Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1851 to 1875 of 4945 results

1851. Maybe Today....

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

John B. Jamison

“Maybe today.” He stood at the window and watched the morning sun climb over the mountain. He lowered his eyes to shield them from the glare of the sunlight shining against the streets and buildings. It was a bright and beautiful morning, but all he felt was darkness. It was the same darkness he had felt last night as he tried to sleep. It was the same darkness he felt every day now, the same one that they all felt every day now. He raised his eyes to the window again. “Maybe today,” he said. He stepped ...

1852. Remember

John 14:23-29

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Losing someone is hard. All of us at one time or another have lost someone in our lives, someone truly dear to us. Perhaps through death, perhaps through divorce or the ending of a relationship. Perhaps our children have grown up and left the nest. Perhaps a friendship has ended. No matter how we have lost someone, our brains will go through a complicated process that we call grief. Grief essentially means our brain is trying to adapt to a new reality in which someone who was a significant part of our ...

1853. Persistent Prayer

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

I must begin with telling it plain: I love this parable. I likely love this parable for all the wrong, not very Christian reasons. I love this parable because the most vulnerable, least powerful person gets vindicated. The widow with no real recourse, no protection unless it is granted to her, no official status or leverage, gets justice, which could also be translated as “avenged” or even “take revenge.” The long-exploited woman gets revenge. The underdog wins and this is such a rare occurrence I want to ...

1854. Country Songs and Easter Hymns

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Thomas Long

As the van rolled down the interstate, Kitty Wells' hillbilly alto rattled the radio speakers; "When you're lookin' at me," she belted out, "you're lookin' at country." In the van were ten of us, all seminary seniors, heading away from our rural South Carolina campus toward the big city of Atlanta, and Kitty Wells had it right: If you were looking at us, you were looking at country. It was not that we urbanly-challenged folk actually wanted to go to the city; the faculty was forcing us to do so. Terrified ...

1855. Jacob And The Night Wrestler

Sermon

Jerry Eckert

August 22, 1982 Comment: A good story can be done a number of ways. Astory about Jacob lent itself as a short story when I didit. Since then, I have come to see it as a radio drama, notunlike those frequently heard in the '40s and '50s in whichthe hero narrates and has some dialogue with a limitednumber of other characters. Sound effects would be nice andcould be handled by a creative team working on this story. Those who study the biblical story closely will realizeI have taken some liberties, as most ...

1856. Jacob And The Night Wrestler

Genesis 32:22-32

Drama

Jerry Eckert

Comment: A good story can be done a number of ways. A story about Jacob lent itself as a short story when I did it. Since then, I have come to see it as a radio drama, not unlike those frequently heard in the '40s and '50s in which the hero narrates and has some dialogue with a limited number of other characters. Sound effects would be nice and could be handled by a creative team working on this story. Those who study the biblical story closely will realize I have taken some liberties, as most storytellers ...

1857. Lent 2

Luke 13:31-35

Bulletin Aid

Jack Brownlee

ORDER OF SERVICE Opening Words L: Let us worship our Creator, the God of Love. P: God continually preserves and sustains us. L: We have been forgiven to embrace new life. P: Through Jesus Christ we have received the full love of God. Hymn "How Firm A Foundation" Prayer Of Confession Unto thee, O Lord do I lift up my soul. I put my trust in thee, O God. Show thy paths, teach thy ways, lead in thy truth; remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies. Do not remember my sin. Take from me my self justification. Center ...

1858. Unpredictable

1 John 1:4b

Children's Sermon

Object: two balloons not yet blown up Good morning, boys and girls. It's past Easter now, but what happens next in the rest of the Bible is almost more exciting than the part about Jesus being alive. I brought two balloons. I like to blow up balloons and see where they go when I let them go. (Blow up a balloon and then let it go without tying it.) Watch out and keep your mouth closed! Where did it go? (While they are getting it, blow up the other one and let it go.) Let's do it a few more times. (Blow them ...

