Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 101 to 125 of 208 results

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

Purpose: To remind the children of the importance of each day and to make the most of each day. Material: Seashells or pictures of seashells. (If you have a large quantity of seashells, you may want to share one with each child.) Lesson: Have any of you ever been to Florida? One of the things people like to do in Florida is to walk the beach and look for shells. There are all kinds of shells to ...

102. Memorial Day

Children's Sermon

Theme: Memory Materials: A paper sack with ten household objects in it (use more if needed.); an American flag. Good morning, boys and girls. Today we celebrate and remember those who have given their lives in the service of our country. Without a memory we would be very poor and make many mistakes over and over. Will you each reach in this sack and take out one thing? Now look them over carefu...

103. All In A Day’s Work

Children's Sermon

Marti Kramer Suddarth

Materials Needed: Card stock printed with scripture references and verses, one on each side Crackers (optional) Telling The Story: Do you know the story of the little red hen? Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who loved to bake homemade bread. Mmmmm! To make homemade bread, she needed flour, and to make flour, she needed grain, so she decided to plant a field of wheat. Planting a fiel...

104. Sayings of the Wise: Admonitions for Societal Relationships

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Since the discovery and translation of the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope in the 1920s, scholars have noted its striking parallels with this section of Proverbs and debated the nature of that relationship. In a 1996 essay, Paul Overland lists seventeen verbal or thematic parallels between the texts, claiming that the author of Proverbs 22–24 excerpted and summarized the Instruction of Amenemope...

105. Sayings of the Wise

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

The title for these chapters is taken from the Greek, since the MT buries the phrase in verse 17. See the introduction for the international character of wisdom and the influence of Israel’s neighbors, especially Egypt. There can be no doubt that this section has been influenced by the Egyptian text known as Teaching of Amenemope (about 1100 B.C.E.), but there is considerable difference of opinion...

106. Tastes Great, Less Filling - Sounds Good, Not True

Sermon

James Merritt

As I approach this topic, I am reminded of a story of a Sunday School teacher who was trying to explain the dangers of alcohol to a class of little boys. She took a glass of clear water and placed it on a desk; then took a glass of alcohol and placed it next to the glass of water. She dropped some worms into the water and they just swam around. She then dropped some worms into the alcohol and the...

107. Trying Again and Again

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

Among other qualities of personal character, what makes a man great is his determination to keep going. Most sports buffs know that from 1960 to 1966 the record for the most stolen bases was held by the incredible Maury Wills. In 1962 he set the current club record for the Dodgers: 104 stolen bases in one regular season. But Maury Wills set another record in those years. A record probably obscure...

108. Father's Day

Children's Sermon

Object: Basket/box full of items such as hammer, frying pan, book, sales receipt pad, Bible, sewing materials, dental/medical item of equipment, small flower trowel, telephone. Be sure to have more than enough for the highest number of children anticipated and avoid sharp or overly heavy objects. Good morning, young people! Today is Father's Day. Today we are going to give God thanks for the thin...

109. Step One - Honesty

Sermon

John A. Terry

This past summer I read an article that caused me to make a significant change from my usual practice of preaching from the lectionary. The article, titled, "Coming to Grips with Drug Abuse," made the point that neither clergy nor parents need to be experts on drug dependency, though we do need to be well informed. We need to understand what it means to describe chemical dependency as a disease. T...

110. More Sayings of the Wise: The Necessity of Honesty and Diligence

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

A new collection of proverbs (24:23–34) is introduced in verse 23a simply as “also of the wise,” the word “sayings” being added by the translator. It addresses two familiar themes: honesty, especially in legal settings, and diligence in one’s work. The basic claim is stated in verse 23b: judicial partiality is not good. Acquitting the guilty rightfully provokes widespread, even national, outrage a...

111. Further Sayings of the Wise

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

24:23a Verse 23a is really a title to the collection of sayings in verses 23b–34. See 25:1 and the title at 22:17. 24:23b–25 The impartiality urged by these verses is supported by Leviticus 19:15 and Deuteronomy 16:19. There is a contrast between those who judge unjustly and those who reprove (NIV, convict). The former will be accused and the latter will prosper. 24:26 This seems to be an indepe...

112. Pro-Choice is No-Choice

Sermon

James Merritt

The Declaration of Independence says: "All men are created equal," and goes on to say they are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." Now those rights specifically are "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Now this may shock you, but did you know that every person in America is protected by these words except two groups: convicted felons, and pre-born chi...

113. Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments

Sermon

James Merritt

What issue do Americans feel more strongly about, and have a stronger opinion about, than any other issue? James Patterson and Peter Kim, in their groundbreaking book, The Day America Told the Truth, discovered that Americans feel more strongly about abortion than any other issue, whether it be alcohol abuse, the death penalty, pornography, flag-burning, affirmative action, or communism. 75% of Am...

