Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1226 to 1250 of 5000 results

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

... of his life. "The sun rose upon him, just as he passed Penuel limping on his hip." (Genesis 32:32) It cost him. It was a dawn of a new day for Jacob, but he had to limp into it. Dr. Sanford suggests the wound Jacob received is simply the mark of anyone who encounters a deep, spiritual reality, because any person who has an experience of psychological depth is always wounded by it. (page 41) We do know Jacob did not return to his old ways. He was a changed individual. This is seen in his dealings with his ...

1227. Is Repentance Necessary?

Acts 2:14-41

Sermon

... hard. All you do is shoot your rifle, then go draw a circle around the bullet hole!" That is one form of rationalizing. It is a way of trying to give the appearance at least of having hit the bull’s eye when we know we have missed the mark, which is the literal meaning of the word "sin." Another very useful and helpful tool we use to avoid the necessity of repentance is projection. It is when we move the focus of attention away from ourselves and our shortcomings by pointing a finger at someone else. We ...

1228. PROPER 13

Lk 12:13-21 · Col 3:1-11 · Ecc 1:2; 2:18-26 · 2 Ki 13:14-20a

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... a king who was commanded by a prophet to shoot an arrow out of his bedroom window. Then as well as now we use the arrow as a symbol. It is something that pierces, that hits the mark. Outline: In your faith you have a pierce arrow - A. The arrow of direction: "Eastward" - v. 17. Point toward the mark; to miss the mark is sin. B. The arrow of execution: "Shoot" - v. 17. Effort must be made to reach the goal: work, fight, pray. C. The arrow of victory: "The Lord's arrow of victory" - v. 17. Through us God ...

1229. Who Is This?

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

... scratch the words "Jesus Christ" in Greek on the disk of Barabbas. However, one of the foremen overheard what was going on, and this information is reported to the governor of the island. Both Sahak and Barabbas are brought before him and are questioned about the markings on their disks. The Christian Sahak tells the governor that this Jesus is the name of his God, who is also the God of everyone. Sahak says, "I belong to him." The governor reminds him that he belongs to the State. In pledging allegiance to ...

1230. Forty Long Days

Mark 1:9-13

Children's Sermon

... and swimming and playing every day, the time goes fast. But if you are doing a hard job or waiting for something important to happen to you, then the days seem to go by very slowly. The forty days that I am talking about this morning, the ones that I marked on the calendar, are the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness. The wilderness is like a desert, and it is a pretty awful place to spend much time. It can be very hot in the daytime and very cold at night. There are no trees, but a lot ...

1231. The Master Has Come - To Proclaim God’s Kingdom

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

... , the talker, the preacher, teacher, actualizer of God’s kingdom. He came to tell people what God was doing, was about to do, would do in the present and future. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:9-15) He came to be a preacher, a teacher, a proclaimer. He did not come to be a leader, an organizer, a general, a doctor - a doer of wonders, a miracle worker, a performer of signs and magic, personality, a celebrity. He came to proclaim God ...

1232. The Master Has Come - And Calls Disciples

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

... no real threat to them. But, the Roman commander ordered his soldiers to burn their boats. There would be no turning back. They were there to stay. They had left their boats for good. When I read that, it brought to mind that scene early in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus is walking along the beach. Little waves from the Sea of Galilee slip up on the sand. Jesus looks down the beach as far as he can, and he sees - there in the distance - some fishermen. It is Simon and his brother Andrew. As he draws closer ...

1233. Someone to Imitate

Philippians 3:17

Children's Sermon

... and worship. He meant that they should love one another and be ready to forgive each other. These were the things that Christ did, and Saint Paul said that you could mark people who were ready to live like this as Christians. I brought with me a rubber stamp so that I would be able to make a mark on some paper that I brought with me. If you mark each piece of paper with this rubber stamp, you will see that the same thing is printed each time. People are not rubber stamps, but there are certain things that ...

1234. Submission

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

... into this congregation, as well as into the universal church. It reminds us that we have been grafted as a member of the Body of Christ - marked and identified as a Christian disciple. It will not let us erase from our memory that we have been born anew in the water and in ... that he will live out the meaning of his baptism. John Edward now lives his life as a person who has been baptized. That mark is on him. He may not choose to live by the meaning of baptism, but he can never erase what has happened today. ...

