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Showing 176 to 200 of 2844 results

176. Apostles of Christ

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

God as the Only Real Judge The thought and logic of this passage are clear, although in Greek much of Paul’s language is awkward. Any translation struggles to render Paul’s statements in a sensible and reliable way. These verses begin by informing the Corinthians how they are to regard Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and all other early Christian workers. They are merely servants and stewards who are called to serve Christ as agents of the proclamation of the mysteries of God’s grace. A single quality must ...

177. Daniel’s Vision of a Man

Daniel 10:1--11:1

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Final Revelation: Prologue: Chapters 10 through 12 form one long unit containing the last apocalypse of the book. This unit can be subdivided into three smaller sections: the prologue (10:1–11:1), the body (11:2–12:4), and the epilogue (12:5–13). The proper divisions do not line up with the chapter breaks in our modern Bibles because those chapter breaks are not original; they were inserted long after the Bible was completed and not always in the most helpful places. The prologue sets the stage for the ...

178. Praying for Endurance and Healing

James 5:1-6, James 4:13-17, James 5:7-12, James 5:13-20

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

Throughout the book James has been dealing with the root causes of disharmony within the community. In the previous section, he has dealt with their complaining, their criticizing, and their roots in worldliness (3:1–4:12). Now he turns to another theme, the test of wealth. The poor person is totally dependent and knows it. Although such a person may well be consumed with envy and ambition, Christians are more likely to turn to prayer and humble dependence upon God. The wealthier person, however, may be ...

179. Praying for Endurance and Healing

James 5:7-12, James 4:13-17, James 5:1-6, James 5:13-20

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

180. Praying for Endurance and Healing

James 5:13-20, James 4:13-17, James 5:1-6, James 5:7-12

Understanding Series

Peter H. Davids

181. Immersed

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Washed in the blood of Jesus. That’s what our early hymns proclaim. We are washed in the blood of the Lamb, the blood of sacrifice, the blood of salvation, the cleansing blood of the messiah Jesus. For most of us today that sounds like a rather strange concept. But then, when you think about it, so is partaking of the “body and blood” of Jesus as we celebrate what we know as Holy Communion. In fact, this was a strange concept in the early church as well! Early Christians were in fact often called out for ...

182. Sword of the Spirit

John 6:56-69 · Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Anyone remember the story of the sword in the stone? King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?The story has many facets. Most of us probably remember the part about young Arthur, who was just a ward, a servant in the courts, who was able to pull an amazing historic sword from a stone where it was firmly planted. The inscription to the sword said that only the person meant to be the future king would be able to remove the sword. That person would be a person of special nature and character. While ...

183. A Change of Direction

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

"... but afterward he repented and went." - Matthew 21:29 In Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus tells a story about afterthoughts. In this story two young men had second thoughts about choices they had made. Each had made up his mind to go in a certain direction, but later reconsidered and went another. Here is the story as Jesus told it: "A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' and he answered, 'I will not;' but afterward he repented and went. And he went to ...

184. Getting Down To The Local Issues

Sermon

Thomas Long

"The landscape of politics is changing," explained the political pundit on the television talk show. His hands were outstretched in front of him, palms up, as if to say, "We may as well face it." "It's the impact of the instant, electronic media," he continued. "Two generations ago, a presidential candidate could write one speech addressing the big issues facing the nation and whistle stop around the country giving it everywhere. But not today. The issues are hotter and more immediate. People don't care ...

185. The Christian Journey I: The Path

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

John N. Brittain

Have you ever been lost, really lost? It can happen anywhere: in a dark forest where you've lost the trail or in a crowded shopping mall where you've lost sight of Mom; on the backroads of Indiana where all you can see is corn or in the bustling canyons of New York City where the buildings block out the sun. You can be lost in a foreign country where no one speaks your language and you don't speak theirs. And you can be just as lost with a group of people who just don't understand what you are trying to ...

186. Turning A Minus Into A Plus

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Harold Warlick

One of the finest minds in our country belongs to a man named Charles Merrill. Charles' father founded a company called Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, a rather successful stock brokerage firm. With part of that vast wealth, Charles Merrill founded the Commonwealth School in Boston. The Commonwealth School has enjoyed a tremendous academic reputation. It has excelled in educating students from diverse backgrounds. On a cold, windy day Charles Merrill and a minister friend were walking to lunch, and he told the ...

187. An Untouchable God?

1 Samuel 6:1-7:1

Sermon

Robert Noblett

The story of the ark’s removal to Jerusalem is vintage Old Testament so far as most of us are concerned. It features a storm-and-battle God, fearful and yet rejoicing believers, and a great deal of religious uncertainty. Reading it from the vantage point of the latter years of the Twentieth Century, we are apt to question its relevance for our day. But let’s not write it off with undue haste. We are never quite as sophisticated as we think we are and, inversely, the pioneers of faith are never quite as ...

188. But God Can

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

Larry Powell

She was all alone now, this widow of Nain. The Scriptures make no mention that she had brothers or sisters or other family members. They surely would have been with her, consoling her, moving slowly along in the sad procession. A "large crowd from the city was with her." We are grateful for that. Sometime before, we don't know how long, she had stood by the grave of her husband and now the lifeless body of her only son was being carried out of the city. Only a widowed parent can know the grief that poor ...

189. The Witness and the Witnesses

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon

Easter ends and the season of Pentecost begins with the singing of an old and much beloved hymn: Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire And lighten with celestial fire; Thou the anointing Spirit art Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart. Thy blessed unction from above Is comfort, life, and fire of love. Enable with perpetual light The dullness of our blinded sight. Finally, we pray: Teach us to know the Father, Son, And thee, of both, to be but One; That through the ages all along This may be our endless song ...

