Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1576 to 1600 of 4933 results

1576. Who Wants To Be a Millionaire

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

James Merritt

When it comes to millionaires, America has a monopoly. We have more millionaires than anyone else in the world; we have more people who want to be millionaires than anyone else in the world; and we have more people who can become millionaires than anyone else in the world. Recently USA Today ran a cover story entitled, "Everyone Wants a Shot at Being a Millionaire." The story begins this way: We live in a society gone millionaire mad. Our national fable used to be: Any kid can grow up to be President. Now ...

1577. Passing the Test

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

"Students, it is time to get out your pencils, close your books and remove any notes from your desks. The test is about to begin." Those are words that make us shudder, our hearts start to pound and the palms of our hands begin to sweat. From our earliest days in school, we all have had to learn to deal with tests. It may begin with a simple first grade spelling test. But it doesn't take too long before it morphs into ISTEP, the SAT, the Bar, the Boards, or a doctoral qualifying exam. Or it might be as ...

1578. Who Wants to Be Your Brother?

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We are all about family. The truth is, the problem is, we are all about OTHER people’s families. The most popular show on television today? “Duck Dynasty.” After that there are the programs about “The Kardashians,” “Housewives,” of various zip codes, and “Hoarders.” We like to spy-glass at the inner-workings of family relationships that we can keep at arm’s length — or TIVO for a later, more convenient time. Our own family relationships cannot be put on hold. Whether it is a teething infant, a tantrum- ...

1579. People Who Are Down on Themselves

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Sermon

King Duncan

“Dad, will you help me with my homework?” asked one eighth grade boy. “I’m sorry,” replied the father. “It wouldn’t be right.” “Well,” said the boy, “at least you could try.” Welcome on this Father’s Day, 2016. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are problematic for pastors, especially Father’s Day. Some young people today have no real relationship with their Dads. And many others have a relationship that could be termed destructive. Charles Sell, in his book Unfinished Business, tells about David Simmons, a ...

1580. Patience

Matthew 11:2-11 · James 5:7-10

Sermon

Will Willimon

"Be patient, therefore,...until the coming of the Lord." I begin this Third Sunday in Advent here in the Chapel preaching on the necessity for Christian patience. Advent is the Christian season of waiting and expectancy. Therefore it is also a season of patience, because what we really need in life can't be ours merely by wanting it. It must come as a gift from God, in God's own good time. Patience is needed. I will end today in the Chapel celebrating a wedding of a couple who waited until they were past ...

1581. Reinforced With Joy

John 15:1-17

Sermon

O. Garfield Beckstrand, II

Last fall I was invited to a luncheon to hear an outstanding leader in the business world. I sat next to the president of one of our local industries. While we were visiting, stillness fell about our table as everyone there stopped talking and listened to our conversation. When the industrial leader realized this, he looked at the other men at the table and said, "I want to ask the pastor a question which I think we all want to know." Turning to me, he said, "Dr. Gar, why is it that there is so little joy ...

1582. Overcoming The Destructive Dont's That Have Shaped Our Lives

2 Corinthians 1:12--2:4

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

NOTE: The updated version of this sermon will be posted this evening. If I've heard it once, I've heard it hundreds of times -- and so did most of you. It was one of my mama's favorite exhortations. I think she thought it was a verse of Scripture. She quoted it with that kind of authority. "A man is known by the company he keeps." Was that ever said to you by your parents? Have you repeated it to your children? Maybe you think it’s a verse of Scripture also. It really isn't, but it is sound advice. A man ...

1583. Wrestling for a Blessing

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

James McCormick

The all night wrestling match with God reveals much of the meaning of Jacob’s life. The verses I just read report the events of only a few hours, but in those hours we see the meaning of his whole life. Jacob’s entire life had been a struggle. From the very beginning, he struggled with his twin brother, Esau. Jacob was his mother’s favorite. But he knew that Esau, his brother, was his father Isaac’s favorite. It was a classic sibling rivalry which resulted in tragic consequences. You remember the story: ...

