Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2076 to 2100 of 4963 results

2076. The Waiting Father

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... a pigpen? He would go back to his father and say, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son...." He was taking responsibility for his own situation, and that is always the first step in salvation. I hope if you ever end up in one of life's pigpens because of bad choiceswhether it be enslavery to drugs or alcohol, or watching your family breakup because of your own lack of moral discipline, or in court because of cheating on your taxes, or whatever your ...

2077. The Wondrous Possibility Of Change

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... are accustomed to do evil." (13:23) In other words, can a person change his or her basic nature? Can the cruel become kind, the vulgar become refined, the coward become courageous? It is an important question. Few of us are all we want to be. Is there any hope for us? Albert Einstein once said that it is easier to denature plutonium than it is to denature the evil spirit of man. Will Rogers once said, "You can ™t say that civilization doesn ™t advance...for in every war they kill you in a new way." In ...

2078. Does Jesus Care?

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... people also in tragedy, asks, "Why not us?" (3) There was a widow in the city of Nain. She had a son whom she loved deeply. He was her only son and like every mother she had great dreams for him. Life is sometimes very cruel, though. We always hope that we shall outlive our children. That is the way life is supposed to work, but sometimes it doesn't. Her son now lay dead. A large company of friends escorted the funeral procession out of the city. Their presence meant more than they could know. But still the ...

2079. Ultimate Freedom

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... of our possessions. THEN THERE ARE THOSE OF US WHO ARE IMPRISONED BY OUR PAST. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem, THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER, is the fascinating story of a ship and its crew who are lost in a land of ice. When hope is almost gone, a great sea bird, an albatross, appears through the fog and mist, bringing with it a strong south wind that moves the ship out of danger. But the ancient mariner, without provocation, shoots the bird with his crossbow. His fellow crewmen are horrified ...

2080. Ready For The Great Race

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... witnesses. Let ™s move on in this passage of Scripture: "Let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely...." I hope you understand what the writer of Hebrews is saying about sin. As a pastor I am constantly frustrated by what some people hear when ... cape and a vast land called India beyond the sea. Forever, thereafter, the Cape of Storms was known as the Cape of Good Hope. Our text says that Jesus is the pioneer and perfector of our faith. Keep your eyes upon Jesus. That is the secret of ...

2081. A Christmas To Remember

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... the Son of David," writes the scholars, "because Joseph, son of David, obeys the instruction he receives from the angel of the Lord and gives Jesus his name." (7) Joseph was an ordinary man of extraordinary faith. Such people ” both men and women ” are the hope of this world. I was reading recently about a man named John Canuso. Canuso is credited with helping start the first Ronald McDonald house in Philadelphia. John is a big family man who enjoys dressing up as Santa. Christmas has always been a big ...

2082. The Difference Is You

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... had with one of the riot ™s many looters. The man had been one of many people who had looted a record store. When asked what he had stolen, the man replied, "Gospel tapes. I love Jesus." (1) Our text for the day is about people who love Jesus, but hopefully in a more positive way than did this looter. Jesus defined his followers as the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." "You are the salt of the earth," Jesus told them. He did not say, "Someday in the future you will be `the salt of the ...

2083. Whatever Became of Sin?

Romans 6:23

Sermon

Lowell D. Streiker

... or any other 12-step group. Guilt leading to confession, restitution, reconciliation, growth, and renewal -- now there is an exciting concept. That is something worth sinning for! That is a concept of sin which, instead of plunging me into despair and depression, fills me with hope. WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME? And the payoff for keeping one's word, for accepting responsibility, for responding to others with love and concern? The pay off is that by living as though there is a just and loving God, we experience a ...

2084. The Greatest Discovery Of All

Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:31-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... ," Ron remembers. "This short slightly built person didn't look at all like the wise man I had pictured. He didn't even have a beard!" The wise man asked Ron why he had come to see him. For the next sixty minutes Ron poured out his hopes, fears, anxieties, and dreams. "Now," directed the wise man, "pay attention!" Ron thought perhaps the teacher would place his hands on his head or heart and he would explode in ecstasy. But he didn't. The wise teacher simply rattled off three things Ron should do. Before ...

2085. Diamonds Falling From Your Lips

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

King Duncan

... has never been tortured or murdered. I don't honestly know how I would respond if they were." Then he answered the man's question, "I have experienced the love and intervention of Jesus Christ in my life. I share with you what God has done for me. And I hope, I pray, that even though the words may sound hollow, that when you hear me say, `Jesus loves you' that you also see that Jesus loves you through my actions and my faith." (3) The words of the speaker would have been hollow if he could not have shown ...

2086. A Cross In A Cradle

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... happen next? What happened next was an old woman named Anna. Anna had been widowed for many years. She spent all of her time at the Temple, fasting and praying. Anna was a remarkable woman. In all her years she had not grown bitter and she had never given up hope. There at the Temple Anna saw Mary, and Joseph holding the baby Jesus. At that moment she came up to the young family, and began to praise God. Anna knew in an instant that this infant was the one she had spent all her years praying and ...

2087. Aren't You Glad?

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Anne-Rose Reeves

... wasn't for lack of advice and study. At the last council meeting, the church president had jokingly told him he hoped that this year's Easter sermon would finally say something significant to all those "Christmas and Easter Christians" who show up ... the worship and music committee were not to be outdone when it came to telling Pastor Jones how to do his job. "Pastor, we sure hope that your sermon will do justice to all the flowers and banners we're putting in the sanctuary this year. The cleanup crew has ...

2088. Watchers, Walkers And Worshipers

Acts 3:11-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... his apron and threw it on the counter top, rushed over to where his coat hung, and hastily put it on. "Oh, God," he said. "I hope I'm not too late." He found the homeless man he had seen on his way to the soup kitchen. He stepped forward and held ... and a few dollars in his pocket. He had nothing else: no job, no friends, no family that would claim him, and no real hope. What he did have, however, was determination. He was determined to turn his life around. He enrolled at a local technical college. His grades ...

