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 1726 to 1750 of 2273 results

1726. Perennial Money Changers

John 2:13-22

Illustration

Brett Blair

Money Changers have always been in the church. It was a shock in 1965 when Professor Thomas Altizer of EmoryUniversity, a man from within the church, expounded his God is dead theology in the "New York Times." More recently, seminary professors at the so-called "Jesus Seminar" attacked the nature of Jesus. Luther, in the sixteenth century, saw the evil of the church in the monopolistic hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. The evil was not from the government, but from within the church itself. In our ...

1727. Proper 12

Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15, 2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Here is the story of a tragedy of a great man's downfall, of one who committed two crimes both worthy of death. And can it be that one who killed a giant in the strength of the Lord, who by his playing stilled the nerves of a mentally ill king, one who was anointed king by God's prophet, one who could write, "The Lord is my shepherd," one who could offer a most beautiful prayer? David had reached a plateau of success, power and wealth. He lived a life of luxury ...

1728. Too Good Not to Be True

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

King Duncan

A company once hired a recent immigrant and put him to work in the mail room. To the foreman’s shock, the guy was a whiz. He stood in front of the sorting racks and shuffled the letters into slots with amazing speed. The foreman had never seen anything like it. At the end of the day, the foreman shook the new man’s hand, thanked him and said, “I’ve never seen anyone who could sort mail as fast as you.” The new immigrant smiled and said, “You think I’m good now you wait until I can read English.” (1) Well, ...

1729. Afraid No More

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

There are many things in life you and I may not understand. For some people, it’s modern art. A young woman goes to her first show at an art gallery. She studies the paintings carefully. One is a huge canvas that has black with yellow blobs of paint splattered all over it. The next painting is a murky gray color that has drips of purple paint streaked across it. She walks over to the artist and says, “I don’t understand your paintings.” “I paint what I feel inside me,” explains the artist. She looks at the ...

1730. Mark 4:35-41

Mark 4:35-41

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The sudden disappearance of the Air France flight on its way from Brazil to France was a grim reminder of how powerful are the forces of nature, and how powerless we remain before them. An enormous jetliner, outfitted with all the latest technological gizmos and gadgetry, was apparently swatted out of the sky by the fearsome wind and rain of a howling thunderstorm. The plane and most of those who perished in it remain lost, swallowed up by the depths of the sea. Little wonder that among humanity’s earliest ...

1731. We Are All in the Same Boat

Mark 4:35-41

Illustration

In the GardinerMuseum in Boston there is a painting by Rembrandt entitled "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee." It is Rembrandt's interpretation of this scene. It shows panic etched on the faces of the disciples, as their small vessel is being raised up on a high wave, about to be crashed down. Two of the disciples are attempting to rouse Jesus who is asleep in the stern of the boat. But if you look more closely, you will discover that there is something that is not quite right. There are too many people in ...

1732. Excellence in Giving

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

In today’s lesson Paul talks about “excellence in giving.” It’s tough to talk about giving when the country is going through uncertain times. I don’t know how you felt as you watched the stock market meltdown last fall. For some people it was a very helpless feeling. Some of you watched the money in your retirement accounts slowly disappear. One guy said he took a kind of Zen attitude towards it all. He started off with $50,000 Zen he had $40,000, Zen he had $30,000, Zen he had... Another man said his ...

1733. Proper 6

1 Samuel 15:34--16:13, Psalm 20:1-9, Mark 4:26-29, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 20:1 First Lesson—Samuel anoints David to be king over Israel after the failure of Saul on the throne. 1 Samuel 15:34–16:13 Second Lesson—For Paul, the death and resurrection of Jesus is a preparation for his and our salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17 Gospel—The Gospel according to Mark includes parables that the other Gospels include in more detail. Mark 4:26-34 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader ...

