Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 126 to 150 of 1131 results

126. Hard Questions!

1 Kings 17:7-24

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... , too. Obedience is to take to heart, with all earnestness, the commands of Christ, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God," "If any would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me," and all such radical charges of our Lord. It means surrendering my way to his way. Some years ago there was a man at the head of Duke University by the name of President Few. It is said that one Sunday he was seen walking across the campus with his umbrella raised to protect himself from the pouring rain ...

127. The Mechanics Of Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15, Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... convenient "altar" before which you can kneel. At this time you can confess any mistakes you made that day, seek forgiveness, and be at peace with God. It is time to ask God to let his angels protect you from all harm and danger through the night. In trust you surrender yourself to God and put yourself in his care just as you put your whole trust in the bed to hold you up. Soon then you will fall asleep and rest the whole night through. Prayer at meal times is an appropriate time to pray. It does not matter ...

128. Proper 21

1 Timothy 6:11-21, Jeremiah 32:1-44, Luke 16:19-31

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... 1. God-directed events (32:1-3a, 6-15). Need: We often ask, "What is the will of the Lord in this particular instance?" We pray for the answer. We listen to a sermon for the answer. Judah was in a critical condition. Should the people resist the invaders or surrender? What would God say to do? In this pericope, Jeremiah tells the people what God would have them do. Repeatedly he said, "The word of the Lord came" to me. When you are in a jam and do not know what to do, do you seek God's guidance? Outline ...

129. Followership

Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... ourselves to another, make ourselves vulnerable to another, trusting that the other will not exploit our vulnerability for selfish purposes. The other reciprocates our love and trust and similarly surrenders control. When, because of human brokenness, either party violates that trust, then forgiveness is the dynamic force that has the power to make the relationship whole again. That is how God in Christ makes followers of the likes of you and me: by first making himself vulnerable to us; by ...

130. Epiphany Day

Matthew 2:1-12

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... the people as they enter the sanctuary. Each worshiper should wear his or her crown during the service. Use the sermon to remind worshipers that we come as kings who exercise control over our own lives and sometimes even control over the lives of others. Yet, we surrender this control to the one who is born king of kings. Then let the worshipers come forward and lay their crowns at the base of the altar table or a manger. They may want to leave their offerings (gifts) with their crowns too. Use three floral ...

131. Spirit and Life

John 6:25-59, John 6:60-71

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... to silence our doubts, refuses to allow us to make him king, comes from heaven defying human reason, and shocks us with demands to eat his flesh and drink his blood. But most difficult of all, Jesus teaches that eternal life is a gift. Jesus wants us to surrender all our means of control. We cannot buy life. We cannot choose, or prove, or earn, or even understand the gift you give. We can only receive.God, we are caught, because we truly believe that Jesus is the Holy One, and has the words of eternal life ...

132. What Must We Do?

Mark 10:17-31

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... to challenge the worshipers concerning their financial support of the church's ministries. Invite the worshipers to pray the prayer of confession printed above. Invite the worshipers to surrender any and all things that they have placed before their love for God and their obedience to Christ. Have them pray silently to surrender these obstacles to complete faithfulness and obedience. Then lead them in accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts as their Lord and Savior. Celebrate this change in their lives ...

133. Learning The Basics

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

... want to be nourished by your milk snack, by not spilling and losing your milk, you're going to have to surrender your own judgment long enough to let someone, who is totally benign, teach you the basics." And the same holds true with marriage. If you are ... to learn about the commitment of marriage, you're going to have to surrender your own judgment long enough to let our Lord teach you the basics. Genuine love is being committed to each other no matter how ...

134. I Am Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10

Drama

Dr. Raymond Bailey

... loud. If I had followed the orthodox teachings of my family, we wouldn't be eating hog anyway. But, she's right. I may even have to give up my vocation. I'll probably be a lousy tax collector. I'm not into control anymore. I've surrendered the control over my life, and its circumstances, to the Master. I found myself, wonder of wonders, entering this relationship without even negotiating a contract. My old self would have bargained with Jesus. You know how I am. I use pressure. I'm like a used-car salesman ...

135. Tears And Ointment

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Larry Powell

... . She did not have the kind of income to allow her to be so lavish in her expressions. She did not have the kind of reputation that could modify a bizarre action. She had long since surrendered her reputation. Could she "afford" to do something now which would suggest that she had surrendered her sanity, too? Hardly. She could not "afford" another embarrassment any more than she could afford to "waste" a flask of precious ointment. Obviously, her faith delivered her at the speed of light beyond such selfish ...

136. Obedience Is An Ugly Word!

Acts 5:17-42

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... words are hard for us to deal with today, and yet, it is said that it was not until St. Francis gave himself up to God, silver and soul, that he started singing and dancing in the streets. Christian joy is really never complete until we surrender ourselves unconditionally to obeying God. When the apostles left the court, were they weeping and groaning and crying with pain from the flogging they had received? No. Were they grumbling that God had let them down when what they were doing was his will? No. Did ...

137. For The Love Of What?

Psalm 137:1-9, John 2:12-25

Sermon

Erskine White

... a culture of death. As followers of a non-violent Christ, we want our children to learn that real heroes love their enemies. We want them to know that the biggest Hero of all died on a cross for His enemies. We want righteousness to bloom, not panic or surrender. We want our children to breathe the oxygen of peace, not the oxygen of war. "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" And let's not forget what this culture teaches our children about sex and love. They use sex to sell everything from ...

138. “You Did That for Me!”

