Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1551 to 1575 of 2332 results

1551. A Very Different Top 10 List

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... week. Make a list of things you want to go extinct in your life, and then stop feeding them. Change the climate in your home and in your heart. Make the climate in which you live inhospitable to hatred, a wasteland for bigotry, a desert for envy. [Alternative Beginning: Here is an alternative start to your sermon, which can be used to supplement or supplant the “list” beginning above . . . . Just as predictable as a baby goes from the crawling phase to the cruising phase to the walking phase, somewhere ...

1552. My Best Demons

Mark 1:21-28

Illustration

Kathleen Norris

... , or to deny my fears. My husband, who has a much sweeter nature than I, once told me that my mean streak grieved him, not just because of the pain it cause him but because it was doing me harm. His remark, as wise as that of any desert Abba, felt like an exorcism. Not that my temptation to anger was magically gone, but I was called to pay closer attention to something that badly needed attention, and that was hurting our marriage. It confirmed my understanding of marriage as a holy act: one can no more ...

1553. Authority

Mark 1:21-28

Illustration

David M. Rhoads

A Lutheran professor named David Rhoads points out that in Mark "Jesus wields authority over demons, illnesses (when people have faith), and natural forces (seas, deserts, trees) - nonhuman forces that oppress people. Jesus wields no authority, however, over people. He cannot heal people without faith, make them keep quiet if they wish to speak, or force his disciples to understand his teachings." Jesus has dominion over all aspects of life but not authority to "lord it ...

1554. God’s Tattoos

Isaiah 49:8-26

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... might well have been his refusal to believe that Jesus would forgive him and the Holy Spirit would help him forgive himself and would take his guilt and redeem it for good. Such is precisely what happened to Peter. After having promised he’d never desert Jesus, Peter denied him three times. The rooster crowed. Peter went out and wept. The risen Jesus came to Peter and asked him three times, “Peter, do you love me?” After Peter answered Yes, each time Jesus responded with an assignment. He gave Peter ...

1555. Theology 101

Psalm 111:1-10

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... . The man responds, “Then get in the wheelbarrow.” Knowledge can be distance learning. Faith goes down to the very core of our being. It entails surrender. The first lecture in Theology 101 is this: “God can be trusted to keep God’s promise never to abandon, desert, or forsake us. God can be trusted to redeem, reclaim, recover, restore, and re-create all that God loves.” A little girl was flying her kite on a windy, March day. The dark clouds were hanging so low and she’d let out so much string ...

1556. An Unnerving Experience

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... group thought the movie was disgusting violent, shallow, and two‑dimensional but he, Bruce Larson, loved the movie. It’s a guy thing, I guess. The plot, you may remember, revolved around two archaeological teams during World War II racing across the Egyptian desert to find the Ark of the Covenant. One team wanted to capture it for Hitler, and the other, headed by a renegade American archeologist, wanted it for the free world. Larson says it was interesting that the movie producers would bet on public ...

1557. Finding God in Fellowship

John 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

The late Billy Graham shared his son Franklin's experience in the Middle East. Franklin was visiting a camp which held nationals from Kuwait. These people had traveled for days across the hot burning desert in buses. He noticed a woman who looked very distressed. She had small children around her. As Franklin began talking with her he discovered that she had given birth to a baby just three days before she and her family were evacuated from Kuwait. The newborn baby was dirty and ...

1558. The Light Has Come

John 3:19-21

Illustration

John E. Sumwalt

... , most farms have a mercury vapor light that stays on all night for security reasons. Consequently, most of us never get a good look at the stars as we used to when all the lights went out at night. If you ever get the chance to go out in the desert at night do it. The darkness on nights with no moon or star light is so total someone could be standing right next to you and you wouldn't know it. This text from John's gospel is about darkness and light: "And this is the judgment," John says, "that ...

1559. He Didn't Say

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Staff

... do carpets." Ruth didn't say, "I don't do mothers-in-law." David didn't say, "I don't do giants." Mary didn't say, "I don't do virgin births." Mary Magdalene didn't say, "I don't do feet." John didn't say, "I don't do deserts." Peter didn't say, "I don't do Gentiles." Paul didn't say, "I don't do letters." Jesus didn't say, "I don't do crosses."

1560. Sunday Of The Passion (Palm Sunday)

Isaiah 50:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... thrust in Jesus' side from which came blood and water a broken heart. In this sermon we want to point out how Jesus and we can suffer most deeply from the slurs, gossip and verbal abuse of unkind people. Outline: No greater suffering than this – a. Desertion of friends "they all forsook him and fled." b. Mockery crown of thorns, scepter, regal robes. c. Rejection "crucify him." d. Abandonment "Why hast thou forsaken me?" Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11 1. Being in your right mind (2:5-11). Need: "As a man ...

1561. Easter 5

Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-17

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... to help us interpret the Bible. The eunuch had Philip. Today our guide is the Holy Spirit. 3. Baptized (v. 36). When the eunuch learned about Christ as the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, he requested baptism. At the same time they were in a desert. Miraculously a pool of water appeared. Why bother about baptism? Why wasn't knowing about Jesus, understanding that he was the Messiah, and accepting Christ as Savior enough to be a Christian? The eunuch wanted to be baptized and Philip gladly agreed. It is ...

1562. Proper 7

2 Corinthians 6:3-13, 1 Samuel 17:1-58, Mark 4:35-41

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... 4:38). Need: When a plane flies through turbulence, can you sleep? When a boat is tossed around by 30-foot-waves, the motor fails, and water fills the boat can you sleep at a time like that? There are storms in your life: doubts, troubles, suffering, failure, desertion. Can you sleep at night without sleeping pills? At a time when troubles throng, we need to learn how to sleep without medication. Outline: How you can sleep during a storm – a. Take Jesus with you v. 36. b. Let Jesus give you peace v. 39. c ...

