Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1401 to 1425 of 2561 results

1401. The Beginning of the End

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." ...

1402. Of Preachers and Preaching

Micah 1:8-16

Sermon

Of the several significant themes which may be identified in the Scripture lessons read today, I choose the one about preachers and preaching. Perhaps this is because I tune in most easily on this wave length. The prophet Micah came out of the village of Moresheth with a message concerning Samaria and Jerusalem which he was sure the Lord wanted him to deliver. It was a social Gospel message condemning the prominent and powerful of those societies for their many sins. "Have you no sense of justice?" he ...

1403. Everybody Pray!

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

"Jesus left that place and went off to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman who lived in that region came to him, 'Son of David, sir!' she cried. 'Have mercy on me! My daughter has a demon and is in a terrible condition.' But Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples came to him and begged him, 'Send her away! She is following us and making all this noise!' Then Jesus replied, 'I have been sent only to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.' At this the woman came and ...

1404. A Crippling Spirit

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Brett Blair

I want to encourage you to do something. If you have never read Victor Hugo’s memorable novel the “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” pick up a copy and read it. Hugo uses an interesting literary technique in the story. The reader is allowed to see the basic decency and humanity of Quasimodo, the hunchback, while the crowd sees him only as a monstrous freak. The story, in its essence, is part tragedy, and part hope. Our text this morning, not surprisingly, comes from Luke’s Gospel. This story also, is part tragedy ...

1405. Proper 6

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

Barrenness is not a modern phenomenon; it has plagued people from time immemorial. Everyone knows of the problem facing Abraham and Sarah. Abraham, chosen by God to be the father of a great nation, made the discovery his wife was barren. His off-spring, which were to be as numerous as the grains of sand, were not forthcoming. It was not until Abraham was 100 and Sarah was ninety that an Angel arrived to make the startling pronouncement Sarah was to give birth to a son. The whole idea seemed so ridiculous ...

1406. Estranged Hands

Psalm 143:1-12

Sermon

In the early spring and late fall of each year, the Ladies Aid of our congregation has a rummage sale. Shortly after the last sale, I received the following note, enclosed in a package with a small trinket. The writer says, "I write this to my shame. You may feel this is nothing, but to me I've made myself lower than Judas who received thirty pieces of silver for his soul. I must make this right to please my Lord. One sin is as great as another, none is big or small, all is sin. To explain: I was at your ...

1407. God Is a Mystery

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd; because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down for I must stay at your house today." So he made haste and came down, and received ...

1408. Not Blind but Seeing

John 9:1-12

Sermon

Dean Lueking

A memorable line from Robert Burns offers a good beginning in hearing the word of Christ to us today: "O what power the Giftie gie’ us that we see ourselves as others see us ..." The ninth chapter of John’s Gospel is about seeing, not only as others see us but seeing as God sees us. It is one of the most dramatic chapters in the New Testament, as the Savior calls out to us not to be blind, but seeing. Trying To See What Can’t Be Seen It all begins with a question to Jesus from the disciples as they saw a ...

1409. That They May Be One

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Dean Lueking

Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11) Concerning Unity The truth we hear today concerns the oneness of the people of Christ. If I would ask you this simple question, "Are you for the unity of Christians?" there would be no doubt in my mind that all of you present would answer yes. If I could ask you another question, "... and would you be willing to die for the cause of unity among Christians?" I would anticipate a very ...

1410. He Who Vindicates is Near

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon

Israel was a nation who knew what it meant to be defeated in their own land. Their people had been exiled to another land. They had seen their land occupied by another people and their harvest reaped by others. They feared for their identity. Their sense of national pride was gone. They wondered if they would finally become a dying race and a lost people. Where was their God? Where was the God who had called and chosen them to be his people - who had promised them this land? They knew they needed a ...

1411. Christmas 1

Lk 2:41-52 · Col 3:12-17 · 1 Sam 2:18-20, 26

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Hannah gives her first child, Samuel, to the service of Yahweh under the high priest, Eli, at Shiloh where Samuel grew physically and spiritually. Samuel was the answer to Hannah's prayer for a child. When she weaned him, she took him to Eli at Shiloh to serve Yahweh permanently. Each year when Hannah came to worship, she brought Samuel a handmade robe. The little lad, wearing a linen apron-like vestment, an ephod, ministered to Yahweh. In this service Samuel grew physically ...

1412. Lent 2

Lk 9:18-36; 13:31-35 · Php 3:17--4:1 · Jer 26:8-15 · Gen 15:1-12, 17-18

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Yahweh makes a covenant with Abraham who is promised a son and a land. This passage is one of several accounts of Yahweh's covenant with Abraham. It is noteworthy that Yahweh came to Abraham with a covenant proposal. Yahweh comes to Abraham as a shield (v. 1) and thus Abraham has no need to fear being in Yahweh's holy presence. In this account, Yahweh promises Abraham three tremendous blessings: a son, a nation, and a country. The covenant is made legal and binding by the ...

1413. Treasure's Tug

Matthew 13:44-46

Sermon

There you are, standing in the check-out line at the grocery store, shifting your weight from one foot to the other while the people ahead of you seem to be going on like a movie in slow-motion. You are already late. You consider switching lanes but quickly dismiss the idea, knowing that at that precise moment, everyone in the lane you just left will go through in an instant. Then you discover the problem. The third person ahead of you just bought an Iowa lottery ticket. That's okay, but she doesn't just ...

