Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 1926 to 1950 of 2815 results

1926. The Autobiography of God

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... ago when I went to plug my 110 volt electric shaver into a 220 volt outlet and the whole thing literally went up in smoke! Now I regularly take along a converter so that I can “step down” the voltage to where I can use it. Is that not a parable of Christ and His coming into our world? Christ is the One who came to “step down” the power and immensity of God into a shape and power we can use. He came into the world through the humble door of a stable, took upon Himself the form of a ...

1927. Does God Give Out Blank Checks?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... God who is always open to us. As a wise person once said, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, it is laying hold of God’s willingness.” Prayer does not change God’s mind, it releases God’s power. Now, I have to admit that there are some parables of Jesus which seem to give a different impression. In Luke 11 He tells of a man who goes next door to borrow a loaf of bread from his neighbor. Actually, he goes not to borrow one loaf, but three! And to make matters worse, it is in the middle ...

1928. On Talking to Oneself

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... the depths of despair and a kind word from him touched my life. He couldn’t remember it! That’s quite as it should be. We aren’t expected to tally up our good works and present them as a due bill to God. The people Jesus commended in the parable found in Matthew 25 did not even realize that they were doing a good deed to Him when they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, or visited the imprisoned. “Lord, when did we see Thee?” they asked. III. “IF I BUT TOUCH THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT, I SHALL BE ...

1929. Jesus Out of Character

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... agree with Barclay that Jesus was not calling Gentiles “dogs” as many of His contemporaries did, but that here the Greek word for “dogs” really means “pets.” The Man who was so quick to compliment the Gentile centurion, who told parables about the Good Samaritan, and characteristically showed particular kindness to defenseless women and little children, must surely have used the phrase gently, perhaps humorously, as we might say to someone: “You sly fox,” “You old goat.” At any rate, the ...

1930. On Claiming One’s Inheritance

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... see the goal, but we can’t quite reach it - not all by ourselves. Then, when we feel most hopeless, God can come and offer us hope. Indeed, that’s what the Commandments are for...to drive us to God, to where we say with the tax collector in Jesus’ parable: “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13) And then comes the good news: “But God showed His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) There is a cartoon which has appeared in several religious ...

1931. What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... Thee.” One can only wonder where the disciples were in all of this - they who had been given the task of bringing others to Jesus. They are not heard from in this account, except as seekers after their own positions of power. Perhaps this is a parable of the church, so preoccupied with its own life sometimes, that it is reluctant to seek out others. It certainly is characteristic of most of us who call ourselves present-day disciples. We feel that we are consumers of God’s love rather than purveyors of ...

1932. Opposite the Treasury

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... on which He spoke! He had more to say about money than He had to say about Baptism, the “New Birth,” the so-called “Second Coming,” the Church, or Heaven, or Hell. In the first three Gospels, one verse in six mentions money. Of the 38 parables recorded in the Gospels, 16 deal with the subject of money. It is simply IMPOSSIBLE to deal with the Gospel and not mention money. Jesus Christ is profoundly interested in the subject. WHY WAS JESUS SO INTERESTED IN MONEY? Because He was a realist. He knew ...

1933. The Lord's Prayer: Our Father

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... THE LORD''S PRAYER says that the "Father" God revealed in the teaching of Jesus Christ is not an extension of the patriarchal and authoritarian mentality and order, but a challenge to it. (Lockman, Eerdman''s Publication, 1980, page 20.) Dr. Lockman offers the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 which depicts a father who is not bound by legalism and legislative demands. The God called "Father" is worthy of full acceptance in every generation. THE FATHER DEPICTED BY JESUS IS AN ASSURING FATHER. Dr ...

