Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1826 to 1850 of 4490 results

1826. How to Handle the Mess of Stress

Exodus 18:23-27

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most famous psalms in all of the Bible, and one of the most well known passages, is the 23rd Psalm. It is a psalm that has given rest, refreshment, and even revival to untold numbers of people. But someone has written another version of this psalm that I believe is a great reflection of the day and age in which we live. The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest. It makes me lie down only when exhausted. It leads me to deep depression. It hounds my soul. It leads me in circles of frenzy for ...

1827. A Bridge over Troubled Waters

Psalm 23:2

Sermon

James Merritt

Is there anyone here today dealing with stress? Just looking out, I see a lot of people who are all stressed up and no place to go. Stress is a problem. Believe it or not, this is a problem for the pastor. In a recent Los Angeles Times article, psychologist Richard Blackmon said, “Pastors are the single most occupationally frustrated group in America.” About 75% of pastors go through a period of stress so great that they consider quitting the ministry; 35-40% actually do. Incidents of mental breakdown are ...

1828. His Way is the Right Way

Psalm 23:3

Sermon

James Merritt

They can make you, they can break you. They can put scars on your soul, or stars in your heart. A bad one can ruin a life forever, a good one can redeem a life forever. You will frequently rejoice over the good ones, and you will forever regret all the bad ones. What am I talking about? Decisions, decisions, decisions. They can make you bad, glad, or sad. I read about a man who had placed some flowers on the grave of his dearly departed mother. He started back toward his car when he saw another man ...

1829. Tremendous Trifles

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Moral failure comes not from enormous misdeeds, but through lapses in "tremendous trifles." Have you ever tried quickly to pull a dangling thread from the hem of a pant-leg or skirt or jacket, only to find you've got hold of one of those dreaded running stitches? Instead of breaking off, the thread continues to unstitch itself until the entire hem falls out. Instead of freeing yourself from one annoying little thread, you now have a major clothing catastrophe. It is always the little things that end up ...

1830. Ordinary or Extraordinary?

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Sermon

James Merritt

I want to get your juices flowing this morning by asking you two questions. If you had a choice would you want to live an ordinary life or an extraordinary life? Which do you think God wants for you? I can tell you what Jesus said. He said in John 10:10, "My purpose is to give life in all its fullness." (John 10:10, NLT) God wants to make a difference in your life, so that you can make a difference in the lives of others. God wants to work in you, with you, through you and for you to manifest His glory in ...

1831. Count the Stars

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Sermon

King Duncan

Three-year-old Ian Hough of Auburn, Washington, loves the story in the Bible of the time God spoke to the boy Samuel. One night after his mother read Ian this story she asked him if God had ever spoken to him. To her surprise, he answered, “Yes.” “What did God say to you?” his mother asked. Ian thought and then said in his deepest voice, “Ian! Go to bed!” (1) Does God speak to people? What do you think? David Holwick tells a story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times. It was about a man named Bob Haifley ...

1832. Cross Eyed: Triumph

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Mark was three years old when his pet lizard died. Since it was her grandson's first brush with death, Grandma suggested that Mark and an older boy in the family hold a "funeral" for the lizard. Grandma explained what a funeral was: a ceremony where you say a prayer, sing a song, and bury your loved one. Grandma even provided a shoe box and a burial place in the backyard. The boys thought it was a great idea, so they all proceeded to the backyard. Taking the lead, the older boy said a prayer. Then he ...

1833. Navigating the Stages of Life

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

James W. Moore

Our children and grandchildren came in last weekend to celebrate Easter with us. Last Saturday evening we took the entire family (all 10 of us) over to Goode Company Taqueria on Kirby Drive for a casual child-friendly meal. As we walked in, we began to look at the large menu printed on the wall just above the serving line. I was pointing out to everybody that we could order hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks or Mexican food. Just then, four-year-old Daniel asked (what was for him) the ultimate question. In a ...

