Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1626 to 1650 of 1967 results

1626. 101 Ways to Spend Your Time

Illustration

Tim Kimmel

Becoming good at the things that build inner confidence and calm takes practice and a dash of creativity! The following list might provide some cloudseeding for a brainstorm or two of your own: Pay off your credit cards. Take off ten pounds or accept where you are without any more complaints. Eat dinner together as a family for seven days in a row. Take your wife on a dialogue date (no movie, guys). Read your kids a classic book (Twain's a good start). Memorize the Twenty-third Psalm as a family. Give each ...

1627. Ten Commandments Quiz

Humor Illustration

I love the story about the Sunday School teacher who was trying to teach the Ten Commandments to her young students. She thought it would be most helpful if she used some concrete illustrations. "Early one Saturday morning Johnny's parents were going shopping," she read to them. "They asked Johnny to wash the dishes while they were gone. When they returned, however, Johnny was watching cartoons and the dishes still were unwashed." In one accord the class responded, "Honor thy Father and Mother!" "Good," ...

1628. Only the Best

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

In areas where wine is made, there are places many go to sample the different varieties offered by each vineyard. People who are connoisseurs of wine — those who are critical judges in the matter of taste — can tell a good wine from a poor wine. The chief steward in our text was one of those who knew the difference, as does the winemaker, Leigh. After retiring from a career in special education, Leigh decided to take on a hobby, wine making. At first he bought grapes suitable for wine making. Then he ...

1629. Dorcas

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Women have always been uniquely important in the life of the church, whether or not men want to admit it. It started with Mary. Women were accorded special status during Jesus' ministry; in fact, it was probably women who were major financial supporters of the itinerant rabbi and his friends. Women were the first witnesses to the resurrection. This is not a feminist statement but a factual statement: from the first day to this day, if it were not for the women, there would be no church. It is that simple. ...

1630. A Faith That Makes A Difference

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

David E. Leininger

This familiar account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer begins with Paul and Silas curing the madness of a young woman of the city whose insanity had been used by some unscrupulous men for their own personal gain. There was the belief in those days that insanity was a strangely special gift from the gods, a tool they used to convey their messages to mere mortals; it was based on the idea that since the insane girl had no mind of her own, the gods could put their own divine thoughts out on earth ...

1631. Advent 2

Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 1:68-79, Luke 3:1-20, Philippians 1:3-11

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship (Includes the lighting of the Advent Wreath) Leader: Already, the year is behind us and we are counting the days until Christmas — the eldering for one set of reasons and the young for another. We’ve come here to enjoy the festivities of December and to tell again the stories that encourage us to be God-bearers in our world. People: The scriptures say that God has made promises of safety and prosperity to people who are willing to be loyal bearers of goodness and grace, mercy and ...

1632. Heaven on Earth

Revelation 21:1-6

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Many years ago when I was going to prep school in Milwaukee, the students loved to walk past a nearby factory from which often emanated some simply wonderful smells. The factory made a product whose name seemed to perfectly fit the heavenly aromas that would occasionally fill the atmosphere of the neighborhood. The factory made Ambrosia Chocolate! For a chocolate lover like myself, there could be no better name for such a delectable food. You see, in ancient Greek mythology ambrosia was the name of the ...

1633. The Place of Prayer

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

David J. Kalas

"Where is the place of prayer?" they asked. "We're looking for the place of prayer." It was Paul's first visit to the city of Philippi. He, Silas, Luke, and some other companions had come there to share the good news about Jesus. They wanted to start by going to the place of prayer. Originally, you recall, Paul and his companions had not intended to go to Philippi at all. They had been traveling and preaching exclusively in Asia Minor, when one night Paul had his vision of the man from Macedonia pleading ...

1634. Your Life as a Provenance of the Jesus Story

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

If you’ve ever driven across the U.S. using I-90 (the northern route), you have seen signs for “Wall Drug.” Located in Wall, South Dakota, Wall Drug is a totally smarmy, schmaltzy, middle-of-nowhere “tourist trap.” And it is THE place to stop. Why? Because around 1936 the family running Wall Drug figured out that they were still on the road to somewhere. Wall Drug’s “claim to fame” is that when Mount Rushmore opened, Ted and Dorothy Hustead, owners of a “mom’n’pop” pharmacy/soda fountain shop way out in ...

