Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1601 to 1625 of 4943 results

1601. Pentecost -- A Wild, Weird, Wonderful Day

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... inaugural address he chose the anointing passage from Isaiah 61:1, by beginning his sermon, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted ...." From the day of Pentecost the oil of God's Spirit continues to flow upon all Christians sanctifying them for service. This has particular meaning for you and me. This is not something that happens at one time, but there is the fresh anointing of God's Spirit for every new task that we face. God anoints us with ...

1602. Empowered By A Vision

Genesis 28:10-22

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... fell asleep, he felt terribly alone. Here in Bethel, this place of desolation, he felt cut off from God and all other people. But now it has been revealed to him that he is not isolated. There is practically rush hour traffic between heaven and earth. As his dream continues, the Lord God comes to stand beside him and reassure him. "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust ...

1603. Climbing Rainbows Through The Rain

Genesis 6:1-8:22

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... story the message it has to offer, we should stop arguing about the issue of literal or not literal and instead, take the scripture seriously. Remember this is Holy Writ, and as such, tells us the truth about how God used to deal with human community and how God continues to deal with us. We need to take this seriously. This is God's word to us. If we get to reading the passage instead of arguing about it, its authentic message begins to open for us. A central theme of the book of Genesis is that God had ...

1604. The Essence of Spirituality

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... as we both use and take responsibility for the earth and all that is in it. Stated succinctly, this passage proclaims the goodness of creation. The orderliness surrounding us did not result from a random jumble of disconnected accidents. The world came into being and continues in existence as an act of God's love. Our lives are not the result of capricious and random forces intent on nothing more than trapping us in an empty existence. God created the world and God created us. All around us, through eyes of ...

1605. The King Of Hearts

Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... Momma," I said. "Good," she whispered, "because I can't remember saying them often enough to my mother." I have a word from the Lord! God loves you. Don't ever forget that. God loves you. Always remember that the Almighty has said that word and continues to say it ... a Word expressed most fully when it became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ -- our Shepherd, our Savior, and our King! 1. Thomas G. Long, "Proclaiming Easter from the Balcony," Journal for Preachers, Volume XIII, Number 3 ...

1606. Heaven's Wait

Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... is waiting for a response! And if you ask me, the question is no less urgent for us today. Choosing to love or to hate, to give or to hoard, to become involved or to withdraw. Choosing to reach out and mend a torn marriage, or to let it continue to unravel at the seams. Choosing to apologize for hurtful words we now regret and wish we could recant, or to add another brick to the wall of silence that exists between us and our neighbor. Choosing to devote one's life to something that will mean a difference ...

1607. Give To God The Things That Are God's

Matthew 22:15-22

Illustration

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

... God by giving of herself to her students, Jesus worked through her. Through Mrs. Detweiler, God's love, acceptance and encouragement was shown to many students as they grew and matured into the people God had created them to be. As she gave God what belonged to God, God continued to give himself to her, revealing his love again and again through the sparkle in her students' eyes. You are God's. His image has been placed within you. When I look at you, I see the image of God. I see the image of God in your ...

1608. Called To Serve

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

... among us, is our most humble servant. Jesus, the only one who has the power to judge, gave up his life to save sinners, to save you. Jesus died on the cross for you. He continually comes to you each day to make the seed of faith that has been planted in you grow into a beautiful expression of love and service. Jesus continues to invite you to come to him and enjoy the benefits of eating his banquet and living in his kingdom. Each day Jesus serves you in love, ready to meet all your physical and spiritual ...

1609. The Lamb's Book Of Life

Sermon

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

... no matter how hard you try, you could never earn the right to have your name listed, you're right. So take your eyes and your thoughts off of yourself. Instead look only at Jesus. Turn your eyes toward the cross. Place your thoughts on Christ. Saint Paul continues in Romans, "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Paul took his eyes off of himself and turned them toward the cross. Then Saint Paul saw that Christ died for him, and ...

1610. Epiphany 5

Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... members need to ask in every age how it can be light and salt? How do they provide models of God's intention for the way people ought to live in community and in society? By responding to needs with the guidance of the Holy Spirit the church continues to be salt and light today. With the breakdown of the family, the church needs to demonstrate what a family should be. By its care and support for each other it can illuminate what the family should provide. Where families have broken down, the church can help ...

1611. Proper 4

Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... secularized. They live on what has been called a "cut-flower religion." They may still have some of the appearance of the flower of Christianity in many of the social institutions and customs, but they do not have roots in the Christian faith that continue to give life to the flower. They are fading away and will eventually die if not fed by the sources of new life. 3. Loss of Authority. In recent years a number of leaders who exercised considerable authority faltered and lost their following because ...

1612. Sowers Of The Seed

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Genesis 25:19-34, Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... and, under the rule of primogeniture, should have had the inheritance, he sold it to Jacob for a mess of stew when he was famished after a hunt. The Second Lesson (Romans 8:1-11) Paul asserts that those who live by the spirit and not by the flesh continue to be made alive by the work of the Spirit within them. The passage contrasts the spirit and the flesh in a somewhat similar way to the first reading where Jacob and Esau are contrasted. The passage also relates to the parable in that the fruitful life is ...

1613. Service And Reward

Matthew 20:1-16

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... in the church may envy those who enter late and their freshness and enthusiasm. The late arrivals may seem to surpass or even displace the long-term members of the church. It is a danger that may affect the harmony of the church. C. Never Too Late. God continues to seek those who are outside the kingdom. Despite a long life outside the kingdom, it is never too late to be accepted. Entrance into the church as representative of the kingdom is not just for the young. 5. Kingdom Work. (vv. 1-15) A. The Scope of ...

