Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1276 to 1300 of 4943 results

1276. Ring Those Bells

1 Peter 3:8-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... big time. Openness to risking to love those who do not think they are worthy of being loved. Hope takes leaving safe harbors for the perils of the high seas. “P”= Prayer. Hope takes Prayer. Continuing to hope takes continuous communication—which means “Prayer.” Prayer is our continued connection to the living Christ. Not the Christ of the Scriptures. Not the Savior whom we sing about. Prayer is our “Instagram.” The way we connect intimately and instantly with the hope and love that drives ...

1277. Ignite: Fire Extinguishers

Acts 15:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... with tradition. Tradition can be a positive thing. Tradition can be a neutral thing, but tradition can be a negative thing. Here is how you will always know when tradition becomes a bad thing—when you put tradition over truth. Let’s continue… II. Pushing Rules Over Relationships “So,being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria,describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, andbrought great joy to allthe brothers.When they came to Jerusalem, they were ...

1278. When “Vocation” and “Vacation” Are One

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of town and enjoy some quiet time. Jesus’ vacations were not about days upon days of wake boarding or body surfing or rock climbing. Jesus’ vacations were about a time to reconnect, reconsider, remember — all that the Father had called him to do and continued to look for in his life. When Jesus took “a vacation,” it was his attempt to reconnect in prayer and recharge in spirit more completely with his Father. Every time Jesus “took off” it was in order to “take off” more powerfully when he ...

1279. Don’t Be a Trender - Be a Trendsetter

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... uniquely divinely empowered individual. Initially Jesus seems to adhere to the old school “party line.” The Gentiles are not his problem, and he appears to ignore her plea at first. But the Canaanite woman is not the only one Jesus ignores. As she continues to follow Jesus and his entourage, the disciples complain to Jesus “Send her away for she keep shouting after us” (vs. 23). Jesus offers the “party line,” the “trending truth” about being only sent to the “the house of Israel.” But he ...

1280. An Invitation to a Wedding

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... else and on themselves too. Ultimately, if he’s a good God, he cannot allow that sort of behavior, and that sort of person, if they don’t change, to remain forever in the party he’s throwing for his son . . . “The point of the story is,” continues Bishop Wright, “that . . . God’s kingdom is a kingdom in which love and justice and truth and mercy and holiness reign unhindered. They are the clothes you need to wear for the wedding. And if you refuse to put them on, you are saying you don’t ...

1281. The Broken

John 8:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... test him that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at ... woman, Jesus is building His case against them. Instead of passing judgment on the woman, He passes judgment on the judges. “And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a ...

1282. Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

James Merritt

... it may be there for a witness against you.’” (Deuteronomy 31: 24-26, ESV) All that Moses had written was carefully placed in the Ark of the Covenant. In effect, it is the first library we read about in the Bible. As Israel’s history continued additional books were added to the books of Moses. The writing of all of the Hebrew Scriptures would not be completed until 420 BC with the Book of Malachi. These scriptures were later divided into a three-fold division (the law, the prophets, and the writings ...

1283. Chickens with Eyeglasses

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... that--a gift! It was a gift that would ensure that Paul would never forget who he was and who God is and would forever help him to remain humble. In Paul’s estimation God gave him this thorn, a constant reminder of his weakness, that he might be continually reminded of his dependence on God. Let me ask you, do you have “a thorn in your flesh?” Do you have a constant irritant that you may never be rid of? . . . And don’t you dare point at your spouse . . . Maybe it’s a physical disability. Maybe it ...

1284. Peace Comes to Our Hearts

Philippians 4:4-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... his rifle ready to fire. There in front of him were several Palestinian children. They were picking up more stones to throw at him. What was he to do? He wasn’t going to fire live ammunition at mere children, but he could not allow them to continue throwing those rocks either. Suddenly, he had an idea. He bent down and picked up three of the rocks . . . and then he began to juggle them . . . yes, juggle the rocks. The children were mesmerized and forgot about their rocks. The soldier did a few tricks, and ...

1285. The Transforming Power of Grace

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... at the age of eleven. He became involved first as a crewman and eventually as a ship's commander in buying, transporting, and selling slaves from Africa. Even after John Newton gave up working in the slave trade and returned home to England, he continued to invest his savings in the slave trade.[3] The lure of money from immoral activity was as powerful for Newton as it had been for Zacchaeus. Newton accumulated considerable trash in his life from his support of slavery. The smell of moral decay hovered ...

1286. Tranquil: The Blessed Village on a Hillside

John 6:25-59

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... The Master chastises them. "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life" (vv. 26-27). He continues with instruction on how they ate from the bread of this world and became hungry again. If they eat of the bread of heaven, they will not become hungry again. Then he says, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever ...

1287. Are You Giving Up Chocolate for Valentine's Day?

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... .” You’d think fish would wise up and notice the hook or see the line. You’d think fish would look around at all their fish friends who go for a lure and fly off into space and never return. But they don’t. It is ironic,” Ortberg continues, “We say fish swim together in a school, but they never learn. Aren’t you glad we’re smarter?” (2) Well . . . I guess it depends how we deal with temptation whether we are smarter than a fish or not. It depends how often we see the lure without noticing ...

1288. Athaliah and Joash

2 Chron 22:10–23:21

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... live the king!” the reader realizes that the house of David has been saved from extinction. This is not only a new beginning of the reign of young King Joash but also an expression of relief that the house of David can be continued. It is interesting that neither biblical version of this remarkable turn of events involves royals or politicians, but they both rather focus on the role that an otherwise insignificant woman (Jehoshabeath in Hebrew) and her priest husband (Jehoiada) played. It seems that both ...