1734. How to Fail Successfully - Sermon Starter

Mark 6:1-13

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

It's amazing what we do with funny stories. We apply them to whomever we wish. For instance, you might hear one funny story with the legendary coach Bear Bryant as the primary actor. When you hear it again, the primary actor may be Johnny Majors. I heard a marvelous story sometime ago about Thomas Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer for the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company in fact, he told the story on himself. Lately I've been hearing it about President Clinton. So the story goes with the new ...

1735. Mark 6:14-29

Mark 6:14-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

People who think they are important, who think that they are important enough to have their names live on, repeat their names again and again. What am I talking about? Take former heavyweight champion and now indoor grill king, George Foreman. Foreman is also the father of five sons. He named all five “George.” Don’t ask, “Who comes when called?” Michael Jackson named both his sons “Prince Michael.” Michael’s older brother Jermaine Jackson named his daughter born in 2000 “Jermajesty.” But these recent ...

1736. Epiphany 2

Psalm 40:1-17, Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 40:1-11 First Lesson - The servant of the Eternal is a light to the nations. Isaiah 49:1-7 Second Lesson - Through Jesus Christ we know God's grace, receive all spiritual gifts, and are sustained to the end, when we will be found guiltless. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Gospel - John the Baptist titles Jesus the Lamb of God and heaven declares Jesus to be the Son of God who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. John 1:29-42 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you ...

1737. Small Saves

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A box came in the mail the other day. It was a surprise free gift from the local power company. Or I should say two free gifts. The power company sent every one of their customers a new “low flow” showerhead, designed to cut down on water usage, but still feel like a real shower. The second free gift was four of those new curly-q fluorescent light bulbs, the kind that last longer and use less electricity while putting out the same amount of light. This small act cost the power company a few thousand ...

1738. When You're Overwhelmed

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

I heard about a man recently in Minnesota who clearly needs to choose another profession. His name is Rafiq Abdul Mortland. Mortland had committed a string of robberies, and fortunately for him, he was eventually caught. I say fortunately, because during his crime spree, Mortland received the nickname, “The Rolaids Robber.” The reason he received this nickname was that, while he was robbing their store, he repeatedly asked store clerks for antacid tablets. Mortland needed the antacid because of the stress ...

1739. Jesus Takes Command

John 6:1-21

Illustration

Phillip Yancy

Only one miracle made it into all four gospels. It transpired on the grassy hills by the shores of the Sea of Galilee at a time when Jesus' popularity and also his vulnerability was cresting. Wherever he went, a throng that included many deranged and afflicted trailed behind. The day before the big miracle, Jesus crossed the lake to elude the masses. Herod had just executed John the Baptist, Jesus' relative, his forerunner and friend, and Jesus needed time alone to grieve. Doubtless, John's death provoked ...

1740. Did You Know...You Can Be Forgiven For Anything?

1 John 1:8-10

Sermon

James Merritt

OK, let's see how you do on this question: Who would be considered the most evil dictator of the last century? a. Saddam Hussein b. Adolph Hitler c. Ivan the Terrible d. Joseph Stalin And the answer is…d) Joseph Stalin Many people would think Adolph Hitler to be the answer with the horrific actions committed against Jews, but the truth is Joseph Stalin was responsible for over 30 million deaths beginning in the 1930's as the Soviet Union massacred 8 million in the Ukrainian Holocaust and then proceeded to ...

1741. Culture Shock

1 Kings 18:21-40

Sermon

James Merritt

The term "culture shock" was introduced for the first time in 1958 to describe the anxiety produced when a person moves to a completely new environment. The feeling of culture shock generally sets in after the first few weeks of coming to a new place. Even though I have never moved away from this country and lived in a different place altogether, I do have to tell you that over the last twenty years, I have experienced various degrees of culture shock right here in my own country. Let me tell you what I ...

