Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2201 to 2225 of 4934 results

2201. Living Beyond Unhappily Ever After

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

The story escalated towards its climax as viewers sat breathlessly riveted to their seats. The beautiful young woman stands in the doorway, tears cascading down her cheeks as she pans the green rolling hills of her 100-acre estate, looking for Joel. The camera follows her eyes, peering towards the large iron gate fronting her palatial abode. Then suddenly appearing is the faint figure of a dashing young man, clad in resplendent blue military decor, red scarf flowing in the wind, with high black saddle ...

2202. God And The Irs

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

King Duncan

This morning I want to talk about God and the IRS. I know that it is a long time until April 15 and I don't want to spread a lot of gloom this morning. Someone has noted,however, that besides being income tax day, April 15 is also the day the Titanic sunk and the day that Lincon was shot. Someone else has said, "You may not agree with every department of the government, but you really have to hand it to the IRS." Another cynic has said, "Death and taxes may always be with us, but at least death doesn't get ...

2203. Proper 13

Matthew 14:13-21, Romans 8:28-39, Romans 9:1-29, Nehemiah 9:1-37, Isaiah 55:1-13, Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Genesis 32:22-31 (C) Jacob wrestles with an angel. Jacob, with his family and herds, was on his way back to his parents' home. When he learned that Esau with 400 men were coming to him, Jacob was scared that Esau was coming to kill him. To appease Esau, he sent gifts in advance and then his servants, wives, and children. He remained at the end of the procession. Jacob spent the night in prayer as he wrestled with a man until he received a blessing. Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1-3 (RC) God ...

2204. Are You In The Know?

John 10:27-29

Sermon

James Merritt

If there is anything this post-modern culture that we live in is sure of it is that you cannot be absolutely sure of anything. You can believe in many things. You can be passionate about a lot of things, but nothing can be known absolutely, especially in the area of spirituality and morality. I discovered this quote by Gandhi that serves to emphasize the almost universal uncertainty that is associated with religious belief of any kind. When he was asked why he tried to persuade people of his political ...

2205. I Am the Ressurection and the Life

John 11:17-37

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Edna Lashon tells the story of visiting with a friend of hers whose husband had died. They went out the graveyard where the husband had been buried and they began to share together memories of their life and their relationship it was a meaningful time as they probed in memory and got in touch with all the joyful times of their life. But then there was silence. No one seemed to have anything else to say. All of a sudden, Liz the little daughter of Edna Lashon’s friend, sprang from the group and suddenly ...

2206. A New Name for a New Year

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

A minister wrote in the church newsletter that he was setting goals for the New Year. One of his goals was to clean up his desk. Another of his goals was to find last year’s goals. Some of you probably keep desks like that. Some of you will remember the “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip. In one strip, Calvin and Hobbes are talking about the New Year. Calvin says, “I’m getting disillusioned with these New Years. They don’t seem very new at all. Each New Year is just like the old year. Here another year has ...

2207. Four Magic Words

Psalm 126:1-6, Psalm 145:2-11

Sermon

King Duncan

Glenn Van Ekeren tells an old legend about a servant whose master died and left him a bag full of blessings. The master left a message for the servant telling him that the bag would always be full as long as he remembered four magic words. The servant went out and immediately began using the blessings which filled the bag. Soon the bag was almost empty. The servant recalled the words of his master that the bag would always be full as long as he remembered the four magic words. Unfortunately, the servant ...

2208. Naaman Is My Name!

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

Some of the most profound precepts we ever know come clothed in very basic and elemental forms. A "Peanuts" cartoon strip shows Charlie Brown visiting Lucy who is at her stand offering psychiatric help for a nickel. Charlie says, "I need help! Tell me a great truth. Tell me something about living that will help me." Lucy responds by asking, "Do you ever wake up at night and want a drink of water?" "Sure," Charlie responds, "quite often." Lucy then offers her advice, "When you're getting a drink of water in ...

2209. Called to Be Saints

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Hubert Beck

Have you ever considered the power of Jesus’ simple statement, "You are the salt of the earth"? (Matthew 5:13) No matter how you say it, that statement shakes you to your boots. Try it on for size. "You are the salt of the earth." Me? Isn’t it astounding to hear Jesus say that you and I are the salt of the earth? Surely he must have meant a special group of people. He couldn’t have been talking to us, could he? The words are from the Sermon on the Mount, spoken in some ways peculiarly to his disciples ...

2210. The Strength of Poverty

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Hubert Beck

"If poverty is strength, may the good Lord make me weak!" I can hear the idea running around in your head from the time you read the title of today’s sermon. This sermon title sounds every bit as upside down as the Beatitudes that we read as today’s Gospel or as the Second Lesson for today. "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things ...

2211. Marduk? or Yahweh?

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Richard L. Eslinger

The prophets had been right. All along, they had proclaimed that it would end up this way. If Israel would not turn to the Lord, would not repent and live justly, an awful judgment would come. The smashing fist would be Nebuchadnezzar, King of the conquering Babylonians. But within the blow of this withering attack was the wrath of Israel’s own God. And now the prophesied judgment was upon them. Resistance had been futile, the Holy City was overcome, and the people taken off into exile. Signs of that holy ...

2212. How to Look Foolish

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Sermon

Mark Trotter

None of us like to look foolish, but I confess that I continue to find ingenious ways to do that, usually by insisting that I am right about something, and it turns out that I am wrong. I feel there are certain areas where my experiences lend me some authority, so I speak out, giving my credentials, and then somebody comes along with the facts. Like the other day, two of our grandsons were visiting us with their mother. Their father was away at a meeting, and they came down and spent a couple of days with ...

