Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1526 to 1550 of 4935 results

1526. What Love Looks Like

John 13:31-38

Sermon

King Duncan

People do some really strange things to get their names into the Guinness Book of World Records. Every year, the Guinness organization publishes a book that lists the latest world records for such feats as walking the greatest distance on stilts, or eating the most M&Ms with chopsticks. Very few of us aspire to setting records like that. One particularly noteworthy entry in the 2004 edition of Guinness World Records was set on August 3, 2001, when 4,703 people participated in the world's biggest hug--that' ...

1527. Gethsemane: Prelude To The Cross

Mark 14:32-42

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There is a parable of three kings searching for truth. When asked how far they will go to discover what they seek, how deep they want to immerse themselves in its meaning, one of the answers, “Not too far, just far enough so we can say we’ve been there.” That’s the tourist attitude about life which prevails too often today. We say we want happiness in our home, health in our bodies, successes in our work. We say we want a peaceful world, less crime and violence in our streets. We say we want a higher moral ...

1528. The Need To Pay Attention

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

One of the tough problems in preaching from the book of Proverbs is settling on a focus. You can put your dipper down into this flowing stream at any point and come up with a refreshing drink of bracing inspiration, searching wisdom, probing questions, or challenging direction. Where would you have stopped to spend some time in reflection as you read this 20th chapter of Proverbs? How long would it take you to get through it if you stopped at every point that begged your attention? I invite you to spend ...

1529. It Was for Us

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

James McCormick

There is a Lenten hymn whose words have special meaning for me: “There is a green hill far away, beyond the city wall, Where the dear Lord was crucified, who died to save us all. We may not know, we cannot tell what pains he had to bear, But we believe it was for us he hung and suffered there That has been the affirmation of the Christian faith for 2,000 years now, that although the crucifixion of Jesus took place a long time ago, at a location far removed from where we are, somehow in a profound way it ...

1530. Like a Good Neighbor, Jesus Is There

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

Which stranded motorist would be helped the soonest: a pregnant woman, a little old lady, a messy hippie, a smartly dressed career woman, or a scantily dressed sex symbol? A Florida Space Coast newspaper decided to find out, and ran a test on U. S. Route One with a twenty-two year old actress, Sally Mullins, who played the distressed driver in five different roles: Career woman: standing by the side of her broken down Pontiac, dressed in a double-breasted suit, holding up a "stop and please help sign" - ...

1531. Accepting the Unconventional in Life

Mark 2:13-22

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once upon a time there was a great teacher, a guru, who had many followers. People came from far and wide to listen, learn, and be enlightened by this man. There were one-on-one classes and apprenticeships for those who came to learn. When the students had finished with their lessons, the guru sent them into the world to share their knowledge with others as masters in their own right. Just before each student left, the guru would give each a special gift -- the teacher taught each student the mantra of ...

1532. What’s New?

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

Ron Lavin

"What's new?" is a common greeting. There are many answers people give: "A new car." "A new house." "A new boat." "A new suit ... a new dress ... a new coat." Others focusing more on relationships than things answer: "A new boyfriend or girlfriend." "A new husband or wife." "A new friend." Jeremiah, the prophet, focuses not so much on things of the earth or human relations but on a personal relationship with the eternal Lord, a new covenant with God. "The days are surely coming, says the Lord, When I will ...

1533. What Shall We Become?

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

More than forty years ago a play titled, Mourning Pictures, opened off-Broadway. Written by Honor Moore, it is the moving account of the last six months of her mother's life. Jenny Moore was no ordinary human being. She was the wife of the Episcopal Bishop of New York and the mother of nine vivacious children and an author in her own right. About a year before her death, she was in an automobile accident that led to a partial nervous breakdown, and just when she was about to recover from this ordeal, she ...

1534. Hunger and Politics

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

Yogi Berra, the great baseball player of an earlier age, was known for his unusual and creative use of the English language. In giving directions to his home, for example, he often told people, "When you come to the fork in the road, take it." His formula for success, as some heard it, was this: "Ninety percent perspiration, and the rest mostly just plain hard work." Then there was the time he went to a restaurant by himself and ordered a large pizza. The waitress asked if he would like it cut into four or ...

