Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1226 to 1250 of 2561 results

1226. The Christian Gospel in a Nutshell

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Let’s begin by talking about the Gospel and Ministry, your ministry and mine, our ministry together. This text is one of my four or five favorites and you will find me repeating it often: II Corinthians 4:6. Listen. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (II Cor. 4:6 KJV) I don’t know another text that gathers up the wholeness of the Gospel as that one does. It is the Gospel in ...

1227. Freedom to Set Free

Galatians 4:21-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

We are continuing our sermon series on Dynamic Discipleship. Last Sunday our theme was in the image of Charles Wesley’s hymn: “He breaks the power of cancelled sin.” The big word of that message was “Christ frees us from something - specifically, from meaninglessness, guilt, and death. Today, we pursue a variation on that theme. Christ not only frees us from something, He frees us to something. Let’s begin by exploring our scripture lesson. Verse 1 of Galatians 5 is Paul’s Magna Charta of spiritual freedom ...

1228. Discipline and Means of Grace

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

We move now to talk about discipline and means of grace. In my definition of Spiritual Form I chose words very carefully – Listen again: “and appropriating by commitment, discipline and action.” Our discipline is armed at cultivating an awareness of the indwelling Christ. Paul’s words to the Romans make it clear. Listen to Paul in Rom. 12:1-2: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your ...

1229. Ministering Angels

Exodus 23:20-33

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Frederick Buechner is one of my favorite writers. I don’t know of any contemporary writer who says anything clearer or more creative than Buechner, He has one book entitled “Wishful Thinking” which he subtitles “Theological ABC”. In this book he defines words, words that are common in our Christian vocabulary. He’s the one I quoted a couple of weeks ago defining glory as “what God looks like when for the time being all that you have to look at him with is a pair of eyes.” He defines a glutton as “one who ...

1230. When You Want to Run Away

Psalm 11:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In Concord, California, a customer became enraged at an automated teller, and kept punching it because the machine refused to dispense $80 from the man’s account. The customer was arrested and charged with “malicious mischief.” This is not an isolated incident. According to police reports, so many people were beating up on automated machines when they first appeared everywhere in the 1980’s that it became this nation’s most serious crime problem. Does it make you mad? I’ve seen people livid with anger, ...

1231. Characteristics of the Church, Part 2

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Somewhere I read of a Seminary professor whose last years were spent in and out of hospitals, suffering from a debilitating, incurable disease. As he reflected on his ministry, he said that when he began, he thought of himself as the expert, standing upon the bank of the stream of life, shouting instructions to the swimmers down below. In the second stage of his ministry, if he saw someone going down for the third time, he would plunge into the water, get the person started in the right direction again, ...

1232. The Beginning of the Story

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

“And now you know the rest of the story!” That’s the way Paul Harvey closes those dramatic monologues which keep your mind on tiptoe as you discover the fascinating life details and historical quirks of notable people and events. Paul Harvey is a craftsman with words and pulls us to the edge of our seat to learn the rest of the story. Mark, our Gospel writer, does the same thing - but for “the beginning of the story”, not the rest of it. A visitor to the Grand Canyon looked at that mighty panorama of God’s ...

1233. Boast in Our Suffering

Romans 5:1-8

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

The phone rings in the middle of the night. There is only one reason why someone would call you at this time of the night, and it can't be good. The deadpan voice of the police officer tells you the horrible news rather matter-of-factly. Your imagination runs wild. You were not there, but you can hear the tires screeching, the metal smashing, the glass breaking, and the sirens whining. It was not supposed to end this way. She had so much of life yet to live. Your boss calls you into his office. Other ...

1234. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Can there be a less true statement? In our Google world of instant communication, constant internet connections, incessant tweets, blogs, and IM’s, words create the only reality most people know. Words cannot only “hurt.” They can transform, destroy, recreate, panic, popularize, polarize, or annihilate any person, idea, cause, politics, reputation, or national debater. Thankfully for those first century faith communities known now as the ...

1235. The Five-a-Day Rule

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

By now all last week’s hard-boiled eggs have been transformed into egg salad and consumed. Right? Of course, it goes without saying that the contents of all those Easter baskets have disappeared, except, of course, the nasty black jelly beans. On this Sunday the spiritual and sugar high of Easter Sunday is wearing off. Hence the colloquial designation of this week as “Low Sunday.” After the “high” of Easter, we come back to the everydayness of life. It is when we are most “low” in energy, in desire, in ...

1236. Stronger after the Struggle

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

British naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace was without peer in the 19th century except for one name: Charles Darwin. One of Wallace's most astute observations about nature has gotten totally forgotten in the whole debate over the "survival of the fittest." Wallace made a surprising discovery about the saving nature of struggle. One day Wallace was observing moths struggling to hatch out from their cocoons. One of the larger insects seemed to be having a particularly hard time getting out. After hours of ...

1237. Can You Carry Your Weight?

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If someone were to stand in front of you and offer you a choice - in one hand “objective” truth, in the other hand “subjective” truth — which would you pick? Bet you’d go with the “objective.” But anyone here like to be treated like an “object?” Anyone here not want to be treated like a “subject?” In a “Peanuts” cartoon, Charlie Brown says to little Lucy: “My Dad said that someday I might be able to run for President.” “Really, Charlie Brown?” Lucy answers. “He certainly must think highly of you!” “I don’t ...

1238. Plow Through It

Illustration

An old farmer had plowed around a large rock in one of his fields for years. He had broken several plowshares and a cultivator on it. After breaking another plowshare one fall, and remembering all the trouble the rock had caused him through the years, he finally determined to do something about it. When he put his crowbar under the rock, he was surprised to discover that it was only about six inches thick and that he could break it up easily. As he was carting it away he had to smile, remembering all the ...

