Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1476 to 1500 of 4963 results

1476. The Good Catch

Matthew 17:24-27

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . Jesus wanted to teach Peter a lesson that day –that no matter who you are, how special you are, how entitled to good things, how gifted, how much status you have in God’s eyes—we are all equal members of an earthly community that we want and desire to remain a part of. So “pay up!” No big deal! The interesting part of the story that make us all smile a bit is that Jesus tells Peter to go and find what he needs within a fish’s mouth. But like most of the stories in scripture, this one told ...

1477. Born of the Spirit

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. Image Exegesis: Born of the Spirit Thy [Moshiach's Messianic] people, willing in the Day of thy [Moshiach's called up] Army, will be arrayed in the splendor of kodesh (holiness); from the womb of the dawn, cometh to thee [Moshiach] thy young men ...

1478. The Infiltrator

John 10:1-21, John 10:22-42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , there He will be. Today, Jesus is our only Temple, the Temple of Truth, the tabernacle of God’s presence, and the Gate to the kingdom. Wherever we are, no matter how far from each other we may be in economics or politics or ideology or geography, God’s flock remains One Flock under One God, loyal to One Shepherd, alive in One Voice. Jesus’ stand that day is a call not to division but to unity. It’s a call to all of God’s people everywhere who don’t need a Temple built on a hill, don’t need ...

1479. Translucent Grace

Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36, Revelation 1:9-20, Revelation 2:12-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. … To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold ...

1480. Lazarus Rising

John 11:1-16, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44, John 11:45-57, John 12:1-11, John 12:12-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... a delicate tightrope walk for the Pharisees and priests. They have kept themselves in power, and in a good standard of living, by assuring the Romans that they would keep the people at bay and keep passions under control. As long as things remained calm, the Romans would let them alone. And they had. Until Jesus. And his sidekick, Lazarus….began filling the people’s heads with dangerous ideas. You see, the Pharisees didn’t understand what Jesus was about. But then, who did? Even Jesus’ own disciples ...

1481. Peter the Petulant

Mark 14:1-11, Mark 14:12-26, Mark 14:27-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... someone dear to you? A grandmother, or an uncle, or a child, or father –something that reminds you of that person. Many of you probably keep keepsakes of some of those beloved items. They are powerful reminders of who that person was to us, and who will always remain in our hearts. Images are powerful. They can impress upon our memories. They can also haunt us. A woman who lost her child in an automobile crash….can’t get the image of a dropped teddy bear out of her head. A woman who lost her son in ...

1482. Rain of Grace

Hosea 6:1--7:16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... forever malleable, capable of shaping to whatever form the potter wishes! We are all clay in the hands of the Divine Potter. The question is….will we submit ourselves to be molded and changed. Or will we remain with hardened hearts against God, crumbling in our own prisons. Will we keep our clay moist so that the Master Potter can mold us and make us into the Maker’s image? In the Jewish tradition, a covenant could be “sealed” with Balm of Gilead. A sign of protection, the ...

1483. Run Away Bride

Exodus 24:1-18, Matthew 22:1-14, Hosea 1:1-2:1

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... yet, when I saw that pastor long after and asked about that couple, he told me, they had indeed later married! And had remained happily married. Am I the only one here stunned by that? A runaway bride who runs back into the arms of the one ... matter what we do, no matter how many times we may run away, no matter how many mistakes we make, no matter how much we mess up –God remains SO in love with us, that God sent His Son to redeem us, revive us, keep us alive and in love, so that we can experience what’s ...

1484. Holy Goat!

Leviticus 16:1-34, John 20:24-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... act of atonement described in Leviticus, one goat is sacrificed; the other goat is used as a scape goat. Hands are laid upon its head, infusing the scapegoat with the sins of all, and then it is released alive into the wilderness to carry off the remaining sins of the people into oblivion, so that the community of faith can be freed. Jesus plays both roles in His atonement of humankind. On one hand, his death on the cross signifies the shedding of blood for sins committed. On the other, his invitation to ...

