Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1251 to 1275 of 1858 results

1251. The Details Raise Questions

Mark 4:30-34

Illustration

Paul Rader

... the smallest by a great deal. And they do not grow to become the largest of all garden plants. In fact, it isn't a garden plant at all: it's a weed. A weed! And it was against Jewish law to plant weeds in a garden. It was a wild plant, totally undomesticated, beyond control. And there isn't a farmer in all of Palestine that wants birds perched in a bush or shrub or under them when new seeds were in the ground. Those who heard Jesus tell this parable knew something was up! He knew what mustard was ...

1252. Stand by Me

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... had no fear of the forces of nature. Among the twelve disciples there were four professional fishermen. Everyone else had grown up and lived alongside the Sea of Galilee. Yet here they were, all fearful of the deep, unknown, the uncontainable force of the periodically wild wind and water that defined their world. Fishers, those who made their living from the bounty of the sea, those who lived their lives according to the flow of the tide, knew better than anyone that the waters of this world bring life, but ...

1253. God Is with Us in All the Seasons of Life

Mark 4:35-41

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

... of Fame include raw umber, maize, lemon yellow, blue gray, violet blue, green blue, orange red and orange yellow. The new shades introduced include such postmodern colors as Cerulean, Vivid Tangerine, Royal Purple, Teal Blue, Fuchsia, Jungle Green, Dandelion, and Wild Strawberry. The reaction on the part of adults to the change was swift, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, always objecting. The "Save Raw Umber Society" gathered signatures. A Virginia woman started the National Campaign to Save Lemon Yellow. The Raw ...

1254. You Are Here

John 18:1—19:42

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... to be. This crucifixion, this execution, saved the world. A missionary in Kenya wrote of an experience he had thirty years ago, the closest thing he ever saw to a crucifixion. It happened one day at a government outpost in an isolated rural region of that wild and untamed country. I happened to be leaving the small frame office building which also served as the police station, when I saw a lot of people running toward the office. Leading them was a man running from a woman holding a knife in her right ...

1255. How Much of an Honor?

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. — Ezekiel 34:2-5 Leaders among God's people can prove to be just the opposite of the ideal model presented in these words from Jesus. And never forget, these are not our sheep. God refers to them as "my sheep" in this passage (Ezekiel 34 ...

1256. Veni, Spiritus Sanctus, Veni

John 14:8-17 (25-27)

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... signage advertised their air-conditioned sanctuary by the words: "It's cool inside." Some wit penned underneath, "Brother, you said it." Far from cool, far from boring, that first Pentecost exploded with wind, fire, and holy breath, promising a new wild freedom, an intoxicating joy ride. When you and I are stalled, when we feel weak, disabled, and down, the Spirit of truth functions like a set of jumper cables. We have connection. Author Robert Fulghum wrote, "Jumper cables? You want jumper cables ...

1257. Sit Up and Speak!

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... and adventurers are also underrepresented in church ... rough and tumble men don't fit in."2 Today's typical church has developed a culture that drives men and especially young men away. God made men for adventure, achievement, and challenge. John Eldredge writes in Wild at Heart that three desires are deeply written in most men's hearts. They are a "Battle to Fight," "An Adventure to Live," and "A Beauty to Rescue." Jesus' words, "Young man, I say to you, rise!" take on a frightening contemporary relevance ...

1258. Liberating the Possessed

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... come the next night at the actual wedding ceremony. Here's the application: Is Diablo not the snake? John calls him in Revelation 20:2 (cf) "that old snake who is the devil." One word from Christ and the demons are swimming with the swine, and the wild man is clothed in his right mind ... just one command! No se'ance needed. No hocus pocus. No chants were heard or candles lit. Hell is an anthill against heaven's steamroller. Jesus commands ... evil spirits and they obey him ... the snake in the ditch and ...

1259. The Great Divide

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

... too great. That, I think, is the point of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus at least for me today. It is, among other things, a story about distance. The rich man lived the good life while Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores, fending off the wild dogs, and starving because he didn't even get the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. When the two die the poor man is swept away by the angels to the bosom of Abraham while the rich man is tormented in Hades. The rich man begs ...

