Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1976 to 2000 of 4914 results

1976. Happy Birthday, Dear Church

Acts 2:14-41, Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

I do it for all of you, so I guess I ought to do it for the church, right? Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday, Dear Chur-urch, Happy birthday to you. Amen. OK, let's do it up right. If this is the church's birthday, there ought to be a party, true? One would think that an observance of this magnitude would be noticed around town, just like Christmas or Easter. But this week I have had occasion to shop in several stores, and amazingly, not one of them indicated that there were so ...

1977. Behold The Lamb

John 1:29-42

Sermon

King Duncan

Last week we dealt with Jesus’ baptism at the hands of by John the Baptist. I read an amusing story concerning John the Baptist recently that is simply too good not to tell. It’s about a Bible scholar from this country who travels to Jerusalem every few years where he enjoys walking the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City. Once he was walking down a quiet alley when he was waved into a small shop. Within a few minutes he found himself with a glass of tea in his hand, sitting in the back room of a rug merchant’ ...

1978. Whatever Happened to those Mansions?

John 14:1-4

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

When the Revised Standard Version of the Bible was first published in 1952, a pastor in North Carolina was so disturbed by the new translation that he gathered up all the copies he could find and had a public Bible-burning. What upset the pastor so much was that while the King James Version of John 14:2 says, “In my father’s house there are many mansions,” the RSV translates it “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” The North Carolina pastor was infuriated at the “cheapskates” who translated the RSV. He ...

1979. Joy: The Echo of God's Presence In Us! (Part I - Introduction)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Somewhere in the west, a recent university graduate could not find employment. He was highly skilled and his grades had been excellent. But no employment was to be found. Finally, in disgust and anger, he mailed his diploma back to the president of the university from which he had graduated. "Take this thing back," he wrote. "It has done me absolutely no good. There are no guarantees in a college degree any more." The president read his note, and mailed the diploma back to the young man with these words: " ...

1980. The Marvelous Message of Easter

Mark 16:1-20, Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Some events in life are bigger than we are able to fully comprehend. We understand, but our understanding of the event continues to enlarge. No matter what we do, some of life''s events escape an adequate celebration. When I finished at Drew Theological Seminary, I thought that I should be able to find some way to celebrate that moment. Fifteen long years have now passed and I never could find a way to adequately celebrate how I felt graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Master''s of Divinity Degree. That''s ...

1981. Courage Me!

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

One day a guest was checking out of a major hotel in Honolulu. While he was paying his bill at the desk in the lobby, it suddenly dawned upon him that he had left his briefcase in his room upstairs. He called to a bellboy standing nearby, "Son," would you please run up to my room and see if I left my briefcase there? The limo is waiting and I've got to get to the airport as fast as I can." "Sure," said the young man, "I'll be back in just a minute." Well, in no time, the bellboy came running out to the ...

1982. Getting Our Lives Out Of Hock

Psalm 105:1-45

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Many of you know my struggle between like-dislike, appreciation-confusion, with Gary Larson's "Far Side" cartoons. I vacillate between like-dislike, appreciation-confusion. I keep on reading them, and I'm not quite sure why. Maybe it's because he gives me something now and then to flavor a sermon. Such is the case with this one. It depicts a bug resting on a leaf which gently sways over a lovely pond. The bug is on his back in the crook of the leaf, his ankles are crossed, and two of his six arms are ...

1983. To Live Is To Grow

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

When our son Kevin was four years old, he said to his mother one day, "Mommy, I don't want to grow up. I want to always be your little boy." If that were a permanent desire, it would be unhealthy. After the Second World War, Gunther Grass wrote a novel which achieved best seller fame. He called it the Tin Drum and it was about a boy who decided at three years of age that he was never going to grow up. That really is not unusual. Countless people make this decision or act as though they have a decision ...

1984. When God Comes with a Blessing

Luke 1:39-45, Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

John P. Jewell

With this fourth Sunday in Advent, we have arrived at the dawn of another Christmas Eve. It is almost mind boggling to realize that we stand at the beginning of the third millennium since the good news of God's blessing the world through the Christ child was proclaimed. Yet, the words of the angel Gabriel, Elizabeth and Mary continue to stir the hearts of Christian people around the world today as they have for countless generations. Though ancient, these words come to us with the newness of a fresh ...

1985. The Authority of Scripture: God's Breathed Word

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Our father of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, had an attention-getting way of expressing truth. Though he was very wordy in his sermons, he could gather up a world of truth in a few words. His pithy sayings are often quoted and are a source of truth and inspiration. Listen to him: “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” The best way to resist the devil is to destroy whatever of the world remains in us. Every new victory a soul gains comes as a result of prayer. The essential part of ...

1986. Resurrection

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

King Duncan

A priest found a branch of a thorn tree twisted around so that it resembled a crown of thorns. Thinking it a symbol of the crucifixion, he placed it on the altar in his chapel on Good Friday. Early on Easter morning he remembered what he had done. Feeling it was not appropriate for Easter Sunday, he hurried into the church to clear it away before the congregation came. But when he went into the church, he found the thorn branches blossoming with beautiful roses. Welcome to this celebration of Easter Day. ...

1987. The God of Lost Sheep

Luke 15:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

As most of you know, actor Paul Newman started a food company several years ago. Many products now bear the name, "Newman’s Own." With profits from this business, Newman helped build a camp for critically ill children. It’s called the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. The name was taken from his film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Newman was sitting at a table one day with a camper who asked him who he was. The actor reached for a carton of Newman’s Own lemonade and showed the boy his likeness on the ...

