Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 176 to 200 of 307 results

176. Why You Should Be Afraid of Sin

Numbers 32:23

Sermon

James Merritt

... . You see, there are basically two reasons why people sin. First of all, they think they can conceal their sin. But secondly, they think they can escape judgment. They really believe they can get away with it. The Bible even says in Ps. 10:13: "Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, ‘you will not require an account.'" You can fool policemen, you can fool a judge, you can fool a jury, but you can't fool God. There is not a lawyer in the world that can plea bargain your sin away. You ...

177. Practical Tips For Powerful Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... . Our scriptural focus is Matthew 6, a portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. First, in verses 5 and 6, Jesus taught: PRAY TO YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER, NOT TO PEOPLE. Now, some of the politically correct folks in America have been trying to persuade us to renounce all masculine pronoun references to God. But I’m not willing to do that. Not only does that de-personalize God but also it is directly contrary to Jesus’ teaching. Surely we know that God has no gender. Even if you had a bad experience with ...

178. A Defiant Response to a Dangerous Theology: Does God Desire to Wipe Us Out?

Gn 6:1-8. 9:6-17

Sermon

... that the AIDS epidemic might very well be God's way of venting divine displeasure upon homosexuals. And the public outcry concerning his insensitivity did coax an apology from Jerry. But it was one thing to regret having said it, but a very different thing to renounce having believed it. Clearly, he did the former. But he never did the latter. But the bigger question is this. Where did we get the idea that God uses nature to punish humans? Well, from the Bible, that's where. You may not like it. And ...

179. A New Name, The Right Name

Psalm 103:8-12, Hosea 2:14-20

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

... past our idols, our distractions, and see God as God! Collect We have pruned our vineyards down to bare branches. Call us to new life. We claim that covenant you made for us with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground. We renounce the bow, the sword, and war in our land, as you have willed, so that all might lie down in safety. May we bear fruit for the kingdom, that your glory should be known now, in us, through us, despite us. Amen. (Based on Hosea 2:18) Prayer Of ...

180. When What’s Holding You Up Lets You Down

2 Samuel 18:33-19:8

Sermon

Shirley Gupton Lynn

... will. What is God's will when my body can no longer serve me because of disease or accident? God's circumstantial will is release into God's presence. We call it death. What happened when Jesus was forced to either face the Cross or renounce his Messiahship? God's will under those circumstances was the Cross. But happily, there is God's ultimate will, which cannot be permanently defeated. Life for Christ was God's ultimate will, and it was secured in the Resurrection. God wills for those who will ...

181. Chocolate Cake, Flooded Waters, and Baptism

Genesis 9:8-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... Baptism. In addition in this Lenten Gospel Reading, we hear about the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness and how he rejected them. Jesus blazes the trail before us by showing how focus on God can help us resist temptations. When temptations are not renounced, repentance is still possible. Remembering our Baptism is a way to come back to God when sin has separated us. This Gospel Reading ends with the stunning reminder of the meaning of ministry: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come ...

182. From Silence to Sight

Job 42:1-6, Job 42:7-17

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... in the hands of God. He attributes all his success to God, believing that wealth is as much a responsibility as poverty is a burden. God sends Sydney, a messenger from Queens, to put Joe's faith to the ultimate test and persuade him to renounce God in the Sunday edition of the New York Times. Satan is a suntanned Robert Redford look-alike who wears a pink suit. Soon after Sydney makes an appearance, Joe's company burns to the ground, followed by calamity after calamity. Joe's multiple physical afflictions ...

183. Some Talents are Inappropriate

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Johnny Dean

... say, "Now God has given each of you a unique talent. When you join the church, you are expected to serve God with whatever abilities you have." Well, it just so happened that this particular man was a reformed criminal. After he was released from prison, he had renounced the life of crime and gone straight. Joining the church, making a commitment to follow Jesus, was the first step in that effort. Serving God was a little out of his line, but he wanted to do what he could. So he went to the pastor and said ...

184. No Green Without Red

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... long ago of a major songbook used in many churches across America today. It found that only one percent of the hymns contain references to the cross. The church is losing sight of the centrality of the cross. "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it." In our hymnals the doctrine of the atonement is becoming as rare as Christmas cookies for ...

185. Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... are to act discernibly different than the pagan society surrounding them. Paul initiated this message in verses 4:17-19, drawing a dismal portrait of the lives of those untouched by the knowledge of Christ. Christians are to renounce all marks of a Christless culture, "bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice." Yet the Christlike qualities he enjoins are remarkably simple: being "kind," Tenderhearted" and Forgiving." None of those qualities appear especially ...

186. Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

187. Acts 7:55-60

Acts 7:55-60

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... authorities, Stephen is accused of blaspheming both God and Moses and of predicting the destruction of the temple. In answer to these charges, he recounts an extensively detailed and intimate history of Abraham, Jacob, Moses and David. Stephen does not renounce the law or the prophets. But he does denounce those whose ancestors entrusted them with these traditions. His accusers, Stephen proclaims, are just the latest incarnation of a "stiff-necked people" who have consistently broken God's law. Just as ...

188. Was It Really Necessary?

John 19:17-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... worn it ever since. He shook his head in defiance. His captors became enraged. The citizens of Moscow now recite a poem in his memory called “The Cross.” It goes like this: Pure mountains in the distance, slopes covered in blooms of blue Refusing to renounce Christ, the soldier of Russia fell. And his head rolled, blood flowed from the saber, and the red grass whispered a quiet prayer in its wake. This young Russian soldier held fast to his faith and suffered a martyr’s death. (4) He is only one ...

