Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1826 to 1850 of 1967 results

1826. Pentecost 27

Matthew 24:1-35

Sermon Aid

Liturgical Color: Green Gospel: Matthew 24:1-14 Theme: Signs of the End. Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration One pastor began this way: "We are here to celebrate the presence and power of God; we prefer to celebrate God's comforting; we also, however, celebrate God's confronting. We can't have one without the other. We can't have the crown without the cross." You may want to continue with this litany between pastor and ministers: Pastor: You have heard it said that God is dead, or at least, absent. I ...

1827. Jailbreak at Midnight

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon Aid

CSS

Twice Paul’s ministry brought him into direct confrontation with commercial interests. The first such incident took place at Philippi, the second at Ephesus. Both of these were Graeco-Roman cities with a materialistic western culture, different from that of the Orient. In the East there was a slower pace of life and a greater accommodation between religion and commerce. Jesus had often lashed out at the selfish rich and even physically drove the money changers from the temple without arousing the kind of ...

1828. Repentance and Forgiveness

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

"Daddy. When you came home last Saturday night and stumbled up the stairs and hollered at Mom I was scared to death. I get really scared and upset when you drink too much." Tracy Hayes was the speaker. She was eleven years old. She spoke these words to her father during what is called an "intervention." Mrs. Hayes and her children, Tracy and Kevin, along with their pastor, a few friends, and Mr. Hayes’ boss made the very difficult decision to "intervene" in the life of Wendall Hayes. It was their ...

1829. THE RECONCILED LIFE

Hebrews 9:11-28

Sermon Aid

John W. Rilling

When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come ... he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. Twice a year when the Church, like Mary, ponders the mysteries of the Christian faith in her heart, she turns to the same scripture for texts on which to meditate - the Epistle to the Hebrews. The first occasion is on Christmas Day at the Later Service. At the midnight service we are "surprised by ...

1830. LIFE! LIFE! ETERNAL LIFE!

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Sermon Aid

John W. Rilling

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. In PILGRIM’S PROGRESS, that wonderful tale symbolizing the Christian life, the first man we meet is a man who is "scared to death" because he was scared OF death. The thought of death and judgment became an obsession, so much so that he left his home, his wife and children, who, when they saw what he was up to "began to cry after him to return; but the man put his fingers in his ears, and ran on, crying, ‘ ...

1831. Past / Future

Mark 1:35-39, Mark 1:29-34

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Only Jesus can free us from our hurtful past. Summary: Leo, a young man in business, is liked and encouraged by his manager, but he has some hang-ups: his mother and father are still controlling him -- so much so that he can't relate to others. Playing Time: 4 minutes Setting: A business office Props: Two ropes Computer printout Costumes: Joel, Leo -- business suits Momma and Poppa -- casual Time: The present Cast: Joel -- the manager Leo -- works for Joel Momma Poppa JOEL: (ENTERS ALONG WITH LEO. ...

1832. Lip Service

Mark 7:1-23

Illustration

Brett Blair

According to the story, Queen Victoria was once at a diplomatic reception in London. The guest of honor was an African chieftain. All went well during the meal until, at the end, finger bowls were served. The guest of honor had never seen a British finger bowl, and no one had thought to brief him beforehand about its purpose. So he took the finger bowl in his two hands, lifted it to his mouth, and drank its contents--down to the very last drop! For an instant there was breathless silence among the British ...

1833. Twelve O'Clock Rock: When the Jailhouse is Rocked

Acts 16:16-40

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

The prisoners and the jailers had their world rocked one midnight 2,000 years ago. The report includes the following details: 1:00: Paul and Silas while on their way to a place of prayer see a slave girl who was popular for telling the fortunes of others. She made much money from this enterprise and a fortune for her owners. Each day she would go to the town square and as people passed by she would shout out her readings of their future. Some revered the slave girl for the accuracy of her predictions. ...

