Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2176 to 2200 of 3160 results

Psalm 30:1-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... thee? Will it tell of thy faithfulness?” Put in our vernacular, it may sound like this. “Lord, what good is it going to do you if I die and go to hell? Will my rotting body offer any praise to you? Will the fact that I’m lost give any sort of witness to the fact that you are a faithful God? That the good work that you began in me is going to be completed? That you are a persevering God who is not willing that any of your children get lost? What good is going to come to you ...

2177. Perceived Enemies

Luke 7:36-50

Illustration

Harold Warlick

... . Thus he made his work-life a slave to his perceived enemies. The greatness of Christianity lies not in its development of small pockets of congenial intimacies. The greatness of Christianity is in its expansive spirit that overthrows resentments, takes in enemies, embraces rivals and seeks the good in all sorts of people across all barriers that class and race can erect.

2178. He Leadeth Me

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... them, and the one who does walking down the street, who they might not even notice if they saw him, but who walks by every house, and as he walks by, says to himself, the names of every one who is inside, which of course he knows, and which is sort of a blessing, “Know that you are loved little children,” Father Emil is glad to be out walking by himself. Every year he takes the Youth group up to look at the stars, and there’s always a few kids every year who sit close to him, and when they ...

2179. Design for Discipleship

Acts 2:14-41

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... that’s what characterized the fellowship of the early church. That’s what Wesley recovered in the class meetings of the Methodist revival “loving hearts setting other hearts on fire,” and that’s what we seek in our church. I believe we can best guarantee that sort of caring in church such as ours through the ministry of small growth groups. There is the story of a little boy who went to scout camp for the first time. When it was time to go swimming, the lifeguard explained the buddy system: “You ...

2180. Characteristics of the Church, Part 2

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... love which challenged him. That was the magnetisism of the Church of Pentecost: a people saw themselves and their church, not as possessions to defend, but as gifts to be shared; and I’ll tell you, when our church becomes that kind of church when that sort of Spirit permeates everything that we are - people will be drawn to us. We’ll keep praising God and having favor with the people who need us, who are looking for a fellowship in which they can find their life. III A generous and magnetic fellowship ...

2181. A Parable in a Miracle

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... . I don’t have time to talk about what that means, either for you or the church. Again, though, don’t feel bad if you know the secular man, but not the religious one. If you sense some guilt about that, I absolve you. Will Campbell is a sort of renegade Baptist preacher. He calls himself a “steeple dropout”. He’s a preacher without a pulpit, but people come to him from all over America, and he ministers to people in some of the most interesting and fascinating ways. He is a civil rights activist ...

2182. Audacious Faith

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... blurting out, “Arkansas, Arkansas, O how I love Arkansas.” I would find myself humming the tune and trying to remember the words of that haunting piece. In one scene, two river rogues who have commandeered Huck and his barge, schemed to put together a sort of vaudeville act for river towns. To arouse curiosity, crowd and swindle 50 cents out of people for tickets to what doesn’t amount to much sing about a strange creature who has, apart from some vulgar descriptions of anatomy, “An eye in the ...

2183. My Name Is Legion

Mark 5:1-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , so you hang on to what bit of security you have. You’re not convinced that the living Christ will guide your path, therefore you don’t submit to Him, you don’t seek His will and direction in your decision-making. Are you living in a sort of twilight zone of depression? You feel victimized by the circumstance not in control of our life is so tied up with someone else that someone doesn’t care and suffer. Maybe that someone is a spouse from whom you’re divorced, but children and financial need ...

2184. Simon

Mark 15:21-32

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... say a similar thing when the unwanted happens to us. “I was in the wrong place at the right time.” Some of us feel that’s the story of our life — being in the wrong place at the right time. It’s a cynical word, expressing a sort of sneering surrender to fate. The word takes on a different meaning when we look at our scripture lesson today. I’m sure Simon’s immediate response to his awful situation —— being compelled to carry a heavy cross through crowded streets and up a steep hill — was ...

2185. The World Is Our Parish

John 3:16-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... very far away anymore. We are an intertwined community. The time has come where we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters around the world, or we will perish apart as fools. There may have been a time when we could talk about love as some sort of high idealism, but I say to you today, it is severe reality in order for us to survive. Let us be encouraged that at least in part, we are fighting this war by dropping bread as well as bombs. Let us be encouraged. Let us support humanitarian efforts ...

2186. War and the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:2-7

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... to justice. We call it the Just War Theory. I suggest most of us in this room would land somewhere in this category today. People who believe in Just Wars go to war when there is a Just Cause and a Just Intent, as a response to some sort of serious evil. Such wars are waged for the purpose of restoring peace with justice, and are usually waged as a last resort when a reasonable answer cannot be found otherwise. Most Americans think that our war against terrorism is a Just War. I just pray that our “just ...

2187. Chaos or Christ: Dreams Which Calm our Fears

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... to the owner and said, “I'm reporting you for price gouging because what you have done is unfair." My daughter-in-law is an aggressive person, but she was right. All of us would say something is wrong about that. Fair people do not do that sort of thing. Fair people do not take advantage of somebody when they are in trouble. Fair people do not charge unreasonable interest rates to poor people. Fair people do not ignore minorities when they seek to be served in a restaurant. Fair people do not do things ...

2188. We Hold These Truths To Be Essential

1 Peter 3:8-16

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , Christians fought the Crusades. In the name of Christ, Christians have rejected scientific truths. In the name of Christ, Christians promoted causes that would cause Christ himself to shudder. Far, far, too often, we have trivialized the name of Jesus, as if Jesus were some sort of “puppet on a string" or some “buddy" that I carry around in my pocket. “Me and Jesus got our own thing going." “Me and Jesus got it all worked out." Well, Christ is so much more than that. It reminds me of the story ...

