Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1401 to 1425 of 4490 results

1401. The Scroll and the Lamb

Revelation 5:1-14

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

Chapter 5 marks the beginning of the third section in John’s apocalyptic letter (see outline), shifting the reader’s attention from epistolary thanksgiving to the main body of his composition. The study of the main body of religious letters has received little attention from scholars. They agree, however, that the importance of the body segment is substantive and rhetorical (see introduction). In this section of his letter, the writer deals with and seeks to resolve the crisis that threatens his audience’s ...

1402. To the Church in Sardis

Revelation 3:1-6

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

3:1 John’s Christ again seems mindful of the city’s reputation while addressing its church. Sardis, once the leading city of the important Lydian Valley, is now a city of departed glory by the time John writes Revelation at the end of the first century. Following an earthquake that leveled much of the city in A.D. 17, Sardis struggled to regain its past stature with economic assistance from Rome. Because the city was well located at the western depot of the “King’s Highway” that began at Susa on the ...

1403. Life Through the Son

John 5:16-30, John 5:1-15

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

At this point the narrator’s interest in Jesus’ itinerary begins to wane. The events of chapters 5, 6, and 7 are introduced by the vague connective phrase, meta tauta (some time later, 5:1; “some time after this,” 6:1; “after this,” 7:1). The transition from chapter 4 to chapter 5 is a natural one in that a person appropriately goes to Jerusalem from Galilee for a feast of the Jews (v. 1), but the transition between chapters 5 and 6 is more awkward. Jesus is assumed to be still in Jerusalem at the end of ...

1404. Hearts / Repentance

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

7:2–4 Here, Paul resumes his train of thought from 6:13, that the Corinthians should open wide their hearts to him just as he has done to them. This incidently shows that 6:14–7:1 must be integral to the present context, for otherwise 7:2 would sound redundant coming directly after 6:13. The intervening exhortation in 6:14–7:1 explains how they are to open their heart. As was shown above, 6:14–7:1 exhorts the Corinthians to put into practice the implications of the new covenant for their sanctification, ...

1405. Jeremiah Buys a Field

Jeremiah 32:1-44

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

32:1–15 The narrative begins by giving the date of the event that follows. It is the tenth year of Zedekiah, the eighteenth of Nebuchadnezzar, clearly within months of the downfall of Jerusalem. Indeed, the siege of Jerusalem has begun. According to Jeremiah 52:4–5, the Babylonian army arrived at the gates of Jerusalem in the tenth month of Zedekiah’s ninth year. Thus we are to imagine this story taking place within the walls of Jerusalem which was encircled by the Babylonian army. Furthermore, Jeremiah ...

1406. The Garden of Betrayal and the Garden of His Burial

John 18:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Recently I read something interesting about the deaths of royalty. It seems that when the current queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II dies, the people of Britain are banned from being funny on public television. This is true. According to this report the BBC isn’t allowed to air anything humorous for the 12 days between Queen Elizabeth’s death and funeral. In the event of the queen’s passing, the BBC will immediately stop what they’re doing, make the announcement of her death, and start airing ...

1407. Jacob's Sheep

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

A few years ago in 2016, a couple named Gil and Jenna Lewinsky of Canada, made it their mission to return a rare breed of sheep called “Jacob’s Sheep” to their origin land of Israel. For the first time in 2,000 years, the primitive looking, spotted (piebald) sheep with four horns will roam their native hillsides. The name “Jacob’s Sheep” for this genus of sheep comes from the reference in Genesis 30 in which Jacob takes all of the “spotted” sheep with him from his father in law Laban’s flocks. Said to have ...

1408. Fever Pitch

Mark 1:29-39

Sermon

Lori Wagner

In this time of Covid, we all hope and pray that we avoid the virus that has killed to date more than 2,240,000 (million) people around the world, 441,000 in the US alone. As the virus mutates and infections again rise in the middle of our coldest months of winter, many are flocking to get the newly released vaccines. We feel an urgency to protect ourselves from the raging death toll and from even mildly infecting ourselves and others with an illness that seems to have no bounds as to the type of havoc it ...