1834. The Game of Life (A Drama about Personal Accountability)

Drama

Dave Marsh

Director's Notes: It's easy to get caught up in the world and forget what is really important and where our priorities should be. We can also start blaming each other for our own lack of self-control and accountability. This is one of my favorites since many times it hits close to home... Cast: Jack: A normal husband and father Sandy: Jack's wife Vicki: A friend of the family Props: Table/desk The game of Life Bowl of chips, etc. Setting: Jack and Sandy's kitchen (LIGHTS UP CENTER STAGE - Jack, Sandy, and ...

1835. A Vision and a Voice

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Paul E. Flesner

Today we remember the baptism of Jesus. Whether you are a long-time church member or you are seeking to discover more about Christianity, most folks have heard the word "baptism." Some people refer to the event as "christening." Regardless of the word used, it is associated with a special church ritual for babies soon after they are born. There is much about baptism that is worth thinking about. Baptisms happen fairly often here. We follow certain procedures to prepare for a it. There are conversations ...

1836. Confused as Pigeons

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It seems that every weekday morning, before tourists and schoolchildren descend on London's Trafalgar Square, city-authorized volunteers toss more than a hundred pounds of bird seed to a swarm of hungry pigeons. Then, four hours later, the city pays for a trained hawk to fly around the square and chase the pigeons away (Wall Street Journal, 11 February 2005). Anyone identify with those poor pigeons? Not since the first century has the Christian church faced a culture as confused and confusing as ours. Just ...

1837. The Seven Deadly Fears

2 Timothy 1:1-2:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Probably all of us know someone who has a phobia of some kind or another. Someone who is afraid of small, enclosed areas - they're claustrophobic. Someone who is afraid of wide open, sweeping spaces - they're agoraphobic. There are phobias named for fearing heights, depths, snakes, spiders, clowns, dirt, cats, dogs. (You might want to make this a karaoke moment and get your people talking about their own fears.) In fact, almost everything, real or imagined, has rated a phobia listing. FDR even gave fear ...

1838. A Matter Of The Heart

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

John E. Harnish

Wesleyan theology is, at the heart, a matter of the heart. John Wesley referred to the Methodist experience as "heart religion," and the spirit of Charles Wesley's music goes right to the nurturing of the heart, the depth of the heart in relation to God, the healing of the heart. 1. First, the diagnosis. Let's call it spiritual cardiomyopathy, the hard heart. Cardiomyopathy—the muscles lose their ability to relax and contract, become stiff and brittle, literally a "hard heart." I know a little bit about ...

1839. Practicing God’s Presence

Hebrews 10:11-25

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

In the early years of the sixteenth century, a young adventurer named Nicolas Herman left his parents' home near Loraine, France, to join the French army. Wounded in war, he returned home to recuperate and thus began a process of soul searching that led to Christian commitment. His quest for closeness to God first led him to life as a hermit. He found that unfulfilling, so he eventually joined a Carmelite monastery where he was assigned to menial duties in the kitchen. Kneading bread might truly seem an ...

1840. The Parable of the Choices

Matthew 21:28-31

Sermon

Shirley Gupton Lynn

In 1897 Remington Arms Company chose not to buy a patented "writing machine." The Underwood Company bought it instead and has sold millions of typewriters since. Remington Arms made a bad choice. In the 1950's Sam Phillips made a record for a young man who wandered into his Memphis studio. The fledgling singer wanted to record his voice for his mother. In 1955 Sam Phillips chose to sell his exclusive recording contract with Elvis Presley to RCA for $35,000. Bad choice. Former President Nixon chose to ...

1841. Our Hope, Our Terror

Matthew 22:1-14

Illustration

Barbara Brown Taylor

Several summers ago I spent three days on a barrier island where loggerhead turtles were laying their eggs. One night while the tide was out, I watched a huge female heave herself up on the beach to dig her nest and empty her eggs into it. Afraid of disturbing her, I left before she had finished. The next morning I returned to see if I could find the spot where her eggs lay hidden in the sand. What I found were her tracks leading in the wrong direction. Instead of heading back out to sea, she had wandered ...