1614. Two Sons: A Parable

Matthew 21:28-32, Matthew 21:23-27

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... for the Chicago Cubs. In mid-June 1994, he suddenly and unexpectedly resigned. The year before he had signed a four-year contract for $28 million. He had over three years yet to go on the contract, which meant he could earn $18 million more just by continuing to play. No one was pressuring him to quit. Sandberg quit because his batting average at .238 had dropped over 50 points from his lifetime average of .289. He also had lost some of his enthusiasm for playing. He said, "I am not the type of person ...

1615. The King's Wedding Feast

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... willingness also to be blotted out turned aside the judgment upon the people. The Second Lesson. (Philippians 4:1-9) Paul in his concluding message to the Philippians gives some specific instructions for members of the church. He also admonishes the church to continued faithfulness. He urges them to think on the things that will edify and strengthen them in such faithfulness. He assures them that it will bring genuine personal peace. Gospel. (Matthew 22:1-14) The kingdom of heaven is compared to a wedding ...

1616. Prepared Or Not?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... the family support needed for them? Illustrative Materials 1. The End Times. How do you act in anticipation of the end of the world and history as we know it? In the light of the long delay in that end coming, one should prepare as though history will continue for another 2000 years before the eschaton, but should live as though it could happen today. 2. Scout Motto. The scout motto is a good one for Christians also: "Be Prepared." 3. A State of Readiness. During the Cold War the U.S. and the USSR lived in ...

1617. Toward A More Sensuous Christianity

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). The effects of the Spirit in their lives is like the dropping of a stone in a pool of placid water with the continual motion of concentric circles that continue to reach out further and further. In the early church there was an infectiously contagious movement of the Spirit. How is it that we can get excited about so many things except our religion? It is probably because there is nothing in our religion ...

1618. Getting Down To The Local Issues

Sermon

Thomas Long

... a lesson from the politicians. "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth ...," intones the Sunday congregation, but what does that have to do with the local issues? "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord ...," the chant continues, but how does this connect to the woman in the choir whose cancer has just returned after years of remission, the 17-year-old anxiously trying to decide what to do with his life, the young attorney who is seeing unethical practices at her firm ...

1619. Since He's In Charge, We're In Luck

Psalm 33:4-5, 8-9, 13-22

Sermon

Robert G. McCreight

... quite fit the world which we experience. But there is room for a viewpoint somewhere along that spectrum which suggests that order has been built into the Creation and that living creatures are given a measure of freedom as well. People who believe that God continues to be actively involved in his creation hold to the notion that we are in some way living in partnership with God, exercising co-creative powers to help shape the ultimate outcome of things. An intercessory prayer for the sake of another is a ...

1620. Confidence To Spare

Psalm 27:1-6, 13-14

Sermon

Robert G. McCreight

... heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need (Hebrews 4:14, 16). Let us ask God to forgive us. Prayer of Confession (Unison) Gracious God, you continue to pour out the Holy Spirit on all of humanity, but too often we hold back the Spirit with our sinful ways. We are a selfish and self-indulgent people. You call us to minister to the needs of our brothers and sisters, yet we point our fingers at ...

1621. Stop Being Afraid

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... that same crucified and risen Lord is in our midst, allowing us to stop being afraid because of the powerful love of God on which the promise is based: "Even the hairs of your head are all counted; you are of more value than many sparrows." [The promise continues in the blessed sacrament as we hear Jesus say that "this bread is my body, given for you, and "this wine is my blood, shed for you." We receive Christ in the bread and wine because he promises to meet us there. In this sacrament the promise is ...

1622. Second Sight

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

David Belgum

... new, a better life. In the case of Moses this meant getting down to business and obeying the new Commandments of God for a better and more orderly life. In the case of Elijah it meant tossing the mantle down to Elisha so that the work could continue. To this day we speak of accepting the mantle of authority or this or that as an obligation, a calling. Jesus refused the luxury of staying in this mountaintop experience in the three booths the disciples offered to construct, a kind of Scout camp away from the ...

1623. The Christian Journey I: The Path

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... on the path, as we struggle with new situations and grapple with their meaning, as did Cleopas and his companion, Christ will come to warm our hearts and open our eyes so that we can continue to grow and to encourage others to join us on the way. The biblical metaphor of Christian journey reminds us of three things: our life as disciples has a beginning; it has a direction and a goal; and we are not there yet. Have you begun your journey with Jesus ...

1624. Blessed Hunger And Thirst

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... is well dressed, well to do, well kept and attractive. The camera focuses on her face close up as she talks to an unseen friend sitting across the table. "Jack got another promotion. He's really doing well," she says flatly. There's a pause. She continues, "And the kids ... the kids are great." Another pause: "Did I tell you Jack got another promotion?" Then sheepishly, "I guess I did." During the pauses there are flashes of the same woman, home alone, a drink in her hand, crying. She concludes, almost with ...

1625. "Do This In Remembrance Of Me"

Luke 22:7-38

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... of statues, using Kansas granite and later, Italian marble. The statues depicted important scenes in Davis' life. There were large statues of Davis courting his wife, statues of their wedding day, a touching statue of Davis sitting lonely beside his wife's empty chair. Davis continued commissioning the statue series in his own honor until he died in the 1970s at age 92. The series ended with Davis as an old man with a long beard, missing his left hand, which he lost in an accident. The Davis memorial is ...

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