Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 151 to 175 of 4999 results

Galatians 5:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... . No one on his or her own part can give more than 100% no matter what football coaches say. If we are going to exceed what the world expects of us, we are going to have to have something more. We need the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that come only from having the Spirit of the living God within us. That’s the 101% Christ can give us. Pray for his Spirit to dwell in your heart and focus on the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience ...

152. Instructions to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... (cf. 2 Tim. 1:13; 2:2; 3:10). (The gist of this sentence will be repeated with more detail in 2 Tim. 3:14–16.) 4:7–8 Almost as a reflex action, Paul’s mentioning the good teaching calls forth a contrast with the bad kind. Indeed, his own word order, with the imperative coming last, serves to highlight the contrast. “But (Gk. de, untranslated in the NIV) godless myths and old wives’ tales, have nothing to do with.” For myths, see discussion on 1:4. Here they are characterized as godless, meaning ...

153. The Sign of Jonah

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... dung of an animal. Isn't it amazing how God works! See, in nature you see this over and over again. What is honey? The nectar of nature. But what? Bee “dung.” That is what honey is. In Asian cultures Geishas spend days trying to look beautiful with a kind of white paint. Do you know what this white paint is that they put on their faces? Nightingale “dung” - you got it! What do mushrooms grow in? What makes them so succulent and tasty? Well, you know what it is! I want to challenge you to go to the ...

154. The Power of the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... salvation. Once thoroughly oiled, he dances about like a spring chicken. In the scriptures, oil is also used as a healing elixir. It is used on the skin and body to heal wounds and to keep the skin supple and ward off dryness. Ever get static in your hair –the kind that makes your hair stand up? A bit of oil will tame that right down. That’s the beauty of all of those popular oils women and men use in their hair to keep it just in place. But oil is also used in scripture as a means of anointing ...

155. God's GPS

Genesis 28:10-22

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , and then as pillar/altar overpoured with oil tugs at my metaphorical imagination. It would be a great set of metaphors to look at further. Additionally, the idea of “sleep” is interesting in the scriptures. God puts Adam to sleep in order to create Eve (a kind of cutting of covenant). God puts Abraham to sleep in order to cut his covenant with him, laying out animals and walking through in smoke and fire. God also appears in a vision to Jacob, as he sleeps, and Jacob clearly knows God was present. God ...

156. Third Day

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... stabilizers, you couldn’t do much about it, except stick it out and wait for the wave to pass. One day, Webster’s friend, writer Sanford Bennett, came by and found him quietly hunched over his desk, a dark mood clearly clouding his countenance, and Bennett kindly asked him if he was alright. Webster replied, “I will be by and by.” At those words, Bennett exclaimed, “You know, that phrase would make a great song –in the by and by, in the sweet by and by.” With that, Webster and Bennett both got ...

157. Formed by the Potter's Loving Hand

Jeremiah 18:1--19:15, John 8:48-59, John 9:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , re-forming us into that beautiful image, all the while releasing the sweetness of God’s original breath. For when we are formed by God, when we allow God to mold us and remake us, we exude the sweetness of God’s holy spirit within us. What does that kind of sweet, sweet spirit look like? Sound like? You. And you. And you. And you. It sounds like a people in prayer. Today, as you come forward to the altar, receive the anointing of the Rose of Sharon. The Rose of Sharon is named for the Song of Solomon ...

158. Mercy Me!

Romans 14:1--15:13, Luke 6:27-36, Luke 6:37-42, Luke 6:43-45

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me." So sings the psalmist in Psalm 38:3-4. The hardest of burdens are the ones we inflict upon ourselves with our insistence on judging and critiquing our neighbors –and by neighbors, I mean that in a very Mr. Rogers kind of way! Jesus was a lover of mercy because God is a merciful God. We are called to be lovers and livers of a merciful and loving spirit. The only way to do this is to allow Jesus to reside within our heart. Jesus, the great healer, the great ...