1485. Written on the Palms of His Hands

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... dust, and who breathed life into us with His holy breath. God inscribes God’s beloved people, each one of us, right on the palms of God’s hands, so that God will never forget any one of us. We are always in God’s line of vision. Always we remain an everlasting remembrance of God’s loving creation, the ones God holds so dear that God would pursue us to the ends of time. “Look at your name engraved in the palm of my hands!” God reminds us every time we feel alone or feel God has abandoned us. “I ...

1486. House of Stone

Psalm 118:1-29, Isaiah 18:1-7, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, 1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . Rocks are for Israel’s past as our sacred texts are for us today. They contain living revelations of encounters with God, remind us of covenant promise, and seal us in that covenant for all generations. The text itself is stone. But the livingness remains within as God touches it in each reading, and God touches us in each encounter with that communal memory. Once again, we experience the relationship, the revelation with God and are transported in both past and future, even as we encounter God in the ...

1487. The Olfactory Sense of Prayer

Exodus 30:34-38, Exodus 30:22-33, John 12:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... rise up to God like the flame of a candle. The sweeter the prayers, the sweeter the spirit of those who pray. Recently, archaeologists found an ancient vial of balsam incense oil in the remains of the Qumran community. When scientists burned some of the oil, they discovered that the scent was so powerful that it remained in the clothing and hair and rooms where they had burned it for a week afterward. Not only that but no insect would come near it! It literally “purified” the entire area. Today, many ...

1488. Feasting on Leviathan

Job 38:1--41:34

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... entering into the heavenly feast, we will then devour our own past. We will be fed by the meat of our transgressions. Just as one might slay a wild boar, God will slay the wild in us and redeem us as new beings. As such, we will feast on the remains, now relegated to mere scraps of food. No longer alive, no longer powerful, no longer controlling us, our leviathan nature will simply serve as potluck for the table of the Lord. We all have a leviathan nature. Today, let us come to the altar and ask God to slay ...

1489. The Secret to Happiness

John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... he bought a small chest and filled it with treasures and also buried it somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. He published a poem that contains clues to the treasure’s whereabouts. But guess what—he didn’t die, at least not right away. However the treasure chest remains hidden in the Rocky Mountains. As of 2019, over 65,000 people from around the world have gone on a hunt for Forrest Fenn’s treasure chest. Some have died trying to find it. But so far, no one has discovered the hidden treasure of Forrest ...

1490. The Wind Came

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... be sure, we would not be here today if it were not for the manger in Bethlehem. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Who can doubt that this is the most important statement in all of literature? And of course, the cross and the empty tomb must forever remain at the center of our faith. Without the Easter event we have no salvation and no hope. But how would we know about the manger and how would we know about the cross and the empty tomb if it were not for Pentecost when the wind of God blew and ...

If you pursue good with labor, the labor passes away but the good remains; if you pursue evil with pleasure, the pleasure passes away and the evil remains.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on - have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear - what remains? Nature remains.

Walt Whitman

1493. Dealing with T-A-R-E-ists

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... news in Christ Jesus is far stronger than the poison of the tares, the bad seed. In short, how we live among the weeds, among the tares, is vital. It is vital that we live as patient, forgiving disciples because, while weeds always remain weeds, and wheat always remains wheat in the natural world, in God’s spiritual agriculture God never writes anyone off before death. People can change under the power of God’s mercy, as the example of the repentant thief on the cross shows and as we know from personal ...

1494. Words Are Not Enough

Matthew 21:23-32

Sermon

Roy Howard

... , this is not only about a judgment on the religious leaders of Jesus’ time. God is always at work among us. The question is whether you and I notice and take heed. Who is the saving one for us? Will our words lead to action? For instance, I remain astonished by a story of two mothers, both grieving, who were featured in the Washington Post. One was wearing a big church hat, cradling the other on her shoulder. The one with the hat was grieving the loss of her teenage son who was murdered; the other was ...