1260. Just Deal with It

Luke 20:27-38

Sermon

Scott Bryte

... there's still no children. So the next youngest brother marries her and it goes on that way, with no children ever being born, through seven brothers. Then finally the woman herself dies." Jesus, at this point, is no doubt nodding along with this wildly improbable story, waiting for the punch line. You can just picture the Sadducees rubbing their hands together, ready to spring the trap; and then they pounce. "So when they all rise from the dead, who is she married to?" They ran rings around him logically ...

1261. The Speed Bump On the Road to Bethlehem

Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... day or even his own. His base of operations is out in the boonies, Bethany beyond the Jordan. His attire looks like something cobbled together by a survivalist, camel's hair tunic with a leather belt around his waist. The lunch buffet consists of locusts and wild honey. His message is not particularly attractive, not "God's in his heaven and all's right with the world"; far from it. It is an apocalyptic vision and a call to change: "Repent ... now ... for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2). That ...

1262. The Trouble With Stables

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... human flesh, the birth of the baby Jesus. It is a rather romantic picture,the way we do it, and the reason it is romantic is the same as so many things we make romantic— they are not real. To be quite honest, our popular picture ofthat manger scene is wildly inaccurate. Be that as it may, do we do the Christmas story an injustice by trying to pretty it up? I do not think God wanted it to be pretty. If God had wanted it pretty, it would have been handled differently. For years we have heard that Jesus ...

1263. The Truth, The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... "Harry Potter" book among that year's best-sellers. The trouble started when The Smoking Gun, an investigative website, reported about a million little lies in A Million Little Pieces. It turns out that whole sections of the book were either wildly exaggerated or outright fiction. The author was confronted about the allegations on Larry King Live, but he insisted that everything was essentially true. Then Oprah called in to the show and said the "inaccuracies" did not matter because the book was helping ...

1264. Pie In the Sky

Revelation 21:1-6

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... 's day were being tortured and killed for no other reason than their profession of faith. They were being covered with pitch, tied to stakes, and set afire as human torches; they were being wrapped in the skins of dead animals then left to be set upon by wild dogs; they were dragged into the arena to face lions. As John wrote, he was in the penal colony on the island of Patmos, probably awaiting execution. No, there was no justice then, either. But, as sure as John was that the world was bad, he was equally ...

1265. Religion and Politics

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... wrong about that, but here we encounter the plain word that there are indeed some prayers to which God will turn a deaf ear. Why? "Your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15). This is the ancient equivalent of a thoroughly modern concern - don't sow your wild oats for six days, then come in on the seventh and pray for a crop failure. Your walk should match your talk. Fortunately, those harsh words are not the last words. "Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong ...

1266. The Incomparable Christ

Colossians 1:15-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... the king for stealing his own brother's wife, Herodias. Herodias wanted John killed, but Herod Antipas was reluctant — he knew the people thought highly of John. John's ministry had begun in the wilderness where he subsisted on an ascetic diet of locusts and wild honey. He wore the dress of a prophet, camel's hair, and a leather belt. John preached the need for repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, the Christos, the anointed one, and called on people to be baptized in recognition of ...

1267. The End of the Gladiator Games

Mark 7:24-37

Illustration

Robert Salzgeber

... . "In the name of our Master," he cried, "Stop fighting!" The two men hesitated. Nothing like this had ever happened before. They did not quite know what to do. But the spectators were furious. Telemachus had robbed them of their anticipated entertainment! They yelled wildly and stampeded toward the center of the arena. They became a mob. With sticks and stones they beat Telemachus to death. Far down there in the arena lay the little battered body of the monk. Suddenly the mob grew quiet. A feeling of ...

1268. Easter 2

Psalm 118:14-29, Psalm 150:1-6, John 20:19-31, Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... happen in this building and on this street. We are your faithful people right here. We love you. Amen. Intercessory Prayers God of Rabbits and People — thank you for the breath of life, for spring and its beauty, for children and adults, for pets and wild animals. Thank you for the showers that refresh the land. We are aware that some nations are set in desert places and food is nonexistent. People and animals are dying and we don’t know what to do. Give us wisdom, compassion, and generous hearts ...

