Syro-Ephramite war (736-734 B.C.). Israel and Syria joined in an attack on Judah and King Ahaz. He planned to get help from Assyria, but Yahweh through Isaiah urged him not to do it, but to rely on Yahweh for deliverance. With a practical and ...

124. The Credibility of the Gospel Paul Proclaims

Galatians 1:11-24

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

1:11–12 Paul continues his self-defense by focusing on the gospel itself. This is Paul’s usual way of underscoring his authority and credibility. For instance, at the beginning of Romans—a letter in which Paul wishes, among other things, to encourage the Roman believers to accept his apostolic authority—Paul highlights his understanding of and commitment to the gospel (Rom. 1:1–6). At the start of Galatians Paul also turns his hearers’ attention to the gospel. Paul was so thoroughly identified with the ...

125. Warning Against False Teachers of the Law

1 Timothy 1:1-11

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Salutation The letter begins with the standard form of salutation found in almost all the letters from the Greco-Roman period. Where such a letter in our time would have begun, “Dear Timothy,” and concluded something like, “Your affectionate father in Christ, Paul,” ancient letters began with the name of the writer, followed by the addressee and a greeting. Usually these were terse: “Paul, to Timothy, greetings.” Such a terse greeting may be found in Paul’s earliest existing letter (1 Thessalonians), but ...

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