Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 2051 to 2075 of 3314 results

2051. Handling the Harshness of Life

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... left me. "Nor can I understand the silence of the eclipse of God in years when we needed Him most. But that does not push me farther away from Him. I would say that sometimes I have been closer to Him for that reason." Remember, the Apostle Paul shared: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, struck down, but not destroyed." SECOND, KEEP A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE AND SEE WHAT CAN BE SEEN AND SALVAGED. Many of you are probably familiar with the Pepsi commercial ...

2052. Dealing with the Hard Moments of the Journey

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... and looking into the sky, Mrs. Clem said in a shaky voice, "send them a message . . . all the way to heaven." Of all the people on the pages of sacred scriptures who knew what it was to face the harshness of life--it was the Apostle Paul. The lines that best describe Paul''s life of adversity came from the 4th Chapter of II Corinthians. The Revised Standard Version reads: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but ...

2053. Just Speak the Name

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , he does not know the word for buffalo in the Sioux language. He has good news for the Sioux tribe, but he cannot express it. So one of the braves cries out, "Tow-Kon-A." One word changes everything. It changes the people from starvation to salvation. The apostle Paul in this great passage says that the name of Jesus is the one name which is above all other names. This certainly complements the truth and good news which is found in Philippians 4:4-13. "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us ...

2054. Great Feast or Sad Fast

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

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... see the anger of God expressed. When Elizabeth II was to be crowned Queen of England, invitations were sent to certain people. On the bottom of each invitation read, "All Excuses Ceasing." It seems when royalty invites you, it is a very serious thing to refuse. In the Apostles'' Creed we recite in our worship service almost every week, we speak the sobering words "he will come to judge the quick and the dead." It is a grand thing to know Jesus as Lord and Savior; it will be a terrible thing to know him as ...

2055. What Do You Do When the Lights Go Out?

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Mike Jackson

... of David – a kingdom established and upheld in justice and righteousness forever. What a promise – the whole world breaks out in song! (Choir and orchestra sing a line from “For unto us a Child is Born” from Handel’s Messiah). And, according to John the Beloved Apostle, this child is the Word that was from the beginning – the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In him was life and the life was the light of all people. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome ...

2056. Party Time!

Mark 2:18-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... L’Arche find such joy in their relationship with God? Because they let God do all the work. Grace is a gift. It is a blessing that flows in abundance from God. All we have to do is come into God’s presence and enjoy it. In Romans 14, the apostle Paul writes a letter to the believers who are arguing over petty matters. In essence, Paul says, “Get over it!” In verses 17 and 18, he writes, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy ...

2057. Bearing the Cross

Mark 8:31--9:1

Drama

Angela Akers

... ’ words, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Reader Four: “One: The apostle Paul wrote, ‘But this one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’” 4 All: “Count the cost!” Reader One: “But ...

2058. The Dark Didn't Catch Me!

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... I got here. Now I realize it is unfashionable to talk about oneself. "I, me, my, mine!" "No! Tell us about the Lord Jesus! We'd rather hear about him!" Well and good. But the Bible does say, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" (Psalm 107:2). The Apostle Paul shares his testimony in the letter to the Galatians. And in Psalm 66:16 David says, "Come and hear ... and I will tell what he has done for me." So in that spirit today I want to share with you my testimony. In the text Jesus promised, "I am ...

2059. A Landmark Event!

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... redevoted himself to the Savior. It was on the road to Emmaus that two discouraged disciples were drawn into a meal and the reality of the risen Lord. It was while behind locked doors for fear of the Jews that Jesus materialized, eating, and rejuvenating the apostles at the table. And it is in churches like this, at tables like this, in servants like you and me, that the real presence of the Holy Spirit makes himself known. Conclusion In the play, Fiddler On The Roof, Tevye, the Russian Jew, speaks of the ...

2060. No Salt in the City?

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... a human being. Soldiers were often paid in salt. The word "salary" is derived from "salt." This is where we get our saying, "He's not worth his salt." So, when Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth," the compliment must have "wowed" the apostles. They were valuable to God and society. As we say today, they were worth their weight in gold. But what does it all mean practically speaking? Flavor Consider the flavor-enhancing properties of salt. Why, what are french fries without salt's savor? How bland ...

2061. The Road Less Traveled

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Sermon

Fredrick R. Harm

... Pray without ceasing." Do the words "without ceasing" puzzle you? Surely Saint Paul isn't suggesting the continual utterance of audible prayers. Nor is there the faintest suggestion that he was thinking of a particular posture that must be struck and held in prayer. Rather the apostle's meaning would appear to be: "Don't let the practice of prayer die out in your life. Even as the breathing of your body is the atmosphere where the vital oxygen is forever at hand, so let the intake and outgo of your soul be ...

2062. Too Good to Miss

1 Peter 3:8-22

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

... no out-and-out persecution by the Emperor, there was still plenty of abuse of Christians by society. The writer of 1 Peter was writing to the early church which was suffering simply by their commitment to Jesus Christ. The letter begins this way: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia ..." (1 Peter 1:1 RSV). All of these localities are in Asia Minor, what is present day Turkey. His letter was sent to those Christians who were in ...

