Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 201 to 225 of 612 results

201. God Has Not Forgotten You

Jeremiah 29:1-23

Sermon

Lori Wagner

"’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”(Jeremiah 29:11) “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Parable: An elderly man sat at North Port, where he sat each day for many years. One day, a stranger came by and asked him what he was waiting for. “I’m waiting for my ship to come in,” replied the man. “I don’t see any ships round here,” exclaimed the man. “Why don’t ...

202. Daniel Interprets the Dream

Daniel 2:24-49

Understanding Series

William Nelson

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: The stories in Daniel 2–7 probably did not all circulate together originally. As mentioned earlier, evidence for this can be seen especially in chapters 3 and 6. The original author of chapter 3 focuses on Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, seemingly unaware of Daniel, while the original author of chapter 6 highlights Daniel, seemingly oblivious to his three friends. These independent traditions have been brought together and shaped into a literary whole. (For a more ...

203. You Can't Please Everybody

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

King Duncan

Have you ever noticed that no matter what you do, you can't please everybody? Somebody, somewhere is going to criticize your best efforts. Former president John F. Kennedy once told about a legendary baseball player who always played flawlessly. He consistently hit and was never thrown out at first base. When on base he never failed to score. He never dropped a ball and threw with unerring accuracy. He ran quickly and played perfectly. Actually, he would have been one of the all-time greats except for one ...

204. The Extended Family

John 13:31-35

Sermon

Mark Trotter

I always wondered what Jesus would do with Mother's Day. There was no such thing in his time, as you know. And contrary to what some people think, Mother's Day is not one of the holy days in the Church's calendar. But I still wonder about Jesus. What would Jesus have done with Mother's Day? Of course, we don't know. But we do know that there was a command, one of the Ten Commandments, to honor your father and your mother. It is a tradition, we are told, that he did observe. The testimony is in two places, ...

205. Transformed in Christ

John 3:1-17

Sermon

Richard Gribble

"Hoke, you are my best friend." It took Daisy Werthan almost twenty years to make that statement; it wasn't easy. The relationship between Daisy and Hoke was not mutual or cordial at the outset. Daisy had driven her beautiful new 1948 Packard into her neighbor's backyard. Boolie Werthan, Daisy's son, thought that such an incident was sufficient evidence to warrant that his mother stop driving; she needed a driver, a chauffeur. Hoke Coleburn, a middle-aged black man, was Boolie's choice for the job. Daisy, ...

206. Practicing the Presence

Acts 8:26-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“Practice what you preach.” That old saw is usually trotted out when some high profile “holier‑than‑thou” type has their wings clipped and their reputation riddled with holes. Or a “sterling” character is revealed to have feet of crumbling clay. But there is one big problem with “practice what you preach.” It all depends on what it is you are “preaching.” When some convictions are put into action the results can be catastrophic or cruel, insidious or just plain evil. Mother Teresa practiced what she ...

207. Watch Your Step

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There are two types of travelers. There are those that travel light; and, there are those who pack for self-preservation. Do you take a small bag with the basic essentials and figure you’ll pick stuff up as you go? Or do you cram everything you can into every corner of an extra-large expandable bag, making sure that whatever comes your way on your trip, you are prepared? Parents traveling with small children embody both extremes. They bring enough “kid gear,” emergency medicines, food and drink boxes, ...

208. What If Joseph Were the Patron Saint of 2014?

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

The sentimental Christmas carol “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” may be the theme song for December 24 and 25. But by the 26th, many of us have changed our tune. It’s now “On The Road Again.” Whether traveling back from a family Christmas gathering, setting off on a snowy or sunny Christmas week vacation, or just returning to the routine of work and daily travel, journeying is a big part of season we call Christmastide, those Twelve Days of Christmas extending from Christmas Eve to Epiphany Eve. In this week’s ...