1934. The Third Commandment: God's Last Name Is Not...?

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... by this noise, begin to set the table for lunch. However, the intelligent cranes have learned to place a number of stones in their mouth before they attempt liftoff. This prevents unnecessary noise and keeps them from becoming a delicious antipasto for lunch. I think this parable teaches us: don't make noise unless you are really serious about it. Your life can depend on it. Enough said. Let’s go to the second point. Secondly, to take God’s name in vain is to empty it of its content and power. The ...

1935. The Tenth Commandment: How Zacchaeus Got His Groove Back

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... new creation that was in him. However, let me tell you that the sin of covetousness does not belong exclusively to the rich, but to everyone--which is why it is in the Ten Commandments. Fyodor Dostoevsky in his classic novel, The Brothers Karamazov, writes the famous Parable of the Onion: Once upon a time, there was a peasant woman and a very wicked woman she was. And she died and did not leave a single good deed behind. The devils caught her and plunged her into the lake of fire. Her guardian angel stood ...

1936. The Servant Who Delivered the Mail

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... and Paul knew that while the human spirit often cheers for the underdog we really have the tendency to worship the TOP DOG. We really do have a sparrow complex. Wasn't it Jesus who was always talking about farmers, shepherds, housewives, in his parables and stories? Not exactly those listed in the Jerusalem Forbes Top Five Hundred. Wasn't Jesus always talking about small things like pears, salt, seeds, yeast, and sparrows? I further think of a small, frail, Albanian Roman Catholic Nun who labors for years ...

1937. Still Waters

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... see you, I see you," and run back to the base and declare I was now it. I would say, `Dogonit, you found me.'' What did I really want, did I want to hide or did I really want to be found?" Dr. Craddock shares that this often is a parable of the way we run from God. The only stronger and deeper desire in the human spirit to find God that he knows is the desire of God to find us. When we stop running from God and accept the guidance and direction that God is so eager to share ...

1938. A Full House

Romans 5:12-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... their pathetic treasure, except an old friend of the family recalled that Langley once said he was saving newspapers so Homer could catch up on his reading if he ever regained his sight. Homer and Langley Collyer make a sad but fitting parable of the way many people in the church live. Although the Collyer''s inheritance was sufficient for all their needs, they lived their lives in unnecessary, self-imposed deprivation, neglecting abundant resources that were rightfully theirs to enjoy. Homer and Langley ...

1939. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part III)

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , a sign, borne up, as if on another''s shoulders, being led toward some high place the doctor and I would not be going, following a way we would not understand. (1) It is so unfortunate many people only see the judgment and sternness of Jesus in this parable--that they fail to see the "Grace-note". We hear vividly the call to repentance but we neglect that another chance or another year was given for the tree to bear fruit worthy of our Lord. The fascinating insight that I received this week is that we are ...

1940. What a Difference a Day Makes

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... just a few years ago, an internationally famous chess player was admiring the painting when all of a sudden he lunged forward and exclaimed: "Wait a minute! Look! Faust has another move and that move will give him the victory!" The painting is something of a parable for us Christians, because here we see symbolized the good news of Easter. Think of it. When we look at the Cross on Good Friday, it looks (at first glance) like evil has won. It looks like the defeat of righteousness. It looks like goodness is ...

1941. A Fantastic Feast

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... were used to anoint the feet of Jesus. However, Judas, like the dear sisters, failed to realize that some things in life must be done when the opportunity presents itself. To wait would be to miss the moment. Imagine what would have happened if in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father would have waited three months to throw the party to welcome home his son--just to be sure his repentance was real. God''s love is not only inclusive but extravagant. This is what Babette brings this community of faith ...

1942. Missing the Point

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

Paul E. Flesner

... them for the events of his suffering and death which lay ahead. Whatever his reason, Peter and his friends completely missed the point of it! Which, by the way, is a theme that runs throughout Mark's entire Gospel. Jesus would teach or heal or tell parables, but his disciples would not understand the meaning or purpose of them. I find it strange that Jesus' messiahship was not understood by those closest to him. Back to the top of that mountain. If we are not steeped in Jewish tradition, we really can't ...