2213. Complete Joy

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Jeff Wedge

There was once a man who decided he was dead. He was actually quite alive, but the man insisted he was really dead. The man's friends were quite concerned over this attitude, and tried hard to persuade the man he was actually alive, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, one friend with a scientific turn of mind tried to convince the man of the error of his insistence. The friend pointed out that dead men don't bleed. After some time to consider the possibilities, the man who said he was dead agreed. At that ...

2214. If You're Not Loving You're Not Living (Fruit of the Spirit: Love)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

I am beginning a series of messages that I have entitled: "Home Sweet Home." These messages are going to deal with the fruit that every family tree ought to bear. I want you to imagine what your marriage would be like, what your kids would be like, what your spouse would be like, what you would be like, if the tree of your home and your heart bore the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control. Now quite frankly, if a lot of us started bearing ...

2215. Political Pardon

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

My parents were married in the wave of weddings that followed World War II. Dad came home from military operations in Europe to start a new life on the farm, and Mom became his partner in the enterprise. There was only one problem — Dad had an older brother who was destined to take over the family agricultural enterprise, and there was not enough work or income to support two families. So Dad began to look for other opportunities. For a while he drove a cattle truck, bringing fattened animals to the sales ...

2216. The Proof is in the Roof

Luke 5:17-26

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” (Isaiah 61) Prop: Big Box (Bigger the Better) I have here a box. If I were to step inside of it and close it up, not only can’t we see each other, but my life will become very limited and very narrow. And yet, this is the way many of us live our lives today –closed off, ...

2217. Clear to Enter

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18, John 20:19-23, Matthew 28:1-10, Luke 24:1-12, Hebrews 10:1-18, Hebrews 10:19-39, Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Lori Wagner

You’re “clear”! Cleared for entry! Those are the words you hope to hear when passing through the security section of our airports today. Fly recently? If you have flown recently, you went through a security check before being allowed to enter the secured part of the airport where the flight gates are located. Depending upon your “clearance” level, you either waited in a very long line which sometimes can take a very, VERY long time. Or if you didn’t want to stand in the long line, you could qualify to go ...

2218. Deliverance

Isaiah 49:8-26, Isaiah 44:24--45:25, Exodus 15:22-27, Exodus 13:17--14:31

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” (Exodus 14:15) One of the unique experiences of our culture today is the innovation of the “escape room!” Has anyone here participated in an “escape room” experience? [You can invite people to share if you wish.] Anyone know what an escape room is? You have these pretty much in every town now. Basically, you pay money to be locked into a room for one hour either with friends or with strangers. You are given clues and puzzles that will help you find a way to ...

2219. Are Ye Able?

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Although Christianity was an illegal religion during much of the first three centuries of the faith, there were both times when authorities turned a blind eye to their existence, and other times when persecution was intensified. During the reign of the Emperor Trajan (98-117AD) persecution intensified. In 108 AD, one of those arrested and condemned to be thrown to the wild beasts for the entertainment of the cheering crowds was Ignatius, the overseer of the church at Antioch. Antioch had been a center of ...

2220. Into the Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

Jesus was tempted. We know the story is there, but it isn’t our favorite, is it? Somehow it tarnishes our ideas about Jesus. Was he as wimpy as we are, almost ready to step over the edge of whatever morality we might have left, at the first offer? Ray Stedman, great twentieth-century preacher, remembered a morning at a restaurant. He was the featured speaker at a large church conference out east and was finishing his presentation notes as he ate breakfast. The eatery had unique décor, including good ...

2221. The Dream For Wisdom

1 Kings 2:1-12

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

In three swift verses, the succession is accomplished, finally. And David sleeps with his fathers and is buried in the city of David. Our prayer for David, companion in these past weeks, is that David sleeps, at last, in peace. For in those last years, David is so advanced in years, so old, that he cannot get warm. They cover him with clothes, but he does not get warm. They bring him a young maiden to lie beside him, but he does not get warm. I imagine David shivers in the knowledge of all that his life ...

2222. Proper 21

Mark 9:38-41, Esther 7:1-10, Esther 9:18-32, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:42-50

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Providing a preserving and redemptive effect on the world. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 The book of Esther, written about 460 B.C., makes no mention of God, worship, or prayer. It doubtless was included in the canon because it is sort of an Easter story concerning the Jewish people. The wicked Haman had laid plans for the genocide of the Jewish people. Mordecai catches wind of the plot and intercedes with his adopted daughter, Queen Esther, who intercedes with King Ahasuerus ...

2223. Proper 5

2 Corinthians 4:1-18, 1 Samuel 8:1-22, Mark 3:31-35, Mark 3:20-30

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Facing the enemy. God and his servants can expect opposition. In the First Lesson Samuel and the Lord experience flack because the people want a king. In the Second Lesson Paul continues to be pummeled by all sorts of enemies and by the weakness of his body. In the Gospel Jesus discovers that his opponents are not only the scribes but his own family, who regard him as crazy. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 8:4-20 (11:14-15) (C) The people plead with Samuel to obtain a king for them so that they might ...

2224. Redemption Near And Dear

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Erskine White

Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:28) A few years ago, a rather well-known preacher wrote a book called Shaping a Successful Life, and as is customary in the book business, his publisher arranged a series of interviews on radio and television as a way of promoting sales of the book. Now, amid everything he had written on being successful, he also included one chapter on coping with troubles and tragedies in life, and to this man’s surprise, everyone who ...

2225. Not Your Favorite Father's Day Scripture

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

Johnny Dean

Ever since the publication of the immensely popular book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, there seems to have been a deluge of studies, books, and newspaper articles about the differences between men and women. I read one such article this past week. Some behavioral scientist claims to have discovered what most women probably already knew – that men get bored more easily than women. In other words, men have a shorter attention span than women. Now I know that there are some men, perhaps even some ...

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