Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1501 to 1525 of 4884 results

We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.

F. D. R. said, "A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward." We might also observe that a liberal is a man with two perfectly good legs who has walked forward, but has no idea how he got there.

Brett Blair

1503. When Someone Disagrees with You

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... learned that life can be victorious by the grace of Jesus Christ. This is what happens when people are exposed to authentic Christian living. Now, let me ask you a question: where will such faith be found without the church of Jesus Christ? We’re not perfect, but we serve a God who is Perfect Love. And God calls us to go out into the community and find people who are hurting and to show them His love. Not everyone we meet will be easy to love. Some of us are not easy to love, but this is our mission—to ...

1504. Prisoners of Hope

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... of the need for change, and we immediately come up with all kinds of excuses, blaming our weakness either on our genes or on our upbringing or on both nature and nurture. Or we try to rationalize it all away: “Hey, I admit I’m not perfect as a husband, but no marriage is perfect, right?” “Okay, I’m no saint, but I’m just as good as the next person!” “Everybody else is doing it, why shouldn’t I?” “I’ve got too much on my plate right now. I’ll get to that soon, God, maybe next week ...

1505. The Stop-and-Think Chair

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

Roy Howard

... planet. We have spoken honestly to one another now for years. That friendship is one of the finest gifts of my life. I doubt I could say that today if he had not spoken so honestly and so kindly years ago. If we lived in a perfect world, with perfect families, marriages, friendships, communities, and congregations there would be no need for such truth telling. But that is not the world we live in, nor was it for Jesus and the early communities of his followers. If it were there would be no need for Matthew ...

1506. About Face!

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... ’s not an easy question to answer. There are so many beautiful places in the world to visit. British photographer Oliver Curtis has created a very successful career in films, television and fashion photography. His success revolves around capturing the perfect picture at the perfect moment. But he also has an odd side project. He likes to visit famous places and monuments around the world, and then point his camera in the opposite direction of the famous monument. So he’s taking pictures of the scenery ...

1507. The Jesus Straightway

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... Billy Graham, had etched into her uneven tombstone the following words: “End of Construction –Thank you for your patience.” All of our lives are spent in allowing Jesus to form and reform us into disciples of God’s heavenly kingdom. While we never reach perfection in this lifetime, we must continue to repent of our sins, and allow Jesus to smooth us out and keep us from stumbling. John’s voice is a voice of urgency, warning us that the time is coming soon. Repent, he says. Straighten out your ...

1508. Beginning the Lenten Journey

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

... , Jesus continued his discourse. He told them the type of person who was blessed. He told them how to respond to the law. He told the people that murder occurs first in the heart. Then Jesus gave instructions on what the crowd must do to be perfect as God is perfect. As the old saying goes, he went from preaching to meddling in the eyes of the religious leaders. Once he began to strip away the masks, hearts moved closer or further away. Each person would have known what Jesus meant by a mask. They had seen ...

1509. It’s Sunday…But Friday’s Comin’

Mark 11:1-11 · John 12:12-16

Sermon

Timothy W. Ayers

... of my favorites is Tony Campolo’s “Its Friday…But Sunday’s Comin.’” Dr. Campolo told the story of a little preaching competition that he had with his pastor during services at the church where he attended. Dr. Campolo told how he preached the perfect sermon, perfect in every way. He had taken the congregation to the heights of glory and the depths of despair. As he sat down beside his pastor, Dr. Campolo patted him on the knee and simply said, “Top that.” The older black pastor looked at him ...

1510. The Sign of Noah

Mark 1:4-11 · Song of Songs 6:9

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... God’s self in order to redeem the beloved Creation. Finally, while the “sign of Jonah” (Yonah means dove in Hebrew) may represent the mournful moaning of God’s voice both lamenting the sins of humanity and yet bestowing redemption upon it, this plays out most perfectly in the story of Noah (Noach). In Genesis 8:8-12, as the ark lands on the mountains of Ararat, Noach (God’s resting place) in a typical nautical practice, sends out a dove three times. The first time, the dove comes back. The second ...

1511. Homecoming

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Will Willimon

... . We are, apparently, rooted beings at bottom. Unless we can establish roots somewhere in a place where we are at home, we feel that we float, that we are barely there at all." I've watched even Duke freshpersons, refurbish, rebuild, extravagantly in time and labor, an otherwise perfectly acceptable dorm room, so eager are they to make it a home of their own. Virginia Wolfe, no relation to Thomas or Tom, wrote that the main thing a woman needs to be herself is "a room of one's own." Can we? Is there a place ...

1512. The Law of the Serpent

John 3:14-21

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ” comes from the word “salve” meaning health. In Jesus’ salvation, God restores his sin-sick creation to perfect health. He does so by first embracing death. What the first “Adam” spoiled, Jesus, the “second Adam” will heal. The first Adam ... in his soiling of God’s perfect environment essentially inaugurated time, space, aging, and an expiration date for all things, organic and inorganic. Jesus, the second ...

1513. Having the Right Connection

John 15:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... we project. Not character, not intellect, not substance, but image. There is a social media influencer who has about 300,000 followers on her various social media channels. Her name is Natalia Taylor. Back in February 2020, Taylor posted these beautiful, perfectly posed shots on Instagram of her vacation to Bali. After receiving lots of “likes” and “shares” and comments from her social media fans, Taylor revealed that she never actually went to Bali, at all. She and her photographer had taken all ...

