Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2051 to 2075 of 5000 results

2051. What Gets Into People?

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... met. The Bible says simply that the man had an unclean spirit. Today we would probably say the man had a mental disorder. Maybe he was in the habit of harassing people who went to the synagogue. Today we have people with unclean spirits who paint swastikas on synagogues. Mark is not specific about the man's symptoms. All we know is that the man cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be ...

2052. Why Did He Do It?

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Why in Heaven's name did he do it? What caused him to betray innocent blood? WAS IT DISILLUSIONMENT? Certainly that must have been part of it. Jesus is never the kind of Messiah people expect him to be. Immediately before telling us of Judas' betrayal, Mark tells us about an important moment at the house of Simon the leper in Bethany. As Jesus was sitting at the table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment, a very expensive ointment, and broke the flask and poured it over his head. "But there ...

2053. Hey! I Want To Believe!

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... dead and laid in a borrowed tomb. It was too much to ask him to believe that this same Lord was now alive and appearing to his disciples and friends. It would take more than their wishful assurances to heal Thomas' broken heart. "Unless I see for myself the mark in his hand and place my fingers in his side, I will not believe." Who among us would condemn him? Woody Allen once asked, "If God does exist, why doesn't He give me some signlike depositing a million dollars in my name in a Swiss bank?" In spite ...

2054. What Are You Working For?

John 6:25-59

Sermon

King Duncan

... ." "Well, where are the children of Israel?" someone else asked. The woman said, "Oh, they have already gone through." "So where is the Egyptian Army?" another asked. "Oh, they haven't arrived yet," she said. (1) Some people live their lives like that, never making a mark on their canvas. It's hard to respect someone who is not even trying to make life count somehow. A few of you may remember a ball player whose nickname was Old Scrap Iron! His real name was Clint Courtney. He was a journeyman catcher for ...

2055. From The Rubble Of Life

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... others seek to discourage him. But Bartimaeus refused to be silenced. "Son of David, have mercy on me!" he shouted above the tumult. And Jesus stopped. How beautiful are those three words in Mark's Gospel, "And Jesus stopped." In the midst of the pressing crowd, Jesus was willing to stop and minister to one needy soul. "Call him," said Jesus. When they did, Mark tells us that Bartimaeus threw off his mantle and sprang up and came to Jesus. HERE IS A MAN WHO WILL NOT BE DENIED. Here is a man who is going to ...

2056. Soli Deo Gloria

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Mark McGilvey Livonia

... skillfully that two U. S. presidents became his pawns. All he ever wanted was more. And yet this man concluded his life emaciated; colorless; with a sunken chest; with fingernails which resembled grotesque, inches-long corkscrews; with rotting black teeth, and innumerable needle marks from his drug addiction. He walked around nearly naked most of the time with his beard and hair to his waist. He kept his own human waste in quart jars which he stashed around his 15 by 17 foot apartment. He lived in darkness ...

2057. Entering Into The Agony

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." And in verse 17 he adds "....for I bear in my body the marks of the the Lord Jesus Christ." Various interpretations have been given of this text. It has been taught that Paul had on his hands and in his side the marks of the stigmata wounds that have been found on certain mystics that bear a great likeness to the wounds Jesus received upon the cross. It is more logical to assume he was referring to scars ...

2058. You Are Not Yourself!

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... . It is available to every person on this globe. One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that God often takes seemingly hopeless individuals and turns them into superbly useful people! The apostle Paul was once a violent antagonist of the faith, and John Mark had once deserted his ministry. There is no way to be sure what a person will be tomorrow simply by looking at what he or she is today. In 1944 during World War II, Admiral Halsey received an intercepted Japanese communication that revealed the ...

2059. Where Have All The Heroes Gone?

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... , it was Scott Jantsen who led the U.S. procession. (2) There are still persons of courage in our world. But courage is only apparent in the face of hardship. Most of us prefer comfort to courage, Maybe that's why there are few heroes nowadays. Dr. Mark Trotter notes that "God gives heroes of the Bible very little comfort." He says you "ought to read the stories of the heroes in the Bible, the pilgrims of faith. Surprisingly, God treats them roughly. To the complaining Job, God says, "Stand up on your feet ...

2060. Have You Changed Your Clock?

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... not exchange God's time for Roosevelt's time!" (1) Our scripture lesson today resounds with the same thought, that we are not to exchange God's time for Caesar's time. We are to "take heed, watch, pray; for you do not know when the time is (Mark 13:33)." Further, this scripture passage exhorts God's people to wait, to trust, and to be prepared, and above all else WATCH, which I believe determines how we will wait, trust and prepare. One of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith is that of the Second ...

2061. Who's The Blind One Around Here?

John 9:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... appeared dull, confused, and in motion. He could not distinguish objects." Another patient saw, "Nothing but a confusion of forms and colors." When a newly-sighted girl saw photographs and paintings, she asked, "Why do they put those dark marks all over them?" "Those aren't dark marks," her mother explained, "those are shadows." The mother then explained, "That is one of the ways the eye knows that things have shape. If it were not for shadows many things would look flat." "Well, that's how things ...

2062. A New Kind Of Faith

John 20:19-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... Thomas, "We have seen the Lord." Thomas was unconvinced. It wasn't that he thought his friends were lying; their story was simply too good to be true. Thomas wanted proof. He wanted to see Jesus for himself. Thomas said, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." Thomas was a realist. He had been hurt and disappointed. He had expected so much from Jesus. Then, to watch him die on the cross like a common thief was ...

