Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1451 to 1475 of 4884 results

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

John Jamison

... Back in Bethsaida, where all of the crowds are coming to see me, who do the people say that I am?” They all spoke up with a variety of responses, but he quickly continued, “And, who do you say that I am?” (v. 29). Seeing it as a perfect opportunity to highlight the potential for the ministry if Jesus would just listen to common sense, the story tells us they used words like “Lord.” Mark tells us that Peter said Jesus was the messiah, the new leader of the true faith. Even for Peter, that’s a ...

1452. Zeal!

John 2:13-22

Sermon

John Jamison

... be as simple as a dove and a half bushel of wheat, or something more elaborate like a full-sized, unblemished oxen. Most sacrifices included at least some form of animal, and the requirement was that the animal be perfect and free of blemish. This not only meant it should be physically perfect but it needed to be clean and look nice and healthy as well. This leads to an interesting issue for those coming from out of town. Can you imagine the challenge of traveling a good distance across country, mostly ...

1453. Such a Little Thing

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... retouched this part, and that I have polished that part. See, I have worked on this part of the statue, and have softened the lines here.” “Yes,” said the visitor, “but those are all trifles.” “That may be,” replied Michelangelo, “but trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle.” Successful people are aware of the trifles. Maybe you feel like a little thing, a trifle, a person of little consequence. I have some good news for you. Put your life in God’s hands and you can do great ...

1454. A Cross-Shaped Life

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... is both an example of Japanese culture and an object lesson that she uses to explain Colossians 3:14: "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." In the Japanese Bible she says, this verse is translated as "put on the 'obi' of love, which ties everything together in perfect harmony." Just as the obi ties the kimono together so beautifully, so love ties everything together. The same object lesson could be used to explain Jesus' response when he is asked ...

1455. Of Mice and Men

Hebrews 10:11-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God . . . For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy . . .” Are you in the company of those who are being made holy? I hope so. There’s no greater feeling in the world than knowing your sins have all been forgiven. 1. Tarbell’s Teacher’s Guide (Elgin, IL ...

1456. A Dove Descended

Luke 3:21-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... being baptized and what it says about the church. Every baptized person is part of the church. Even more important is what it says about the grace of God. God’s grace is available to all. We are not baptized because we are perfect. None of us is perfect. The use of water symbolizes that our sins have been washed away. A lady tells about a baptism service that took place in her evangelical church. It was after a series of evangelistic services at their church. One hundred and two people were scheduled ...

1457. The Skilled Blows of God

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... in the world. Was that blow a mistake? No! It was the climax of the lapidary's skill. When he struck that blow, he did the one thing which would bring that gem to its most perfect shapeliness, radiance, and jeweled splendor. That blow which seemed to ruin the superb precious stone was, in fact, its perfect redemption. From those two halves were wrought two magnificent gems which the skilled eye of the lapidary saw hidden in the rough, uncut stone as it came from the mine. Sometimes, God lets a stinging blow ...

1458. Prescription for Unhappiness

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... them! 2. Lose your perspective of things, and keep it lost. Don't put first things first. 3. Get yourself a good worry—one about which you cannot do anything but worry. 4. Be a perfectionist: condemn yourself and others for not achieving perfection. 5. Be right, always right, perfectly right all the time. Be the only one who is right and be rigid about your rightness. 6. Don't trust or believe people or accept them at anything but their worst and weakest. Be suspicious. Impute ulterior motives to them. 7 ...

1459. Next Man Up

John 17:20-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... known as Alphabet, has spent millions of dollars on Project Aristotle, a project whose aim is to create the perfect team. What mix of personal character traits or habits, Google set out to determine, leads to the most productive ... passage: “I have given them the glory you gave me--the glorious unity of being one, as we are--I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one--so that the world will know you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.” Not our preaching, or ...

1460. A Prayer to a Good, Good Father

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... God loves you and is working to make all things work to your good. In other words, pray, knowing that God hears your prayers and loves you, and leave the results to God. I once read about a woman named Barbara Bartocci who was searching for the perfect birthday card for her husband a few years ago. She came across a promising one. On the outside it read: “Sweetheart, you’re the answer to my prayers.” Then she turned to the inside, which was inscribed like this, “You’re not what I prayed for ...

1461. Jesus' Guide to Wise Investing

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... of one another. The wealthy man would have given anything for a healthy body. The poor man would have given anything to be rich. There was a world famous surgeon who could give them both what they longed for. He had perfected a technique for doing brain transplants and these two men were the perfect candidates. The wealthy man gave the poor man all of his wealth for the poor man’s robust body by just swapping their brains. But this is not the end of the story. The operation was a complete success. Now the ...

1462. About Unclaimed Luggage

Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... people for moral or spiritual inspiration. Indeed, who do we look to? Everyone in our modern world seems to be confused. It’s too risky to simply follow the example of someone else. They may be as lost as we are. Young in life we think our parents are perfect, but with maturity we realize their limitations as well. Where do we turn? Some of us are on the verge of losing faith even in those closest to us. Half of the marriages that take place this year will end in divorce. That represents a lot of broken ...