2189. You Are Invited

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... dad really couldn't say what he wanted to say. So as his son walked out the door to go to war, he handed Jimmy a letter. When he opened it, this is part of what it said: “My Dear Jim Boy, You are on your way to the worst sort of danger that I could imagine. I am really banking on the enclosed words of the 91st Psalm to see you through. I love you more than I could ever say and I will pray for you every day. Love Dad." Jimmy Stewart said, “I found an anchor in those ...

2190. Following the Footsteps of the Faithful

Hebrews 11:1-13

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... feelings to her by saying, “You know, Emmy Lou, if I had a thousand eyes they would all be focused on you. If I had a thousand arms they would all be hugging you. If I had a thousand lips they would all be kissing you.” Emmy Lou, who was sort of put out by all this rumbling, looked at Homer and said, “Homer, why don’t you stop complaining about what you don’t have and use what you do have?” Faith is the action we take. Faith is the move we make. Faith is the ability to see it ...

2191. Turning Evil Into Good

Genesis 45:1-8a, 50:19-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... had his own evil to overcome. He was proud, narcissistic, full of himself. An owner of a small business put out with an egotistical customer said, "I'd like to buy that guy for what he's worth and sell him for what he thinks he is worth." That is sort of the situation with Joseph. If things are going to work together for good, God is going to have to do some reworking on the best of us. We have seen the enemy and sometimes it is up close and personal. You intended to harm me, the tough reality of ...

2192. Finding Answers to Family Feuds

Genesis 25: 21-34

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... have compassion. Therefore, reasons Paul, our salvation does not depend on our desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Furthermore, Paul reasons that, if God can take a heel like Jacob and make him the father of Israel, he ought to be able to do something good with the sorts and likes of you and me. I say to you today, no matter how you got to where you are, or how badly you hurt, or how embarrassed you may be, or how drained of hope you may feel, there is a ceaseless stream of God’s mercy flowing for ...

2193. How To Triumph Over Terrorism

Ephesians 6:10-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... daughter said to her, “Mom, we’ve done all we can do for you. You’ll just have to trust God for the rest.” With a despairing look on her face the mother replied, “Oh dear, has it come to that?” Is that the nature of your hope? Some sort of last-ditch effort when everything else has failed and all else is gone. Well, at least we have hope in God. Hope is something much more than that. Hope is to the soul what oxygen is to the body — absolutely essential for survival. People of hope, those who ...

2194. Furnishing It with Love

1 John 4:7-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... of sex nor the sentimental ties of family. Christian love is the determination to do good, and not good only, but the highest good possible. Christians coined a word for it. They called it agape. We can aspire to that kind of love because we have been loved in that sort of way. I’m not asking you to write a check on an account over drawn. I am asking you to drink at the fountain of God’s grace until you have love like an ocean in your soul. A. Love one another WHEN IT’S EASY When I consider ...

2195. How Can This Be?

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... all the earth You who sang creation's story Show somebody their true worth. II. Anxiety: Luke 32, 34-37 “How can this be?" Perplexing question, troubling question, ordinary question. Of course this thing is perplexing. “But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be" (Luke 1:29). “How can this be," Mary asked, “since I am a virgin" (Luke 1:34)? The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over shadow you ...

2196. What Would Jesus Say About Modern Churches?

Mark 1:4-11

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Christ in baptism in order that we can be raised with Christ to new life. Pride must go. Prestige no longer matters. Position is a misnomer. When I earned my doctorate degree my farmer father said to me, “I always thought those little initials after peoples' names were sort of like a tail on a pig: kind of cute to look at but they don't really make any more hog." And Jesus said of hypocrisy, “You are like white washed tombs, beautiful on the outside but full of dead bones on the inside." “Finder's ...

2197. We Believe in the Holy Spirit

John 14:15-18, 25-27

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... You haven't asked me to help!" said the dad as he reached out to assist. It is hard to understand why Americans are so out of shape. We continually rack our brains, wrestle with problems, search for solutions, jump to conclusions, and sort things out. Certain groups of us are always bending the system, skating on thin ice, breaking promises, bending the rules, climbing the company ladder, rocking the boat, and flying off the handle. Some people work hard splitting hairs, stirring up trouble, running amuck ...

2198. The High Price of Short Cuts

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

In Tennessee Williams’ play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Big Daddy and his son, Brick, are in the basement sorting through stuff while the other children are upstairs arguing about the family inheritance. Big Daddy says to Brick, “You know what I’m going to do before I die? I’m going to open all these boxes.” Then, realizing he doesn’t have enough time left for that task Big ...

2199. Checking Out the Scene

John 1:35-42

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... today, in the presence of Christ today? God has given us a beautiful day today, what do you plan to do with it? If Jesus Christ himself were to meet you face-to-face, what do you need from him? Probing questions, searching questions, a question that causes us to sort our priorities and examine our purpose for living, questions that dig down into the very core of our being and invite us to respond to the One who loves us the most. I don’t know what we might say. What words came to your mind? I don’t have ...

2200. When You Are Up And Out

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... its palm trees and balsam groves which perfumed the air for miles. It had rich gardens watered by living springs. Herod’s winter home was there and it was a great thoroughfare for travelers, a great place to live and do business sort of like Brentwood, Tennessee. Roman officials contracted with local entrepreneurs to collect the taxes, tolls, tariffs, and certain fees of a given area. The amount collected yielded a profit which the local person pocketed. Nobody likes tax collectors, even today. In Jesus ...

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