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 1776 to 1800 of 2273 results

1776. Mark 10: 35-45

Mark 10:35-45

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

For many parents (yours truly being one of them), one of the most memorable, and mortifying, demonstrations of their toddler’s new mastery of language is when the cute little tyke lets loose with some shocking expletive. Not knowing that the word they are singing out is foul and forbidden, our desperate attempts to shush them usually just results in a louder, more insistent repetition of the bad word(s). The disciples in Mark’s three passion narratives are like that artless child. They keep repeating the ...

1777. A Little Town of Great Renown

Micah 5:2-5a

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

The name Johann Sebastian Bach has been familiar in church music circles for many years. Bach inscribed all his compositions with the phrase, "To God Alone the Glory." Professor Peter Schickele of the fictitious University of Southern North Dakota discovered an obscure relative, P.D.Q. Bach, known as the most bent twig on the Bach family tree. The name Bach had always been associated with fine music until P.D.Q. appeared on the scene. This fabled genius, P.D.Q. Bach, was referred to as "the worst musician ...

1778. The Boy Grows Up

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Each of us faces the choice of who and what we will become. Sometimes, we don't really know what we want to be when we grow up until we are forty-something. Our earliest models for making that choice are the people who raise and nurture us. Although we identify with the adults whom we admire most, each of us is unique and intended to become "our own person." Occasionally there is a family-owned business and we are expected to carry on in that tradition, or to choose the vocation of one of our parents. ...

1779. Called by a New Name

Isaiah 62:1-5

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Two or three generations ago, the only women who did not take their husbands' names after marrying were movie stars and a handful of professional women. Today, many women choose to retain their maiden names, so as not to lose identity with their families of origin. Husbands and wives also combine their names. I know one person who refers to these couples as "the hyphenated families." Some couples even become creative, combining syllables of both surnames in order to form an entirely new name. Children who ...

1780. The Possible Dream

Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Sibling rivalry. It's the pits. It has been around as long as there have been siblings around. Beginning with Cain and Abel, we see one brother disgruntled because God likes the other brother's sacrificial offering better. We remember, too, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, the prodigal son and his older brother. Life is not fair. Sibling rivalry, and there's a fight. For every kid who is doing a lot of hitting, there is usually a kid who is doing a lot of provoking. There's no such thing ...

1781. Sowing Eternal Seeds

Isaiah 55:10-13

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Who among us has not been stunned by the splendor of a summer sunset, the sparkling spring waters of a mountain stream, brilliantly striking contrasts of autumn leaves twirling and spinning, or winter trees swaying gracefully against a cool, crisp sky? I believe the Native American population has much to teach us when it comes to care of and respect for God's majestic creation. Chief Seattle declares that even the dust under his feet responds lovingly to his footsteps because it is the ashes of his ...

1782. Gateway to Grace

Joshua 5:9-12

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

When you visit a church camp you're aware that you're separated from civilization. When you take a walk late at night, for whatever reason, and it's usually for whatever reason, you can't help but wonder what that rustling in the darkness might be. It's probably a raccoon, or a smaller animal, as frightened of you as you are pretending that you're not frightened of it. But it could be a bear. It's an unnerving experience to see a bear close up. Bears in the wild are the epitome of untamed nature. They don' ...

1783. Who?

Acts 5:27-32

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

My guess is that unless you're a fan of Elizabethan theater you've never heard of Robert Greene (1560?-1592). In his day, however, he was a well-known and respected poet and essayist. His best-known play, "Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay," remained popular for decades. Yet, for the most part, he is remembered solely for one phrase in a pamphlet written on his deathbed, in which he lashed out at everybody and everything. In that one passage he characterized the young William Shakespeare as "an upstart crow" ...

1784. Fruit with Feet

Acts 9:1-20

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

There has rarely been a transformation from sinner to saint as dramatic as that of Paul, former persecutor of Christians, who became the apostle to the Gentiles. However, the story of Cain Lackey from PatrickCounty, Virginia, comes close. Cain Lackey was known as the Meanest Man in PatrickCounty. He was rough and tough. The year was 1892 and PatrickCounty, Virginia, was a place of dirt fields and mud roads. There wasn't always enough food. People died because there were no doctors. Some places were almost ...