1414. The Beginning of a New Life

Ruth 2:1-23

Sermon

It had been over a decade since Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons had left Bethlehem during a severe famine, but Naomi had not changed very much in that time. "The whole town was stirred" because Naomi had returned after this long absence and had a young woman with her. The women of Bethlehem, who had known her before she left, called her by name; "Do not call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back ...

1415. What the End Will Be Like

Zephaniah 1:4-13

Sermon

To speak about the end of the world sounds rather oldfashioned, but admittedly not as old-fashioned as it once was. Israel never kept its part of the covenant with God very long. The people always sinned and turned their backs upon the God who had not only delivered them from slavery, but also had led them to the Promised Land and saw to it that they were established there as an independent nation. The message, which Zephaniah had received from God and had spoken to the Israelites, was that a day of ...

1416. The Primacy of Human Relationships

Matthew 5:33-37

Sermon

Joe Pennel

People being properly related to one another was important to Jesus. He spoke with great clarity about the primacy of human relationships. He wanted good relationships to be maintained. The re-establishment of broken relationships was a central concern. According to his teaching a person who was not properly related to others could not be properly related to God. People loving God by loving each other was of ultimate significance. We are living in a society which does not stress the primary importance of ...

1417. The Farmer and the Fugitive

1 Samuel 25:1-44

Sermon

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall want." "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." The bad shepherd; the good shepherd. A miserly master and a merciful master. A Scrooge and a singer of songs. An old farmer and a young warrior. A Prince and a Pauper. A farmer and a fugitive. Nabal and David. Two faces staring at us across the centuries. The April fool is Nabal. Owner of three thousand sheep and three thousand goats. Married to the prettiest girl in town. Owner of rich pasture lands a few miles south of ...

1418. Palm Sunday

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon Aid

Liturgical Color: Purple/Red Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11; Matthew 26:14-27, 66 Theme: Jesus' triumphal entry - Jesus' betrayal and sharing of the communion. Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration One pastor did this: "Here he comes! Let's make him welcome! Enter into the Mardi Gras spirit! Laugh and dance and sing and rejoice! Our King is coming! Then, as the choir and children enter during the singing of the hymn of triumphal entry, have them wave palm branches and intermingle with the congregation. At the ...

1419. A Zealot’s Greatest Battle

Drama

Cast (in order of appearance) MATTHEW BARABBAS SIMON ANNA JAMES THE LESS PHILIP JUDAS, NOT ISCARIOT ANDREW Introduction If one is to get a true picture of the great conflict that went on in the mind of Simon the Zealot, one needs to consider his background. Perhaps a paragraph could be included in the program that would establish Simon’s ties with the Zealottes and his hatred of Rome. Care should be taken that the paragraph not be too long, or the interest of the readers will be lost. Scene: Three crosses ...

1420. "The Return"

Drama

A Worship Drama Characters In order of appearance The Woman The Man Average Man Bible Lady Liberal Lady Child Beggar Scientist Woman of Means First Teenager Second Teenager Politician Properties At one point during the drama, all characters except the Woman and the Man will pick up large stones to hurl at the Woman. These are prominently marked with labels such as: Ingratitude, Expediency, Envy, Pride, Scorn, Apathy, Gluttony. The Return (Scene: on a park bench is seated a good-looking, modest but sexily ...

1421. Do You Believe In Easter?

Luke 24:1-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

What a thrill it is to be a preacher on Easter morning! It’s better than being Irish on St. Patrick’s Day or a child on Christmas morning or Tiger Woods at the Master’s or a Duke basketball fan on April 2nd of this year. (You knew I would mention that sooner or later, didn’t you?!) The great New Testament scholar C.H. Dodd said, "The resurrection is the epicenter of belief. It is not a belief that grew up within the church. It is the belief around which the church itself grew up." (1) Billy Graham has ...

1422. If You Are A Disciple of Jesus Christ

Luke 6:17-26, Luke 6:12-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

We are blessed to have many deeply committed, very capable people on our church staff. One of them is our chief of security, Reggie Johnson. He does so much more than just keep the church campus safe. Reggie learns and remembers the names of our worshippers. In fact, he knows your children and what kind of cars you drive. When a funeral takes place, Reggie grieves with the family. If your left front tire is a bit slack, Reggie will notice and let you know. If a soccer ball is kicked over a fence, Reggie ...

1423. Shipwrecked on Malta

Acts 27:1-12, Acts 27:13-26, Acts 27:27-44

Sermon Aid

CSS

Festus was a good administrator. Once the decision had been made to send Paul to Rome, he acted quickly. Yet it was a peculiar transferral. Agrippa and Festus are reported to have concluded that Paul had done nothing that was likely to undermine the security of the Roman Empire or otherwise be of interest to the high courts at Rome. They must have attached some bill of complaint to the military orders under which Paul was transported, but its contents are not known. The official charges against Paul never ...

1424. Returning: Real or Ruse?

Hosea 5:1-15

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

"I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress they see me, saying, ‘Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn, that he may heal us; he has stricken, and he will bind us up.’ " A woman was filling out an employment application. When she came to the line marked "age," she hesitated a long time. Finally, the personnel manager leaned across his desk and whispered to her, "The longer you wait, the worse it gets!" That’s true of repentance and ...

1425. What Do You See?

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man. And His form more than the sons of men; So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender ...

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