Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1526 to 1550 of 4963 results

1526. Your Body Is a Temple

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

Ronald Love

... one with her in body? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh.’” The question that comes to us is, “Have we defiled the body of Christ?” Have we defiled the body of Christ through our actions and behavior? We may not be fornicators, having remained faithful to our marital vows. We may never have visited a prostitute. We may never even have had the inclination to visit a prostitute, but does that mean we have never defiled the body of Christ? It is time for all of us to examine our Christian ...

1527. We're On the Move Now!

Sermon

Ronald Love

... a studious servant of Jesus should not depend on whether Jesus is returning this week, this month, this year, this decade, this century, or even this millennia. It should make no difference to us if it be one day or a thousand days. Our calling remains the same — to share the gospel message of salvation. But we should still be cautious, for we still live in the days of Noah. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism in the mid-eighteenth century, was returning home after conducting an evening worship service ...

1528. Daniel Interprets the Dream

Daniel 2:24-49

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... Median kingdom, for “Darius the Mede took over the kingdom” of Babylonia (5:31). Following Darius the Mede was Cyrus the Persian (6:28). And of course, Greece followed Persia (10:20). In short, the question of how the above prophetic texts relate to history remains unanswered. Finally, Daniel 2 and 7 indicate that the author of Daniel expected the coming of God’s kingdom in his day. Yet the kingdom of God did not appear in the time of Antiochus IV. In fact another kingdom displaced Greece: Rome. This ...

1529. Prophet Without Honor

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

David Coffin

... all communities in the area (Luke 19:10 RSV). In Mark’s gospel, Jesus was rejected simply because he was from the family of a carpenter or tradesman. He was identified as Mary’s son, implying that Joseph his father was dead, or there remains some suspicion surrounding his birth from a virgin mother. Other family issues of the text have included whether Jesus has any biological brothers and sisters from his mother Mary. Suffice it to say, that Jesus was not being groomed from a priestly family to become ...

1530. Which Kingdom Do We Serve?

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

David Coffin

... after her mother. She was a product of her mother’s first marriage. Her age has been estimated from about twelve to nineteen years old. Her dance impressed Herod so much that he pledged to grant her a promise of her choice. Whether her dance was erotic in nature remains contested but it is not out of the question. Herod had probably had a lot of alcohol to drink and was not making the best judgment calls at that point. Rather than coming up with a wish on her own in response to King Herod, she went to the ...

1531. Seeing With The Eyes Of Faith

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Thomas C. Willadsen

... for answering God’s call. He was a laughing stock, he was mocked and humiliated, and he accused God of deceiving (other translations say “seducing”) him. But Jeremiah had remained true and spoken God’s word, even when it was unpopular and unwanted. After the leaders and royalty were carried off to Babylon and only a few people remained behind in the ruins of Jerusalem, God had Jeremiah speak a word of restoration. The Lord said that he had become a father. Jeremiah’s faith throughout his suffering ...

1532. Scandal

Luke 22:14-23:56

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... powers of this age, played his biggest hand, trading all of wicked humankind for the big prize of God’s own son, and lost everything in the bargain. Why did Jesus have to die? Because it was the only way to get the rest of us free. Still, Jesus himself remains in charge of his own existence. And on Easter morning, as we shall soon see, the big fish will get away, as do all of us who swim after him in the waters of baptism. Where To From Here? The story of Jesus’ horrible death is as familiar as it ...

1533. The List

John 6:27-38

Sermon

John B. Jamison

... control of our own life and be the kind of person we believe we want to be, and not become what someone else wants us to be. It may take finding help. It will certainly take courage and faith. But never misunderstand and believe that God wants anyone to remain in an abusive situation. Sometimes, as foolish as it may sound, the greatest act of love may be to walk away. This might be another moment for you to take another quick look at your list. I imagine the crowd on the hillside had the same thoughts some ...

1534. The View from Cloud Nine

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... we celebrate God’s mystery entered into the world in power and glory, let us commune together in the knowledge that the most important and stunning things we “know” about God exceed our understanding. And that the most vital forces in our world still remain the powers of hope and healing. May your communion experience today be a transfigurative moment in which your heart is stirred and your spirit moved.May your soul be infused with the peace and joy of God that goes far beyond our understanding. For ...

1535. Fox in the Henhouse

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ). Judaism with its many “mitzvot” continues to cherish ethical behavior and encourages an action-oriented commitment to God and neighbor.[2] In the first century when Jesus lived, Greek remained the lingua franca of the “modern” world. Jewish people, although deeply steeped in their Jewish faith, remained surrounded by Greek culture and its rich intellectual, philosophical, and literary traditions. Often, we make the mistake of seeing Jesus and his contemporaries as though living in an isolated ...

1536. Messiah’s Community

John 20:19-31

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... spiritual center at one time, with dozens, sometimes hundred, of monks, seekers, and spiritual men. But that was long ago. The abbot wondered what would happen if another monk died. There seemed to be no meaningful future for the few who remained. Not only that, but these were folks who were not growing old gracefully. When they went into town for supplies, the local shopkeepers sighed. The guys were grouchy and complained about everything. They wanted discounts the sellers could not afford. They expected ...

1537. The Grey Zone

John 21:1-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... to understand that the mission the disciples must undertake for him is not just another occupation. It’s not a simple situationship that can easily dissolve in Jesus’ absence or weaken when things get tough. He needs them to stick with it, to remain in relationship, a committed, deeply meaningful relationship with him that will continue to permeate their entire identity and propel them into a new future. This third encounter with Jesus is a kind of “re-commitment” ceremony in which the past is re ...