1785. The Undoing of Babel

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Stan Purdum

Several years ago, my wife and I took a vacation where we drove to Mexico City in an old Volkswagen van. Neither of us speak Spanish, but along the primary route down and in Mexico City itself, we had no trouble communicating because many people there spoke English. After spending a few days in that city, we decided to make our exit from Mexico by driving up a highway along the west coast of the country. That route provided us many attractive views of the Pacific Ocean and, as we got farther north, the ...

1786. When Nothing More Can Be Done

Amos 8:1-12

Sermon

Stan Purdum

Colleen was a good woman with a bad heart. She had been a member of my last congregation for more than thirty years, ever since she'd married a man who'd grown up in our church. But for several years, she had been living with a weakened heart. It was just one of those things that afflict some people, and she'd been doctoring for it for some time. Initially, she'd kept working, but as she missed more and more days on the job because of the problems from her heart, it eventually became clear that she could ...

1787. Song Sung Blue

Lamentations 1:1-6

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

Some records are made to be broken — like Olympic speed skating; Cal Ripkin, Jr.'s, most consecutive baseball game appearances; and North Dakota's longest cow chip toss. Other records we'd prefer to let stand — the world's deadliest disaster, or the most active hurricane season, for instance. Years 2004 and 2005 will probably make the books as among the most dramatic in weather history. Hurricanes pounded the southern coast of the USA. Floods and blizzards battered the Midwest. Earthquakes devastated parts ...

1788. Living the Vision

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

In most congregational settings, the name Habakkuk does not bring people to their feet. He is not considered famous biblically speaking, like the more recognized names of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others. In point of fact, most people do not know who Habakkuk is or what he did. Habakkuk was a prophet who undertook to sustain the faith of the nation through one of the most hopeless periods of Hebrew history. The question that he raises is a question that oftentimes seems to find a time and place within each ...

1789. Preaching God's Reformation

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

On this Reformation Sunday, it is useful to look back in time and remember one of the most important elements to come from the Reformation period. Luther, who is credited with being the first true reformer, was, above all else, a preacher. Luther preached from about 1509 until just three days before his death in February 1546. On Sundays, he preached sometimes three or four times. More than anyone else from that period, he understood that preaching should be central to worship and should be all-inclusive. ...

1790. Good News for Widows

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

I have some good news today for widows. [How many of you fall into that category?] Some of you have been widowed and remarried. Some of you still grieve the loss of your life’s partner. If you are a widow, you can probably use some good news. It’s not easy losing a spouse. Some of you have a void in life that nothing will ever fill. But here’s the good news. Jesus is aware of your situation, and Jesus is aware of your faithfulness to the church. Pastor James Love tells about a friend of his, a young ...

1791. No Small Parts

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

Characters (in order of appearance) First Child (Lead Angel) Second Child (Lead Shepherd) Third Child (Mary) Fourth Child (Second Angel) Fifth Child (Third Angel) Joseph Director (Mrs. Cassidy) “Real” Joseph (RJ) Mother (offstage voice) Costumer Stage Manager Narrator Second Shepherd Third Shepherd Angel Choir Props Scripts Robe Angel costume parts Sewing accessories Notes This is another play that would work well with multigenerational casting. The Director, the “Real” Joseph, the Stage Manager, and the ...

1792. The Word Made Flesh

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

Characters (in order of appearance) Father (Aaron) Benjamin Esther Mother Rebecca Ruth Joseph Mary Innkeeper (Daniel) Innkeeper’s Wife Leah Innkeeper’s Child 1 Innkeeper’s Child 2 First Shepherd Second Shepherd Third Shepherd Props Two tables Four chairs Door Scrolls Broom Pitcher of water Glasses Tray with food and bowls on it Blanket Towel Manger Star Notes This play draws together ancient prophecies from the book of Isaiah and the birth of Jesus, showing how his coming was a fulfillment of those ...

