Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2176 to 2200 of 4977 results

2176. A Sign Of Divine Protection

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

... . We are born in time, live in time and die in time. Christ came into the world when the fullness of time had come. The Easter event happened in time. Now each man, not woman, was to take one lamb, not two or more, for his family. The message is quite clear, we are to have enough, but must not hoard by stock piling. There must be equity for all. It is not time whereby the rich can get richer at the expense of the poor who become poorer. We serve a God of the oppressed who protects their well-being ...

2177. God’s Ultimate Concern

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Walter Kimbrough

... words, Israel enjoyed a relationship with God that others might envy. The family of God is now chosen. Family, the tie that binds hearts and experiences to each other. Obviously, the family is the most significant organism in all of society. No other entity quite measures up to its magnitude of power and authority. No other organism has equal presence or promise as does the family. God’s family is preeminent. One would certainly say that the family of God is indeed the first family to which we belong ...

2178. Ouch! Those Thistles!

Matthew 13:1-23

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... God, but tomorrow you are telling lies, hating your brother or sister, and taking pennies and nickels out of your mother's purse. Those sins are like thorns on weeds and they just choke out all of the good things that you have learned about God. Pretty soon you will quit coming to Sunday School and church, and you will continue to do the things that you don't like to do, but which seem so easy. You wish that you were closer to God, but God is choked out of your life like the vegetable plants are in the ...

2179. Who Ends Up Happiest?

Matthew 23:12

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

... string. Lesson: Whoever exalts will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Good morning, boys and girls. I brought along some friends with me this morning and I know that you will enjoy having them here with us. As you can see they are quite different looking, but they both hang around the same drawer at my house. First of all I would like to introduce you to Randy Ribbon. Randy is a little strange and actually has very few real friends in the drawer. Occasionally the pearl handled pocket ...

2180. The Promised Land

Eulogy

Joe Barone

... the Promised Land. At the transfiguration, that purpose hasn’t been fulfilled yet. The transfigured Jesus may give some idea of the glory yet to come, but when Peter suggests they pitch their tents and stay, there comes a voice from heaven that says, “It’s not quite over. There hasn’t been a death and so there can’t be an exodus. This is my Son, the one I have chosen. Listen to him!” “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” Peter writes in his first letter. “By his great ...

2181. God Works Through Opposites

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... answer our prayers, he seems powerless, he kills, in order to show us our sin. Of course it is not that God wills the evil which befalls us. He does not want that to happen to us. It is simply the case that he does not deal with evil in quite the way that we would like him to do. I am talking about the times when he hides himself, does not seem to answer our prayers. In the doubts that we have about him, then, we see our sin more clearly. Indeed, you and I really are like that fickle ...

2182. Why Did Jesus Have To Die?

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... in Hebrews (9:15-18), we are told that christ is the mediator of a new covenant, "Since a death has occurred which redeems them [us] from the transgressions under the first covenant ... Hence the first covenant was not ratified without blood." The point is quite apparent. Jesus' death, his sacrifice, was paid to the first covenant, to the law of God which he established with his people, first with Abraham and then on Sinai. This law (think of the ten commandments) is not just for Jewish and Christian people ...

2183. The Majesty Of God's Love

John 17:1-11

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... God posited himself again as Son, and his love was so dynamic that it made God One again. Such love is not content. It created us. It died for us (to redeem us from sin and evil). It is making us new - making us one. A love that will not quit until it makes us one family. What a rich common inheritance you and I, all Christians and all creatures, share. We share in the love of the triune God - a love that makes one out of many. This love is what Easter and the new life given in the resurrection ...

2184. We Must Be Blind!

John 9:35-41

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... it, it just does not seem to sink in - not really. To be sure, we all believe that God loves us. Yet, too often we do not take the next step. We do not believe that, if God the Creator loves us the way we are, then we must be quite lovable. No, we do not live our lives in that kind of confidence. Instead, you and I become too preoccupied with what other people might think of us. Sometimes this unfaithfulness on our part takes the form of an "I can't do that; I'm not good enough." Other ...

