Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 151 to 175 of 779 results

151. Worship, Doubt, and the Trinity

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). This is all the work of the Triune God, whose grace is sufficient to deal with every fear that oppresses us, whose power is made perfect in our weaknesses — yes, even in our doubts! The great commission of Matthew 28 shows that the Triune God does not hold back from us. Verb upon verb is piled up: go, disciple, baptize, teach, obey, and remember. The key is probably that last one: remember. The only way we ever overcome our doubts and fears is ...

152. Shared Promises

Luke 1:39-45

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . Everything about your faith requires you to be engaged with someone or something else. When we engage in a relationship with Jesus, our next requirement is to live out that relationship in relationship with others. That’s discipleship. That’s the great commission. That is Christianity. God’s promise to God’s people is a shared promise: salvation for all, including for the earth itself. Redemption and healing is a togetherness journey, a building of a kingdom community, a “last will be first ...

153. Praying All the Way

John 17:1-11

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... of the prayers the Spirit still sighs over today. Yet for Jesus’ first disciples and for us, there are foretastes of that unity he prayed for. The disciples were gathered together when Jesus appeared to them after his resurrection. They received his great commission to share the good news, and the impact of their combined ministry has endured over the centuries. Today in my area, two churches of different denominations share the same building and partner together on community outreach. Two members in my ...

154. Where's God?

John 16:12-15

Sermon

David Coffin

... enter the kingdom of God, one has to be born of water and spirit. Most Christian traditional beliefs are that baptism is necessary on the Christian journey. Some practice infant baptism for the entire family with biblical support from Matthew 28:16-20 (the great commission) and Acts 16 (the jailor and his whole family are baptized). Other faith traditions hold to a baptism event only after one has confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord. They can point to many conversion experiences in the Book of Acts to make ...

155. Commissioned for Christ

2 Kings 2:1-12

Sermon

Richard Gribble

On a warm and sunny early June day in 1943, John Francis Laboon, "Jake" to his friends, stood with his Naval Academy classmates on Warden Field; it was graduation day. These men were the class of 1944, but because of World War II raging in both the Pacific and European theaters, and thus need of their presence in the fleet, the class was "accelerated" one year in its training. A rough and tumble young man from the steel town of Pittsburgh, Jake had come to the academy in the summer of 1940. He excelled in ...

156. Caring for the Needy and Commissioning Apostles

Mark 3:7-12, Mark 3:13-19

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: Jesus again leaves the urban setting for a ministry at the Sea of Galilee, healing the sick and demonstrating authority over all powers. At the same time, we see the second stage of discipleship as Jesus elects and empowers twelve disciples/apostles, making them the restored new Israel. Understanding the Text This passage (3:7–12) begins a new section of ministry by the lake (3:7–6:6). At the same time, it starts another cycle in Mark (defined by Jesus’s ministry to the disciples, the crowds, and ...

157. The Lord’s First Commission to Jonah and Jonah’s Disobedience

Jonah 1:1-17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1–3 · The Lord’s first commission to Jonah:While we cannot be certain exactly how God conveyed his message to Jonah, the initial phrase, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah,” typically introduces divine communication in the Old Testament. The Lord commands Jonah literally to “rise and go to Nineveh,” two commands that recur in Jonah’s second commissioning from God (3:1). The text characterizes Nineveh as a great city, most notably as the capital of Assyria. Nineveh’s inhabitants were well known for their ...

158. Isaiah’s Commission

Isaiah 6:1-13

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Isaiah’s Commission--To Stop People Hearing: The fact that this testimony comes here rather than as chapter 1 further reflects the fact that the book called Isaiah is arranged logically rather than chronologically. Chapter 6 takes up many of the motifs in chapters 1–5. It also opens a section of the book in which narrative is more dominant (6:1–9:7) and that stands at the center of chapters 1–12 as a whole. Yahweh’s holiness and the implications of that holiness are of key importance to the chapter. 6:1–4 ...

