Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1626 to 1650 of 2962 results

Judges 4:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... weak underdog conquers the large, well-armed enemy, everyone usually comes up with the favorite standard: David and Goliath. But the story of Deborah, Barak and Jael defeating Sisera and his huge army of iron chariots (undoubtedly the kind with spiked wheels, designed to chew up enemy foot soldiers) is really another "David and Goliath" story. Only in this version with the female lead, the key to victory over the oppressor is found in teamwork. Whereas David's confrontation with the larger-than-life Goliath ...

1627. DisArming Christmas

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... size of our tree (or brilliance of our outdoor lighting or the number of parties we attend), then we will be filled with the true Christmas spirit. The arms-race-induced hallucinations convince us that piles of plastic toys (for children or adults), stacks of designer clothing and countless trendy gadgets actually embody Christmas joy. It is time to disarm. Who will declare a moratorium on the arms race? It is time to declare an end to the positional arms race, and to call consumerism for what it is. London ...

1628. Say What?

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43)

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... belief or an experience was to build a temple of stone, rather than a testament of the heart. Other building programs that went awry: 1. David: It was the right building, but the wrong builder. David wanted to build a temple, another monument to the moment, designed to immortalize David's reign (see 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 22:6-11). 2. The post-exilic Jews: the wrong building, but the right builders. When they should've been building the temple, they were building their own houses (see Haggai 1:1-6). When ...

1629. One Breathwork, Many Bodyworks

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... willing to have African-Americans taken to a "better home." Now, consider what your reaction would be if these same benevolent aliens identified, not African-Americans, but all red-haired people as those who should be "evacuated" from planet Earth. What if the designation was all people over six feet tall? Or all left-handers? Does your reaction to the aliens' offer now change? Are some people members of your "tribe" and others definitely not? What do you say to the estimate that the average white American ...

1630. The Kingdom of God Has Come Close

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of the universe through the brilliance of two gifted men, this bureaucrat confidently announced, "I saw through them." When we insist too loudly and too proudly that we know best, then greatness passes by. There are many mediocre buildings out there designed by people less concerned with "architecture" than "egotecture." 3. Rigidity: The kingdom doesn't always play by the rules we recognize. Jesus counseled his missionaries to forget about the letter of the law, the preciseness of etiquette, so that they ...

1631. What Is a Good Samaritan?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , no discipleship" fits Jules Lechevalier's criticism of the Christian Socialist F. D. Maurice, whose system was "a very good one for bringing men in, but it is all door" (as quoted by Edward Norman in TLS: Times Literary Supplement, 9 December 1994, 30). This baton is designed to cut the cords that bind people to life's starting gate, to false starts or to false races. Evangelism is passing the baton to others, a baton that frees them to run the race God is calling them to run. Jesus gave this mission of ...

1632. The Cream of the Crop, or The Skimmed Milk of the Earth

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... " church in town, the driving force in our lives? One of the most shocking aspects of Jesus' advice to his host was his admonition to invite "the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind" (v.13). This cast of characters hardly even rated the designation of "humble" people in most cases, they were actually outcasts and outlaws. According to the law, such people were not even legally permitted to go into God's holy presence (see Leviticus 21:17-23). Inviting these lowest of the low would not only destroy ...

1633. Jesus' Bad Manners

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... or throw a fancy party. Jesus only said he must "stay at your house today." Jesus kept it simple. Seeker services must also keep it simple, low-key, non-threatening. Not a lot of "smells and bells," but a multitude of "smiles and joy." Seeker services are designed to show that life outside the cave and down from the tree is a life worth living. The beauty of liturgy, the power behind ritual, the tradition of prayer and creed - will never be accessible to these seekers if we don't first entice them in the ...