1584. No Place Like Home

Psalm 128:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

The year was 1852, and if you had been standing on the street corner of Washington, D.C., as this funeral procession made its way down the street, you would have been extremely impressed. First of all, you would have seen standing on that same street with you, with his head bowed, his hat removed, and tears in his eyes, the President of the United States. Next to him you would have seen his cabinet, most of congress, and dignitaries from Berlin, London, Tokyo, and Africa. The crowds lined the streets by ...

1585. Saturday: The Week Of The Cross: Lazarus, Come Forth

John 11:1-7, 17-44

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There was a guy riding in a cab one day. He was new to the city and was looking for a good place to eat, so he leaned forward, tapped the cabby on the shoulder and said, "Hey, Buddy." The driver let out a blood curdling scream and lost control of the cab. He nearly hit a bus, jumped the curb and stopped just inches from going through a huge plate-glass window and into a crowded restaurant. For a few minutes, there was dead silence in the cab. All you could hear was two hearts beating like bass drums ...

1586. Cross Eyed: Triumph

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Mark was three years old when his pet lizard died. Since it was her grandson's first brush with death, Grandma suggested that Mark and an older boy in the family hold a "funeral" for the lizard. Grandma explained what a funeral was: a ceremony where you say a prayer, sing a song, and bury your loved one. Grandma even provided a shoe box and a burial place in the backyard. The boys thought it was a great idea, so they all proceeded to the backyard. Taking the lead, the older boy said a prayer. Then he ...

1587. Building a Lasting Legacy

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

First, let me just say I am honored and deeply humbled to be your pastor and to have this special moment in the life of this church. I am grateful to my staff that has been here all morning long, to all of those who put this moment together, and for hundreds and hundreds of lay people who have made this day possible. Once to every man and nation, comes a moment to decide. Today is a decision day for this congregation and I pray that God himself will be our guide. When Jesus wanted to drive home a truth, he ...

1588. The Man of Lawlessness

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

We come now to the heart of the letter, where Paul attempts to put right some wrong ideas about the Parousia (see Introduction). How Paul learned about the problem we are not told. In 3:11 he speaks of having heard a report that some in the church were idle. If this report were more recent than the one brought by Timothy, it might have included the issues dealt with in this section (see Introduction on The Sequence of the Letters). This is one of the most difficult passages of the NT to interpret, largely ...

1589. To Jericho

Drama

Karren Boehr

Theme: Training Young Leadership In The Body Of Christ Moses readied the younger Joshua over many years to assume his role in leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Young leaders need to be nourished and allowed to develop their talents and gifts under the wise guidance of anointed leadership. Setting: The Children of Israel are ready to enter the Promised Land Characters:MOSES: Older man, wise with much authority, weary JOSHUA: Younger man, anxious about the job before him, eager Costumes ...

1590. Why Do We Ignore Warning Signs?

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

Recently the New York Times Magazine showed a series of photographs of a rock formation in Yosemite National Park near Bridal Veil Falls. A prominent sign in yellow plastic was attached to the rocks which clearly said: "Danger. Climbing or scrambling on rocks and cliffs is extremely dangerous. They are slippery when dry or wet. Many injuries and even fatalities have occurred." One picture showed a woman walking on the rocks in a tight dress and high heels. Another showed a couple walking on the rocks. The ...

1591. The Conversion of Saul

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Saul's conversion is important to us because we are always wanting detailed accounts of the journey of those people who have become great or famous. They always fascinate us. We avidly consume all the minute specifics we can find about them, sometimes even stooping to seek out tidbits of gossip. We are titillated by the trivial. Why was Sir Winston Churchill buried in a small country cemetery rather than in Westminster Abbey? Why was Churchill born in the servant's quarters of Blenheim Palace rather than ...

1592. What Have You Got To Lose?

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Erskine White

Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25) Years ago, when the Betty Crocker company first began selling their cake mixes, they offered a product which only needed water. All you had to do was add water to the mix which came in the box, and you would get a perfect, delicious cake every time. It bombed. No one bought it and the company couldn’t understand why, so they commissioned a study which brought back a surprising answer. ...