1535. Lent 3

Psalm 63:1-8, Isaiah 55:1-9, Luke 13:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Leader: Good morning! This is the place to be if you are seeking the Holy One. This is the place to be if you long to be “at home.” This is the place to praise the living God! People: Thank God for this faith family and for this place of safety and inspiration. Leader: Thank God for the scriptures that encourage our journey together: Come, everyone who is thirsty — here is water! People: We are here to honor the Creator of the universe and to listen again for guidance for our days and ...

1536. Ignite: The Fire Burns Brightly

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

James Merritt

I am going to let you in on a little secret that very few people know about me and that is I am deathly afraid of fire. I prefer colder weather to warmer weather. If I had to choose between being in a sweater at 45° or being in a bathing suit at 95° I would choose what is called “sweater-weather.” I have an inordinate fear of fire and heat. My mother thinks it may be because when I was just a six-month-old baby she accidently spilled hot coffee all over my stomach. She says that is the only time she heard ...

1537. When the Dragon Wins

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

Cindy and Don, a daughter and father, were dining in a restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya. Cindy, a recent college graduate, had committed a year to teaching in a developing country before settling down to make the "big bucks" as a public school teacher in the United States. She had been in Kenya long enough to begin acclimating to some of the cultural differences. Don, on the other hand, was in the first day of a two-week visit. He was still overwhelmed by his surroundings. To him the flood of new experiences ...

1538. Paul's Concern for the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 12:11-21

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

The third and last section of 2 Corinthians 10–13 prepares the way for Paul’s third visit to Corinth. His first visit was to found the church (Acts 18); his second visit was to check the church (2 Cor. 2:1); and now his third visit will be to judge the church. If Paul’s ministry of the Spirit is convincing evidence for the legitimacy of his apostolic authority and ministry, a ministry that he attributes directly to God (cf. 2:14, 17; 3:5–6; 10:17), then the Corinthians’ decision to reject that ministry ...

1539. No Confidence in the Flesh

Philippians 3:1-11

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

First Conclusion: Call to Rejoice “With this communication about Epaphroditus now the epistle seems to be at an end” (Ewald, ad loc.). If so, nothing remains but a final word of greeting. The reader is therefore prepared for Finally. 3:1 Finally: the natural inference from this phrase (drawn by most commentators) is that Paul is on the point of finishing his letter. If the letter be regarded as a unity, it must be assumed that something suddenly occurred to him which prompted the warning of verse 2 with ...

1540. The Image of Gold and the Fiery Furnace

Daniel 3:1-30

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Gold Image and the Blazing Furnace: There are a couple of loose links between chapter 2 and chapter 3. First, when the astrologers (Chaldeans) accuse the three friends, they refer to them as “some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon” (3:12), alluding to their promotion in chapter 2 (2:49). Secondly, the term “image” generally connects chapter 2 to chapter 3. First, Nebuchadnezzar sees an image (2:31; NIV “statue”); then he erects one (3:1). It is unlikely, as some have ...

1541. Saved By the Light

Isaiah 60:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

Series: Seeing God More Clearly in 2020 Rev. Richard Fairchild tells the harrowing story of an event that occurred on Sunday afternoon, June 1st, 1975. A man named Darrel Dore was on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Suddenly the rig wobbled, tipped to one side, and crashed into the sea. Darrel was trapped inside a room on the rig. As the rig sank deeper and deeper into the sea, the lights went out and the room began to fill with water. Thrashing about in the darkness, Darrel accidentally found a huge air ...

1542. The Light That Dwells Among Us

Matthew 16:13-20, Matthew 16:21-28, Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: a Light Sunburn. We’ve all had it. We know that if we stay out in the bright light of the sun too long, our skin becomes red, and it burns. But did you know ….that internally, your cells are also changing? Light is a powerful force. You can’t touch it. You can’t catch it. You can’t control it. Light is one of those things in life that we either try to harness to our own devices, or simply avoid if there is too much of it. Without light, we would have no fire, no heat, no cooked food, no way to ...

