Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1276 to 1300 of 3099 results

Isaiah 6:1-13, Romans 8:1-17, John 3:1-21

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... is most appropriate for Trinity Sunday, of course, because it does mention the three elements of what would later become the doctrine. Here, however, the correlation between Father, Son, and Spirit is not presented objectively, as a tidy systematic formula, but subjectively, from the standpoint of the impact that each person makes upon the believer. The cumulative effect is to put the believer within the divine interrelationship as a member of God’s family. Call to Worship Leader: All who are led by ...

1277. Proper 6

2 Samuel 1:1-16, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Mark 4:26-29, Mark 4:30-34

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... , whose death brings life abundant. In his name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 Theme: The growing reality of the Kingdom of God Exegetical Note Mark probably connected these two originally independent "seed parables" because of the similarity of subject and metaphor. Each speaks to the nature of the Kingdom, but with a particular nuance: the secretly growing seed suggests that the Kingdom’s growth on earth is beyond human comprehension or control; while the mustard seed emphasizes the contrast between ...

1278. Proper 13

2 Samuel 12:1-31, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... to which you have called us in Christ. In his name we pray. Amen Gospel: John 6:24-35 Theme: The spiritual satisfaction in the bread of life Exegetical Note While the pericope preceding this one dealt with the satisfaction of physical hunger, the subject now is spiritual sustenance. Jesus now prods the crowd who were fed the day before to turn their attention to the imperishable and enduring food of eternal life. When asked what task (or "work") they might perform to earn such bread, Jesus asserts simply ...

1279. Proper 28

Daniel 7:1-14, Hebrews 10:1-18, Mark 13:1-31

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... of dominions. People: OUR GOD WILL ESTABLISH A UNIVERSAL KINGDOM OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT WILL HAVE NO END! Collect Mighty God, who have promised to defeat and dispel every kingdom of evil, inspire us with the image of your coming Kingdom; that, as your faithful subjects and servants, we may anticipate in our daily lives the reign of righteousness that you will surely build upon the earth. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen Prayer of Confession Ruler God, we confess that we are not always loyal citizens of your ...

1280. "The Sawdust and the Circus"

Numbers 27:12-23

Sermon

... Christ is not a pretense. He is vitally and uniquely real! The creeds may be archaic, the hymns may be flat, the sermon may be dull, but Christ is real! God exists - and He exists in such a way that we might come to know him. Not simply as the subject of a sermon or the object of a prayer - but as a Being! For, as you meet Him on the pages of Scripture, and as you begin to believe on Him, you discover that something can happen - that you begin to live not alone, but in the presence of a ...

1281. Which Self Are You?

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

... I just wasn’t myself." "I’m ashamed of myself." "I forgot myself for a moment." Or the plaintive cry that I have heard so often in my ministry: "I HATE myself." Obviously, in all of these sentences that we use or hear used so often, the subject and the object are NOT the same person. We recognize that. Which is "I" and which is "MYSELF" that we are talking about? They all show clearly that there is a self that is ideal, the image of God, that keeps struggling upward toward the light. Ancient theologians ...

1282. The Racial Gap

Psalm 53:1-6

Sermon

William McKee Aber

... , he wrote, "LET LOVE BE GENUINE." That means, I suppose, many things - but certainly one thing is, "Let love be honest." For a long time, even among the so-called liberals, our love was not honest. It was patronizing. As I look back at my old sermons on the subject, I am appalled at the number of times I suggested that "They didn’t want this or that." How presumptuous on my part to assume that I could or should speak on someone else’s wants and needs! Our love dare not be patronizing; it must be honest ...

1283. The Bread of Life

Luke 9:10-17

Sermon

Ewart E. Turner

... . The kids sometimes put up a squawk when you start hauling left-overs out. Most often, though, you just ignore the ‘fragments,’ or forget them. Then, wham, I get them, already starting to smell." "Thirdly -" Mr. C was really warming to his subject now. Mrs. A was seeking to justify herself, but no opening gambit presented itself. Unchristian Shopping "Thirdly, since you married a Good Salary, your shopping has disintegrated. You used to buy sensibly and thriftily. Now your fixation is: get it packaged ...

