Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1626 to 1650 of 4935 results

1626. God of the Ordinary

Exodus 13:17--14:31

Sermon

Some folks can look at something extraordinary, and write it off as commonplace. Ring Lardner was an avid baseball fan, but every other sport to him was just a bore. One afternoon, when a friend took him to see a football game, Lardner watched the action on the field with total disinterest. Suddenly, in the second half of the game, the crowd came to its feet when a punt receiver ran the ball almost the entire length of the gridiron. "Did you see that?" the humorist's friend screamed. "He carried the ball ...

1627. Security: Deeply Personal

Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon

Christian unity proclaims security in a personal King, Jesus the Christ! The whole concept of security has taken on new connotations since the Second World War and especially with the news other nations besides the United States have the atomic bomb. Relatively speaking, it has not been too many years that individuals or even nations could cross mountains and/or oceans to gain security from enemies. Our own nation, for generations, was free from direct interference of the ongoing wars and intrigues of ...

1628. Converting the Converted

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lest sheep of the house of Israel. And preach as you go, saying, ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ " [Matthew 10:5-7] Have you ever wondered why, with a church on almost every corner in America, so much evil abounds? In a country with approximately 120 million church members, 98 million gamble, costing $5.1 billion per year. In a land where seventy-one percent of the ...

1629. I Affirm

Acts 27:13-26

Sermon

TEXT: "Wherefore, sirs, be of good courage, for I believe in God." Acts 27:25 There are two ways to interpret the extraordinary story of adventure at sea which is described in chapter 27 of Acts. We can look at the courage and the faith of Paul. He had been arrested after preaching for several years as a Christian evangel. When he was threatened with death he appealed as a Roman citizen for his trial to be held in the city of Rome which was his right as a citizen. Escorted by heavy guard, he was taken from ...

1630. Free to Live as Victors

1 John 5:1-12

Sermon

Charles L. Koester

Several years ago, McCalls magazine featured a portrait painted by the famous artist, Norman Rockwell. Perhaps you recall this one. Rockwell here protrayed, in striking terms, a truth about ourselves, a truth about our impersonal society and relationships today. Shown in his painting is the magnificent entrance to an urban cathedral. Vaulted high above its magnificently carved Gothic doors are statues of the prophets, apostles, and martyrs. On the sidewalk, below the cathedral steps, move the busy throngs ...

1631. When the Sermon Turns Sour

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

William G. Carter

I want to let you in on an industry secret. Ready? Most preachers have a difficult time preaching in the congregations where they grew up. It is true for me. I was recently invited to preach in the church where I grew up. My mixed feelings about the invitation were justified. Before anybody heard a word I said, they remembered little Billy Carter, who made paper airplanes out of worship bulletins and dropped them from the balcony when nobody was looking. Even the newcomers who joined long after I moved ...

1632. A Date With Destiny

Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

Some years ago an English journal ran a contest. A prize was offered for the best definition of a "friend." A friend. How would you define a friend? Thousands of replies poured in: A friend is someone "who multiplies joys, and divides grief!" said one. No, thought another; a friend is someone "who understands our silence." A third person suggested: "A friend is a volume of sympathy bound in cloth." But the publishers picked this one as the winning entry: A friend is "the one who comes in when the whole ...

1633. Why The British Coast Guard Doesn't Like Eric, But God Does

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

Last year, newspapers around the world carried the story of Eric Abbott, a British sailor who makes a habit of getting lost. On August 10, 2000, the British coast guard rescued Eric Abbott for the sixth time after he sailed off course and ran aground. You would think after all these mishaps, he would give up sailing. No way. Abbott plans on hitting the water again soon. Some would admire Abbott for saying that he won't give up sailing. The members of the British coast guard don't share that admiration. It ...

