Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2126 to 2150 of 4963 results

2126. A Ministry of Encouragement

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... seeking to help God’s children discover all the abundant life that is their birthright. That’s the Gospel. That’s the good news. And that’s why God created the church. To be a light in a dark world. To send out love in a world of hate, hope in a world of despair, kindness in a world of cruelty. That’s who we are and what we’re about. Oh, I know. Some churches have been known for the foul smell of criticism and negativism that has permeated the air, the stinkin’ thinkin’ we were talking about ...

2127. Day People

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11

Sermon

King Duncan

... others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.. People of the day and people of the ...

2128. Great Reasons for Great Giving

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... much do you care?" Sometimes God asks us to take out our wallet to show how much we care. As terrible as these physical needs are, though, the spiritual needs are greater. Some 2.8 billion or more of the world''s peoples are living and dying with no hope because they do not know Christ. We cannot see the death of a person''s spirit. For that reason we usually don''t get very concerned or upset, but the evidence of violence and crime and lust and greed and hatred in our world are legacies of spirits dying ...

2129. Believing Isn’t Easy

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... Russell Lowell’s poem/hymn: By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, thy bleeding feet we track Toiling up new Calvaries ever, With the cross that turns not back. The Apostles well knew all of the arguments against faith. But they believed in spite of themselves. Why? I hope to talk more about the reasons why when we get to the part of the Creed which says I believe in Jesus Christ. Actually, I would have preferred that the Creed begin with Jesus Christ and then work its way to God. That is the way in ...

2130. What about Spiritual Healing?

John 4:43-54

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... a Roman Court, and to all men and women in all walks of life in all ages. He is indeed the Light of the world and the hope for all of us in every age. “The man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him and started on his way.” I find that to ... enemies. We feel uncomfortable in the presence of such profound faith. But it is precisely that kind of faith which is the only hope for our war-weary world! This royal official from Capernaum heard Jesus’ word and believed Him. And went his way. And when he ...

2131. The Glorious Interpolation

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... take after we discover the good news that we are loved by the everlasting love of God. In gratitude for the grace of God, we are freed to become new creatures in Christ. By the grace of God we can become new and different. That was the message of hope which Jesus held out for this poor woman. And holds out for us. There is a wonderful old story of two brothers in ancient time who were convicted of sheep stealing. In that cruel age both were branded on the forehead with the letters “S.T.” for “Sheep ...

2132. Lazarus Laughed

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... an occasional resuscitation, in which a supposedly dead person would be revived by the coolness of the tomb. Consequently, there developed the custom of the family’s visiting the tomb for three days, hoping against hope, that some sort of mistake had been made. And, of course, if there had been embalming, that hope would have been obliterated. In addition, certain rabbis of the time taught that the spirit of the deceased hovered over the body for three days before finally departing. So, by mentioning the ...

2133. Believing Thomas

John 20:24-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... break? Had he gone to the park to feed the pigeons? Where was he? We do not know where he was—any more than we know where the other 60% of our church’s members who are not here this morning are. Maybe they are out doing good, I hope so. All we know is that Thomas was absent. And he missed something (or Someone) very important. I find it fascinating that although Thomas did not believe in the Resurrection, the early Church didn’t throw him out! They seem to have been much more tolerant than any modern ...

2134. One Bad Apple

Matthew 26:47-56

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... the followers of a certain Egyptian terrorist. From this we get the word assassin. If this is so, then Judas was a member of the Zealots, those who wished to overthrow the yoke of Rome by violence. It may be that he attached himself to Jesus in hopes that Jesus might take the way of the sword, but when Jesus specifically rejected the way of violence, he became disillusioned. “Who can follow a Messiah like that? Someone who asks us to love even our enemies?” Who, indeed? We all have a problem with that ...

2135. The Laying on of Hands

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... . It is very ornate, with new life and growth springing from it in every direction. The important thing, as we have been reminded many times, is not what the cross did to Jesus, but what Jesus did to the cross. He transformed it, and made it a symbol of hope, of new life springing out of death. Who knows what might happen if Jesus were allowed to lay His hands on us? You see, God’s usual way of working miracles is through people...people like you and me. After all, if God could take a crucified Carpenter ...

2136. On Talking to Oneself

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... has two handles; we can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” This poor woman took hold of the day with the handle of faith. She perfected the fine art of talking to oneself. She sent positive messages of hope to herself, and she was healed. That is something we could all learn from her. When it comes to sending messages to ourselves, many of us are our own worst enemies. We send the wrong messages. On the May 9th “Nightline” program, conservative columnist George Will ...

2137. On Claiming One’s Inheritance

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... : properly understood, the Commandments can lead us only to despair. We know what is right, but we can’t quite do it. We see the goal, but we can’t quite reach it - not all by ourselves. Then, when we feel most hopeless, God can come and offer us hope. Indeed, that’s what the Commandments are for...to drive us to God, to where we say with the tax collector in Jesus’ parable: “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13) And then comes the good news: “But God showed His love toward us in that ...

2138. Holy Tuesday

Mark 11:27-33

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... was King Hezekiah’s pessimistic belief that “Sheol cannot thank thee, death cannot praise thee: those who go down to the pit cannot hope for thy faithfulness.” (Isaiah 38:18) Job believed that a “man lies down and is laid low; man breathes his last, and where ... it is the word of the expert which convinces us. If ever you had a dear one very ill, and consulted a specialist, I hope you did not argue with the specialist. You didn’t say, ‘Have you thought of this? Do you think it might be that?’ You ...