1284. Recognizing The Hidden

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... even hit that! But for me, I think I’ve found some of the answer and I’ve found it in Easter." Mike began to feel sorry he’d asked the question. It looked like a Sunday school lesson was about to start. As he was about to change the subject his brother continued: "I don’t mean the stone rolled away, or the angel, or the clothes rolled in a neat pile. Those may be part of Easter. I mean the real answer about our existence is in the meaning of Easter. It is the meaning of Easter that says ...

1285. Extended Light

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Sermon

William F. Dunkle

... she named Jesus, babies and women counted for very little anywhere in the world that night. Unwanted babies could be thrown over the walls of any ancient city to perish in the cold or be devoured by wild dogs. Who would care? Women were chattels, all wholly subject to men and could be cast off entirely at male will. Joseph was a just man, scripture records, not willing to do more than put Mary away privately when her pregnancy was first discovered. But in that time and age, he could discard her anyway he ...

1286. Identifying Light

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

William F. Dunkle

... that involves them. He can never be cancelled out. Neither can Christians. Being "all things to all men" that "I might by all means save some" calls Christians where their fellow humans are suffering, are hungry, are sick, are unjustly discriminated against, are subjected to any tyranny. We cannot ignore evil in any form. George MacLeod of the Iona Community is said to have asked Billy Graham what he was doing about the Bomb. Graham answered: "Convert men, George, and the Bomb will take care of itself ...

1287. IN THE HOUR OF TRIAL

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon Aid

John W. Rilling

... have to know how to make a deal. When the issues of slavery were being debated, one of the outspoken proponents of immediate emancipation was William Lloyd Garrison. When he was told that he must be prepared to take it gradually, by moderation, he replied: "On this subject I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. No! No! Tell a man whose house is on fire to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of the ravisher; tell the mother gradually to extricate ...

1288. In All Things Be Thankful

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Sermon

Brett Blair

... bad as they could get, with no sign of relief. The bread lines were depressingly long, the stock market had plummeted, and the term Great Depression seemed an apt description for the mood of the country. The ministers thought they should only lightly touch upon the subject of Thanksgiving in deference to the human misery all about them. After all, what was there to be thankful for? But it was Dr. William L. Stiger, pastor of a large congregation in the city that rallied the group. This was not the time, he ...

1289. Advent 2: Let Us Go Over To Bethlehem And Find The Promise of Christmas

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

James W. Moore

... ; he then wrote down two words… just two words which comprised his entire essay. Then he turned in his test… and walked out of the classroom. Most of the students took the full hour and filled all the pages of their blue books writing on the subject “What Is Courage?” That evening the professor telephoned the young man who turned in the two word essay… and informed him that he had given him an A+ on the test… and that he would like to get to know the student better. The professor congratulated ...

1290. Demon Drop

Mark 1:21-28

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... self-righteousness. The plan is to tell of the Holy One's mighty deeds. Isn't it a marvelous plan? DARK LORD: This is your plan? This is your marvelous plan? Just kill this -- this -- NIGITH: Kill the Holy One of God? DARK LORD: He is human. He is subject to death. And death is our realm. NIGITH: But, my Prince, just listen to my plan. It will work. DARK LORD: Just how will this "plan" of yours work? NIGITH: My worthy Prince, we will go tell abroad his deeds -- and they are great miracles -- that many will ...

1291. A New Kind of Teaching

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... all over the world. He staked his life on it. Amidst the blizzard of information available today, you can be sure we are on to something significant when the teacher begins to stake his reputation, even his life, on it. Talk is one thing, but commitment to the subject matter of the talk is quite another. As in Luther, so in Jesus we have a man who takes a stand on what he is saying. Many of the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' time taught dogmatically, which is to say, out of a rigid past and unimaginative ...

