Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 176 to 200 of 3160 results

John 6:51-58

Sermon

David Coffin

... good age for the child to recognize what the communion meal entails for their faith and life of the church. It is a matter of belonging to a community of faith which sustains a person regardless of how successful they are; financially viable or what sort of physical or mental illness they have may have. There was once a young lady who had tourette’s syndrome — with outbursts of uncontrollable language and foul words — who came to worship at a church while she was away at college. The pastor called her ...

177. Unusual, To Say The Least!

Amos 7:1-9, Amos 7:10-17

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... came on the scene sounding out God's displeasure at the utterly rotten social state of the nation, and then he issued a clarion call to repent and practice justice. At first, they sort of liked Amos. He began by preaching against rival nations. He lashed out at their deeds and spelled their doom. It was sort of like today when the preacher berates the murderers, condemns the communists, castigates thieves, rebukes the practice of incest, and upbraids the drug pushers. You can get a lot of affirmation when ...

178. The Sign For Home

John 6:1-15

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

... , and many who were sick. All of them were needy, Jesus knew, but many did not know how needy they really were. What sort of sign would help them realize what was really going on here in Palestine at Passover time to meet their need? Why would ... was a proclamation that one greater than Moses had appeared. Our greatest danger would be to glance at this sign as if it were an outdated sort of bumper sticker. It is a vital sign for us today, even as it was back then. Focus on the meaning of that sign and take ...

179. All Stirred Up

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Richard Patt

... neutral factor. It can lead us to heights of creativity, or it can drag us down to a point where we become an ugly, accusatory, blaming sort of person headed for defeat. Stress can lead us one way or another. Sometimes we hear a woman say, "You know I enjoy having all the ... of what's going on in our lives, we need an understanding partner with whom to sit down, so that we can sort things out, gain an understanding of our situation, and receive encouraging words from the person listening. But it can be tough ...

180. Dabar Adonai

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

Tony Everett

... Jerry's heart sinks to the bottom of his new high-top shoes. "Why me?" he thinks. "I can't do this. I'll be humiliated in front of everybody. I can't do this. That teacher has it in for me for no reason." Jerry rapidly sorts through his mental file of excuses: bad back, flu, torn hamstring muscle, chalk allergy, dentist appointment. None seem appropriate. Jerry slowly drags himself to the board. "Come on, Jerry. I'll be up here with you," encourages his teacher. "We'll go through this together." Jerry picks ...

181. Why Be Good?

Luke 6:37-42

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... good are rewarded and the evil punished. If one is righteous, the god will be pleased, and when the god is pleased all sorts of marvelous things can happen. Those who are unrighteous get what's coming to them. It is just a short jump from this ... chain to give as a gift. The salesperson inquired, "Do you want a plain cross or one with a little man?" Or we view the cross as some sort of amulet to thrust in the face of vampires, or believe that as long as it is in our pockets or around our necks we are safe, or ...

182. The Tiger At The Edge

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Glenn E. Ludwig

... of life, too. The tiger munched grass with the rest, butted heads with the younger goats for recreation, and learned to bleat in an odd sort of way a sound that resembled, or so he thought, a goat's voice. Once in a while there was a nagging voice inside ... created. And so it was that the disciples after the resurrection went back to Galilee. The 21st chapter of John really forms a sort of epilogue to the resurrection story, but an important one. It's as if the writer has something very important to add to ...

183. An Answer To Prayer

1 Samuel 1:1-20

Illustration

... , not the world populated by Old Testament characters. All of her friends knew that for years she had tried everything possible in order to be able to have children. First there were the specialists who insisted on taking all sorts of tests, making all sorts of observations, and trying to figure out what the biological impediment was. Then there were the endless sessions with counselors trying to find out whether or not there were emotional blocks. Other counselors had indicated that perhaps her concerns ...

184. What's In It For Me?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... don't have a free market. In many of those countries, there is one official state religion. It is given all sorts of privileges by the state. It gets to operate a religious monopoly. It is supported by state taxes. It is a ... has wronged you? They have kicked you in the shins. They have hurt you. You have every right in the world to demand some justice. You deserve some sort of payback. But to forgive is to forego your legitimate right for justice. To forgive is to give up your right to get even. To forgive is ...