2089. Once In A Lifetime

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... . There are some of us who hunger for that kind of experience, too. We are troubled. We have come to the temple. And we are painfully aware of our own inadequacies. We long to hear the voice of God saying, "It's all right." May I offer this word of hope to you today? I have been authorized by God to say this to you: "It's all right. Your sins are forgiven. Today you can begin a new life. The angel has touched your lips, and your sin has been taken away. Now it's time for you to live ...

2090. Whoever Would Have Thought?

Mark 4:26-29, Mark 4:30-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... it must have truly baffled their minds ” that something so large could come from such a small seed. The parable of the mustard seed is a word of encouragement for us. Things might not be what you and I want them to be, but there is still hope. God works in mysterious ways. God is still with us even when our efforts are frustrated, because He is the source of growth. Growth often starts out small like a mustard seed and then blossoms into something huge. You probably don't recognize the name, Rita Rizzo ...

2091. A Message From Above And Beyond

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... doesn't forget them. He called them blessed. Then he turned to the hungry and those who weep. He called them blessed as well. In the coming kingdom those who are hungry will be filled, he said, and those who weep will be filled with laughter. His words gave hope to people who felt there was nothing at all to look forward to. Then Jesus spoke a special word to his followers. He said, "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you." Jesus knew the Good News upsets people, it puts them on edge ...

2092. The Fourth King In The Christmas Story

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... and interestedly. These were suddenly moral people because the sense of wonder, the experience of wonder, had made them moral." (4) If only Herod had caught that sense of wonder. If only he had looked up. He might have seen the Bethlehem star and recognized that it was his hope as well as the world's. If only Herod had surrendered himself to the God of the stars and the God of the child in Bethlehem's stable, what a different story we might have to tell. Herod the Great might have lived up to his name. His ...

2093. A Journey To A New Life

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... yet there are people everywhere who are slowly killing themselves because they have grown hopeless about their lives. They may not drink unboiled water but they are killing themselves nonetheless. Unhealthy lifestyles ” senseless risk taking ” oppressive stress ” all because they have lost hope. But here is the good news for the day: Change is possible! Baptism tells us so. Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, was a millionaire by the age of twenty-nine. As such, he could buy his wife ...

2094. Let My Little Light Shine

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... the support of the institute's director, he was told again and again that he was too young to have created a workable alphabet for the blind. Years passed. This young man grew older, was made a teacher at the institute, and became a fine organist, always hoping that his method would find acceptance. But his health was frail. It was not until he lay in bed, dying of tuberculosis, that he heard that the first steps were being taken to popularize his system. Though he did not live to witness it, Louis Braille ...

2095. Annie's Gift

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... down to the front. I slipped my card to young Joe. He's ushering this morning. He'll make sure my card gets turned in. I hope nobody finds out how little I gave. But it was the very best I could do." Pastor Ed tried not to notice who was bringing their ... somehow offended her? Maybe he should have emphasized that people who already tithed were not being asked to give more. But, of course, he hoped they would give more. Let's face it, there is a core group in every church that must respond if the kingdom is ...

2096. Getting The Proper Nourishment

Jeremiah 16:1--17:18

Sermon

King Duncan

... butter, red licorice and M&Ms. Tip 7: Pieces of cookies contain no calories. The process of breaking causes a calorie leakage. Tip 8: Latenight snacks have no calories. The refrigerator light is not strong enough for the calories to see their way into the calorie counter. (1) I hope you find these tips helpful. They work for me. One man said his mother gained weight because of shame: "It's a shame to let this go to waste, it's a shame to throw this out, it's a shame to see this spoil." Speaking of nutrition ...

2097. The First Easter Sermon

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... Simon Peter and the other Apostles. Because they knew that their lives would never be over, they lived courageous, confident, committed, consecrated lives. And so can we. Yes, most people do dread dying. I dread dying and so do you. But we have this hope: Death has been defeated! Christ is alive! 1. Bruce Melver, JUST AS LONG AS I'M RIDING UP FRONT (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1995), pp.5 9. 3. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tenn., 1993, p. 120121. 4. Charles W. Colson, THE BODY (Dallas: Word Publishing ...

2098. An Unlikely Witness

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joseph, who were still there after the crucifixion when Joseph of Arimathea took Christ's body down from the cross. They were part of a small, sad procession that made its way to a waiting tomb. Their hearts were breaking. Their hopes were crushed. There was no good news anywhere. But the sun rose on Saturday, as it always does, and again on Sunday. On Sunday, Mary Magdalene came again to the tomb, while it was still early. She could not let go of the one who had freed ...

2099. I Didn't Expect This In Church!

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... I can't explain it," he said. "That game was SO boring." (1) It reminds me of Erma Bombeck's great line: "If a husband watches more than 3 football games a week the wife should have him declared legally dead and have his estate probated." Well, I hope Super Bowl XXXIV is not boring for football fans. Our lesson for today from Mark's Gospel doesn't take place in a football stadium, but in a synagogue. And the scene is anything but boring. In fact, it sounds like something straight out of television's spooky ...

2100. Living With Difficult People

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... than we do. Leo Buscaglia tells of being aboard an airplane for a five-hour flight from Los Angeles to New Jersey. When he took his aisle seat, it was obvious the man next to him was irritated by his presence. He explained to Buscaglia that he had hoped to have room to spread out. Within moments, they heard a baby cry. "Great!" the man exclaimed under his breath. "I hate babies on airplanes. We'll have to listen to that child scream for five hours!" When the stewardess stood to make her remarks to educate ...

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