2063. Partners In The Gospel

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Brett Blair

... on the shoulders of his climbing companion Mike Corbett. A subtitle said, "Paraplegic and Partner Prove No Wall is Too High to Scale." What many people did not know is that Mike Corbett scaled the face of El Capitan three times in order to help Mark Wellman pull himself up once. (1) Today we celebrate World Communion Sunday. This day millions of people all around the globe will receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. They will come from various traditions and different cultures. Some will walk to church ...

2064. You Can Be Happy

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... 21st century is that the busier we are, the happier we are. So, we strive to be busy. It's a mistake. Consider Jesus' approach. By nightfall, word had spread throughout the town that Jesus was there and that he had the power to heal people. By dusk Mark says the whole city was at Simon's door looking for Jesus. They brought their sick, "with various diseases," hoping that he would be able to heal them. The disciples had never seen such a crowd. With all those people Jesus must have been exhausted. It was ...

2065. Face To Face With The Devil

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... shelter, was at large in the Louisiana woods.(1) Today we begin the season of Lent, that forty-day period that leads us to the cross and the empty tomb. We begin our journey in the wilderness. That is where the Spirit had driven Jesus, according to Mark's Gospel. Perhaps Jesus was seeking a time of self-examination. Perhaps he wanted time to reflect on the ministry that he was about to begin. Perhaps he knew this would be the last opportunity he would get to truly be alone. Whatever the motivation, it was ...

2066. Getting Your Attention

John 2:12-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... of Jesus should be genteel people who never show their wrath. You can reach a boiling point. A robber in Oceanside, California wearing a motorcycle helmet and carrying a gun strode into a branch bank. He selected a teller who appeared fiftyish, soft, kindly, an easy mark. He handed her a note demanding money or her life. The woman reached for the cash drawer. Then she looked again at the note and her eyes flashed, her lips clenched. She pulled the entire cash drawer out, but instead of giving him money, she ...

2067. Unlocking The Doors

John 20:19-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... told him was just too good to be true. It wasn't quite that Thomas didn't believe his friends, but he was a realist. He wasn't someone who believed in fairy tales. Thomas shook his head and said, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A whole week went by with Thomas struggling, doubting if what his friends told him was actually true. But he continued to meet with the other disciples. Just because he didn ...

2068. Watchers, Walkers And Worshipers

Acts 3:11-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... and strengthening the faith of the other. (4) Minnesota had already watched God's activity in his life and his world. He had been walking for some time where God would have him walk ” in service to others. But now he was going that extra mile that is the mark of the follower of Jesus Christ. He became a worshiper. Peter wanted the people to understand that God is the source of every good work. To miss that is to be blind as well as lame. But Peter offered them a way out of their self-imposed disabilities ...

2069. Working For Love

Mark 7:24-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... nourishment just like we do. In our lesson for today it is evident that this is what he was looking for: a time for personal retreat, for prayer ” a time away from the crowds in a place where he thought he would not be recognized. "He entered a house," says Mark, "and did not want anyone to know he was there." But Jesus' plans were interrupted almost at once. News of his presence had gotten out, and a woman came to him who needed his help. And this brings us to the first thing we need to say today: PAIN ...

2070. A Family Celebration

Hebrews 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... mother had died of Huntington's and that she was, in a way, one of them, they were very disbelieving. Finally a desperate research team nurse grabbed Wexler's arm and began pointing to a tiny mark, a biopsy scar left by the flap of skin she too had contributed for analysis, "See, see, see? She has the mark," the nurse said. "This just proves that she really is part of the family." The villagers began to cooperate. (3) The testimony of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ, who was the very reflection of ...

2071. Our Damascus Road Experience

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

King Duncan

... , he scribbled an essay on a piece of paper and sent it, along with some brief poems, to the editors of a magazine. They ignored his grimy letter for six months. Then one day, one of them happened upon it and quickly recognized the mark of genius. The editors made unsuccessful efforts to find him. They published his poetry anyway. Months later, Francis Thompson saw his published work. He went to the publishing office and identified himself as the author. The editors of the magazine befriended him and guided ...

2072. One Thing Is Needful

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Arthur E. Dean Windhorn

... are under stress because of a shaky marriage or problems with the children. Of course, some of us deal with stress better than others. Dr. John Anderson tells about a cartoon that appeared in the NEW YORKER magazine. Approaching a small bridge plainly marked, "Load Limit ” 8 tons" was a truck, also marked on its side, "8 tons." When the 8 ton truck was about in the middle of the bridge with the 8 ton limit, a bluebird lighted on the top girder. At that point the bridge gave way and crashed with the truck ...

2073. On Knowing What's Best For Your Kids

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... on each side of his nose. After looking for some time, he asked, "What gave you those red marks on your nose?" "Glasses," was the reply. After further reflection, the little boy asked, "Glasses of what?" (1) Children can keep us off balance, can't they? One mother, writing about her toddler, was mystified that a child who can swallow three bottle caps and a paper clip can choke ...

2074. Temptation

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... And then the ruin. BUT THERE IS A REMEDY. The remedy to temptation is not will power. It would be so easy if will power were the remedy. Just say no. Isn't that what they say? But some people have no will power. They are like Mark Twain who said, "I can resist everything except temptation." Some of us are stronger than others. Much of this was determined in our childhood. You may have seen that study last Fall about children, mushrooms and delayed gratification. Researchers found that children who can delay ...

2075. Pardon Me, But Do You Know God?

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

King Duncan

... out of ten people in American believe in God. But knowing God . . . That is something else. Many of you are familiar with the time-honored story of the theological professor who was given a choice of two doors. One was marked "Love," and the other was marked, "Knowledge about love." He chose the latter. Just as there is a difference between knowing about love and experiencing love, so there is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. As Jesus said, even the demons believe . . . and tremble ...

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