1235. Baptism of Our Lord

Matthew 3:13-17, Acts 10:23b-48, Psalm 45:1-17, Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon Aid

... aware of the sound of the water being poured on the head of the person being baptized. And the silent announcement on the baptismal banner becomes a spoken word for all of the baptized when the minister says, "You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever." 1. Jesus' baptism seems to have been a silent baptism; John is reported to have said nothing during the baptism itself. He "had his say" before the baptism when he said to Jesus, "It is I who need baptism from you ...

1236. Easter Day

John 20:1-9, Colossians 3:1-17, Psalm 118:1-29, Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon Aid

... on the third day, John says that "as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead." Completely missing from this part of the story (but it is in the next sequence in which Mary stays in the garden) is the angelic presence (Matthew and Mark have one angel, Luke tells of two at the tomb) and the Easter proclamation that they made to the women (Matthew's report has the angel of the Lord giving a tomb-side speech): Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is ...

1237. Pentecost

Psalm 104:1-35, Joel 2:28-32, John 20:19-23, Acts 2:1-21

Sermon Aid

... that all is well, because our sins have been forgiven and we have been given new life in Christ. This is the last Sunday of Easter, but that doesn't mean that we put away the festival for another year; every Sunday has the cross and empty tomb indelibly marked upon it. This Gospel also reminds us of baptism with its "Receive the Holy Spirit.... If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven," because it is, indeed, in baptism that sin is forgiven and the new life in Christ, the life of the Spirit, begins ...

1238. Proper 15 & Pentecost 13

Isaiah 56:1-8, Psalm 67:1-7, Psalm 78:1-72, Exodus 16:1-36, Romans 11:11-24, Romans 11:25-32, Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon Aid

... , stating that if they love the Lord, keep his laws and the covenant, they will be accepted in the Temple; their sacrifices will be pleasing to God. The intention of God - "for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" - was connected by Mark to the very cleansing of the Temple by Jesus. This reading connects with the Gospel for the Day and supports Jesus' action in healing the daughter of the Canaanite woman of faith. Exodus 16:2-15 (C) A month and a half had passed since the Israelites ...

1239. Proper 22 & Pentecost 20

Matthew 21:33-46, Philippians 4:2-9, Philippians 3:12-4:1, Numbers 27:12-23, Psalm 81:1-16, Isaiah 5:1-7

Sermon Aid

... your Son as branches on the vine, that, rooted firmly in your love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Psalm 81:1-10 (C) What might almost be termed "a call to worship" marks the beginning of this psalm, which establishes the spirit of joy and thanksgiving that should characterize all true worship of God. No one can be certain about the exact origin of the psalm; some scholars contend it was connected to Passover, others insist that ...

1240. All Saints' Day

Revelation 7:1-8, Isaiah 26:1-21, 1 John 2:28--3:10, Revelation 21:1-27, Matthew 5:1-12, Psalm 24:1-10, Psalm 149:1-9, Psalm 34:1-22

Sermon Aid

... the body of Christ. The saints are really alive! Revelation 7:2-4, 9-12 (R); 7:2-4, 9-17 (E); 7:9-17 (C); - "Marked for Time and Eternity." 1. A population explosion will occur in heaven. People of all races and nations will be there. With John, we can be ... will wipe away all tears from their eyes." 4. Heaven, the abode of the saints, is worth waiting for. Sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked by the cross of Christ forever, we can wait for that day with assurance and hope. Isaiah 26:1-4, 8-9, 12-13, 19- ...

1241. True And False Prophecy

Mark 14:27-31

Drama

... lot of rethinking about who I am as a Jew and what I believe. Take the sabbath for example. CAIAPHAS: The sabbath is an example of how important the Torah, the law, is to our identity as a people. Keeping the sabbath holy is one of the marks which separates us from the pagans. The Lord God himself set aside the sabbath for rest, for the quiet and thoughtful reflecting on his words. Only God is the Lord of the sabbath, and this Jesus of Nazareth continuously violated the sabbath codes. PETER: One sabbath day ...

