Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1376 to 1400 of 4681 results

1376. The Paradox of the Yoke

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and cause us to feel hopeless and disillusioned sometimes, especially when it gets too heavy for our shoulders and hearts to bear. Think for a moment about a life experience that you have had that was particularly hard to go through. Rough terrain ... sense of purpose and direction. You don’t know how to go on. The world on your shoulders feels too much. You don’t know how to bear it any longer. This is when Jesus steps in. He slips that yoke off of you and instead, places his own over both of you. Then he ...

1377. Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

William G. Carter

... 12 with its final verse: “On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among humankind.” Maybe you came to church to forget about that, but church is about reality. The reality is there are some weeds in the wheat. The parable says, “When the wheat bears its grain, that’s when the weeds become obvious.” The question is what do we do about that? If there is good and there is evil, some want to pluck out the evil. Pull the weeds. That is an understandable response. Every once in a while ...

1378. The Reckoning

Matthew 14:13-21, Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... of the family? Although it may have been his mom’s idea (lots of blended family stuff in that story), Jacob struggles immediately both with carrying out the deceitful act and with carrying it in his conscience. He runs off to his uncle Laban where he bears Laban’s deceit, as he does the old switcheroo on him (ironic, right), as Jacob works for Rachel and first receives Leah as his wife. Finally, marrying both, he proceeds on, with the stage (obviously) set for a lot of rivalry between these two wives as ...

1379. A Woman Dancing

Exodus 15:20, 21

Sermon

Will Willimon

... The tambourines have brought them to their feet and, tired as they are, they cannot be still. They do not tire because they have within them the most energizing force in the world -- hope. They have given death the slip. Listen to Miriam's song and you will bear praised the name of a God stronger than Pharaoh. "Sing to the Lord, Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously, the horses and the rider be has thrown into the sea." If we had a tambourine, we wouldn't use it. We are modern and therefore cynical about ...

1380. Count the Cost

Luke 14:25-33

Sermon

Will Willimon

... or her own father and mother...yes, even his or her own life; you cannot be my disciple." Wow. Tough talk, high cost. At Duke. We've only asked you to leave your folks until Thanksgiving in order to get an education. Jesus demands a higher cost. "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." How many of you, even at your young age, have had to bury a mother or a father, a sister or a brother? Don't raise your hands. If you have ever had to let go like that, you ...

1381. The Great Reveal

John 12:20-33

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... our earthly inclinations, in order to be resurrected into “citizens” of God’s intended kingdom. This is why Jesus tells us that when he is lifted up, he will draw all people to himself. In and through Him, God’s kingdom can be grown, bearing fruit worthy of goodness, truth, and beauty (attributes of Greek philosophy) but also words used in Jesus’ theology.[2] For Jesus, the seed must “fall” from the stalk (from its earthly life source) and die (apothnasko) in order to produce more wheat (to be ...

1382. Free to Forgive

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the power and glory of God in their lives, often for the very first time. You are all Jesus’ disciples. You’ve all been given a great power. You can use Jesus’ gift wisely, bestowing love and grace upon all those in your lives, not bearing upon what they’ve done, but bearing upon the gift you’ve received in Jesus. Or you can resort to a “eye for an eye” mentality that in the end will merely leave both of you with only one eye. As the superhero Spiderman learns, “with great power comes great ...

1383. The Shepherd Knows

John 10:11-18

Sermon

Mary Austin

... anything. Every need is met and every danger taken care of. There were plenty of dangers for shepherds in ancient Palestine. In that world, the shepherd was absolutely responsible for the lives of the sheep. Fighting off bears and wolves, along with thieves, was part of the job description. If an animal were eaten by a wolf or bear, the shepherd had to bring in part of the sheep’s body to prove that the animal had eaten it. The shepherd’s staff mentioned in Psalm 23 is a weapon for such battles. The rod ...

1384. Flow

John 15:1-8

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... when he speaks to his disciples in our scripture today about what it means to “abide” in him. Jesus describes our state of “abiding” as a branch attached to a primary vine (Jesus), planted by the vine grower (God). In order for the branch to grow, bear flowers and fruit, seed and multiply, feed others, the vine must be always connected to the “root vine.” If it breaks away, it will no longer have a source of nourishment and empowerment. It will wither, brown, and die. It will no longer have the ...

1385. Body

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... in a tangible way. According to Jewish tradition, however, one who ascends to the merkabah is bodily transformed in the process into the likeness of the divine glory. Moses himself, to whom Paul has already alluded, had to veil his face because the Israelites could not bear the resplendent glory visible there (cf. 3:7, 13; Philo, On the Life of Moses 2.70; Pesiq. Rab. 10:6; Zohar 1.31b). Therefore, the question is this: If Paul has ascended to the throne-chariot of God in the highest heaven, and if greater ...

1386. Bare Stage

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... credit. Take a little credit for yourself. Give everyone some slack! Now let’s listen to what the angel said in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21). Notice the angel didn’t actually do anything. The angel only told Joseph he should not be afraid to take Mary into his home as his wife, that ...

1387. God Is Like...Fire

Malachi 3:1-4 · Luke 3:1-6, 9,16-17

Sermon

Kenneth L. Gibble

... as the fire closed in on them. Before the fire engines could arrive, the house also caught fire. Grandpa and Grandma lost almost everything they owned. Only a few household items could be salvaged. I have in my of my cupboards at home two plates that still bear the marks of surviving the fire at my grandparents’ farm. Most vivid in my mind as a child was the picture in my imagination of Grandpa trying to beat out the quickly spreading fire and then trying to rescue his animals. Fire, I learned early in ...