1634. Do Not Grow Weary in Well-Doing

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... it. (As quoted in Gordon MacDonald, Christ Followers in the Real World [Nashville: Oliver Nelson, 1991], 177.) Joseph Campbell and Tom Wolfe are right: It doesn't matter how vast your portfolio, or how numerous your Club Med packages, or how full your closets are with designer clothes. The fears and the facts are the same for everyone - the fear of being used; the fear of growing old; the fear of losing control of life and health; the fear of being left alone; the fear of dying; the fact of loneliness; the ...

1635. Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... text demonstrates, Luke has his eye on biblical history, with the complete fulfillment of scripture being found in the details surrounding Jesus’ birth. Luke has already provided a lengthy and detailed annunciation of the first chapter in God’s unfolding design, with the pronouncement of John the Baptist’s conception and future mission. As Luke now continues the story, he takes pains to show the close relationship between John and Jesus. But he also clearly establishes the pre-eminence of one ...

1636. The First 30 Days

Illustration

Mary O

... with one step. The website notes that, "The exciting thing about change, in a strange way, is that it is guaranteed to happen, yet we all act as though it's a shock when it does. It's kind of a human paradox." This website is designed to provide support and community to those going through these guaranteed changes. Many of the topics this website covers are major life challenges, ranging from losing a loved one to dealing with a medical diagnosis. In light of the New Year, the article in Oprah magazine ...

1637. Mark 1:21-28

Mark 1:21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... 22) and the power of his words, different in tone and texture from the traditional interpretations of the scribes. These professionals followed established scholarly procedures in interpretations of the Torah. They debated points of law along familiar designated schools of thought. In Jesus' day, before the full flowering of rabbinic Judaism, scribal interpretation was intellectually demanding, but not expected to be spiritually surprising. Therefore, if Jesus was speaking "not as the scribes," not along ...

1638. John 3:1-17

John 3:1-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ?" The synagogue wants an explicit recitation of the relationship between eternal life and belief in the person of Jesus Christ and baptism in his name. John's close-up focus on the necessity of these actions (baptism, confession of Jesus as the Son of God) is designed to prod those Jews who are attracted to the Christian church's message, but are hesitant to take that final step out of the synagogue. In Numbers 21:6-9 there is the strange story of a plague of poisonous snakes descending on the disobedient ...

1639. Mark 6:7-13

Mark 6:7-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... for their expedition. His instructions appear foolhardy: take "no bread, no bag, no money," not even an extra tunic for warmth or sturdy shoes "just in case." The only equipment Jesus advises them to take along is a staff an item designed to facilitate movement, not slow them down. Jesus' additional instructions further focus his emissaries' energies on the task at hand, the active aspect of their mission. Instead of wasting time looking for comforting accommodations, Jesus urges the disciples to accept the ...

1640. James 1:17-27

James 1:17-27

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... chose to "give us birth," first physically (as described in Genesis) and then spiritually through "the word of truth" (the regenerative power of the gospel). James highlights the special relationship that this re-creation in the truth forges between God and humanity by designating all those reborn in the gospel as "first fruits." In the Hebrew tradition (and many others as well) the first fruits or the first-born were assumed to belong to God and so were redeemed or offered to God. Christians now are the ...

1641. Mark 8:27-38

Mark 8:27-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... , a gift we can never repay. Following Jesus or not is left up to us. But Jesus pulls no punches when he describes the fate of those who dismiss his invitation. Verse 38 is one of the church's "sentences of holy law," designed to demonstrate that earthly doings will have eschatological results. Flexing his newly revealed authority as the re-defined but God-directed Son of Man, Jesus admonishes those who turn shamefacedly away from his challenge to discipleship. Their actions will have consequences in the ...

1642. Luke 21:25-36

Luke 21:25-36

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... discourse. Clearly it is Jesus' chosen term for himself. Perhaps it is the dual nature of this term that makes it so attractive to Jesus and to the gospel writer. The Son of Man incorporates both Jesus' present and future self. As a prophet Jesus is rightly designated as the "Son of Man" even before his crucifixion (not unlike Ezekiel). But the term neatly transfers to the resurrected Christ as well. As in verse 27 it is the Son of Man who appears now "with power and great glory" to act as judge and as ...

