Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1826 to 1850 of 4944 results

1826. Gethsemane: Prelude To The Cross

Mark 14:32-42

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

There is a parable of three kings searching for truth. When asked how far they will go to discover what they seek, how deep they want to immerse themselves in its meaning, one of the answers, “Not too far, just far enough so we can say we’ve been there.” That’s the tourist attitude about life which prevails too often today. We say we want happiness in our home, health in our bodies, successes in our work. We say we want a peaceful world, less crime and violence in our streets. We say we want a higher moral ...

1827. The Word And Words

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I wish I had discovered Eugene Patterson long ago. He's a Presbyterian Pastor, and also an outstanding writer. He's the pastor of Christ Our King United Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He has been there for 27 years; (maybe I'll make it that long here). This is one of Patterson's simple, matter-of-fact, powerful expressions of truth: "There is no such thing as successful churches. There are, instead, communities of sinners, gathered week after week by the Holy Spirit, in towns and villages all ...

1828. Something to Sing About

Philippians 1:12-30

Sermon

Mark Trotter

Our text for this morning's sermon is from Paul's letter to the Philippians. It's a prison letter. Some of the great literature of the world was written in prison. In this century, most recently, Martin Luther King's Letter From A Birmingham Jail, which turned the tide in the civil rights movement. After that letter was published, the movement gained national support. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor, wrote letters from prison, smuggled out by his guards in Germany. Those letters and notes, some just ...

1829. Barking Dogs and Daily Bread

John 2:12-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Every year thousands of tourists clog the country roads in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to admire the lush, neat farmlands nurtured by the Amish farmers of that region. The Amish sell their beautiful quilts, home-grown/home-preserved foods, hand made furniture. Driving down the roads in their black horse-drawn rigs, wearing their eighteenth century “plain” clothes, rejecting all modern conveniences, the Amish have become icons of a simple, devout, community-based lifestyle. But Amish country is home to ...

1830. Did You Know...That You Can Know God?

1 John 2:3-5

Sermon

James Merritt

Why were you put on this earth? What should be your greatest goal in life? What is the single greatest achievement you could obtain on this earth? What is the secret to eternal life? The answer to all of these questions is the same. It is found in two words - Knowing God. That is what God wants from you and for you more than anything else in your life. God said in Hosea 6:6, "I'd rather for you to be faithful and to know Me than to offer sacrifices." (Hosea 6:6, CEV) More than your time, more than your ...

1831. I’M with the I AM

1 John 5:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

How many of you have a computer at home? How many of you ever surfed the net? If you do, you know there is an entirely new language to learn when you get involved with computers. I thought I would give us a little quiz just to see how well we are "with it" when it comes to talking computer lingo. I'll show you the word then you tell me the definition. ASAP – As soon as possible FYI – For Your Information LOL – Laughing Out Loud KIT – Keep In Touch TTYL – Talk To You Later BCNU – Be Seeing You G2G – Got To ...

1832. God's Whatever

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

"Whatever!" It's a mantra of today's world. Behind that one word, that neck thing they do, the rolling of the eyes and the tone of voice what's really being said by many people is: "Do what you want, it’s not like you're going to listen to me anyway, or if you do, what are the chances you'll understand what I'm saying? Whatever!" There's a lack of hope and a I could care less attitude. I don't know where it comes from. I'm not sure the professionals even know. But we're living in a "Whatever" society. And ...

1833. Heart Religion

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

One day a man by the name of Kirk was having a particularly difficult time. Everything was going wrong for him and nothing was going right. And when he went to bed that night, he laid there in the dark. And he thought about all of the horrible things that had happened to him. And you know, the more he thought about it the more upset he became. He blurted out into the darkness, “Why me God? Why have you done this to me?” But there was no answer and all he heard was the silence. So he blurted out again, this ...

