Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1651 to 1675 of 4997 results

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... One of the chief complaints of visitors is that the church is cold and unfriendly. After a church service, a member asked a visitor, “Are you a stranger here?” She replied, “I have been a stranger here for the past four years!” To overcome this kind of aloofness, a pastor asked his worshiping congregation to turn to the next person in the pew and say, “I love you.” Next to a beautiful young woman was a distinguished looking senior citizen who said to her, “You wanna just be friends?” It may ...

1652. Charlie Used To Do That

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

... , he thought about how hard they had all worked in building the house on Brady Street which they had moved into the previous year. "Yes," he considered, "my family and I are certainly blessed of God!" Every day on his way home from work Charlie would take a kind of inventory of things that needed to be done as he walked past the church where he had been a member since his baptism in 1917. Whenever he was at the church he would notice things that needed to be done. Sometimes they were just little things like ...

1653. The Robe

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

... of the matrix of God we can claim our inheritance. We can claim the bread that comes down from heaven. The bread of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. The bread that if anyone eats it, he/she will live forever. The bread is Jesus himself, ... his pocket. Fortunately, he was the only one in the store and David noticed Josh's anxiety. He saw that Josh was flushed and kind of nervous. He thought that maybe Josh was getting sick. "Are you all right Josh?" David questioned. "Oh, I'm okay, David. Well, ...

1654. God's Math:Lose Life = Save It

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

... for others, during their lifetime. A tribute: Such a normal, almost banal day. Justin thought as he sluggishly climbed into the family's white Trans Am to go to work. He worked on the grounds crew at a golf course. A summer job, between semesters at the university, which he kind of liked except for the early 5 a.m. time he was required to pull out of his driveway in order to make it to work on time. He wouldn't be doing this for very long anyway, he thought, as he considered that in only six weeks he would ...

1655. A Formula For Greatness

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

... place himself last of all and be servant of all." Thus greatness in the kingdom is always completely unselfconscious. That is to say that when we are about what we should be doing as disciples, being compassionate stewards and servants, we touch other's lives with a kind of kingdom greatness that we are totally aware of. You have all received a letter like the one I am going to share. I received a letter from a former camp counselor who worked as a part of my camp staff for several summers. The letter came ...

1656. Living By Faith And Trust

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... concerned. Her parents were well-respected, for her father was one of the 10 men in town who ruled the synagogue. He had lived within the bounds of the town all his life. If anyone had a problem - any sort of problem - they sought out Jairus. He was kindly, like his daughter, and fair and he knew the holy writings. Many times he had given the advice to pray to Almighty God. "The Lord God will attend to your prayer," he would say. And he believed it. Now, with his tiny daughter lying motionless upon the ...

1657. As Mortals See

1 Samuel 15:1-35

Sermon

Charles Curley

... scripture clearly implies that David was not competent for anything more than tending the sheep - a child's job. His brothers were competent. Saul was competent. David had a good heart. David was not even chosen because the spirit of God was upon him (which after all is a kind of competence). It was only after he was chosen and anointed that the spirit came upon him with power and made him competent to be king. But that's later. What was in David's heart? What did God see in David's heart? A heart which can ...

1658. Investing God's Gift

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

Larry R. Kalajainen

... kings have always acted -- as little tin gods -- this king reigns from his cross. And so, being quick to see the tragic irony in this story, by his skillful placing of it in this context, Luke highlights the stark contrast between the kind of king the nobleman in the story is and the kind of king Jesus actually is. Coming from the lips of Jesus himself, this story of a murderous king is followed by his own living out of a completely different model of royal authority and power. So if this time is the time ...

1659. They Also Serve Who Wait

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Thomas Long

... . It is God alone who saves, and part of what it means to be fully human is to wait for his coming. Jesuit priest William F. Lynch has observed that there are two kinds of waiting. One kind waits because "there is nothing else to do." The other is born out of hope. The decision to engage in this hopeful kind of waiting ... ... is one of the great human acts. It includes, surely, the acceptance of darkness, sometimes its defiance. It includes the enlarging of one's perspective beyond a present moment ... It ...

