Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1476 to 1500 of 4935 results

1476. Almond Joy!

Numbers 17:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“There shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of its root.” (Isaiah 11:1) “Jeremiah, what do you see? I see an almond branch. You have seen well, for I am watching to fulfill my word.” (Jeremiah 1:11-12) Props: menorah, shepherd’s rod, almond tree, almonds “You are the apple of God’s eye.” So says the psalmist in psalm 17:8. God is watching over you. God is protecting you. God is watchful of what happens to you in your life. And at certain key moments, God will leave God ...

1477. Fake News vs. Fantastic Good News

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

King Duncan

Early in 1761 two small earthquakes hit London, England. Soon afterwards, a rumor spread through the city that a well-known psychic had predicted a massive earthquake would occur on April 5 of that year. Gullible people were alarmed. Citizens of London began leaving the city, moving to other cities nearby or setting up camps in the outlying rural areas. And then they waited for the big one to hit. And, of course, it never did. (1) Such rumors or faulty predictions have spread in this country from time to ...

1478. Find Joy Again!

Romans 15:4-13

Sermon

Charley Reeb

There are many hysterical stories associated with my parents and family. There is one that has been the source of great laughter over the years. The event occurred one weekend when my parents drove me to a tennis tournament in another city. After my match, I was hungry, so my dad drove us to Shoney’s. I don’t know if they are still around, but they used to have a big breakfast buffet. My dad loved to eat. It was a real hobby for him. As a result, he had the “Dunlop” disease. His belly “dun- lopped” over ...

1479. “I Will Sing the Lord’s Praise, for He Has Been Good to Me”

Psalm 13:1-6

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Faith has its personae, from skepticism to personal conflict, but trust, its true persona, sings its way into the joy of God’s goodness. Understanding the Text Psalm 13 is an individual lament that leaves the cause of lament uncertain (see below) but calls attention to the joy of buoyant faith (13:5). The biblical laments always hover near words of trust and assurance, and such a question as we have in verses 1 and 2 should send us on a search for words of faith in the lament psalms. Also, it ...

1480. Time and Stewardship

Sermon

Larry Powell

Religious authorities in Jesus' day pressed the matter of Sabbath observance to the extent of ridiculous extreme. In addition to those regulations which had long been entrenched in tradition, others were continually being produced by ambitious rabbis. The list of prohibitions was exhaustive. Ploughing and reaping were disallowed on the Sabbath (Exodus 34:21), as was pressing wines and canning goods (Nehemiah 13:15), bearing burdens (Jeremiah 27:21), carrying on trade (Amos 16:26), gathering wood (Numbers ...

1481. Advent 1

Isaiah 63:7--64:12, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Psalm 80:1-19, Mark 13:32-37, Mark 13:1-31

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

The Fig Tree Lesson We were traveling in the dark. The route number told us to make a turn north as we merged with another major highway. Then we relaxed and in a very short time missed the sign that told us to turn east again. In the dark and not watching carefully on an unfamiliar road, we missed the sign. Sometime later we realized that we were not seeing signs for our route and the exit signs pointed toward unfamiliar towns. We realized that we had not read the signs carefully enough. It cost us an ...

1482. Proper 20

Philippians 1:12-30, Jonah 4:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13, Exodus 16:1-36, Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: The grace of God. Isaiah 55 calls on the people to turn to God for mercy and forgiveness. The Second Lesson has Paul commending the Philippians to the grace of God from his prison cell. The Gospel parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard teaches us that God rewards us not according to our deserving but according to his generosity. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 16:2-15 In the hardships of the wilderness, the people complain to Moses. They protest about the lack of food, as they remember the ...

1483. Hope Against Hope

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Erskine White

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told. (Romans 4:18) Sometimes, as we get to this point in the year, it seems that winter will go on forever. It’s been cold for so long that you can hardly remember the last time you put on a pair of shorts and basked in the warmth of the sun. You are so sick of shoveling the driveway that you would almost rather go to the dentist with an impacted wisdom tooth than go through another snowstorm. The trees have ...