1269. Easter Day

Psalm 118:1-2, Isaiah 65:17-25, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-9, Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... God, above you heavenly hosts. Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Prayer Of Thanksgiving Living God — We are yours, body, mind, and soul. Use our talents and skills to enrich all the world. Amen. Intercessory Prayers God of high and low places, our joy runs wild this morning. The days are longer and the moon rises more leisurely. Our delight comes from the playful, childlike part of ourselves and we anticipate heaven coming to earth with much vibrancy. How fully your grace is in the world! While we are here ...

1270. Epiphany 9

1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43, Psalm 96:1-9, Luke 7:1-10, Galatians 1:1-12

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... love and grace. The psalmist talks about expressing the human emotions in music while Luke suggests that strangers expect Yahweh God to be kind and helpful because the people who worship Yahweh have the reputation of being helpful. It’s our wide, and maybe wild, dream that the teachings of Jesus will empower people to try out neighborliness rather than warfulness. Fences and guns do not give anyone security or peace. Large beautiful buildings do stand for a century or two and satisfy the human need for a ...

1271. The Golf Shot That Destroyed an Airforce

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... a hapless passing seagull in mid-air. The unconscious gull subsequently fell into the open cockpit of a French‑built Mirage III fighter plane which was taxiing the runway. The gull landed on the pilot’s lap. The bird regained consciousness and began flapping wildly, which startled the pilot, as you might imagine. The pilot lost control of the plane and crashed it into the four other Mirage fighter jets sitting on the tarmac. The pilot was okay, and the gull flew out of the cockpit before impact, but ...

1272. Pentecost

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b, John 14:8-17, (25-27), Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... , we share our rejoicings! Hurrah! Yippee! Hallelujah! Offertory Statement With your own language, your own talents, and your own moneys, this is the moment when you can respond with generosity to Holy Generosity so that tangible goodness continues in this place. Doxology "The Lone, Wild Bird" The ends of earth are in God’s hand, The sea’s dark deep and far-off land. And I am yours! I rest in you. Great Spirit, come, and rest in me. Prayer Of Thanksgiving God of Babel and Pentecost — we are grateful ...

1273. Proper 5

1 Kings 17:8-24, Psalm 30:1-12; 146:1-10, Luke 7:11-17, Galatians 1:11-24

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... during the painful parts of life and in good times, we share our rejoicings! Hurrah! Yippee! Hallelujah! Offertory Statement With your own language, your own talents, and your own moneys, you can respond with generosity so that tangible goodness continues in this place. Doxology "The Lone, Wild Bird" The ends of earth are in God’s hand, The sea’s dark deep and far-off land. And I am yours! I rest in you. Great Spirit, come, and rest in me. Prayer Of Thanksgiving Giver of Hope — we are grateful for the ...

1274. Proper 6

2 Samuel 11:26--12:10, 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a, Psalm 5:1-8; 32:1-11, Luke 7:36--8:3, Galatians 2:15-21

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... of Jesus on this street. We reach in and we reach out. This takes skill, knowledge, time, and money. As the basket comes to you, give what you can to keep our lights on, our air conditioner working, and our contributions to missions mailed on time. Doxology "The Lone, Wild Bird" The ends of earth are in God’s hand, The sea’s dark deep and far-off land. And I am yours! I rest in you. Great Spirit, come, and rest in me. Prayer Of Thanksgiving Giver of Meaning — we are grateful for work to do that ...

1275. Proper 8

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21, 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Psalm 16:1-11; 77:1-2, 11-20, Luke 9:51-62, Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... human or by divine guidance. Be aware that your basic needs, not necessarily your wants, are met. Give as you can to provide resources for this building and for its influence in the neighborhood. Give as you can so that others can be cared for. Doxology "The Lone, Wild Bird" The ends of earth are in God’s hand, The sea’s dark deep and far-off land. And I am yours! I rest in you. Great Spirit, come, and rest in me. Prayer Of Thanksgiving Holy One — we are grateful for the resources that make ministry ...

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