Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 201 to 225 of 4681 results

201. Living By The Spirit

Galatians 5:16-25

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... we learn both from Paul's teachings and Jesus teachings is that you and I aren't called upon to produce the Fruit of the Spirit. That's God's job. That's the job of Jesus. We're not called to produce the fruit we are simply called to bear The Fruit of the Spirit. When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, the Holy Spirit begins the work of molding, shaping and etching. The Holy Spirit begins growing us into the vision God has for us. The roots of our faith begin to go deep. And ...

202. Christ's Chosen People: Privilege

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... we are and where we are. Isaiah uses an emotion-laden image to picture God’s love: Partners in witness – but more. II PARTNERS IN PRAYER Listen again to Jesus in verse 16, “You did not choose Me but I chose you – and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give it to you.” This is our second direction as to what it means to be partners with Christ, to have a deeper walk with Him. We are to be partners ...

203. Three Wise Women

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... , an angel appeared. You can imagine Zachariah’s amazement. The scripture says he was “troubled” when he saw the angel, and fear fell upon him. The angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife is going to bear a son, and you shall call his name, John.” The angel went on to give Zachariah that amazing but good news. This son John would be filled with the Holy Spirit and his purpose would be “go make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” Imagine ...

204. Life’s Purpose Is Often Hidden!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... job and your congregation, about the imperfections of your own life and the material possessions you have. I don't care how many fights you have had with those people, how many problems the job or the church have caused you, there is still some healthy grain-bearing plant hidden in there. Open your eyes to the good in the midst of the bad! This is still a world in which God is in control. Similar sentiments were expressed back in the sixteenth century by Martin Luther as he preached one time on our gospel ...

205. He Longs to Dust Us Off

Matthew 21:33-46

Illustration

King Duncan

... one strap over the shoulder was missing. The strap drooped by his side, and the bib hung over his chest. And as he sat there he got more and more dusty. No one seemed very interested in a teddy bear like that. Then it happened. A little girl walked into the store and spotted the dusty teddy bear with the drooping bib. The clerk suggested that perhaps she would rather have one that was perfect, but the little shopper was insistent. She wanted the dusty one on the top shelf. When the clerk finally got the ...

206. Saying Grace

Humor Illustration

... kinds. The young boy had every intention, really, of following that advice but inevitably he was drawn by curiosity and wandered farther and farther from the fire. Suddenly, he found himself face to face with a very large and powerful looking bear. He saw no means of escape, and seeing the bear advance rather menacingly towards him, the minister's son did what he had been taught to do. He knelt down to pray for deliverance. He closed his eyes tightly, but opened them a few moments later and was delighted to ...

207. Hope from a Stump

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... .” (2) But Isaiah refused to give in to the despair of his time. Isaiah still managed to hope in God. And under the leadership of God’s Holy Spirit Isaiah was able to write, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. “He will not judge by what ...

208. Soiled Faith and Watered-Down Churches

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , our sin, and our fear fall away, and we begin to take on new life in the Spirit. When everyone in the body begins to experience the green thumb of the gospel, a garden is grown, a field is sown, a vineyard is born — all of which will one day bear the precious fruit of God’s vineyard. In this week’s Corinthians text, Paul is clear and concise about who is “large and in charge.” It is not Apollos. It is not Paul. It is not any human being who brings the gift of life to each Christ-body community ...

209. Outpouring and Indwelling

Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... necessity in order for the seeds of the Spirit to germinate for a new generation, for a new springtime of harvest, for a spring of salvation. But remember: the seed is in the fruit. When the outpouring leads to an indwelling, there will be a fruit-bearing, and the fruit will contain the seeds for reproduction: if you seed love, love comes back at you; if you seed hate, hate comes back at you. But the form of that love will sometimes be unpredictable. Blake Harrison and Richard W. Judd have put together ...

210. Ignite: Set On Fire!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... 8, ESV) One of the most important words in the Book of Acts is that word “witness.” It is literally the word that gives us the English word “martyr.” Today, we think of a martyr as someone who dies for his faith. The original meaning was someone who simply bears witness to his faith. Remember, He is talking to people who are looking at Him in His resurrected body. They had put a finger in the hole of His hand left by the nail. Their hands had felt the opening in his side left by the Roman spear. All ...

211. A Russian Parable

Illustration

Michael P. Green

... Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let us negotiate the matter.” Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, “I want a fur coat.” “Good,” said the bear, “that is a negotiable question. I only want a full stomach, so let us negotiate a compromise.” They sat down to negotiate, and after a time the bear walked away alone. The negotiations had been successful. The bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had his fur coat. Compromises rarely satisfy both sides in equal measure.

212. Living as Children of Light

Ephesians 4:17--5:21

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... visible. The repetition of elenchō (5:11) reaffirms the positive nature of light in exposing and reproving the works of darkness. In that process, people will come to see the true nature of evil and, it is hoped, turn to the light. As stated by Beare, “The power of light not only reveals, but penetrates and transforms into its own likeness whatever it illumines” (p. 711). 5:14 The continuing emphasis in the first part of this verse is that darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. It appears that ...

