Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 201 to 225 of 1138 results

201. Our Defense In A Stone-littered World

Acts 7:54--8:1a

Sermon

Gerald Whetstone

... everywhere do precisely the same thing. It's a sobering and humbling aspect of the maturing process that we begin to grasp and admit our limitations. Not that we're ever free of all pretense to being powerful or wise. But it changes shape and shifts into a variety of subtleties as we grow older. Indeed, all our lives we admire people who appear to be strong. At nine that may be the tough little kid who challenges his classmates on the playground. At 17 it could be the guy who has a hot car and breaks ...

202. The Pastor Who Created A Monster

Haggai 1:1-15, Haggai 2:1-9

Sermon

Thomas G. Rogers

... had been longing to do. The exiled Jews returned to Jerusalem and began work on the temple immediately. Within the first year they cleared away much of the rubble and began work on the foundation for a restored temple. But after that first year, for a variety of reasons, progress on the project slowed down a great deal and finally came to a complete stop. Fifteen years later, the prophet Haggai confronted the people of Jerusalem and their leaders. The book of Haggai is a record of what went on. Haggai told ...

203. Adjusting To The Light

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

... the reluctant retinas of our eyes. We are blinded. We have a fleeting bed wish, yet know that the time is nigh, and the pain must be borne, the face confronted, the sleepers removed, the "natural" beauty restored with soap and water, and the variety of applications applied that sometimes are required for troublesome corners of God's creation called "face." Finally we realize that the squinting has subsided. But then when we return to the bedroom to turn off the belching humidifier, our retina and iris and ...

204. Working In The Family Business

1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... the money to second-mile giving. We might begin to tithe (give 10 percent of our income to charity) and look for places to trim our budget so that tithe can come right off the top of our check-writing. Or we might simplify our lives, choosing to have less variety in our wardrobes or meals, cutting down on the use of cosmetics or jewelry so that we can support a special ministry, or help a young person go to college or technical school. This call for each of us to be a priest was one of the cornerstones of ...

205. Share Your Unique Story

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... at the home of Simon the tanner. One day Peter goes up on the roof of the house for his noon prayers and while there he has a vision that changes his life. In his dream he sees a huge sheet descending from the sky. The sheet contains a variety of animals. A voice orders him to kill and eat. But Peter who adheres strictly to his Jewish tradition will not eat unclean animals. But the voice speaks again, saying to him that he should not call unclean what God has cleansed. As Peter ponders what the dream might ...

206. Surviving The Present Trials

1 Peter 1:1-12

Sermon

Sandra Hefter Herrma

... some deliberate act of mayhem, such as a rape or a murder, or a birth-defective baby or some horrible form of cancer occurring in some deeply faithful Christian. If God is good, and God is all-powerful, why does God let this happen? There are, of course, a variety of answers to this question. Some are simplistic and ignore one end or the other of that equation of God being both all-powerful and all-loving. Or they side-step the question altogether, as in, "We don't know what God had in mind when He allowed ...

207. Divine Naivet

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

... forgiveness and the pastor asked people who had stolen things in the course of their lives to stand; then he asked people who had been on drugs and people who were recovering alcoholics to stand. The pastor went on and on listing a whole variety of sins till virtually everyone in thee sanctuary was standing. The man in the back told someone later that he thought to himself at that point, "Boy, these are my kind of people!" After all those members and friends in that congregation were standing, confessing ...

208. Baptism/Dedication

Prov 22:6 · Mk 10:14 · Lk 2:22 · Act 16:33

Children's Sermon

Robert B. Lantz

... and dedicated him to God? You can read about that in the second chapter of Luke's gospel. Well, what do you think it means to be dedicated to the Lord? (Responses -- You belong to God; you become a Christian; you will follow Jesus; you will love God. A great variety of answers will be given which may need clarification or may be the springboard for a teaching gem.) What we do here doesn't change a person or make him or her a Christian. What it does is identify that person with the people of God in a special ...