2063. Grace in the Midst of Hopelessness

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

... there are countless "somethings" just around the corner, is there any hope? On what basis can we believe that what we most value and most need can never be snatched away from us? In the eighth chapter of his letter to the Romans the Apostle Paul provides the answer. Christians have grounds for hope. Our hope -- this confidence that our existence in both the present and the future is completely secure and utterly meaningful to God -- is experienced most significantly through God's gift of the Holy Spirit ...

2064. Grace in the Midst of Exasperation

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

... to do at any particular moment. What does this have to do with following God? This has everything to do with following God. Scripture consistently declares that every human being is endowed with a set of desires that automatically steer us away from God. The Apostle Paul calls this a sin nature. It is the irrevocable legacy of being born into a fallen world. Ponder your highest and purest intentions: "I promise to be a holy person; I vow to think affirming thoughts; I resolve to stop hating those who have ...

2065. Grace in the Midst of Suffering

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

... the sheer number of parties who are deriving benefit from Paul's hardships: the Corinthian readers, "more and more people," and God Almighty are specifically mentioned. Paul clearly includes himself as on that list in the previous sentence. In verse 16 the Apostle cites another example of present grace: "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day." Hardship takes its toll. But for the Christian, inner reconstruction more than counter ...

2066. The Highest Bidder

Ephesians 3:14-21

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... efforts are doomed to fail. We cannot keep a peace that does not exist, and there can be no peace -- not between races, or national governments, or theological sparring partners -- until the dividing walls in human hearts, not merely veneers, are brought down. The Apostle Paul, reflecting on the centuries-old antipathy between Jews and Gentiles in verse 14, proclaims Jesus to be the world's only source of hope for human reconciliation: "For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and ...

2067. Morning Has Broken

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Curtis Lewis

... issue," they are asking you to explain something to them. Light on the subject occurs on the mental or emotional level, but there is also a third and deeper level of meaning, the spiritual level. On this level we deal with the nature and character of God. The Apostle John helps us understand the nature and character of God as light when he writes in his prologue (John 1) of the "true light coming into the world." In his first epistle, John states that "God is light and in him there is no darkness at all" (1 ...

2068. Sometimes It Is Okay to Be Absentminded

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Curtis Lewis

... destruction to Israel? Isaiah is simply saying, "Forget all of what's past." In order for the people to be open to God, they must experience forgetfulness. The forgetfulness that God called for was a forgetfulness of things past, both the good and the bad. The Apostle Paul had a sense of the meaning of Isaiah 43:18 when he wrote: "Forgetting what lies behind and striving forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal" (Philippians 3:13b-14a). God is saying the same thing to us today: "Forget those ...

2069. Jesus Brings Us to New Life

Isaiah 25:1-12

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... significant event in human history, the pinnacle moment of salvation history in Jesus' resurrection, let us possess the conviction that this festival milestone has meaning for us today. Let us be transformed by the power of the resurrection story. Jesus rose from the dead; the apostles rose from their fear and lethargy; Turk and Pastor Johnson gained new vistas on life. May we too be transformed by the power of Jesus, who suffered and died, but today rises and brings us the possibility of eternal life.

2070. No Other Name

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... by Jesus' power, testified Peter, that the man had been healed. This controversy continues into chapter four. The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were teaching. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of believers grew to about ...

2071. Waiting for God

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... Luke is telling the story. He begins by referring to his own Gospel. “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them ...

2072. The Indwelling Christ And Holy Communion

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... the Upper Room. Well that hurt my feelings, so I sent him a copy of the Upper Room, and by return mail, I received his subscription. He said, “Enclosed you will find my check for a one year subscription to the Upper Room, it’s the best thing since the apostles. Now I always tell that part of the story. He said I may not be around to read it this whole year, because I’m 82 years old.” Well, that was the beginning of what has become for me one of the most meaningful relationships of my life. Brother ...

2073. Curiosity Or Consecration

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... about curiosity or consecration. Do you know the story of Frank Laubach? He’s one of my heroes, and the world is fast running out of heroes. Here is a fellow who took seriously the call to spiritual wholeness. He was know as the apostle to the illiterates and was responsible through his each one teach one program. He was responsible literally for the literacy of millions of people. Developing the inner resources of his life, connected with his burning concern to minister to the world’s disinherited ...

2074. Working Out Our Salvation

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... but also a libation of blood on the altar, and you can read about that in Kings and Jude and Hosea. Though such literal priesthood and sacrifice were replaced by a once-and-for-all offering of Jesus Christ, Paul found the metaphor meaningful. As an apostle of the gentiles, Paul saw himself as the priest presenting to God these gentiles as an acceptable offering. He also saw himself as an offering, a sacrifice on behalf of others. And we need to recover that dimension of the priesthood of all believers. The ...

2075. Even Marriages Made In Heaven Require Earthly Care

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... how he twists his own lips to accommodate the twisted ones of his wife, to show her that their kiss still works.” That’s it. Decision and commitment in one act. The earthly care, even marriages made in heaven require. According to the Apostle Paul, love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. In fact, Paul declares, love outlasts everything else. Love is promises made and promises kept. It is problems faced and settled. It is darkness waited through until the light ...

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