Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 1476 to 1500 of 2815 results

1476. To Climb A Mountain

Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: As the disciples learned, following Jesus is not easy, but it is rewarding. Summary: Three climbers seek a guide for the difficult climb up a mountain. They reach the summit and enjoy the rewards of the view. A parable. Playing Time: 4 minutes Place: A neutral playing area that represents the mountain cabin and mountaintop Props: None Costumes: Outerwear for bitter cold Time: The present Cast: GUIDE GIRL BOY MAN READER GUIDE: (Seated in his mountain cabin. There is a knock at the door.) Hmm, late ...

1477. The Sower And The Seed And So What

Matthew 13:1-23

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: The word of the Kingdom of God needs to be sown whether we know the outcome or not. Summary: Ma and Pa are sitting on the porch of their mountain home discussing planting. A parable. Playing Time: 2 minutes Setting: The porch of Ma and Pa Props: Two rocking chairs Overalls to patch A stick to whittle Costumes: Ma -- sunbonnet, flour sack dress Pa -- bib overalls, red long johns Time: Twilight Cast: MA -- old PA -- older MA: (ROCKING AND SEWING, PATCHING PA'S OVERALLS) Pa? ...

1478. Showdown

Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 13:24-30

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... enough to fight for. It may look small but it is mighty with the power of the Lord God. Summary: The Badlanders are coming to town! That means trouble. Chris, the deputy, is responsible for protecting the town while the Sheriff is away. A Parable in the guise of an old fashioned "Meller." Playing Time: 4 minutes Setting: An old western town Props: Assorted guns Bull whip Costumes: Old western Sheriff -- white Time: Old West Cast: DOC MAYBELLE -- a dance hall girl BILLY -- a young 'un CHRIS -- deputy ...

1479. Before The Wedding

Matthew 13:44-46

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... the relationship between a father and daughter. It is a pearl of great price. But sometimes the pearl can be damaged. Summary: A bride desperately needs to tell her father something that will affect her marriage. The father is slow to hear. A parable. Playing Time: 3 minutes Setting: The home of the bride Props: A wedding dress Costumes: Father -- formal suit Sue -- casual Time: A few minutes before the wedding Cast: FATHER SUE -- the bride FATHER: (SUE STANDS, HOLDING HER WEDDING DRESS, WAITING TO BE TAKEN ...

1480. The King Forgives Sometimes

Matthew 18:21-35

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Forgive others as God through Jesus has forgiven you. Summary: In this modern parable a man owes the King (Elvis) a lot of money and Elvis forgives him until he finds out the man is unforgiving to another who owes him money. Playing Time: 3 minutes Setting: Graceland Props: None Costumes: Elvis -- white sequins with cape Others -- casual Time: When Elvis was King Cast: ...

1481. The Wicked Pie Bakers

Matthew 21:33-46

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Is the church a place where the Christian community gathers to celebrate or a place where the law is administered? Are we open or closed to new ideas? A parable. Summary: The choir is having a bake sale and the discussion is whether that is a good or bad thing to have in church. A light-hearted, fast-paced discussion about the Pharisees and the tax gatherers and how we can kill the Spirit of Jesus in each other by ...

1482. Many Are Called

Matthew 22:1-14

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: How does God feel about those who reject His Son? Summary: A mother and father are wondering what to do because they planned a birthday party for their daughter and the children that were invited didn't come. A parable. Playing Time: 3 minutes Setting: Sheila and Ron's home Props: None Costumes: Contemporary, casual Time: The present Cast: Sheila -- mother of birthday girl Ron -- her husband Madge -- their next door neighbor MADGE: (HOLDING THE PHONE BUT TALKING TO SHEILA) Another busy signal. ...

1483. The Season Of The Holy Spirit

Mark 10:17-31

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

... sure that they understand that new actions follow when we know that God receives us, unconditionally. Reading of the Gospel Read from The Cotton Patch Version by Clarence Jordan. If possible, get his cassette tapes, in which he translates many of the parables, and stories of Jesus. Proclamation of the Good News You may want to develop the message about these ideas: (1) our willingness to face reality; (2) the radical (of or from the root) nature of salvation (wholeness, healing, integration). David Head in ...