1988. Effective Suffering

Romans 8:26-39

Sermon

Jeff Wedge

Many people have heard a part of this lesson before. Most particularly, the last two verses, the part about "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." These verses are often a part of funeral services. In the context of a funeral service, these verses are a source of comfort for those in attendance, a consolation for ...

1989. Jesus Cures Our Spiritual Blindness

John 9:1-41

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Anne Mansfield Sullivan was a miracle worker who overcame obstacles in seeking to assist others. Partially blind from birth, she managed to overcome this handicap and graduated from the prestigious Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. The miracle of Anne Sullivan's life, however, had very little to do with her own handicap, but it had everything to do with the multiple handicaps of a young girl. The miracle began to be manifest on March 2, 1887, when twenty-year-old Anne Mansfield Sullivan met six-year- ...

1990. What Is Success?

Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

Erma Bombeck wrote, "I can't remember the name of the man who spoke at my high school commencement, but I remember what he said. He told us the future of the world rested on our shoulders and he charged us with finding our destiny and fulfilling it. He went on to say we alone must cure disease, hunger and poverty throughout the world, and above all, we must find success. "I glanced over at Jack, the class deficient who couldn't even find his parents after they parked the car, and I got an uneasy feeling. ...

1991. The Real Dish Network

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

When do you have enough TV channels to choose from? According to the satellite TV industry, there is no such thing as enough. Every year more and more households are sticking out their own little satellite downloading system and beaming in anywhere from 100-600 channels of entertainment and information. Our overwhelming desire for this kind of electronic-overload is played for laughs in the commercials aired by DISH Network and Direct TV. In one series of ads the satellite installer has the stuffing hugged ...

1992. Trash Cans or Treasure Chests

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Grace and peace, sisters and brothers, and the One who is, from the One who was, and from the One who is to come. Good evening, saints. Good evening, sinners. We are all here. And all that we are is here. I am delighted to be here. Have you had a good summer? How many of you had guests this summer? Quite a few of you. Do you know what the three most beautiful lights are in the world? Sunlight, moonlight, and taillights. I am about "guested" out. I have had a great summer. I have been writing at home. I ...

1993. Just the Right Touch

Mark 5:25-34

Sermon

James Merritt

The fifth chapter of the gospel of Mark is a menu of miracles. There are three miracles in this chapter, each of which illustrate the authority and the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the first miracle, a man comes to Jesus bound in chains, bleeding from cuts, controlled by demonic forces. Jesus cast out these demons. He frees this man from the hounds of hell that have hunted him and haunted him, and changes him from a child of the devil to a child of God. Then Jesus encounters a woman with a ...

1994. Saved to Share

Acts 26

Sermon

James Merritt

A man told the following true story: A man suddenly knocked a glass off the table and stood up, his face red and his eyes bulging. A piece of steak had lodged in his throat and he couldn't breathe. I glanced around the room hoping someone would rush to him to apply the Heimlich maneuver. But everyone froze helpless. I pushed my chair back and ran to his side. When I wrapped my arms around his girth and squeezed, the meat dislodged from his throat and I could hear the welcome sound of a deep breath. Later, ...

1995. Thanksgiving and Thanksliving

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

Don't you just love times of thanksgiving? Yes, and Saint Paul is a genius at reminding us of this component to victorious living. His "attitude of gratitude" finds its way throughout his letters, except possibly for Galatians. My first response to all of this is "what a wonderful way to live our lives." Of course, he is rooted and grounded in his Savior and Lord. It is a natural — most likely spontaneous response — to the depths he discovers in Jesus. Perhaps the most missing ingredient among those who ...

1996. Rescued and Transferred

Colossians 1:11-14

Sermon

Shirley Gupton Lynn

God has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son…(1:13 NRSV) A beautiful bride stood trembling at the head of a long church aisle. The wedding march was about to begin, but she was paralyzed with fear and announced she could not possibly walk down the aisle. The minister was summoned. "I just can't do it," she wailed, "I'm too nervous." "Now," said the minister, "let me tell you how to do it. Don't think about the people in the pews. When you walk in, ...

1997. Written in Red

1 John 5:9-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The church offers the world God's loveblood; God's love for the world is "written in red." Editor's note: The topic of this installment fits well with the assigned Lectionary reading for this day. However, you may find the installment for June 1, "Everyone's a Fundamentalist About Something," preferable if you are observing Mother's Day. Remember what it used to be like watching Walter Cronkite, John Chancellor and others before dinnertime? This nightly ritual kept many busy parents "current" with current ...

1998. Ephesians 6:10-20

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Paul's letter to the Ephesians concludes with concern and confidence. He is capable of trusting in the unmatched love and faithfulness of God, while realistically confronting the hazards all Christians must face. Paul was no stranger to dangerous clashes between the new message of freedom in Christ and the established systems of the dominant pagan culture. Ephesus had already been the scene of one such face-off (see Acts 19:21-41). Although Paul's own experiences in Ephesus and elsewhere were painfully and ...

1999. Ephesians 6:10-20

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

2000. Hosea 1:2-10

Hosea 1:2-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The uniquely painful ministry and personal message of the prophet Hosea manage to bring the fate of an ancient country and the facts of our own struggles into a sharp double focus. Despite Hosea's extreme distance from us in days, the metaphor that defined both his personal life and his preached message continues to transfix us. The power of his predicament as well as his predictions remain undiminished. A prophet in the northern nation of Israel, Hosea lived during the tumult of the eighth century B.C. He ...

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