213. Instructions on Worship

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Understanding Series

Gordon D. Fee

... 2:15), and take care of their homes (5:14). Within that context, both the instructions on modest dress and on neither teaching nor having authority over men, as well as the illustration of Eve, who was equally deceived by Satan, plus the final instruction in verse 15 on bearing children, can all be shown to make sense. Whether any of this is also related to the predominance of women in the local Artemis cult (see disc. on 1:3) is a moot point, but it is certainly possible. 2:8 This sentence is tied to what ...

214. Paul's Chains Advance the Gospel

Philippians 1:12-30

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... of being with Christ (v. 23) in a closer communion than he had known while still in the body. If to live means Christ, it must be exhilaratingly wonderful to be alive; “yet even for such a life, precisely for such a life, to die is gain” (F. W. Beare, ad loc.). If death meant (even temporarily) less of Christ than was enjoyed in mortal life—above all, if it meant (even temporary) annihilation—it would be absurd to speak of it as gain. Paul no doubt meant that for the man or woman in Christ to die ...

215. Exhortations

Philippians 4:2-9

Understanding Series

F. F. Bruce

... time alone were in view, then it might be thought that the assurance is more valid for those living only a short time before the unknown date of his advent than for those living a longer time before it; but in the sense that Paul’s words probably bear here the Lord is always equally near his people, continually “at hand” (KJV). “Christ, then, is ever at our doors; as near eighteen hundred years ago as now, and not nearer now than then, and not nearer when He comes than now” (Newman, p. 241). 4:6 ...

216. Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-26

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... curse struck at Cain’s self-identity; banishment from the soil was almost as harsh as taking his life. 4:13–14 In contrast to Adam and Eve, who did not speak out against their punishments, Cain exclaimed that his punishment was more than he could bear. He complained bitterly about being driven from the land, being hidden from God’s presence, and becoming a restless wanderer. He feared that anyone he met might kill him. In his complaint Cain showed no remorse for his crime, not even to God. Did Cain ...

217. The Suffering and Glory of the Servant

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... , but also with the implicitly legal context of the chapter as a whole. The servant has been treated as a wrongdoer when he was not, either by association with people who were guilty or in the belief that he was himself a wrongdoer. He has accepted that treatment, bearing their iniquities with them when he did not need to do so (the language is the same as Lam. 5:7). But in the end, the way he exercises his insight (by his knowledge; cf. 52:13a), in bringing about their shalom and healing, also brings about ...

218. Ezekiel's Call

Ezekiel 1:1-28, Ezekiel 2:1-3:15, Ezekiel 3:16-27

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Rom. 10:14). No less than the prophet Ezekiel, we who have received the word of the Lord bear the responsibility of sharing that word in our communities. Not only does Ezekiel’s message warn the wicked to turn from their wickedness, it also cautions the righteous not to rest on their laurels: when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and ...

219. “Weak and Strong” Should Get Along

Romans 14:1--15:13

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... , “joy” and “peace” describe some of the blessings of the arrival of the new covenant (recall the comments on Rom. 14:17 for the former and on 5:1–5 for the latter regarding the these two terms). Interpretive Insights 15:1–2 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak. Verses 1–6 have as their theme the unity of the strong and the weak as an illustration of the new covenant. We just noted the influence of the new covenant on 15:1–13 as a whole. Verses 1–2 provide the ...

220. The Garden City as Paradise Transformed

Revelation 22:1-5

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... , God’s people are ushered into the very presence of God’s Spirit (7:16; 21:6; 22:17). They cannot possibly live any closer to the Triune God than they will in the transformed paradise. 22:2b On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. The river of living water that flows through the heart of the garden city (cf. 21:21) is surrounded by the tree(s) of life. Although the ...

221. “I Confess My Iniquity; I Am Troubled by My Sin”

Psalm 38:1-22

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

... God has promised that he will chastise his servants, not according to their deserts, but as they are able to bear.”17 Moreover, the social ostracism by friends, companions, and relatives is the human overlay of God’s heavy-handed ... my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off.18 The discipline of the Lord can be painful, but if only we understood the potential ...

222. Job's Second Reply to Zophar

Job 21:1-34

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... also, however, mean to “carry” or “support” someone in need. While Job is sarcastically asking his friends to be quiet and “put up” with him while he is speaking, he is at the same time reminding them of their forgotten responsibility as friends to bear him up in supportive arms of love. After I have spoken, mock on. Job has little confidence that his friends will renew their original supportive care. The matter has gone too far and they are too invested in refuting his threatening words to go ...

223. The Good Hunter

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... and make him rise up on his hind legs to over ten feet in height; and then, with the spear braced to his foot, the hunter would aim for the heart as the weight of the bear came down upon his spear. With heart pierced, the bear might live long enough to maim or kill this noble hunter. Loving family and friends would then follow his tracks out of the village and find food for their survival and evidence of profound courage. Early missionaries proclaimed to attentive ears chat Jesus Christ is the "Good Hunter ...

224. The House on The Rock

Lk 6:12-49 · Mt 5:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thurs you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven ...

225. Surely, Surely

Luke 1:1-4, Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... ) OR celebrate an event, such as a baptism, or an ordination, or a blessing for mission Today, as we prepare to celebrate the baptism of __________, I invite all of you children to come forward to witness this great event, as all of you too in the congregation bear witness to this momentous occasion. [You can opt to do the baptism first, or you can give the first part of the sermon, and then insert the baptism later.] What does it mean to be a witness? In our ritual of baptism today, you are an eye-witness ...

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