Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1251 to 1275 of 2844 results

1251. You Are My Witnesses

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

The inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president of the Republic of South Africa goes down in the annals of history as a most memorable moment. Imagine historians a hundred years from now trying to recreate the excitement and the significance of what took place in Pretoria and Capetown in 1994. Three centuries of bitter and harsh white rule were brought to a close as Mandela was elected the first black president by its first all-race parliament. What dramatized that election was the fact that Mr. Mandela ...

1252. Sent From The Mountain

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

William G. Carter

There is nothing like taking part in a worship service with 17,000 people. If you are surrounded by a choir that large, all of the hymns sound in tune. With that many people gathered to pray in the same place at the same time, you have no doubt God will hear somebody in the crowd. And when a super-charged speaker stands up to challenge people to follow the commandments of Christ, the group dynamics of such a huge crowd ensure that someone, somewhere, is ready to answer the challenge. That was the case in ...

1253. The Fear Of Taking The Plunge

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon

Richard Patt

In a lengthy paragraph just before this text Jesus told the disciples to relax and enjoy life as it comes to them. Many of the phrases in that speech have become legendary: "... do not be anxious about your life ... which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? ... Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin...." In short Jesus was coaxing the disciples with the appeal, "Let go, and let God." But after saying all that, Jesus realized that such appeals scare most of ...

1254. Proper 22

Luke 17:1-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13, Lamentations 1:1-22, Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Servant's Duty Question is sometimes raised about the lack of condemnation of slavery in the New Testament. Jesus never seems to have opposed it. In fact, in the parable about the servant's duty, Jesus uses the duties of a slave as a model. Elsewhere he uses the term for the proper relationship among persons, though it is frequently translated as servant rather than as slave. In a time when governments did not provide a safety net for the unemployed and people without land to farm or other means of ...

1255. When Your Nets Are Empty

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

May the good Lord save me from perpetual whiners; people who can be counted on to tell you how bad everything is. You don't dare ask how they feel or how they sense the world is going unless you have an afternoon to spend listening to a catalogue of human miseries. I once knew a woman who called me if she happened to feel good, because she always felt bad the day after she felt good and wanted me to know how rotten things were about to become. But may the Lord also preserve me from perpetual optimists, ...

1256. Confession

Job 42:1-6

Sermon

John A. Stroman

Job got what he wanted. He got a chance to present his case before God and to hear God's response. After hearing God's reply to him, he confesses that he said things that he really did not understand. There were things about God, creation, and human life that were just too wonderful for him, things that he did not know. His accusation before God now seemed to him to be ludicrous and unwarranted. But at no time did God ever chastise him for speaking his mind. It was those moments of desertion and ...

1257. Miracles Seven and Eight: Healing An Issue Of Blood & Healing The Rulers Daughter

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

BACKGROUND MATERIAL Jesus' performance of miracles was now assuming a rapid pace. Great crowds now came to meet him wherever he went, and they brought with them their sick and lame to have the Master apply his healing powers. Here Jesus sets out, in response to a plea from one of the rulers of the synagogue, who asks him to come to his home to heal a sick daughter; on the way, still another miracle comes to pass. The interruption was unusual. A miracle was performed without a request. A woman who had ...

1258. The Fruitful Vine

John 15:1-17, 1 John 4:7-21, Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:1-31

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Fruitful Vine What is a preacher to make of a parable or extended allegory about a vine in an urban and industrial culture? If you are living in a small town or a rural area, people might know something about growing grapes. They might know about the need to prune back old growth since the grapes only form on the new growth. But how many in a large city would know about cultivating a grape vine so that it produces a good crop? For them grapes are something you buy in the produce section of the ...

1259. The Heart Of The Matter

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Robert P. Hines

A number of years ago a man owned a red Ford Pinto station wagon. He bought it when he was going to college, and kept it for quite some time. In its last few years of service, the car had several thousand dollars put into it. The owner had to replace the engine; he had to put in a new transmission; and he had the whole body repainted. It looked good on the outside, but it had some serious problems on the inside. The heart of the matter was that it was really on its last legs. When he finally bought a new ...