2185. Competition In The Kingdom?

Matthew 20:17-19

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... their failure to understand the meaning of their baptism and Christian service. Is ours a congregation like that one? In that parish the leaders' lust for power and recognition created hostility, real anger among hard-working members of the congregation who had not quite arrived in the inner elite. This group resented the leadership. Of course, one would have expected such a reaction. Even the disciples reacted that way to the pushiness of the mother of James and John. Matthew tells us that when the other ...

2186. Dispelling Ministry Illusions

Jeremiah 1:1-19

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... which emerged in three groupings. (1) Illnesses: sickness, growing old, and dying; (2) Physical/psychological dangers: wars (especially nuclear war), terrorists, traffic in large cities, and the unknown, and; (3) Family: especially for children and grandchildren in a drug-oriented culture. That's quite a bushelful, isn't it? That's enough to inhibit ministry until the kingdom comes. That's why God intends to quiet our fears. Fear isn't in charge here when we believe the Word of God. That doesn't mean that ...

2187. Trusting In The Lord

Jeremiah 16:1--17:18

Sermon

Ron Lavin

Recently I awoke from a dream with a start. I didn't know where I was or what was happening. I didn't even know who I was. I had fallen asleep in an armchair in the family room. That was quite an awakening to reality. Some time ago, I had left a message at the desk of a hotel where I was staying. I wanted to get up at 6 a.m. so that I wouldn't miss an important meeting. The phone rang and a very pleasant voice on the ...

2188. Good News!

Isaiah 51:17--52:12

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... literally behind bars. "It's like I'm possessed by a demon," he said. "I want to believe, but I just seem unable to have enough faith." I replied, "God forgives us in Christ, David. God sets us free." David is considering coming home. He hasn't quite stepped across the line and committed himself to Christ because he feels unworthy, but I'm confident he will. Borderline believers, you can come home to God. Un-believers, aren't you homesick for the One who created you? Prisoners, won't you return to God? John ...

2189. Anointed Ministry

Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... the sitting position. He explained, "In Jewish tradition, the one who sits is in charge. That's where we get our word 'chairperson'." It's one thing for a hometown boy to come home and the people to celebrate his new-found celebrity status; it's quite another for this young preacher to refuse to go along with sentimental celebration of his status and insist that the people pay attention to and follow the Word. With authority Jesus said, "Today this Word is fulfilled in your midst." The root of the word ...

2190. Robert Paul, You Were Right!

Daniel 7:1-14, Daniel 7:15-28

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever (7:18).” The saints or faithful ones are given a promise that eventually they will overcome. At any given moment the verdict might not be clear; in fact, quite often it seems that the powers of evil are so potent that they will never be defeated. But, daily observation of events is only a limited perspective. The whole of history is needed in order to correctly view difficult times. The saints’ kingdom is not a ...

2191. When God’s “No” Means “Yes”

Habakkuk 1:1-4, Habakkuk 2:2-20

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... small group of men supporters were invited back to share in the celebration. On the day of the parade all 520 of the original 89 men appeared to march in one section.4 Anyone can make a pretense of faithfulness when everyone has joined the crusade, but it is quite another thing to step out and be counted when there are only a few. It takes real faith to do that. The third and final aspect of Habakkuk’s vision revealed to him how he was supposed to live until God’s promises would be fulfilled. He was to ...

2192. Wedding: A Marriage Made in Heaven

Isaiah 54:1-17, John 17:20-26

Sermon Aid

Craig Erickson

... changes the chemistry entirely. Persons who are touched by God’s grace themselves become gracious. A marriage needs a whole bushel full of grace. d. The Christian faith and life in the church teach patterns of openness, caring, and forgiving. These are qualities which, quite obviously, marriages need to survive. The church, despite its many flaws, is still the best place for a marriage to be nourished and sustained at its deepest level of need. For a little bit of faith, you sure get a whole lot in return ...

