Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1401 to 1425 of 2157 results

1401. A Puzzling Parable with a Sharp Point

Luke 16:1-13

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... cheats his master be held up as an example? One of the first clues to unraveling the mystery of the dishonest money manager is found in verse 14, "The Pharisees who were lovers of money, heard all this and ridiculed him" (NRSV). The King James Version describes the Pharisees this way: "They were covetous." The Phillips translation (a paraphrase) describes the situation like this: "Now the Pharisees, who were very fond of money, heard all this with a sneer." Here we have a clue to help us unravel the mystery ...

1402. Developing a Glad Attitude

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... the effects of advertising in his book, The Man in The Mirror. He relays the fact that the first television programs arose as a way for advertisers to push their products on us. They have been doing that ever since. Now they encourage us to purchase the new and improved version or the latest model. Their products will give us sex appeal or make us more capable. As a result, we never seem to be happy with what we have. My car is running perfectly fine and I have no desire to give it up until I see an ad for ...

1403. Weary in Well Doing

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... to be in the same sentence.) We are newly aware that one small piece of foam probably took down a mighty space ship. Small, invisible things are more than carrying their weight. It is almost as if we have all become homeopaths — that version of medicine that inoculates with the smallest of substances in order to produce the largest of healing. Indeed, there are many negative forms of contagion. You can "catch something" and suffer with it for weeks. Simultaneously there are positive forms of contagion ...

1404. Genesis 2:18-24

Genesis 2:4-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... other. In Genesis a marvelous unique blueprint outlines an alternative structure for human relationships. In fact, Genesis offers multiple perspectives on how the gifted, glitched, blessed, bombed-out human condition came to exist. The fact that Genesis records different versions, multiple “how-the-world-came to be” explanations adds to its universal appeal and applicability. What is real, what is important, what is genuinely revealing of truth, comes in more than one “flavor.” That is why we have ...

1405. The Undoing of Babel

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... one another. Work on the city and tower became impossible, and in the end, the people scattered as God had wanted in the first place. The city and the unfinished tower came to be called Babel, which actually meant "gate of God," and was an early version of the name Babylon, but it sounded much like the Hebrew word balal, which means "confuse." Because of what happened at that place, the word Babel came to mean confusion. We could say that at Babel, the Lord made babblers out of the people by confusing ...

1406. Wisdom's Delight

Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... each day, his darling and delight, playing in his presence continually, playing over his whole world, while my delight was in [hu]mankind. In both translations it is clear that Wisdom took great joy in the creation of human beings, but the second version enables us to see Wisdom as a child squealing with great delight as her parent, God, does marvelous things before her eyes, marvelous things like creating humankind. The child has great joy because of what her Father has made, and she finds human beings ...

1407. Song of the Vineyard

Isaiah 5:1-7

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... Wind" by Peter, Paul, and Mary. They put in an occasional appearance on public television, but haven't made most radio playlists in years. These days, Elvis Presley can still be heard singing, "You Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog"; but his version of the Mac Davis song, "In the Ghetto," gets precious little airtime. Judgment seldom sells well in our marketplace. One of the more intriguing social critics in the country music realm is making a posthumous comeback. During the heyday of his career, Johnny Cash ...

1408. Love Finds a Way

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... Choir Member 3 Assistant Choir Director Choir Director Joseph Mohr Franz Gruber / Guitar Player Austrian Choir Member 1 Austrian Choir Member 2 Austrian Choir Member 3 Austrian Choir Member 4 Props Choir robes Wool scarves Sheet music — English and German versions of “Silent Night” Guitar Notes “Love Finds A Way,” which tells the story behind the writing of “Silent Night,” requires a relatively small cast of mixed ages. Adults or older youth can play the parts of the Choir Director, Mohr ...

1409. If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Nazareth to Bethlehem to register in the Roman-ordered census because Joseph “was descended from the house and family of David.” After that journey of some seventy miles “it came time for (Mary) to deliver her child.” The image we all take home from Luke’s version and that generations of children have re-enacted is in v.7: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.” The first problem with ...

1410. Second Coming and Faithfulness

Lk 21:25-36; Mt 25:1-13

Illustration

King Duncan

... . If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch and wait. ALTERNATE VERSION: The year was 1780. In New England there was an eerie dark day that frightened many people. At noon it was as dark as early night. The birds, as confused as the people, sang a final twilight song and fluttered off into the evening dusk. The cows came ...

1411. The Intimate Gospel: The Word became Flesh

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... ? It was not a face-to-face encounter; it was a face-to-back encounter. Overwhelmed by the drama and the mystery of God speaking to him, Moses headed off down the mountain to tell the people about it. Now this is an MEV translation, Maxie’s expanded version – he headed off down the mountain to tell the people about it, and then it hit him – how would the people in the valley ever understand the experience that he had had on the mountain? And who would he tell them that he had met up there? Had ...

1412. Change in One’s Life

Luke 3:7-18

Illustration

... her for in those days an engagement was the equivalent of a marriage. She could have been turned over to the civil authorities as an adulteress and the penalty for that was stoning. Not one man in a million could have been expected to believe Mary's version of the conception Joseph believed it. Christmas brought out the good in Joseph. It is my prayer that this Christmas season will have an effect on the way that you live your life. That it will bring out the best, not the worst, in you. Not one person ...