1260. Heaven's Wait

Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

Some things in life are inevitable. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, or what you do. It makes no difference how powerful, how popular, or how prominent you've grown. One's accumulated wealth or wisdom is of little, if any, significance. Regardless of effort or endeavor, there are truths so tightly woven into the fabric of human existence that they become unalterable and absolute -- sureties which each and every one of us will encounter sooner or later. Benjamin Franklin, for instance, may ...

1261. Epiphany 5

Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Salt is very important to life. If a person lacks salt, the hunger for it is one of the strongest desires we have. Any farmer knows how cattle will find a salt block and lick it to maintain the proper balance in its body. Salt is so valuable that in some societies it has been used as a medium of exchange, a substitute for money. In the scripture, light is often used as a symbol for the existence of God. It is frequently used in a variety of ways throughout the Bible. In some cultures the sun was worshiped ...

1262. The King's Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Context of the Lectionary The First Lesson. (Exodus 32:1-14) The passage recounts the experience of the people of Israel in the wilderness when Moses had gone up the mountain of Sinai. They assumed that he was not returning. They appealed to Aaron for a god to lead them. He got from the people all the gold of their jewelry and from that produced the golden calf. The people proceeded with an orgy of worship. Moses came down and discovered what was happening. In his anger he shattered the tablets which ...

1263. Prepared Or Not?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

Weddings are wonderful! That is an expression you may hear frequently at the announcement of such an event. A lot of planning and expense usually go into making the event a special and joyous time. In our culture family and friends will travel long distances to be present at the ceremony. Almost every culture has extensive traditions and customs surrounding a wedding. They underscore the importance of the event. In our culture marriage is regulated by law. The state assumes that it has a stake in the ...

1264. Since He's In Charge, We're In Luck

Psalm 33:4-5, 8-9, 13-22

Sermon

Robert G. McCreight

Introduction At the turn of the century the storm clouds that had long been gathering in South Africa suddenly broke loose. Britain and the English-speaking South Africans went to war with the Dutch-descended Boers. The British newspaper, The Morning Post, offered a young reporter by the name of Winston Churchill the job of chief war correspondent to cover the story. He jumped at the chance. Soon after he arrived in South Africa he was traveling on a troop train when it was captured and he was taken ...

1265. Blessed Hunger And Thirst

Sermon

Alex Gondola

Matthew 5:6; John 6:35 Maybe you've seen this commercial. It aired frequently during the holidays. As I remember it, the commercial went something like this. A thirty-something-year-old woman with stylish short red hair is seated in an expensive restaurant. The woman is well dressed, well to do, well kept and attractive. The camera focuses on her face close up as she talks to an unseen friend sitting across the table. "Jack got another promotion. He's really doing well," she says flatly. There's a pause. ...

1266. The Lord, The Holy Spirit

Acts 2:14-41, Acts 2:1-13

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: The baptism of the Holy Spirit for service. Summary: A choral reading. Several renowned Christian leaders speak about their empowering by the Spirit for service. Playing Time: 7 minutes Place: A neutral reading area Props: Black folders with scripts Costumes: Black Time: The present Cast: First Reader Second Reader Third Reader Fourth Reader D.L. Moody Charles Finney R.A. Torrey Catherine Marshall FIRST: (ENTERS ALONG WITH SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH READER) We are living in the age of the Spirit. ...

1267. Epiphany 2

1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Isaiah 62:1-12, John 2:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Isaiah 62:1-5 The Lord marries his people. Picture the situation: The Exiles have returned from Babylon and find their capital in ruins along with the temple. The prophet brings comfort and assurance that Yahweh will remedy the situation. The analogy of marriage is used. The Lord will re-marry his people and give them a new name as a bride gets a new name from her husband. Israel is the bride and Yahweh is the groom. Married to Yahweh, the bride-Israel will no longer be desolate ...