209. Music Is For Praise

Ps 33:3; 100:2 · Col 3:16 · Eph 5:19

Children's Sermon

Robert B. Lantz

... songs, and to make melody in their hearts. There is a wise old saying, "Music gladdens the heart." Sometimes when we feel sad or lonely, or even frightened, singing a song will help to lift our spirits and make us feel good again. Let's thank God for all the varieties of music that He gives us to fill our lives with happiness. (Prayer of thanks for the human expressions of joy and praise that we have through music. Hand out notes for "joy of music.")

210. Living Our Lives On The Edge

Leviticus 19:1-37

Sermon

Paul E. Robinson

In the course of my growing up I was in a great variety of clubs and groups. But no club had as stringent and compelling rules, and no club demanded daily attention to its guidelines for behavior and action quite as much as a particular club which met in our home. It met usually three times a day, and the meetings were always ...

211. Heaven's Wait

Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... I suppose you could argue that that's precisely the way it was meant to be. And yet, even if change weren't part of the overall design, I suspect it would still be one of our greatest desires. After all, don't we often claim that "Variety is the spice of life"? If nothing ever changed, and every waking hour were sort of stirred together into this bland porridge of predictability, with each dull and tiresome day trailing off into the next like so many colorless beads, we would quickly find ourselves as bored ...

212. Proper 4

Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... could be raised: Who are the wise and who the foolish persons or communities? Context of the Church Year This parable occurs at the beginning of the Pentecost season of the church year. It is a time when preachers have the option of choosing a variety of approaches for their sermons and for the main emphasis of the worship service. Choices include using some of the alternative readings for the sermon. Other alternatives would be to set up a series which would be based on some theme or related topics of ...

213. Sowers Of The Seed

Psalm 119:1-176, Romans 8:1-17, Genesis 25:19-34, Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... activates the process that leads to a new birth. Those who teach and preach are servants of the word. They plant the seed but it takes time for it to germinate and develop until it produces the fruit of the new life in Christ. Homily Hints 1. A Variety of Soils. What are the various personality types who respond to the word proclaimed? A. The Overly Intellectual. Persons such as Nicodemus in John 3 are too prosaic. They include the bigot who has a closed mind, or the person who cannot see any truth to the ...

214. Two Sons: A Parable

Matthew 21:28-32, Matthew 21:23-27

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... more impressed by the possibilities of those with obvious needs, such as the tax collectors and the prostitutes, responding with repentance and a changed life than those who thought themselves already to be religious. 5. Resolving Conflicts. People use a variety of mechanisms for resolving conflicts, some more useful than others. The chief priests and the elders in this instance tried confronting Jesus. Confrontation may be a useful mechanism if persons are interested in resolving the conflict. In this case ...

215. Prepared Or Not?

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... of God, that is, shares the divine characteristic that demonstrates origin. Character is not acquired instantly. It is the result of a process of actions that lead to recognition of our true parentage. Homily Hints 1. Oil for My Lamp. (v. 4) We can use a variety of resources to keep our lamp lit. A. Prayer and Meditation B. Steeping Ourselves in Scripture C. Regular Worship D. Serving Other's Needs 2. The Bridegroom Comes. (v. 6) Christ comes in many ways to awaken us and invites us to join the wedding ...

216. The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... and contempt from others. Context of Related Scripture Psalm 112:10: Weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mark 4:25, Luke 8:18: Those who have, to them more is given; those who have not lose everything. Romans 12:6-8: Diversity of gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-30: Varieties of gifts. Philippians 2:7: Jesus takes on the form of a slave. 2 Timothy 4:8: Crown of righteousness is the reward. Hebrews 12:2: Jesus at the right hand of God. Revelation 3:21: Place on the throne given as reward to those who conquer. Content ...