1834. The Ministry of Unbinding

John 11:38-44

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Listen! We cannot raise people from the dead as Jesus did, but we share in the deliverance of those he has raised! Death and what is done about that — is in Jesus’ hand. It is He who can say with power: “Come forth! Come forth from your tomb.” But deliverance — that’s in our hands. “Unbind him” Jesus said, “unbind him that he might live.” So, we talk today about the ministry of unbinding. I Rehearse the story, so that our focus will be clear and we will not be questioning something that we think has been ...

1835. A Glimpse of God

Exodus 33:19-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

What would you feel like if you had an appointment with God at 9 A.M. tomorrow? Would you be able to eat for the rest of the day? How much sleep do you think you’d get tonight? You’ve got an appointment with God at 9 A.M. in the morning. He has given you instructions as to where to meet him and what to bring with you. That was the case with Moses. “Come up in the morning to Mount Sinai,” God said, “and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.” Moses was to bring with tables of stones like ...

1836. Full Body Scans or Re-spect Spectacles

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

How many of you have had the experience of being stripped naked before a room full of strangers? Anyone here this morning ever been strip-searched? You have if you’re a frequent flier. You have if you’ve recently flown through any of the sixty-plus airports that now use “full body scans” as part of their security procedures. Just as the “shoe bomber” made it a requirement for all of us to pad around barefoot on grungy airport floors, the “underwear bomber” has led to the use of these virtual strip-down ...

1837. Worry Not

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

King Duncan

Do you have a worrier in your family? Kais Rayes writes that he and his wife found their whole life turned upside down when their first child was born. Every night, the baby seemed to be fussy, and many nights, it seemed that their baby cried far more than he slept. Says Rayes, “My wife would wake me up, saying, ‘Get up, honey! Go see why the baby is crying!’” As a result, Rayes found himself suffering from severe sleep deprivation. While complaining to his coworkers about his problem one day, one of his ...

1838. Disillusioned Thomas

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor Paula Womack made a “Top Ten” list (aka David Letterman) of ways you can tell it’s the Sunday after Easter. Not all the items on her list fit us, but some of them are very clever. So, here are six ways you tell it’s the Sunday after Easter: Number six: There’s not a lily available for purchase anywhere. Five: Wal-Mart has rotated the Easter candy to the clearance table and brought out the Mother’s Day cards and gift ideas. Four: The stores have removed the stuffed bunnies from the shelves and ...

1839. Jesus Would Do What?

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman named Naomi Magdanz in Lodi, California tells about her 6-year-old grandson, Joshua. Joshua attended a Vacation Bible School with the theme, “What Would Jesus Do?” To remind the children of the theme, they made little armbands with WWJD on the band. One evening Joshua’s mother asked him to change his clothes. Joshua looked at his armband and said, “WWJD - What would Jesus do?” His mother replied that she thought Jesus would do what his mother asked him to do and change his clothes. Joshua thought ...

1840. Death Meets The Lord

Isaiah 25:6-9

Sermon

Ken Lentz

The writer quoted in Isaiah 25 promises that an unlikely victory will occur. An unlikely victory had already occurred in his tradition when Goliath, the hero of the Philistine army confronted David, a young sheepherder. It didn't look like an even match. Goliath was a seasoned warrior, six cubits and a span tall, covered with a coat of mail and bronze helmet, and armed with a shaft with an iron spearhead that weighted six hundred shekels. He taunted the Israelites for forty days before David asked Saul to ...

1841. Are You Part of the Scandal?

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In many local elementary schools, every few weeks the “Lost and Found” box is emptied out and the contents are scattered down the length of the main hall. Coats, mittens, shoes, sweatshirts, gym clothes, are all laid down and spread out in the hopes that their owners will spot them and take them home. But the scene of all those empty clothes creates an eerie sensation, as if it is not the clothes that had been left behind, but that the children themselves have somehow been “lost” — zapped out of their ...

1842. A Faith that Will Bring You Alive

Luke 20:27-40

Sermon

King Duncan

Brian Rice of Maple Grove, Minnesota writes that recently his wife asked the question men most dread: “Honey, do you think I look fat in my new dress?” Brian was up to the test. Pointing to what he was wearing, he replied, “Do I look stupid in this shirt?” (1) It’s not easy to be married. Comedian Wendy Liebman says she went through a messy divorce. She says, “My divorce was messy because there was a child involved. My husband.” I expected to hear an “Amen” from some of the women. One of the surprise off- ...

