Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1851 to 1875 of 4508 results

Sermon

Mark Trotter

There was a joke that came out of the Soviet Union many years ago about a Russian who stood on the street corner in Moscow, and shouted, "Down with Khrushchev!" He was arrested and sent to prison camp for ten years. While he was in prison he had a change of heart, and came to see that Khrushchev was a great leader after all. The only problem was, while he was in prison the times changed, and Khrus...

1852. The Incomparable Christ

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Life was difficult. It always was for prisoners. Meager rations. Hard labor. Sometimes restrained and tortured by the stocks or collar. Left with festering wounds in damp, abandoned cisterns converted to maximum security dungeons. Why was he here? His only crime was criticizing the king for stealing his own brother's wife, Herodias. Herodias wanted John killed, but Herod Antipas was reluctant - he...

1853. A Man Who Lost His Head

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

In the last chapter, we considered Daniel, a prophet who lived in captivity in the land of Babylon. After the inhabitants of Judah had been carried away as slaves into Babylonia and remained there for a period of approximately seventy years, some of them were permitted to return to the city of Jerusalem. The city had been destroyed and left in ashes. Under extremely difficult circumstances, they ...

1854. Disappointed in Jesus

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

It was a painful experience for both of us. Jane was a young mother about my age. She had been on the pastor nominating committee that called us to New Jersey. And we had shared much laughter and friendship through the years. She also was on the session - and that cold November night she seemed edgy and distant. I soon found out why. Following the meeting, she waited for me out in the parking lot....

1855. The 4 LAWS of a Whole Personality

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Is there anyone who at some time hasn't had to suffer through the dozen, lengthy, tongue-twisting, memory-testing verses of one of this season's most annoying carols, "The Twelve Days of Christmas"? I confess. From one Christmas to another I keep forgetting what there were eleven of, or what those six geese were doing. But our consumer culture has forgotten that those twelve days don't start tod...

1856. Time to Unpack

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Advent is an intentional season of “preparedness.” We think of Advent as a “journey,” to use Oprah Winfrey’s favorite word. We think of Advent as a progressive path we take in order to arrive at a destination — the sleepy village of Bethlehem. Preparing. Making plans. Charting a way. Scouting and scoping the landscape. Assessing and overcoming obstacles to avoid or override. Sounds like life as ...

1857. Looking at Jesus from Behind Prison Bars

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

How different things must have looked for John behind prison walls. If ever the word "free spirit" applied to anyone, it applied to John. He said what he wanted to say, without holding back. If the scholars are correct that he was an Essene, then he had gone into the wilderness specifically to get away from everyone. The Essenes wanted to worship their way, with no interference from anyone. Now, t...

1858. Looking for Shoots or Roots?

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The more we move into the Advent season, the more our scripture texts bring the Christ-child’s birth closer and closer to us. Yet here in Matthew 11:2-11 we are back to the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist. Yet even though this is not part of our text for this week, the mere mention of John’s name should remind us of their cousinly kinship, even of an in utero jump for joy that mark...

1859. Room For Questions

Sermon

William B. Kincaid, III

It's interesting how we fix in our minds certain images of people and block other images of the same people. We do that to biblical characters. We remember Peter's denial of Jesus, but forget his powerful preaching recorded in the book of Acts. Or, we remember how women came to Jesus for help from time to time, but forget how Jesus depended on the women for financial support and to announce the ne...

1860. Responding to What We Hear and See

Sermon

Joe Pennel

In the semantics of the church, doubt has been a negative word. It is rarely used in a favorable way. Faith, not doubt, is the great word of the church. As I stand here every Sunday morning and look into your up-lifted faces, you look so proper, so content, so believing. You seem to be so certain, so full of faith, and so free of doubt. But, I have a suspicion that the way you look is not the wa...

1861. A Desperate Question

Sermon

George Bass

John the Baptizer was in trouble, and not knowing exactly what his fate would be, he suspected the worst. He was in for a long and uncomfortable imprisonment, at best, and he could expect to be executed, at worst. John was soon to lose his head, as you and I know very well, so Herod could save face. He knew he was in trouble. For some unexplained reason, he rather suddenly and unexpectantedly, aft...

1862. The Christian’s Style - 1960

Sermon

Kent Moorehead

What do you consider the most important and revealing fact to know about a person? Is it his antecedents, heritage, background? Certainly that is not to be overlooked. Or would you be most interested in his possessions, the position he occupies, the nature of his reputation? Unquestionably this factor would seem to be of no little practical consequence. Or would it mean most to know his possibilit...