190. The First Council

Acts 15:1-21

Sermon Aid

CSS

The elation among the Christians at Antioch lasted "no little time." We can only guess how long. But in the early church the storms and sunshine, the happy days and the dark days of controversy, the good times and the bad seemed to alternate in rapid succession. How quickly the ecstasy of the people at Lystra, in their zeal to make Paul and Barnabas into gods, changed into violence and threats! Now the same sudden storm comes to Antioch. Some men came down from Judea - from Jerusalem itself, in all ...

191. A Faith for the Uncharted Way

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

Leonard Mann

A few summers ago my family and I made a motor trip west from our home in Ohio to the Pacific coast, and returned. We crossed the prairies and the plains, the Mojave Desert and the great salt flats of Utah; we drove through the Badlands and the Grand Tetons, and crossed the Sierra Nevadas and the Rocky Mountains twice. We followed the trails of the pioneers, the Mojave, the Wyoming, and the Santa Fe. We traveled on good roads in a good automobile with a good road map. We had never been in any of that ...

192. Good News, Release, and Comfort

Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

Richard L. Eslinger

Advent rushes to a finish. You know how hectic this next week will be. "Only (you fill in the blank) more days until Christmas," and there is an awful lot to be done. There is the last-minute shopping, rubbing shoulders with all the other last-minute people. Then, toward the end of the week, the planning and procuring for the big Christmas dinner begins. But we’ll probably forget something essential to the menu and be back at the supermarket on Christmas Eve, too. Here at church there is as much bustle as ...

193. What Do You Believe About Eternal Life

John 14:5-14

Eulogy

James W. Moore

There is a wonderful new hymn in our hymnal. It is becoming something of a tradition to sing this hymn number 707, The Hymn of Promise, at Easter… and at memorial and funeral services. The hymn was written in 1986 by Natalie Sleeth, a respected and prolific writer of Christian music. She wrote this hymn for her husband, the late Dr. Ronnie Sleeth, who was an outstanding professor of preaching at Vanderbilt Divinity School and later at Iliff School of Theology. In 1986 Ronnie Sleeth was told by his doctors ...

194. Living With Difficult People

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Our Jewish friends are wonderful story tellers and they do not mind making fun of themselves. Here are two samples: During a service at an old synagogue in Eastern Europe, when the Shema prayer was said, half the congregregants stood up and half remained sitting. The half that was seated started yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones standing yelled at the ones sitting to stand up. The rabbi, educated as he was in the Law and commentaries, didn't know what to do. His congregation suggested ...

195. The Lord's Prayer: Deliver us from Evil

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Dr. Tony Campolo is a Professor of Sociology at Eastern College and a Baptist Minister whose prophetic speaking and writing ministry is a great source of encouragement to this pastor and many others. Dr. Campolo also has a well-known mission project that works in the inner cities of Philadelphia and Camden. Last year 250 college students worked without pay to help bring the Good News to a place where days are long and full of evil and laborers are desperately needed to share the Good News. One of the ...

196. Yes! (Easter Sunday)

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. John Trent tells about a wedding video he once saw. The video was shot from the back of the church looking up the aisle toward the bride and groom. Because of the camera angle, you could see several members of the congregation. Suddenly, during the vows, a man jumped up from his pew and yelled, “Yes, Yes, Yes!” as he pumped his fist. Then he froze and slid down into his seat--and sheepishly took off his headphones. It turned out he had been listening to the Auburn-Alabama football game, and his ...

197. Good Neighbors

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

King Duncan

John was showing off his new apartment to his friends. “Say, what’s that gong for?” asked Ed. “That’s not a gong,” John replied. “That’s a talking clock.” “A talking clock?” Ed asked in disbelief. “How’s it work?” “Watch,” said John. He picked up a sledgehammer and took a swing at the gong. A voice from the other side of the wall screamed, “Knock it off, you idiot! It’s 2:00 A. M.!” A talking clock, to be sure. Also, a good test of your neighbors. A certain woman owned a dog named Tatters. Tatters was ...

198. Reflections on a Bumper Sticker

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Mark Trotter

When I see a bumper sticker, I like to pull up along side the car and see if the message fits the driver. Sometimes it's a surprise. I saw an off-color bumper sticker on a car. I pulled up along side, and saw a little old lady driving. It makes you wonder what's happening to our world. Jean saw a car with a bumper sticker on it that said, "Honk if you love Jesus." So she pulled up along side and honked, and the man flipped her off. So you never know. I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Life is too short to ...

199. Jedi Christians

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Who's your favorite superhero? We've got a lot to pick from this summer. Everybody loves a superhero. Just look at the movies. Our kids' heads are filled with dreams of superhero-dom, as we fill their toy chests with action figures, costumes, and props so they can pretend they're the latest champion of the universe. This summer opened with George Lucas' newest installment in the Star Wars saga: Episode II Attack of the Clones. It re-energized the lore and lure of that extraterrestrial epic our nonlinear, ...

200. Lent 2

Psalm 121:1-8, Genesis 12:1-8, Romans 4:1-25, John 3:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS The themes of sin and death, which have been central to the Lenten Old Testament lessons up to this point, give way to divine promise of life and blessing in Genesis 12:1-4a . Psalm 122 takes the divine promise of life and blessing into the setting of worship, where it functions both as a song of praise to God for the gift of peace and salvation, and as encouragement to the worshiper to seek the security of God's grace. Genesis 12:1-4a - "The Working Out of God's Blessing" Setting. ...

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