1843. Second Nature through Spirit Nurture

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It is every parent’s dream. It goes like this . . . Your child is a guest at someone’s home. Maybe a friend or a relative. When the meal is over, your child is the one who, without being told, spontaneously rises from the table, gathers their plate and even grabs another place setting, and takes them into the kitchen and put them either in the sink or in the dishwasher. What parent doesn’t live with the eternal hope that our ten thousand nudges to our kids “pick that up” and “put that in the trash” and “ ...

1844. Do You Have Any Leftovers?

John 6:1-15

Sermon

James Merritt

Without question, I can tell you what my absolute, all time, favorite meal is. It is so special that I only get to eat it once a year. It is so special, and so good, and so tasty that it is worth the wait. It is not just what I get to eat that makes it the most special meal of the year, but who I get to eat it with. It is the time of year I get to eat it and it is the occasion that brings me to the table. Can you guess what meal this is? It is Thanksgiving. The reason why Thanksgiving is my favorite meal ...

1845. Leave Your Calculator Home

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

King Duncan

Only two things are inevitable, said a wise person long ago, death and taxes. The Eiffel Tower, someone has said, is the Empire State Building after taxes. Another wit asks if we have heard about the new tax payer’s wrist watch? It doesn’t actually tell the time. It just wrings its hands! A burglar, needing money to pay his income taxes, decided to burgle the safe in a store. On the safe door he was very pleased to find a note reading: “Please don’t use dynamite. The safe is not locked. Just turn the knob ...

1846. Why Christmas Is So Dangerous

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There is no doubt about it, Christmas is a dangerous time of year. You ever tried negotiating a mall parking lot between Black Friday and Christmas Eve? You know one level of danger. You ever tried to gather together a fractious, far-flung family into one Christmas moment? You know another level of danger. You ever tried buying a toy for the kids or grandkids, a toy where levers don’t break off, where there are no hidden, choky bits, where glitches galore don’t make the toy “unsafe?” You know another whole ...

1847. The Good Life

John 10:11-18

Sermon

James Merritt

I read a story the other day id never heard before about Abraham Lincoln. He was surprised one day when a rough looking man drew a revolver and put it right in his face. Trying to remain as calm as he could Lincoln simply asked the man, “What seems to be the matter?” The stranger replied, “Well some years ago I swore an oath that if I ever came across an uglier man than I am I’d shoot him right on the spot.” Lincoln smiled and said, “Well then please shoot me for if I’m an uglier man than you are I don't ...

1848. How God Looks at Marriage

Mark 10:2-16

Sermon

King Duncan

A young couple decided to wed. As the big day approached, they grew apprehensive. Each had a problem they had never before shared with anyone, not even each other. The groom-to-be, overcoming his fear, decided to ask his father for advice. “Dad,” he said, “I am deeply concerned about the success of my marriage. I love my fiancée very much, but you see, I have very smelly feet, and I’m afraid that my future wife will be put off by them.” “No problem,” said his dad. “All you have to do is wash your feet as ...

1849. The Golden Calf

Exodus 32:1-33:6

Understanding Series

James K. Bruckner

32:1–34:35 · Crisis at Sinai: The Golden Calf - Exodus 32–34 forms an important watershed for understanding God’s relationship to the world. The Creator had sought to redeem, form, and live among the people. To this end God delivered them out of Egypt, brought them to Mt. Sinai by going with them in the fiery cloud, and provided for them in the wilderness. At Sinai God set about forming them into the sort of community originally intended: in trust and fidelity with the Lord, with each other, and with the ...

1850. The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

A New Revelation of Yahweh’s Arm: Like 48:20–21, the end of the previous section, 50:4–52:12, both suggested closure and questioned it. The comment about the impossibility of shalom which followed 48:20–21 led into the new twist to the servant motif in chapter 49. The point is less explicit at the end of 50:4–52:12, but the implication is again that not all the prophet’s agenda has been handled. Everything is in place for the restoration of the community to Jerusalem and for the restoration of the city ...

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