185. Judgment Day

Mark 13:1-31

Drama

Steven E. Albertin

... . I don't want to make any mistakes at a time like this. You're giving me my choice ... I can go to heaven or to hell. That's what you said, isn't it? Man: That is correct. Woman: I mean, if I choose heaven, it's not some sort of ... er ... test or something? There are no strings attached? Man: There are no strings attached. Woman: (Relieved) I had no idea it would be like this. Well, thanks ... (She starts toward heaven. She hesitates, then comes back) Now I don't want you to think just because I choose ...

186. The Demons Within

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

Alexander H. Wales

... of possibilities to explain the demons. Maybe they are these little supernatural creatures that look like gargoyles on the tops of medieval buildings. Maybe the man was suffering from seizures from some sort of medical malady. Maybe the man was prone to manic-depressive episodes that needed to be treated with medication. Maybe ... Maybe ... Maybe. You see, we get caught in the story and perhaps miss the point. Jesus has the power to overcome the demons that infest our age. That is what ...

187. Not Independence, But Freedom

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... able to give you better advice than someone else. Nor will a Christian necessarily give you better piano lessons. But what about advice in dealing with your difficult teenager? Or how about support for dealing with a drinking problem or gambling addiction? Or all sorts of critical and routine concerns? There too, we can't say that those outside the church will give counsel or support less valuable than that from our Christian community. And, in fact, as many of us know, we can receive some pretty unhelpful ...

188. "But Some Doubted"

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... . Thus, we talk about the post-resurrection faith and the pre-resurrection faith as being two very different ways of knowing Jesus the Christ. Those who never knew the Jesus who ate and drank and taught and laughed and walked and sweated have a very different sort of relationship with him than those who saw him angry, tired and hungry. The faith that the post-resurrection followers have was much more difficult for those who had known Jesus in life. They who had walked with him had a hard time shifting gears ...

189. Keep The Lid On

Romans 5:12

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... her. She opened the box! You will never guess what she found there. (Let them try to guess.) Those are good guesses, boys and girls, but Pandora found something that she probably wished she hadn't. All sorts of evil, bad, ugly creatures came flying out of that box. These creatures were full of trouble and all sorts of other bad things. Pandora had let bad things fly into the world. She should have listened to her friend and kept the lid on that box, don't you think, boys and girls? (Let them answer.) Today ...

190. Second Thoughts

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... God put in his heart. To be fair about this, I should quickly tell you that there are times in my life when I have been very grateful for second thoughts. Our second thoughts were given to us by a Wise Creator as a sort of watchdog over human activities. They are a sort of protective mechanism that sends out a warning signal against acting too quickly, speaking without thinking. There were a number of people at a party, listening to a singer. One man turned to the man next to him and said, "That woman who ...

191. The Good Soldier

John 20:1-9

Drama

Pamela Urfer

... LUCIUS: (Shrugs) Around. FLAVIUS: (After a pause) The whole thing seems pretty strange to me. LUCIUS: Absolutely. FLAVIUS: And sort of morbid, don't you think? LUCIUS: Sure do. FLAVIUS: (Looking around) Starting to get pretty dark. LUCIUS: Sure ... : I thought you didn't believe in the gods. LUCIUS: I never said that. You're the one who thinks he's too macho for that sort of thing. FLAVIUS: So I am. Religion is for women and other weak people. Not for soldiers. LUCIUS: Maybe. But I'm interested. I want to ...

192. A Misguided Game of Hide-and-Seek

Exodus 32:1-33:6

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... school teacher designated to enforce the no-drinking rule at an all-night graduation party. Even the Hebrew is somewhat ambiguous. Do the people congregate "before" Aaron? "Around" him? "Against" him? Aaron himself probably wasn't sure. And there's no reason to try to sort it all out, because the whole affair soon becomes sordid enough as it is! Telling the anxious, and now perhaps unruly, crowd to take off their gold jewelry, Aaron promptly casts the image of a calf, shines it up like some cheap trinket to ...

