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 2273 results

1476. One For All

John 10:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

Sometimes in our complex relations with Middle East countries, we are confronted with instances of barbaric forms of justice. We hear of people getting hands cut off for stealing, a princess stoned to death for adultery and so on. We need to remind ourselves that Christian history has also been full of barbaric acts. Humane treatment of wrongdoers and enlightened applications of justice are modern developments. The morality of rehabilitation as opposed to retaliation is still not fully evolved. Consider, ...

1477. The Mighty Tide Of God Rolled In

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A ship strayed off course near San Diego some years back. It became stuck in a reef at low tide. Twelve tugboats were unsuccessful in their attempts to budge it. Finally, the captain instructed the tugs to go back home. He sighed, "I'll just be patient and wait." He waited until high tide. All of a sudden the ocean began to rise. What human power could not do, the rising tide of the Pacific Ocean did. It lifted that ship and put it back into the channel. (1) Something like that happened to the early church ...

1478. The Deal Of A Lifetime

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Many of you pride yourself on being good business people. Suppose someone reputable made you the following offer: You go into business with me. It will be expensive, but I guarantee it will be worth it. You dig up whatever cash you can find. Take out an equity loan on your house, cash in the value of your life insurance policy, pay the penalty, and take the money out of your IRA accounthowever you can come up with cash, do it. Then, if you work hard, and follow the company manual, sacrifice and give your ...

1479. What We Are About

Acts 13:13-52

Sermon

King Duncan

The new music teacher at the Junior High school had just organized a band. The principal decided that the band should give its first concert, but the music teacher was not certain that the band was ready. Just before the concert, the music teacher whispered to her nervous musicians, "If you’re not sure of your part, just pretend to play." When the big moment arrived, she brought her baton down with a sweeping flourish and lo, nothing happened. The band gave forth with a resounding silence. Sometimes the ...

1480. Does Jesus Care?

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz, speaking at the annual sales meeting of the Western Insurance Companies, said, "I've been on the top and I've been on the bottom. At Arkansas my first year, we won the Orange Bowl. Then everybody loved me. "They put me into the Arkansas Hall of Fame and issued a commemorative stamp in my honor. The next year we lost to Texas, and they had to take away the stamp. People kept spitting on the wrong side. "One year I tried to sell cemetery plots for a living. My wife told ...

1481. Don't Give Up - He Hears!

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you will remember when Clyde Beatty was the most famous lion tamer in the world. While Beatty was performing with THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH he also operated a small circus that played during the off-season. This circus was stationed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and because of the very favorable climate from December through March, performed in the open air, without a big top. One day there was a heavy downpour and Beatty was forced to call off the show. Only one person had come to the box office to ...

1482. Victory on a Broken Knee

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sermon

King Duncan

Once there was a man who acquired a claim to a gold field in California. The claim was in a lonely spot in the mountains. When the man started to dig for gold, he found evidence that much work had been done on the claim a long while before. Far into the excavation he found an old rusted pick, its handle rotted off but its point sticking firmly in the rocky soil. He went to work and, to his amazement, just a few feet beyond where he had found the pick he came upon a rich vein of gold. Later he would learn ...

1483. Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Earlier this year on the news there was a story about an African-American man whose house had been newly painted. Within days someone had spray-painted graffiti all over it. Who would have done something like this in his neighborhood, he wondered? He was angry and rightly so. At first he thought it was racially motivated. Someone did not like him living in their neighborhood. He asked around hoping to find out who had spoiled his house. He found that the graffiti was painted by an eleven-year-old boy. It ...

1484. When Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Matthew 21:23-27

Sermon

King Duncan

A construction crew was laying a drain line as part of a new building. While excavating, the workers uncovered a power cable directly in the path of their work. The excavation was halted. An electrician was called in. The electrician came and looked at the cable. He assured workers that the cable was dead. "Go ahead and cut it out of the way," the electrician told the workers. The foreman asked, "Are you sure there is no danger?" "Absolutely," was the reply. Then the foreman asked, "Well, then, will you ...