217. Don't Sweat The Numbers

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Mark Radecke

... , they were good people, decent people, industrious and hardworking people. They lived commendable and often praiseworthy lives, dedicating themselves to such endeavors as caring for home and family, building better communities and schools, and helping one another in a variety of ways. These were people you and I would be delighted to have as neighbors. They had only one quirk, one idiosyncrasy: They were obsessed with numbers. Absolutely consumed by them. Numbers, numbers, everywhere you looked, there were ...

218. Who Lives In You?

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Lee Griess

... works such as A Tale of Two Cities, The Red Badge of Courage, and others. In return for their cooperation, the company offered each person a choice of a free book from a list of titles published by the company. There was a large variety of books to choose from, ranging from Christian devotional books to classical titles, and some of more recent authors. It was interesting to note that the most popular choice of this supposedly high-minded group of readers was The Murder of a Burlesque Queen. Sometimes ...

219. Love Without Limits

Matthew 15:21-28

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

... -- I mean, the kind of people who sing in the choir, teach Sunday school and serve on committees as well as attend worship almost every Sunday -- why people like that drop out, quit coming and eventually ask to be taken off the rolls. He found that there were a variety of reasons, but often people had a story about some time when they asked for help, or they felt that their need for help was so apparent that they didn't need to ask for it, and they were ignored. He said that as he interviewed these people ...

220. "Ascribe To The Lord The Glory Due His Name ..."

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... -ship" -- acknowledging that which is worthy of our praise and attention. In the Bible, worship is homage. It is the attitude and activity designed to recognize and describe the worth of the person or thing who is the focus of the worship. A variety of Hebrew and Greek words that might literally be rendered "to serve," "to adore," to "fall-down," or "to prostrate one's self" are all translated into English as "worship." Worship, then, is reverence, centering life on something or someone whom we deem worthy ...

221. More Than Sex

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... from Bernard's insights into the Song of Solomon. First, when feelings are so intense, longings so deep and devotion so great, they will have to be expressed somehow. Now, we all know that people are different and express their feelings in a variety of ways. Some couples are very demonstrative in showing their affection -- almost embarrassingly so, I might say; others are quite reserved, writing notes or poetry to one another. But we are quite properly concerned when two persons are engaged to be married ...

222. The Christian Journey II: The Mountain

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... objections have some validity, particularly that of underestimating the importance of our individuality. If there is one thing that the Bible makes clear it is that God has created us as individuals with different interests, abilities, and strengths, and that God works in a variety of ways to be in relationship with different people. There is no one model of the church, no one right way to pray, and no one valid method for our varied spiritual journeys. But the image of ascending the mountain reminds us of ...

223. Fools For The Sake Of Christ

1 Corinthians 4:1-21

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... a common moral and religious base, we are really speaking past one another. In his 1995 book Cease Fire: Searching for Sanity in America's Culture Wars, evangelical author Tom Sine does an analysis of how he believes Christians of every variety and theology have been co-opted by non-biblical world-views. He points out, for example, how many progressive mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics have committed themselves to working for a positive future. They have embraced such biblical mandates as care ...

224. Meeting Jesus At The Well

John 4:1-26

Sermon

John N. Brittain

... suburban areas the surveys have had similar results. People want the church to provide a good community center with an excellent gym and Nautilus-caliber training equipment; they want quality affordable day care and after school care for children; they want a variety of self-help and support groups; and they want sermons dealing with timely issues like money management and enhancing self-esteem. What they do not want are worship services where they are asked to participate or sing hymns; and they do not ...

225. Pentecost: From Confusion To Communion In Christ

Sermon

Alex Gondola

... through the Holy Spirit, a new creation, the Christian Church, was born. Satan revels in the ugly babble of chaos and confusion. But God celebrates love and cooperation. And every time, like this morning, that the Holy Spirit brings believers from a variety of different backgrounds together to worship, this scattered and shattered creation heads a little bit back toward its Center. And Satan, the adversary, suffers a defeat. Every time we offer a word of Christian greeting and love, every time we raise our ...

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