1943. Bearing the Cross

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... zone. I gave up some of my precious time. I shared in the costs of the kingdom. I took my stand, I bore my cross, in serving my church, serving my community, serving my friends, serving my world.” I want to close with a story, a parable if you will, shared by pastor Dan Mangler. There once was an elf, a wood elf, a very respectable wood elf, who spent his time running around with a little wheelbarrow gathering snails and weeds that were destroying the vegetation, and disposing of them. This elf had ...

1944. When the Boat Begins to Sink

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

David G. Rogne

... were compelled to seek shelter from the blinding spray, though they were 200 yards from the lakeside! Such was the experience of the disciples in our story. The day had been a busy one. Mark states that Jesus had preached his message to the people using many parables. Being exhausted, he left the crowd, took his disciples with him, and got into a boat. Jesus went to the back of the boat, stretched out on a pillow, and went to sleep. Suddenly, a strong wind blew up the waves, and water began to spill into ...

1945. The Dangers of Being Religious

Mark 7:1-23

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... ourselves by our virtues, and always get such nice comparisons? And soon we start to believe we're special and God's opinions are the same as ours. 8. Do you have a "That's him!" attitude or a "That's me!" attitude? Luke 18:10 and following is a parable about two men who went to pray in the temple. A sinful tax collector stood in a corner and, confessing his sins, asked for mercy. He had one eye on God and one eye on himself. The Pharisee, however, stood up front and center, looked to heaven, and bragged to ...

1946. Deliverance: The Forgotten Third of Jesus' Ministry

Mark 9:14-32

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... Return? Jesus spoke of a man who swept his house and put it in order but did not fill it. The evicted demon went and found some buddies also disembodied. They came back to check out the old abode, found it empty, and reentered (Matthew 12:45). This chilling parable reminds us we must be saved from Satan's power to Christ's power. We must get under authority in a solid church (1 Samuel 15:23; Ephesians 6; Hebrews 10:25), quit sinning (John 5:14), live by the scriptures (Luke 4), praise the Lord, guard the ...

1947. Maximum Marriage

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... . So it is with marriage. How's the leaving side of your wedlock? Have you made a total commitment to matrimony? How's the cleaving? Are you pasted together with nothing between you? No interruptions? And what about your becoming one? Are you fighting like Christians? Jesus once told a parable. He said that those who heard God's words and did not do them were like a man who built his home on the sand. And when the storm came, it fell in. But Christ said that if a man both hears and does God's word he'd be ...

1948. Grace in the Midst of Limited Resources

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

... good things that I put into your hands? Did you become rich for your own sake, or rich for my sake? This matter of being accountable to God means understanding at least three things. First, we need to understand whose property we are managing. The farmer in Jesus' parable in Luke 12 is extremely confused on this point. He has been reaping bumper crops. In verse 17 he says, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?" (emphasis added). That's why God roars in verse 20, "You fool!" In the Bible ...

1949. Maundy Thursday: Seeing Ourselves in the Disciples

Matthew 26:17-30

Sermon

Brett Blair

... must chose to use our talents toward the right end, that is, to enhance humanity. To make this world a better place by our having been alive. Matthew did just that. His Gospel which bears his name contains Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and a majority of Jesus’ parables. The Gospel according to Matthew changed the world like few writings have ever done. Maybe we see ourselves in James and John. They remind us of the pride and the ego that is within us all. It was their mother who went to Jesus to do their ...

1950. The Right Word For Memorial

John 17:20-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... woman and discovered electricity." Now all of that is probably true, but there's a lot more truth to Franklin's life than we find in those words. So with Jesus. "Name Jesus anything you like. Remember Him in any way you want. Recall any of the parables He told. Quote word for word any statement He ever said. Put all these things together into some kind of historical record, and still you have nothing if you do not include this one truth" (Boulware, Ibid.): When Jesus becomes the way of being and doing for ...

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