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

... Kingdom of God? When we receive gifts of care, we are like little children. This offends our pride. Could this be the heart of the matter? When our pride is tested, we feel uncertain. We feel threatened. Sometimes we are ashamed. We are left only with surrender -- to let go and submit ourselves into their care. When we receive and feel vulnerable, we are not the center of our lives. We can resent another taking over. Once the initial shock passes and we lower our defense, we discover that grace has freed us ...

139. Every Person’s Great Possessions

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

... man was nevertheless compelled by his great possessions to hold back. We are all able to identify with him. We may think, at first, that the only possessions hard to let go of are riches, power, and noble heritage. Naturally these would be very difficult to surrender. If we do not have them they look very appealing, leading us to believe that any person who had them must be completely satisfied with life. Yet even if we do not have what we consider great possessions, we are able to identify with the man ...

140. When Thomas Doubted

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... to certainty was complete. If we fight our way through our doubts to the conviction that Jesus Christ is Lord, we then attain a certainty that those who unthinkingly accept things can never reach.”3 It is this half-hearted surrender with reservation, cautious commitment, that works against our ever knowing him alive with us here. So often we try to live our Christian lives straddling the fence, mouthing the liturgies and creeds and worship of God; but still living our lives by the world’s standards ...

141. Giving

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Brett Blair

... . Well, he thundered triumphantly, I've never given any of them a cent so why should I give anything to you." He had never given of himself therefore he never gave of his resources. Giving is an outgrowth. It is the inevitable result of the warmed heart. As we surrender ourselves to God and to loving our neighbor then we will want to give not only ourselves but our goods to him and to his church. We have put the cart before the horse. We say in the church: I give, therefore I am a Christian. Friends, it’s ...

142. Peace as Shalom

Sermon

Alan Bacon Bond

... was found in St. Paul's Church in Baltimore in 1692. Its unknown author captures something of the essence of God's fulfilling Shalom. "Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence as far as possible without surrender. Be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant, for they too have their story. "Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with ...

143. Monologues: Disciples Redeemed

John 20:10-18, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Drama

Raymond I. Keffer

... came by an act of a jealous king. He was jealous of my security in Christ. He wanted my security, but he wouldn't surrender himself to Jesus. This king tied me up, placed me on sticks of wood, and covered my body with oil-soaked papyrus. Worse than ... it so. I became a follower of Jesus at an age much older than these men. I did not know peace and love until I had surrendered all to Jesus. I, like the others, was unsure what plans God had for me following the ascension of Jesus. I became fully aware of these ...

144. My dear friends, let us play.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

... game: alms-giving, prayer, and fasting. They are three ways of helping us understand how to play with the ashes and what the ashes have to teach us. "Remember that you are dust." Remember someday you will surrender, in death, all you now think you own. My dearest treasure will become someone else's property. I then have one of two choices. I can surrender it to death at some point in the future, or I can die to it now by disposing of it myself in a way that seems good to me. I can use it to purchase life ...

145. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

2 Kings 13:10-25

Sermon

... still able to rage against evil. The manner of his death is parallel to the title of a poem written by the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. He wrote a poem to his father about death, titled, Do not go gentle into that good night. To some, death is a peaceful surrender. But not so in this poem. He describes four types of men and their various reactions to death. 1. Wise men. No matter how wise a man is, eventually he realizes that he was not able to change much in his life, so he does not go gentle into that ...

146. Proper 22

Matthew 21:33-46

Bulletin Aid

... . In our Savior's name we pray. Amen. Prayer of Confession Life is full of blessings because of your love, Father. But we become very possessive with what you share with us, and deny our responsibility to you. Forgive us when our self-centeredness keeps us from surrendering our lives to you, causing us to resist the authority of your Son over our lives. Renew our faith; that we may let Jesus be Lord of our lives, leading us in faithful service to you. In his name we pray. Amen. Hymns "Come, Let Us, Who ...

147. Epiphany 7

Isaiah 49:8-26, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, Matthew 5:27-30, Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 5:33-37

Bulletin Aid

... 's One Foundation" Gospel: Matthew 5:27-37 Theme: Sin begins with inner motives Call to Worship Pastor: Jesus taught that sin begins with our inner motives where the Law is unable to give direction. People: God knows the secrets of our hearts; and he desires that we surrender our wills to him. Pastor: Our relationship with God is determined by how we feel in our hearts. That is where we must get right with God if we are to be true to him. People: We justify ourselves by the laws we have kept. But we know ...

148. The Master Has Come - And Calls Disciples

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

... can be traced back to one thing - not understanding the meaning of the phrase, ‘It is more blessed to give than receive.’ " Jimmy Carter spoke to a class at the theology school at Emory University not long ago. He referred to the hymn, "I Surrender All." He suggested we should sing, "I surrender ten percent of my life to God," - or twenty, or sometimes fifty - but never all. A man learned he was going to die. His pastor went to see him. The man said, "I haven’t done much for the church. If I give the ...

149. The Woman at the Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... enlarge the number of elements used in additional Sacraments. But, in the world, the number of objects through which God communicates his spirit and truth are innumerable. Through them we can carry on a dialogue with Jesus as he moves us from self-defensiveness to surrender. "But, Lord, I know all about money. I earn it. I control what it does. It represents me. I can give a little away, and through it I can be secure." Jesus keeps confronting us until we see his presence in the "element" which is ...

150. Responding to Christ's Birth

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

... Bethlehem's babe to become the Lord of life. Jesus' life, as we know, did not unfold like many had expected. In fact, Jesus was a complete reversal of what the world had expected from its kings. He ruled not with power, but with love. Self-surrender and service were his methods. He became the friend of hated tax collectors, flagrant sinners, the forgotten poor, and the misunderstood outcast. The gift of gold should serve as a constant reminder to us that we have been identified by God whose power is rooted ...

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