Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 101 to 125 of 334 results

101. Eliphaz's Second Speech to Job

Job 15:1-35

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

Sin Prompts Your Mouth The “second dialogue cycle” begins here as we return to the argument of Eliphaz, from whom we last heard in chapters 4 and 5. There Eliphaz operated from the assumption that humans are “born to trouble” (5:7) and therefore “reap” what they “sow” (4:8). It is impossible for “a mortal to be righteous before God.” Since even God’s servants, the angels, are untrustworthy, “how much more” are humans subject to “error” (4:18–19). As a result, Job must deserve his suffering. His only hope ...

102. Lord of the Sabbath and Appointing the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16, Luke 6:1-11

Teach the Text

R.T. France

Big Idea: Jesus, the Son of Man, declares that he has the authority to determine how the Sabbath should be observed. Understanding the Text The two Sabbath incidents in 6:1–11 complete the series of confrontation stories that began in 5:17–26, and the concluding discussion of “what they might do to Jesus” sets an ominous note for the further development of the story. But alongside the official opposition, we are now more fully introduced to the contrasting group of Jesus’s committed followers. We have read ...

103. Memorial Day

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Angela Akers

Greater love has no man than this . . . The Civil War ended in 1865. But it wasn't until 1997 that the last shot of that war was fired. In 1997, two young boys were playing around with their new Christmas present, a metal detector. Using their new toy, they came across a live shell that dates back to the Civil War. The boys, Michael and Andrew Zimmerman of Winchester, Virginia, didn't know what the shell was at first. Neither did their uncle, Michael Robinson. He reports poking and banging on it as he ...

104. Encouragement to Be Faithful

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Salutation After the long elaboration in the salutation to Titus (see disc. on Titus 1:1–4), Paul reverts to a more standard, brief form in this final letter to Timothy. Indeed, except for some slight modifications, these two verses are nearly identical to 1 Timothy 1:1–2. However, as in all his letters, these “slight” modifications reflect nuances of his changed circumstances and of his concerns in this letter. 1:1 It may seem somewhat surprising to us that Paul in such a personal letter should style ...

105. Altar Your Prayers

Mark 1:29-37

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Lord, out of the silence, we come into Your presence. Truly help us to set aside all thoughts and distractions. Help us to lay them at the Altar as we give this offering of time to hear Your word for our lives. Help us to put our worries and concerns about all of life into Your hands for safe keeping as we worship. In Your hands they don't look quite so big, so urgent, so burdensome. Help us to come into Your presence this morning ready to receive what you would have us hear. Introduction There's an old ...

106. Compound Interest Your Life

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Albert Einstein is noted for his work in the field of physics. That’s where he got his Nobel Prize in 1921. But one of his most famous quotes is one that appears to have nothing to do with physics. Einstein is reported to have said, when asked what is the most powerful force in the universe, “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” What is “the secret of life?” When asked that question at a men’s retreat, “Mike,” a successful entrepreneur whose start-up company went public, making ...

107. Deborah

Judges 4:1-24

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Deborah and Barak: The story of the fourth of Israel’s judges is full of the unexpected. Deborah is a multigifted woman whose roles parallel those of Moses. Barak behaves as anything but a hero of faith. Jael, a simple, non-Israelite woman, is privileged to deal the death blow to a powerful warrior—with highly unconventional weapons, a tent peg and hammer. Unlike other judges’ stories, the narrative account is followed by a poem, the Song of Deborah, which celebrates the Lord’s miraculous victory on behalf ...

108. The Good Parent

John 10:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

A television commercial for a pest control company shows two happy families, one on the right half of the split screen and the other on the left. On each side, the camera shows the family sitting on a comfortable sofa. It also shows the flooring and the foundations of the house under them. The voice described the family on the left, whose house had a solid, strong foundation. No problems there. Then the announcer turns to the family on the right. He lowers his voice a bit and speaks with urgency as he ...

109. The Infiltrator

John 10:1-21, John 10:22-42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: visual of Solomon’s Porch on the east side of the Jerusalem Temple / visual of David’s threshing floor The Infiltrator is a 2016 movie about the true-life take-down of Pablo Escobar’s drug trafficking ring. The hero is federal agent Robert Mazur. The movie tells the story of Mazur’s infiltration of the famous money laundering crime family in-order-to expose them and tumble them down from their impenetrable perch. That meant it had to be an inside job. Beautifully symbolic, the big reveal happens at a ...

110. Egypt

Ezekiel 29:1-21, Ezekiel 30:1-26, Ezekiel 31:1-18, Ezekiel 32:1-32

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

The last four chapters of Ezekiel’s oracles against the nations consist of a loose collection of seven prophecies, all concerned with Egypt: an allegorical oracle depicting Pharaoh as a dragon in the Nile (29:1–16); a late appendix to the book promising Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar (29:17–21); a lament over Egypt (30:1–19); a second oracle against the Pharaoh (30:20–26); an allegory depicting Egypt as the World Tree (31:1–18); a lament over Pharaoh, recapitulating the dragon allegory (32:1–16); and a funeral ...

111. Epilogue to the Law of the Temple: River, Land, City

Ezekiel 47:1-12, Ezekiel 47:13-23, Ezekiel 48:1-29, Ezekiel 48:30-35

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

47:1–12 With the vision of the river of life in verses 1–12, we return to Ezekiel’s original vision report. Although the insertion of material belonging to the Law of the Temple interrupted the original continuity between 44:1–2 and 47:1, the technique of resumptive repetition still signals the connection. The same Hebrew verb, shub (“return”) occurs in 44:1 (Heb. wayyasheb ʾoti, NIV “Then the man brought me back”) and 47:1 (Heb. wayeshibeni, NIV The man brought me back). The connection is also apparent ...