1742. Got Milk?

1 Peter 2:1-3

Sermon

James Merritt

His name was Howard Hughes. As an aviator, he once held every speed record of consequence and was called the world's greatest flyer. At various points in his life he owned an international airline, two regional airlines, an aircraft company, a major motion picture studio, mining properties, a tool company, gambling casinos and hotels in Las Vegas, along with a medical research institute and a vast amount of real estate. He dated some of the most beautiful Hollywood stars of all time. When Howard Hughes ...

1743. A Commitment to "Words of Life"

John 6:56-69

Illustration

Brett Blair

Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Their conviction resulted in untold sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the war. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British navy ...

1744. What If It Happens To Me? The Fear of Suffering

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

James Merritt

I want to talk to you today about perhaps the most thorny issue confronting the Christian faith. In fact, it is the single biggest obstacle for non-Christians to overcome in order to become believers in Christ. George Barna, who is the George Gallup of the Christian world, conducted a national survey in which he asked this question, "If you could ask God only one question and you knew He would give you an answer, what would you ask?" By far and away the number one response was this one - "Why is there pain ...

1745. Will the Real God Please Stand Up?

2 Corinthians 13:14

Sermon

James Merritt

I have been to Israel on many occasions and without question, one of the most impressive architectural sites is what is known as the Dome of the Rock. It is the masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It was erected in 691 A.D. to enshrine the rock where traditionally it has been held that Abraham sacrificed Isaac. To this day it is probably the most distinctive and beautiful monument in all of Jerusalem. If you look carefully, you'll notice the geometry of a dome supported by an octagon shaped building. It ...

1746. I’m At the End of My Rope

2 Kings 4:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

James Dobson tells the true story of a little toddler named Frankie. He was a handful to say the least. One day he pulled a chair over to the front window of his house, and carefully placed it inside the drapes. He was standing there staring out at the world when his mother came looking for him. She spied his little white legs protruding beneath the drapes, and quietly slipped in behind him to see what he was doing. She got there just to hear him say to himself in very somber terms, "I've got to get out of ...

1747. What Do I Do - When I Don't Know What To Do?

2 Kings 4:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

I had graduated from college and thought that I wanted to go to seminary, but I began to have doubts about whether or not that really was what I should do. Even if it was what I wanted to do, I had been going to school non-stop for sixteen years and I was burned out. Quite frankly, I was at a crossroads in my life where I didn't know what to do. Should I go on to seminary or not? Was I really called into the ministry or not? If I didn't go to the seminary, in the meantime, what was I going to do? For the ...

1748. The Spin Zone

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

James Merritt

Question - What do King David, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton have in common? They all at one time entered "THE SPIN ZONE." What is "The Spin Zone"? The "Spin Zone" is when you enter into God's "No Sin Zone" out of a lust for power, sex, influence or money which causes you to sin which you then try to cover up. In the Garden of Eden God warned Adam and Eve about His "No Sin Zone" and they refused to listen, they entered into "The Spin Zone" and you know the rest of the story. Nixon had his Watergate, ...

1749. The Man in the Mirror

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

James Merritt

I will never forget the first time I was able to actually go to see the Master's golf tournament in person. I wanted to follow a young phenom by the name of Tiger Woods. I was right behind him on the seventeenth tee box to see him rip one of those majestic drives. In the split second that he hit the ball, one man in the crowd yelled at the top of his lungs - "You 'Da Man." Every time you go to a tournament you are going to hear someone yell that at Tiger Woods. I don't know how that phrase got its origin, ...

1750. What Do I Do When The Load Is Too Heavy?

Exodus 18:13-27

Sermon

James Merritt

I had just been elected the President of the Southern Baptist Convention about two months before and already I was having trouble sleeping. I was waking up many times at 3:30am and 4:00am in the morning. Why? I might have up to ninety-plus emails to respond to, a mountain of correspondence that I had to answer and you never knew when the media was going to come calling. I had agreed to travel all over the world to visit the fourteen different regions where we had missionaries. I had to prepare two messages ...

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