1660. Easter 4

Psalm 23:1-6, Acts 4:1-22, 1 John 3:11-24, John 10:1-21

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... He was intimate with God as a son to a father. Jesus not only had perfect knowledge of the Father so that he had a kind of intellectual unity with him. He also was in perfect obedience to the will of God. Ultimately it is God who is the giver of ... The Call to Belong to Jesus. If we claim to be Christian it places a special demand upon us. We are to enter into the same kind of personal relationship with Jesus that he had with the Father. It means that we know fully his intentions and his will so that we partake ...

1661. Let's Have A Fruitful Christmas Season

Drama

May Dembowski

... them, helping, guiding, and laughing with them at their mistakes. MARCY: But at this time of year, I'm just too busy for that kind of attention. MAY: It's the only way to survive! I asked a kindergarten teacher how she could stand teaching all those little kids ... to lead a family devotional time ever again, I'll do it HIS Way. MARCY: What do you mean? CAROL: Did you botch it up? MAY: Kind of. I intended to read from a catchy tract, lead some carol singing; and I even lined up a couple of the kids to sing ...

1662. Lent 2

Mk 8:31-38 · Rom 4:13-25; 8:31-39 · Gen 17:1-7, 15-16; 22:1-18 · Ps 22

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord..." (v. 27); Psalm 16; Psalm 115 Prayer Of The Day: Gracious God, your Son has called us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. Yet our blood curdles at the prospect of self-denial or any kind of suffering. Give us the fortitude and faith to follow you, wherever that may lead. In the name of the One who went all the way for us, Jesus, our Lord. Amen. Theme For The Day: The road to God's kingdom is the way of obedience, suffering and death ...

1663. Christmas Eve

Lk 2:1-20 · Isa 9:2-7 · Tit 2:11-14 · Ps 96

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... and more docile pups have to be satisfied with what is left. Consequently, they don't become as strong and are known as the "runts of the litter." When it comes to receiving the milk of God's grace we all have equal access. "The grace and loving kindness of God appeared for the salvation of all people" (v. 11). A glory concealed and revealed. The glory of God remained largely concealed in the person of Jesus. This glory could only be seen through the eyes of faith. Titus speaks of waiting for the "glory of ...

1664. Passion Sunday

Mk 14:1 - 15:47 · Isa 50:4-9 · Phil 2:5-11 · Ps 31:9-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... of God, a new identity. However, the divine nature does not seek to dominate but serve. In a phrase, God took on our human nature that we might be clothed with his divine nature. He made himself nothing (v. 7). I fear that some people might read a kind of false humility into this passage. God does not want us to feel that we are nothing, that we are garbage, just as Jesus did not feel that way about himself when he became our servant. The RSV states that Jesus "emptied himself"; that is, he poured himself ...

1665. Easter 2

Acts 4:32-37, 1 John 1:5--2:14, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... If you've ever flown to Hawaii, you will recall the phrase: "Welcome to paradise!" Some people do indeed feel that way about our 50th state but then most of these people probably haven't lived there. Luke describes the Christian community in Jerusalem as a kind of spiritual paradise. "All the believers were of one heart and mind" (v. 32). Nobody was in need and everyone shared with his neighbor. If that isn't paradise, I don't know what is. Unfortunately, that particular community of faith didn't remain as ...

1666. Proper 18

Mark 7:24-30, Mark 7:31-37, Proverbs 22:1-16, James 2:1-13

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... ). The answer is obvious. That is the question you need to direct to your hearers. Do I have a living and saving faith? If the question is no, you will need to offer some suggestions for finding such a faith. Outline: 1. There are two kinds of faith -- theoretical (dead) faith and living faith. 2. Living faith is connected closely to both Christ and the world. 3. Real faith translates into love of neighbor. 4. Do you possess a saving faith? Most Christians and Jews believe that they should apply their faith ...