1635. The Dirt on Jesus

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

How many of us have a garage that can no longer be parked anymore because it is filled up with so much other “stuff?” How many of us have an off-site storage unit because we have too much “stuff” to keep in our homes, so we arrange for visitation rights to see our “stuff?” The late comedian George Carlin famously did an entire monologue on this “stuff” — proclaiming that the “meaning of life is trying to find a place to put your stuff” and that “A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out ...

1636. More Proverbs of Solomon

Proverbs 25:1-28

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

These chapters are introduced by a superscription indicating that they are from Solomon by way of the “men of Hezekiah.” The sayings break from the admonitory style of 22:17–24:34 and resemble those of chapters 10–22:16. However, these sayings are much more vivid, and in chapters 25–27 they form larger units (“proverb poems,” as they have been called). Explicit comparisons are frequent. We are unable to say much about the general setting of the collection, but the ambience of the court predominates in ...

1637. Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

John 13:31-38

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

The transition from narrative to discourse is accomplished by the repetition in verse 31 of the verb “went out” (Gr.: exēlthen) from verse 30. As soon as Judas was gone, Jesus began to speak again. The material from verse 31 to the end of chapter 17 comprises the farewell discourses and the so-called high priestly prayer of the Johannine Jesus. The major themes of the discourses and the prayer are set forth programmatically in three distinct pronouncements in verses 31–35. The three pronouncements consist ...

1638. Atonement for an Unsolved Murder

Deuteronomy 21:1-9

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Rectifying Public and Private Wrongs: Each of the five sections of this chapter deals with a situation of human distress or misconduct and seeks either to rectify the wrong or to mitigate its worst effects. We have seen already that this is a characteristic feature of Deuteronomy—part of its “pastoral strategy.” Another feature is that the first and fifth of the laws both require actions that involve removing pollution from the sight of God and from the land. 21:1–9 Atonement for an unsolved murder. ...

1639. Jesus Is Tried before Pilate and Sentenced to Death

Matthew 27:1-10, Matthew 27:11-26

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Although Jesus is innocent of all charges and is truly the king of the Jews, he is delivered to be crucified by Pilate, the Roman governor, at the instigation of the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem, aided by Judas. Understanding the Text Following Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin, the chief priests and elders bring him to Pilate, the governor (27:1–2). Matthew narrates the self-inflicted death of Judas, emphasizing Judas’s belief in the innocence of Jesus, a theme that continues through this ...

1640. Aaron Begins His Duties

Leviticus 9:1-24

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: God uses imperfect ministers to lead his people to see and joyfully worship him. Understanding the Text In this passage Aaron and his sons are directed by God through Moses to commence sacrificing. Leviticus 9 continues the account of the inauguration of worship under the Aaronic priesthood that began in Leviticus 8 and goes through Leviticus 10. In Leviticus 8 the ordination of priests involves a seven-day ceremony. On the eighth day following this (Lev. 9:1), Aaron and his sons begin to ...

1641. The Golden Calf

Ex 32:1–33:6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

32:1–34:35 · Apostasy at Sinai:Moses’s role as covenant mediator is particularly poignant in these chapters. Repeatedly he appeals to the Lord on behalf of the wayward people, seeking God’s forgiveness and promise of his continuing presence with them. Neither comes automatically, but Moses persists, even offering himself as a substitute. Finally, in asking to see God’s glory, Moses is given assurance of God’s forgiveness (Exod. 34:6–7). 32:1-29 · While Moses is on the mountain receiving the instructions ...

1642. Job's First Test

Job 1:6-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:6–12 · The scene: the heavens. Amid an assembly of divine beings, the Adversary and God consider Job’s behavior. Contemplating the Adversary’s challenge about Job’s motivations, God agrees to allow Job to be tested. A council composed of divine beings is on the stage here. NIV’s “angels” too easily misdirects the modern reader. The idea of a divine council of deities is systemic throughout the ancient Near East. As but one example, the ancient West Semitic deity El presided over such a council (COS 1.86: ...