1863. Unnoticed at Your Own Party

Sermon

King Duncan

W.E. Sangster once told about being invited to a party held to celebrate a wedding. He arrived late and knew nobody there except the friend who invited him. He subsequently played the role of a mere spectator to the evening’s festivities. Everyone, he noted, seemed to be in high spirits. They danced and shouted and sang and laughed and played games and indulged in all sorts of entertainment. They...

1864. Third Sunday in Advent

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:47-55 First Lesson—God's People will be gathered with great joy from times of grief and uncertainty. Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 Second Lesson—As the farmer must patiently wait for passing seasons so the sufferer must be patient in anticipation of final relief. James 5:7-10 Gospel—Jesus reassures John the Baptist that truly Messianic ministry is happening and pays h...

1865. Proper 9, Pentecost 7, Ordinary Time 14

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Confession And Forgiveness Leader: We gather in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. All: Blessed redeemer, we do not understand our own actions and at times we do the very things we hate. We confess to you our disobedience and our rebellion. We confess to you our self-centeredness and scapegoating of others. We confess to you our slavery to sin and our falling to temp...

1866. Advent 3

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Gathering Prayer: Litany Of Expectation Leader: Waiting in our darkness, All: slammed doors and stifled cries, Leader: a phone that doesn’t ring, All: a child who hasn’t returned home, Leader: waiting in our darkness; All: we remember your promise, and we are not alone. Leader: O God of all the ages, we pray that you would come to us who long to see you, who long to hear your voice. Breathe life i...

1867. Proper 9

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 45:10-17 First Lesson - The arrangement of the marriage of Isaac to Rebekah is made by Abraham through an emissary. Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58- 67 Second Lesson - Paul describes the conflict within us as between the old and the new nature. Romans 7:15-25 Gospel - Jesus describes the contradictions in the behavior of his critics and his happiness at the response of the si...

1868. You're Watching What?

Sermon

King Duncan

Someone has said that cleaning with kids in the house is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos . . . Isn’t that so? Another person has said that behind every good marriage is a great house cleaning service. Speaking of cleaning your house, let me ask you a question: what is your go-to technique for relieving stress? Just about everyone feels overwhelmed with stress from time to time. A me...

1869. Prisoners of Hope

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

We humans are really good at excuses. We’ve had lots of practice since Adam and Eve started the ball rolling by first blaming each other, then the serpent, and finally even blaming God for their rebellion against their Creator. Give us enough time and we can justify or rationalize away just about anything we do, especially when it comes to our relationship with God. Let me give you a true-life exa...

1870. The Art of Critique

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Today, as our world continues to become ravaged by COVID-19, people are feeling anxious, impatient, frustrated, and critical. We are less busy with the things that normally hold our attention. We are bored with staying inside, refraining from seeing the people we love and doing the activities that animate us. We are sick and tired of being “sick and tired!” The more cooped up we feel, the angrier...

1871. He treated me with dignity

Illustration

William B. Kincaid, III

Eugene Peterson, a Presbyterian minister who teaches at Regent College in Vancouver, tells the story of wanting to discuss some feelings and energies he was having that he believed had to do with God. It was the summer after Peterson's second year of college. His first two attempts at finding someone who would listen to him didn't work out very well. Peterson tried talking to his pastor, but after...

1872. The Controlling Emotion of Fear

Illustration

Johnny Dean

Years ago H. A. Williams was one of the leading preachers and theologians of the Church of England. He titled his autobiography, Someday I'll Find You. That may seem like an unusual title for an autobiography, but if you read the book it begins to make sense. You see, there was a period in Dr. Williams' life when he was almost totally incapacitated by phobic anxieties. He was afraid to go into th...

1873. He is the One We are Looking For

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

You see, God through Jesus Christ is still bringing good news to the poor. He is still bringing those who were dead back to life again! He is still healing those who were broken! In the May, 1982, issue of Guideposts magazine, Norman Vincent Peale tells of a woman who came to him for help. Her husband had been killed in a tragic car crash, and as a result, she felt numb, hopeless, and "broken. P...

1874. A Style in Mistakes

Illustration

Kent Moorehead

The only way we ever really know any of the masters, the real geniuses, is by knowing their style. Suppose you hear a strain of music that you have never heard before, but in just a minute you say, "that's Brahms," or "that's Beethoven." How do you know? That's their style, the way they do it. No one else does it quite that way. We had quite a controversy some time ago when somebody gave two wonde...

1875. Answering Criticism

Illustration

Kent Moorehead

Think of the things that were said about Lincoln by his contemporaries - the calumnies, the caricatures, the unjust criticisms. But consider the accurate estimate of his style today. With what insight he wrote, when he said, "If I were to try to read, must less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how and I mean to ...

Showing 1851 to 1875 of 4508 results