1292. An Old Plan For New People

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Larry Powell

... age 86, preaches at least once each Sunday, frequently walking to his appointment. Age is a detriment to productivity, is it Christian? I think not. God can use us where we are. Elbert Hubbard wrote thousands of essays, illuminating almost every subject conceivable to the human mind. Perhaps his most famous work, "Message to Garcia," was written in 1889, sold in excess of eighty million copies in twenty languages, and extolled the virtues of yielding oneself to an unseasonable undertaking. Hubbard relates ...

1293. When Ten Equals Two

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Larry Powell

... the merits and demerits of Darwin’s proposition. It was common knowledge that Wilberforce utterly deplored the work and had spoken scathingly of it from the pulpit. The chairman of the Scientific Society instructed Wilberforce to refrain from mentioning the controversial subject in his remarks. It was also pointed out to the good Bishop that, although Darwin was not present, his good friend Thomas Huxley was. The Bishop proceeded to warm to his assigned topic and presently waxed eloquent, showing signs of ...

1294. Feet Of Clay

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... . When that happens we all need to be reminded of the words of Luther: You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building nests in your hair. David was headed for a fall because he forgot that he was subject to universal codes of conduct as was everyone else. And the fall, though temporary, was great. And it had a lasting effect on him and many other people. Uriah would die, as would his first child. Perhaps a modern ditty could sum it up for us. Going against ...

1295. Human Nature Revisited

2 Samuel 18:1-18

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... like doing the crossword puzzle in the Sunday paper and feeling very satisfied when you have made the words fit; but ultimately without the capacity to reach people where they really care. Virtually every meaningful conversation I have ever had with people on the subject of God and religion has either started with this question, or gotten around to it before long. Not only the troubled man or woman who has just come from a discouraging diagnosis at the doctor’s office, but the college student who tells me ...

1296. An Unusual Legacy

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... . After she died we found the following piece in her Bible. It must have been her covenant with her Creator as she moved through the sunset of her life: Lord, Thou knowest I am growing older. Keep me from the idea that I must express mnyself on every subject. Release me from the craving to meddle in everyone’s affairs. Keep my tongue from the recital of endless details of the past which do not interest others. Seal my lips when I am inclined to talk about my aches and pains. They are increasing with the ...

1297. Francis of Assisi

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Drama

Michael L. Sherer

... no for an answer. PROTAGONIST: Well, okay, so Francis didn’t do everything the way we wish he would have. But at least he didn’t hold the coats of his friends so they could murder a deacon, like Paul once did. ANTAGONIST: Stay on the subject. Francis asked for it. He should have taken his medicine when he was down and out. PROTAGONIST: Well, come to think of it, he did. ANTAGONIST: What do you mean? PROTAGONIST: After all, the church - and the world - don’t remember Francis for restoring old church ...

1298. A Mountain Of Meaning

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

Brett Blair

... Rip Van Winkle? One day in a quiet spot on the banks of the Hudson River he fell asleep and he didn't wake up for twenty years. On that day the sign on his favorite tavern read: "King George III, King of England." He was a subject of the British crown. When he woke up, King George was replaced by George Washington and he was an American citizen. The tragedy is he slept through a revolution. While he snored, oblivious to his surroundings, fantastic, earth-shaking events had taken place. This is what happened ...

1299. Worthwhile Arguments

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

Richard Patt

... asks his disciples here, "What were you arguing about on the road?" Then we read, "But they would not answer him, because on the road they had been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest." Pretty embarrassing! Not only were they caught discussing a subject that revealed their own proud, self-centered concerns; they were also carrying on this worthless argument in the presence of him who was the greatest, of him who lived the greatest story ever told as he laid down his life for us at the cross ...

1300. Do Children Like You?

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Richard Patt

... Savior to whom children felt drawn. I As we look at both parts of this story, the wonderful truth emerges again: Jesus valued loving relationships above human tasks and achievement - even above religious duty. It’s ironic that the Pharisees raised a subject which has to do with the highest and most beautiful kind of human relationship - that between a man and woman who are married to one another. Despite the fact that our current talk about marriage often involves contracts and rights of equality ...

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