1643. Luke 19:28-40

Luke 19:28-40

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... confusing Jesus' messianic identity with that of some militaristic, revolutionary zealot. But Luke's most subtle attempt at diffusing a potentially problematic issue comes in the close of the entrance hymn (v.38). While the gospel writer inserts the designation "king," he is careful to note that this proclamation is only in the mouths of Jesus' own disciples. Unlike the other gospels, which record a frenzied, enthusiastic crowd participating in the entrance ceremony, Luke specifies that only those who ...

1644. 2 Kings 4:8-17

2 Kings 4:8-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... intermediary, the Shunammite woman and Elisha have a discussion without ever actually directly conversing. This distinctly awkward communication method serves to highlight the holy distance of the prophet. She takes no offense at this, for her own architectural design has clearly defined her concern for the prophet's ritual cleanliness. The Shunammite's happiness centers on making other people happy. Her efforts on his behalf have been so unusually hospitable that this prophet feels the need to reciprocate ...

1645. Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-19

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... promised "foundational" city. The NRSV's selection of the terms "architect and builder" also seems to suggest a more literal understanding of this image. Other translators render these terms "maker and fashioner," images that suggest less nuts and bolts than a grand designer. Verses 14-16 will reveal the true nature of this "city," dispelling any physical notions that this verse seems to imply. The second area of Abraham's faithfulness lauded here is his belief in God's ability to work miracles with flesh ...

1646. Philemon 1:1-20

Philemon 1:1-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... is part of a "beloved" community, a community identified by its love for one another. Paul not only identifies Philemon as a companionable friend, but as an equally active co-worker for the cause of Christ with Paul himself. Like Paul, then, Philemon is designated as one who is working to bring the gospel into the world through the testimony of his words and actions. By naming Apphia, who was probably Philemon's wife, and Archippus, another leader in this "house church," Paul gathers Philemon's peers about ...

1647. Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of his position. Panicked into action, the steward devises a way to prepare a more pleasant pathway for his future term of unemployment. Taking the books out on his rounds, the steward meets with all the debtors and reduces their debt standings - a scheme designed to sow good will among the indebted so that they will remember the steward kindly when he later comes to them, jobless and in need. Just when this parable seems to be winding its way towards some sort of just desserts for this twice-dishonest ...

1648. 2 Timothy 1:1-14

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... a "people." Paul then shifts his focus over to the issue of Timothy's own personal gifts. Verses 6-7 address Paul's concern that Timothy "rekindle" those gifts that he received from Paul's own hands - most likely at his ordination by Paul into a specially designated ministry. Paul's message to Timothy is that he is as responsible for the maintenance of his own generation's gifts as he is indebted to the gifts of faithfulness he owes to generations past. Once you are given a life - once you "get" a life ...

1649. Colossians 1:11-20

Colossians 1:11-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... we are willing to plunk down because we crave a "sound" environment. No matter how chronologically distant their composition, the power of song reaches out to touch us through the Psalms. Psalm 95 is identified as a "call to worship and obedience," a designation that shortchanges its complexity. Historically, this was one of the psalms celebrating Yahweh's enthronement. Psalm 95, like Psalms 24 and 68, was a processional hymn ("It's got a good beat, I think I could dance to it...") and introduced a series ...

1650. John 1:29-42

John 1:29-42

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... directives for offerings and sacrifices, there is no direct correlation of a lamb of God offering as an expiation for sins. Lamb sacrifices - whether as part of the daily offerings made at the temple or as the special Passover lamb sacrifice, were designated for other purposes. Indeed, the only true expiatory ritual for sin involves a goat (Leviticus 16:20), and it is turned out into the wilderness, not formally sacrificed. John the Baptist's testimony about the baptism itself is twofold. He witnesses not ...

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