159. Stop the PANIC!

Luke 15:1-32 · Exodux 15:1-27--16:36 · Psalm 23

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... in the chaos of our own dilemma, wading around in hopelessness and despair, sinking into a mud-pit of confusion and disassociation that doesn’t allow us easily to climb back out. If blessing is the ultimate connect, blaming is the ultimate disconnect. That’s the kind of “wandering” I can imagine happened on the trip from Egypt to the Promised Land. Now I know it’s a long way…but look, Jesus and Mary and Joseph did it after Jesus’ birth. Abraham did it. Several others made the trip from Egypt ...

160. Garden of Love

John 20:10-18, Song of Songs 4:1-16, Revelation 22:1-6

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... in our sleep. When we embrace the truth of the risen Jesus, we feel Him deeply, and that soul-sigh leaves with us a kind of memory imprint, a song that stays in our head and plays over and over and over again like that springtime bird outside your ... so tenderly and deeply that we are forever ensnared within its lure and litany. What moves us, changes us. The resurrection of Jesus is that kind of Song of Songs that croons to tender hearts. It forces us to face that what Jesus did is real! It’s not just a ...

161. Under the Fig Tree

John 1:43-51

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... Or we might ask, “Where do you know me from?” Or better, “How do you know my heart, what I believe, who I am?” Jesus replies, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Jesus has already recognized his ability for knowledge, the kind of Jewish student he is, what he is studying and believes in, and his ability to recognize and believe in the Messiah and the time to come. He has discerned his heart. Nathanael then replies, “Rabbi, you are the King of Israel, the Son of God!” He ...

162. A Little Bit of Honey

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... s world, we know many people who no longer take part in organized religion or institutional church. And yet, they bear some of the kindest hearts. They are slow to judge. They welcome God’s people in all their diversity and difference. They treat their neighbors kindly. They pay for coffee for the person behind them in line. Like the “Samaritan” in Jesus’ story, they walk across the green when they see someone in trouble. They are not afraid to talk to the child who is afraid and lost or to rescue ...

163. The Practice

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... How do we learn to do this? By developing our “community of practice.” We call it the church. For Jesus, the church was never a place in which “perfect” humans led “perfect lives.” All we need to do is read Paul’s letters to know the kind of patient and loving support the early churches needed in order to be reassured in their faith and their commitment to Christ. The Church is called to be a “safe space” for all people, a place without judgment when mistakes are made, a place in which all ...

164. Entertaining Tips for Christians

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... see, there's a world down there full of people who are poor and crippled and lame and blind and lonely and hungry. In fact, they're all poor or crippled or lame or blind in some way. It's a world that needs to be loved with my kind of love. The kind of love that keeps on giving and doesn't count the cost." "When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind." In other words, give to others who can't pay you back. Look for nothing in return. Practice random acts of ...

165. Epiphany 7

1 Corinthians 15:35-58, 1 Samuel 26:1-25, Genesis 45:1-28, Luke 6:27-36

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... describes the resurrection body. Last Sunday we learned that since Christ was raised, so the dead in Christ will be raised. If so, what kind of a body will the resurrected body be, or will there be a body at all? There will definitely be a body, a body ... related to the physical body v. 37. We will recognize each other. 2. A body for communication purposes We will talk to each other. b. The kind of body God will give us vv. 42-44. 1. A spiritual body for a spiritual estate v. 44. 2. A body that will not grow ...

166. Epiphany 4

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5, Micah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... of sacrificial gifts accompanied by the proper rituals. The prescription that follows for how one can stand before the judgment seat of God is one of the most exalted in the Old Testament: "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (v. 8). Old Testament: Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13 God's judgment will pass and the remnant left in Israel will be characterized as humble and righteous. Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Last week's epistle lesson dealt ...

167. Rules For A Happy Life

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... ethics? Would you want to live in a world in which everyone acted just as you do? Suppose your neighbors were to be exactly the kind of neighbor you are. If you're still in school and are tempted to cheat on a test, do you want to attend a school ... than the outcome of any game. Cliche though it may seem to the cynics among us, winning eventually proves to be a matter of what kind of man or woman I am becoming. Saint John held forth a high standard for us Christians when he wrote: "... what we will be has ...

