Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2026 to 2050 of 4914 results

2026. Jesus Demonstrates Status Inversion in the Kingdom

Matthew 19:1-12, Matthew 19:13-15, Matthew 19:16-30

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Matthew illustrates the inversion of status in God’s kingdom by narrating Jesus’ protection of women in his teaching on divorce, his valuing of children, and his stringent call to a rich man who would follow him. Understanding the Text Following Jesus’ fourth major teaching block (chap. 18), Matthew provides his usual formula to transition to a narrative section (19:1; also 7:28–29; 11:1; 13:53; 26:1). Themes accentuated in the previous discourse are illustrated narratively in 19:1–26. The ...

2027. Worship and Humility

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: Christian worship must happen in an atmosphere of humility and self-giving. Self-promoting pride desecrates Christ and brings devastation to his community. Understanding the Text The danger of an amalgamation between pagan and Christian worship loomed in the Corinthian setting. After pointing out how clothing (veiling) blurred what should have been a clear distinction between pagan and Christian worship practices (11:2–16), Paul now turns to the issue of the Lord’s Supper itself. The very rooms ...

2028. “The Lord Looks Down . . . to See If There Are Any Who Understand”

Psalm 14:1-7

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: The world’s God-deniers will find, maybe to their surprise, that the God they deny is found “in the company of the righteous.” Understanding the Text The form of Psalm 14 is sometimes considered to be an individual lament, and in tone, it is, because the psalmist grieves over the vacuum of faith that he perceives in his world. But it does not follow the form of the lament. Others have suggested it is a wisdom psalm, in view of its use of wisdom language. In wisdom terms, the word “fool” stands ...

2029. Daniel’s Final Revelation

Daniel 10:1--11:1

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

Big Idea: God reveals the essential, though sometimes overwhelming, reality of spiritual warfare behind his purpose and plan for humanity. Understanding the Text The literary unit of Daniel 10–12 is woven into the book’s structure in several ways. First, it is the last of Daniel’s four apocalyptic visions: chapters 7 and 8 in “symbolic” form, and chapters 9 and 10–12 in “appearance” form (see “Table 1: Appearance Visions of Daniel 9 and 10–12” in the unit on 9:1–6). Second, it concludes the concentric ...

2030. Some Things I've Learned Since I Knew It All

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Ron Lavin

Have you ever suffered from "sophomoritis"? It's not a physical disease, like arthritis. It's a spiritual disease many college sophomores get when they get filled up with knowledge, come home on a vacation, and act like they know more than the folks around whom they grew up, especially their parents and younger siblings. That happened to a young man named Adam. He was studying to be an engineer at the University of Illinois in Urbana. On Christmas break, he got quite caught up with himself and started ...

2031. The Gathering at Cana

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: Magnifying glass, flashlight, litmus paper (3.8-3.4 best acidity), wine glass with red wine At one time or another, all of you have probably watched a detective show on tv. If you’re like me, you’ve watched more than one. You can’t miss them. They enjoy some of the highest ratings on television. At any given time, especially prime time, there will be at least 15 or more detective shows on various networks to choose from. What’s your favorite? NCIS? Blue Bloods? The Blacklist? Criminal Minds? Castle ...

2032. The Great Dinner

Luke 14:1-14, Luke 14:15-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Animation: sweet rolls or some other food to feast on / juice It’s dinnertime! So everyone scrambles to the table to get the best seat, claim the biggest pork chop, peek at the choicest rolls… It’s the story of almost every large family, buffet, or large gathering. Who gets the last piece of cake? How does it work out in your family? Is it first-come, first serve. Or does it go to the eldest? Or the littlest? The saddest—the one who can beg the best? The quickest? The one with the best or most convincing ...

2033. The Art of Keeping Quiet

Luke 1:5-25, Ezekiel 3:16-27

Sermon

Lori Wagner

How many of you think of yourselves as extroverts? How many of you are introverts? Can anyone tell me the difference? Introverts gather their energy and power from internal sources and from alone, contemplative time. Extroverts gather their energy from being with other people and primarily from external sources and stimuli. Which is better? Neither is better. Just different. But for years extroversion was seen as “the norm” and introverts were seen as faulty. Introversion was considered an anomaly, kind of ...

2034. Wisdom to the World, but Foolishness to God

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Students of American history have always been fascinated by the life and career of the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe, as he was known by his Kentucky and Illinois peers, is the subject of history lessons from primary through graduate school education. Lincoln was the stereotypical backwoodsman who felt the call to public service of the state, on local and national levels. He became well known for his anti-slavery political and moral stance and saw his goal as ...

2035. What Do You Expect?

John 6:24-35

Sermon

King Duncan

We are heading into the second half of 2021, and I think it’s a good time to check in with our expectations for this year and see if anything needs to be re-adjusted. Some of us have had a better year than we expected; some of us have had it worse. All of us have certain plans and expectations for how the rest of the year will go. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the next five months? Pastor Daniel D. Chambers learned an expression from a college professor: “Expectation is the mother of regret.” ...

2036. King of Nobody’s Castle

John 18:33-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“You are the King of nobody’s castle.” That’s what a woman named Delores used to say to her husband when he became demanding and moody. Ralph could be a nice enough guy sometimes, particularly to his buddies down at the shop or at the bar; but other times, particularly to Delores, he could be downright ornery and mean. Today was one of those days when he wasn’t happy with anything. Ralph was a guy who felt the world owed him something better. Although he had a job, a home, and a wife, he wasn’t happy with ...

