Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2126 to 2150 of 4957 results

2126. A Ransom Paid

1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... was taken from him. Tortured, executed publicly like a common traitor, buried in a borrowed tomb, he was exulted over in his death throes by those whose interests were met by the fear of the people. The one who came as ransom was dead. They had killed the one who claimed to speak for God, and figured that was that. The ransom was paid, but the captured were not set free. The reign of terror was still in place. But God had a surprise waiting for them. The dead did not stay dead. The one who came to pay the ...

2127. The Power Of God For Us

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... considering with Paul the situation that existed before Christ came into our world; our aloneness, our isolation, our fear of God, our lack of self-worth, our tendency to choose our own way rather than rely on God's way. We have been considering Paul's claim that he comes to us as an ambassador of Christ, offering a new covenant that will reconcile us to God. This covenant was sealed in the sacrifice of the cross, in which we see God identifying with us, even to the point of torture, injustice and death ...

2128. Giving Better Than We Expect

1 Peter 2:13-25

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... learn how this sort of approach leads to a happier atmosphere and improves customer satisfaction, leading to a more successful business. Isn't it funny that the people of the secular world can see the benefits of following what Jesus has taught us, whether they claim to follow him or not? How much more, then, should we Christians attempt to model ourselves the same way? As our scripture for today says, "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that ...

2129. Choosing Sides

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... (which, incidentally, leads to me excusing my behavior constantly, while insisting that you need to be executed for breaking the law, among other things), then we will never realize what power the resurrection offers us! It is precisely the power of the risen Christ that Paul claims is life-giving and life-changing, if we grab hold of it. That power means nothing if we do not realize just how powerless we are in the face of evil. If we believe that we have merely failed, then we will blame ourselves or ...

2130. You Can Be Less Worried

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Michael B. Brown

... determined that the single most common source of worry is not the fear of war, financial disaster, holes in the ozone, AIDS, cancer, loss of a job, divorce or any of those other topics that one might place atop a traditional worry list. Instead, Dr. Borkovec claims that the single most frequent source of worry is other people's opinions of our lives. "If this happens, what will they think? What will people say? Will I be laughed at? Will I be excluded?" Most of us, even clergy, have experienced moments when ...

2131. Week Four Of Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... oppressors. Nevertheless, they chose to say no to God. Had not Moses been able to curb God's wrath, the punishment for the people would have been the loss of their chosen-people status. In the Gospel Jesus speaks of his rejection by the people. Jesus claims that people do not have God in their hearts because they have failed to recognize the Son. He says further that people will accept praise from one another, but they will not believe in nor accept the glory that comes from God. The people have chosen ...

2132. Holy Week

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... , St. John uses the images of light and darkness to convey certain concepts or themes. For John darkness represents sin. In today's Gospel Judas leaves the banquet under the cover of darkness. John puts it succintly, "It was night." Peter, in the same reading, claims that he will follow the Lord to the point of death. Under the cover of darkness, however, Peter too will falter and fail the Lord. For St. John and other New Testament writers light refers to Christ and all that he brings to our world. This ...

2133. Worship Aid, Drama

Drama

Dann J. Ettner

... it seriously because of the Governor Pilate's order. We went out to the site of the tomb and checked inside to makesure there was a body to guard. The chief priest had explainedthat the Jewish leaders feared Jesus' disciples would come andsteal the body away and claim that He had come back to life. After having checked and made sure that the body of Jesus wasinside, we rolled the stone back in place and put a seal betweenthe stone door and stone entrance of the tomb. This seal was notplaced there to keep ...

2134. Make A Choice

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... later, those same people cry, ''Crucify him''? Certainly that is a part of the Holy Week story. But then it struck me that Palm/Passion Sunday's real purpose is to remind us of the necessity of making a choice ... making a decision about Jesus Christ, and Christ's claim on our lives. When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on that day long ago, he made it abundantly clear that he was God's Messiah! From that moment until now, people have had to decide: Are we for him or against him? Will we accept him or ...

2135. Flashing Lights

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... elements. A. Attuned The first word is attuned. God speaks to those whose hearts are attuned to the things of God. Think about Paul, or more accurately Saul, as he trudged along that road with orders in his pocket to search out and imprison any man or woman who claimed to be a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. That trip was about 140 miles in length, and it would have taken Paul the better part of a week to make it on foot. Moreover, the others who traveled with him were Temple Police, and because Paul was a ...

2136. Divine Naivet

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

... falsely, people who will not sin"? Of course not. He might truly forgive them and rejoice at their repentance, but he would be, well, naive, to suuggest that these folks would not sin. Who could trust his judgment again if he made such a claim, knowing full well that they could not be trusted to walk the straight and narrow? Compare if you will the difference between our song about wonderful Santa Claus, before whom one must be perfect or tremble, and the Lord God, who embraces imperfect creatures, acting ...

2137. Citizenship

Philippians 3:1-11

Drama

Pamela Urfer

... to choose? That's treason! (Saluting some imaginary flag) I will never repudiate my citizenship in the greatest nation on Earth! This is God's nation. We are his chosen people -- at least the Christians are. If only all those other people, those people who claim to be Americans but refuse to admit that this is a Christian country, would stop misbehaving and surrender to his rule, we would really have something going here, something that no other nation on Earth could hope to stand against. We would have God ...

2138. He Is ALIVE!

Mt 28:1-8 · Mk 16:1-13 · Lk 24:1-12 · Jn 20:1-18

Children's Sermon

Robert B. Lantz

... even though He had told them of his death and that He would rise from the dead, they had trouble believing that it really had happened. Today there are jubilant people all aver the world who are crying out, "He is alive!" Over 600 million people who claim the name "Christian" are excited about the good news that Jesus is alive. But often, like the early followers, they don't really understand what that means. I want you young people to try to understand what the story of Easter really means to you and me ...

