Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1976 to 2000 of 5000 results

1976. Lent 6

Isaiah 50:1-11, Mark 15:16-20, Mark 15:21-32, Philippians 2:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... us with the person of Jesus Christ, who achieved our salvation and his own exaltation, not through self-promotion and status-seeking but through humility and suffering. In his name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 14:1--15:47 or 15:1-39 Theme: The thrill of victory in the agony of defeat Exegetical Note Mark’s version of the Passion contained here (15:20-39), perhaps his redaction of two earlier accounts, renders a portrait of utter humiliation and defeat: Jesus is stripped, mocked, and tortured to death in ...

1977. Palm Sunday

Isaiah 50:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Philippians 2:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... -hearted and our praise without conviction. Forgive us, we pray. Give us the power to discern our true salvation when it approaches us, as well as to respond with appropriate gratitude and elation. In the name of the Christ we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 11:1-11 Theme: A paradoxical prelude to Passion Exegetical Note Though the historical aspects of Jesus’ final entry to Jerusalem are problematical in some respects, as well as the intention of Jesus behind the apparently symbolic act, the place of this event ...

1978. The Resurrection of Our Lord

Isaiah 25:1-12, John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18, Mark 16:1-20, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... Forgive us our resistance to your saving grace. Create in us clean hearts and renew our spirits. That the realized hope of Easter may shine forth as life in existences previously shrouded in death. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen Gospel: John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8 Theme: The astonishing event of resurrection Exegetical Note A comparison of these narratives yields many discrepancies of detail, but both attest the unexpectedness of the event and the astonishment of the witnesses; indeed, the "short ending" of ...

1979. Proper 6

2 Samuel 1:1-16, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Mark 4:26-29, Mark 4:30-34

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... terrors. Forgive us, we pray. Set before us again the image of Christ, that we may learn to live in him and for him, whose death brings life abundant. In his name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 4:26-34 Theme: The growing reality of the Kingdom of God Exegetical Note Mark probably connected these two originally independent "seed parables" because of the similarity of subject and metaphor. Each speaks to the nature of the Kingdom, but with a particular nuance: the secretly growing seed suggests that the Kingdom ...

1980. Proper 7

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 2 Samuel 5:6-16, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Mark 4:35-41

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... do what we ought not. Forgive us, we pray. Touch us again with your grace and your Spirit, so that our works may again reflect your action and presence in our lives. In Christ we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 4:35-41 Theme: The puzzling identity of Jesus Exegetical Note Mark constructs his narrative of this storm-stilling incident so as to climax in the disciples’ perplexed questioning of Jesus’ identity. The passage gives no direct answer, but to the extent that the present action recalls God’s authority ...

1981. Proper 8

2 Samuel 6:1-23, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Mark 5:21-43

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... examples of Christ and Paul, who taught that as recipients of your spiritual gifts, we should in turn show compassion for the needy in very tangible ways. In Christ we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 5:21-43 Theme: Compassionate faith Exegetical note In this pericope couched in a pericope, Mark tells of a healing and a resurrection. The stories are rich in meaning, and afford many thematic possibilities, including the kerygmatic intent of the evangelist, which was probably to reinforce Jesus’ secret Messiahship ...

1982. Proper 9

2 Samuel 7:1-17, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Mark 6:1-6

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... . Forgive us, we pray. Set before us the example of Paul, whose "boast" was for your grace and for the power of Christ, in which he found strength in the midst of weakness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 6:1-6 Theme: Those who know Jesus best may know him least Exegetical Note Mark places the rejection of Jesus by people in "his own country" later in the ministry than does Luke, but the effect is still the same: to underscore that the very ones most familiar with an agent of God - neighbors ...

1983. Proper 10

2 Samuel 7:18-29, Ephesians 1:1-14, Mark 6:7-13

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... pointless lives as a result of our forgetfulness of your grace. Forgive us, we pray, and remind us continually to live as though we truly were one in Christ. In his name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 6:7-13 Theme: A mission modeled on the Master’s message and ministry Exegetical Note Mark’s version of the commissioning of the Twelve underscores the continuity between what their mission is to be and what Jesus’ has been: they are to preach, exorcise, heal, and withal suffer rejection. Remarkable here is ...

