Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 151 to 175 of 747 results

151.

Psalm 101:1-8

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

... the temple desires of his worshipers. For the purpose of clear instruction Yahweh’s expectations are embodied in two character profiles, “the righteous” and “the wicked.” One’s loyalty to Yahweh is measured, in part, by the company with which one aligns oneself. These psalms, including Psalm 101, do not advocate a separate community (a ghetto, if you will), but they do advocate avoiding any participation with evil company in the deeds they practice.

152. Where's God?

John 16:12-15

Sermon

David Coffin

... water (John 1:26 RSV), the baptism into the kingdom of God which Jesus announces water and spirit. Jesus does not leave any people parentless or without guidance. He would remind the disciples of this before his arrest later in John 14:15-18, he leaves an advocate or counselor to all people of faith. Those who have recently lost their jobs are not alone. The God of creation who is the word made flesh (1:14 RSV) will leave his Spirit, and is mysteriously present with all people of faith. The ancient church ...

153. Remember

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ” Jesus’ words and his comforting demeanor, I imagine they can feel the peace that he tried to impart. Jesus told them these things on purpose, so that he could help them move forward: “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.” “Now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe.” And then he said ...

154. Chief Among Sinners

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

... being brought low and the low being lifted up. This was how the poor’s good news got proclaimed in tangible reparation. This was the Son of Man, looking out, looking up, and seeing a chance to turn an unethical insider into an unlikely advocate for every outsider struggling to survive. God, it seems, takes the chief among sinners and turns them into primary examples of life-changing grace. Those who know in the core of their being that they have been forgiven, spend their lives paying it forward, fourfold ...

155. In Pursuit Of The Promise

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Douglas J. Deuel

... the good news of how Jesus had transformed their lives. It would be unlikely that many people at this time would not have heard of Jesus. Yet, it is highly probable that people were not fully aware of the events of Easter and their meaning. Roman officials advocated the theory that Jesus' followers had stolen Jesus' body out of the tomb. It was up to the early Christians to carry out the message that Jesus was alive and accessible to them. A witness is someone who is willing to step forward and speak from ...

156. An Extremely Odd Couple

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

J. Will Ormond

... whimpering her request through piteous tears. The only line she is given in the story is a straightforward, legitimate request: "Grant me justice against my opponent." We are not told who her opponent is nor what injustice she has suffered. But she seems to have no advocate, and her status as a widow makes her easy prey for a variety of unscrupulous characters. Her case is probably like many the judge hears every day. It may seem unimportant to the judge, but it is of crucial concern to her. Between her and ...

157. Easter Power

John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... at work will fare far better with those who are forgiving people than they will with those who hew legalistically to the personnel manuals. In the community, progress will be and can be made when there are significant persons who are able to be advocates and reconcilers in the human relations that always suffer from the push people make for their individual rights and for their special agendas. The people who have the real power at the top in international situations are those who can practice the art of ...

158. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

Isaiah 25:1-12

Sermon

Zan W. Holmes

... to provide bread for "all peoples." Therefore it was no mere coincidence that among those who died with him in his final mission on behalf of the "least of these" were African Americans, whites, seven Ethiopians, Christians, and Ivan Tilliem, a Jewish philanthropist and anti-hunger advocate. So Mickey died as he lived, a citizen of the world. So likewise our text calls us to live, serve, and die, knowing that God wants everybody to come to dinner at the Lord's table. We also know that this is the same God ...

159. No Box Seats In The Kingdom

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

William G. Carter

... better place. If they have any kind of social responsibility, it is "a kind of public relations whipped cream decorating the corporate pudding."4 What if church people who work for our great corporations decided to speak up? What if we served the world by advocating the things we really need: like an equitable wage for anybody who can work, an environment that nurtures human health, a means for strangers to live in peace, and, most of all, a sense of holy purpose whereby our daily work counts for something ...

160. The Perisitent Noise Of Solemn Assemblies

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... individually. We could, of course, speak of many modern variations of the Good Samaritan story. We could have some medical doctors pass by on the other side, unwilling to stop out of fear for later being sued for malpractice. We could have certain law and order advocates who want order at any price, who pass by on the other side in pursuit of the robbers, ignoring the victim's cry for help. Far more often however, those of us accustomed to solemn assemblies have taken the role of the pious individualist who ...

161. Extreme Measures

1 Kings 21:1-29

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... planned the debacle from start to finish. We thank God for the saints of justice, undaunted and bold, who come forth and speak the truth on behalf of the innocent. They are unafraid of the repercussions of power, but possess the strength and resolve to be advocates for human justice. Such persons put their lives on the line for love, truth and freedom. They know the hazards of the undertaking, but they speak for God and claim his promises for victory. They are men and women who do not shirk the awesome task ...

162. On Golf, Swimming, Gardening and Lent?

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... learn from his example, that none of us has to stay with a bad beginning. None of us has to live with a bad shot. None of us has to be content with the mistakes of the past, and any guilt that may tie us to them. We have an advocate, a gardener if you will, who will free us from such burdens, who will give us courage to try again, and who will stand by us in the efforts we make to live as his people. Maybe this day the owner will come. What will his judgment be? Fruit? Maybe ...

163. Baptism And Self-Esteem

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... human being is severely crippled. Why do you think abused children so often grow up to abuse their children or to become criminals? They have no self-esteem. Do you remember the cheerful and goofy guru of weight loss, Richard Simmons? Why is he not only an advocate of weight loss but also such a cheerleader and promoter of positive thinking? You aren't going to be able to shed those pounds until you start feeling good about yourself. Just think of someone who is successful in life? Doesn't he or she have a ...