2139. Living Large for God (Part 3)

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... God to help him to have what God wants all of us to have--to know joy in place of pain, abundance in place of want, hope in place of despair. You don’t believe God wants you to be healthy, joyful,--to have all your needs met? Then what do you believe ... beauty for ashes, strength for weakness, life for death. Take the most hopeless situation, add God to the equation, and suddenly there is hope! Faith provides a way of seeing that is not known by human insight alone. Jabez knew that he must add God to any ...

2140. Whose Hand Is On Your Shoulder? (Part 4)

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... . There is something out there beyond death. Pastor Robert Morgan, commenting on this story, wrote, "All that from an uneducated young circuit-rider . . . who had something to say—and nothing to fear." (1) Jabez may have had a rough beginning, but he knew where his hope lay--it lay in God. And so he prayed, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me . . ." The book by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson upon which this series is based has become so popular that it ...

2141. The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... probably even decide there are a few more reasons why not to forgive them. Only the buckets of God''s love and grace are full and without holes in them. They are sufficient--ours are not. Let me share with you today three observations for your consideration that hopefully will keep you enrolled in the School of Forgiveness or provide the motivation for you to be enrolled for the first time. FIRST OF ALL, FORGIVENESS IS GOD''S GIFT TO US TO RESTORE US TO A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. We do not have to read ...

2142. The Lord's Prayer: Deliver us from Evil

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of the `isms'' of our times, so many of them related to a Humanism that leaves out the eternal and transcendental. They no longer have any validity for they took too lightly the depth of our perversity and our capacity for evil. We have lost any hope we might once have had in their promises. They were wrong in their analysis, mistaken in their predictions and false in their values." Yes, Evil is a problem that no one can ultimately avoid. It is present in every person and in every community. It is personal ...

2143. GIVE ME YOUR SINS: The First Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... father had given his life for. You can only forgive like that when you have stood at the foot of the cross. Yes, we often do hold onto grudges and desires for vengeance like they were valued treasure--but it is a type of treasure that will bury us without hope or love. Perhaps some of you have heard about a woman who was rushed to the emergency room because she was quite ill. After a battery of tests, the resident on duty told her "I have both good news and bad news. The good news is that I have found ...

2144. Half-Time is Now Over

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... be the Messiah. Although they do not at first recognize the stranger, there is something about his manner that gives them renewed hope and an inner peace. Toward evening they near the village of Emmaus and urge the stranger to stay with them. It is ... finally recognize him as the Lord Jesus Christ. His presence with them transforms their mood of failure and defeat into renewed hope and a new direction for life. The two disciples, like Roy Riegels, were traveling in the wrong direction. They had "fumbled" and ...

2145. Living the Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... God gave Moses might be the most important re-discovery we could latch onto as we begin a new millennium. Two scientists were discussing the excitement of being alive as the new millennium, the year 2000, approaches. But one scientist cautioned the other, "I just hope we have a reason to live in the new millennium and that this life is worth living." The Ten Commandments can be of immeasurable help to these scientists as they live life to the fullest in the new millennium, for they contain the necessary ...

2146. Nightline

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... soldiers was about to enter the cave, another soldier said that no one could have entered the cave because the web was so beautiful and undisturbed. So the Christ Child and the Holy Family enjoyed the safe refuge of a cave because of a simple spider. (3) I hope you can see the insight shared in this story. If a tiny spider can thwart the plan of Herod imagine what spirit-filled men and women of God can do to prevent evil from escalating in 1991. "Though this world with devils filled Should threaten to undo ...

2147. A Cup Overflowing

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of my nights, the bread that kept me from starvation and the water of life that refreshed my soul." Did you hear that? They could imprison his body but not his soul or spirit. They could put him in chains and shackles--but not his dreams and hopes. Right there in the presence of one of the greatest demonic forces known in the annals of human history, Pastor Niemoeller was free and liberated. Personally, this verse is a great comfort to me, because it says that although we will have enemies, if we love God ...

2148. The Longest Table in the World

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... ? If I read the Bible correctly, it was God who gave this vision to the Church a long time ago. That is exactly why this meal is so important. It calls us to confess our broken relationships with one another, as well as the broken dreams and shattered hopes deep inside each of our own lives. As we eat from the loaf and drink from the cup, we will be redeemed by remembering we can never experience any brokenness that Christ has not already known. Only kneeling around this table, with our eyes fixed on Christ ...

2149. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part III)

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... . We have accepted the Lord, you see. He suffered for us. So we will try to suffer for the baby if we must." "Not many kids today get a chance to be a part of this kind of thing," the father added. "Our kids will handle it." "Pastor, I hope you can do something with them," the doctor whispered to me outside their door as he continued his rounds. Three days later, the doctor and I watched the couple leave the hospital. They walked slowly, carrying a small bundle; but it seemed to us a heavy burden, a weight ...

2150. Good Friday: The First Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... die on the Cross for the perfect. Christ did not die for the Godly. Christ did not die for the good. If Christ would have died for the perfect, the Godly, and the good, there would be no hope for our souls today. However, since he died for the un-Godly, there is hope for me and hope for you. I realize that sometimes we feel that the most important barometer of a church being successful is that of FINANCES. However, Good Friday instructs us that forgiving and being forgiven is the most important dimension of ...

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