1388. Investing Our Inheritance

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... upon us hard bondage ... and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm ... and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey' " (Deuteronomy 26:5-9). In a similar way, we too can bear witness to God's goodness. In our times of need God has been there to provide for us and to lead us to a promised land, rich with God's bountiful blessings. For the biblical writers, to confess our faith in God is more than a mental exercise. It is ...

1389. Becoming A Faithful Witness

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... ridicule and persecution at the hands of their own countrymen. Isaiah appears to have witnessed or experienced firsthand the persecution about which he talks. His words reflect that he understands the gravity of what lies ahead for God's people who take seriously the task of bearing witness to others. Listen to what he said: "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:6). The witness for God does not hide from the ...

1390. A Faith That Overcomes

Acts 9:32-43

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... that enabled Peter to raise up Tabitha and it is that power that will enable us to rise above the constraints and the trauma of life in this world. Testify To God's Faithfulness When God empowers us to overcome the difficulties of life, our call is to bear witness to others. We must share the message of the good God has wrought in our lives. In this way our times of difficulty can be opportunities for bringing glory to God. Even when we do not fully comprehend the circumstances of our lives, we can testify ...

1391. In Pursuit Of The Promise

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... that is willing to sacrifice in order to promote the message. Our direction as witnesses can be found in these words: "You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). It is not sufficient to bear witness in our homes or even in our community. We must be willing to go to the end of the earth to carry the message of Christ. A young woman traveled with a group to Guatemala to participate in a short-term mission project. The group was from a ...

1392. "No Contest"

1 Kings 18:16-46

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... in the trench! Elijah's God still lives today and answers prayer with power. God craves to answer our prayers and meet our needs. A study of Elijah's prayer and then using it as an example for ourselves would be helpful in getting results from heaven too. Bear in mind that Elijah did exactly what God wanted him to do. He said in his prayer, "I did all these things at your command." How often do we pray powerless prayers and without faith for we know we have been disobedient to God's command? Guilt makes ...

1393. Naaman Is My Name!

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... as soon as we concede the battle, then there is hope for us. Naaman must wash in the Jordan, there was no other remedy. God is just as adamant that our excuses and substitutes are unacceptable, and that we submit to his remedy. In Wagner's comic strip, "Grin and Bear It," two ladies are sitting in the doctor's waiting room. One says, "I'm still looking for a second opinion. The last five doctors I have been to have all told me the same thing." So when sin is diagnosed as our condition, we need not look for ...

1394. A Shroud Unto Life

Luke 24:1-12

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

... of serving. When Ms. O'Meara arrived in Ethiopia, however, she was nearly overwhelmed by the devastating power of the famine. She was assigned to work in a feeding station in the northern part of Ethiopia. She went north with a convoy of trucks bearing sack upon sack upon sack of food. After two days of arduous travel the caravan finally arrived at its destination. Kathleen had seen many people along the roadside on the way north begging for food. At the feeding station, however, starving 57 people were ...

1395. Great Reversals

Luke 12:13-21; Luke 1:46-56; Luke 4:18-19; Luke 6:20-26; Luke 7:21-22

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

The theme of poverty, riches, possessions and the realm of God is a constant theme of Luke. It begins with Mary's song. Mary had an encounter with an angel. "You will bear a son and call his name Jesus," the angel announced. "Let it be with me according to your word," said Mary. Elizabeth, Mary's relative, blessed Mary for her trust that God's word of promise would be fulfilled. And then Mary sang a song. Mary's song may just ...

1396. Wedding Wine

John 2:1-11

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... girl is married! GROOM'S MOTHER: My little boy! My little boy is married! BRIDE'S FATHER: How much am I paying that photographer, anyway? GROOM'S FATHER: I'm thirsty. PHOTOGRAPHER: Smile, everyone. (TAKES PICTURE) Good. Now the bride and parents. BRIDE AND GROOM: Oh, I can't bear to be away from my love for a second. I love (him) (her) so much. BRIDE'S FATHER: The photographer cost too much! The hall costs too much! And the caterer is a dolt! And he costs too much! He tells me he doesn't have enough wine ...

1397. Alesander The Mediocre

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... the oracle that \ninflicted this mysterious carnage upon my realm? Dear citizens \nof Macedonia, I harbor in my heart the sufferings that inflict \nthemselves upon each one of you. The blight destroys the flower \nand darkens its bloom. The cattle, pastured and bearing young, \nare stricken with an unknown malady that robs the newly born of \ntheir nourishment. The women are no more laden with young. Old \nmen stumble and fall, nevermore to rise. Young men fall with \nsicknesses that no one can discern. The ...

1398. Which Way To Jesus?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... see him, they would have to understand what was involved. He said, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." That was not a very good prospect for these people who wanted to follow Jesus. Jesus was headed for the cross, and he knew it ...

1399. Sent From The Mountain

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

William G. Carter

... . For another thing, we cannot affirm that we have whatever we think others do not have. People of all nations may have heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and ignored it. The question is: have those of us in this nation done much better? Do we really bear the very News that we so proudly want to give to the nations? That is the challenge of our commission. Some years ago, novelist Walker Percy spoke to a group of graduating seniors at a Catholic college. He saluted their dedication to study. In glowing terms ...

1400. The Little Boat

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... the alligator. He yelled to the children. Two of them heard the cry and headed for shore. The third child, Mike, was under the water using his diving gear to look beneath the surface. The other two children got near the shore, looked back, and saw the alligator bearing down like a torpedo on their brother. One of them started back to warn Mike, but it was too late. The alligator was upon the boy. He was about to swallow him whole, but when the alligator chomped down on the boy's head, he found the diving ...

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