168. What Do You Mean, "Repent"?

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Thomas Long

... we are laid off from our work. It happens in one form or another to everyone, and such experiences call for a changing of goals, a reformulation of values, an alteration of the ways we cope with life and make our key decisions. This is, of course, a kind of repentance, but only a mild form. It is really more like growth, or maturation, since, in most such experiences, we do not draw a new hand, but only make a few discards and rearrange the cards we have. We adjust, but do not fundamentally change. This is ...

169. A Thankful Heart

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Erskine White

... away with it because I'm a minister and ministers are supposed to be nice to other people, but you might have a harder time explaining why you were driving so courteously.) Anyway, how do you think my little experiment came out? Out of eleven people who benefited from my kindness on the road, only two nodded or waved to say "thank you." The rest kept on going, as if whatever I was doing for them didn't matter at all. I think most of us are like the nine lepers in the story, or the people I saw driving the ...

170. Give Me A Break!

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Larry Goodpaster

... Rest! Blessed rest! Just what we need. For all who are worn out, burned out, tired out, fed up and ready to give up: rest! Jesus invites us to discover the same refreshment and release which enabled him to bear up under the strain of days after days of “those kind of days.” And here is the rest for which we have sought: “take my yoke upon you… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29a, 30).” Hold it, Jesus, you just lost me! How could you possibly speak of rest in one breath and ...

171. WHAT IS MAN?

Sermon

Larry Powell

... , how is it that at times we read the outpourings of his tormented soul which cried out for some sign of God's existence, and then read in the very next Psalm, from the same person, "The fool says in his heart there is no God." Of a truth, our kind, humankind, is the most complex creature that God has made. We confuse even ourselves. Paul perhaps said it best: "The good that I would do, I do not; that which I would not do, that is what I do." The Bible takes into account that we are frequently "more than ...

172. The Man Who Didn’t Care

Luke 16:19-31

Sermon

Carveth Mitchell

... , but Dives just didn’t care. It was not what Dives did that got him into hell; it was what he did not do. 3. It comes down to this: we are the brothers of Dives, those whose eternal destiny is yet to be determined. What kind of persons are we becoming? Dives was evidently not actively evil, deliberately devilish or consciously cruel. He was just carelessly heartless. He had lost his compassion. He had buried his brotherhood. Rags and ulcers left him unmoved and uncaring. They were merely a part of the ...

173. Fasting: Foolish or Fruitful?

Matthew 6:16-18

Sermon

... , "When you fast, you give up little things that do not really matter." They are trivia, shallow, and superficial. You give up itsy-bitsy things like cokes and candy, or coffee and cake, These are not demanding. How can you say you make a real sacrifice with that kind of fasting? Then, too, if you fast on one thing, you compensate with something else. For example if you give up desserts, later you are hungry and make up for it by having a sandwich which ordinarily you would not eat. If you say that you are ...

174. Epiphany 7

Lk 6:27-38 · 1 Cor 15:45-49 · 1 Sam 26:1-25 · Gen 45:3-11, 15

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... do what we ought comes from the example of God. Then as we judge not, condemn not, forgive, and give, we will receive in kind. Do to others, therefore, what God wants and you reap the same blessings. Lesson 1: Genesis 45:3-11, 15 1. Near (v. 4). After ... related to the physical body - v. 37. We will recognize each other. 2. A body for communication purposes - We will talk to each other. B. The kind of body God will give us - vv. 42-44 1. A spiritual body for a spiritual estate - v. 44 2. A body that will not ...

175. The Bite of The Lying Tongue

Exodus 20:1-21, James 3:1-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... at the opening. "Do you mean that white lies are okay? Just what do you mean by a white lie?" "Well," drawled Miss Lillian, "Do you remember when you came in this morning and I told you how nice you looked and how glad I was to see you...?" Another kind of dishonesty is the BOASTING LIE. This is the lie told to make us look better. For example, a young lawyer had just opened his office. Business was zero, but he didn't want this to be apparent. So, when a man walked into the office he quickly grabbed the ...

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