Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2126 to 2150 of 4943 results

2126. The Word According to Superman

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

(Growing Strong in the Season of Lent, Lent 2) There is an absurd story that comes out of World War II. An American soldier in Tunisia lost his bayonet. Rather than face the consequences of admitting he had lost this important weapon, he carved an excellent facsimile out of wood and placed it in the scabbard at his side. For weeks he went about his duties carrying this fake bayonet. He was safe from getting into trouble as long as his deception went undetected. However, one day the much dreaded order came ...

2127. Instructions on Worship

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

Proper Objects of Prayer Following the charge to Timothy in chapter 1, which points to the presence of false teachers as the occasion of the letter, Paul now moves on to give a series of specific instructions (2:1–7 on the proper objects of prayer; 2:8–15 on the proper demeanor for prayer; 3:1–13 on qualifications for church leadership). All of this leads directly to 3:14–15, where Paul repeats his purpose for writing in terms of the believers’ knowing how to conduct themselves in God’s household. Because ...

2128. The Weak and the Strong

Romans 14:1--15:13

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

The general exhortation on agapē in chapters 12–13 proceeds now to a specific discussion of the “strong” and “weak” in 14:1–15:13. Paul divides the entire unit into three subsections. In the present section he argues that self-righteous judgments are divisive in the body of Christ; in 14:13–23 he teaches that responsibility for the other takes priority over individual rights; and he concludes in 15:1–13 with the servant role of Christ as the example for behavior within the Christian fellowship. Although ...

2129. Speaking from the Heart

Luke 6:43-45

Sermon

King Duncan

It’s confession time. “Uh-oh,” you’re thinking. “What am I suppose to confess?” By a show of hands, how many of you have a junk drawer at home--a place that has become a repository for things you can’t find somewhere else to keep? What’s in your junk drawer? When you open it up, are you surprised by what ends up in there? The average American home has too much stuff in it, and we don’t know what to do with all of it. We cram things in closets. Under beds. In our junk drawer. We may even rent a warehouse to ...

2130. A Vision of Beauty and Hope

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

In 1948, a World War II veteran named Earl Shaffer was the first person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. This 2,160-mile hiking trail connects Springer Mountain, Georgia, with Mount Katahdin, Maine. It is billed as the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Shaffer was restless after the war and he was grieving the death of his best friend. He needed to find some peace, so he set out alone on this challenging adventure. It took him through forests and streams and over mountains. He reached Maine ...

2131. Don't Stop Praying!

Luke 18:1-8, Luke 18:35-43

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: “job” application with pre-made questions / petition to the court for financial assistance I need some volunteers this morning! Come on up! Well, I have here an applications that I’d like you to fill out. The first one….I’ll let you do this one….is a job application. It’s for a “position” in a make-believe church…. not this one of course (smile). For those of you listening….. ____is going to read off some of the questions on the application, and maybe you can help him/her answer them. Okay? Here we ...

2132. The Excellent Meal Ticket

Genesis 37:1-11, Genesis 37:12-36, John 21:15-25, Mark 8:1-13

Sermon

Lori Wagner

Props: shirt with pattern only in the front and shirt with pattern all around it Ever see those shirts where the pattern is only on one side? In case not, I have one here to show you today. You see this? I get so frustrated when I see these shirts. They offend my OCD sense of decorum because you turn, and the pattern just stops. It’s like, you can only turn one way in speaking to people, cause otherwise, it looks like the rest of you is invisible. The exciting part is turned toward the front. But turn ...

2133. A Caring Woman

Acts 9:36-43

Sermon

King Duncan

Good morning, and Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers and grandmothers and mother-figures in the congregation this morning. Parents, both mom and dads have the hardest job in the world, and this world would be in a horrible shape without their love and sacrifice and perseverance. Of course it is not easy to be a Mom. In a TikTok video, a woman named Nicole DeRoy explains one of the challenges of motherhood. She says, “My kids wanted to know what it was like being a mom, so I woke them up at 2:00 a.m. to ...

