Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1701 to 1725 of 4884 results

Luke 18:9-14, Joel 2:18-27, Joel 2:28-32, 2 Timothy 3:10--4:8, 2 Timothy 4:9-18

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... God? 2. Award (v. 8). Paul looks forward to receiving an award from God in terms of a victor's crown of righteousness or of acceptance by God. Is it right to expect a reward in heaven? For some years now some have refrained from giving awards to children for perfect attendance or for memory work in the church school. The argument is that we ought to do good for God's sake and not for an award. Maybe we ought to re-think this. Today we award a trophy to those who win athletic contests such as the Olympic ...

1702. Proper 8

Luke 9:57-62, Galatians 5:16-26, 2 Kings 2:1-18, Luke 9:51-56

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... calling down fire to burn up the village that rejected him, Jesus "rebuked" them. We often forget this side of Jesus. We usually think of a man meek and mild and one who always turns the other cheek. We think of Jesus solely as a person of perfect kindness and understanding. But Jesus can become angry over wrong. He criticized and gave strong disapproval to James and John for wanting to get revenge. 3. Fit (v. 62). Who is "fit" to be a disciple of Jesus? Who is worthy? Who is not qualified? Jesus answers ...

1703. Where Can I Go From Your Spirit?

Psalm 139:1-24

Eulogy

Barbara G. Schmitz

... we die anymore than we were hidden from God before we were born. The Spirit is with us today to comfort us in our sorrow. The Spirit is ever present with us. The Spirit knows us inside and out. The Spirit is in us, working in us that which is perfect in God's sight. In the words of Simon Browne: So come, gracious Spirit, heavenly dove, with light and comfort from above; be thou our guardian, thou our guide o'er every thought and step preside. Lead us to Christ, the living way, nor let us from his precepts ...

1704. A Sheep Of Your Own Flock

Psalm 23:1-6

Eulogy

Barbara G. Schmitz

... :10). Christ the good shepherd guides and protects us, watches over us, shelters and leads us. Christ the good shepherd has laid down his life for the sheep. And now, may the God of peace, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP p. 503).

1705. For All The Saints

Revelation 7:9-17

Eulogy

Barbara G. Schmitz

... of saints on earth is reduced by one today. So first of all today, we give mighty thanks for having known and loved this saint. Who From Their Labors Rest Secondly, we come together to "pray with confidence to God, the Giver of Life, that God will raise N. to perfection in the company of the saints" (BCP p. 466). It was Jesus Christ himself who said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We pray today for N., that he [she] may rest from his [her] labors and enter ...

1706. Easter 5

John 13:31-38, Psalm 148:1-14

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... men and women alike,old and young together! PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of hope, you promise to make all things new, to make a new heaven and a new earth. You have been patient in your desire to restore your world to its original perfection. You have shown great forbearance to belligerent and stubborn humanity. Forgive our unwillingness to be changed, to be open to others, to open the doors of the church to those quite different from ourselves. We are sorry for the petty quarrels that spoil the resemblance ...

1707. Epiphany 3

Lk 4:14-21 · 1 Cor 12:12-31 · Nehemiah 8 · Ps 19

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD ...

1708. Proper 15

Psalm 80:1-19, Luke 12:49-53

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... family and friends on issues of principle and obedience to your word, grant, God of grace, that we may be found on your side or with the humility to discover our error and to cross over to your company with Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayer of Thanksgiving Perfect Parent, we are grateful for the love which disciplines us, that you are not indifferent to the way we live, that you want us to learn our lessons, to improve our behavior, to share your holiness. We are thankful for the human parents, pastors, teachers ...

1709. Proper 17

Luke 14:1-14, Psalm 81:1-16

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... like your truthful and true Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. Declaration of God's Forgiveness Hear the Good News! Jesus is mediator of the new covenant, and his sprinkled blood will purify us and make us worthy of the company of the spirits of good people made perfect. Friends, believe the Good News. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Exhortation As you have taken the place of humility in the confession of your sins, accept the invitation to the place of honor as one of God's children, and citizens of the heavenly ...