1268. Proper 18

Psalm 139:1-24, Luke 14:25-35

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

Call to Worship Come and speak to our Monarch, who listens to the prayers of the lowly and will give you courage. Prayer of Confession Supreme Being from whom our being comes, only God to whom our prayers should be raised, hear our confession. We find it easier to go along with Jesus when there is a crowd. We are not always ready to part company with family and friends when our call is to costly discipleship. We may begin bravely and lose our nerve, forgetting that you can give us courage in the face of ...

1269. Trinity Sunday

John 16:5-16, Psalm 8:1-9

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

Call to Worship Let us exult in the hope of the divine splendor and even in our present suffering, knowing that endurance gives proof that we have stood the test and our hope will not be mocked. Prayer of Confession God of wisdom, we have difficulty accepting ourselves as we are. We sometimes act as if we know as much as you do. At other times we put ourselves down as knowing nothing. You have given us a responsible place in the order of your creation and we sometimes abdicate that responsibility for the ...

1270. The Spreading Word

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

Marc Kolden

Jesus told them a parable: Listen up, folks. A farmer went out to plant. This was many centuries ago, before modern machinery. He carried a large bag of seeds and threw them all around by hand. In those days, a farmer threw the seeds (or "sowed" them) before he plowed them under. He would come along later and turn ground over so that the seeds would be covered with soil and could grow. Therefore, he wasn't so worried where he sowed them at this point. But, of course, some of the seeds fell on the path and ...

1271. Room For Questions

Matthew 11:2-11

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

It's interesting how we fix in our minds certain images of people and block other images of the same people. We do that to biblical characters. We remember Peter's denial of Jesus, but forget his powerful preaching recorded in the book of Acts. Or, we remember how women came to Jesus for help from time to time, but forget how Jesus depended on the women for financial support and to announce the news of the resurrection. We remember David's tryst with Bathsheba, but forget his courage and leadership in ...

1272. Proper 7

Mt 10:16-39 · Rom 5:12 – 6:11 · Jer 20:7-13 · Gen 21:8-21 · Ps 86

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Genesis 21:8-21 Sarah jealously guards the rights of her natural son, Isaac, by ordering Abraham to throw out her slave girl, Hagar, with her son. God speaks to Abraham in his distress about the plight of Hagar and her son, telling him to do as Sarah wished because his descendants would be counted through Isaac. Furthermore, God would also make a great nation through Ishmael. Lesson 1: Jeremiah 20:7-13 Jeremiah was born about 650 B.C. and began his ministry in the 13th year of King ...

1273. I Am The Light Of The World

Sermon

Ronald Lavin

"I am the light of the world." -- John 8:12 (NRSV) "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." -- John 9:5 (NRSV) "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works, and give glory to your Father in heaven." -- Matthew 5:14-16 (NRSV) ____________ Imagine that ...

1274. Repentance: A New Relationship

Joel 2:1-11

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

There's a story about a convention of psychiatrists who had gathered in a large auditorium near Grand Central Station in New York City. Somehow, a pigeon got in the room and was swooping back and forth above the gathered men and women. However, no one mentioned the bird. It seemed no one wanted to be the first to ask if anyone else saw a pigeon. I mention this to remind us that we each have an inward life of thoughts and perceptions about which no one else knows. It's a private world where we pretend, ...

1275. Kindness In Action: Evangelism

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

Let's play Sherlock Holmes for a bit and see what deductions we can make about the characters in this passage. The "eunuch" was probably either a prisoner of some earlier war, or born as a child into a poverty-stricken family, since those were the people who most usually were subjected to the mutilation he had suffered. However, we see he had risen to a position of high rank in Ethiopia. Obviously, then, he was a bright and highly-motivated man. Yet we find him referred to by vocation but not by name. ...

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