2193. Religion's Built-in Hazard

Isaiah 58:1-14

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... or therapeutic. Few people recall that fasting in the Bible was a spiritual discipline that one undertook to get closer to God. The focus was not on the self, but on God, and I cannot help wondering if that little couplet that used to be quoted to those who quit smoking could well be recited for those who make such a show of their dieting: "Giving up eating too much isn't enough. It's giving up bragging about it that's tough." But that is precisely what Isaiah's message to us is - a call to move beyond ...

2194. The Baby Who Changes Everything

Isaiah 7:1-25

Sermon

Robert Beringer

... fashioned things: bracelets and lockets, gold rings and silver boxes, images of jade and ivory porcelain figurines. On this winter's afternoon just before Christmas, little Jean had spent a long time with her forehead pressed against the glass, looking for something quite special. Finally, with a satisfied air, she entered Pete Richards' store. "Mister," she began, "could I have that string of blue beads in the window?" Pete brought them out. She looked at them and said, "They're perfect! Will you wrap them ...

2195. Time's Up

Matthew 24:36-51

Illustration

John Jamison

... big wedding. So would the old man. This later part was the reluctant decision of the old guy's family who felt that some time in a safe, peaceful setting might help him come to terms with the "stresses of retirement." Monday morning would come as quite a surprise. The family called to ask if the pastor would be there as well, to help them help him understand. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the surprise came one day early. It was midway through the second hymn on Sunday morning. "Crazy Old Noah" was sitting ...

2196. A Second-place Finish

John 1:29-34

Sermon

John Jamison

... point in our lives when we realized just who God really was. We realized how we stacked up against God, and there wasn't much comparison. We call that one of those "Aha" experiences. We promised to be a good and loyal follower, to pray every day, quit seven or eight nasty habits, and read the Bible from cover to cover. And we tried. We really tried. But somewhere along the way we began to wonder, "But, what about me?" "What about me?" has become the national anthem of society. Whether it is raising children ...

2197. On Being Salty

Matthew 5:13-16

Sermon

John Jamison

... down to the river and his boat. It had been a long party. Uncle Peacock untied his sailing ship, pushed out into the middle of the river, and promptly fell asleep. He was on his way to New Orleans to win the hand of a lovely lady. No one is quite sure how he made it under the highway bridge, but they do know that 10 minutes later he ran smack into the upriver end of Grape Island, one mile south of town. It was there, some hours later, that Uncle Peacock woke up and realized he wasn't going to ...

2198. For Your Part

Matt 5:17-37

Sermon

John Jamison

... people more than laws. But they had been branded rebels and blasphemers, which the law said must be punished by death. Righteous? Probably not. But legal, absolutely. The crowd, however, had its mind on the Romans. No one had made the streets flow with blood quite like the centurions had. God would certainly get them for breaking his law. "Preach it, Jesus!" someone shouted. "You have heard that you shall not kill. But I tell you that even if you are angry with your brother, you are liable. Get angry enough ...

2199. The Man In The River

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

John Jamison

... , and since I am the preacher here, I can change gospels like I change channels on television. So, back to Matthew we go. Besides, the rest is a haze anyway. He went on talking about somebody coming after him, or following him, or something or other, but I guess I quit listening. I edged my way to the rear of the crowd and started walking up the road. I didn't have the nerve to put on the jacket that hung around my waist, somehow it felt too much like a long, purple robe. And I would eat when I reached ...

2200. Enough!

Matthew 2:19-23

Sermon

John Jamison

... , the holes in the ozone are getting bigger, and the water table continues to fall. Boy, this is depressing. It's almost enough to make you believe in evil, isn't it? And it is depressing. So depressing that some of us have thrown our hands up in surrender and quit. Some have decided that they simply can't decide anymore. Life is nothing more than getting up in the morning and taking your chances. No matter what you do, you lose, so why try? Evil has won. As you might guess, this group is a lot of fun at ...

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