1710. Proper 5

Luke 7:11-17, 1 Kings 17:7-24, Psalm 146:1-10, Galatians 1:11-24

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... of despair and put on baptismal robes of holiness and everlasting life by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. PRAYER OF DEDICATION Let us give you our life, day by day, as long as we live, timeless God, until in death you take us to higher service. Then perfect us in that service to which we are now apprenticed in Jesus Christ. Amen. PSALM 146:1-10 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Do not ...

1711. Easter 4

John 10:22-42

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... long will you keep us in suspense?" they asked. Some forms of suspense make us uncomfortable. We do not appreciate being forced to examine our lives. "If you are the Christ, tell us plainly," they demanded. We are not patient either. Your message is perfectly clear, Lord! The plan for our salvation has been fulfilled! Jesus has been raised! Death has been conquered! New life is available today! Witnesses have carried this message to the ends of the earth and back again. As each new generation comes and goes ...

1712. Proper 11

Luke 10:38-42

Bulletin Aid

Dennis Koch

... idea, Lord. Keep the dinner simple. Reserve time to sit down and talk. It is easy to identify with Martha. She wanted the dinner to be special. She felt overworked and under-appreciated. Often, we fail to notice the negative impact that our pursuit of perfection can have upon our relationships with people. We may argue that everything is important. After all, a job worth doing is worth doing well. However, it is also true that some things are more important than others. It is important to take the time to ...

1713. What Do You Say To A Burning Bush?

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Steve Burt

... our shoes on, because our smelly feet would be even more offensive than our sandals, wouldn't they? Consider instead that this may be an invitation to make contact. God, who in later years would come among us as Jesus, isn't worried about remaining antiseptically perfect. God wants to come and be with us, to make contact, not to avoid it. Now think about this. Holiness doesn't depend on the condition of the place nor the condition of the person. Holiness, to be hallowed, depends on the presence of God. That ...

1714. Spirit-anointed Son Of God The Father

John 1:29-34

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... of the Christian faith permeates John's Gospel. Without the Trinity, his writing is something other than the gospel. Martin Luther looked upon John, among all the biblical writers, as the preeminent witness to the Trinity. In this, he was in perfect accord with the early church fathers. And in his Large Catechism, Luther emphasized the Trinity as that which "divides and distinguishes us Christians from all other people on earth." How strange it is, given the sustained biblical and confessional witness to ...

1715. How Blest Are Those Who Know Their Need Of God

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... success or failure, then the very way we look at and think about and plan for and live our lives is fundamentally altered, and we become new beings, now, in this present moment. We begin to view life from a different perspective. And the Beatitudes are a perfect window through which to view the breathtaking panorama of life. For through them, we see that when we are poor in spirit, when we mourn, when we are meek, when we hunger and thirst for righteousness -- when, in short, we haven't a single credit to ...

1716. Main Features And Coming Attractions

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... a preview of coming attractions. And today, on the Festival of the Transfiguration, so, too, are we -- a splendid preview of Jesus radiant in divine glory, his mortal nature brilliantly though only momentarily transfigured; a dazzling preview of his divinity, unalloyed and perfectly pure, shining in glory like the very sun. A sneak preview, in other words, of Easter, the triumphant climax of the epic love story between God and humankind. But like the preview in the movie theater, this is not the film that ...

1717. Running Around The Empty Tomb

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Thomas Long

... a poor hand; his cards showing on the table are "nondescript garbage." Astonishingly, though, he keeps up the betting pace, calling and raising Thomas at every opportunity. Thomas is puzzled since his own hand is a poker player's dream. It isn't absolutely perfect -- he is holding one poor card -- but other than this single little flaw his hand is virtually unbeatable. Why does Fred keep on betting against such odds? Why doesn't he fold? When the time comes to lay down the cards, though, Thomas is shocked ...