1289. Amaziah King of Judah

2 Chronicles 25:1-28

Understanding Series

Louis C. Jonker

... you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down? (25:16). The prophet’s last words before he disappears from the scene, I know that God has determined to destroy you, forebode no good fortune. It is therefore incomprehensible to the reader why Amaziah continues with his plans to take revenge on Israel. 25:17–24 In 25:17 the Chronicler rejoins the source text at 2 Kings 14:8. To sharpen the contrast with the previous pericope, where the king chased away the prophet of the Lord, the Chronicler adds ...

1290. Jesus Taken Up into Heaven

Acts 1:1-11

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... was concerned only with the beginning of Jesus’ work, the implication being that that work went on beyond “the day he was taken up.” Luke’s thesis is this: Jesus remains active, though the manner of his working has changed. Now, no longer in the flesh, he continues “to do and to teach” through his “body,” the church (see disc. on 9:5). This is the story of Acts. 1:2 Before Luke takes up that story, he briefly recalls the events that brought the first book to a close. Prior to the ascension ...

1291. The Apostles Persecuted

Acts 5:17-42

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... to suffer—as well as to act and to teach—in his body, the church (see disc. on 1:1; cf. 9:4f.; Col. 1:24). 5:17–18 Though the people in general continued to regard the believers with favor (cf. 2:47; 5:13, 26), the animosity of the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, continued to grow. This reference will include those mentioned in 4:6, but may indicate further that the high priest now had the general support of all the Sadducees, who, of all Jews, most ...

1292. The Return to Antioch in Syria

Acts 14:21-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... were thus commended to the Lord [Jesus], in whom they had put their trust (v. 23; cf. 20:32). For the expression “to believe into,” see disc. on 10:43. The perfect tense of the verb indicates that they had sometime past come to this faith and were continuing in it (cf. 15:5; 16:34; 19:18). 14:24–28 In verse 24 we find again that expression that suggests that Paul and Barnabas “made a missionary journey” through Pisidia (see disc. on 8:4 and 13:13 for the region)—preaching peace where the Romans ...

1293. On to Jerusalem

Acts 21:1-16

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... time as the church in Tyre (11:19). Doubtless, Paul had visited these Christians before, since Ptolemais lay on a road that he had traveled a number of times (11:30; 12:25; 15:3). He now spent a day with the brothers. 21:8–9 The next day they continued to Caesarea. On two occasions at least (9:30; 18:22), and probably more, Paul had passed through Caesarea. Almost certainly he knew Philip and on this occasion stayed with him for a number of days. Philip was last heard of in 8:40 as having come to Caesarea ...

1294. Body / Ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... Pharisee probably applied this OT text against the crucified Christ while he knew Christ “according to the flesh” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:16). After his encounter with the resurrected Lord on the way to Damascus, however, he saw Christ in a different light, but continued to apply Deuteronomy 21:23 to the death of Christ, this time in a positive way as a reference to the substitutionary death of Christ for sinners. Paul realized that Christ was not the accursed sinner before God, but rather the deliverer who had ...

1295. Identification and a Wish for Grace and Peace

Galatians 1:1-10

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... to a different gospel is to turn away from what they have already accepted and second that if they already know his to be true, it is self-evident that the rival evangelists’ gospel cannot be combined with the one they accepted from him. 1:10 Paul continues in verse 10 by defending himself against what is likely a charge against him—that he is a people pleaser. Those who have come into his churches to teach that observance of the law is essential may have been presenting Paul’s law-free gospel as a ...

1296. Made Alive in Christ

Ephesians 2:1-10

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... as well as a commitment to obey (cf. 2:10). For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith. As in 2:5, the word for “salvation” occurs in the Greek perfect passive tense, thus reaffirming to the readers that their present and continuing state of salvation is the result of some action in the past when God’s grace and their faith came together—undoubtedly when they were baptized into Christ as believers. In the framework of the NT, believers’ baptism is a personal response to the proclamation ...

1297. Rules for Christian Households

Colossians 3:18-4:1

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... . If the Lord was not going to come soon, how much longer were they expected to go on living as slaves? These slaves needed some direction for their lives; they needed a higher motive than maintaining the status quo to explain why they must continue in their lowly position in the social order. These rules are attempts at guiding slaves and masters on sensitive and significant issues. The fact that Paul includes such a lengthy exhortation in Colossians indicates it was an issue that had to be emphasized to ...

1298. Further Instructions

Colossians 4:2-6

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... to reveal the true personal interest and pastoral heart that Paul has for this congregation. Throughout the letter he has indicated his concern by way of thanksgiving, intercession, agony, and suffering. That spirit continues here: Paul wants the news of Tychicus to “encourage their hearts” (4:8), and he shows how Epaphras shares the goals that he himself has for this congregation—for their commitment, maturity, and obedience to the gospel. Second, they provide valuable historical insight on Paul ...

1299. Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' Faith

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... 3:13, as it would be here, with the thought of Christ’s return. It suggests that all that they did and endured was done with an awareness of God and that he was in control. 1:4 Where NIV begins a new paragraph, the Greek continues with the sentence begun in verse 2. We have now the third participial phrase qualifying the statement, “we … thank God,” and expressing further the grounds of the thanksgiving. The importance that Paul gives to thanksgiving (cf. Rom. 1:8, “First, I thank … God”) lies ...

1300. Final Instructions

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... heart of the gospel—a truth echoed in the common root, in Greek, of two words, grace and joy (charis, chara). It is God’s joy to be gracious to us, while our joy has its grounds in his grace. Second, they should face all that comes with prayer—pray continually, that is, live always in the spirit of prayer. Prayer acknowledges our utter dependence upon God and the utter dependability of God in all circumstances. Prayer as much as joy is the product of God’s grace. For the adverb ...

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