Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1476 to 1500 of 2962 results

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... “better” always “more” or can it be “less?” Is the most expensive always the “best” you can get? Here is a sign of our time: futurists and those who follow “luxury trends” are finding that as more and more people can afford plasma tvs and designer clothes and iPods, “luxury stuff” doesn’t get you the biggest bang for your buck any more. Why? “Luxury” has become the new norm. A few years ago having a video player in the car was only for the very rich. The after-Christmas sales ...

1477. The Counter Intelligence of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... “the church of God” which happens to be “in Corinth.” The Corinthian church belongs first to God, not to any individual or sub-groups within the community. Paul does not address any particular individual in this church. Rather he designates (rather amazingly, given their “issues”) all of these Corinthian Christians as “sanctified in Christ” and “called to be holy” (or as the NRSV puts it “called to be saints”). This sanctification, this “holiness” is not any ethical ability on ...

1478. This Thing Is Not a Watch

Matthew 17:1-9; Proverbs 29:18

Illustration

James L. Collier

... decades back an inventor had a daring vision for a better kind of watch. After working on his idea for some time and building a prototype, he decided to go to Switzerland, the world capital of watch making, to seek backing for the manufacture of his new design. When the renowned Swiss watchmakers examined his invention, they said, "This is not a watch. It doesn't have hands to tell time. It just has little numbers. You have to have a big hand and a little hand to make a watch." Then, when they opened ...

1479. All Saints

Psalm 34:1-22, Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 2:28--3:10, Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... Second, in v. 3 Matthew "spiritualized" the concept of the poor (as he does mourning, hunger, and thirst in the subsequent lines), moving beyond a literal sense. In Israel, a class of people, often genuinely impoverished, called themselves "the poor." The term designated a style of piety that allowed nothing other than God to be the basis of security. Being poor, having nothing, was celebrated as an opportunity for absolute, radical dependence upon God. Such piety was not passive, however, for faith was no ...

1480. Baptism of the Lord

Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:23b-48, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... has not allow these texts to function as scripture in their own right within the continuing life of the Church. A second line of interpretation has sought to provide a counterbalance by underscoring the collective emphasis of the Servant Songs, which designate all of Israel rather than an individual. This interpretation allows the texts to function in the present community by requiring that the whole people of God take on the characteristics of the suffering servant. A Christian proclamation of the gospel ...

1481. Christmas 1

Mt 2:13-23 · Heb 2:10-18 · Isa 63:7-9 · Ps 148

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... opens like a treatise, it proceeds like a sermon and closes like a letter. The whole of Hebrews is an elaborate discourse on the superiority of Jesus Christ and the meaning of holding a Christian faith—all in the tone of a grand exhortation designed to encourage more than flaccid faith and life. The verses for this Sunday are from the sermonic proceedings of the writing. Structure. Statements about Jesus in Hebrews 2:9—referring to his humanity, his suffering, and his vicarious death—are a preface to ...

1482. Christmas 2

Psalm 147:1-20, Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, Ephesians 1:1-14, John 1:1-18

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... , by a rich, complex combination of historical memory, poetic expression about the person and work of Jesus Christ, and narrative commentary. The alternation between styles of writing, points of view, and types of reflection should provide much inspiration for those designing either preaching or worship. One may cluster and contemplate the statements in these verses in terms of point of view: poetic confession (1:1-5, 10-12a, 14, 16); historical reporting about John the Baptist (1:6-7, 15); and narrative ...

1483. Easter 2

John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... is not merely to reenact the activities of the disciples on that first Pentecost, because their world is not ours; but we are called to show the same devotion and courage as "witnesses." Psalm 16 - "Full Confidence in God" Setting. This Psalm is usually designated a psalm of trust. It is similar to Psalms 4, 11, and 21. The character of such psalms is the reverent utterance of tranquil assurance that God is the fountainhead of life's greatest delight. Generally such psalms lay out the reasons for praising ...

1484. Easter 3

Psalm 116:1-19, Acts 2:14-41, 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, Luke 24:13-35

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... that God's work in Jesus transcends the encumbrances of time and space, giving him universal power to accomplish the crucial work for which God has set him apart. Second, the gospel delivers the bad news that humanity rejects God's work, particularly the one whom God designates as the divine agent for the achievement of salvation. God acts, and we react, spurning God's will; but God prevails. This message does not let us off the hook. We do not hear simply, "You're okay!" or "God loves you, so learn to love ...

1485. Easter 6

Psalm 66:1-20, Acts 17:16-34, 1 Peter 3:8-22, John 14:15-31

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... with the idea of knowledge of the one true God who now demands repentance that is based on Christ's Resurrection and oriented to the final judgment. The reported speech can be analyzed more specifically, however. Verses 22-23 are a kind of flattering introduction designed to win the goodwill of the hearers. Then, vv. 24-25 declare the person and nature of God. Verses 26-29 work out a progressive argument, moving from God's work, to God's purposes, to our (human) relationship to God, to our proper regard ...

