Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2151 to 2175 of 2844 results

2151. The Temptation to Talk Transformation

James 2:14-26

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Dr. Charles Allen, the now retired United Methodist preacher from Houston, Texas, shared, tongue in cheek, a survey he once made in his church: 10% of the members cannot be found 20% -- never attend 25% -- never pray 35% -- never read the Bible 40% -- never give financially to the church 70% -- never attend Sunday Evening Service 75% -- never assume any church task 85% -- never invite anyone to church 95% -- never win a soul to Jesus 100% -- expect to go to Heaven! It reminds me of the old black spiritual ...

2152. A Rod And A Staff

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

We have been talking about moving through the valley of the shadow--and now we come to the phrase "of death, I will fear no evil." A colleague, Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr., believes the two greatest fears of life are the fear of dying and the fear of living. These two fears conveniently cover everything on our list. I''ve heard of a tombstone somewhere in the mid-West that reads as follows: Pause stranger when you pass me by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so will you be. So prepare for death and ...

2153. The Marvelous Meaning of the Cross

Galatians 6:11-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Toward the end of that marvelous classic, Pilgrim''s Progress, the character, Christian, is moving with tremendous difficulty on the highway between the walls of salvation. His heavy burden makes it almost impossible to move, though he slowly inches along. Finally, he reaches an elevated place upon which there stands a cross and a little below, in the bottom, a sepulcher. As Bunyan describes it: Just as Christian came up to the cross, his burden was loosened from his shoulders and fell from his back and ...

2154. Worry Wart or Winning Warrior

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I like the story about the two mountain boys who spotted a bobcat up a tree and decided to have some fun. One said, "I''ll shinny up that tree and chase him down, and you put him in a cage." The other agreed, and the first fellow climbed up the tree. When he reached the right limb, he started shaking, and the cat came tumbling down. The other fellow grabbed the varmint by the back of the neck and tried to put him into a cage. There was a terrible commotion. Dust and fur and skin were flying in all ...

2155. Placard Faith, Complex World

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Robert Noblett

As you have sat in your easy chair munching on snack food during any NFL game, you have seen this sight innumerable times. The camera zeroes in on one of the end zones and just beyond the uprights, you see a person carrying a huge placard sporting the name John, followed by the numbers, 3:16. This text is one of the most famous in the Bible and it is the darling of those Christians given to cutesy evangelism. I suspect that in their view it is not cutesy -- but gutsy -- evangelism they are about. Be all ...

2156. Easter Transportation

John 20:1-9

Sermon

Robert Noblett

The eyes of our nation have, in recent time, twice been riveted on Antarctica and the need to rescue medical personnel from a weather station there. Happily both rescues were successful, but they were conducted in weather conditions that were exceptionally hazardous for flight. Aircrews had to wait for precisely the right time to make each rescue attempt. The rescuers knew they wanted and needed to get to the weather station, but it was all but impossible. I am wondering whether a similar predicament ...

2157. Together, But Not Enmeshed

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Robert Noblett

Jesus describes the community gathered in his name -- and that would be all of us -- using the imagery of the vine. We, individually, are the various branches of the vine. Jesus is, as John describes him, "the true vine." And God is the vinegrower. Jesus is shaped and empowered by God, and we -- as branches -- are shaped, empowered, and nourished by the presence of the risen Christ. We are strongly impacted by images; no surprise here. Early in the Bush administration when Vice President Cheney left the ...

2158. With a Little Help from My Friends

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

There was an interesting article in People magazine recently. It was about a young man, eighteen-year-old Kevin Hines, who, in September of 2000, decided to give up his fight with depression by jumping off San Francisco’s Golden GateBridge. As he paced and cried along the bridge sidewalk, Kevin looked for someone who would talk him out of his crazy decision. If even one person expressed concern for him, then Kevin was prepared to back down. But not one passerby gave Kevin a second glance, with one ...

2159. It's Happening!

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

Sermon

David G. Rogne

In an effort to stimulate their thoughts about the nature of God, I invited a group of teenagers to join me in watching the movie, Oh, God! In the course of the movie, God, in the person of George Burns, has prevailed on Jerry, the assistant manager of a supermarket, played by John Denver, to carry God's message to the world. Toward the end of the film, Jerry is lamenting to God that nobody seems to be listening to the message. He tells God that he thinks that they have failed. But God doesn't see it that ...

2160. The Fox

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

David G. Rogne

I know that I don't have much status up here in Gaul, but will you do me the favor of listening to me? I've had an awful lot of time to think during these years I have been in exile, and I need to share my conclusions about life with someone. My name is Herod. The problem is that our family is so extended, and so many people bear that name, that I should really use my given name, which is Antipas. My circumstances used to be far different than they are now. It's not that Lyons is such a bad place to end up ...

2161. The Dark Didn't Catch Me!

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

Remember how it was in grade school when your class went out on the playground during recess? Doug and Sam, the two big guys, started choosing up sides to play kickball. And the rest of us just sort of stood around and hoped one of them would pick us for their team. And how affirming, how exciting it was to hear your name called and know that you were wanted. And it's the same in this big lonesome world that doesn't seem to need us very much. It's easy to feel left out, unchosen. But the Good News of the ...

2162. The True Story of the Magi

Matthew 1:1-17

Sermon

John Jamison

There is a beautiful old tradition about the star in the East. The story says that when the star had finished its task of directing the wise men to the baby, it fell from the sky and dropped down into the city well of Bethlehem. According to some legend, that star is there to this day, and can sometimes still be seen by those whose hearts are pure and clean. It's a pretty story. It kind of makes you feel warm inside. There are other legends about this story of the wise men from the east. For instance, how ...