1242. Hail! Your King!

Mark 15:1-15

Drama

... substantial in size but not too difficult for an actor to hold it on his shoulder and carry it. The cross may be placed in one of the aisles toward the back but not so far that people will miss any of Simon’s monologue. Text: Mark 25:1-32 Cast: Simon the Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus (perhaps the Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13). Guard, young and strong. (The same actor may portray the Centurion in Drama Five.) Pontius Pilate, governor or Judean procurator serving under Tiberius Caesar. Time: The ...

1243. My God, My God, ... Why?

Mark 15:33-41

Drama

... crucified before. I always stayed away from such things because I believed it was unclean, that even to see it was a defilement. Oh, but now, how I would run to him if the guards would let me, and kiss his feet and hold him! (She moves to center mark, behind cross but still visible to audience.) For many months several other women and I have followed him, and assisted Jesus and the 12 in their ministry. Jesus was hope to us. Hope for a new Israel, a new life, a new world. His words meant healing and faith ...

1244. Faith, Love, and Fakers at Ephesus

Acts 18:18-28

Sermon Aid

CSS

... is tersely told in Luke’s story - perhaps because Luke was not present in person and had no other good sources. But Paul preached and ministered diligently and with good results. He became well-known in the busy city and built up a strong congregation, marked by "faith in the Lord Jesus and love toward all the saints," as he later wrote to the Ephesians from his imprisonment in Rome. To understand the importance of Paul’s work at Ephesus, it is necessary to know something about the city. Ephesus was ...

1245. Begging Bartimaeus

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

... Go your way; your faith has made you well." Is that the end of the story, the end of the miracle? It seems so. What difference, really, does one blind beggar’s healing make? Does it matter? Is it only the story of Jesus’ last miracle before Jerusalem in St. Mark? To many who saw what happened, that’s all it was. To many who hear the story now, that’s all it is. But listen. There’s more. Much more. We dare not forget those people who tried to silence the beggar. We dare not forget the glossy page ...

1246. Do I Dare Be Different?

Matthew 5:10; 10:1-42

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... did not like the difference. People who are different are subject to suspicion and disliked by the world. By the world, I do not mean some autonomous body "out there." I mean us, our world. Our world likes patterns and labels. We like to put a mark on persons to classify, categorize and pigeon-hole them. We do this with professional people: the doctor, the teacher, the lawyer, and especially the preacher. We put a preacher in a certain category and expect him to stay there, conform to that pattern, act in ...

1247. The New Covenant

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:13) It took a mighty act of faith on the part of the Israelites to believe this and to perform such a ceremony. But every house that was marked was spared that night! And it is also thus with Holy Communion which is the new covenant! It takes a mighty act of faith to know that we shall be spared the due reward of our misdeeds if in faith we participate in the ceremony instituted by Jesus Christ on ...

1248. Salvation Through His Suffering

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... and chirping wildly, the man reached into the pile and tore the nest apart. If the bird were thinking, she was saying to herself, "How cruel this man is!" Next day the man saw the bird again trying to build at another place in the same pile. Again he marked it with a stick, and at night he destroyed all the work that the bird had done. No doubt the bird’s wild flutterings and chirpings were bird language for "This evil man! How terrible he is to destroy my nest!" On the third day the farmer noticed that ...

1249. Journey To The Cross V: Jesus and Simon Peter

Mark 14:66-72

Sermon

James W. Moore

... Have you ever had that experience? Have you ever failed like that? Have you ever missed your moment… or short-cut your best self? Have you ever denied your faith? Have you ever heard a rooster crow? Of course this all relates to that painstaking moment in Mark 14 where Simon Peter denied his Lord three times. Earlier that night, Jesus and the disciples had gone to the Upper Room to share the Last Supper. Jesus told them that He would be betrayed by one of them and arrested… and that they would all fall ...

1250. Knowing Who You Are

John 20:24-31

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... nobody else would have the nerve to ask. Thomas wanted to be sure. It wasn’t too long after that time that Jesus came and stood in the middle of the disciples and called Thomas over to his side. "Take a look, Thomas," Jesus said. "Feel the marks that the nails and the spear made and then you will believe." Thomas looked at the identification and he believed. He really believed. It was the best proof that anybody could ever have. Jesus told Thomas that he was certainly glad that he believed, hut that many ...

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