1859. Finding Our Roots

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

John M. Braaten

Ever since Alex Haley’s novel, Roots, hit the bookstands in the mid-70s, there has been an increasing number of people interested in their heritage. Many people buy computers and get on the internet primarily to keep track of their family tree. Parish secretaries are often called upon to do research for people investigating their family heritage. It is clear that many persons have been motivated to search through history in an attempt to find their roots. As one newspaper columnist wrote, "The once fabled ...

1860. Beyond Good Intentions

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

What do you think of people who change their minds? You could surprise me, I suppose, but often, as I see it, people who change their minds are looked upon as having a flaw in their character. "She changed her mind," they say, "What's wrong with her anyway?" Today I want to challenge that way of thinking. I will do it by beginning this sermon by saying: if you never have to change your mind, it is either because you're quite perfect as you are or you are very stupid. I mean it. Perfect, because you have ...

1861. The Master Has Come - To Face Jerusalem

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

During the last part of the nineteenth century there was a well-known preacher in England named Thomas Cook. He was going to preach in a certain town over a weekend. The people who were to keep him in their home talked about him so much their maid got sick of hearing about him. She went to the butcher shop on Saturday and mentioned all the fuss to the butcher. She said, "You would think Jesus Christ was coming." But, the preacher captivated her too with his messages about the Master, and on Sunday night ...

1862. A Brass Cross and a Barometer

Luke 6:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Did you read in the newspaper a few months ago about the little first-grade boy who kissed a little first-grade girl at school? We're not sure what got into him, but he gave her a little peck on the cheek. A teacher witnessed the incident and reported it. In a monumental display of bad judgment, the principal suspended the boy for three days for sexual harassment! When people think only of rules and eliminate common sense, bad things happen. Some people are incurable rule makers. Such were the Pharisees of ...

1863. Begging Bartimaeus

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Richard F. Bansemer

The sermon today is from the Gospel of Mark, the 10th chapter, verses 51 and 52. "And Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And the blind man said to him, ‘Master, let me receive my sight.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ " Jericho is about as far away from Jerusalem as a twenty minute drive. It’s a mere fifteen miles. That’s pretty close, unless you’re walking as Jesus was. For him it was a day away, at most. A good walker could cover it in four or ...

1864. EPISODE 6: THE SIXTH WEEK IN LENT

Drama

Robert Clausen

EPISODE 6: THE SIXTH WEEK IN LENT MARY MARTHA MARY MAGDALENE CAPTAIN JUDAS SOLDIER JESUS PETER JOHN THOMAS [MARY and MARTHA are together. MARY MAGDALENE enters.] MARTHA: Mary Magdalene...! MARY MAGDALENE: Oh, Martha. I’m so glad to find you home ... and Mary. MARY: Come in, Mary Magdalene. Are you all right? MARY MAGDALENE: No ... MARY: Why, what’s the matter? MARY MAGDALENE: I can’t explain it. MARTHA: Try to tell us. MARY MAGDALENE: I should be happy after today ... the crowds, the cheering, the ...

1865. Coping with Fear, Worry, and Anxiety

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

If you do not worry, if you have never worried, if you do not plan to worry, do not read this chapter; it will be a waste of time. But if a dark cloud of worry overshadows your life, read this chapter carefully; the shadow can be dispelled. We live in an age of anxiety. The image is the image of fear - not the image of faith. We respond to the old Scotch litany: "From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggety beasties. And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!" It seems that we expect the ...

1866. A Man, A Woman, and the Test of Doom (A Drama about Marriage)

Drama

Dave Marsh

Director's Notes: Pastor Ray asked me to write a light-hearted drama for this weekend centering around marriage. As I thought about what I would write, I asked myself how the world tells you if you have a healthy marriage or not. I quickly scanned the Internet until I found what I was looking for - a marriage cyber-test. I pulled some questions from it and added my own for the drama. Amazing... if we would only go to God's word, we could find out exactly what He has to say about a healthy marriage... Note ...

