Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1401 to 1425 of 4944 results

1401. Enemies of Promise

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

What are the enemies of promise that keep us from becoming the persons God made us to be? Rob Reiner's film Stand By Me tells the story of a group of four boys on their last journey of childhood. They are four very different kids from very different circumstances, and yet, they are still young enough that these differences don't matter very much. But they sense their time is short. It is the summer before they will enter junior high - where our education system and adolescence work together to divide ...

1402. Anybody NOT seeing red?

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Whether you were paying taxes this past Wednesday, or were lucky enough to rate a refund, its been hard not to see anything but red this past week. The Declaration of Independence has a phrase that is an indictment of King George. Pretend you don’t know who it’s referring to. The US “Declaration of Independence” declares that its people should not have to deal with meddlesome agencies that “harass our people and eat out their substance.” Big-time billion-dollar bail-outs, trillion-dollar infusions and ...

1403. Fish Bites

Acts 17:32-34

Sermon

James Merritt

Even though I am not a fisherman, because we have been talking about fishing the last several weeks, the more I study fishing, the more it fascinates me. When I was a boy growing up, fishing was mainly a hobby. Now it is both an art, a science, and big business. When I read about how fish are being caught today, I start feeling sorry for the fish. Fishing used to be a sport where the fish had pretty much an even chance with the fisherman. Today it is no contest. All of us are familiar with what is known as ...

1404. Men in Black

Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

Sermon

James Merritt

Have you ever wondered why Lie Detectors are not allowed as evidence in a Court of Law? Well according to one of the top criminal hunters in America, they are too easy to manipulate. First of all, they don't detect lies; they detect stress through pulse, blood pressure and perspiration. But if the subject is not particularly stressed out by fear of punishment, he can beat the machine. He goes on to point out that even if a person is stressed there are still other ways to disguise stress. One is to coat the ...

1405. The Miss, The Kiss, The Mess, The Rest

2 Samuel 11:1-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

A few years back, I read about a group of three burglars in Vang, Norway, who tried to open a large safe in a small factory. They attached a small explosive device to the door of the safe and then hid in the next room until it went off. The explosion was so powerful that it demolished the whole building and left them buried under a pile of rubble. The ironic thing about was, the safe had never held any money. The company money was kept in a cash box in an unlocked desk drawer. But what they did keep in the ...

1406. No Instant Maturity

Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A man went into a department store, picked up a game of chess took it to a salesman and said, “Tell me how to play it as you wrap the package.” That’s descriptive of our situation. We want to know how to do it quickly. We don’t want to take the time to follow each necessary step. No fascination is keener than our fascination with short-cuts. We want to be “saints suddenly”. We dream long for instant maturity. And that’s what I want to talk about today as we continue our consideration of Christian growth. ...

1407. Come to Bethlehem and See

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the earth Every creature was stirring, and needing new birth. Some faces were guilty, others were worn, Some filled with sorrow, some sin torn. When God up above, without much clatter, Sent a Savior to earth to remedy the matter. He came without splendor, saying life's not a waste, Will you rise up and follow and see Him with haste? When it's the night before Christmas from the ground to the sky God's glory is near and Jesus comes by. It is Christmas Eve. ...

1408. Remembering Jesus

Matthew 26:17-30

Sermon

David O. Bales

The novel The Ugly American is based upon facts of how Americans related to people in Southeast Asia. The insensitivity and arrogance of American government officials was generally depressing. One chapter of the novel, however, is particularly inspiring. An American woman, Emma Atkins, has come with her engineer husband to the fictional nation of Sarkhan. Emma is a curious, good-hearted person and she soon notices that in their small village all the older people are permanently bent over. She struggles ...

1409. Soiled Faith and Watered-Down Churches

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Some of us are born with green thumbs — able to water and plant barren landscapes into lush gardens. Some of us are born with gangrene thumbs — unable even to grow a “Chia Pet.” Some people are born with the ability to take things apart and put things back together. They are handy-dandy, fixer-uppers from the get go. But in the most shallow part of the wading area of that “fixer-upper” gene pool, there are those of us who should never be allowed to handle hammers, screwdrivers, or saws. There are those ( ...

1410. What To Say When You Roll Out Of Bed

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

William G. Carter

Several years ago, a radio station ran a contest. Disc jockeys invited their listeners to tune in their clock radios. "Just for fun," they said, "when you wake up to the sound of FM-106, call and tell us the first words you spoke when you rolled out of bed. If you're the third caller, you'll win $106." It didn't take long for the contest to grow in enthusiasm. The first morning, a buoyant disc jockey said, "Caller number three, what did you say when you rolled out of bed this morning?" A groggy voice said ...

1411. Apples, Onions, and Cheese

Mark 7:1-23, Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

Lori Wagner

The word of the Lord Almighty came to me. This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.’ And many peoples and ...

1412. Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

The song “Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil”[1] by Handt Hanson, is a beautiful piece that suggests a deep sense of longing for something important. The melody, tone, and words all come together perfectly as an interpretation of the gospel reading for today. While it is tempting to want to move on immediately to what a story like the parable of the sower means that reaction is usually an attempt to distance ourselves from the personal impact of the story. The story is safer if we can intellectualize it and ...

1413. It Helps If You Laugh

John 15:9-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Here it is, "Mother's Day," a day to celebrate the women who raised us and the women who are raising our children. On this Mother's Day I want to make a confession: "I HAD THE MEANEST MOTHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD" That's right. I had the meanest Mother in the world. While all the other kids ate candy or cookies for breakfast, I had to eat healthy stuff like cereal, eggs or pancakes. When they got cokes and chips for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. And to top it off, I had to eat supper with the family. My ...

