Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1801 to 1825 of 4945 results

1801. A Strong-willed Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed that some women are equal to any occasion? And they can be as tough as NFL linebackers. I heard about one woman in a farming community years ago who went to a meeting usually dominated by men. They were discussing some important issues critical to farmers. About midway through the meeting this woman stood up and spoke her piece. One of the old farmers didn’t like her intrusion. He jumped to his feet and said, “What does she know about anything. I would like to ask her if she knows how ...

1802. The Love Triangle: Man-Woman-God

Psalm 127:1-5

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Many years ago, my wife Gloria and I decided to take dancing lessons at the local Arthur Murray studio. We knew a few dances already but we wanted to add to our repertoire. So, we took lessons one night per week for about six weeks. Quickly we discovered that we needed some place to practice our lessons, especially the foxtrot and the waltz. Our home did not have a room large enough for that purpose. Then we thought about a large classroom at our church. It had plenty of space. So, following our lessons, ...

1803. I Am the Keeper of the Zoo

Isaiah 11:1-9

Sermon

I don't know whether you've noticed or not, but not everything that looks tame is tame. Like some of the animals that run around my neck of the woods. One Sunday afternoon, a little red fox scampered across our deck. Then, just a few nights ago, we froze him in our headlights on the side of the road. Maybe it wasn't the same fox. And maybe it wasn't a fox at all. Not that I would know. But Eric Sharp would. Eric knows all about the wilderness and writes about everything he knows. I've been reading him for ...

1804. Looking Out for Others

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

Being able to synthesize in such a way that harmony can be the outcome is among the many things the Apostle Paul does well. The often-pesky church at Corinth desperately needed such a skill, written and practiced in charity. To follow his inspired advice comes as a gift to all of us, 2,000 years ago or today. The individualistic Christianity, largely the work of Protestants, has been and is both a bane and balm, for us. To do our own thing is commendable and perhaps essential but it can prove utterly ...

1805. John the Stall Cleaner

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“Prep Time.” Do those two words have as much meaning to anyone here as two other new words to the English language: “Thanksgiving pants.” [Those are pants with elastic or expandable waists.] I won’t ask how many of you are still wearing those “Thanksgiving pants” to church this morning. Anyone who is trying to organize and host a get together during this busy holiday season knows that what takes the most time is “prep time.” Even Rachael Ray, who cheats by having all her veggies pre-washed, her chicken ...

1806. FaithRace

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There is no excuse for not running the race of life. Christians need no longer fear that their lives are going nowhere - like some kind of hamster-wheel marathon. Christians are called to join the faithrace, where the "finish" line is just the beginning of our life in Christ. Paul chose his words carefully when he proclaimed to his long-time companion Timothy that he had fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith. But today, one is reluctant to reinforce the athletic imagery. In medieval ...

1807. A Concert of Prayer

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Drama

Leonard Sweet

Christ is not and cannot be divided if the church is to stand. Yet upon that single foundation of Christ, a multitude of diverse structures may be constructed. Paul preferred the beauty and complexity of a choir to the elegance of a solo. He celebrated the diversity he saw in the churches he founded and attended, seeing their differences as potential for greater strength - not weakness. Our own preference today, however, seems to be for creating a cream-of-wheat church. Smooth, bland, tasteless and benign ...

1808. Do Not Be Quickly Shaken

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Sermon

Donna Schaper

Several years ago, Lyle Schaller made the observation that ministry, once a "high status, low stress" vocation was now just the opposite: "high stress and low status." Why? Clergy have a double calling, both to secure and to shake people up. They need to be prophetic and pastoral at the same time. Most people want ministers to stabilize their lives, to keep them from being shaken. The goal many parishioners come to church to achieve is stability. They don't want to be shaken. They want to be secured. ...

1809. A Voice in the Wilderness

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to give you a memory test. How many of you remember these chilling words? “This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. The broadcasters of your area in voluntary cooperation with the FCC and federal, state and local authorities have developed this system to keep you informed in the event of an emergency. If this had been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed to tune to one of the broadcast stations in your area.” It’s been ten years since the Emergency Broadcast System broadcast ...