1409. Easter Makes Us One!

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

What Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in 1963 is still true today. He stated, “We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers [and sisters].” Dr. King is still correct. The Trump election made clear our attitudes towards Muslim immigrants. A Detroit News poll conducted over a decade ago (in 2007) is still relevant. It found that nearly half of the local white population preferred to live in an all-white neighborhood. The ...

1410. Moving Heaven and Earth

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

King Duncan

The story’s told about a Chinese gentleman who was visiting the United States. His hosts took him to play golf. This was a new experience for him. When he returned to China, a friend asked what he had done in the United States. He replied, “I played most interesting game. I hit a little white ball with a long stick in a large cow pasture. “What’s this game called?” asked his friend. The Chinese gentleman thought for a minute and replied, “I think it’s called, ‘Oh, no!’” Some of us may have played the game ...

1411. Poor Old Thomas

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

Well, it’s over. The eggs have been hidden and gleefully found. The leftovers are mostly eaten. Family visits are complete and we’re all looking forward to warm weather — and to settling back into our routines. This whole Easter celebration thing is a little bit tiring, don’t you think? I note that a few folks have chosen to stay home this Sunday. Don’t worry. I am not trying to mention names or point fingers! In fact, many pastors take this Sunday off after this time of intensity and worship. Who doesn’t ...

1412. Maundy Thursday

Lk 22:14-30 · Jn 13:1-17, 31b-35 · 1 Cor 11:17-32 · Ex 12:1-14 · Ps 116

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 12:1-14 The passover marked the beginning of a new era for the Israelites. "This month shall be for you the beginning of months" (v. 2). The people are ordered to set aside a flawless lamb to be slaughtered, roasted and eaten on the 14th day of the month. Everyone was to be part of the feast. The meal was to be eaten in haste because God was on the move. The people are to be ready to leave as soon as the Lord breaks the bars of slavery. The blood is to be placed on their ...

1413. Corpus Christi

Mk 4:12-16, 22-26 · Heb 9:11-15 · Ex 24:3-8 · Ps 126

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Exodus 24:3-8 After Moses and the elders commune with the Lord on the mountain, Moses builds an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars of stone, representing the twelve tribes. He assembles the people for a covenant ceremony. The people agreed to obey the Lord's commands as delivered by Moses. In witness to the covenant between God and the people, Moses ordered that many beasts be sacrificed. He took half the blood and dashed it against the altar, representing God's ...

1414. Step Eight - Love

Mt 7:7-14 · 2 Cor 5:16-21 · Ps 19:7-13

Sermon

John A. Terry

Step eight: Made a list of all persons we harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. I can see the scene now. They are meeting over a three-martini lunch to plan out the advertising strategy. They struggle with what hook they will use to lure people to their product. One of them says, "Think of this? What revives the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, is to be more desired than gold and is sweeter than honey?" What could be the product? How about a vacation ...

1415. Empty Prisons Without Walls

Acts 5:17-42

Sermon

Carl Jech

Introduction I shouldn't have much trouble keeping you awake today! Since the word prison brings to mind such topics as crime, victims' rights, vigilantee justice, and jailed demonstrators, I have little doubt that most of us have strong feelings and opinions on these and related issues.The most famous line in our text for today brings into particular focus the issue of civil disobedience for the sake of conscience. Having miraculously escaped from prison where they had been placed for disobeying the order ...

1416. The Promise of Emmanuel

Isaiah 7:1-25

Sermon

This is a strange season in which we are now living. Children have been bugging parents about putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. Since late November we have been bombarded with jingles and signs and advertisements imploring us to buy and buy and buy gifts so we shall be ready for Christmas. Children have long lists of what Santa is to bring: dolls, race car sets, bikes, books, computers, televisions, and a thousand other wants. There is a heightened sense of anticipation present in our lives. ...

