Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 1351 to 1375 of 4968 results

1351. Are Greatness and Christianity Compatible?

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

Donald Macleod

... something of heaven into the midst of our rough earthliness." The issue here was not that the desire of greatness could be sinful in the eyes of God, but concerned something more basic - ambition. This was the underlying and ruling passion with this coterie of disciples. Ambition, however, can be neutral. It is good or bad depending upon what a person is ambitious for and why. Being ambitious for greatness for one's own or for greatness' sake can be destructive of the best within us and of our usefulness to ...

1352. Greg Ghost

Matthew 14:22-36

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... of the special things that Jesus could do that other people cannot do because they lack the faith to do something that different. None of us seem to have enough faith to walk on water. We just sink. But Jesus could do it and we call it a miracle. The disciples saw this person walking on the water towards them and the closer he got the surer they were that they were seeing a ghost. Some of them did not even look at his face, but instead they started crying in fear of what they called the ghost. Instead it ...

1353. Where Have All The Visible Miracles Gone?

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... of such glory, his clothes turn white as light and his face shines like the sun. Then Moses and Elijah, two men of God who had been dead for more than 1,000 and more than 800 years respectively, appeared before Jesus and his disciples, and they started talking with him. By now the disciples were really uneasy, scared. They had never seen anything like this. Then to top it off a voice from heaven could be heard: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him (Matthew 17:5)." Yes, it is a ...

1354. The Road To Capernaum

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... and lifting. He was well received in most places for a while. "The common people heard him gladly." Mark tells us that in those early days of his ministry he was in the area of the Sea of Galilee. There he called Andrew, Simon, James and John to be disciples. Then they went into town there on the northern shore of the lake. The name of the town was Capernaum. While there in Capernaum Jesus taught in the synagogue and astonished all who heard him with the things he said and did. That evening they went to the ...

1355. Captive To The Word Of God

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

... their conquerors. The subjects of many, they became the spiritual slaves of no one. They were descendants of Abraham. The Truth That Frees The key to today's text is found in the first words of the lesson: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." This text, or at least a part of it, is one of the most widely-quoted texts of the Bible. It is a particular favorite of democratic societies and governments wherein it is presumed that ...

1356. Is It Hard To Believe?

Sermon

Erskine White

... the gospel writers were concocting a story, and if they wanted to appeal to the strict moral sensibilities of their world, don't you think they would have had a man - and a righteous man at that - as the first witness to the Resurrection? And what of the disciples, the pillars of the early church? They were too scared to go out to the tomb, and when Mary came back with the news, they clearly did not believe her. Now, the people who write history have a way of making themselves look good. Read the memoirs of ...

1357. Wounded Glory

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Erskine White

... we recognize Christ when He appears in our midst? How do we know where Christ is, in our lives and in the world? Remember the disciples on that first Easter day: they saw the Christ who was Risen in glory, but they recognized Him only when they saw His wounds. I ... Life. O God, who has met us in the flesh in Your Son, Jesus Christ, help us to recognize Him in our midst today, as the disciples did of old. Help us to see Him in the wounds we bear in life, and in the wounds which bleed our world. As we prepare ...

1358. Checking The Vital Signs

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... is pure,Until with you I will one will To do and to endure.-- Edwin Harch 1835-1889 (From LBW-1978) Another vital sign is the heartbeat or pulse. This has to do with the blood racing through the body. One of othe signs of the “live Christ” with the disciples was in the way they got together and communed. It began as a celebration of his real presence. He was known to them by the way he broke bread. We offered that same bread and wine on a Sunday of Easter, and he was here with us. Seven hundred and ...

1359. When Thomas Doubted

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... missions and ministry all over the world. If we all witnessed to our faith, we’d grow by leaps and bounds. Hundreds would join at this altar every few weeks for baptisms and confirmations. If we all loved and forgave and served others like we should as his disciples, we’d set this community on its ear. Sunday school would not be able to hold all the adult students studying the Bible! We’d have to add twice the number of worship services to hold all the people! The choir loft would be bulging and you ...

1360. How Much Is Enough?

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... he is. Jesus cannot observe human suffering and do nothing. He has to help, he has to heal, because he feels such great compassion for the people. In fact, he was so determined to heal as many people as he could that day that he lost track of time. His disciples come and offer a helpful reminder. "Jesus, it’s way past dinner time, and there’s not a McDonald’s or Burger King or Taco Bell in sight. You need to send these folks home now so they can get something to eat." Send them away so they can get ...

1361. Get Ready, Get Set...Wait!

Matthew 24:36-51

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... of coming doom and gloom is a reminder that our concentration is not to be on the future, but on the present, on the quality of the life we are living today. Jesus doesn’t call us to a passive, do-nothing kind of waiting. Jesus says to the disciples and to us that the way we live together in the world as Kingdom people, as Advent people, is serious business and calls for an active faith. Isaiah echoes that call. "O house of Jacob, come let us walk in the light of the Lord." Walking is not passive ...

1362. Lent 1

Sermon

Betty Lynn Schwab

... time. Reader 2: Jesus would have heard this verse sung many, many times in his life. He would have sung it himself every year at the Festival of Booths. When he knew his death was near and being very conscious of who he truly was, Jesus (and later the disciples) would realize how this verse and all of the Hallel applied uniquely to him. Reader 1: Jesus is the one who comes in the name of God, bringing us the light of God, and showing us how the steadfast love of God endures. All these ideas are found in ...