1485. Treasured Relics

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

King Duncan

If you were asked to buy the tackiest gift imaginable, what would you buy? Martin Marty was once invited to a postnuptial party. He was asked to bring "a gift in the worst possible taste." The purpose was to embarrass the newly married couple. They would open their gifts standing in front of their family and friends and "ooh and aah" as they opened each tacky item. Marty found a five and dime store and began his search for the tackiest gift. To his delight he discovered a yellow plastic dove with a silver ...

1486. Gaining A Gratitude Attitude

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

An elderly lady entered a pet store hoping to purchase a parrot. The store manager did have a parrot but he warned the little lady about purchasing this particular parrot. For you see, this parrot had been raised by a sailor and had picked up much of the sailor's strong language. Confident she could rehabilitate the parrot, though, the elderly lady purchased it. Upon arriving at its new home and being placed in a wonderful new cage, the parrot began an unbelievable barrage of shocking words. Immediately, ...

1487. The King Of Ifs

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Richard Andersen

His throne room was the top of a small hill named Golgatha. His throne was not gilded and set with precious stones; it was a cross of rough-hewn timbers. Though He wore a crown, it was of thorns. Albeit He had been cloaked in a robe of royal color, it was but a discarded rag and even that was taken from Him. Once He held a scepter, but it was only a reed from a creek bed, stuffed derisively in His hand by jeering guards. Yet Jesus, upon Calvary's cross, was more a King than any other sovereign; certainly ...

1488. Face To Face With The Devil

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

First Sunday of Lent There was a strange story that came out of Vinton, Louisiana last summer. Police there stopped a car with twenty passengers packed in it ” none of whom were clothed. No, this was not a college fraternity prank. According to news reports, Sammy Rodriguez, a Pentecostal preacher from Floydada, Texas, told police he and his family fled Texas in their four cars because the Devil was after them. Along the way they decided their clothes were "possessed" and discarded them along with three ...

1489. The Salvation Army Parade

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Churches celebrate Palm Sunday in different ways. At one church the people meet in a room beneath the sanctuary. When everyone is ready they emerge through a side door to process around the outside of the church. Joining in the procession are people waving palm leaves, others playing musical instruments, including the bagpipes, others shouting and singing, "Hosanna." This celebration has become an important tradition in their church. One year when Dr. Walter Bruggemann was pastor, he and the rest of the ...

1490. Preparing For The Second Part Of Life

James 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

It was a familiar scene as the pastor shook hands with persons leaving worship. At the end of the line was a man who occasionally attended worship. As the man came to shake his pastor's hand he said, "Reverend, Reverend, what you said today in your sermon was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you very, very much. It was so helpful to me. It revolutionized my life. Thank you, thank you." To be honest the pastor was surprised yet pleased that his words made such a profound difference in this man's life. " ...

1491. Who Is He?

Mark 8:27-30

Sermon

King Duncan

Actor Rex Harrison and his former wife Elizabeth were dining with a few friends at the "21" Club. While they were preparing to order, as happens so often with actors, a handsome young man got up from a nearby table and came over to meet them. He said, "We just got in on the last flight. You've given me so much pleasure through the years, Mr. Harrison, I just had to come over to thank you." Harrison nodded his head graciously and returned his attention to the wine list as soon as the young man had left ...

1492. When More Is Never Enough

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Linus is philosophizing with Lucy. "Life is peculiar," he says. "Wouldn't you like to have your life to live over if you knew what you know now?" Lucy stares off blankly, then asks, "What do I know now?" E. Stanley Jones once told of being on a cruise ship. There was a rather corpulent couple on that cruise who seemed to live from one meal to the next. They were retired and obviously had plenty of money, but they seemed miserable. They were always angry with the table stewards for not giving them super- ...