1538. It Goes Without Saying

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... the talk in real time, to leave the discipleship “classroom” and start functioning on their own with all of the responsibilities that their role implies. In a sense, he is pushing them out of the nest to see if they will fly! Jesus’ challenge remains ours also today. Too often, we become complacent, allowing ourselves to receive from God, to take our faith for granted, and to imagine a one-hour on Sunday discipleship that seems to us “enough.” Jesus would nudge us to go deeper – deeper into our ...

1539. Justified

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... out of all of those men, only the Samaritan has been fully restored to God’s fold. The others may have lifted their heads and strutted back to their lives and their Galilean towns. But their souls remain marginalized from all that God has to offer. Their lives and their faith remain “on the border.” They, not the Samaritan, are borderline Jews. We may not be living in the first century with the same diseases, afflictions, communities, or differences. But we still have our “Samaritans,” don’t we ...

1540. A Living Memorial

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... of God's grace and forgiveness and unconditional love. Each time the minister would close by asking him if he wanted to pray and, in his own words, ask for God's forgiveness and express openly to God what he felt in his heart. But somehow the old stubbornness remained. Even though it had softened, he could not bring himself to verbalize to God the prayers he felt in his heart. He just did not feel that he was worthy of asking for anything from God. So the minister would offer a prayer on his behalf. One day ...

1541. Suffering And Service

Isaiah 51:17--52:12

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

Helen Keller once said, "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it."1 Ironically, it is in our overcoming of the suffering of life that we learn to be true servants. Without the difficult experiences of life, we remain shallow and lacking in sensitivity to others. The scriptures teach us to become servants. This is the example Christ gave us. Our call is to serve God by serving others. Yet the concept of servanthood is lost on most of us. Our culture conditions us to ...

1542. Transforming Love

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... 7:58). Then he helped to lead a great persecution against the church. "Saul laid waste the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison" (Acts 8:3). In spite of this persecution, the disciples remained faithful, preaching the gospel message as they traveled. The first verse of today's passage reasserts Saul's aggression toward the church. "Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest" (Acts 9:1). Saul ...

1543. In Pursuit Of The Promise

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). They also witnessed Christ ascending into heaven (Acts 1:9). They must have felt very alone at that point. They must have been plagued by doubts and feelings of vulnerability. Not knowing what else to do, they remained in Jerusalem as Jesus had instructed them. Ultimately, they would receive the power and the direction of the Holy Spirit. For any church that is seeking spiritual renewal, this passage offers wonderful insights. If we can model what we find in this passage, we ...

1544. A Maturing Faith

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... 's greatest asset, the ability to reflect light. Allen asserted that his family was similar to that diamond. They had been struck by a shattering blow. The pain of that experience had left them in pieces, but God was shaping diamonds out of the fragments that remained. He wrote, "My prayer is that the diamonds that come from our experience of being shattered will be cut and shaped so we can best reflect his light."1 In the face of a tremendous tragedy, Allen bears witness to his faith in God. The power ...

1545. "No Contest"

1 Kings 18:16-46

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... six of the prayed for suffered pulmonary edema, while 18 of the non-prayed for did. There was 20 percent faster recovery, for those prayed for. One of the prayed for died, 16 of the unremembered died. When we are sick, or at any other time in our lives, it remains true that the quickest way to get back on your feet is to get down on your knees. It's A "No-Contest" Contest There can be no doubt about it. It's a "no-contest" contest: you always get along better when you pray! And, the fact is, the ...

1546. Then There Was One

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

... imagine him running, leaping, perhaps singing as he praises God with a loud voice. Immediately he recognizes that the source of his healing is the mercy and power of God, and he gives joyful expression to that fact. This time as he approaches Jesus he does not remain at a distance. He rushes to him and falls prostrate at Jesus' feet in humble gratitude. We are not told what words he uses as he thanks his benefactor, but surely he pours out a torrent of joyful wonder and praise. Jesus responds to the healed ...

1547. The Greater Honor

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

... those with the most gifts. The lowest honor, the lowest platform, was for those with only one gift. Even they, however, were better off than the people who seemed to have no gifts at all. Those who appeared to have no special gifts could only remain in the congregation and gaze in honor at the wonderful array of spiritually gifted people standing before them. There they stood. In plain view. From top platform to bottom. What a sight! What an honor to be among the spiritually gifted. "Spiritual Gift" Sunday ...

1548. Hear No Evil

Luke 1:46-55 (53); 4:18-16; 19:1ff; 16:14-15 et al

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

Remains Of The Day is a powerful movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Hopkins plays the role of the chief butler at a large estate in England. Emma Thompson plays his chief assistant. The movie is set in the years immediately preceding and succeeding World War II. The butler is ...

1549. Which Way To Jesus?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... and solemn announcement. If these people wanted to see him, they would have to understand what was involved. He said, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." That was not a very good prospect for these people who wanted to follow Jesus ...

1550. The Spice of Death

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... disgraced in the ruling order of the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin for participating in this right. That did not matter now. Joseph and Nicodemus did what the disciples did not hang around to do. The disciples had fled for their lives. Joseph and Nicodemus had remained that they might make their bold confession of faith and trust in the rabbi they now acknowledged as their teacher and master. A Supreme Act Not only did Joseph and Nicodemus act boldly, but they also acted out of the conviction that they were ...

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