Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 126 to 150 of 832 results

John 6:25-59

Sermon

... said: “I can tell you; it is out of the Christian book. You must not read it or you will be defiled.” The man thought for a moment and then said: “I want to read the book that contains that beautiful phrase, the Bread of Life.” He bought a copy of the New Testament. He was shown where the sentence occurred in today’s lesson, “I am the Bread of Life.” As he studied the gospel, light flooded into his heart. He not only became a follower of Jesus Christ, he became a preacher of the gospel in the ...

127. Discipleship: Backward or Forward to God

Luke 9:51-62

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... impending kingdom of God. The scribe of our text, by contrast, had grown accustomed to the comfortable, quiet, circumscribed, and predictable life of the scholar. True to his title, he was a "scribbler," a writer whose task it was to copy sacred law by hand since there was no other way to copy it. As a consequence, he became an expert in the laws, knowing them almost by memory, and practiced more or less as a lawyer, giving learned interpretations of the law. As was the case with most legal minds, his was ...

128. Favoritism Forbidden

James 2:1-13, James 2:14-26

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

... the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (cf. Deut. 4:31; Ps. 103:8–14, which connects this to his judging “in favor of the oppressed”). If this is God’s personal standard of righteousness, then it follows that his true followers should copy him. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, cf. Hos. 4:1; 6:6; 12:6; Prov. 14:21; Dan. 4:27 ...

129. Submission to Rulers and Masters

1 Peter 2:13-25

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... technical term for a copyhead traced out for children to write over. Each of the three examples he gives contains all the letters of the Greek alphabet. This throws vivid light on Peter’s use of the word. The disciple must not only follow, but so completely copy the example of Jesus Christ from A to Z that it means reproducing every stroke of every letter of the Lord’s character, thus making a facsimile of the Master. Peter echoes the thought again in 4:1. The apostolic fathers took up Peter’s use of ...

130. Prophecy of Scripture

2 Peter 1:12-21

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... attention” to the word of prophecy. Mark and Luke do not read with him I am well pleased. It is likely that, had 2 Peter been the work not of the apostle but of a later pseudonymous writer, the divine words would have been reported in a version copied from one of the Gospel accounts. As it is, assuming apostolic authorship of this letter, the record in 2 Peter is an early testimony to the Gospel narratives, preceding them in time by some years. This is my Son, whom I love translates a text preserved in ...

131. Tattenai's Letter to Darius

Ezra 5:1-17

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... awaited fulfillment of that mission. Chapter 6 will bring its own reminder of the first chapter, but even now the narrator draws an arc of literary coherence, spanning the lapse of a score of years. The council of “elders” was evidently unable to produce a copy of Cyrus’ edict, which was to be unearthed in chapter 6 and eventually added to the Jerusalem archives as part of Darius’ letter. If they had been able to find this, an appeal to the Persian court would have been less necessary. Instead, they ...

132. The Decree of Darius

Ezra 6:1-12

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

... ʾ, “one,” is presupposed by the LXX and is generally read. 1 Esdras 6:25 has a conflated reading, “one course of new wood.” 6:5 They are to be deposited: lit. “you [sg.] shall put them” (NRSV). 6:9 Unless the title the God of heaven merely copies that in 5:12 and shortens the longer one in 5:11, its use by Darius may reflect an assumption of Yahweh’s kinship with Ahuramazda, the creator god of the Persians, who is often named in the inscriptions of Darius. He would have regarded Yahweh as a ...

133. The Law of the Temple

Ezekiel 43:13-27, Ezekiel 44:1-31, Ezekiel 45:1-12, Ezekiel 45:13--46:24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... in the MT but also fails to read torah in the one place that it does occur, reading instead “everything to which it is entitled.” This suggests that it is not tsurah, but torah, that does not belong. I propose that a scribe did erroneously copy a marginal note into the text, but that the note itself was wrong. The NIV is correct to preserve the second incident of tsurah. However, the original passage said nothing about torah. The first reference to law in this material comes in the title, “This is ...

134. Spiritual Blindness and the Way to Overcome It

Mark 8:22-26, Mark 8:14-21

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... with mementos of God’s faithfulness, if we are alert for them. Things like a surgical cap a dad wore during an emergency C-section that testifies to a healthy child, a copy of an unexpected bonus check that came at a vital moment that shows God’s provision, a rock that gives evidence of a sweet time of fellowship with God, or even a copy of a song that God has used to speak pointedly and powerfully during a time of struggle or doubt—these can all be physical reminders of God’s past faithfulness. And ...

135. The Golden Calf

Ex 32:1–33:6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... that are beyond human comprehension, this is part of the complexity of God’s sovereignty. When Moses descends the mountain, he carries two tablets, written both front and back (32:15). These are likely two complete copies of the covenant, one for Yahweh as suzerain and one for the vassal, Israel. Both copies would be put into the ark as a witness on behalf of the people. When Moses sees that the people have rebelled so blatantly against the covenant, in an action laden with symbolism he hurls and breaks ...