1484. The Call of the Cross

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it." (Luke 9:18-24) One of my students took the Bell Telephone commercial to heart - "Reach out and touch someone." Last Thanksgiving, he decided that he should talk to his mother and father who were 6,500 miles away. He had to dial a California number, which he did, and from there his call was ...

1485. The Life We Prize

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

Various Authors

[Jesus said] If any[one] would come after me, let [them] deny self and take up [their] cross daily and follow me. Our family was skiing in Colorado with some friends. I rode up a long chair lift with a stranger who turned to me saying, "The name’s Clyde; I’m a plumber from California. I'm out here to meet women and have fun. What’s your work?" I answered, "Fire insurance," the response I frequently give when I want to have some fun with an unsuspecting stranger. He questioned, "Fire insurance? Who do you ...

1486. The Farmer and the Fugitive

1 Samuel 25:1-44

Sermon

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall want." "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." The bad shepherd; the good shepherd. A miserly master and a merciful master. A Scrooge and a singer of songs. An old farmer and a young warrior. A Prince and a Pauper. A farmer and a fugitive. Nabal and David. Two faces staring at us across the centuries. The April fool is Nabal. Owner of three thousand sheep and three thousand goats. Married to the prettiest girl in town. Owner of rich pasture lands a few miles south of ...

1487. Opening Up to Jesus

Mark 2:1-12

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Jesus fulfills all our needs. Summary: At the home of Joash a crowd gathers because Jesus is going there to teach. Joash has his house ready -- even a new roof. During the evening friends bring a lame man but can't get to Jesus. What to do? They tear off the roof, of course. Jesus heals the man and the roof gets fixed too. Playing Time: 8 minutes Setting: The home of Joash Props: Wine and cups Litter for lame man Pallet Costumes: Peasants of Jesus' Time Time: The Time of Jesus Cast: Joash -- the ...

1488. Ode to Wisdom

Job 26:1--31:40

Sermon

Alton F. Wedel

This is an Ode to Wisdom - wisdom that is not discovered in computer banks, nor taught in schools and colleges, nor learned from parents, nor symbolized in Wall Street winnings. "Where, then, shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?" (v. 12). In this age of new enlightenment, in our high tech society, this Ode to Wisdom simply doesn’t fly. When God came down from heaven to survey the Babel tower that the people back in Genesis 11 had designed, he was both amazed and amused. This ...

1489. Created For Freedom

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

An interesting thing was happening in prisons in Colorado back in 1992 according to an issue of LIFE magazine of that year. Prison officials were perplexed by the growing number of inmates who were choosing to serve out their whole prison sentences rather than bargain for less time at parole hearings. Since Colorado~s prisons are overcrowded, and since parole hearings sometimes result in less time in jail, prison officials were dumbfounded by this new trend. Was it due to guilty consciences? A peak season ...

1490. I Don't Have Time For A Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

The Toronto Star invited teachers to submit excuses they had received from their students. They received these examples: A student explaining why he was late: "I was kidnapped by aliens and interrogated for three hours." Another student, telling why he had failed to turn in his essay: "The bus driver read it and liked it so much he kept it to show to his passengers." Another: "I got mugged on the way to school. I offered him my money, my watch, and my penknife but all he wanted was my essay." Mike, a 14- ...

1491. Profits And Losses

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

King Duncan

Joan trembled as she put on her lipstick. She never dreamed she would be caught in this predicament. Forty years old, active in her church, with a fifteen year old daughter and a loving husband and she was considering having an affair ” with her boss, Jim. "Jim's such an attractive man," she thought to herself as she checked her lipstick in the mirror. "He's everything Bob is not. He takes care of himself, wears great clothes, and he's fun. And he's a visionary. The company's broken every record since he ...