1417. Is Your Sin My Business?

Ezekiel 33:1-20

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life." Is ...

1418. Why Did God Allow That To Happen?

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Tragedy can strike so quickly and capriciously. While going about our everyday lives, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, the world can be changed. As a nation we've been living with that awful reality since 9-11. Thousands killed for no reason by complete strangers, who assumed, somehow in their mind, they were doing some good for this world. Then there are natural disasters: tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes...If you have avoided tragedy at this point in your life thank God that you have been ...

1419. A Courtroom Confrontation

Matthew 27:11-26

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Our scripture lesson for today describes a classic courtroom confrontation. On this Passion Sunday it is altogether appropriate that we consider it. Courtrooms are often places of high drama and suspense. Judge Ito's courtroom in Los Angeles has dominated America's attention since January. Enormous power is wielded in courtrooms, power to levy large fines, power to decide between freedom and prison, power to determine life or death. Judges have wide discretionary authority to design sentences to fit the ...

1420. Jeremiah and the Potter

Jeremiah 18:1--19:15

Sermon

Don Yocom

"... says the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand ..." God wanted the so-called weeping prophet, Jeremiah, to see a parable, so he sent Jeremiah to a potter’s house. There the prophet observed a powerful message which he proclaimed in his oracle of doom to Israel. It is well worth our study also. If the clay were in the proper condition to be molded, the potter was successful in what he was making. But, if it did not work out well after being molded by the potter, it ...

1421. And Their Eyes Were Opened

Luke 24:13-35

Illustration

Larry Powell

Some years ago, a movie titled Zapata depicted the engaging story of the famous Mexican hero, Zapata. He was to the Mexicans what "El Cid" was to the Spanish: a redeemer of his people. Those who loved Zapata were radically devoted to him and his cause. At the end, when Zapata was ambushed by government troops, the white horse upon which he had led countless charges, escaped into the hills. The peasants violently refused to believe that their leader would have allowed himself to be ambushed and killed, and ...

1422. In Praise of Feeling Guilty

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

Gregory J. Johanson

Ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), SUE WEBB CARDWELL served three terms as a missionary in Zaire (formerly the Belgian Congo) along with her husband, Walter D. Cardwell, Sr. She is currently Director of the Pastoral Counseling Service of Christian Theological Seminary and Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling. She is both a Diplomate of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Her sermon published here was delivered at a chapel ...

1423. Holy Thursday

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

I like to eat. According to the Gospels, so did Jesus. One of the criticisms leveled against Him by His adversaries was that He was always eating and drinking with “the wrong kinds of people.” As William Willimon says in his little book SUNDAY DINNER, “The dinner table is such an intimate, holy, transforming, mysterious place—you’ve got to be careful whom you eat with. If you are trying to convince yourself that another person is not a full, valuable human being, a brother or sister, be careful not to ...

1424. Proper 13

Matthew 14:13-21, Romans 8:28-39, Romans 9:1-29, Nehemiah 9:1-37, Isaiah 55:1-13, Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Genesis 32:22-31 (C) Jacob wrestles with an angel. Jacob, with his family and herds, was on his way back to his parents' home. When he learned that Esau with 400 men were coming to him, Jacob was scared that Esau was coming to kill him. To appease Esau, he sent gifts in advance and then his servants, wives, and children. He remained at the end of the procession. Jacob spent the night in prayer as he wrestled with a man until he received a blessing. Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1-3 (RC) God ...

1425. How to Turn the Ballot into a Blessing Box

Proverbs 29:2

Sermon

James Merritt

William Paterson, one of the signers of the United States Constitution, and a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, said that juries should always be reminded of the text I'm preaching on today: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan." (v.2) I would go on to add that not only should juries be reminded of it, but also judges, lawyers, doctors, ministers, teachers; in fact, the entire nation should remember it. There is a crisis in America, I ...

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