1984. Proper 11

2 Samuel 11:1-27, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-44

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... the barriers that separate us. Forgive us, we pray. Teach us to live and cultivate lives of peace and love, in him who died to unite us all with you. In his name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 6:30-34 Theme: The urgency of the Christian mission Exegetical Note In these verses, in which Mark concludes one pericope and begins another, we see a very human picture of the disciples, as they are sorely in need of rest, relaxation, and renewal. Yet, though Christ himself recognizes that need and tries to provide ...

1985. Proper 20

Job 26:1--31:40, James 3:13-18, Mark 9:14-32, Mark 9:33-37

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... we pray. Teach us that true wisdom comes only from you, and with you as its source, leads not to material gain or success but to spiritual purity and righteousness. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen Third Lesson Gospel: Mark 9:30-37 Theme: A different sort of greatness Exegetical note This particular passage is apparently directed toward certain false (probably Gnostic) Christologies that turned Jesus into a docetic divine messenger and granted his followers an exalted status. Contrary to that view ...

1986. Proper 24

Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 4:14-5:10, Mark 10:35-45

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... Forgive us, we pray. Inspire us with your example in Christ, that we may strive to feel deeply the human condition of others, and to love them unconditionally. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 10:35-45 Theme: True greatness - servanthood not status Exegetical Note Mark often uses the disciples to represent the attitudes of his own contemporary church. Here we have them vying for positions of prestige in glory. Jesus’ response hints that suffering takes precedence over glory, that positions in ...

1987. Proper 27

1 Kings 17:7-24, Mark 12:35-40, Mark 12:41-44, Hebrews 9:11-28

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... Make us ever more sensitive to the new creations that we have become as a result of his atonement, and inspire us to yield fruits of our redemption and sanctification. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 12:38-44 Theme: Self-serving versus self-giving Exegetical Note Mark’s juxtaposing of what were, no doubt, two independent bits of tradition itself makes an important point in the contrast it presents: on the one hand, there is a saying about the scribes that underscores their pretentious and ...

1988. Proper 28

Daniel 7:1-14, Hebrews 10:1-18, Mark 13:1-31

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... tremendous gift that we are offered in Christ, and to be transformed into the new creatures that you meant and enabled us to be through him. In his precious name we pray. Amen Gospel: Mark 13:24-32 Theme: The cosmic coming of the Son of man Exegetical Note This passage, near the conclusion of the so-called "little apocalypse" in Mark 13, is extremely problematic on a number of grounds. For one thing, Jesus appears to be referring to someone other than himself when he talks about the Son of man in the third ...

1989. Waiting With Anticipation

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

David M. Oliver

Bells have been used in many ways over the years. Bells have been used to sound an alarm, and to call children to school, people to worship, and families to meals. Bells mark the beginning and end of the work day, classes, and sporting events. Sometimes bells mark the passing of the hours in a day. On this first Sunday of Advent we will be using the bells we have brought to call us to a time of waiting that is filled with anticipation. The Old Testament lesson for this first Sunday of Advent looks forward ...

1990. How Big is God?

1 John 4:7-21

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... help me with my problem. (Select some children of various sizes both heighth-wise and also weight-wise). Oh, this group will be absolutely perfect for what I want to do. Now first of all I will see how tall or short they are and I wonder if someone will mark down on this paper the numbers that I give them? That’s fine. (Go about measuring them) Now I think that we will weigh these volunteers also because I brought along my bathroom scale. I would get on myself but I am afraid of what it might say. Would ...

1991. The Generation Gap

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

William McKee Aber

... Jesus in the temple as beginning the questioning that would be a hallmark of his ministry. Of course, this is a prime mark of today’s youth - just as it has been of every generation - but with a much deeper intensity in our age. They ... that old journalistic device. "Thirty" is printers’ jargon for the end of a column or the end of an article. Maybe, for too long, thirty has marked the cop-out - the end of our concerns and compassions and idealism and love. If so, we’ve got a lot to learn. But, God helping ...