114. More Proverbs of Solomon

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

These chapters are introduced by a superscription indicating that they are from Solomon by way of the “men of Hezekiah.” The sayings break from the admonitory style of 22:17–24:34 and resemble those of chapters 10–22:16. However, these sayings are much more vivid, and in chapters 25–27 they form larger units (“proverb poems,” as they have been called). Explicit comparisons are frequent. We are una...

115. By Invitation Only

Sermon

Lori Wagner

I want you to think about your dinner table for a moment. No, not to make you hungry during worship! But think about what it looks like, who is there, where it is, and where you are at the table. What is your place? Who is sitting at the head? Who is talking the most? Who is silent? Who is serving? Who cooked the meal? Who is on the periphery? Who is in charge? You see, we all have “table dynami...

116. The Heart -- Our Mirror

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Peter Ustinov is one of the great actors of our day. I don't know much about him, but I was impressed by an interview of some years ago during the filming of the movie, "Death on the Nile". He was talking about the images actors have to live with. An image is an awful thing, he said. An actor says, "I'm going to do this or that." And someone will say, "What about your image?" Ustinov said, "I don'...

117. A Rod For The Back Of Fools

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom, a collection of pithy expressions of practical advise. As I am contending in the theme for this sermon series, it is a compendium of guidance for daily living. Because it is a book of wisdom, it shouldn't surprise us that a lot is said about fools and foolishness. The word fool as singular or plural appears at least fifty five times in the book, and foolis...

118. Proper 17

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Ezekiel 18:1-9, 25-29 Each person is responsible for his/her life. Ezekiel here stresses individual responsibility for sin. Heretofore the emphasis was upon community, the nation. Now Judah is in bondage and the community (nation) exists no more. The old proverb said that the children suffer for the sins of their parents. Those now in exile holding to this view could feel no responsibi...

119. More Proverbs of Solomon

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

25:1–29:27 Review · The Later Colomonic: A second “Solomonic” proverbial collection begins in 25:1, extending through 29:27. These were “compiled” or edited two centuries after the reign of Solomon, during the reign of Hezekiah. 25:1–27:27 Review · The first subsection of this collection is on relating wisely to rulers, neighbors, family, and social menaces. In these chapters God is rarely mention...

120. Agur’s Message: Relying on God’s Word, Learning from His Work

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

30:1–31:31 Review · Although the final two chapters of Proverbs contain the wisdom of two more sages, from a thematic-theological standpoint they form an epilogue that corresponds to and serves to complete the prologue (Proverbs 1–9; parallels will be noted below). The words of Agur son of Jakeh and of King Lemuel are both called an “oracle,” a term otherwise applied to prophetic utterances (30:1;...

121. Sayings of Agur

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

The title that is incorporated into verse 1 clearly indicates a new collection. But it is difficult to ascertain the extent of the sayings: does it extend to verse 4, 9, or 14? The fact that the 14 verses are found in the LXX after 24:22 would suggest that they were taken as a unit. Proverbs 30:1–14 30:1 Agur is identified as son of Jakeh, but the next two words create some confusion (see Additi...

122. The Message of Lemuel’s Mother: A Call for Royal Justice

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The closing “oracle” (NIV “inspired utterance”) is ascribed to King Lemuel (whose name means “belonging to God”), who simply passes on what his mother has taught him (31:1). Like chapter 30, Proverbs 31:1–9 clearly belongs to this oracle, while the remaining verses of the chapter could constitute an independent section, although lacking a new title/author ascription. Whereas in Proverbs 1–9 King S...

123. Sayings of King Lemuel

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

The opening words indicate that a new collection appears. These sayings are clearly limited to verses 1–9, since an acrostic poem begins at verse 10. Moreover, they are a rare example of advice given by the queen mother to her son. 31:1 As in 30:1 (see the comment), “Massaite” should be read instead of oracle (see the NIV margin). The prestige and role of the queen mother in the ancient Near East...

124. Friendship

Drama

Julia Ross Strope

Characters Reader 1 — male or female Reader 2 — female, older than Reader 1 Reader 3 — male or female Reader 1: (to Reader 2) I’m new in this area, and I’m lonely. I wish I could find a good friend, maybe a partner. Reader 2: What kind of friend or partner are you looking for — an extrovert? Rich? Assertive? Educated? Reader 3: (to Reader 2) Aren’t you being a bit personal? Reader 2: Yes. When...

125. Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

An acrostic poem (vv. 10–31) is a rather surprising ending to a book that consists mainly of collections of sayings and it adds to the intriguing nature of this work. The Hebrew phrase, ʾēšetḥayil (cf. Ruth 3:11), “wife of noble character,” has been rendered in many ways: mulier fortis (Vulgate), etc. Her qualities are described from a male point of view. But the description of the woman is such t...

Showing 101 to 125 of 208 results