Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 201 to 225 of 341 results

201. Strength through Diversity

James 2:1-17

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... to jump out of the way as a young boy raced down the sidewalk on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground. The man picked it up and tried to clean it off, but it was no use. It was now a dirty eclair. Before discarding it, however, he had an idea. He strolled over to one of the beggars who had approached him and handing the man the eclair said, "Here you are my good man. This is something for your hunger." The businessman walked away smiling and returned to his office. That night ...

202. Discipleship: The Beauty and the Cross

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... , year and year. Then one day the bowl's mistress walked in with a shiny new bowl. It had a lovely floral design. She said, "You will serve us well and be pleasant to look at, as well." So the first bowl was packed up, along with a few other discarded items and sent away. It was a long journey and rather boring so the bowl slept through most of the trip. When he awoke, he found himself in unfamiliar but loving hands. He was plunged into some nice sudsy warm water and given a good bath. For the first time ...

203. Used Tombstones

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... tomb is empty! The stone marker is no longer needed! Jesus Christ is risen! But Jesus isn't the only one who has left behind a used tombstone. Romans 6:5-11 clearly spells out Paul's conviction that Christians, by definition, should be leaving their own discarded grave-markers all over the face of the earth. The church should be proud to be known as "tombstone territory." Far from derogatory, this is not a reference to the once-common sight of a local churchyard filled with remnants of its saints, but as a ...

204. Stand Together or Fall Apart

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... all-against-one" premise. To insure their continued survival, communities impose rules prohibiting "mimetic" (i.e. imitative) behavior in order to avoid intracommunity rivalries. In the earliest Christian communities the scapegoat release valve for hostilities and promoting unity is discarded. By refusing to base community ties on a foundation of violent, exclusory action, a radically new kind of community is proposed. The most perfect example of this change is found in the story of Jesus and the woman who ...

205. Build a Bridge and Get Over It

Mark 3:20-35

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... got as close as he could properly get when the lad stopped playing, smiled and handed him the instrument. It was not until he picked up the flute did the journalist understand. For what this young Lebanese boy had done was to find in some field a discarded rifle, re-bore holes in the barrel of that rifle and transform a gun into a flute. When the world builds bridges that bring the ends together, it makes weapons. When the church builds bridges that bring the ends together, it makes music. Which will it be ...

206. Tremendous Trifles

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... by making them into statistics. Every time we settle for a "quick fix" instead of solving a problem. Every time we shut out the cries of others in order to focus better on our own desires. Every time we use and discard friends, lovers, coworkers or family members as though they were disposable diapers. Our "tremendous trifles" are stacking up into a mountain of broken loyalties, self-centered needs and loveless relationships. All the while our children are watching, learning and perfecting our attitudes ...

207. Grow Old Grace-fully

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... church. For too long, all the denominations have been moaning about the "graying of the church" and the shrinking numbers in church schools and youth groups as if Christians were all stamped with some kind of expiration date, like milk or meat, and should be discarded after a certain age. Who says an older church means a less vital church? This coming week, the church observes All Saints' Day a day that celebrates the church's getting older and better. All Saints' Day celebrates the age and wisdom of the ...

208. Surprise, It's Christmas! - Sermon Starter

Luke 1:26-38

Illustration

Brett Blair

... us at unexpected and unpredictable junctures. I like the story about a professor who sat at his desk one evening working on the next day's lectures. His housekeeper had laid that days mail and papers at his desk and he began to shuffle through them discarding most to the wastebasket. He then noticed a magazine, which was not even addressed to him but delivered to his office by mistake. It fell open to an article titled "The Needs of the Congo Mission". Casually he began to read when he was suddenly consumed ...

209. John 20:1-18

John 20:1-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... sprint off towards the now abandoned tomb. Although Peter is slower to arrive, he takes bolder action once at the tomb's entrance. The "other disciple" timidly peeps in but hesitates to enter. Peter strides in among the oddly deserted space littered with discarded burial clothes. The details John gives us are of physical things, and they create a bleak stage. We know the disciples' actions, the tomb's appearance, the location of shroud. John leaves Peter's thoughts private. John then reveals that both men ...

210. Luke 24:1-12

Luke 24:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... who even bothers to investigate the women's story. But once Peter arrives at the tomb, uncharacteristic caution and timidity restrict him. Holding himself back, Peter gingerly "stoops down" or "peers in" to the darkened tomb. He too witnesses its emptiness and the discarded grave clothes. But unlike the women, he is not moved to "remember" Jesus' words or to believe a miracle has taken place. Instead of running out with a word to proclaim, Peter slips away, "wondering to himself" about what he has witnessed ...

211. John 20:1-18

John 20:1-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

212. Are You Better at Wearing or Bearing Crosses?

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... able to verify. But if it is not historically true, it is spiritually true. There is a story about the sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), who is most famous for his “The Thinker.” It seems that one day Rodin noticed a large crucifix that had been discarded in a pile of trash. Although it was terribly marred and defaced, Rodin perceived that it could be restored to its original beauty. Consequently he and some companions carried it to his home. But the cross was too big for the house. What to do? Rather ...

213. Advent 4

2 Samuel 7:1-17, Romans 16:1-27, Luke 1:26-38

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... , as "good as an angel." People need to realize that angels are divine messengers who bring important communications from God. Imagine what would have happened to the Christ-child if Mary and Joseph had not been told about the coming child. Mary would have been divorced and discarded. The congregation is in a position of overhearing Gabriel's message. Outline: What the angel said – a. Who was to be born vv. 31, 35. b. How the child was to be conceived v. 35. c. What the child would become vv. 32, 33. 6. A ...