1842. A Real Christian

Matthew 23:1-12

Illustration

A certain pastor was less-than-encouraging when his daughter announced that God was calling her to serve as a missionary in Uganda. At first, he refused to let her go. ‘Don't you know that Uganda is a very dangerous place for Christians?" he asked. After two years, the young woman finally set out to pursue her calling. As the pastor watched her plane rise into the sky, he commented that he had wanted his daughter to be a respectable Christian not a real one. What makes the difference between a respectable ...

1843. A Small Act of Kindness

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

King Duncan

Let me suggest that you try something that never gets old or stale or unsatisfying. Do something for somebody truly in need. Let me tell you about a man named Floyd. According to the standards of the world Floyd was nobody. Floyd traveled around the country looking for work at harvest time. Floyd had no home and no place to go. A couple invited him into their home and gave him a home-cooked dinner. Floyd said very little as they ate. The wife, Nancy, offered to wash his clothes for him but Floyd declined ...

1844. Chutes or Ladders

Mark 9:2-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Jesus offers not the "Ladder of Success" but the "Chute of Service." Remember when you were little? When you were too small and young to do certain jobs or chores around the house? How exotic, exciting and enticing those tasks appeared. If only you were big enough to run the vacuum cleaner! To push the lawn mower! To wash the really high windows! Two-year-olds love to get pint-sized brooms and mops and sweepers acting out all the work that goes along with them. But somehow the allure fades fast. Then, as ...

1845. 1 Peter 1:17-23

1 Peter 1:17-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Although its authorship is constantly questioned, the epistle of 1 Peter was unquestioned by first-century Christians as an example of apostolic faithfulness. Its focus on the relationship between a minority Christian population and an aggressively pagan culture in Asia Minor was designed to give strength and encouragement to neophyte believers and help them build up a genuine sense of Christian community. 1 Peter recognizes how difficult the status of the cultural outsider is. This epistle acknowledges ...

1846. Matthew 3:1-12

Matthew 3:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

For the second week of Advent, the gospel text is once again one that urges preparation in the hearts and souls of the faithful for the imminent arrival of the Messiah. Whereas the living Jesus proclaimed this counsel in last week's text, this week, the gospel reading focuses on the message John the Baptist preached before Jesus entered into his public ministry. All four gospels are unanimous in their presentation of John the Baptist as the recognized precursor to and herald for Jesus the Christ. The ...

1847. 1 Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The so-called "pastoral epistles" have experienced a varied life in biblical scholarship. They have been present in the acknowledged canonical books ever since it was first established (c. A.D. 170) - with the notable exception of Marcion's quixotic selections. They "fell from grace" in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when critical textual analysis began to develop. Despite the long canonical tenure of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, the authenticity of their Pauline authorship came under close scrutiny ...

1848. Relationship with Christ

John 15:1-8

Illustration

Staff

Marion Anderson, perhaps the greatest contralto who ever lived had such a wonderful relationship with her mother. It was said of Mrs. Anderson's life: her music could bring one to tears; her life could bring one to their knees. She was once being interviewed and she was asked the most wonderful moment in her most impressive career. She could have mentioned that time when the great Arturo Toscanini told her that hers was the greatest voice of the century. She could have mentioned that time when she sang ...

1849. We Are Not in Control

John 3:1-17

Illustration

Keith Wagner

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. The man prayed for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none came. The man was exhausted but he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood for protection and a place to store his provisions. But one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived at his temporary home to find it in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened. Everything was lost. He was stunned with ...

1850. Boasting and Praying for You

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Sermon

Donna Schaper

Recently, I was asked to give a prayer at the area chamber of commerce meeting, with these instructions: "Make it brief, and don't mention God too much." How am I supposed to do that? I can't stop boasting about God. God's work is so impressive to me that snowflakes don't even describe it. Nor do hummingbird's nests. Nor fireworks. Nor breakfast. God is so grand to me that I have to boast. What I most like to boast about is theology. Nature is second only to theology. Most of us understand how to boast ...

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