209. Eschatological Discourse: Prediction of the Temple’s Destruction

Matthew 24:1-35

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Jesus predicts the temple’s destruction—a vindication of his own message and mission as the Son of Man—and warns his followers not to confuse the signs of its destruction with the event itself. Understanding the Text This passage begins Matthew’s fifth and final discourse containing Jesus’ teaching (chaps. 24–25) and is directed to the disciples. The focus of 24:1–35 is Jesus’ predictions about the temple’s destruction (introduced in 23:37–39). In 24:3 the disciples respond to Jesus’ initial ...

210. In Pisidian Antioch

Acts 13:13-52

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The center of this account of the first missionary journey lies in Paul and Barnabas’s experience in Pisidian Antioch, of the Roman province of Galatia (13:13–52). The account begins by locating them in a synagogue (13:13). As Jesus began his public ministry with a sermon in a Jewish synagogue (Luke 4:14–31), Paul also begins his public ministry as a missionary in a synagogue. As in the case of Jesus’s Nazareth sermon, Paul’s sermon also provides a unique glimpse into his preaching in a Jewish synagogue, ...

211. The Trial Before Felix

Acts 24:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Paul’s imprisonment in Caesarea:The trial before Felix (24:1–27) provides one of the most detailed accounts of the formal interaction between the plaintiff, the defendant, and the judge in Acts. The charges against Paul are presented by Tertullus, a legal advocate who represents Ananias and other elders of the council (24:2–9). Tertullus begins by praising Felix for his accomplishments and his care for the Jewish people. While such flattery is not unexpected in a speech of this nature, to credit Felix for ...

212. Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

2:1–3:13 Review · The gospel arrives in Thessalonica:Having finished the initial thanksgiving (1:2–10), Paul now begins the body of the letter. The themes of the thanksgiving are now taken up again and elaborated, with 2:1–12 explaining the character of the apostles and their entry while 2:13–16 reminds the church of their reception of the gospel in the midst of great persecution. The following section (2:17–3:13) recalls the story of the apostles’ absence from the church and their continued care and ...

213. A Warning Against Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:1-39

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Hypocrisy Denounced: The last of Matthew’s five major discourses begins with chapter 23 and runs through chapter 25 (see the standard closing formula at 26:1). It differs from the others somewhat in that there is a break and change of scene between chapters 23 and 24. The first section (chap. 23) is directed to a wider audience (cf. vv. 1, 13, 37); in the second (chaps. 24–25) Jesus speaks to his disciples in private. The material in chapter 23 has been compiled by Matthew on the basis of topical relevance ...

214. Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

God’s Peculiar, Powerful Way This paragraph is crucial, both in the context of this particular letter and for the overall understanding of Paul’s theology. Here he delivers the heart and essence of the gospel he believed and proclaimed. Paul’s lines reveal that God works in a most peculiar way—first, God works in defiance of the standards of this world as they are understood or construed by humanity, and second, God’s work is powerful so that it incapacitates, reverses, even turns upside down the values of ...

215. The Faith of the Canaanite Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

15:21–28 Departing from Gennesaret (cf. 14:34), Jesus goes in a northwesterly direction to the area around the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. The journey of approximately fifty miles took him into gentile territory (although Jeremias cites evidence that the eastern Tyrian region was largely Jewish, Jesus’ Promise to the Nations, pp. 31–32, n. 3; pp. 35–36). A Canaanite woman of that district came to him crying out on behalf of her demon-possessed daughter. During the time of the Judges the Canaanites ...

216. Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 2:23-3:6

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

2:23–28 In this passage the author gives a fourth controversy story, this time dealing with the matter of Sabbath observance, the issue in the next story also (3:1–6). When reading this passage we must remember that the observance of Sabbath rest from labor is a command from the OT (indeed, one of the Ten Commandments, Exod. 20:1–17) and in Jesus’ day was perhaps the supremely important demonstration of a Jew’s loyalty to God and to his nation. Some later rabbis said that the Messiah would come if all ...

217. Promises to Keep

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

The Days of Our Loves, Herod Style If you like those soap opera type stories of dysfunctional families or maybe royal palace intrigue, you need look no further than the New Testament, the histories of Josephus, and the lives of the Herod Family. Herod the Great was the patriarch of this particular and peculiar family and, as you may recall, he ruled Palestine from about 36 BCE to 4 BCE. History records that he was, quite literally, an evil genius. He was a great builder who was responsible for rebuilding ...