1514. Clean Hands

Psalm 26:1-12

Sermon

Will Willimon

... well rounded student body", the Admissions Office is out looking for the guy who prayed Psalm 26! They wish that all of you looked like him! I was talking with a Duke student sometime ago. I asked him, "Where you always a good boy? Were you the perfect child, as far as your parents were concerned?" He replied, "Look, I wouldn't be here if I were a slouch." Right. Lord, I have always done my homework. When the book was assigned, I did not go and purchase the "Cliff Notes". National Merit Finalist. President ...

1515. The Dean's Dilemma

Ephesians 5:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The first thing Paul wants us to understand is that the foolish person lives as if there is no God. If there is no God, life has no purpose. If there is no God, then it’s perfectly logical for everyone to simply do his or her own thing. Do you remember that tragic verse in the book of Judges, chapter 21:25? In the King James Version, it reads like this, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right ...

1516. Little Start, Big Finish

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

... are big enough to do it right, now. You don’t want people to think you’re a tourist,” his dad had said. They got the combat boots, they had this really great dad and son day, years pass, Saint Mark’s Pizza where they bought the perfect slice went out of business, Colin grew up, moved away from home, became a writer and decided, when he was in his early thirties, to do his “Slice Harvester” blog which happened to become very popular in the city. Two and a half years after beginning, Colin had ...

1517. A Stand-in for Royalty

John 18:33-37; Revelation 1:4b-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Ella Slack is a British woman who was chosen in the 1980s to serve as Queen Elizabeth’s stand-in for royal dress rehearsals. Official receptions and ceremonies require a lot of planning and practice to ensure that every detail of the event is perfect. Queen Elizabeth is too busy to spend all day at dress rehearsals, so Ms. Slack serves as her stand-in for these practice runs. How did she get such an exclusive job? Ella Slack was working for the British Broadcasting Corporation when they were preparing ...

1518. The Song of Servanthood

Luke 1:39-45 (46-54)

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... flurry of excitement abounds! One wonders if that was going through the mind of young Mary of Nazareth (Luke 1:26-27). Her pledge of marriage to Joseph was a commitment of love, faith, and loyalty to her future husband. Everything had to be “just perfect” when the time came for the wedding. Her desire was for nothing less. On one fateful night her world turned topsy-turvy. Everything changed! According to the scriptures (Luke 1:26-38) an angel appeared to Mary with an announcement from God. She had been ...

1519. Exposed and Expunged

Mark 10:17-21 · Hebrews 4:12-16 · Job 23:1-9; 16-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... many possessions. Is this parable merely about money? No. The parable is about the difference between obtaining and receiving. When Jesus sits down with his disciples, after seeing the list impossibly long and high of things they would need to do to be “perfect,” they are shocked, saying, “Then who can be saved?” Listen to Jesus’ answer: “It’s impossible with human beings. But not with God. All things are possible for God.” What do we need to do in order to be redeemed? We expose ourselves ...

1520. Deliverance through adversity

Sermon

Willie Soler

... . We, ourselves, could be facing some type of adversity. James reminds us to “count it all joy when ye fall into various trials; knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4 NKJV) The Apostle Paul had a very similar perspective on adversity when he said: “We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance: and perseverance, character, and character ...

1521. For The Love of God Is Empowering

Matthew 22:36 -40 · John 4:1-32

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... who wholeheartedly accepted the gift but have never opened it up. It still sits there. They admire it's beauty and the perfect symmetry and skill of the one who did the wrapping. But they have never taken the opportunity to open the gift. They ... to Lose. We are all born to win. We are all born to love ourselves with the proper amount of love, not because we're the perfect shape and size; not because we can do everything right; not because we can build anything or do any problem; not because we're educated; not ...

1522. Welcome, Joe!

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... that we have all made decisions that have moved us further from the ideal person we want to be. We have all made decisions that have moved us further from the ideal person God made us to be. That’s exactly what sin is: moving away from God’s perfect character and perfect will. Romans 3: 23 reads, “. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. . .” So today’s Bible story is good news for all of us. It’s about a son who rebels against his family. He asks for his share of the family ...

1523. Shared Promises

Luke 1:39-45

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... no mistake that the gospel writers tell us about this visit between Mary and Elizabeth. It’s important to understand what it means to be a brother or a sister in faith and an encourager when things get tough. No one’s life is perfect. God never promises us a picture perfect life with no problems, stressors, or pain. Life is filled with experiences, both good and bad, challenges and joys. And our lives are filled with people who can share both of them with us. We as Christians live as part of a community ...

1524. Dirty Feet

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... to ask, it is for us? Do we, like Peter, place Jesus on a pedestal high above us and worship some idolatrous image that is nothing like him? I don’t know about you, but I heard throughout my young life that “Jesus was perfect,” and I could never hope to emulate him. Really? Perfect? Such a notion is not only wrong, it is beside the point. Jesus came among us to show us a way of compassion love and servanthood; a way of life that is rooted in giving oneself for others. This is why it is so significant ...

1525. Nobody’s Too Good To Repent

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... love can also blossom as a response within us.[6] And Clement of Alexandria, whom we met earlier, also insisted that repentance is just an effect of faith.[7] What happens to you when sin is renounced in this way? It does not make you perfect.[8] It does not mean that there will not still be temptations, that all the selfishness and materialism will vanish (v.13). Famed modern theologian (a martyr in the persecutions by Hitler of his opponents) Dietrich Bonhoeffer described the outcome of repentance in a ...

Showing results