214. Proper 13

Colossians 3:1-17, Hosea 11:1-11, Psalm 107:1-43, Luke 12:13-21

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

... with Christ to sin, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. People: When Christ who is our life is manifested, then we too will be manifested with him in glory. Pastor: Friends, believe the Good News! People: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Exhortation Discard the old nature with its deeds. Put on the new nature which is constantly renewed in the image of our Maker. PRAYER OF THE DAY Save us, merciful God, from self-destruction, from the accumulation of things for our own enjoyment only and not for ...

215. The Spirit of Cross Pointe

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Sermon

James Merritt

... preferences. II. A Spirit That Is Willing To Release Personal Privileges "When I am with the Gentiles, who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ." Verse 21 – NLT) This verse is crucial to understand the spirit of the Apostle Paul. Paul was not saying in order to relate to the pornographer, I'll get into pornography or in order to relate to the adulterer, I ...

216. Begin With the Blueprints

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Sermon

James Merritt

... can begin, the home must be examined for its stability and structural integrity. There is often a lot of demolition that must take place. Walls must be torn down and debris removed. Items that are worn out or no longer of any value need to be discarded to make room for something that actually works. The same thing is true for your home and your family. The blue prints for an extreme house makeover may come from Hollywood, but the blueprints for an extreme home makeover come from Heaven. The Bible is God ...

217. What Child Is This?

Isaiah 9:6-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." (Isa. 7:14) His name is "Immanuel" which means "God with us." Now this is indeed a great mystery. One Bible teacher once said, "The great mystery of the manger is that God could translate deity into humanity, without discarding the deity or distorting the humanity." Isaiah said this would happen through the virgin birth. Now I know that there are those who doubt that Jesus was born of a virgin. They believe it is impossible. There was a pastor I heard about who was ...

218. A New Hope

Jeremiah 18:1-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... beautifully shaped, the rhythm of the wheel is perfect and it seems as if the product is almost finished. Then all of a sudden the potter stops the wheel, takes off the clay, begins to beat it, push it, mold it, maybe pick at it, pull something away from it, discard it, throw it away and start over. Why does he do that? The potter spotted something that I couldn't see. There was some kind of impurity in that clay that might be invisible to the naked eye, but by the keenly trained eye of a skillful potter he ...

219. Broken Pieces

Matthew 1:3, 5, 6

Sermon

James Merritt

... ever made because of the rich and resonating sound that they produce. The unique sound of a Stradivarius violin simply cannot be duplicated. You may be shocked to learn that these precious instruments were not made from treasured pieces of wood; they were carved from discarded lumber. Stradivarius was very poor and he could not afford fine materials like others. He got most of his wood from the dirty harbors where he lived. He would take water-logged pieces of wood to his shop and clean them up and from ...

220. Men in Black

Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

Sermon

James Merritt

... violins ever made because of the rich and resonating sound they produce. The unique sound of a Stradivarius violin cannot be duplicated. Now what may surprise you is these precious instruments were not made from treasured pieces of wood; they were carved from discarded lumber. Stradivarius was very poor, and could not afford fine materials like his contemporaries. So he got most of his wood from the dirty harbors where he lived. He would take those waterlogged pieces of wood to his shop and clean them up ...

221. Daily Homework

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

James Merritt

... legally impossible - It was against the law to speak, preach or teach in the name of Jesus and followers of Jesus Christ if they took these words seriously, knew they would be persecuted, imprisoned and martyred. It was socially impossible - Christians were considered the discards and the rejects of society and no one would listen to them. There is just one other thing to be said. What is impossible with men is possible with God. With this Commission comes Gods commitment to help us carry out the Commission ...

222. Room At The Inn: Is There Room For Christmas?

Luke 2:1-7; John 1:1-5

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... . The practice is Biblical and is called gleaning. Gleaning is possible in the farm fields because the harvesters are selective and pick the most uniform sized and looking vegetables to package for you and me. The rest of the vegetables, all still perfectly edible, are discarded onto the ground where they will either rot or be plowed under. Ms. Miller said she and her husband decided to open the farm for public harvest for the first time this year as a thank-you for customers. The Millers put an ad in ...

223. No Room At The Inn

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... celebrity. By Thursday he had been on two national talk shows and was scheduled for Oprah the next week. The following Sunday the church was packed to overflowing at both services. The pastor was so taken aback that by the second service she had discarded her sermon notes and was talking about the miracle that God had worked among them. She suggested that while the nativity was a wonderful ministry, perhaps God was calling them to a new ministry with the poor and homeless. Perhaps they could start a ...

224. You Can't Fool God: Ananias and Sapphira

Acts 4:33 - 5:11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... also embarrassed. They didn't want to have to go back home and tell their friends they missed the highlight of their trip. In fact, they were so embarrassed that they decided to make their friends think they had seen the musical. They picked up some discarded tickets from the show, purchased a program, and bought the musical tapes. Back in their motel room, they learned all the songs and reviewed the program. Once home again, they sang and whistled the tunes to all of My Fair Lady's hits, hoping that no ...

225. Luke 24:1-12

Luke 24:1-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... . The only exception to this derisive dismissal would seem to be Peter’s reaction. Luke’s text echoes much from John’s gospel (John 20:3,5,6), as he records Peter’s sprint back to view the empty tomb and the discarded linen clothes. Without the presence and words of the angelic visitors, Peter does not immediately embrace the women’s testimony or expressly “remember” Jesus’ own words. But he does “marvel” (“thaumazo”). Marveling is an attitude associated in Lucan texts with wondrous ...

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