2139. False Advertising

Matthew 23:1-39

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

Concept: Just as television and commercials can mislead us, our behavior can mislead others concerning our relationship with the Lord Preparation: Watch Saturday morning television geared toward children and familiarize yourself with some of the commercials with outlandish claims designed to entice youngsters. What is a commercial? (Children respond.) It's an advertisement about something that someone or some company is trying to sell. We see commercials on television and we find them in magazines and on ...

2140. Believing What God Says

Genesis 6:1-8:22

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

... didn't matter; God said it would happen and Noah did believe it. God instructed Noah to build an ark so he and his family would be safe. What's an ark? (Children respond.) It's a big ship. I suspect Noah looked silly out there building a big boat, claiming a flood was coming when it wasn't even raining. Some of the mean people probably came around to laugh and make fun of Noah and his family. They might have said something like, "Hey, Noah, going on a cruise?!" "Why are you wasting your time building an ark ...

2141. Raised Voices

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Drama

Pamela Urfer

... some miracle, we should arrive there, you and I would probably be long dead. And then what's our guarantee that the people who live there now would let us in? REBECCA: But the Lord says ... HANNAH: Are you sure that's the Lord talking? Or is it just Moses, claiming to be the mouthpiece of God? You know how much he wants this to happen. REBECCA: (Desperately) We all do! HANNAH: Speak for yourself, Rebecca. I do not think this is a good idea. At all. And I'm sure this is none of God's doing. REBECCA: Why ...

2142. Play The Fool

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... congregation. He cannot understand why different groups are rallying around various leaders who have served the congregation in one way or another. Using the metaphors of the building and the temple he explicitly states that neither Paul nor Apollos nor Cephas can lay claim to being the real founder of the church. Boasting in human leaders is forbidden. Christ alone is the foundation of the church, and Paul adds for emphasis, "and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God." Right in the midst of Paul ...

2143. The Witness Of Caiaphas The High Priest

Drama

Dann J. Ettner

... . Thechoice is yours. I made my choice, right or wrong, and must livewith it eternally. Will you choose my way, along with the needfor animal sacrifices, a careful observation of our laws andrituals, a rejection of this Jesus of Nazareth, or will youfollow this man who claimed He was sent by God to remove all sinwith His blood, in order that all who believe in Him may notperish, but have eternal life? Let your choice be followed withan "Amen" and a life of service either to me and my way ofobeying the Law ...

2144. Week Five Of Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... the presence of God in us then we are not living the fullness of our Christian call. The presence of God in us should inspire others to greater heights, to a more complete living of the Christian message of love. If people do not see God in the one who claims to be a disciple, then we have retarded God's work; we have inhibited the growth of another. The task of being a sign of God's presence in this world is a tall order. Yet, Jesus had a much taller order. He was asked by the Father to be ...

2145. The First Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

... come to his banquet. Only the sinners would go to Levi's feast: that is, only the sinners and Jesus. The Pharisees saw it at once: if this man Jesus were truly religious, he certainly would not eat with such riff-raff, associate with such scum. How can he claim to be a religious teacher, a rabbi? How can he pretend even to be decent? We all heard Jesus' answer: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance." Levi ...

2146. The Second Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

... to her, "Your sins are forgiven." But those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Everyone knew it was a staggering claim. Only God can forgive sins.Jesus unabashedly asserted his status as God incarnate. Notice what he said. She was saved through faith, not through love. Many scholars think the woman may have already met Jesus, believed in him, and asked his forgiveness. In his grace ...

2147. Don't Sell Your Inheritance for Cabbage Soup

Genesis 25:19-34

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... mature of children. When queried, Jacob establishes the price of a bowl of cabbage soup at the family birthright. Esau thinks for just a split second. "I am about to die (of hunger); of what use is a birthright to me?" (v. 32). Contrary to what he claimed, Esau was not on the edge of starvation. He was hungry, but he was not experiencing hunger. His stomach was not banging against his spinal column. He only had to wait two hours until dinner. And so it came to pass that the birthright of the Hebrew people ...

2148. Jesus Christ, Our Passover Lamb

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Steve Burt

In the summer of 1976 a hurricane approached eastern Long Island, New York. Older residents recalled the 1938 hurricane which had claimed many lives and destroyed millions of dollars worth of property. Even the younger residents could remember the devastation wreaked by Hurricanes Donna, Carol, and others in the 1950s and 1960s. People took seriously the warnings of the National Weather Service; they battened down the hatches, stored bottled water, provisions, and ...

2149. A Law We Can Live With

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... a double entendre -- the phrase "can live with" meaning both able to accept and able to survive. Whether it will actually prove an effective campaign, I suppose only time will tell. However, at the risk of appearing irreverent, it seems to me that the same could be claimed of the Ten Commandments. Granted, we may not always live by them, but we are nevertheless offered life through them. Indeed, they may well be "a law we can live with" in the most profound sense of the phrase. And it is this truth which I ...

2150. Veiled Glimpses of God's Glory

Exodus 33:12-23

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... with God. And here, he confronts Yahweh with the ultimate either/or. "The decision to withdraw is, in fact, the decision of your people's fate," he argues. "Merely sending an angelic escort to accompany Israel has very little meaning, if you are unwilling to claim these people as children again." "I will do the very thing that you have asked," the Almighty finally whispers from the whirling cloud, "for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name" (Exodus 33:17). Relieved that the tension is ...

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