1484. Gifts of Lent III: A Family Gives Their Home

Luke 22:7-38

Drama

Donald Neidigk

... the pavement, snatching up coins as fast as they could. Jesus didn't stay long that Monday. But he came back on Tuesday and taught whoever would listen for hours on end. The public gathering areas of the temple became a giant classroom. Jesus would give a parable. Someone would challenge him. Jesus, with great wisdom, would answer. No one could refute what he said. By the end of the day it was clear that one couldn't be neutral about Jesus. He was either the Savior, the Messiah we yearned for, or he was ...

1485. Be Patient

James 5:7-12

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... where the familiar seems strange. We stumble in our homes as if in darkened rooms with the furniture in disarray. James' voice whispers, "The Lord is coming soon." This is precisely the time when our hearts are greatly opened to his coming. The ancient Jewish parable tells of Baal Shem-Tov, the great rabbi who loved his people. If he sensed his people were in danger, he would depart to a place in the woods near a great tree, light a special fire, and say a mysterious prayer. And always without exception ...

1486. Just In Time

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... presence of mind to pray thankful prayers to the One who is the source of life and love. However, when hope and help still seem far off, when rain does not come in its season, when the hungry are left with little, we are prone to grumble. Remembering the parable of the workers in the vineyard: Jesus tells the story of the land owner who goes to the market place to find workers for his vineyard. He travels repeatedly, hiring some at the beginning of the day, some in the middle, and some nearly at the end of ...

1487. Five Thousand For Lunch In Galilee

Luke 9:10-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... was, was willing to share, and with Jesus' blessing, the hearts of all were opened to share so that all were fed with plenty left over. Recall Jesus' story of the talents where three people were given five, three and one talents, respectively. Many of us, like the parable, are one talent people. So we hold it back, keep it to ourselves, bury it, or hoard it like a miser, asking, "What is that among so many?" We have difficulty believing our small gift or task or talent will make any difference. But with the ...

1488. Grapes Of Wrath Or Grace?

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... named Nathan to King David. His sins seem so obvious to us: he seduced Bathsheba, another man's wife; committed adultery with her; and then arranged to murder her husband, Uriah. But it seemed not to trouble King David at all. But Nathan came telling the parable of the rich man. David's anger was kindled against the rich man and ordered that he should die. Courageously Nathan pointed his finger at the king and said, "Thou art the man!" Then David recognized his own guilt and knew, too, that Nathan, in ...

1489. Life's Final Flight

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... earth to heaven, from time to eternity. Obviously there is nothing in the scriptures that has to do with jet planes, but it is amazing how parallel to airplane flight is the flight of the soul when it goes to meet God. Let us use Elijah's translation as a parable of that experience. Probably the closest thing to flight that we have in the Bible is Elijah's translation to heaven. God accomplished it so he didn't even have to die or be buried. God sent horses and a chariot of fire for Elijah and took him to ...

1490. The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:1-7

Drama

Dallas A. Brauninger

... 4 = boy in senior high school 5 = a dad 1: Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus]. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." 2: So he told them this parable: 3: Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered ...

1491. The Mechanics Of Prayer

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

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... sculptor replied, "Maybe you could if you like me worked on your knees." Standing is another posture for prayer. In prayer Jeremiah said to Yahweh, "Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn your wrath from them?" (Jeremiah 18:20). In the parable Jesus told about two men who went to the temple to pray. Both of them stood for their prayers. Why stand for prayer? Prayer means we are in the presence of our glorious God. To express our respect and reverence we want to stand. In years past ...

1492. You Can Be Forever Young

Genesis 25:1-11

Sermon

Michael B. Brown

... Jesus' ancestry back to Abraham to prove the gospel's claim that the Nazarene was, in fact, the Messiah. Abraham is identified in the Old Testament with the special, sacred phrase "the friend of God." Jesus thought he was so important that in telling the parable of "The Rich Man and Lazarus" he described Heaven as that place where one is "carried to the bosom of Abraham." Abraham was the one single person who spread the idea of covenant from the Euphrates to the Nile. He truly was a remarkable, incredible ...