1414. If It Helps You Laugh

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

1415. The Christian Mother

John 15:9-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Several years ago in one of her columns, Erma Bombeck described the complex task God had in creating mothers. After all, he had to build a creature who "would run on black coffee and leftovers...Have a lap that disappears when she stand up...A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair...And six pairs of hands." Also, "three pairs of eyes." An angel pleaded with God not to work so hard. "Lord," said the angel touching His sleeve gently, "Come to bed..." "I can't," said the ...

1416. Crossing To A Land Of Hills And Valleys

Deuteronomy 11:1-32

Sermon

King Duncan

You may have heard about the three people who were trying to get into heaven. St. Peter asked the first, "Who's there?" "It's me, Jim Jones," the voice replied. St. Peter let him in. Then St. Peter asked the second one the same question, "Who's there?" "It's me, Sammy Smith," the voice replied. And St. Peter let him in. Finally he turns to the third, asking the same question, "Who's there?" "It is I, Ruth Randolph," answered the third. "Oh, great," muttered St. Peter. "Another one of those English teachers ...

1417. Singing In The Rain

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A cartoon pictured a man in a doctor's office receiving a physical examination. The doctor came out of his private office with a series of papers and a chart to give the patient the results of all the tests. These were the doctor's words: "Well, I see no reason why you can't live a perfectly normal life as long as you don't try to enjoy it." Then there's the story of a teenager who was overheard to say to a donkey out in the country, "Why, you must be a Christian. You have a long face like Grandpa." All of ...

1418. I've Been To The Mountain

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

When I first came to Memphis, I visited downtown -- Mid-America Mall. I wanted to see the sculpture commemorating Martin Luther King -- the sculpture entitled "I've been to the Mountain." I must confess that I've never felt too good about that piece of art. It doesn't excite me. Maybe that's my dullness. Maybe my imaginative and visual senses are not cultivated enough. But Martin Luther King's speech is unforgettable. As was the rule for King, he took images from Scripture. "I've been to the Mountain", he ...

1419. Sing the Resurrection Song

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

James McCormick

None of the four gospels tells the whole story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. We have to read all four to get the full picture. The well known “seven last words from the cross” for example, are not found in any one gospel account. In order to hear all seven words, you’ve got to read all four of the gospels. And, accounts of the resurrected Jesus’ appearances to his followers are spread throughout the four as well. While all the gospels are important, probably each of us has his or her ...

1420. God's Chosen People: Partners

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A certain society matron took a course in First Aid. A few days after completing the course, she was an on-the-spot witness of a bad auto accident. Occupants of the car were thrown out by the impact and lay seriously wounded on the street. Later, describing the accident to a friend, the matron said, “It was awful, awful — and it happened so fast, right there in front of me. Tires squealed, breaks screeched, and all of a sudden there was the grinding crash. The next thing I knew people were lying in the ...

1421. Song of the Sabbath

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Luke 5:33-39, Luke 6:1-11, Luke 7:18-35, Mark 2:18-22, Mark 2:23-3:6, Mark 3:7-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: Visuals of Hubbel Space Photos and/or eclipse photos [Begin running about 30 or more Hubbel photos as you begin your sermon. If you want to take an especially creative field trip, deliver your sermon inside of a conservatory or planetarium with stars above and the Creation story displayed.] Part of the “human” in human being is to be fascinated with space. We lie back and imagine images in the sky we call constellations. We count stars. We contemplate life on other planets. We attach astrological ...

1422. In Times Of Need

1 Kings 17:7-24

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

She was worn and thin, a lonely woman solemnly gathering sticks in a lonely place. The yellow sun scorched the brown earth. It was a dry and desolate place. She had no fortune. She had no prospects for the future. As a widow she had no means of income save the occasional dole of the monarchy and her religious community. After gathering the sticks, she would then go home, kindle a small fire and cook a last jar of cornmeal and oil for her son and herself. She knew that she would soon die. Food had run out. ...

1423. The Good Soldier

John 20:1-9

Drama

Pamela Urfer

Cast: Two Roman soldiers, FLAVIUS and LUCIUS, and an ANGEL Length: 15 minutes FLAVIUS and LUCIUS are seated on their stools, center stage. FLAVIUS: (Complaining) What was all the hurry about for this burial? I don't understand why we had to rush. LUCIUS: (Distracted but agreeable) Hmmmm. FLAVIUS: I don't know why I even ask. It's so typical of the military: Hurry up and wait. LUCIUS: True. FLAVIUS: First we break our backs to get this job done ASAP and then everyone rushes off and leaves us here without a ...

1424. Week Five Of Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Monday Week FiveDaniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62John 8:1-11 The God Of Forgiveness Humans love to tell stories about others. We tell many humorous stories which bring out the beauty of one's personality. We tell stories of heroism, bravery and significant accomplishments. Sometimes we even hear and tell stories of unconditional love and kindness shown to another. These are the types of stories we like to hear, ones that pick us up and make us feel good. Humans are far from perfect and thus there are ...

1425. Nothing Is Impossible

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

A marvelous story is told by the synoptic gospel writers about a boy who was possessed by an evil spirit. His father was concerned sufficiently enough to seek help for the boy in a time when all help had failed. The boy was brought to the disciples of Jesus with the request for healing, but they were powerless and confused. The father did not give up hope in the quest of healing for his son. So, with an insistent spirit he saw Jesus and reported on the condition of his son with the declaration of the ...

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