1593. Why Aspire to Sainthood?

Daniel 7:1-14

Sermon

Today on the church calendar is designated All Saints’ Sunday. It is a time for remembering persons who through the generations have been so outstanding in faith and ministry that their lives have been a special blessing to all who have known them. As someone has said, they have adorned the Gospel of Jesus Christ, though it might be better to say they received the Gospel so fully that it adorned and glorified them. Who are the saints? How many can you name? Saint Peter? Saint Stephen? Saints Matthew, Mark ...

1594. The Resurrection of Our Lord

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Kendall McCabe

Today is a time of special joy for us because some of our congregation have participated in Christ's resurrection through the sacrament of Holy Baptism, and the rest of us have (or will) renew our baptismal promises as we remember we have died and been raised with Christ. We will find a new pleasure in sharing the Eucharistic banquet with one another and our risen Lord. The alleluias will bubble out of us because we know God is faithful and we have something to celebrate - not life simply, but the new life ...

1595. A Rod For The Back Of Fools

Proverbs 25:1-28

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom, a collection of pithy expressions of practical advise. As I am contending in the theme for this sermon series, it is a compendium of guidance for daily living. Because it is a book of wisdom, it shouldn't surprise us that a lot is said about fools and foolishness. The word fool as singular or plural appears at least fifty five times in the book, and foolish or foolishness at least twenty one times. In this 26th chapter from which we have read our text, fool and ...

1596. We Can't Afford It! Oh, Really?

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

One Saturday Ken Erickson’s wife cleaned out leftovers from the refrigerator. She gave the one remaining portion of tortellini to their 6-year-old son, Jeremy. Their 8-year-old son, Matthew, also wanted some, so bickering ensued. After several unsuccessful attempts to mediate the dispute, Ken decided on a theological approach. Hoping to convince Jeremy to share his portion with Matthew, he said, “Jeremy, what would Jesus do in this situation?” Jeremy immediately responded, “Oh, Dad, He would just make more ...

1597. Expectancy

Romans 13:11-14

Sermon

James L. Killen

Christmas decorations are beginning to appear everywhere and the children are getting excited. Children love this time before Christmas because it gives them something for which to look forward. We all like to have something exciting and good for which to look forward, don't we? We enjoy expectancy. That is the great thing about the season of Advent. It is a season of expectancy. It is a season of looking forward expectantly to the celebration of the birth of the Savior. But it is even more than that. It ...

1598. The Last Breath – The Fear of Death

Hebrews 9:27-28

Sermon

James Merritt

I want to share with you two dates that are extremely important to me. One is December 22, 1952. The reason that date is so very important to me is that is the date of my birth (for those who might be interested in getting me a present you might want to jot that date down. I will keep it up on the screen for those of you who are interested. I don't see anybody writing, so I will leave it up a little bit longer!) Let me give you another date that is also extremely interesting to me - October 3, 2026. Now ...

1599. Michael Corleone and the Widow

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

King Duncan

Many of you have seen the award-winning motion picture from the 1970s, The Godfather. A chilling film, it is about an aging patriarch of an organized crime family who transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son, Michael. We see as the film goes along what this responsibility and the power that goes with it does to Michael’s soul. The closing scene of The Godfather is particularly memorable. No, it is not the horse’s head discovered by a Hollywood producer in his bed. What an awful ...

1600. Judgment Day

Mark 13:1-31

Drama

Steven E. Albertin

Characters: Man and Woman Scene: The entrance to eternity. (A man sits at a desk, papers before him. Woman enters. She goes to the man and stands quietly. The man looks up.) Man: Heaven on your right -- hell on your left. Woman: (Looking at the doors, in awe) You mean that door leads to heaven ... and that one to hell? Man: That is correct. Please don't take too long. There are others waiting. Woman: But ... what do I do? Man: You go through one of them. Woman: You mean I have the choice? Man: That is ...

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