1486. Epiphany 4

Psalm 15:1-5, Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... Second, in v. 3, Matthew "spiritualized" the concept of the poor (as he does mourning, hunger, and thirst in the subsequent lines), moving beyond a literal sense. In Israel, a class of people, often genuinely impoverished, called themselves "the poor." The term designated a style of piety that allowed nothing other than God to be the basis of security. Being poor, having nothing, was celebrated as an opportunity for absolute, radical dependence upon God. Such piety was not passive, however; for faith was no ...

1487. Epiphany 6

Mt 5:21-37 · 1 Cor 3:1-9 · Ps 119 · Dt 30:15-20

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... and not with any human. Moreover, it is senseless to compare people like Paul and Apollos, for though there are differences in their work, they are mere functionaries. Paul can say that he and Apollos are "fellow-workers" with God, but this is not so much a designation of status as it is an assurance that they are "on God's side." In the last part of v. 9 Paul exhausts his metaphor and turns in a new direction, saying that the Corinthians are God's "building." This remark anticipates the next metaphor about ...

1488. Lent 5

John 11:1-45 · Romans 8:6-11 · Ezekiel 37:1-14 · Psalm 130

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... dualism here. Rather, he is using the antinomic language of apocalyptic eschatology to contrast spheres of power. Flesh for Paul can, and sometimes does, mean the real physical human self, but when set over against Spirit Paul employs the word metaphorically to designate powers other than and often in conflict with the power of God. Paul says to invest your confidence in any power other than God is to choose that which indeed is impotent. It is a bad investment, leading to bankruptcy rather than security ...

1489. Proper 7

Psalm 86:1-17, Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 10:1-42, Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... . 1-13 and 14-17. In which case, the lament is interpreted as proceeding in two phases, with v. 14 signaling a new beginning or an intensification of the call for help. A more nuanced view of the language in the psalm yields smaller divisions, with vv. 1-7 being designated as a call for help, vv. 8-11 as a reflection on the character of God, vv. 12-13 as a vow to praise God, and vv. 14-17 as a renewed lament. The boundaries of the lectionary conforms to neither of these divisions but instead creates a new ...

1490. Proper 10

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... not lapse into Platonic dualism. Rather he uses the antinomic language of apocalyptic eschatology to contrast spheres of power. Flesh for Paul can, and sometimes does, mean the real physical human self; but when set against Spirit Paul employs the word metaphorically to designate powers other than and often in conflict with the power of God. Paul says to invest your confidence in any power other than God is to choose that which indeed is impotent. It is a bad investment, leading to bankruptcy rather than ...

1491. Proper 13

Psalm 17:1-15, Romans 9:1-29, Matthew 14:13-21, Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... . Thus the stories of Jacob up to this point have really been a series of commentaries on his name, "one who grabs by the heel." The importance of naming will resurface on two levels in Jacob's struggle with God at the Jabbok River. First, it will designate a transformation of character in Jacob as he is renamed "Israel" by God. Second, the power of naming will also be explored in relation to God, and this is a new element in the Jacob cycle. People in the ancient Near East (including Israel) believed that ...

1492. Proper 18

Psalm 149:1-9, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20, Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... not a call to a mushy compassion that simply lets anything go. Christians are called to recognize right and wrong in love. Thus the first step in attempting to accomplish reconciliation when we are at odds with others is a private move, designed to avoid the magnification of difficulties by casting the problem into the public arena where self-defensive self-righteousness can easily lunge to the fore. Moreover, in this directive Jesus recognized that if there are differences between us, the responsibility to ...

1493. Trinity Sunday

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... is a controversy caused by certain self-professed Christian preachers who have come among the Corinthians with boldness. Paul refers to these opponents as "super-apostles," perhaps a sarcastic allusion from the apostle but possibly the self-designation of the super-apostles. The text of II Corinthians is difficult, containing several hard, if not impossible, transitions (see any standard commentary). The tones of the recognizable sections of the letter vary; Paul is sometimes conciliatory, sometimes ...

1494. Commentary for Matthew 4: 1-11

Matthew 4:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that Jesus was “led up by the Spirit,” and that none other than the Spirit of God accompanied Jesus on this journey. Indeed, Matthew declares that the entire tempting or testing scene devised by the devil is carried out in keeping with divine design. No where is the Spirit that leads Jesus away from the crowds at the Jordan River described as leaving him at any time during this ordeal. The entire temptation or testing scenario that Matthew records mirrors events found in Deuteronomy 6-8, where Moses ...