136. Towns for the Levites

Joshua 21:1-45

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Alemeth in 1 Chron. 6:60; Be Eshtarah in 21:27 vs. Ashtaroth in 1 Chron. 6:71; Mishal in 21:31 vs. Mashal in 1 Chron. 6:74). Others can be accounted for by a scribe’s copying errors, such as the omission of Eltekeh and Gibbethon (cf. 21:23) from 1 Chronicles 6:69, and Gath Rimmon in 21:25 being mistakenly copied from the same name in 21:24 instead of Ibleam (cf. 17:11), which appears as Bileam in 1 Chronicles 6:70 due probably also to scribal error. Yet other differences are significant (e.g., Kibzaim in ...

137. The Decree of Darius

Ezra 6:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... kings. It is written on a scroll rather than on a tablet. Since they were now writing their official documents in Aramaic, they used parchment. Darius’s reply first quotes a copy of the decree archived in the treasury. The variation in some details between Cyrus’s decree in Ezra 1 and this document means this copy was likely a résumé used for the records of the treasury. Cyrus and Darius both were concerned that their subject peoples could correctly celebrate their religious rites. Cyrus put emphasis ...

138. In the Event of Power Failure

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Charley Reeb

A friend of mine once shared a story about his first visit to Niagara Falls. He said it was magnificent — the rush and roar of the water — the display of raw power. But as he looked upon the water gushing forth, he remembered a picture in a textbook. It showed Niagara Falls in the middle of winter, and much of the water was frozen. Big lightning-shaped forms of water were at a standstill. There was no movement, no action, no power. As my friend reflected on the picture, he thought how disappointing it ...

139. The Faith of the Canaanite Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... by Mark (6:30–44 and 8:1–10). Luke records only one (9:10–17), and John 6 (vv. 1–15) seems to combine the two. It has been suggested that Mark (followed by Matthew) found two accounts of the same feeding in his sources and copied them both. Lohmeyer (JBL, vol. 56, pp. 235ff.) supports the view that the duplication relates to the ethnic composition of the audience. The feeding of the five thousand is addressed to a Jewish population (the twelve baskets of Matt. 14:20 represent the twelve tribes of ...

140. Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

Matthew 15:29-39

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

141. Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Daniel 2:1-23

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... this case the word was added to show where the text shifts to Aramaic (not to show what language the Chaldeans spoke). But scribes also sometimes used the margins to correct faulty manuscripts, inserting words that had been left out. In subsequent copying, sometimes marginal words were inserted into the text. In cases of corrections, that would be appropriate (although words were not always inserted in the proper places), but in this case, it appears an explanatory word was inserted that was not originally ...

142. Faith and Deeds

James 2:14-26, James 2:1-13

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

143. Completion and Dedication of the Temple

Ezra 6:13-18

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

144. The Passover

Ezra 6:19-22

Understanding Series

Leslie C. Allen

145. Jeremiah Buys a Field

Jeremiah 32:1-44

Understanding Series

Tremper Longman III

... C. in Palestine as they sign and seal the deed, have it witnessed in duplicate (a sealed and unsealed copy). This was a publicly transacted deal with those present functioning as witnesses. In principle, modern readers will find much that is familiar ... in this transaction! In any case, Jeremiah entrusts his sealed and unsealed copies of the deed into the care of his trusted assistant and scribe, Baruch, who appears for the first, but certainly not ...

146. Living Between the Times

John 17:20-26

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... based on differing needs and new experiences. To take that out of the language of computers and put it into the language of psychology, we have the capacity to learn, to mature, and to change. To put it into theological language of Romans 12:2, you do not have to copy the behavior and customs of the world, God can transform you into a new person by the renewal of your mind. That means God can make you into a new person by changing the way you think, by the way you believe, and by the way you behave. To be ...

147. The Patience of the Scribes

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... customary to sit at a table or a desk while writing. Rather, it was customary for scribes to stand while making brief notes or to sit on a stool or bench (or even on the ground), holding their scroll on their knees. Something of the drudgery of copying manuscripts can be gleaned from the notes they often placed at the close of their books. The following are some examples: "He who does not know how to write supposes it to be no labor; but though only three fingers write, the whole body labors." "Writing bows ...

148. Not Much Value Anymore

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... old Bible which had been packed away in the attic of his ancestral home for generations. He was describing it and said, "Somebody named Guten-some-thing had printed it." The bibliophile gasped. "Not Gutenberg! You idiot! You've just thrown away one of the first books ever printed. A copy sold recently at an auction for over a million dollars!" But the other man was unmoved. He responded, "No, not my ...

149. A Strange, New Math

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... get the latest and most diabolical thinking on these political skills." And then he ends with two seemingly contradictory thoughts. First, he plants the seed about the opposition: "How many people in your company are sending away for their copies of the Black Book?" And then he said, that if I act right away, I'll get a free copy of "Creating a Loyal Staff." A loyal staff? After I've learned you want me to beat them up in the corporate arena and I'm not sure who is reading the same Black Book I am? Give me ...

150. Joseph, When Did You Know?

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... reminders to the British people that they may not be able to control the circumstances around them, but they could choose how they responded. A third poster was also created by the Ministry of Information, but it was not released. Most copies of it ended up destroyed after the war. But a few copies of it survived. This poster also has the crown of King George VI and white typeface on a solid color background. But its message read simply: Keep Calm and Carry On. (6) Keep Calm and Carry On. Isn’t that what ...

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