1810. The Perfect Gift

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

This is Christmas Eve and we want to talk about gifts. How do you give gifts? When you desire to give to your dearest one a gift you think would be most meaningful to him or her, or most appreciated, how do you go about searching and finding that gift? Or if you seek to make a gift that is reflective of who you are and what you are about, what do you give? When thoughtfully given, the best gifts do two things – on the one hand, they meet the needs and the taste of the person for whom the gift is intended. ...

1811. The Guest List

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

I remember an old Family Circus cartoon, Dolly was sitting with her baby brother on her lap and was telling him the story of Christmas. It was something like this: "Jesus was born just in time for Christmas up at the North Pole surrounded by 8 tiny reindeer and the Virgin Mary. Then Santa Claus showed up with lots of toys and stuff and some swaddling clothes. The 3 wise men and elves all sang carols while the Little Drummer Boy and Scrooge helped Joseph trim the tree. In the meantime, Frosty the Snowman ...

1812. Blessed Are Those Who Hand Over Their Controllers

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The hundred miles of open water separates the most southern tip of Florida from the most northern coast of Cuba. It’s a stretch of water that has claimed hundreds of lives since the Cuban revolution. Flotillas of “boat people” seeking freedom and family in the US have created desperate “boats” out of anything that might possibly float long enough to reach US soil. The goal of these “boat people” is simple: hit dry land. As long as these refugees are in the water, they are Cubans. As of 1995 the US has ...

1813. How Does Your Garden Grow?

Matthew 13:1-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

This morning I want to start with a short quiz. 1. True or False? Grass seeds can't be planted in hot weather? False. It just takes more work to keep the ground damp. 2. True or False? Newly planted seeds should be kept in soggy soil? False. Damp soil is best. 3. True or False? Fruits can be grown indoors. True. Mary's grandpa grew strawberries in a wash tub. 4. True or False? Plants need dark as well as light? True. They are just like us in that respect. Look at the Poinsettia. 5. True or False? Berry ...

1814. This Is the Day!

Psalm 118:1-29

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to begin with a suggestion. Tomorrow morning when you wake up, I want you to stand up tall in front of your bathroom mirror, give yourself a big smile and declare with great gusto that wonderful verse from Psalms, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!” Bio-feedback experts suggest that this single act can do wonders for our mental state. The relation between our body and our mind is an interesting one. We don’t smile because we feel great, these experts tell us; ...

1815. When Nature Says No

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

You, who keep account of crises and transition in this life, sit down the first time nature says plain “No” to some “Yes” in you, and walks over you, in gorgeous sweeps of scorn. We all begin by singing with the birds and running fast with June days, hand in hand; but once, for all, the birds must sing against us, and the sun strike down upon us like a friend’s sword caught by an enemy to slay us, while we read the dear name on the blade which bites at us! That’s bitter and convincing: after that we seldom ...

1816. Come to Bethlehem and See

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the earth Every creature was stirring, and needing new birth. Some faces were guilty, others were worn, Some filled with sorrow, some sin torn. When God up above, without much clatter, Sent a Savior to earth to remedy the matter. He came without splendor, saying life's not a waste, Will you rise up and follow and see Him with haste? When it's the night before Christmas from the ground to the sky God's glory is near and Jesus comes by. It is Christmas Eve. ...

1817. How Can We Stand on Holy Ground?

Psalm 24:1

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A Sunday school teacher asked her young elementary class where God lives. After the usual answers of heaven, church, and in our hearts, Bobby spoke up and said, “God lives in the bathroom at our house." The surprised teacher asked Bobby to explain his answer. “Well," said Bobby, “every morning about 7:30 my Dad gets up, walks down the hall, beats on the bathroom door where my sister is locked inside getting ready for school. Then he screams, ‘My God are you still in there?' God lives in the bathroom at our ...