1634. Listen to Him

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

King Duncan

There aren’t very many heroes nowadays, are there? Even in sports. Steroids. Drugs. Violence. Many of today’s best-known athletes reflect some of the worst values in our culture. There was a time, however, when sports stars were a steady source of positive inspiration. Take Lou Gehrig, for example. Even today, the name stirs positive emotions among baseball fans in spite of the fact that it has been 68 years since Gehrig last played the game, long before many of us were born. For those who don’t know his ...

1635. Blessed Are Those Who Are Awake

Luke 12:32-40

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Mark Twain once said that he heard a preacher who was powerfully good. He decided to give him every cent he had with him. But the preacher kept at it too long. Ten minutes later, Twain decided to keep the bills and only give the change. Another ten minutes more Twain said, “I was darned if I’d give him anything at all. Then, when he finally stopped and the plate came around, I was so exhausted, I decided to steal $2 just for spite.” Now I know you sympathize with Mark Twain. I don’t hear as many preachers ...

1636. God Speaks and the Church Is Our Hearing Aid

Mark 4:1-9

Sermon

James W. Moore

Last week I flew to Nashville, Tennessee to work with The Methodist Publishing House on a video project they are producing in connection with my book, Yes, Lord, I Have Sinned, But I Have Several Excellent Excuses.” We made twelve video lessons to coincide with the twelve chapters of the book… so Sunday School Classes can see and hear my thoughts about the material in the book. Now, I have been doing television for over 30 years and in all that time. I had never ever used any kind of make-up… until last ...

1637. Building a Successful Life

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

King Duncan

An elderly woman walked up to a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. Though he looked weathered and feeble, he had a content smile on his face. “I couldn’t help noticing how happy you look,” she said. “What’s your secret for a happy life?” “Well, I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day,” he said, waving a wrinkled hand through the air, with a smoldering cigarette between his thumb and finger. “I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise.” “That’s amazing!” said the ...

1638. The Great Divide

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most fun trips I have ever taken in my life was years ago when my wife and three sons went out west to Colorado, and spent a week in a part of the country we had never been in before. We did everything from horseback riding to white water rafting, to just exploring the great outdoors. But one of the highlights for me, strangely enough, was driving up to a top of one of the Rocky Mountains and standing on what is called by some, "The Continental Divide," and others "The Great Divide." Geologists ...

1639. Carrying the Burdens of Others

Philippians 2:5-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

There was a man named Sundar, a convert to Christianity who decided to go to India to be a missionary and bear witness to others about Jesus. One day, late in the afternoon, Sundar was traveling on foot high in the Himalaya Mountains with a Buddhist monk. It was bitterly cold and darkness was rapidly starting to fall. The monk told Sundar they would be in danger of freezing to death if they did not reach the monastery before nightfall. As they crossed a narrow path above a steep cliff, a cry for help was ...

1640. Advent 2

Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 3:1-20, Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Malachi 3:1-4 Yahweh promises to send his messenger to prepare the way for his coming. The messenger is the center of this pericope. Malachi means my messenger." (v. 1) The book was written by an unknown prophet who considered himself the messenger to prepare the way for Yahweh's coming to the rebuilt temple after the return of the Exiles from Babylon. When Yahweh comes, he, like a refiner's fire, will cleanse the Levitical priesthood and their sacrifices. Christians interpret ...

1641. Does Prayer Make Any Difference

Matthew 26:36-46

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

According to a most recent Gallop Poll, three out of four Americans pray regularly. At special times, the numbers rise to nine out of ten. Fifty percent of patients want their doctors to pray, not just for them, but with them. Interest in prayer is back, if in fact it ever went away. To pray or not to pray is not the question. The question you asked me to answer at the crossroads of faith is “Does Prayer Make Any Difference?” Is prayer power or placebo? Is prayer wishful thinking or divine intervention? ...

1642. No Partiality

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

John N. Brittain

You may be looking at the most fortunate person on the face of the earth. Let me explain. It seems that without even entering, I've won several lotteries based all over the world. I've supplied them with all my personal information — social security number, bank accounts, all of that — so, any day now, millions of pounds and rupees and doubloons will be flowing into my accounts. And if that's not enough, I have signed on to be the executor for a number of recently deceased international figures who need me ...