2134. Drastic Surgery

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

Herchel H. Sheets

In February, 1966, a young surgeon from India, then a resident at a St. Louis Hospital, took a radical step in an attempted reconciliation with his estranged wife. She was a staff physician in Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, and was living in a dormitory there. The surgeon called a taxi driver to his apartment door and gave him a package which he asked him to deliver to his wife’s room. His wife’s roommate answered the knock at the door and accepted the package. It was blood-soaked, and when she opened ...

2135. Who Are the Christians?

Judges 1:1-36

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

A student from Yale Divinity School invested a summer working in a New York City mission on the edge of Harlem. There were lots of drug addicts and criminals around but not many Christians. The student would gather groups of kids, play basketball and other games with them, and then tell a few Bible stories. One day after one of these sessions, an 8-year-old named Butch hung around to talk. He asked, "Who is this Jesus you keep talking about?" "Do you mean," asked the student, "that you've never heard of ...

2136. Discipline

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

A young man decided he wanted to be a boxer. He decided to take private lessons. He found a boxing coach at a nearby gym who agreed to give him twenty-six weekly sessions. As part of his instruction, the young man was required to spar with other aspiring pugilists at the gym. After the first session, he was sore and swollen. He didn’t realize that it would be this difficult. The battered youth had some questions for his coach. “You say there are twenty-six lessons in this course?” “That’s right,” answered ...

2137. Strategic Planning

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

King Duncan

"Suppose you were on a nonstop flight to Asia,” says the motivational speaker, “and heard this announcement: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We’re traveling west across the Pacific Ocean. In a few hours, you will be able to look down and see land. When that happens, we are going to start looking for a big city with an airport. If we find one before our fuel runs out, we will land. Then we will figure out where we are and decide where we want to go next. In the meantime folks, just sit ...

2138. Look Who Is Standing at the Door

James 4:1-12; 5:1-12

Sermon

James L. Killen

Imagine a happening with me. The scene is a fine restaurant all decorated for the holidays. It is noontime and the restaurant is crowded. Five well-dressed businessmen are seated around a round table enjoying drinks after an expensive lunch. They are entrepreneurs. Each has been successful in building up a business and operating it in a way that has made him wealthy. Since it is the holiday season, they have gathered for a celebration. But they are not celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah. They are ...

2139. Plant It and Stand Back!

Luke 17:5-10

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The Mustard Seed Parable is a favorite of so many. I can remember mustard seed necklaces, little glass balls with a tiny mustard seed in it, how popular they were. That was J. C. Penny's idea. He distributed them. As I recall you could write him, not to the corporation but to him personally, and he would send you one. J. C. Penny was an active churchman. He practiced tithing in his personal life. He believed that tithing was the reason for his spectacular success in business. It is just a fact that I ...

2140. Cross Purposes

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

All around the upper ledges of the curved glass windows in our living room perches a collection of dappled and dimpled art glass tumblers. These brightly colored tumblers come from an old family collection. They were put together long ago by grandparents long gone. They bring hundreds of different shades and hues of color into the room on a sunny day. Of course, our house is also located in an earthquake zone. In fact, every year at least a couple low-number, rocking-n-rattling sessions roll through the ...

2141. How High Is Your Faith Quotient?

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

No matter how much we pretend it isn't so, school is about testing and measuring what you've learned, what you know. How many of you attended schools that ranked performance with number grades like "80," "90," "100?" Anyone here ever get a 100 grade for a class? How many of you attended schools that ranked performance with every gradation from an A+ to an F-? Anyone here ever get an F-? How many of you attended schools that gave less quantified reinforcement by giving out assessments like "outstanding," or ...

2142. Cook Food. Serve Love.

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

A lot of families are being forced to come to terms with two competing philosophies of life living under one roof. A battle is always waging over who has access to the power. The competing family members demand their own special place in the house. Parents struggle to keep the lines of communication open, but it is tough to understand all the different messages being sent. The two camps each have their own specialized vocabulary and unique semiotics. Of course, we are talking here about homes in which some ...