189. 2 Corinthians 4:3-6

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of deplorable characteristics that would identify a false preacher. Paul does not “lose heart” (4:1) because he is fueled by holy apostolic “boldness” (3:12-13). The transformation that Paul experienced on the Damascus Road enabled him to “renounce” all “shameful deeds.” Among those “deeds” Paul does not practice is “cunning.” In short, Paul does not “falsify God’s word.” Instead, Paul’s preaching is an “open statement of the truth”, that “truth” being the word of God ...

190. Commitment

Mark 8:31-38

Illustration

... blood, toil, tears, and sweat." The Italian freedom fighter Gerabaldi told his followers that he offered them only hunger and death. These were demanding leaders, but Jesus was a thousand times more demanding then they were. Jesus said, "So, therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." Possession cannot stand between you and the Lord. Jesus went so far as to say, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own mother and father, his wife and children, his brothers and ...

191. From Me to We

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

Mike Ripski

... rituals and the fear of punishment for not obeying them, you’ll have chaos. All hell will break loose. I was with those who stoned to death a Jesus- follower named Stephen. Have you ever been party to killing someone? It had to be done. He refused to renounce his loyalty to Jesus. Though in our minds it was justified, I’ll always remember his words as he died, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them?” What did he mean by that? Weren’t we doing God’s will? The persecution of Jesus’ followers ...

192. Fourth Sunday of Advent

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25, Romans 1:1-7

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... your promises. May the conversion of the unbelieving and disobedient bring new spiritual health to our society and peace beyond understanding. Purify your church on earth. May all who are ordained to Serve you fulfill their holy office with honor and renounce all unworthy methods that ignore the guidance of your Holy Spirit. May all your people live their faith with sincerity at work and recreation that others may see their good works and glorify their Parent in heaven. Loving God, Living Spirit, nothing ...

193. Fully Awake

Luke 9:28-36

Illustration

J. Ellsworth Kalas

... fount of living water. My God, will you leave me? Let me not be separated from him forever. This is eternal life, that they know you, the one true God, and the one that you sent, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. I left him; I fled him, renounced, crucified. Let me never be separated from him. He is only kept securely by the ways taught in the Gospel: Renunciation, total and sweet. Complete submission to Jesus Christ and to my director. Eternally in joy for a day’s exercise on the earth. May I not ...

194. God's Whatever

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... in his nice office just writing a pie in the sky letter to his favorite church. Paul was in prison. Not only was he in prison, but every day of his life in prison, he was afraid for his life. Rightly so. You see, he was beheaded because he would renounce his faith. That's what was going on in his life when he wrote these words. So, for him, this isn't some pie in the sky message. You don't mince words when your life is about to end. Paul describes for us what a life of "God’s ...

195. Where There’s Hope, There’s Life

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... all involved. Love your enemies, bless those who persecute you. It is the Christian way. When will we have enough sense to pursue it? Peace-makers resist the forces of evil, and work for justice. When people join this congregation we ask: “Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness and reject the evil powers of this world?” That’s a tough question. It takes hard work to beat swords into farming tools. Are you willing to extend the energy, endure the blood, sweat and tears? Cicero said “While ...

196. When God Seems Far Off

Psalm 10:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... was being accomplished when war still raged and people were denied their rights. Muste answered: “I don’t do this to change the world; I do it keep the world from changing me.” Amen to that. Look at verse 9 of our psalm: “Why does the wicked renounce God, and say in his heart, “Thou wilt not call to account” “Our psalmist spends a lot of time describing the harsh deeds and bitter attitudes of the wicked. His primary reason for doing this is to sup with God. He thinks that God should judge the ...

197. The Power to Resist Temptation

I Corinthians 10:13-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... than by perverts. Unless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon yield to that which is about us. So we pray, as Peterson translates this phrase, “Keep us safe from ourselves and the devil." Evil lurks all around us. “Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world and repent of your sin?" We ask people that Sunday after Sunday when they join this church. What we are up against is not simply some personal faults and petty temptations. We are up ...

198. Checking Out the Scene

John 1:35-42

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... his famous book The Road Less Traveled with these words. “Life is difficult.” Indeed it is. I admire parents who wrestle infants and toddlers and tug with teenagers to get them to church on Sunday. That’s why I don’t ask baptismal parents if they renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness and reject the evil powers of this world. They’ve already done that just to get their kids to church. Right now you could use a little relief, a little help. It’s time for school to start. I don’t think ...

199. Repent

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... with nice people offering them every activity under the sun so they can feel better about themselves and ward off the inner whine of loneliness. May the Lord have mercy on us. Maybe it’s time to reconsider that first vow of membership: Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world and repent of your sins? We’ve all pondered that question. I ask you today to ponder it again. III. REPENTANCE: HOW CAN I? Historically, there are four movements to repentance. The ...

200. By Believing

1 Peter 1:13-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... says to early Christians, “Believe in God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead and glorified him so that your faith and hope are in God." Let us declare our beliefs. I. WE BELIEVE THAT RIGHT IS STRONGER THAN WRONG. So we call upon people to renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of their sin. Or as Peter put it, “prepare your minds for action." A hundred years ago people were overly optimistic that the 20th century, with its explosion of scientific ...

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