1834. Righteous!

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Perhaps some of you are old enough to remember one of the most popular musical groups of the mid 1960s, The Righteous Brothers. Remember "Unchained Melody"? I remember once hearing an interview with one of the Righteous Brothers, Bill Medley, when he described the significance of their name. Normally when we think of the word "righteous," we think of impeccable behavior and sterling moral character. But their name was not so much about their morality as it was about the quality of their music. In the '60s ...

1835. Getting Off the Merry-Go-Round

Romans 8:1-11

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Have you ever been stuck on a playground merry-go-round? You know how it goes. You start slow, pushing with your feet to gain more speed until you are running. Then you finally jump on to the spinning merry-go-round holding on for dear life. That is when you find yourself stuck. On the one hand, the centrifugal force of the spinning merry-go-round threatens to throw you off. On the other hand, you hold on for dear life to the railing because you are afraid of what might happen to you if you fall off. And ...

1836. Wrong!

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Today is Pentecost, the birthday of the church. The symbols of the Pentecost gift are wind and fire. Every birthday is accompanied by a cake over which there is the ritual of wind and fire. But in the course of blowing out candles in your lifetime, have you ever missed one? Ever miscalculate the amount of wind needed to get it 100% right? [To make your sermon more EPIC, you might want to showcase a birthday cake, and blow out some candles. You could even have some fun and include some gag (magic re- ...

1837. Handling Freedom

Exodus 20:1-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Have you seen those billboards that have popped up next to major thoroughfares that say things like, "If you keep taking my name in vain, I'll make rush hour longer," or "What part of ‘Thou shalt not' don't you understand?" and signed simply, "God"? It is interesting stuff. No doubt you are familiar with the political controversies concerning public displays of the Decalogue on government property. Most folks just shake their heads at the hoopla — they say that the commandments are certainly still valid ...

1838. Sister Act(s)

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke positions the Good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The Good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God." Meet the two M & M sisters — Mary and Martha. They are two peas in the same pod and yet so ...

1839. All in God’s Time

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

"Why do bad things happen to good people?" is the way we say it today. That surely must have been a question on the hearts and minds of those first-century Christians as they suffered under the brutal persecution of the Roman empire. It is a question that surely was on the hearts and minds to whom John had written this extraordinary piece of literature we call the book of Revelation. Many of them were convinced that they were innocent and righteous sufferers sent to their deaths in the coliseum because ...

1840. The Assurance of Things Hoped For

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

In the movie, Cast Away, Tom Hanks' character, Chuck, is stranded on a desert island in the Pacific Ocean. To keep himself company, he finds a volleyball that has washed up from the wreckage of the plane he had been flying in before becoming stranded. Chuck paints a face on the volleyball with his own blood and names him "Wilson." Wilson becomes Chuck's only companion while he remains on the island. He talks to and sometimes even for Wilson to keep himself company during the lonely months. After four years ...

1841. The Lord’s Prayer and The Stones-Serpents-Scorpions Story

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

What you do is your history. What you set in motion is your legacy.” Are you just pouring concrete or building a skyscraper? Every one of us wants to leave a “legacy.“ Something that outlasts our biological lives and can somehow continue to declare “I was here.” For a very few this is achieved through intellect or infamy, greatness or great sacrifice. But for those of us who know we are not Augustine or Martin Luther, or Christopher Columbus or George Washington or Albert Einstein or Martin Luther King, Jr ...

1842. Lost Baggage: The Middle Seat

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Sermon

James Merritt

As a pastor, there are some phone calls that you never want to receive. The worst of all, I believe, are those revealing a significant sin of a church member or a staff member. In these cases, as a leader in the church, I want our members and staff to set a high example with their character, so failure in that area is especially difficult. You can remove a person from a position of leadership, but frankly, when people sin, and this will happen in even the most spiritually mature and positive environment, ...