112. In the Cross of Christ We Glory

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Michael Milton

Patrick Morley has said that the turning point in our lives is when we stop seeking the God we want and start seeking the God who is. Peter would come face-to-face with the God who is. This would be a turning point in the life of the disciples. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But ...

113. The Ad Vent Wheat

John 1:1-18

Drama

Frank Ramirez

Characters Courtney Alexis Garrison Bradley Alex Kristin Krystal Teacher One Teacher Two Props Box labeled “Holiday Decorations” String of Christmas lights Nativity set Large metal vent Sheaves of wheat Bag (big enough to carry the puppets) Two hand puppets per child (Courtney, Alexis, Garrison, Bradley, and Alex are getting ready to decorate their Sunday school classroom for Christmas. Two or three of them are dragging a big box labeled “Holiday Decorations” to the middle of the sanctuary.) Courtney: Let’ ...

114. Luke 9:51-62

Luke 9:51-62

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Today's text starts us on Jesus' long, drawn-out journey to Jerusalem. In Luke, this is a 10 chapter-long sojourn (9:51-19:45), composed of material that is not found in Mark and only some of which is found in Matthew. The bulk of this material is characterized by the creative language, style and organization of material unique to this gospel writer. While Luke occasionally reminds his readers that Jesus is still on his Jerusalem journey (13:22, 33; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11, 28), for the most part the focus of ...

115. The Dividing Line

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

King Duncan

Ladies, can you remember where you were when your husband first proposed to you? Men, where were you when you first found out that you and your wife were going to be parents? What were you doing on the day that Dr. King was assassinated, or Elvis died, or the Challenger shuttle blew up? What about when you heard that you'd gotten that job promotion? Can you recall where you were when you got the best news of your life? Or the worst? The most ordinary surroundings can seem suddenly memorable at a time like ...

116. Cleaning House

Mark 1:1-12

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A few years ago I read an Ad in the Thrifty Nickel which read: "We cater to Clutter. Dependable house, apartment or business cleaning." And then there were a couple of phone numbers so you could contact the folks. There's nothing real earth shattering or funny about that ad but what struck me is that ad could be the Church's motto. Any Church's motto. We cater to clutter. We don't cater to the perfect. We don't cater to those who have already made it. We don't cater to those who don't need help. We cater ...

117. Discover The Joy Of Christmas

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I sure hope the next 12 days of Christmas aren't like that for you and your family. There are truly 12 days until Christmas. Can you believe it? We've still got leftover Halloween Candy and wasn't yesterday Thanksgiving? Time screams by this time of year. This is a hectic time of year. That's why paying attention to the signs of Christmas and getting our hearts and souls ready is so important. If we don't we might miss it. A few years ago I read an Ad in the Thrifty Nickel which read: "We cater to Clutter ...

118. Gratitude and Coping

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Tom Garrison

Nothing in recent years has been more upsetting than the sharp increase in the use of drugs among young. People have become so traumatized by the subject that any reasonable discussion of it has become well-nigh impossible. This is why I was particularly impressed with a speech made not long ago by a public health official at a large university, for he wisely avoided histrionics and went straight to the heart of the problem. He openly acknowledged that "the jury was still out" as to all of the physical ...

119. How Does Religious Conduct Work?

Mark 7:31-37

Sermon

Donald Macleod

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, his tongue was ...

120. Your Image of Tomorrow

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Mann

"Among those who are born of women ..." If you are thinking of the human race, this is a rather inclusive statement; I can’t think of very many people it leaves out! And this is a statement of Jesus as he offers a summa cum laude of highest praise to one of his associates in the dissemination of truth and light. He says, "Among those who are born of women, there has not arisen a greater prophet than John the Baptizer" (Matthew 11:11; Luke 7:28). What was it that was so great about John - this son of ...

121. Super Sunday

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Super Sunday. Super Bowl this afternoon. Are you going to watch? Most of us will, even those who have little interest in football. The Super Bowl, as an annual spectacle, has transcended its own sport and becomes the focus of national attention beyond reason. Churches recognize the impact. In bulletins across America today are no doubt a zillion sermon titles similar to the one in our own. On PresbyNet last week was the description of one of last year's services on Super Bowl Sunday. The ushers were ...

122. The End Times

Daniel 12:1-13

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Final Revelation--The Body: We enter now into the body of the last main revelation of the book of Daniel. There has been some progression in the visions of the book from a more general scope, encompassing larger blocks of history, to a more narrow focus on shorter periods of time. So, for example, Daniel 2 spans four and a half centuries by outlining the four human empires of Babylonia, Media, Persia, and Greece, which are swept away by the fifth—the eternal kingdom of God. Aside from the fact that the ...

123. Saints Alive!

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

This is the day when our vision of the church sweeps the horizons of history and of heaven, all at the same time. We embrace with gratitude uncountable yesterdays. They have been the arenas of faithfulness for God and for his people. In these days God has worked our salvation faithfully and with mercy. In these days generation upon generation of the saints have lived and faithfully served, preserving until our day the saving grace of God's Word and sacraments. At the same time, we see the horizon of heaven ...

124. Chapter IX

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Frank H. Seilhamer

"You will not lie about your neighbor" Exodus 20:16 The eighth Commandment consists of only five words in the Hebrew. But despite its brevity, don’t be fooled into thinking that it is unimportant. It speaks to the heart of a fundamental human problem. Its intention is to prevent one man from destroying another with his tongue. In all probability, the original purpose of this guide for living was to assure truth in the law courts. Even today before a witness takes his place before the bench he usually must ...

125. Miscellaneous Laws

Deut 23:15–25:19

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Community Laws: Defining and Protecting the Community · These last chapters (23-25) 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 ...

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