1992. Confrontation in the Temple

John 2:12-25

Sermon

George Bass

... God - so much so that she is out of step with reality. That was not the case with Jesus. He, too, had a dramatic experience when John baptized him in the Jordan River; the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, came down upon him and he became a marked man then and there. But Jesus never lost touch with reality. Rather, he saw things as they really are in this world - and that got him into trouble with the authorities. Jerusalem was the locus of the Jewish faith; and the Temple, in the time of Christ, was the ...

1993. The Passing of the Peace

John 20:24-31

Sermon

George Bass

... Soviet and American youth study appeared in the newspapers, another headline read, "Honeywell engineer quits over arms ‘nightmare.’ " Mark Paquette is the engineer in the story; he has worked for Honeywell for four years but only recently discovered ... had seen and heard was actually so. Who can fault him for his "Unless I see the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe"? He is often called "doubting Thomas," but I like to think of ...

1994. A Prayer for the Faithful

John 17:6-19

Sermon

George Bass

... would suffer and die if they carried on his mission and preached in his name. And they did. That’s what is really unique about a visit to the city of Rome. The marks of martyrdom are to be seen almost everywhere - and more clearly than at most other places in the world. In the middle of the famous Piazza Navonna, a church marks the spot where a young Christian girl was humiliated and martyred for her faith in Christ. Another church, not too far away, stands over the place where the body of Saint Lawrence ...

1995. The Technicolor Sign

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

Larry Powell

... . The bow is still in the clouds. The Cross still hangs above the altar. The covenant is yet binding, and penance is still our signature. 3. A Sign of Grace So long as there are rainbows, crosses, and air to breathe, we are well within the mark to declare that God retains confidence in his creation. Grace not only provides, it provides evidence of itself: signs which abide. We each know something about abiding signs, don’t we? I do not recall all of the splendid aspirations I entertained as a small boy ...

1996. God’s Choice

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon

Roger Prescott

... of his famous fits and fly into a murderous rage. So the anointing would have to be in secret. And so it was. The symbolic act only marked out the man who was to be king; he did not become king immediately. 1. It’s God’s Choice From start to finish the man ... an Old Testament counterpart to the principle Jesus expressed when he said, "Many that are first will be last, and the last first." - Mark 10:31 3. The Spirit is for others And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David ... - 1 Samuel 16:13 In ...

1997. Then He Went Home

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... his memory, for a word to assure a nation of his resolve to preserve unity. Was it a Bible verse he had learned in a Sunday school class in Illinois or a word he had read the previous week in his personal Bible study? It was a word from Mark’s Gospel, a word from Jesus. There it was: "A house divided against itself cannot stand" (3:25). Lincoln did not originate it. He just borrowed it from Jesus. Jesus was not trying to preserve a nation, but the emerging followers of the Way, those who would eventually ...

1998. The Kingdom And The Seed

Mark 4:4-20; 30-32

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... different kinds of soil, Jesus said, hard soil (a path); rocky ground; thorny ground; and good soil. People, Jesus said, are like those four kinds of soil. The Word of God is the seed which falls into four different kinds of soil. The second parable in the fourth chapter of Mark is the parable of the harvest (4:26-29). The seed grows as the farmer goes about his work day by day. The day comes when the grain is ripe. Then comes the harvest. We must live with a knowledge that for each of us there will be a ...

1999. You CAN Take It With You

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

... healed, but he also showed them the way to be healed themselves: repentance and forgiveness of sins. For there is no complete healing without bringing sin to the surface and receiving God’s therapy of forgiveness. It is in repentance that we begin to show to God the marks that sin has made on our bodies. It is in repentance that we risk exposing ourselves at our worst, so that God can do what he does best: forgive. Not only is it in repentance that we are forgiven, but it is through it also that we learn ...

2000. Saved!

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

... knew there was more to life than that which he had already experienced. He was, in the best sense, a dreamer. Eternal life was his goal. How many moderns have goals at all, much less one so lofty as seen here? What Is Lacking? Has the Gospel of Mark given us an artificial person - a straw man we can knock down? We are almost at the point of thinking so, when suddenly the hammer hits the thumb. Our exemplar of virtue lacked something - indeed, he lacked a great deal. Did Shakespeare have him in mind? What a ...

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