2163. Bedlam or Bethleham?

Titus 2:1-15

Sermon

Fredrick R. Harm

I wonder if you have ever realized how the word "bedlam" entered our language? Here's how it came about. St. Mary of Bethlehem was founded as a hospital in England in 1247. Two centuries later it was restructured as an institution for the hopelessly insane. The noise and confusion of the hospital became widely known throughout the country. The cockney accent, over the years, contracted Bethlehem into Bed'lam. So "bedlam," which means "a place, scene, or state of uproar or confusion" is simply a contracted ...

2164. The Source

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

One of the most precious and indispensable needs you and I have is to be able to have at least one person in the world who truly understands us. How often have we known folks who try to be such a one for us, but we know they just don't understand. Surely there are many of you here today who carry great burdens of worry or anxiety or fear. Just the words job or spouse or child or cancer or finances or death bring up such an overwhelming baggage of emotions. (And for some of you, you are already gone and ...

2165. Learning from the Spider

1 John 2:28--3:10

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

I've always been amazed by spiders. I love to watch them spin their webs and catch their prey. I remember as a child we had lots of spiders in our garage and we would catch flies and other bugs and throw them into a web to see the spider come rushing out along the strands to plunge in the paralyzing digestive juices. It would then wrap the prey up in a nice little bundle, for a late-night snack. Some spiders stay at the middle of a web that is stretched between branches or boards. Other spiders have a ...

2166. Grace in the Midst of Judgment

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

In his book Making Life Work, Chicago area pastor Bill Hybels cites a study that was published under an intriguing title: 178 Seconds to Live. The study concerned twenty pilots, all seasoned veterans in the cockpits of their small planes, but none of whom had ever taken instrument training. One by one they were placed in a flight simulator and told to do whatever they could to keep their planes level and under control. The simulator generated the conditions of a storm, including impenetrable, dark clouds. ...

2167. The Highest Bidder

Ephesians 3:14-21

Sermon

Harold Warlick

According to those whose job it is to know such things, it only takes three weeks to become blind to the presence of stationary objects in our everyday worlds. Hang a new picture on the wall, and one is likely to notice it for about 21 days. After that it has become part of the scenery. It simply doesn't leap into the foreground any more. That's why it can be so hard to accomplish the simplest chores of housework before the arrival of guests. We've stopped noticing the screwdriver that's been sitting on ...

2168. Sometimes It Is Okay to Be Absentminded

Isaiah 43:14-28

Sermon

Curtis Lewis

All of us have heard of the absent-minded professor. I have a friend who is the full embodiment of the absent-minded professor. On one occasion he became so absorbed in a chess game that he failed to show up for his Contemporary Theology class. This professor's wife told of asking him to get her a couple of aspirin because of a splitting headache. He left to go retrieve the aspirin and water so she could find relief. When he returned a few minutes later, she inquired as to the aspirin and water. According ...

2169. The Challenge of God Brings Hope

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Carlo Rienzi, an attorney with no prior mission or court case, had never been tested. He was fearful and apprehensive, because he had never been challenged in his chosen profession. He did not want the trial that would test his will and challenge his skill, but he knew it must eventually come. When the case came, it seemed an impossible task for him. A young woman had shot the mayor of a small village without provocation, at least so it seemed on the surface. Carlo was assigned by the court as the woman's ...

2170. Have We Kept Our Contract with God?

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

Richard Gribble

One day a man went to his son's room and knocked on the door: "John, wake up, it is time for you to go to school!" From inside the answer came back, "I don't want to go to school, Dad." The father was persistent, knocked again, and said, "You must go to school." The answer again came back, "I don't want to go to school!" "Why not?" asked the father. "There are three reasons," came the reply. "First, I find school boring; second, the kids tease me terribly. Third, I simply hate school." Then the father ...

2171. Look Inside and Discover Life

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Oscar Wilde's short novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, written in the early part of the twentieth century, describes the life of a tortured man who is unable to look honestly at his life. He refuses to look inside and accept who he truly is. Dorian is a physically handsome young man who possesses power, wealth, and prestige, the three great assets and temptations of contemporary life. An artist, Basil Hallward, who is enamored at Dorian's presence, paints a portrait of him, which is indeed a master work. ...

2172. Replacing a Fallen Comrade

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

A pastor was shaking hands with people as they left the church. A couple greeted him and said, "We listened carefully to every word you said." The pastor thanked the couple and said that he looked forward to seeing them next week. "Oh, we won't be here next week," the couple responded. "We're going to another church next week to get a second opinion." (1) It's not easy being a pastor. It's not easy being the church. The first Christian church had challenges right from its birth. In today's lesson Jesus had ...

2173. To Live Is To Dance

John 10:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

When you hear the word of the Lord, as we find in the tenth chapter of the Gospel of John, reading only the 7th through the 10th verses of that gospel. ‘So Jesus said again to them, truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that you may have life, and ...

2174. Servants Without Portfolio

Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Our second scripture lesson and the text for our message this morning is from Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. I’m going to be reading from the Revised Standard Version. I’m reading the 5th-11th verses of the 2nd chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. This is the word of the Lord. Hear it. “How this mind among yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a ...

2175. Living With The Nitty Gritty

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Our scripture lesson is from the first epistle of Peter, the 1st chapter, beginning at the 13th and reading through the 21st verses. This is the word of the Lord. Therefore, gird up your minds, be sober, set your hope fully upon the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is Holy, be Holy yourselves in all your conduct. Since it is written, you shall be Holy for I am Holy. And ...

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