1493. Epiphany 8

Luke 6:37-42, Isaiah 55:1-13, Jeremiah 7:1-29, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Luke 6:46-49

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... . The passage contains three parts. The first (vv. 39-42a) points to the blindness to our own faults while seeing them in other people. Part 2 (vv. 43-45) describes the heart as the source of our actions, good or bad. The conclusion is in the form of a parable dealing with a house built on rock or sand. To obey Jesus' teachings is to build the house on a firm foundation which can withstand the storms of life. Jesus closes the sermon with a challenge to be doers as well as hearers of the Word. Psalm Of The ...

1494. Proper 14

Luke 12:35-48, Isaiah 1:1-31, Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... of God, but they saw from afar their destination which was the city of God. Gospel: Luke 12:32-40 God gives his kingdom to those prepared to receive it. Verse 32 concludes the foregoing section on anxiety about material needs. Verses 33-40 constitute the parable of the waiting servants. Jesus teaches that we should not worry about the material things of life. Instead God will give us the kingdom and then our treasure will be in heaven. But the coming of the kingdom is delayed. When will Jesus return? His ...

1495. Proper 15

Luke 12:54-59, Hebrews 12:1-13, Luke 12:49-53, Isaiah 5:1-7, Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Isaiah 5:1-7 God's vineyard yields wild grapes. Chapter 5 closes a series of oracles beginning with chapter 1. Today's lesson is a parable of a vineyard. Yahweh planted it and did everything to make it grow and be fruitful. But, the grapes turned out to be wild, that is, sour and bitter. What more could he have done for his vineyard? Nothing. Therefore, the vineyard will be destroyed. Lesson 2: Hebrews 11:29-- ...

1496. Proper 6

Lk 7:36 - 8:3 · Gal 2:15-21 · 1 Ki 21:1--21 · Ps 5

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... 's sin of the spirit. Which of the two was the greater sin? 3. Forgiven (vv. 47, 48). The dinner party turns into a theological issue concerning forgiveness. Was the woman forgiven because she loved, or did she love because she was forgiven? According to the parable Jesus told at the dinner, the more one is forgiven, the more one loves. When Jesus forgives the prostitute, the dinner guests question who Jesus thinks he is that he can forgive sins. Is it not true that only God can forgive sin? Lesson 1: 1 ...

1497. Advent 1

Luke 21:5-38

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note This passage is a portion of Luke's version of the "Synoptic Apocalypse," and is thus based heavily on Mark 13. But Luke's omissions (v. 27) and his rendering of the fig-tree parable so as to point to the God's coming reign (v. 28) suggest that he has less interest than his source in the details of the "Son of man" motif; but his own peculiar ending (vv. 34-36) shows that he is no less sure that the end will come ...

1498. Lent 3

Luke 13:1-9

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note Jesus' two sayings (both references to otherwise unknown historical events) and his parable here serve to make the same point: while no casual connection can be made between particular disasters that befall people and their sinfulness, and although individuals may survive unrepentant for a time, all because of God's patience, that patience will not last forever and eventually will be replaced by ...

1499. Lent 5

John 12:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note While vv. 9-12 may have been a part of a true parable, the additional materials seem to make the whole an allegory. This allegory reflects the theology of the early church, out of which Luke's Gospel came. The allegory details the rejection and crucifixion of God's beloved son by the Israelites, his victory over death, and the establishment of the ...

1500. Proper 10

Luke 10:25-37

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

Gospel Note Having set forth the twofold "law of love," Luke has Jesus respond to a question about the nature of neighborliness with a parable about a robbery victim and a passerby who, though a stranger and foreigner, helps him. The point of the story is that what brings people into a "neighborly" proximity (and thus into a loving relationship) is the neediness of one. The Samaritan's advance payment for the victim's lodging ( ...

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