1413. Deliverance through Thanksgiving

Psalm 50:1-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to us, we wouldn’t forget it; and we would be constantly offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Now there’s a facet to this truth that we need to look at in a particular way; and it’s suggested in the particular reading from the Revised Standard Version, that particular translation, the word is offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Now those two words don’t seem to go together. Sacrifice and thanksgiving. Now I don’t know all that that means, but it means at least this – even when we are not ...

1414. Our Children Can Teach Us

Luke 2:41-52

Illustration

James W. Moore

... bear was to the little boy, so he allowed the boy to keep the bear with him throughout all the many examinations prior to surgery. On the morning of the surgery, the hospital staff brought in two surgical gowns – one for the little boy and a smaller version for the teddy bear – and off to the operating room they went… a little blind boy on a stretcher holding on dearly to his beloved teddy bear. The surgery went well. The doctor felt good about what they were able to accomplish. "I think he will be ...

1415. The Thing With Two Heads

Matthew 16:13-24

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... are forced to transplant his head onto the only available candidate: a black man from death row. It starred Ray Miland and Rosie Greer. I remember watching it on TV. It was so bizarre that I couldn't stop watching. It was like a cheesy sci-fi version of the 1958 classic film by Stanley Kramer starring Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis, "The Defiant Ones" about two escaped convicts chained together who hate each other but have to depend on each other. The reason I chose the title is because it made me think of ...

1416. Living In The Spirit Of Peace

Galatians 5:22-25, Colossians 3:14-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... but in the end, we will avoid the catastrophe of being separated from God and become new creations filled with Peace. 1. Valerie Kulhavy, Casper, WY. Today's Christian Woman, "Heart to Heart." - adapted 2. Unknown 3. Willaim Barclay, The Daily Study Bible, The Wesminster Press, Philadelphia, 1976. Electronic Version. 4. Charles F. Stanley in A Touch of His Peace. Christianity Today, Vol. 39, no. 2. 5. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, Inc, 1990) - adapted

1417. Seeing God In The Ordinary: Friends

John 11:1-45

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... Lazarus. Then she says: "But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Mary was challenging Jesus to Do The Impossible. How many of you went to see Journey To Center Of The Earth? Did you see the 3D version. Wasn't that cool? The basic story is that a science professor, Dr. Trevor Anderson, whose radical theories have completely tarnished his reputation. These radical theories were first put forth by his brother Max. Trevor has never stopped believing. With his nephew Sean, who was ...

1418. God IS In The Ordinary

Romans 12:1-2, 9-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... 's the heart of Wesley's rule and idea of "Do no harm." B. The problem is that we understand what it means to "Do no harm." And for the most part, I think most of us try to live like that. It's sort of a reverse or negative version of the Golden Rule. We try to live by this rule but what happens when someone else doesn't live by that rule and harms us either purposely or by accident. What should we do? I know you've probably seen the Nationwide Insurance commercial which played during the Olympics ...

1419. Is There Room For Shepherds?

Luke 2:8-14

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... . The narrator was supposed to read the biblical story about Joseph going to Bethlehem "....to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child." One of the young mothers realized the children could not understand the English of the King James Version about Mary being great with child, so she switched to the Good News translation. So, as Mary and Joseph entered, the narrator read, "Joseph went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him. She was pregnant." As that last word echoed ...

1420. Joshua People Obey and Serve

Joshua 1:6-8, 24:14-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... that others will see the love of God as expressed in Christ in our lives. When that happens, within that family of faith we are supported and strengthened and sometimes even rescued. Some of you may have seen this clip form KruegerNational Park on Youtube. The full length version might be a little scary for the little ones, so I've tried to edit it so it still makes its point. And it does have a great ending. (Water Buffalo Clip) I loved how the entire herd came back to rescue that calf. They knew the power ...

1421. Joshua People Study

Joshua 1:7-8, Psalm 119:10-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... first thing you need is a Bible. And preferably one you can understand. I love Shakespeare. I especially love Hamlet. But if you don't like to read Shakespeare and barely understand it in the best productions, then you need something other than the King James Version because it is written in the same style. So, find a translation you can understand. The most scholarly translation is the one I read from every Sunday, the NRSV. Another good translation which is easy to read is the NIV. There's also the CEV ...

1422. Batman: Driven By Guilt or Grace?

Romans 5:1-11; 8:1-2

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... cost was too high. Peter and the others were staggered by that message. You see, the prevailing thought was that if you were rich, that meant you were favored by God. The more faithful you were, the richer, more influential you became. It was the 1st century version of the prosperity gospel some people preach today. Peter even asks, "Then who has any chance at all?" [26] Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust ...

1423. Altar Your Presence

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... is that others will see the love of God as expressed in Christ in our lives. When that happens, within that family of faith we are supported and strengthened and sometimes even rescued. Some of you may have seen this clip from KruegerNational Park on You Tube. The full length version is over 8 minutes long and parts of it might be a little scary for the little ones, so I've tried to edit it so it still makes its point. And please don't worry, it does have an amazing ending. I loved how the entire herd came ...

1424. Never Too Old For God: Abraham And Sarah

Genesis 18:1-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... relationship with God. "You're Never To Old For God." 1. Parables, Etc. (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990) June 1996 Adapted from What about Tomorrow? by J. Wallace Hamilton. 2. The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edtion Version 3.6a, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1992. 3. Parables, Etc. (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990) Oct 1986 Creative Sermon Resources, Volume VII, Summer, 1986, page 294.+ 4. James Hewett, HOW TO LIVE CONFIDENTLY IN A HOSTILE ...

1425. Batman: Driven By Guilt or Grace?

Romans 5:1-11; 8:1-2; Luke 18:9-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

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