1793. If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

We are used to dividing time into two different eons: “B.C.” and “A.D.” or as the secular world now calls them, “BCE” and “CE.” To say we live in 2009 A.D. or C.E. gives us a sense of the passage of time, a feeling of where we stand in the flow of events. But such designations don’t distinguish much else about the changes the centuries have brought. After a fearsome November storm season across North America it seems one designation that might help describe the changes time has brought is to divide life “B ...

1794. The Martha and Erma Christmas

Luke 2:41-52

Illustration

Brett Blair

How many of you drive yourselves crazy every year trying to have a Martha Stewart's Christmas? You know who you are. And you know as hard as you try you're never able to achieve it. It always turns out to be an Erma Bombeck Christmas doesn't it? I have a letter here that Martha Stewart sent to Erma Bombeck. Hi Erma, This perfectly delightful note is being sent on paper I made myself to tell you what I have been up to. Since it snowed last night, I got up early and made a sled with old barn wood and a glue ...

1795. Living in The Spirit of Generosity

2 Corinthians 9:6-12, Galatians 5:22-25

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Did you know that at one time generosity was illegal in Santa Cruz, California? That's right. It was illegal for someone to put money in other people's parking meters without their permission. The practice called "plugging coins" was considered an illegal act by Santa Cruz municipal code. The fine for a parking violation was $12.00. The penalty "plugging" thirteen dollar. Mr. Twister whose real name is Cory McDonald, is a professional clown and balloon twister, who has spared many car owners in Santa Cruz ...

1796. Seeing God In The Ordinary: Others

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Out in the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church in Tennessee, there is a young man by the name of Matthew LeSage. He is now in college but for two years he was the President of the CCYM. What makes Matthew so remarkable is that when he was a fifth-grader, he decided he wanted to do something to help the hungry in his city. So, he started a program, Hams for the Hungry. In 2003, Hams for the Hungry raised $40,000 to brighten the holiday season for people with limited resources. In 2007 they ...

1797. Seeing God In The Ordinary: Work

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I don't think there is anyone alive who likes job performance reviews except maybe the HR people. Even if you are doing a great job, review and evaluation are stressful. A few years ago Preaching Magazine ran a list of some quotes from actual Job Performance Reviews. I thought I'd share a few: "I wouldn't allow this employee to reproduce, he must have gotten into the gene pool when the lifeguard wasn't looking." "This associate is really not so much of a has-been but a won't be." "Works well under constant ...

1798. Joshua People Study

Joshua 1:7-8, Psalm 119:10-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Years ago I heard the story of a Pastor who was preaching and casting the vision for the future of their congregation. He told them, "With God's help we can see the day when this church will go from crawling to walking." And the people responded, "Let the church walk, Pastor, let the church walk." He continued, "And when the church begins to walk, next the church can begin to run." And the people shouted, "Let the church run, Pastor, let the church run!" Fired up, he continued, "And finally the church can ...

1799. A Stone’s Throw From: Heaven

Matthew 16:13-25

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There was a three-year-old who had never been "trunk or treating" before but he'd seen how excited his big brother was, so he was excited, too. His big brother wanted to go as the Hulk, so he wanted to go as the Hulk. When the family got to the church, big brother went with some friends, Mom passed out candy and Dad took the three-year-old around. Dad stayed in the background, as the little boy walked up to one of the cars with a friend manning the trunk. "Trick or treat." As the man reached out with a ...

1800. LOST? Pursuing Purpose

1 Peter 2:9-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Mr. Jones was sitting in a lawn chair reading the paper when his pretty, twelve-year-old daughter came screaming around the corner of the house, with the neighbor boy in hot pursuit. Mr. Jones jumped out of the lawn chair, stopped them and asked the boy, "Why are you chasing my Gwendolyn?" "She pinched me," he complained. So, Mr. Jones turned to Gwendolyn. "Why did you pinch him?" he demanded. Gwendolyn batted her eyes and said, "So he'd chase me." (1) Have you ever noticed how much life is like that? We' ...

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