1843. Is the Doctor in Today?

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

King Duncan

Our lesson for today is about two people who came to Jesus for help with a medical problem. Nothing surprising about that. Even today, we are dependent on doctors for help with our medical problems. Maybe that’s why it’s so much fun to tell jokes at the expense of the medical profession. Says one comedian: “My doctor told me he’d have me on my feet within two weeks. He was right. I had to sell my car to pay his bill.” “My left arm hurt me,” said a senior citizen, “and so did my right foot, my neck and my ...

1844. Overseers and Deacons

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Qualifications for Overseers To this point, Paul has addressed some concerns related to the community at worship and corrected some abuses generated by the activities of the erring elders. Now he turns to the elders themselves and sets forth some qualifications for “office.” He begins, in verses 1–7, with a group called episkopoi (“overseers”); then moves in verses 8–13 to a group called diakonoi (“servants,” “deacons”), with a note also about some “women” in verse 11. It is altogether likely that both “ ...

1845. If Only You Were To Me A Bother

Song of Songs 8:1-14

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Huwiler

Loose Ends: Corresponding to the opening section of the book (1:2–6) which introduced the characters (the lovers, the daughters of Jerusalem, and the brothers), the closing verses include all of them as speakers. As usual, the focus is on the central woman. This inclusion does not mean, however, that the book ends with all the loose ends neatly tied. The daughters of Jerusalem ask a question that is not clearly answered. The central woman solemnly announces the seriousness of love. The brothers reveal a ...

1846. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Matthew 9:35-38, Matthew 10:1-42

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Mission Discourse: The Twelve to Follow Jesus’ Lead (9:35--10:23) Big Idea: In the second major Matthean discourse Jesus calls the Twelve to lead in mission to Israel, following his model as an authentic shepherd of God’s people despite persecution. Understanding the Text The brief narrative transition between chapters 8–9 (9:35–38) and Jesus’ second teaching section in chapter 10 highlight Jesus’ Galilean ministry to a people who are without true shepherds (leaders) and Jesus’ call to pray for “harvest ...

1847. Jesus as Lord and as Archcriminal

Mark 2:23-3:6, Mark 2:18-22

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

Big Idea: In Jesus the new age has come, and this new reality cannot be immersed into the old ways. Jesus the Son of Man has authority over the Torah and is Lord over the Sabbath. Understanding the Text The opposition to Jesus intensifies with each of the episodes in this section. The central story among the five in 2:1–3:6 tells why the conflict is occurring (2:18–22): in Jesus a new era has arrived, one in which he must challenge the old traditions. Those who cling to the old (symbolized by the issue of ...

1848. “I Will Not Fear Though Tens of Thousands Assail Me”

Psalm 3:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Sadly, life’s conflicts become the baseline of our existence, when it ought to be our trust in the Lord. Understanding the Text The essential elements of lament, according to our definition, are the lament itself and the reason for lamenting. Further, the lament of the individual will generally include one or a combination of three complaints: against one’s enemies, against God, or against oneself. In Psalm 3, which is an individual lament, the complaint is against David’s enemies (3:1–2). ...

1849. “In the Lord I Take Refuge”

Psalm 11:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: When our theological foundations are threatened, our fears are disabled by remembering God’s just and majestic character. Understanding the Text Psalm 11 is an individual lament. The lament is quite brief (11:1b) and obviously grows out of the immediate threat of danger that David faced (11:2), which itself grows out of the nature of the wicked “who love violence” (11:5). It is that bigger problem that shakes the foundations of faith and life (11:3), until Yahweh’s vision from his heavenly throne ...

1850. Captains or Parties

Matthew 21:33-46

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

My father was not a particularly pessimistic person, but I remember one conversation we had that sure sounded like he was. I was a teenager and thinking out loud about what I might like to do with my life. My father was being the realist. I said maybe I would like to be a doctor. He said it took eight years of education after high school and we didn't have the money. I said, well maybe I will be a missionary to Africa. He said I would die from some awful, rare disease. Then I said I might like to be a ...

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