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Showing 2176 to 2200 of 4490 results

2176. The Robe

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

The people's question concerning "How Jesus said that he came down from heaven" was preconditioned by a particular Jewish mind-set of that day. The majority of the Hebrews, during the time of Jesus, believed that the spiritual world emanated from the physical world. Flesh, blood and race projected one's spiritual aura. So it is natural and normal for the people to grumble when Jesus says that he is the living bread that came down from heaven. But Jesus taught that the physical being emanates from the ...

2177. Where's The Treasure?

Luke 1:5-25, Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Thomas Long

When I was a child there was a game we would play in our neighborhood to pass the time on rainy afternoons. It was a game of the imagination, and if it had a name, which I don't think it did, it would have been called "Where Would You Leave the Treasure?" The idea was this: Suppose you had a large amount of money, a treasure really, but some unexpected crisis has come up, and suddenly you have to leave the treasure with someone for safekeeping. You can't put it in the bank or bury it under the oak tree in ...

2178. Epiphany 6

1 Corinthians 10:23--11:1, 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, Leviticus 13:1-46, 2 Kings 5:1-27, Mark 1:40-45

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God's cleansing presence and power, with or without water. In the First Lesson Elisha cleansed Namaan, the Syrian, by telling him to wash in the Jordan River. In the Gospel Jesus cleansed a leper who requested healing by touching him. COMMENTARY Old Testament: 2 Kings 5:1-15 Namaan, a general from the army of the Syrians, was sent to the king of Israel by his own king, asking that he be healed of his leprosy. An Israeli girl, absconded in war, informed her master of a prophet in Samaria who could do ...

2179. The Epiphany Season

Mt 2:1-12 · Jn 1:43-51 · Mk 1:9-28; 35-45 · Mk 2:1-12; 18-22 · Mk 9:2-13

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Epiphany Through The Centuries After Easter, Epiphany is the second oldest season in the church year and was celebrated on January 6th by churches in Asia Minor as early as the second century. Epiphany celebrated both the birth and baptism of our Lord. This date was picked because it was the festival of the sun god. Instead of celebrating the birth of the sun god, the church lifted up the birth of the Son of God. The pagan festival reveled in the lengthening light of the sun, physical light, while the ...

2180. A Patriot · Dysmas

Mt 27:38 · Mk 15:27 · Lk 23:32

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

To the Evangelists who wrote the first three gospels he is a nameless person, this young patriot sharing the agony of Jesus' last earthly hours. (Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32) Tradition treats him more kindly. It dignifies him with a name. "Dysmas," it whispers. Nor does tradition stop there. Instead, it presses on to portray Dysmas as a man of great compassion, deeply concerned for the distressed and the downtrodden, who "despised the rich, but did not give to the poor, even burying them" -- no ...

2181. Words As Images

Sermon

Michael Rogness

... we are addressing a generation accustomed to acting primarily on visual stimuli ... In our modern age the preacher must therefore translate the biblical message into one that awakens all the senses, into words that cause a congregation also to see and feel and smell and taste. Otherwise the people listening may never hear the words in which the gospel is framed.15 -- Elizabeth Achtemeier The printed word communicates by a line of thought. Television communicates by images. Clearly we must use language ...

2182. Just Speak The Word

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Larry Powell

It is somewhere written down that many years ago a rider on horseback approached a group of soldiers attempting unsuccessfully to move a heavy piece of timber. A corporal was observed standing nearby, hands on hips, barking the order, "Heave. Heave." Despite repeated efforts, the soldiers were unable to accomplish the task. Apparently of the mind that the situation hinged upon his determined commands, the corporal persisted, "Heave. Heave." Addressing the corporal, the horseman asked, "Why don't you help ...

2183. Obedience Is An Ugly Word!

Acts 5:17-42

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

A man, bragging on his dog, said, "He's a fine dog. He's so smart, and obedient, too. Why, all I have to do is tell him what to do and he either does it, or he doesn't!" The gospel's success or failure all hinges upon our acceptance or rejection of the word "Obedience." If we truly have faith, we will obey God. Obedience implies that we are not independent, that we are accountable to another, that we do have someone over us, that there is higher authority than ourselves. In a world where we are taught that ...

2184. Proper 19

Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:1-7, Psalm 51:1-19, Exodus 32:1-33:6, Hosea 4:1-19, Hosea 6:1--7:16, 1 Timothy 1:12-20

Sermon Aid

George Bass

THEOLOGICAL CLUE Depending on the lectionary cycle followed and the calendar year the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost may be known and celebrated, in much of the Christian church as World-wide Communion Sunday. Most of the denominations of Christendom will be participating in the sacrament of holy communion on that Sunday, regardless of the other occasions on which the sacrament is observed. Actually, every Sunday is a worldwide communion Sunday; every Sunday calls for the celebration of the meal at ...

2185. Jesus Said: “Try Again”

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

James Garrett

Here is the good news for today from Luke 5:1-11. This is the Word of God! A word of great encouragement and hope. Hope is the unique signature of the Christian gospel. What makes a Christian a Christian is this inability to quit hoping. A new gift from God is at work on our behalf, at all times in all circumstances. The crowds had pressed Jesus right up to the edge of the water at the Sea of Galilee to hear the Word of God. There he came upon three defeated men. They had fished all night and had only an ...

2186. The Story Of The Scandalized Neighbors

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

John M. Braaten

I don't know what this world is coming to. It seems to me that parents don't do as good a job raising their kids as they used to. Consider my neighbor. His punk kid ran off with a wad of money last year. A couple of days ago he came back looking like death warmed over and what are they doing? They're throwing a party for him. From what I've heard they are going to spend a bundle on it. Sounds like the affair will be bigger than a wedding bash. If you ask me it's scandalous, celebrating as though he was a ...