1493. Empowered By Angels

1 Kings 19:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

Colonel Jimmy Stewart stood looking out the window of his hut in England. He gazed in the direction of the English Channel and toward the continent beyond. Tomorrow he would command a squadron of B-24 Liberator Bombers on a dangerous mission over Germany. It was understood that some of the planes would not return; that some of the flyers would die or be captured. Jimmy Stewart was afraid. He replaced the blackout curtain, turned and sat on his metal cot. Switching on a small light, he pulled from his ...

1494. "Say It Ain't So"

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

King Duncan

Back in 1919, the Chicago Blacksocks Baseball scandal was unfolding in the newspapers before the public eye of the American people. One afternoon as Shoeless Joe Jackson was leaving the field, a die-hard baseball fan cried out, "Joe, say it ain't so, say it ain't so." The July 6, 1990, issue of the United Methodist Reporter newspaper reported the findings of a gallop poll that was conducted by the Board of Discipleship and the Reverend Ray Sells, a denominational executive. Here is what it states, "Study ...

1495. Let My Little Light Shine

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

King Duncan

There are all kinds of theories about how to motivate people. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton hadn't won a game in eight weeks. A critical member of the press was suggesting that he be dropped from the starting rotation. The future looked bleak, and Sutton felt terrible. Then, before a game, Dodgers manager Walter Alston tapped him on the shoulder. "I'd like to speak with you, Don," he said. Sutton prepared himself for the worst. "Don," said Alston, "I know how the past couple of months have been ...

1496. Fear Of Flying

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

I wonder if there is anyone here this morning who gets nervous flying? Maybe you agree with George S. Kaufman who once said, "I like terra firma ” the more firma, the less terra." The premier science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury of Los Angeles won a top award in 1968 from the Aviation/Space Writers Association for a Life magazine article he wrote in praise of space exploration. But Bradbury didn't attend the association's awards meeting in Florida. He won't fly. (1) Time magazine reported sometime back on ...

1497. A Niche For Every Itch

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you noticed a growing trend in our society to classify people according to personality types as if we are trying to find a niche for every itch? For example, in the world of advertising, there is a theory that divides people into different groups based on their supposed lifestyles. For example, two of these groups are called the belongers and the achievers. Belongers are middle-class folks who want more than anything else to do the accepted thing. Therefore, to sell a product to people in this group ...

1498. Does It Make A Difference Who Jesus Is?

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

Newsweek magazine carried an interesting article sometime back about a controversy that has been brewing down in Louisiana. Let me share it with you: "Even if it did double as a bug zapper (it doesn't), the big blue neon JESUS sign outside the Church of Abundant Life in Harvey, Louisiana, would have to go. So say Jefferson Parish officials, who claim they inadvertently approved installation of the five-foot-high, 21-foot-wide sign last November. Now they're fighting to unplug the $5,000 Savior, saying it ...

1499. Surprised Sheep And Graceless Goats

Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Stan Meade

Before we begin this morning, I believe we need a little background on sheep and goats. Sheep are the most profitable animals man has ever domesticated. Catgut comes from sheep, not cats. I'm sure all you cat lovers will find that a blessing. Sheep are good for meat, fur and milk. They outnumber humans in most countries. Then there are goats. More people world-wide drink goat's milk than cow's milk. Moroccan leather, Angola and cashmere sweaters come from goats. And ladies, do you remember those old mohair ...

1500. Is It Wrong To Be Ambitious?

Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

King Duncan

Some newspapers carry a little cartoon called ZIGGY. Ziggy is one of those for whom life never seems to work out right. For instance in one cartoon, Ziggy sits in his chair and contemplates the week that has just ended. "Sheesh! What a week!!" he says. "MONDAY morning, my horoscope in the newspaper told me to go back to bed! "TUESDAY, opportunity knocked while I was out back taking out the garbage. On WEDNESDAY, my new bedroom set was diagnosed with Dutch-elm disease! "THURSDAY, my phone rang three times ...

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