1718. Whispering The Lyrics

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Thomas Long

... Jimmie in chapel," they said, "and judge for yourself." So Sacks did watch Jimmie in chapel, and there he observed an astounding transformation. He saw an intensity and steadiness in Jimmie that he had not observed before. As he received the sacrament, there was "perfect alignment of his spirit with the spirit of the Mass." There in worship, Jimmie was no longer at the mercy of a faulty and fallible memory. "He was wholly held, absorbed ...." He whose mind was broken was given in worship, "a continuity and ...

1719. Facing Up To Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Thomas Long

... stay late at night, working with us on the props and pitching in on the painting of the sets. Unselfishly she gave herself to this moment in our lives. Night after night we rehearsed, and on opening night, we were ready; we had the play down perfectly. The curtains opened; the house was packed with our families and friends; electricity was in the air. The first act was a dream. The play was a comedy, and every funny line evoked rich laughter from the audience. They were enjoying themselves, and we were, too ...

1720. Bad Timing

Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

Thomas Long

... traded in their Edsels for Studebakers. They cannot help themselves; they are masters of bad timing. The mother of the sons of Zebedee -- that is, the mother of James and John -- is such a person. Taken in isolation, what she does in this story is perfectly understandable. If we cut her a bit of slack, it is perhaps even admirable. She is a mother looking out for her children. In context, however, this woman, like a blacksmithing major at the local vocational college, is a living embodiment of bad timing ...

1721. What A Friend He Had In Judas

Matthew 26:47-56

Sermon

Thomas Long

... a clumsy band of thugs armed with swords and clubs. Judas and his cohorts have a secret signal: Judas will go up to Jesus and kiss him. That way, Judas no doubt reasoned, the toughs will know which one is Jesus but the kiss will be a perfect camouflage. Jesus will be fooled into thinking that Judas is still a devoted and loving disciple. It didn't work. If the armed hooligans were not enough of a giveaway, Judas betrayed himself with his own words: "Greetings, Rabbi!" he burbled as he smeared the kiss on ...

1722. The Man From Galilee III: The Touch Of His Hand

Matthew 8:14-17

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... With the passing of time the hands of the artist became skilled, while the hands of the laborer became scarred. One night the artist saw his friend sitting by a window praying. And he decided to paint those hands which had been sacrificed so his skill could be perfected. Today we call them "The Praying Hands." Hands turned down to the sod and turned up to God have now become an inspiration to millions. How will you use your hands? When I was a boy I was impressed by the stories my father told in his sermons ...

1723. Lust - To Discipline The Eye And The Heart

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

R. Curtis Fussell

... time -- take your wife or husband out on a date! Another approach is to get realistic: appearances, as we all know, can be deceiving. If you really knew some of the most beautiful people in the world you would find that they are not perfect and that they are incapable of making your life a "happy ever after" story. Like everyone else, so-called "beautiful people" have their physical ailments, irritating habits, hang-ups, drives and dreams. You might well find it very difficult to live with them. The chances ...

1724. And Then Came The Angel

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

... Why, of course, I wouldn't think of getting you anything else." Truck or not, it would be a wonderful Christmas for Teresa and her family, and some playing around and joking with one another only added to the good spirit. One afternoon Teresa's mother received the perfect item in the mail. Pizza Hut was sending out coupons to people in the area. Attached to the coupons was a magnet to put on the refrigerator. But this was no ordinary magnet. This magnet was in the shape of a truck -- a red and white Pizza ...

1725. How Much Sin Is Too Much?

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

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

... makes us live out of fear. It makes us worry about things that are beyond our control. Any sin is too much, and yet we all make mistakes and commit errors and engage in sinful thoughts and words and deeds. The point is not that we are going to live perfect lives. We are never going to be free of sin, but even to ask, "How much is too much?" is to say we are straddling the fence and holding on for our lives. Even to ask the question says we have one foot in both worlds, wanting to be able ...

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