1563. Proper 8

2 Samuel 1:1-16, 2 Samuel 1:17-27, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Mark 5:21-43

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Your promises exceed our desires "which exceed all that we can desire" Mark 5:39-41. Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 1. Fathers who care (5:21-24a, 35-43). Need: Our land has many fathers who do not care about their children. Some fathers desert their families, get divorced and fail to support their children, and abuse their children physically and mentally. Many children cannot appreciate the allusion to God as a loving Father. In this gospel, we have two fathers who care, two fathers every person needs: earthly and ...

1564. The Rush and the Hush of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... have been part of Christ’s Body ever since that first Day of Pentecost. In Corinth the “rush” of a glut of glossalalia threatened to choke out the rest of the Corinthian community. Cave-dwelling hermits, monastic vows of silence, desert Fathers living atop pointy pillars—-all embraced the “hush” of the Spirit. Much later in the history of Christendom it was Shouting Methodists, Shaking Quakers, “Amen” African-Americans, and Ecstatic Evangelicals of all sorts who once again embraced the ...

1565. Faith that Goes from Head to Heart

Numbers 11:4-35

Illustration

David Gallimore

... were grumbling and complaining the whole time. Moses was the leader and he’d just about had it. No matter how God helped them and what God provided for them these ungrateful people were always craving more. In Numbers 11, God provided manna for them to eat in the desert. But they didn’t want manna; they wanted meat. So God said, “Okay, meat it is. In fact I’m going to give you so much meat that in a month’s time it’s going to come spewing out of your nostrils and you will loathe it!” Isn ...

1566. Afraid No More

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... be too far from our minds as we move into an uncertain and dangerous period. (6) Everyone is afraid. I don’t know what you are afraid of. Some people are afraid of loss of control. Others are afraid of failure. Some are haunted by the fear of being deserted. Everyone is afraid. What matters is how we deal with those fears. St. Paul writes, “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear . . .” God’s desire is to relieve us of our fears. Now how is that done? We defeat fear ...

1567. Proper 23

Job 23:19, 16-17, Psalm 22:1-31, Mark 10:17-31, Hebrews 4:12-16

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... will help us solve them. You know our lacks and how to meet our needs. Help us to depend on you day by day and call upon you for daily bread, as well as the Bread of Life for our souls. When any of us or the whole congregation feel deserted in the time of suffering and trial, remind us of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we may accept apparent abandonment as a momentary doubt and turn back with hope to commit ourselves and all we love to your providence. Give us patience in the face of opposition and ...

1568. That’s Where I Used to Go to Church

Mk 6:1-13

Illustration

A fellow had been stranded on a desert island for 20 years. Finally, he saw a modern cruise ship which had anchored unusually close to shore in order to permit a little snorkeling. Catching someone's attention, the man was taken on board. After getting himself cleaned up and dressed, he was invited to the captain's table ...

1569. Penguins in Mission

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... next time can’t you choose someone else?” Some of you remember when Golda Meir was the leader of Israel. She once claimed to be disappointed with her heritage. She said, “Let me tell you the one thing I have against Moses. He took us forty years into the desert in order to bring us to the one place in the Middle East that has no oil!” She was being facetious, of course, but it is also true that being a chosen people was not something the Jewish people relished. It is a sobering thing to be chosen by ...

1570. How Life's Pressures Affect Good Judgment - Sermon Starter

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Brett Blair

... the law. He said, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." So this was the king's egregious sin. He had stolen his brother's wife, Herodias. Now, it would be understandable if this were where the story ended. The king didn't like a desert preacher calling him a sinner so he had him beheaded. Simple enough. But life is not always simple. There is usually more to a story than meets the eye. And in this case we learn that Herod actually liked to listen to John, thought he was a holy man, and ...

1571. “Bad Form” and Bad Jesus

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... text. Jesus and the disciples are bone-weary, worn out and worn down by the needs of the crowds that constantly pressed them. Mark’s text notes that “they had no leisure even to eat” (6:31). Jesus proposes a respite, a boat trip to a “deserted place by themselves” (v32). But by the time they reach land, the crowds had figured out their “secret” destination and beat them to it. How tempting it must have been to tell those uninvited guests to get lost, back-off, come back later. But Jesus sees ...

1572. Bad Form and Bad Jesus

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

1573. Hurry Hinders Ministry - Sermon Opener

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Staff

... . They had done good work and they must have been excited about the new authority they held in the name of Jesus. Jesus must have been excited to see his apostles too; he wanted to hear about their experiences, so he invites them to come aside. "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while," Jesus said. What is Jesus trying to get across to his disciples? He is trying to tell them and tell you and me that: 1. We Need to Take Time to Be Present to One Another 2. Saving Time Is Not Making ...

1574. Reasons for Rest

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

... in the numerous places they visited. He does not, however, tell them to throw themselves into action again with even greater abandon. He doesn't ask them to do something difficult and dangerous, big and brave. Instead, what he asks for is disarming in its simplicity: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest for a while."

1575. Proper 26

Joshua 3:7-17, Psalm 107:1-43, Matthew 23:1-39, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... the common good. As in the spring the bloom of the first crocus gives us hope of the end of winter, so grant a sign of better days to those in days of discouragement and in the dry land of grief. Grant that their present wilderness and desert shall rejoice and blossom with new life. Send your healing Spirit to treat the sick and encourage those who care for them. Grant to all your people, in poverty or wealth, in sickness or health, in weakness or strength, in life or in death, the confidence that nothing ...

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