164. Wicked Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... He was assassinated by a fanatic from his own religion who thought he betrayed it in trying to overcome the violence between the Hindu and Moslem populations after independence of India from Great Britain was granted. Martin Luther King, Jr., practiced and advocated Christian love and nonviolence in his struggle for civil rights. He was stabbed and almost killed by a black woman. Later he was assassinated for his beliefs and actions for civil rights, economic justice and opposition to the war in Vietnam. It ...

165. The Holy Spirit As The Dove Of Peace

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... Holy Spirit is a creative and diverse community, yet a community where peace prevails characterized by openness and freedom, as well as, togetherness and unity. The words in John 14 tie together the concept of both the coming of the Holy Spirit and Jesus' desire for peace. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do ...

166. Demon-Possessed Child

Matthew 15:1-20, Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

... knew that in God's mind I am worthy. She did not give up on me. My mother also did not give up on Jesus. Asker: Sometimes we are totally unaware that someone near to us or who cares for us as deeply as a parent also stands as an advocate. Daughter: I wonder how many other times my mother tried to get help for me when I was not even there. Her saying I counted spoke not only for me but for all children. The innocent wait while others argue about our fate. Interviewing The Woman Asker: I gather that ...

167. Brainstorms

Sermon

John R. Bodo

... God often makes spectacular use of uncredentialed people, much to their own surprise and bewilderment. God called Moses who stuttered; Amos who was surely illiterate; Saul of Tarsus, who qualified impressively as persecutor of the "Jesus sect" but hardly as their advocate and leader. And what credentials, beyond his alleged Davidic lineage, did Jesus have for the office of universal Messiah? Promises. Micah's mother had been saving 1,100 pieces of silver for a religious offering. Micah stole the money but ...

168. The Backside Of God

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... taxes, he would lose face with the masses, who deeply and passionately resented the Roman presence and domination; if he said it was wrong to pay taxes, he would take the side of those revolutionary types who, for political and religious reasons, advocated rejection of Roman authority and even rebellion against the empire. But Jesus turned the tables. There was more than one kind of coin available for use in first-century Judea. There were the standard Roman coins, minted with the likeness of the emperor ...

169. Responsibility And Motivation

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... , or financially abandon their aging parents. Children are regularly neglected or abused. Clearly we need to be reminded that there are obligations inherent in family and societal life of which we may be as unaware as Boaz was of his obligation to Ruth. There need to be advocates perhaps you and I who are willing to be as bold as Ruth was in that midnight hour and say, "You have an obligation to others, not just yourself, and we will help you make the proper choice." The story of Ruth arrives at a happy ...

170. The Christian Journey I: The Path

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... all twelve disciples faltered. But the good news is that as we progress and are challenged, we are not left alone. We too are met along the road by the resurrected Jesus in the experience of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus promised in John 14:26, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you." As we continue on the path, as we struggle with new situations and grapple with their meaning, as did Cleopas and his ...

171. Guilt And Grace

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... sharp word and thoughtless deed, every ugly thought rises up to condemn you. You, too, realize you deserve to die. But there is One in the courtroom who is there to defend you, at a moment when you can't even defend yourself. It's Jesus Christ, our advocate, the righteous one (1 John 2:1), the Son of God. Radiant with power and glory, he stands in the courtroom and pleads for you. "Yes," he says, "this one, the sinner, deserves to die. But I have already claimed this one for myself -- not because of this ...

172. Leave It On The Course

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Sermon

Robert R. Kopp

... because I'd start to look at people differently. He told me never to learn how to use office machinery. And he told me to play golf. He was my pastor, wanted the best for me, and I've followed his advice throughout my ministry. He advocated golf because he believed everybody needs something to get her or his mind off the problems of life and vocation. He could have said bowling, tennis, bridge, or something else because it is the intention not the vehicle that matters. Reverend Mante was counseling me to ...

173. Advent 4

Luke 1:26-38, Romans 16:1-27, 2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sermon Aid

E. Carver McGriff

... symphonic quality music for granted. 2. This will result in changes in worship. I know one preacher who has some kind of earphone and who records his sermon on Saturday, then uses it as a hidden prompter on Sunday. I personally disapprove of this, being an advocate of preaching without notes. But he's young and I'm not, so he'll carry the day. One very effective worship program in my city makes use of video clips as illustrations. Now another large church nearby is building a multi-million dollar sanctuary ...

174. Moving At The Speed Of Light: At The Jordan

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... our lives. But now as we set out to be on our way and step across the stones which could have been heaped on our heads, maybe we will hear the echo of his voice or remember how he stooped to draw in the dust, thinking of how he could advocate for us ... thinking of how to describe for us his love. 1. Lee Atwater with Todd Brewster, "The Last Campaign," Life magazine, XIV (February 1991), pp. 58-62.

175. Proper 8

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

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Elijah's spirit were transferred to Elisha, and his ministry as prophet was launched. Epistle: Galatians 5:1, 13-25 Christian freedom is to live and walk by the Spirit. The Galatian churches were in danger of being bound by a false gospel. Some were advocating a slavery to rules, regulations, and rituals such as circumcision and other Mosaic laws. In contrast, a Christian has freedom from these things because Christ fulfilled the Law for us. We are free from the demands of the Law to be saved. By faith in ...

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