1495. Some Things Must Be Shared

John 4:5-42

Illustration

King Duncan

A Mercedes-Benz TV commercial shows one of their cars colliding with a concrete wall during a safety test. Someone then asks a Mercedes engineer why their company does not enforce their patent on their car's energy-absorbing car body. The Mercedes' design has been copied by almost every other car maker in the world in spite of the fact that they have an exclusive patent. The engineer replies in a clipped German accent, "Because in life, some things are just too important not to share." Wow! What a great ...

1496. Getting a Handle on Our Faith

John 11:1-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... our customers. We are passionate about our coffee. And we will revisit our standards of quality that are the foundation for the trust that our customers have in our coffee and in all of us. Howard Schultz insisted that this re-plumbing was designed to reconnect the company to the “soul of the past.” “This is not about training,” he insisted to his employees, looking somewhat somber. “This is about the love and compassion and commitment that we all need to have for the customer.” (“Starbucks ...

1497. Matthew 21:1-11 - Roll Out the Green Carpet

Matthew 21:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . By describing Jesus as “the prophet,” and his heritage as “from Nazareth in Galilee,” all sorts of alarm bells would have gone off. The religious authorities, the temple priests and members of the Sanhedrin, would have been disturbed by Jesus being designated as a “prophet.” After all, a prophet was one given divine authority to speak and act. The Roman government would find the suggestion that Jesus was “the Son of David” and so a Jewish “king” extremely threatening. Furthermore, as a ...

1498. Roll out the Green Carpet

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... cats and dogs may get their own Christmas stockings. But even many farm animals get an apple, a carrot, something “extra” thrown in on days that we their human caretakers mark as special. Astronomers and astrophysicists keep an eye and ear on the cosmos with devices designed to search for some other signs of life in our universe. The rest of us talk to our dog, buy our cat clothes, decorate our horse’s stall with pictures and ribbons, because we don’t want to feel alone in the universe. We need to ...

1499. A Russian Resurrection

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Donald Dotterer

... a Christmas tree during the holidays. President Vladimir Putin has encouraged this revival and he has also benefited from it, both at home and abroad. Last year, he explained that Russia’s intervention in the Syrian civil war was designed to protect Christians from the Islamic State. Not only has the Orthodox Church supported this “holy war” but so have some American evangelicals, who are likewise concerned about Christians in the Middle East and praise Putin’s socially conservative policies ...

1500. Prison Break

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. “I have no right to keep that to myself,” the collector exclaimed. “It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world and let people hear it.” God created you as an exquisite instrument. God designed you to make beautiful music. Don’t imprison the gift of life you have received. This morning you have been freed. Jesus said: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Or in the words of the hymn written by St. John Damascene ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 1476 to 1500 of 2962 results

1476. Want to Be Happy?

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1477. The Counter Intelligence of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1478. This Thing Is Not a Watch

Matthew 17:1-9; Proverbs 29:18

Illustration

James L. Collier

1479. All Saints

Psalm 34:1-22, Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 2:28--3:10, Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1480. Baptism of the Lord

Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:23b-48, Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1481. Christmas 1

Mt 2:13-23 · Heb 2:10-18 · Isa 63:7-9 · Ps 148

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1482. Christmas 2

Psalm 147:1-20, Jeremiah 30:1--31:40, Ephesians 1:1-14, John 1:1-18

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1483. Easter 2

John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1484. Easter 3

Psalm 116:1-19, Acts 2:14-41, 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, Luke 24:13-35

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1485. Easter 6

Psalm 66:1-20, Acts 17:16-34, 1 Peter 3:8-22, John 14:15-31

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1486. Epiphany 4

Psalm 15:1-5, Micah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1487. Epiphany 6

Mt 5:21-37 · 1 Cor 3:1-9 · Ps 119 · Dt 30:15-20

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1488. Lent 5

John 11:1-45 · Romans 8:6-11 · Ezekiel 37:1-14 · Psalm 130

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1489. Proper 7

Psalm 86:1-17, Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 10:1-42, Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1490. Proper 10

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Matthew 13:1-23, Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1491. Proper 13

Psalm 17:1-15, Romans 9:1-29, Matthew 14:13-21, Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1492. Proper 18

Psalm 149:1-9, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20, Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1493. Trinity Sunday

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Psalm 8:1-9

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

1494. Commentary for Matthew 4: 1-11

Matthew 4:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1495. Some Things Must Be Shared

John 4:5-42

Illustration

King Duncan

1496. Getting a Handle on Our Faith

John 11:1-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1497. Matthew 21:1-11 - Roll Out the Green Carpet

Matthew 21:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

1498. Roll out the Green Carpet

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1499. A Russian Resurrection

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Donald Dotterer

1500. Prison Break

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

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