1643. Living The Faith For Dummies

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Did you hear about the would be bank robber who held up a bank while wearing a ski mask. He took the money then demanded car keys from one of the customers. I say he was a would be bank robber because he was apprehended when he came back into the bank, without the ski mask and asked the woman, which key unlocked the door. (1) Or how about the poor guy who went into a pizzeria, ordered a slice, went to pay for it, then robbed the place while the cash register was open. The only problem was, he left his ...

1644. Tough Talk for Tentative Disciples

John 6:56-69

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

Many years ago, a missionary society wrote to David Livingstone, a Scottish Presbyterian pioneer medical missionary in Central Africa, and asked, "Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to send other men to join you." Livingstone wrote back, "If you have men who will come only because there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all." Every ministry and every ministry leader in the history of the Christian faith has faced tough times. Usually ...

1645. Christmas Is a God-Thing

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

King Duncan

There was a story years ago in the Canadian version of the Reader’s Digest of a large moose that wandered into a residential area in Calgary, Canada. The moose ended up on the lawn of a lady named Lorna Cade. A Fish and Wildlife officer was dispatched to try to coax the magnificent animal back into the wild. After two hours of absolutely no progress, the officer finally shot the moose with a tranquilizer dart. The moose bolted down a lane and eventually collapsed on another nearby lawn. The reporters who ...

1646. Are You in Labor?

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman goes to her doctor. The doctor verifies that she is pregnant. This is her first pregnancy. The doctor asks her if she has any questions. She replies, “Well, I’m a little worried about the pain. How much will childbirth hurt?” The doctor thinks for a moment then says, “Well, that varies from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy and besides, it’s difficult to describe pain.” “I know, but can’t you give me some idea?” she asks. “Well, he said, “Grab your upper lip and pull it out a little . . .” ...

1647. Gabriel Brings an Answer to Daniel’s Prayer

Daniel 9:20-27

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

Big Idea: Despite the prayers of a faithful servant, the persistent sin of God’s people can bring serious consequences before their punishment is completed. Understanding the Text See the unit on 9:1–6 for a discussion of the larger context, structure, and comparisons of this chapter. Against this backdrop, 9:20–27 is the appearance vision proper. It can be divided into three parts: Gabriel’s arrival to answer Daniel’s prayer (9:20–23), the announcement of “seventy ‘sevens’” (9:24), and an explanation of ...

1648. The Gate to Grace, Goodness, and Glory

John 10:1-10

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

A pastor friend who lived in an apartment complex in San Francisco tells about the time that he and his wife parked their brand new Honda Accord under cover in the secured parking area next to their apartment complex. The next day they decided to celebrate the purchase of that new car by going out to breakfast together. Not only would they enjoy eating out together, it would give them another opportunity to drive their new automobile. Leaving the apartment building, they greeted the guard on duty at the ...

1649. We've Got a Friend in High Places

1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28, Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

King Duncan

It was one of those events that you can never forget witnessing. A skyscraper was going up. Hundreds of people paused daily to glance up at it. One day they watched as a giant metal beam was raised to be placed high on the enormous steel skeleton of the skyscraper. And then something terrifying occurred. As the girder came near, a workman leaned out from the sixteenth floor to seize it. The spectators gasped as he lost his balance and fell. Fortunately, he was able to clutch the end of the giant beam that ...

1650. Let 'Er Rip

Mark 13:1-31, Mark 13:32-37, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Wake up, world! The world is waking up. The world needs to wake up. We’ve been asleep for a good long time, and the time has come for the Rip Van Winkles of the world to wake up to the signs of God around them. God is working in our midst. Can you see the signs? The watcher in the tower is the prophet. And you are all watch people. You are all prophets of the Lord! There is not just a priesthood of all believers. There is a prophethood of all believers. The call is coming in! Sound the message to everyone ...

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