1495. The Jesus Straightway

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... highway, much of which rulers, such as Augustus and Pilate oversaw. Like today, not all roads were highway material however. Back roads and country roads, mountain roads, and roads connecting small villages remained leveled earth or gravel surfaced. While the stone paved highways collected tolls, many preferred the back roads, which remained a bit of a rougher journey. Under Roman law, the public could use any of the Roman roads, but each district was responsible for the maintenance of their stretch of the ...

1496. Tearing The Sky To Get To You

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

... but for the purpose of identifying with John’s ministry, he went under the water to be baptized. Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have both seen and testified that this man is the chosen one of God” (John 1:29-34). As Jesus came up ...

1497. The Cost of Discipleship

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... big river and said, “I want to be made into a great ship so I can carry useful cargo to all corners of the world.” The third tree viewed the valley from its mountain top and said, “I don’t want to be made into anything. I just want to remain here and grow tall so I can remind people to raise their eyes and think of God in heaven who loves them so much.” Years passed and the trees grew tall and mighty. Then one day three woodcutters climbed the mountain in order to harvest some trees. As they cut ...

1498. How Faithful Are We?

1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... serve as one of the great uniting forces in the more modern ecumenical spirit of the twenty-first century. While Christians may differ on some of the specifics associated with this sacrament, the common denominator of fidelity, namely God’s fidelity to the human race, remains a rock-solid principle for all who seek to follow Jesus. A few moments of reflection on the magnanimity of God’s fidelity to humanity must prompt us to ask how faithful have we been to God and to God’s people? Salvation history ...

1499. Fever Pitch

Mark 1:29-39

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ourselves and others with an illness that seems to have no bounds as to the type of havoc it can wreak upon our bodies and minds both now and in years to come. Still, despite our desire for change, for us, it can’t come fast enough. Hospitals remain filled to the brim with patients, both ill and dying. Urgent care centers and testing centers continue to try to keep up with cases. We continue to wear masks and to socially distance, but we are growing weary. We are in urgent need of reprieve, and so our ...

1500. Happiness Full Stop

John 15:9-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... could go be THEIR mom.” (2) It’s not easy being a Mom. But most of us have learned to appreciate the many sacrifices our moms have made in our behalf. Jesus told his followers, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” Jesus’ words are the model for us all: mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers, as well as children and siblings and friends. Because God loves us, we love one another. Because He forgives us, we forgive one another. At the center of the ...

Showing results

Showing 1476 to 1500 of 4963 results

1476. The Good Catch

Matthew 17:24-27

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1477. Born of the Spirit

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1478. The Infiltrator

John 10:1-21, John 10:22-42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1479. Translucent Grace

Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36, Revelation 1:9-20, Revelation 2:12-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1480. Lazarus Rising

John 11:1-16, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44, John 11:45-57, John 12:1-11, John 12:12-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1481. Peter the Petulant

Mark 14:1-11, Mark 14:12-26, Mark 14:27-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1482. Rain of Grace

Hosea 6:1--7:16

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1483. Run Away Bride

Exodus 24:1-18, Matthew 22:1-14, Hosea 1:1-2:1

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1484. Holy Goat!

Leviticus 16:1-34, John 20:24-31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1485. Written on the Palms of His Hands

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1486. House of Stone

Psalm 118:1-29, Isaiah 18:1-7, 1 Corinthians 3:1-23, 1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1487. The Olfactory Sense of Prayer

Exodus 30:34-38, Exodus 30:22-33, John 12:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1488. Feasting on Leviathan

Job 38:1--41:34

Sermon

Lori Wagner

1489. The Secret to Happiness

John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14

Sermon

King Duncan

1490. The Wind Came

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

If you pursue good with labor, the labor passes away but the good remains; if you pursue evil with pleasure, the pleasure passes away and the evil remains.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on - have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear - what remains? Nature remains.

Walt Whitman

1493. Dealing with T-A-R-E-ists

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

1494. Words Are Not Enough

Matthew 21:23-32

Sermon

Roy Howard

1495. The Jesus Straightway

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon