Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2126 to 2150 of 2665 results

2126. The News From Nazareth

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

Sermon

David E. Leininger

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer...." We hear a lot about old Rudy these days. Are you aware that, while male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December? Female reindeer, however, retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring. This is according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single ...

2127. The Call of God

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... would not win. To be sure, Jeremiah did see his share of trouble. He was hated by his family and friends; he was forbidden to preach in the temple; he was arrested and placed in stocks; he was threatened with death; he was beaten and imprisoned; he was dropped down into a cistern that had nothing in it but gooey muck; finally, he was carried off into exile in Egypt against his will. Eventually, he died there. But God had been true to the promise. Jeremiah's life was preserved and his ministry came to span a ...

2128. The Church Should Go To Hell!

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' " — Luke 4:9-11 The third temptation includes a spectacular stunt to leap from the pinnacle of the temple, drop the 450 feet straight down into the Kidron Valley, and land unharmed. God's angels will protect you. People will surely listen to your message when they hear about this. Show time! Would anyone legitimately reproach Jesus for deciding to take that course? The ...

2129. Dorcas

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... were dispatched to request his presence. Whether the "big fisherman" had known of Dorcas before or was just now learning of her life and ministry, Peter did not hesitate to respond. This was one funeral any preacher worth his pulpit would be proud to handle. He dropped what he was doing and came right away. As was the custom then (and is still today), the preacher was ushered in and found himself among family and friends. The lifeless body lay at the periphery, but the center of attention was life, her life ...

2130. Choosing a God

1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... up. Maybe he's deep in thought and doesn't want to be disturbed. Maybe he's busy — something else is going on and he hasn't had the time to do what you ask. After all, gods have work to do too; you can't expect him to just drop everything because you let out a little whimper. Heh!" — 1 Kings 18:27 cf Then the people began to chuckle. The prophets of Baal and Asherah just glared at Elijah and went back to the business at hand. Hey, hey, hey! But Elijah could not help himself: "Hey, listen guys ...

2131. Year-Round Christmas

1 Kings 17:1-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... out walking one day, just before Christmas. He came upon one of those Salvation Army kettles. As he approached the volunteer ringing the bell, he felt an unaccustomed spirit of generosity wash over him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out all his change. He dropped every last coin into the kettle with a smile. The man turned to leave, but then he stopped. He reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and emptied every last bill into the kettle as well. Grinning like an idiot, he walked away ...

2132. Our Family Inheritance

Galatians 3:15-25

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). How should we do it? Depending on your tradition, one of several ways, as it turns out. Some sprinkle a few drops of water on the head, others pour water over the head, still others want to say that the only valid mode of baptism is immersion, having someone placed completely under water as a symbol of our solidarity with Christ's death and resurrection. All of those methods ...

2133. A Place At the Table

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... 's history. The other is that Philemon had every right to do with Onesimus as he chose. A master had absolute power over his slaves. Pliny tells how Vedius Pollio treated a slave who was carrying a tray of crystal goblets into the courtyard. He dropped one and it broke. Instantly Pollio ordered him thrown into the fishpond in the middle of the court, where the savage lampreys tore him to pieces. Juvenal draws the picture of the mistress who beat her maidservant at her caprice and the master who "delights ...

2134. When God Overdoes It

Lamentations 1:1-6

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... he has, his house, his money, his family." "His health." "Makes him sick." "To test his faith." "Right. To test his faith. So I'm wondering." "What are you wondering?" "What do you think about that?" Morrie coughs violently, his hands quiver as he drops them to his side. "I think," he says, smiling, "God overdid it."(1) If you have been following the news lately, it is easy to agree with Morrie. Sometimes it does indeed seem like God overdoes this suffering business. The little book of Lamentations ...

2135. A Religion That Shows

Haggai 1:15, 2:9

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... more than that). What he would see is a great collection of folks whose real religion is not much different from the one he saw among his own people so many centuries ago: They come to worship (when it's convenient), they say the right words, they drop a dollar or two in the plate, and then go on about their business. If they didn't say they were God's people, no one would ever know. Does that mean the prophet would recommend more and greater cathedrals, huge monuments, and tremendous building programs? I ...

2136. Lent 1

Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16, Luke 4:1-13, Romans 10:8b-13

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... not to toy with your grace and power. Nurture our souls with words and silences, with relationships and fresh opportunities. We walk the human path Jesus walked; grant us insight to be faithful. Amen. Congregational Choral Response Dear God And Father Of Mankind (v. 4) Drop thy still dews of quietness Till all our strivings cease; Take from our souls the strain and stress And let our ordered lives confess The beauty of thy peace. Sermon Idea We know who our ancestors were and we know that some of them were ...

2137. You Provoke Me...and That's Good

Hebrews 10:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... encourages and gives you praise? What is that likely to do for you? Doesn’t it make you more apt to encourage someone else? There is a commercial on television. I’m sure you’ve seen it. A man walking on a sidewalk sees a small child in a stroller drop a doll. The man picks up the doll and returns it to the child. The child’s mom notices this gesture, and smiles at the man. Later she is walking out of a donut shop. She sees a man who’s reading a newspaper. She notices his cup of coffee ...

2138. Serving the King of Kings

John 18:28-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... our nation could do wrong. However, the Bible makes it very clear we can have no other ultimate allegiance than our allegiance to Christ. Our Jehovah’s Witness friends understand this principle. They’re the folks who ring our doorbells and want to drop off the Watchtower publication. We can learn from their commitment. They refuse to serve in the Armed forces because of their religious convictions. Most of us believe that this is naïve. We believe there are times when military force is necessary to ...