193. Sometimes, You Gotta Get Your Feet Wet First

Joshua 3:1-4:24

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... down to it, that's really what faith is all about, isn't it? Taking the first step, wading out into uncharted waters, and getting your feet wet! Or to put it another way, faith is not some abstract truth we learn from a creed or catechism. It's the sort of awareness you discover like you know a smell or a taste, the feeling of belonging to a family, or the personality of a close friend. It's something you have to enter into before you can fully appreciate -- just as watching snowflakes dance across a net of ...

194. Proper 12

Mt 13:31-33, 44-52 · Rom 8:26-39 · Gen 29:15-28 · Ps 105:1-11, 45b

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... contrast is between the presumed multiple nature of the treasure in a box as opposed to the unitary nature of the pearl. The third parable would particularly speak to the disciples who were fishermen. They no doubt had often sat on the shore of Galilee and sorted out their catch of fish. They would cast aside the fish which were considered unclean by the Levitical law. This parable is very similar to the parable of the weeds in the wheat in that the good and the bad were mixed together, the weeds in the ...

195. Welcoming Christ

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Marc Kolden

... usual application of it to family and friends (see vv. 36-39!), because it has to do specifically with receiving prophets or righteous persons "in the name of" a prophet or a righteous person. The Bible here is not speaking of some sort of generic hospitality but of the sort that we give to certain people because we believe they speak for God or are before us as believers in Christ. This could mean financial support for ministers and missionaries or for fellow believers who are down on their luck. Or, to ...

196. Advent 4

Luke 1:26-38, Romans 16:1-27, 2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sermon Aid

E. Carver McGriff

... Joe beyond the fact he nearly always arrives on time at work, and he always has a pleasant smile, doesn't complain, or anything. Also, when he says he'll do something, he always does it. One day Joe was sorting out a large cart filled with used clothing -- you see, he works at a charitable organization and sorting things is Joe's job. Well, he picked out a worn pair of work pants and, in checking the pockets, he found more than a thousand dollars in large bills. Nobody saw this, and Joe shoved the bills in ...

197. Defining The Mission

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Charles H. Bayer

... his mission then is our mission now. How do we define the essential work of the church? What is our relationship to this young man, who was tossed out of his home synagogue because the people assumed he was to have one sort of ministry when in reality his life and work were to be of another sort, with people they despised? "You are the body of Christ," says Paul in today's epistle. Did you hear it? We, the church, are the body of Christ! That means his ministry is our ministry. In defining who he was and ...

198. The Mechanics Of Prayer

Matthew 6:5-15, Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... . The prayer is spoken loudly for everyone to hear and engage in the leader's prayer. The leader should never pray as though he/she were praying privately. It is not "I pray" but "We pray." The public prayer is designed to offer prayer for all sorts and conditions of people, not only for the local group, not only for certain needy individuals, not only for the local church, but for the whole church throughout the world, for the nation and its problems, and for the world with its hunger, poverty, and wars ...

199. You Can Be Real

Matthew 5:33-37

Sermon

Michael B. Brown

... terms in the U.S. Senate. Sometimes we still laugh about that fellow and his outlandish tales -- a motel manager who spent his days fixing plumbing and washing sheets but told all listeners stories that were far more exotic. The man was a sort of comic character, but unfortunately out in the real world dishonesty is anything but amusing. I remember a husband whose marriage had ended because his wife discovered he had been unfaithful, apparently on several occasions. Realizing he was about to lose the one ...

200. Praying To The Congregation

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Thomas Long

... of educational experiences they would prefer, the answer would always come back the same: they wanted Bible study. So, taking this at face value, Taylor would arrange for Bible studies of the finest sort. She would contract with professors at a nearby theological seminary to come and teach serious Bible classes. She would publicize these classes widely. However, people stayed away in droves. Finally, it dawned on her that, when people asked for Bible study, what they really wanted was not information about ...

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