1463. Beyond a Friendly, Cuddly Christmas

Matthew 2:13-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... those who love Him and obey Him? That’s not how God works in most people’s lives. That’s not how things worked in Jesus’ life. Life is often hard and unfair even to the greatest of saints—sometimes especially to the greatest of saints—even to the perfect Son of God. That is why there is a cross, not a crown, at the center of our faith. Incarnation, God in human flesh, tells us that God can work in the toughest circumstances and the strangest places. Jesus didn’t have to come in the form of a ...

1464. Jesus Destroys the Power of Sin

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... was still not completed. Da Vinci simply could not find the right face for Judas. He was looking for one who was filled with despair, wickedness, greed, and sin. It took ten years, but da Vinci finally found a man in prison who he felt was perfect as the model for Judas. Again arrangements were made for the man to pose for the painting. Leonardo labored feverishly for ten days, but as the work progressed he noticed that changes were taking place in the prisoner. His face became even more strained with ...

1465. Reading the Last Chapter First

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... removed her disguise and revealed her true identity to cheers and hugs from her fans. (5) In this man Jesus, at this moment, on this mountain, the disciples saw the One True God. No one else could imitate his glory. No one else could speak God’s perfect truth. No one else had the power to restore humanity back to God. Knowing the truth about Christ means making a decision. The apostle Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 1: 20, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And ...

1466. Christ's Monarchy

Luke 23:33-43

Sermon

Molly F. James

... their lives. Again we have to remind ourselves that Christ is not like us. His kingship is not subject to the worst of human tendencies. It only has the best of what humanity has to offer. Christ does not fall into temptation and sin as we do. Christ is the perfect parent. His vision is so much bigger and broader than ours. He knows what we need before we do. He has our best interests at heart and is seeking to help us to mature into the beautiful, gifted people he has called us to be. In a true monarchy ...

1467. Grace Upon Grace

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... loved, or from which we were estranged. It strikes us when our disgust for our own being, our indifference, our weakness, our hostility, and our lack of direction and composure have become intolerable to us. It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection of life does not appear, when the old compulsions reign within us as they have for decades, when despair destroys all joy and courage. Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks into our darkness, and it is as though a voice were saying ...

1468. The House on The Rock

Lk 6:12-49 · Mt 5:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the non-Jews (‘atheists’) do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues ...

1469. The Plank

Matthew 5:38-48; 7:1-6

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother ...

1470. Lady of the House / The Practice of Joy

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... dwelling, but on the particularities of preparing adequately to accommodate everyone, to make the people happy. Jesus says, this is about YOUR joy too, Martha. It’s not about you making everyone else happy. Not even me. It’s not about pulling off the perfect feast or being the perfect hostess. It’s about reveling in the joy of God, about spending time with me, because my time with you is limited, and I want to enjoy your company, it’s about you enjoying the people you are with, and the beauty of the ...

1471. She Waits

Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:50-53, Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... marriage” relationship with Jesus. That’s the level of commitment Jesus asks of us. It’s easy just to follow some rules or obey some laws. We can get really good at doing that! But Jesus’ gospel isn’t about achieving the goal of perfect rule following. It’s about coming into a perfecting kind of relationship, one that will improve us, sustain us, cause us to grow, cause us to live in relationship with God in a new and unique way. For this, we don’t just have to abide by a set of rules. We need ...

1472. Identity Crisis

Genesis 32:1-21, Genesis 32:22-32, Genesis 33:1-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... this covenant role. His limp will remain as a reminder of his encounter “face to face” with God, and the humbling of his nature. Like Paul’s thorn” (2 Corinthians 12), Jacob’s limp will serve as a reminder to humility: “my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” Jacob is in essence in offering his “fruits” to Esau …..restoring the blessing he had formerly taken. Jacob needs to give this gift more than Esau needs to receive it. The crossing of the river is such an amazing image of the ...

1473. God's GPS

Genesis 28:10-22

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... on both ends. It is a relationship, And both sides must be honored. As God dwells with us….comes down to us….so must we stay on the “way” –in right relationship with God! That is the path or the “King’s Highway,” the pathway to perfection.^^ This way is a pilgrimage, a smooth way in a wilderness of difficult terrain, a “straight” way, a stone-less way. Being a disciple does not only mean that YOU travel that road in relationship with God, but that you prepare the road and make sure it ...

1474. Be Strong

John 21:15-25, John 21:1-14

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... sin and failings before Him: “You are petros (a stone) and upon this petra (bedrock) I will build my ecclesia (people).” Jesus’ new “Temple” built on the “rock” of salvation would be built upon the earth on the foundation of Peter’s faith. Peter was not perfect. But he was strong in his faith, and strong in his willingness to reveal his failings and his mistakes in front of Jesus, to stand before him in sin and to declare his faith despite his failings. That is true strength. And that is the ...

1475. Now, It's Personal

Matthew 5:21-37

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... whack-a-mole and we talked and just solved all the problems in the world. Didn’t we Julie?” “Yes we did.” “And we ate that blue ice cream and we gossiped.” “We didn’t gossip, Sarah.” “No, okay, but we just talked and talked. It was a perfect day.” Julie admired Sarah for her ability to put a positive spin on what had to have been a terrible day for her. She got home late and fell into bed vowing never to go on another field trip without another adult to go along. Five days later Julie ...

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