159. Jonah’s Second Commission and Nineveh’s Response

Jonah 3:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

3:1–4 · Jonah’s proclamation of the Lord’s message to Nineveh:The Lord’s second commission to Jonah mirrors 1:1–3 almost verbatim, although in this instance Jonah obeys the Lord and travels to Nineveh. While in 1:2 the Lord states the reason for Jonah’s visit to Nineveh, in 3:2 Jonah is simply told to proclaim the message the Lord is about to give him. The adjective “great” describes the city four times (1:2; 3:2, 3; 4:11), indicating its political, cultural, and geographic importance. Nineveh, located at ...

160. Worship Leads to our Being Commissioned

Isaiah 6:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

Call to Worship Pastor: The holy God is in our midst; and we are unclean in his sight. People: We know how Isaiah felt when he said, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips." Pastor: Yes, but remember there was cleansing. And most important, there was the commission. People: Cleanse us, Lord, that we may know how Isaiah felt when he said, "Here am I, send me." Collect Most holy God, who entrusts your holy message with us lowly creatures: Draw us into your holy of holies and cleanse our lives in ...

161. The Great Sacrifice of Love

Luke 9:18-27, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

In the fifteenth century, a rural village in Germany was home to a family with eighteen children. The family was poor, but despite the difficulty of making ends meet, two brothers in the family still held a dream, namely to pursue their talent as artists. With the financial situation bleak the two boys came up with their own solution to the problem. They agreed to toss a coin with the loser going to the local mines to work so he could support the other while he attended art school. When the first was ...

162. Great Feast or Sad Fast

Luke 14:1-14, Luke 14:15-24

Sermon

Eric Ritz

As we open God''s word from Luke 14, we find that a grand invitation has been extended by a king to invite persons to a delicious and festive banquet. Our God is a God who invites. One of the things that we notice about this parable is that it instructs us in what gets us into the kingdom and what keeps us out. The kingdom of God or the reign of God is often compared to a grand feast rather than a sad supper. As we open our scripture lesson, we see that Jesus is having dinner at the home of a distinguished ...

163. Great Balls of Fire!

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Happy Natal Day, church! As a kid did you ever terrorize a sibling by scuffing your feet on the carpet and walking towards your “prey” with an index finger pointing at them? The threat, of course, was “static electricity.” If you touched you brother or sister, it meant a small but smarting little zap. A small shock — big fun! A local grocery store (actually, the local Orcas Island Supermarket where we live) recently bit the bullet and spent big money on some major renovations. Among the improvements was ...

164. A Great High Priest

Hebrews 4:12-16

Sermon

King Duncan

It is not unusual for persons visualizing Christ to see him as being like themselves. The extreme of this is probably Van Gogh's painting which he called PIETA. It is a painting of Jesus and his mother. The unique characteristic of the picture is that Jesus has red hair. Obviously it is highly doubtful that Jesus had red hair. Very few people living in that part of the world do, but Van Gogh had red hair and that is how he saw Jesus. There is that natural tendency to paint Christ in our own image. Yet for ...

165. The Keys to the Car

Acts 2:1-21; John 20:21

Illustration

Don Walker

There are transitional moments in life that confirm something tremendous has taken place. One of those moments occurs in a teenager's life and in lives of the parents of that particular teenager, when a mom or a dad gives to him or her the keys to the car for the first time for a solo run. What a transitional moment this is! Many of us have already experienced this. Some of you still have to experience it in life, but, I guarantee you, it's going to happen. It's going to be a step of growth for you. It's a ...

166. Christmas Preparations We Often Forget

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

Robert Beringer

It does not seem to bother the children that Christmas is so close. Why is it they never seem to have any trouble getting ready for it? We older and wiser ones make a much harder thing of it; we always insist there is so much to do to get ready. Perhaps the difference is that the children are content to let Christmas happen, while we are so sure that it can't happen unless we do all the right things to make it happen. Many of the things we do to adorn this season, to set the stage for the drama that is ...

167. God Loves the People

Matthew 28:16-20

Illustration

Tom Rietveld

The United States today is very similar to what 18th century England was like. Morals were all but gone on the part of the common man. The slave trade was at its height. A godless prison system entertained the people with public hangings. Gambling was a national obsession--one historian said that England was a vast casino. Drinking dominated the pastime of men and boys. False rumors were regularly used to manipulate the financial markets. Also, the Anglican church was in decay. Zeal for Christ was ...