1867. A Wonderful Mother (In-Law)

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Mothers' Day. I like Mothers' Day, as I know we all do. There is something very special in taking time out of the hustle and bustle to celebrate those special ladies who have given us life. The "Mother" of Mother's Day is Anna Jarvis who spent forty years developing the concept. Her drive to create the holiday reached fulfillment in 1914 with a presidential proclamation by Woodrow Wilson. Anna had two fears, both of them well-founded. She was afraid that her effort to honor mothers would be exploited by ...

1868. The Birdies

Luke 18:15-17

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Children. I love children. I am feeling a little sorry for myself at the moment because this week the first of my children leaves home - David goes off to college. For him, I am excited. For me, well... I love him more than I could ever put into words, and I am going to miss him. At some time or other, you may have heard me tell of his entrance into this world. The birth made use of the LaMaze method, so I was there during the whole experience. Following his arrival, as I stood admiring him in the warming ...

1869. The Secret Of Champions

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Last week we asked where have all the heroes gone? This week, "The Secret of Champions." If this all seems a little too upbeat for you, blame the writer of the letter to the Hebrews. Who can help standing a little straighter and stepping a little higher after reading the eleventh chapter and the first part of the twelfth chapter of this great book? First of all, the writer lists the great heroes of the Bible in chapter eleven and then he says, "THEREFORE, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of ...

1870. Secrets Of Successful Parenting

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

King Duncan

The pastor of the Baptist Church had been trying for months to get little Johnny to come to church to be with his third grade Sunday school class. Finally, after talking to Little Johnny and his mother for what seemed to be the hundredth time, Johnny finally agreed to go this next Sunday. The pastor came by the house and picked him up and Johnny did seem to enjoy all of the proceedings except as the baptismal service began he ran out the back door and all the way home. His mother asked him why did he run ...

1871. Why Shepherds?

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

King Duncan

Welcome to this celebration of Christmas Day. I want to begin with a story. It’s not a Christmas story. But it involves an incident that occurred on the day after Christmas 2004. One day last December, seventeen-year-old Max Loeb was home from school. He had been suspended that day for some reason, nothing serious. His family, though, is grateful that this one time Max got in trouble. Why? Because that particular day his father also happened to be home, and his father, Hamilton Loeb, suffered a massive ...

1872. Participants In The Gospel

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

January 6, this past Wednesday, was the day of Epiphany - the day when the Wise Men brought their gifts to the baby Jesus. Vast sections of the Christian world celebrate Epiphany in a special way. For Eastern Christians especially, this day, not the day which we celebrate as the birth of Jesus, is the occasion for gift giving. More important than that, on the Christian calendar, the season of Epiphany is the season of evangelism and mission. The season when we put the emphasis upon the taking the light of ...

1873. A Sovereign God With A Shepherd's Heart

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In many Moravian churches, the fourth Sunday in Advent is known as "Morning Star Sunday." The large multi-pointed paper star hangs from the ceiling of the Sanctuary, filling the darkness with light. The congregation sings, "Morning Star, O cheering sight; ere thou camest how dark earth's night! Jesus, mine, in me shine; fill my heart with light divine." For us who stand at the threshold of Christmas, the morning star points to both an end and a beginning. The morning star appears on a clear night in the ...

1874. A Long Obedience In The Same Direction

Luke 22:39-46

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

A few weeks ago, I mentioned a preacher- writer I have recently discovered. His name is Eugene H. Peterson, and he has served Christ the King United Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland for 27 years. He has a book on the Psalms of Ascents -- Psalms 120 - 134 which he titled, A LONG OBEDIENCE IN THE SAME DIRECTION. He got that phrase from Friedrich Nietzsche. This was Nietzsche's word: "The essential thing in heaven and earth is...that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; thereby, ...

1875. Get off the Throne and Learn Wisdom

Matthew 7:1-6

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

A check-out clerk once wrote columnist Ann Landers a letter of complaint: she had seen shoppers with food stamps buy luxury items like birthday cakes and bags of shrimp. The angry woman went on to say that people on welfare who treat themselves to non-necessities were “lazy and wasteful." A few weeks later Lander's column was devoted entirely to people who responded to the grocery clerk with letters of their own. One woman wrote: “I didn't buy a cake, but I did buy a big bag of shrimp with food stamps. So ...

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