1363. Easter is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Acts 1:1-11, Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

Johnny Dean

... just trying to solve it. And we’ve got some really good ideas. So how about it, Lord? Isn’t it time you restored the church to power? You wouldn’t want to waste another Easter, would you, Lord?" And Jesus says to us, as he said to those first disciples so long ago, "Oh, don’t you worry about that. You don’t need that kind of power and you don’t need to know when God is going to establish the kingdom. It may have already happened and you just missed it. That happened once before, you know? God ...

1364. The Dynamics of Doubt

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... . Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:19-31, NIV) E. S. Martin has observed: Within my earthly ...

1365. Encounters With Christ I: Jesus & the Man Born Blind

John 9:1-12

Sermon

James W. Moore

... … as he crouches there and feels in the dirt for scraps of garbage… and wards off with his hands and arms the trampling, heedless crowds, eating their dust and pleading (without much success) for their help. Intrigued by this man’s horrible plight, the disciples ask Jesus a hard theological question: Who sinned? Was it this man or his parents? Why was he born blind? Was it his fault? Or did someone in his family do something wrong to cause this? There is an interesting theological point here. The ...

1366. An Empty Tomb

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Robert Allen

... who said, "Chairete." The literal meaning of the word is, "Rejoice." Suddenly, the sorrow gave way to joy when they realized that the empty tomb meant that Jesus was alive. The first Easter and the empty tomb was an experience of joy for the women and the disciples. I believe that our faith in him is the promise that joy can fill our lives. Recently, I was in Denver for some meetings. Whenever the meetings were over for the day, I would watch the local news. Like many people in Denver, I became fascinated ...

1367. Take Up Your Cross

Luke 8:1-15

Sermon

Robert V. Dodd

... forth my hand, I always discover anew the glorious fact that Christ is also reaching out for me to lift me up to new life. Following Jesus is risky business at best, and this is why he spoke of a cross. One morning when they woke up, some of the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Lord, what are we going to do today?" Simon the Zealot said, "Lord, are we going to preach about the Kingdom today? I just love it when you preach about the Kingdom!" And Simon Peter said, "Lord, are you going to tell us where to ...

1368. Why I Believe In The Resurrection

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Brett Blair

... by the end of the first century over a half million people had come under the Christian banner. That is the power of resurrection. It is never easy to disregard the testimony of witnesses who are ready to die for their words. Eventually, of course, every one of the disciples met a violent death. People may lie to perpetuate a myth, I will grant you that. But people are not going to die to perpetuate what they know to be a myth. Maybe one. Maybe even two or three. But not all twelve. They were not men who ...

1369. The Last Supper - Passover

John 13:1-17

Illustration

... that occurred on Thursday of what the church calls Holy Week, the last week in the life of our Lord. One-third of all the events that we have about Jesus’ life occurred during this week: Reminding us of the great significance of these last days. The disciples have gathered in a home, whose we are not sure, but we do know that it had a furnished second floor. As they gather they participate in what is called a Seder meal, one of the highlights of the Passover week. The Passover festival, of course, had ...

1370. The Witness and the Witnesses

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon

... ." It is Luke who gives us the more satisfying description and story of how that happened, is it not? But the promise to send the Spirit is articulated by John; Pentecost is the celebration of a promise kept by the risen Christ. Jesus knew that his disciples could not make it on their own after his death; even the resurrection would not be enough to sustain them in the faith. When his final departure from them took place, wouldn’t they be likely to sense his absence far more than his presence? Death has ...

1371. I Voted for God

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

Carveth Mitchell

... to find that his presence is our blessing, our strength against temptation, our joy in serving others and our victory over whatever life might bring. When I read today’s Gospel I think I hear, in my own heart as well as some of yours, the plaint of those early disciples, "Who then, can be saved?" (Matthew 19:25) I know no other answer than the one he gave to them: "With men this is impossible. With God all things are possible." It’s the only hope we have. Help us to love and serve you for what you are ...

1372. Saving Sinners

Matthew 9:9-13

Sermon

... a sobering effect. The feeling of encouragement and comfort we can derive is easy to spot. It's an argument from the greater to the lesser. If Jesus called Matthew, professional sinner that he was, perhaps there is also hope that I can be included on his list of disciples! Let's face it. Sometimes you and I can feel pretty low about our lack of spiritual and moral accomplishments. How could I do such a thing, we ask at times. How could I be so low? Or maybe it hurts even more when someone else says, "How ...

1373. With Many Voices

Acts 2:11b

Children's Sermon

... a miracle to happen that men have never forgotten. It was a day something like today and all of the people who believed that Jesus was the Son of God came together to worship just as we are this morning. As they were there listening to one of the disciples preach, and they were singing some of the psalms that King David had written, something happened. First, there was a noise like the roar of a thousand jet planes and a wind in the house like they had never seen or heard before. Then as the wind quieted ...

1374. In Turning to God

John 18:1-11

Bulletin Aid

... neither has yet come true, and neither man is guilty of sin. At this point, both men are absolutely the same. But in the events that quickly follow, what Our Lord has predicted is sadly to come to pass. For as He is praying in the Garden, all of the disciples fast asleep, Judas comes with the soldiers to lead Our Lord away. Reaching over to Him, Judas kisses Our Lord on the cheek. And the soldiers bind Him, and tie Him. Jesus is betrayed with a kiss. But as Our Lord is leaving, He looks at Judas with a look ...

1375. The Cost of Being Christian

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Sermon

... future; now he was creating fear and anxiety. Is it any wonder that many of them began to turn away? Jesus looked at his disciples and asked of them, "Will you also go away?" It is a startling statement. The people had seen men carrying crosses and being ... rid of it. Which do you want?" Jesus said, "Unless you are willing to take up your cross and come after me, you cannot be my disciple because you are not going where I am going." He did it not for himself but for us that we might be healthy and whole. ...

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