218. Words As Images

Sermon

Michael Rogness

... we are addressing a generation accustomed to acting primarily on visual stimuli ... In our modern age the preacher must therefore translate the biblical message into one that awakens all the senses, into words that cause a congregation also to see and feel and smell and taste. Otherwise the people listening may never hear the words in which the gospel is framed.15 -- Elizabeth Achtemeier The printed word communicates by a line of thought. Television communicates by images. Clearly we must use language ...

219. Practicing and Preaching

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Sermon

This morning's First Lesson from Acts is about a man who could have made the Bible's Guinness Book of Records twice. We remember St. Stephen as the first Christian to be martyred for his faith. He was an outgoing man whose eagerness to tell others of Christ got him in trouble with the Jewish authorities. They had him killed. Just as importantly Stephen was the first Christian deacon. Actually Stephen wasn't expected to be preaching Christ at all. His job was as an administrator, not a pastor. Of more ...

220. Big Fish

John 21:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

According to the book Ripley’s--Believe It or Not!, Thomas MacClure of Detroit, Michigan, has an interesting hobby. Mr. MacClure has developed a method for hypnotizing fish. Ripley’s doesn’t give any more details on the story than that. Thomas MacClure hypnotizes fish. There are so many unanswered questions to this story. How does one go about hypnotizing a fish? Do you wave your watch over a pond and declare, “You’re getting very sleepy, Mr. Catfish, you’re getting very sleepy.” And more importantly, WHY ...

221. Easter 4

Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23:1-6, 1 Peter 2:13-25, John 10:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

TEXTS FROM ACTS AND PSALMS In the lesson from Acts, we are told of the early Christians' generosity toward one another and of the steady work of God in the life and growth of the Church. Psalm 23 celebrates God's securing care and bountiful provision for humanity. Acts 2:42-47 - "Life in "the Last Days" Setting. Again, readers should turn to the materials for the second Sunday of Easter for a discussion of the setting of this lesson in the context of Acts 2. In brief, vv. 42-47 summarize the situation in ...

222. Easter 5

John 14:5-14, John 14:1-4, 1 Peter 2:4-12, Acts 7:54--8:1a, Psalm 31:1-24

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

TEXTS FROM ACTS AND PSALMS The lesson from Acts tells of the stoning of Stephen. The psalm has no actual connection with Stephen's speech or the account of his execution, but in the story of his death Stephen prays. Psalm 31 is itself a prayer-song for deliverance from one's enemies in which the psalmist utters a line (31:5) similar to Stephen's first prayer (7:59), so there is an imaginative way to relate the texts to each other. Acts 7:55-60 - "Living and Dying as Jesus Did" Setting. The pattern of story ...

223. Be Real

Colossians 1:3-8

Sermon

John Jamison

The old story is told about two painters; two artists. Now, the story may be from Greece and may be true, or it may be from some other place and be even more than true. I'm not sure. But the story goes like this: Each of our two artists was extremely talented and each had their own audiences of followers. As you might expect, and maybe even have experienced, it is difficult for two people to be seen as the best at anything. So eventually, the decision was made to host a competition to determine which of ...

224. Living to Please God

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

A surgeon says that one night during his residency he was called out of a sound sleep to the emergency room. Unshaven and with tousled hair, he showed up accompanied by an equally unpresentable medical student. In the ER they encountered the on-call medical resident and his student, both neatly attired in clean white lab coats. The medical resident said to his student, “You can always tell the surgeons by their absolute disregard for appearance.” Two evenings later, the same young surgical resident was at ...

225. Spirit-Direct

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

“Growing up,” Valerie recalled, “I was involved in many of my church’s activities for children.” Recently she returned to her home church and attended an adult Sunday school class with her parents. The class included members who were active in the church while she was growing up. Many of them greeted her and reminisced about her childhood. A man stood up during the announcements and said, “We’d like to welcome Valerie to our class. Remember,” he added, “we helped train and teach her.” After this experience ...

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