1667. Christmas 1

Isaiah 61:10–62:3, Luke 2:21-40, Galatians 3:23–4:7, Colossians 3:12-21

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... vein, believers are to put to death what is sinful (vv. 5-9). Continuing with the thought with which the chapter begins, Paul urges the believers to put on Christ's garment of righteousness. This garment will be made visible in such things as compassion, kindness, humility and so forth. Gospel: Luke 2:22-40 Mary and Joseph, being a devout couple, brought Jesus to the temple. Two ceremonies took place. First the Redemption of the First-born. Every male, man or beast, was regarded as belonging to the Lord. To ...

1668. Love And Friendship

1 John 4:7-21

Sermon

Mark J. Molldrem

... brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. God's love for us did not alter when sin was found in our hearts. God remained steadfast to the covenant of love that infused God's creation from the beginning. This is the kind of love we are to emulate in our relations with one another. Arleen struggled well with this challenge. As John writes, "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another." In the power of the resurrection life, Christians are inspired to model ...

1669. A Shepherd To Lead Us

John 10:22-42

Sermon

Lee Griess

... to hear. The Old Testament writer put it even more clearly when he wrote, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Jesus says it this morning, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me, and I give them eternal life." A new kind of plane was on its first flight. It was full of reporters and journalists. A little while after takeoff, the captain's voice was heard over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm delighted to be your pilot for this plane's historic first flight. I can tell you ...

1670. Overcoming Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Lee Griess

... we are sure to fail. The sure antidote to temptation is to be focused on Christ, to be so filled with his power, his salvation, his life and service, that there is no room for temptation. Shortly after the Reformation, some young followers of Martin Luther wrote him (kind of like an original Ann Landers) with a question, saying, "We are harassed by many temptations which appeal to us so often and so strongly that they give us no rest. You don't seem to be troubled in this way and we should like to know your ...

1671. Were We Surprised!

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Alexander H. Wales

... be just as debilitating as dealing with failure. Look at all the movie stars who have received incredible salaries who end up broke or addicted to drugs or alcohol as a result of their rise to stardom. We can look at the realm of sports and find the same kind of story. In this morning's Scripture lesson, Jesus selects 72 men to go out in teams of two to begin the work of reaping the harvest of God's fields. He gives them specific instructions about how they should respond to the people they meet, what they ...

1672. Satan Goes to Church

Job 1:1-5, Job 1:6-22

Drama

Dr. Raymond Bailey

... up. All I have to do is keep planting in his mind the thought "don't think about food -- don't think about food" -- that image of a dish of candied ice cream sends him straight to the refrigerator. He loves the thrill of food. Most people have some kind of obsession, attitude, habit, or addiction that they try hard to avoid -- but we put the pressure on them -- frequently by making them think of what they're not going to do. As long as the idea is repetitiously in their head, we've got our foot in the door ...

1673. It's Hell, I Say: Herod Speaks

Matthew 2:1-12

Drama

Dr. Raymond Bailey

... for me, from a first century perspective, is -- I do wonder about your culture -- is the best you have to honor on postage stamps Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley? Do you not have family portraits hanging on the wall of your home? Do you understand the kind of narrow-mindedness I had to deal with? Secondly, even if you do object to graven images, is there not a place for tolerance of differences? You should have seen the squabble that occurred when I allowed Gentiles to erect statues of myself. I guess I ...

1674. Christians Aren't Perfect; They Are Forgiven

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

... relationship deteriorates. I know over the last couple of weeks in speaking with several members of this church, that they have experienced this brokenness in their own lives. They know how crucial it is for them to find some kind of restoration, some kind of healing for their situation. We experience this broken relationship in at least three dimensions: our relationship to God, our relationship to others; our relationship to ourselves. Even then you cannot so neatly divide these three dimensions of our ...

1675. Lent 5

Luke 21:1-4 · Psalm 36:5-9

Bulletin Aid

Jack Brownlee

... home she stopped at the market to buy some rice and bread (it would go well with the meat); she gave a half cent to a beggar with one leg (poor thing); a package of lamp wicks for Malcolm (she had to make sure that they were the new kind, the Roman kind, for Malcolm had all the latest things). Finally, she kept some money for the offering at temple (it felt good to be able to give again). Several times she had pretended to drop coins into the offering, but knew that mouths turned to whisper in eager ears at ...

Showing results