2143. Nothing but the Blood

1 John 1:7

Sermon

James Merritt

The greatest evangelist of the Twentieth Century, without question, was Billy Graham. The greatest evangelist before him of the Nineteenth Century undoubtedly was Dwight L. Moody. Both shared a common trait. They were criticized because of a particular subject they preached about. When Billy Graham was getting started, a professor from Cornell University wrote him a letter and said, "Mr. Graham, you have great talent, and you have what it takes to be a successful minister. But if you want to continue to be ...

2144. What about Laws and Rules?

Matthew 5:17-20

Sermon

Mike Ripski

As you’ve listened to my sermons have you ever experienced whiplash? Have you ever been following along and then suddenly it feels like I’ve tried to take you somewhere new without any warning or preparation? I jumped from A to C without first going through B. Well, I learned it from Jesus. Jesus has healed, made whole, given new life to those whose lives were cursed. He’s teaching them about this new life they’ve experienced. He’s telling them that God wants this new life for everyone. Jesus says to these ...

2145. When God Seems Far Off

Psalm 10:1-18

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

“Why do you stand afar off, O Lord? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Have you ever felt that way? You wanted to say that to the Lord? There have been times in my life when God seemed far off, beyond the reach of communication. I have awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning, morning after morning after morning, and anguished in spirit until day break, but my praying was more frustrating than fruitful. My passionate pleas seemed to bounce off the ceiling and ricochet around the walls. It never ...

2146. By Enduring

1 Peter 2:19-25

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

Sometimes in our lives we have great pain and deep sorrow. Life is hard. It is hard by the yard and it is no cinch by the inch. Suffering is not an option in the school of life. Last Friday night, Larry King assembled a panel of preachers and New Age proponents to discuss the nature of good and evil. It was an interesting discussion. But when you are down in the trenches, doubled over with some pain that won't go away, you are not very interested in a discussion. What you would like is some relief. And if ...

2147. The Messiah’s Mark

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

New parents are always so eager and anxious for their babies to learn to talk. We cajole and coo and coax them to get out those first precious words. But eventually parental prayers are answered, and the child speaks. Next thing they know, however, Mom and Dad are being grilled by junior or missy who have discovered the all important “Why?” question. There are the science questions — “Why is the sky blue?” “Why does the wind blow?” “Why is water wet?” “Where exactly in our bodies are we located?” There are ...

2148. Dealing with Difficult People

1 Peter 3:8-18

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Today I want to talk about something all of us can relate to – dealing with difficult people. By difficult people I mean all categories – the gossips, the bullies, the manipulators, the intimidators, the blamers, the criticizers, the complainers, the whiners, etc. Just fill in the blank. Today we are going to discover the biblical way to handling difficult people. By a show of hands how many of you know a difficult person? How many of have worked or work with a difficult person? How many of you live with a ...

2149. Hallelujah! Come On, Get Happy

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

David G. Rogne

At the entrance to Disneyland is a sign that reads: "Disneyland — the happiest place on earth." Millions of people have come from all over the world to visit and partake of the happiness it was designed to create. Happiness is something that humans seek naturally. We are all on a pleasure hunt. We Americans even wrote the pursuit of happiness into our constitutional rights. Yet the more earnestly we pursue happiness, the more elusive it becomes. June Callwood, in her article "One Sure Way to Happiness" ( ...

2150. Mercy Me!

Romans 14:1--15:13, Luke 6:27-36, Luke 6:37-42, Luke 6:43-45

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“My yoke is easy, my burden light.” --Jesus What burdens are you carrying this morning? How heavy is your heart? How weighed down is your spirit? Most of the time, when we think about that question, we think of the burdens of responsibility we carry or the weight of grief, the sandbags of unfair treatment levied against us, or hardships, such as unemployment, or health, or broken relationships. Certainly, those burdens of despair and sorrow can weigh heavily upon our hearts. But other kinds of burdens can ...

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