168. The Sound of Joy

Genesis 17:1-27, Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 18:16-33, Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Rejoice in the Lord always….again I say rejoice!” (Phil 4:4) “I grieve if my brother dies because I no longer have personal communion with him. But I can have a deep, abiding joy, for I know that death does not have the final word. It has been conquered in Christ’s death and resurrection.” (2 Tim. 1:10) We are a people born of laughter! Literally, we are all as Christians part of God’s holy people, in a covenant begun with Abraham and Sarah many years ago, when this elderly couple was granted an ...

169. Ezekiel's Call

Ezekiel 1:1-28, Ezekiel 2:1-3:15, Ezekiel 3:16-27

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

Ezekiel’s Message of Judgment – Intro to Ezek. 1–33: The first major section of the book of Ezekiel is an unstinting portrayal of God’s judgment, communicating this message in seven parts. First, in chapters 1–3, God calls the prophet and gives him the message he is to bear through a shattering vision of the Lord’s Glory. Second, in chapters 4–7, a series of sign-acts and oracles of judgment convey the inevitability of Jerusalem’s destruction. Third, in Ezekiel’s second vision of the Glory (chs. 8–11), ...

170. Body / Ambassador

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

5:11–15 In this section, Paul draws a conclusion (note the “therefore,” Since, then [oun], in v. 11) to the previous discussion. He rejects the opponents’ physical criterion for assessing the legitimacy of his apostolic office and seeks instead to establish valid, internal criteria. 5:11 The conclusion begins in verse 11, the expression fear the Lord tying in with what Paul has said about the judgment seat of Christ in verse 10. Since he is well aware that all people must give an account of their actions ...

171. Baptism of The Lord

Mt 3:13-17 ·Acts 10:34-48 · Is 42:1-9

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

THIS WEEK'S TEXT Revised Common: Is 42:1-9 · Acts 10:34-43 · Mt 3:13-17 Roman Catholic: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 · Acts 10:34-38 · Mt 3:13-17 Episcopal: Is 42:1-9 · Acts 10:34-38 · Mt 3:13-17 Lutheran: Is 42:1-7 · Acts 10:34-38 · Mt 3:13-17 Seasonal Theme: The Holy Spirit is prominently featured in the Epiphany Season pericopes. The Spirit does not act in isolation but works to create and sustain the spiritual community. Each week we will examine a different aspect of the Spirit's presence in Christian community. ...

172. Paul's Longing to Visit Rome

Romans 1:1-17

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

The Salutation The first seventeen verses of Romans serve as an introduction to the epistle and fall into three parts. The first part, verses 1–7, is Paul’s salutation. In the second part, verses 8–15, Paul introduces himself and speaks of his desire to visit Rome. The third and final part is verses 16–17, in which Paul broaches the seminal theme of his gospel, justification by faith for both Jew and Gentile. First, the salutation. Letters in Hellenistic times followed a standard literary pattern. Unlike ...

173. The Apothecary

Isaiah 40:1-31, Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Prop: Apothecary mortar and pestle or apothecary jar / symbol of apothecary (snake on staff) “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair ...

174. The Angel and the Little Scroll

Revelation 10:1-11

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

The role played by the interlude in each of the three visions of divine wrath is the same: to cause the readers to assess their present crisis in terms of the future realization of God’s past triumph in Christ. In this sense, the crisis confronting unbelieving humanity is a theological one. Their vision is blinded by the “official” propaganda of the surrounding world order; thus, their life is anchored not by faith in a sovereign God but rather by a false confidence in the idols of the anti-Christian world ...

175. Lost in the Wonder of God

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Visuals: Mountain scenes “Jesus wept” . . . over Jerusalem, not just over the Temple. Place matters. We've made non-places of our neighborhoods and "places" of our temples. I am a product of a “place,” a “place” called mountain culture. More specifically, my “place” is the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia, and the Adirondack mountains of upstate New York. That means I grew up with grits and gravy, pinto beans and stewed tomatoes, biscuits and apple butter. We ate supper, not dinner. And we said ...

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