1543. Thanksgiving

Lk 17:11-19 · 1 Tim 2:1-4 · Phil 4:6-20 · 2 Cor 9:6-15 · Deut 8:1-18 · Ps 65

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Deuteronomy 8:1-18 The people of Israel must remember God's goodness in leading them through the wilderness into the promised land. Since God has blessed them by bringing them into a rich and fruitful land, thankful lives are called for. When the people enjoy prosperity, the children of God must resist the temptation to pat themselves on the back and take credit for all their good fortune.They must render thanksgiving to the Lord, for he is the source of all blessing. The Lord is the ...

1544. The Heart of the Reformation

Romans 3:21-31

Sermon

T. A. Kantonen

There are many inadequate views regarding the essential nature of the Protestant Reformation. Some consider Luther as an ecclesiastical rebel who sought to overthrow an ancient church organization. Nothing was further from his purpose. He pleaded only that the gospel of Christ be given free course within the church. The Reformation was not a summons to attack the Roman Catholic Church but to affirm the positive convictions derived from God’s revelation of himself in Christ. Another misconception is that ...

1545. Jesus, Where Are You?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

King Duncan

[While King Duncan is enjoying a well deserved retirement we are going back to his earliest sermons and renewing them. The newly modernized sermon is shown first and below, for reference sake, is the old sermon. We will continue this updating throughout the year bringing fresh takes on King's best sermons.] Original Title: “Jesus, Where Are You?” New Title: Teacher, Doctor, Savior, God? A pastor was showing a painting of Jesus to a group of children. He explained, "Now, young people, you understand this ...

1546. When Life Seems to Be Going in the Wrong Direction

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

When he was 88 years old, the late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Holmes once found himself on a train. When the conductor came by, Justice Homes couldn't find his ticket; he seemed terribly upset. He searched all of his pockets and fumbled through his wallet but to no avail. The conductor tried to ease his anxiety. He said, "Don''t worry, Mr. Holmes, the Pennsylvania Railroad will be happy to trust the Supreme Court Justice. After you reach your destination, you''ll find your ticket and you can mail it to ...

1547. When Mountains Are Not Moved

Mark 11:20-25 (26)

Sermon

James McCormick

I read the story in the newspaper. Over a period of two years, a young man wrote over 700 love letters to his sweetheart, each one proposing marriage. His persistence finally brought results. She married the mailman who delivered all the letters! Life is often like that, isn’t it? We want something so badly we can taste it. We dream about it, we pray for it, we work to get it, but it doesn’t come. We all know the disappointment of that, don’t we? The disappointment of dreams unfulfilled…of prayers ...

1548. Living the FIRE Life

John 17:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

That’s so fire! That’s current Gen Z teen slang for “off the charts awesome!” When something happens that is dynamic, amazing, and, as we older generations might say, “really, really cool,” it’s now “SO fire!” People in the workforce recognize “FIRE” as a different concept. For many, FIRE means “financial independence, retire early,” a lifestyle aspired to by many. The idea is to work hard and long in your early years so that you can retire early and enjoy your later years. Sadly though, this strategy has ...

1549. A Second Look

Matthew 5:27-48

Sermon

Will Willimon

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you....You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:27-48 Some of you remember the uproar when President Jimmy Carter admitted to Playboy that he had committed "adultery of the heart." Big deal. Show me a man who has never once "looked at a woman lustfully" and thereby committed, in Jesus' words, "adultery with her in his heart" I will show you a candidate for a new heart. And though Matthew doesn't, I ...

1550. Foundations for the Future

1 Corinthians 3:9-14

Sermon

James Merritt

I am building a house. I find it to be at the same time fascinating and frustrating, but with the hope it will ultimately be fulfilling. I am learning things that I never knew before and never realized. But there is one thing that I did know, and that I have seen, and has been confirmed. The single most important part of the house; more important than the carpet, the lighting, the painting, the air conditioning, the heating, the brick, is the foundation. Jesus knew that. He said in Mt. 7:24-27: "Therefore ...

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