1239. Don’t Get Into Things!

Luke 24:50-53

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“Don’t get into things!” How many times did you hear that directive as a kid. Mom had to run to the store for a minute or Dad was tied up on a project in the garage. Knowing what children will do when left to their own devices, the last ditch effort of “out‑of‑sight” parenting is the generic and ultimately unenforceable order — “Don’t get into things!” Like that ever stopped kids from burrowing into the back of closets as Christmas closed in. Like that ever kept the curious chemist from testing things like ...

1240. Oh, Jerusalem

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Nowadays we have 24-hour news stations, satellite radio, email alerts, and other ways of finding out breaking news pretty much the instant it is happening. But it wasn't always so. When John Adams acted as an ambassador to Europe during the Revolutionary War he could go for months without hearing from the Continental Congress. He arranged loans of millions of dollars to help the fledgling nation, but no one back in America knew. The Battle of New Orleans was a decisive victory for the new nation in the War ...

1241. Quitters

John 6:60-71

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a time-honored story about a football game featuring two mismatched teams. One team was much larger than the other. The larger team was dominating the game, severely intimidating the smaller team in the process. The hitting was fierce. The smaller team had one player, however, who might make a difference. His name was Calhoun and he was the fastest running back in the league. His coach felt that if Calhoun could get any blocking at all, he could easily break free and outrun the larger players. The ...

1242. Big Men in Little Planes

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

There is an interesting story that comes out of the Second World War. England and Germany both had state-of-the-art fighter planes. Germany had the Messerschmitt, which was considered to be the world’s fastest fighter plane. The British had the Supermarine Spitfire. The Spitfire was slower than the Messerschmitt. Nevertheless, German pilots were envious of their British counterparts. You see, the Messerschmitt had been designed to hold the perfect German. Who was the perfect German? Who else but Der Fuhrer ...

1243. Someone Bigger than Phil

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

King Duncan

Several years ago, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks did a comedy skit called the “2013 Year Old Man.” In the skit, Reiner interviews Brooks, who is the old gentleman. At one point, Reiner asks the old man, “Did you always believe in the Lord?” Brooks replied: “No. We had a guy in our village named Phil, and for a time we worshiped him.” Reiner was surprised: “You worshiped a guy named Phil? Why?” Brooks replied: “Because he was big, and mean, and he could break you in two with his bare hands!” Reiner asked: “Did ...

1244. Parenting — Not For The Faint Of Heart

Hosea 11:1-11

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

Parenting is not, I repeat, not for the faint of heart. For many of us, it was easy enough to bring our sons and daughters into this world and to hold their tiny forms in our arms. We had no idea what was coming. The 4 a.m. feedings, the nights spent vainly trying to comfort a wailing child, watching as they took their first steps, the joys of toilet training, the "terrible twos" ... those moments are but distant memories now. In the blink of an eye, our sons are teenagers, and as I am working on this ...

1245. When There’s Nothing Left To Do But Mourn

Jeremiah 8:18—9:1

Sermon

Chrysanne Timm

When a person is diagnosed with a serious disorder, one that threatens their very existence, life as we know it is turned upside down. There is research to conduct about traditional and alternative treatments. There are specialists with whom to consult. Sometimes there are changes in lifestyle and in priorities to be considered, as Tim McGraw sang in his 2004 hit, "Live Like You Were Dying." I have watched this process in many parishioners over the years. Quite often everyone, including the person with ...

1246. Kintsugi Vessels

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Anyone here love “antiques?” How about “Antiques Road Show?” Did you know it’s been around for 36 years, since 1977? [This would be a good time to facilitate a short time of interaction with the congregation over their favorite “antiques,” their favorite shows dealing with “antiques,” what the difference is between “antiques” and “collectives,” etc.] “Antiques” and “collectibles” have value because they have survived intact for a long period of time. With the exception of those few things that are made of ...

1247. Building a Solid Foundation

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

The long-awaited dream would soon become a reality. Ground was broken for the family’s new home. The ground was cleared and soon a foundation was dug; blocks and then cement were laid. Then masons came and carefully laid the bricks. Carpenters were next on the scene, nailing two-by-fours, framing the new house. After only a few weeks the house was beginning to take shape, which pleased the family. Roof trusses were carefully hoisted into place. Once the outside work was completed attention would be given ...

1248. The Christian's Royal Jelly

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word.” The dream of a new start, a fresh beginning, a blank slate is a big part of something known around the world as the “American dream.” The opportunity to take a new path, to get off old roads and out of deep ruts has brought hundreds of thousands of immigrants to this country. By the mid-nineteenth century, starting over in America meant moving west. The opening of the rich farming and grazing lands in the prairie, the vast expanse of wilderness beyond the Rocky ...

1249. What Does Jesus Look Like?

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Tony Everett

Jenny had spent the past half hour working quietly all by herself at the art table in her Sunday school classroom. This was unusual behavior for any three-year-old child, but for this gregarious extrovert it was extraordinary. When class time was over, Jenny’s parents came in to take her to the sanctuary for worship. “Come on Jenny, it’s time for church,” said Mom. Jenny just shook her head and continued with her crayon drawing. “Jenny, we have to get moving,” added her father. “Just a minute, I’m almost ...

1250. All In: Skin In the Game

Malachi 3:6-18

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the richest men in the United States is Warren Buffet, who is probably the most famous investor in modern times. He said that in his experience the high-ranking insiders and corporate leaders who do the best job in running their company are those people who invest heavily in their own stock. He said the higher up you go on the corporate ladder the more you ought to have “Skin In The Game.” If you are a college football fan, whatever your team might be, you probably at one time or another have or ...

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