2187. Revealed Glory

Exodus 16:1-36

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

Glory is best defined as the outward shining of God’s inner-being. Or as George F. Handel contended, “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” Glory is, then, the revelation of God to the world. The New Testament writers see the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. It was the Apostle Paul who told us, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ… (2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV).” ...

2188. The Road To Emmaus

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

A man and his little grandson were out walking down the beach one afternoon. They saw a crowd of people gathered around a man who had been overcome by the heat of the sun and had suffered a sunstroke. The grandfather was trying to explain this to the boy. The little fellow looked up at his grand father and said, "Grandpa, I hope you never suffer from a sunset." We have gathered today to celebrate the good news that even though we face many sunsets there is always a sunrise. There is a simple beauty in this ...

2189. Christmas Preparations We Often Forget

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sermon

Robert Beringer

It does not seem to bother the children that Christmas is so close. Why is it they never seem to have any trouble getting ready for it? We older and wiser ones make a much harder thing of it; we always insist there is so much to do to get ready. Perhaps the difference is that the children are content to let Christmas happen, while we are so sure that it can't happen unless we do all the right things to make it happen. Many of the things we do to adorn this season, to set the stage for the drama that is ...

2190. The Robe

John 6:25-59

Sermon

Robert Salzgeber

2191. Lent 1

Sermon

Betty Lynn Schwab

Lent 1 Minister: "The Lord spoke to Moses: ... you shall set up the tabernacle ... And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:1, 2, 34). "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the people of Israel saying: ... lasting seven days, there shall be the festival of tabernacles" (Leviticus 23:33f). Youth: Why do we have this decoration in our sanctuary today? Reader 1: This is a model of the tabernacle, booth or temporary hut built by each Jewish family in Jesus' time for Sukkot or the ...

2192. And Who is my Neighbor?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Johnny Dean

The final Episode of the Seinfeld show which aired at the end of the 1998 TV season received a lot of flack for being disappointing. Perhaps the reason so many were disappointed in the show is because it moralized. It wasn’t very funny; in fact, it was self deprecating. All of the characters receive a one year sentence for failing to help someone who was robbed. What happens is this: Jerry plays a comedian on the show and he has just received a contract from NBC to do a sitcom and the network is flying ...

2193. The Dripping of Water

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

John 13:4-5; Matthew 27:15-26 I grew up with Marion Long. We started first grade together and, after eleven years, we graduated from high school together. We went to different colleges, and that severed our relationship. The last time I saw Marion was some years ago at a high school reunion. She now lives in South Carolina. I only know that because her mother recently died and I read the obituary. I mention Marion because I think we all have a tendency to connect particular incidents with people we've ...

2194. The Box

Drama

Cynthia Mercati Prigge

Cast of Characters: First Person* Second Person(Female) Third Person* *These parts may be played by either a man or a woman Time: The Present Place: A street corner Setting: A large cardboard box with a false back stands in the center of the playing area. A sign reading MAIN STREET may be hung for effect. Neither costumes nor props are required. [The FIRST PERSON, alone and forlorn, stands inside the box. The SECOND PERSON enters L, and starts briskly across the stage.] FIRST PERSON: Ma'am! [The SECOND ...

2195. Never Cry Uncle - Malchus

Matthew 26:47-56

Drama

Thomas Blowers

Dramatic Monologue My name is Malchus and I'm but one of the many slaves owned by the high priest. Someone once asked me how many of us there were all told and I couldn't even make a guess, so I answered "Oh about enough to populate a small city." Could have been that many, too, counting everybody: men, women, and children. We cleaned, cooked, took care of the stables, guarded the Palace -- in fact, we did just about everything nobody really likes to do anyway unless he has to. And we had to or get whipped ...

2196. The Importance of Believing

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

"... On this rock I will build ..." - Matthew 16:18 The disciples of Jesus had been with him for quite a long time, a couple of years probably. Then one day he asked them, "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). I doubt if he asked that question because he was concerned about his reputation. He asked it, I rather think, because he was concerned about his disciples. He had come into the world as the Savior, the Messiah, and he knew this. Nothing the disciples could say, nothing the whole world could ...

2197. The Beginning of the End

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

As they were going along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." But he said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." ...

2198. How to Stay on Top of It

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Memories of my father are as vivid in my heart and mind today, thirty years beyond his going home, as on the day those memories were in the making. Mother is included, too, but for my purpose here, I mention Dad especially. To my youthful mind he always seemed to be on top of it. He was down to earth, lived in the midst of life’s realities, and never soared on clouds with spiritual fanaticism. The gospel according to Dad included frequent trips with us to Green Bay Packer football games and Milwaukee ...

2199. Advancers Over Decliners

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

The parable of Jesus that Luke shares with us today does not rate highly in the polls. If, indeed, we did a survey among Christians with regard to parables, not only favorite ones, but parables in general, it is likely that this story would be missing from the list entirely. With slight variations, it appears in Matthew and in Luke, in Matthew as the Parable of the Talents and in Luke as the Parable of the Pounds, but while each writer has his own unique elaborations, in substance both of them are writing ...

2200. Cross Purposes

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

"In the cross of Christ I glory towering o'er ..." Is the cross today towering over the world? Atlanta is presently boasting of its newest hotel, seventy stories high, the highest hotel in the entire world. Just a couple of blocks from this hotel are a Methodist church and a Catholic church, each with a tower and a cross on top. There was a time when the highest point in a town was the church spire with a cross on its pinnacle. Now city skyscrapers dwarf the church with its cross. The cross is over-towered ...

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