1643. Exhortations to Persevere in Christian Faith

Hebrews 10:19-39

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

10:19–31 · The danger of apostasy:The author has completed his demonstration that salvation is to be found in Christ and is based on his sacrifice and not the Levitical rituals. Now he explicitly states and applies the purpose of that lengthy argument to the present crisis of faith in the particular community to which Hebrews is addressed. The exhortation that follows recapitulates the earlier exhortatory sections (2:1–2; 3:7–13; 4:1–11; 6:1–12) and confirms that the author has had a single purpose ...

1644. Eating Blood Forbidden

Leviticus 17:1-16

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

Slaughter and Sacrifice: The Holiness Code · We arrive now at the final major section of the book of Leviticus, the Holiness Code. Chapters 17–26 constitute a document placed here by the Priestly redactors, and Leviticus 27 is a kind of appendix. The title of the Holiness Code comes from the expression found several times in these chapters: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. The Holiness Code contains cultic and ethical instruction to help the Israelites maintain their holiness as people of ...

1645. God’s Goodness Redefined: The Nearness of God

Psalm 73:1-28

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

This psalm is a favorite for many because it rings so true to our feelings and experience. Many of us have felt disappointed in God. When we feel life has treated us unfairly, we often betray our belief in the sovereignty of God by blaming and abandoning him! The psalm confesses what we are afraid to admit, and so helps us to be honest before God about life’s temptations and our readiness to sell out. The psalm’s first half is largely negative (vv. 1–14) and the second half largely positive (vv. 15–28). ...

1646. Social Responsibility

Exodus 22:16-31

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

Covenant Laws III: Property Rights, Capital Offenses, Using Power, Relationship to God: Exodus 22 deals with eleven casuistic laws of the book of the covenant. These case laws protected property in cases of theft or negligent damage and established civility between neighbors by setting limits of liability for another’s property. They continue through verse 17, after which the legal form changes to commandments (apodictic law). The commandments address three more capital offenses, limitation of the use of ...

1647. God with Skin On

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

As we gather here this holy night, we come from a variety of religious backgrounds. For some of you I’m sure the more familiar word during The Lord’s Prayer is “trespasses.” You will especially appreciate an internet story about the little boy who was sent to bed early on Christmas Eve. His boisterous excitement was getting in the way of all the hectic, last minute preparations his parents were trying to make, and they needed to get rid of him. A few minutes later his father overheard the child saying his ...

1648. When the Way Is Hard

Matthew 26:14-27:66

Sermon

April Yamasaki

In the gospel of Matthew, the sweep of events from Judas’ decision to betray Jesus, through his arrest, trial, crucifixion, and burial takes less than fifteen minutes to read aloud. Yet the emotional intensity of these events makes for an exhausting read. Alone in my room, I could hardly make it through. If I were to read this as part of worship in my church, I’d want to skip the regular sermon and plan some silence to reflect and recover before we’d sing a song of response. Just imagine living and dying ...

1649. You've Got Spirit

Luke 3:15-22 · Acts 8:14-17 · Psalm 29 · Isaiah 61:1-4

Sermon

Will Willimon

"Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." Let us pray: "O Lord, how can we know Thee: Where can we find Thee? Thou art as close to us as breathing and yet art farther than the furthermost star. Thou art as mysterious as the vast solitudes of the night and yet art as familiar to us as the light of the sun. To the seer of old Thou didst say: Thou canst not see my face, but I will make all My Goodness pass before Thee. Even so does Thy goodness pass before us in the realm of ...

1650. Passover Or Passalong?

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Sermon

John B. Jamison

They had done this before. Some of their earliest memories were of their families celebrating the Passover Seder. It was a high point of the year. It was also a celebration that involved every member of the family, from youngest to eldest, they all played a role. The adults would read the important lines of the ritual, the younger would take turns asking the required questions, and the youngest would join in the search for the hidden matzo that represented desert. As they joined around the table tonight, ...

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