2139. Made for Joy

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... peace and love and light and joy. Poet Carl Sandburg understood that. He once wrote about children: You were made for joy, child. The feet of you were carved for that. The ankles of you run for that. The rise of rain, The shift of wind, The drop of a red star on a far water rim . . . An endless catalogue of shouts and laughters, Silent contemplations They made you from day to day for joy, child, for joy. (2) St. Paul understood that. He writes in our lesson from Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always ...

2140. Coffee Shop Christmas Eve

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Julia Ross Strope

... Sarah, Gail, Jeff, and Grandma. Another family approaches.) Rebecca: I’m thirsty. I want a “splash.” Sarah: Me, too. Lucy: Me, three. Gail: I’d like a cup of coffee. Jeff: It’s 5:00. (They seat themselves at a table.) Jeff: We could have a snack now and drop by church for the Christmas program on the way home. Grandma: I’d like that. Rebecca: I don’t want to go to church. I’m tired of songs about trees and snow and babies. Jeff: Who wants what? Here comes the server. Lee: Hi. I’m Lee. What ...

2141. The Messiah’s Mark

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... response invited more questions. Those who stood in opposition to Jesus slammed the door on that possibility. Engagement, dialogue, disagreement, discovery — all were abandoned when they refused to connect Jesus with question. In other words, relationship was dropped when they refused to keep questioning Jesus. Asking questions is the only way to keep a relationship alive. It connects and challenges those who are questioning. In Jewish scholarship, the tradition of arguing and questioning every “point ...

2142. The Lost Five Commandments

Mark 12:35-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... least that’s how Mel Brooks tells it in his classic comedy “History of the World, Part I.” ‘Hear me, o hear me! All pay heed!’ the movie Moses proclaims. ‘The Lord, the Lord Jehovah, has given unto you these fifteen . . . [One stone tablet drops and shatters. A perplexed Moses looks down and mutters ‘Oy!’] . . . ten, TEN commandments for all to obey!’ Or watch if for yourselves: [You can show the clip of the movie: here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TAtRCJIqnk Of course, it ...

2143. Thanksgiving Means Giving

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... recall his words on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Disagreements arise within families, coworkers, neighbors, and even within our church communions. Paul’s words encourage us to “drop the hatchet” and move toward reconciliation and love. Still we must go further. We must reach across borders and boundaries that separate and drive people apart. Racial and ethnic divisions, national boundaries, and even religious denominations and teachings ...

2144. Obedience: Our Gift to Jesus

Hebrews 10:5-10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... he turned his back on the vision and went off to feed the poor. Nearly an hour later, the old monk returned to his room. To his great surprise and joy when he opened the door he saw the vision of God was still there waiting for him. The monk dropped to his knees in thanksgiving. God said to him, "My son, had you not gone off to feed the poor, I would not have stayed." As we light the fourth candle on the Advent wreath and make our final preparations for the celebration of Christmas, let us consider what we ...

2145. Heaven on Earth

Revelation 21:1-6

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... is often dangerous and deadly, Jesus is among us making a new world, a new heaven, and a new earth. A few weeks ago I took some unwanted household items to a place where they will be distributed to needy people. When I was at the rear door dropping off my stuff, up pulled a beat-up jalopy. Inside were two Hispanic mothers and their children. They were patiently awaiting some bags of groceries from the food bank. I tried to make some small talk with them but I knew no Spanish. The rear door suddenly opened ...

2146. A Glimpse of Glory

Revelation 21:10-22 - 22:5

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... to your brother, you seem a lot more like hell on earth than heaven on earth. Sounds like you have a lot to work on. Sounds like you are not always what you appear to be. Sarah, do you still think you are a saint?" Mumbling and letting her gaze drop to the floor, "Well, pastor, maybe not a saint. I guess I am not a saint. But if I'm not, then I don't know who is." "Well, Sarah, lets see what the rest of the class thinks. Class, let's ask the question again. Who here thinks they ...

2147. How Rich Is Rich?

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... , how does that act show love? That question can have far-reaching consequences. It affects the house we live in, the car we drive, the clothes we wear, and the mutual funds we choose. Our use of money, in response to what God has done for us, is not just dropping a few bucks in the collection plate and then moving on. How we use our money is a sign of how deep our faith is. We cannot solve every issue about money in this worship service, but if we can ask ourselves how our use of money shows love to ...

2148. Living in Chains

2 Timothy 2:8-13

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... him, I say, "Now." Facing me he says, "Nope." (Now you need to picture this with the two of us barely keeping a straight face.) I'll take off my jacket, roll up my sleeves and say, "You know I can make you, don't you?" He'll face me, drop his baseball, take off his jacket, and with a barely concealed smirk says, "No you can't." Then I wrestle him to the carpet, pin him to the ground, get a couple of playful jabs in his belly, put him in a half nelson and when he says, "Uncle!" I ...

2149. Sarah

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Sermon

Scott Suskovic

... panels on each wall, thirteen hooks in each closet, and thirteen globes in each chandelier. The floor plan was just as creepy. There were corridors snaking around the complex, some going nowhere. One door opened to a blank wall, another to a fifty-foot drop. One set of stairs led to a ceiling that had no door. Trapdoors, secret passageways, tunnels — think of the latest Stephen King horror movie and you get the picture. The construction didn't end until Sarah finally died. In those 38 years, the estate ...

2150. That’s Why We Call It Good

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... transgressions," and "our iniquities." Furthermore, he confesses, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way" (v. 6). It is a statement that could just as well have been made by some poor soul outside the ark when the first drops began to fall. For that matter, it is a statement that could have been made by Adam and Eve, as they clutched their shame-covering-leaves on their way out of the Garden. The grand confession comes within a larger context of remedy. Those infirmities ...

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