1492. Tired of Trying?

James 5:7-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I have had the privilege of seeing the play, Fiddler on the Roof--both on Broadway and in a variety of other settings. It is a very moving and memorable play. The play begins with the "fiddler" balancing on a steep rooftop in the village playing his fiddle. The main character, Tevye, points to him and suggests that the fiddler symbolizes all the people of the village. Yes, that does certainly describe us as a people. Trying to balance family, careers, hobbies, church, faith and a host of other things. ...

1493. Goodness and Mercy

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (verse 6) Today, we bring our study of this marvelous writing to its conclusion. The Psalmist has had us travel through life''s many experiences, and then leaves us with a great declaration and conclusion. I am glad it is there. I would like to share with you the rich meaning of the two words, "Goodness" and "Mercy." In the June, 1991, edition of Billy Graham's magazine, Decision, the ...

1494. Jedi Christians

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Who's your favorite superhero? We've got a lot to pick from this summer. Everybody loves a superhero. Just look at the movies. Our kids' heads are filled with dreams of superhero-dom, as we fill their toy chests with action figures, costumes, and props so they can pretend they're the latest champion of the universe. This summer opened with George Lucas' newest installment in the Star Wars saga: Episode II Attack of the Clones. It re-energized the lore and lure of that extraterrestrial epic our nonlinear, ...

1495. Pentecost

John 20:19-23, Acts 2:14-41, Acts 2:1-13, Psalm 104:1-35, Numbers 11:4-35

Sermon Aid

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

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Pentecost Sunday provides a fitting conclusion to the Easter Season because it shifts our focus from Christ to the Holy Spirit, from the event of salvation to the breaking in of a new creation. The linking of Easter and Pentecost is a strong affirmation of how salvation and creation are inextricably related. The Old Testament texts provide important commentary on the central relationship of salvation and creation. Numbers 11:24-30 explores how the people of God structure community, ...

1496. Power and Compassion

Hebrews 5:1-10

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

Many of you may remember from your grade school days a novel by Mark Twain titled, The Prince and the Pauper. It has been adapted in various forms of Disney productions and even a few cartoon tales. The Twain story begins with two boys with identical features — one a spoiled royal heir, and the other a street urchin surviving on his wits. By chance they meet. The pauper is enamored with the fineries of the palace, while the prince envies the pauper's freedom to come and go as he chooses. Eventually, they ...

1497. Denial Ain’t a River in Egypt

Isaiah 64:1-9

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

Have you ever denied something that, deep down, you know to be true? Have you ever turned from a situation or circumstance in order to avoid the uncomfortable process of dealing with it? Or maybe you have had the experience of keeping a stiff upper lip and pretending that something is not ... well, what it is. The term we use for this, of course, is denial. We all practice it to some extent or other. Some of us deny the fact that we're a few pounds overweight. Others of us deny the fact that the cars we ...

1498. The Five Adjectives of a Noun Christian

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In a world of rapid change, the elementary becomes the elemental. What exactly is a "Christian?" What does that word really mean? It is time to make Christianity Christian again. Bruce Larson tells of the guide who was hired by some hunters to take them into the backwoods of Maine. After some days, they became hopelessly lost and quite naturally began to doubt the competence of their guide. "You said you were the best guide in Maine," they reminded him. "I am," he said, "but I think we're in Canada now." ...

1499. The End of Time

Luke 21:5-19

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

No reading of Luke is complete without coming to realize that Luke is concerned that the world understands that Jesus is the hope of the world and that any teaching that leads away from that fact is a false teaching. No matter what, no matter when, Jesus will be there to give us life. In our own time, there have been those who have predicted that the end was near because of some tragedy that has shaken our world. Each time some doomsday people took from that awful event that God was getting ready to shut ...

1500. When Christ Is King

Colossians 1:11-20

Sermon

Donna Schaper

Many people don't like the theological language of Christ as king. They say it is too old-fashioned: democracies don't have kings. They say it is too masculine: we all believe in gender equality. What they don't say is what it means. When we declare that Christ is king, we mean that Christ is the most important matter, the one with the most power for us, personally. On Christ the King Sunday this is a great day to see what this means — whether we like the language of king or not. When we know that Christ ...

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