2037. Places That Have a Memory

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Do you believe places have a memory? I know that seems like a strange question this morning. Don’t worry, I drank my coffee. I’m firing on all cylinders. But are there places in your life that evoke such strong memories that when you go back to them, you can almost see and feel and smell past experiences there? Or have you ever stood in a place and felt the stories emanating from its walls? I feel that way inside this church building sometimes. I think back to all the people who prayed here, who wept here ...

2038. The Interpretation of the Dream

Daniel 7:15-28

Understanding Series

William Nelson

The Four Beastly Kingdoms and God’s Kingdom: Daniel 7 is centrally located in the book; it is also of central importance. It functions as a transitional unit, providing a hinge that connects the two halves of the work. Chapter 7 is tied to what precedes by its language: it is part of the Aramaic section, which runs from Daniel 2:4b through 7:28. It is also part of the chiastic structure of chapters 2–7 (see “Stage Three” under “Language Problem and Literary Development” in the Introduction), which have ...

2039. The Captain's Voice

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

I was walking through a building on a college campus when I spied a student lounging in an overstuffed chair, feet propped against a wall, reading a book that I had written. “That’s my book!” I said too loudly and suddenly, amazed to find someone eyeballing my words. With a start, she glared at me as if I were crazy. “This is mine!” she said. “I just bought it at the bookstore.” I apologized, and then explained to her that I was the author of the volume she held. She was amazed and my ego was stroked, and ...

2040. Persistent Prayer

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

Jill J. Duffield

I must begin with telling it plain: I love this parable. I likely love this parable for all the wrong, not very Christian reasons. I love this parable because the most vulnerable, least powerful person gets vindicated. The widow with no real recourse, no protection unless it is granted to her, no official status or leverage, gets justice, which could also be translated as “avenged” or even “take revenge.” The long-exploited woman gets revenge. The underdog wins and this is such a rare occurrence I want to ...

2041. Faith-Filled Living

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord, " ...

2042. Amazing Grace

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

When Al Smith was the governor of New York, he was invited to speak at Sing Sing prison. He was asked to address a gathering of the prisoners, and he wondered how he should begin. After they ate, he stood up and just automatically said "My fellow Democrats." Well that didn’t suit, because he felt that "no good Democrat should be in prison." So he backtracked and he started again. He said to them, "My fellow citizens." And then he realized that some of those fellows had lost many of the privileges of ...

2043. Proper 13

Luke 11:1-13, Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-17, Psalm 107:1-43

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

THE UNWISE FARMER The parable included for the Gospel reading today concerns a farmer who prospered. He let his possessions possess him. Certainly you can find parallels today, though it may be corporations who buy up farms and add acreage to acreage. The family farm is less and less a part of American life. Only about two per cent of the population now earns their livelihood full-time in farming. The typical person who accumulates wealth today is more likely to do it in business and commerce. The parable ...

2044. Resist Temptation

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

The Holy Gospel for this First Sunday in Lent is the evangelist Mark's very brief account of the temptation of Christ. The temptation account may bring to your mind the movie, The Last Temptation of Christ. That movie gained much attention, because many people protested the substance of what was purported to be a possible last temptation of our Lord. The suggested temptation was that on the cross Jesus thought about what life would have been or might have been like had he loved a woman and married. Many ...

2045. Jesus is Anointed with the Holy Spirit

Acts 14:21-28

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

Call to Worship Pastor: God anointed Jesus with his Holy Spirit, giving him power to do good for those in need. People: That power enabled him to heal people, both of physical illnesses, and of sin's effect on the soul. Pastor: Christ's gift of wholeness is available to all who will receive it. People: God shows no partiality when he offers redemption. Praise God for his universal Savior! Collect Father almighty, who anointed your Son with the Holy Spirit, giving him power over the forces of evil: Release ...

2046. Up And Down The Mountain

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Donald Dotterer

Let us pray: Gracious and eternal Father, as we begin this Lenten journey, we seek to focus our hearts and minds upon understanding the ways in which you work to heal us of our afflictions. Lord grant us wisdom in these moments. May the words of our mouths, the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. Sir Edmund Hillary is the explorer and humanitarian from New Zealand who was the first man to stand atop Mount Everest, the highest mountain on ...

2047. The Healing of Jairus' Daughter and the Hemorrhaging Woman

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

James W. Moore

A business executive became depressed. Things were not going well at work, and he was bringing his problems home with him every night. Every evening he would eat his dinner in silence, shutting out his wife and five-year-old daughter. Then he would go into the den and read the paper using the newspaper to wall his family out of his life. After several nights of this, one evening his daughter took her little hand and pushed the newspaper down. She then jumped into her father’s lap, wrapped her arms around ...

2048. 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 ...

2049. The Compassionate Christ

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

King Duncan

Author Larry Davies, in his book Sowing Seeds of Faith in a World Gone Bonkers, tells a story with which many of us can identify. He says the check‑out line at his local grocery store was long and he was in a hurry. Seeing another line nearby nearly empty, he walked over and stood behind the only customer still to make a purchase. A young twenty‑something woman was holding a small basket with fifteen to twenty jars of baby food. There was nothing else in the basket: just baby food. “This is great,” he ...

2050. The Holy Spirit and You

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In the spring of 1998 Sandy and I bought our first home. After years of parsonage living, it was an absolute delight to have our own place, though the bank still owned the most of it. The Director of Christian Education asked if we would host a little Sunday School party on Pentecost Sunday. We immediately agreed to do so, even though the house was far from ready for “company." We thought about twenty people would come. Fifty showed up at our door. We prayed that the weather would be good and the sun would ...

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