1818. Be Silent

Luke 1:11-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Old Zechariah hit the jackpot. He won the lottery. His one in 20,000 chance paid off. He got a once in a lifetime opportunity to enter the Holy of Holies where God is so real you can touch, feel, and taste him. He gets the privilege to celebrate that high priestly function. There, while burning incense to kill the smell of sin, Old Zechariah slipped in another prayer—a prayer of the heart, the hunger of the soul—a haunting question of a lifetime. He'd prayed it thousands of times before. It was the prayer ...

1819. Rejoicing in God’s Saints

Philippians 1:1-6

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Did you hear the story about two brothers who terrorized a town for decades? They were unfaithful to their wives, abusive to their children, dishonest with their customers and cheated on their income tax. Then suddenly one day the older brother died. In making arrangements for his funeral, the younger brother asked the town pastor to do the service. “And," said the surviving brother, “I insist that you refer to my brother as a saint in the funeral service." The good Reverend resisted. But when the brother ...

1820. A Career in The Kingdom

Matthew 21:23-32

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

When Sadie and Bessie, the famed "Delany Sisters," were in the early years of their second centuries (103 and 105, respectively) they told interviewers, "God only gave you one body, so you better be nice to it. Exercise, because if you don't, by the time you're our age, you'll be pushing up daisies." Fitness gymnasiums ought to put the Delany Sisters on their billboards and quote them into larger profit margins. Some people get into exercise in a very big way. When Teddy Roosevelt was president of the ...

1821. Eat and Run

Exodus 12:1-14

Sermon

David J. Kalas

At some time or another, we've all had to hurry through a meal and hurry away from the table. And so, at some time or another, we've all found ourselves saying, "I hate to eat and run, but...." Everybody has done it. Everybody knows what it's like. But even though everyone says he hates to eat and run, the truth is that not everyone does hate it. Some folks rather like it. As a little boy, I liked to eat and run in the summertime. When the weather is warm and it stays light later, dinner is just an ...

1822. Something Special To Share

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Children's Sermon

Marti Kramer Suddarth

Objects: Card stock printed with scripture reference and verse Pair of glasses Toothbrush Medicine bottle Toy Book Article of clothing Item of food Today, I’m going to tell you something that I imagine you never thought you’d hear someone tell you in church. Don’t share. That’s right. I’m telling you not to share. (pause) Well, actually, I’m not talking about everything, but there are some things that we just shouldn’t share. (Hold up each item for the children to see as you talk about it.) One example ...

1823. Ollie, Ollie, All In Free!

John 8:31-36

Sermon

Steven Molin

It is probably not theologically advisable to begin a sermon with a complaint, but I am going to defy that advice. I have a complaint, and it is this: Nobody plays the good, old, childhood games anymore! When leaves turn color, and temperatures turn cool, my thoughts turn to outdoor games we played as children. Remember those days? All the children in the neighborhood would gather in an empty field somewhere, and we would choose up sides, or decide who was "it" and then the game would begin. It might have ...

1824. Small Sin, Large Grace

2 Samuel 11:26-27, 12:1-13a

Sermon

Donna Schaper

This pericope is in two parts. First there is the testimony of Nathan against David. A little trap is laid about another man who has stolen a lamb. David answers without self-consciousness. Nathan has to tell David, "You are the man who has stolen the sheep." "You are the one who should be punished." We are reminded of that wonderful part of the Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our sins — debts — trespasses — as we forgive those who sin against us." David indeed has stolen the wife of Uriah from him. David has ...

1825. Living to Please God

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

A surgeon says that one night during his residency he was called out of a sound sleep to the emergency room. Unshaven and with tousled hair, he showed up accompanied by an equally unpresentable medical student. In the ER they encountered the on-call medical resident and his student, both neatly attired in clean white lab coats. The medical resident said to his student, “You can always tell the surgeons by their absolute disregard for appearance.” Two evenings later, the same young surgical resident was at ...

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