Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2226 to 2250 of 4681 results

2226. The King's Reception (What Are You Wearing to the Wedding?)

Matthew 22:1-14

Sermon

Brett Blair

... so naïve as to purchase acreage without having even seen it. The second man said: I have just purchased five yoke of oxen and I must go examine them. But hadn’t he already examined them. And now that the deal had been consummated, what possible bearing could one more inspection have upon the transaction. The third man’s excuse was equally as ridiculous. He said I have just gotten married and therefore I cannot come. But that was no excuse, for, believe you me, in that day and time a Palestinian bride ...

2227. The Jericho Road: Where the Action Is

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

J. Ellsworth Kalas

... out the window of the bus, that you still wouldn’t want to wander far off the road into the often-bleak wilderness. Nevertheless, it seems far removed from the road people traveled in Jesus’ day. And physically, of course, it is. The wide highway bears little resemblance to the narrow, winding path of the first century, and the tour buses are nothing like a traveler walking alongside his donkey, or even a merchant’s caravan. But spiritually, the Jericho Road is what it always was. And I speak now, of ...

2228. A Man Who Laughed at God

Genesis 17:1-27

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

... all the stolen plunder from Sodom and Gomorrah was recovered and returned. This interesting incident (I wonder if Gideon knew about it! - see Judges 7:16-23) not only demonstrates the boldness and bravery of Abraham, but also provides the insight that he did not bear a grudge. He could easily have said, when he learned of the raid, "Well, good for Lot. It serves him right. He’s just getting what he deserves for his selfishness and his worldliness." Abraham was a magnanimous man, with moral courage as well ...

2229. A Shepherd Who Became a Sovereign

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

... Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Even while tending his flocks, David demonstrated strength and courage. The Bible tells us that at least twice, he killed wild animals which had threatened the life of the sheep he was protecting - once a lion and once a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37). This is the kind of youth that he was: strong, stalwart, fearless, dependable. He also was a fine musician. He played the harp, or lyre, and was so talented that he was brought into the court of King Saul. The king had ...

2230. A Man With Lips on Fire

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

... we celebrate the incarnation of thc Son of God, we repeatedly use Isaiah’s words. "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots" (11:1-5). How did Isaiah know this? "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (7:14). How did Isaiah know this? "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined ... For unto us a child is ...

2231. A Man With a Scalpel and a Pen

Acts 16:6-10

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

... first Christian martyr (Acts 6, 7) ... about Philip, the evangelist ... about the great revival in Samaria ... about the Ethiopian eunuch in the desert (Acts 8). Only Luke tells us the story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (better known as Paul the apostle). Bear in mind that anything in the Bible which is repeated is especially important. The New Testament tells us three times - not twice, but three times - of the conversion of Saul. That’s how important an event it was. But Paul himself, in all his ...

2232. Francis of Assisi: a Faith for Every Day

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... for the poor here and around the world. Francis also witnesses to the call that came from the open Bible. St. Francis’ first biographer writes that during the several years of conversion, his encounter with the Gospel was decisive. He saw in the Scripture a direct bearing on his daily life. He listened and then went out and did. This is another point where we Christians and this saint agree. Our authority is the Scripture. We also believe that the Scripture makes radical changes in our lives if we take it ...

2233. When Something is About to Happen

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Thomas Long

... justice, then the church can dare to touch the wounds of lepers and freely pour out its resources for the poor. If this world is surely in the throes of death, and the new age of healing and mercy is close at hand, then the church can cheerfully bear rejection, endure suffering, and faithfully sing its alleluias. But if there is no God-shaped future at hand, if nothing, nothing really, is about to happen, then there is only one more day to be endured in an endless string of days, a bottomless pit of human ...

2234. They Also Serve Who Wait

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

Thomas Long

... sleepless night, for the healing word in a bitter argument, for the toilsome task to be done, for the labor to be over and the child to be born, for death. It is never easy to wait. It is hardest of all to wait for God. Not many can bear its harsh discipline. Not many can attain its delicate balance of action and hope. Not many can achieve its deep wisdom. Not many can endure its long and dark hours. Therefore, since the demands of waiting for God are so great, there is always the temptation to transform ...

2235. An Understated Masterpiece

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Thomas Long

... the city wall, tumbling to gruesome cinematographic deaths. As a finale, a bolt of lightning has ripped from the heavens to destroy the dome of the royal palace. It is at this point that Sheba’s agents arrive, and they are greeted by a scepter-bearing guard who looks out of the corners of his eyes and confides, "We’ve been under something of a strain around here lately." A master of understatement. The Great Zacchini was, for many years, a feature attraction at countless carnivals and county fairs. He ...

2236. Living in the Future Present

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

Thomas Long

... relationship, and the boy has to employ every ounce of his inventiveness to insure that the conditions are created which will lead to their mutual attraction, eventual marriage, and, paradoxically, the boy’s own birth. Because the boy knows the future, he bears its burden and is compelled to work for its fulfillment. The movie is playful, but the insight is a serious one. Knowledge of the future creates momentous responsibility in the present. Imagine a physician checking the lab reports one more time, to ...

2237. What’s In It For Me?

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

... . Satan always wants us to be interested in what is in it for ourselves. That is how Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. "Command these stones to become loaves of bread," Satan said in tempting Jesus. "Throw yourself down from the temple and watch angels bear you up." That was Satan’s second temptation. The third temptation was: "Fall down and worship me and all the kingdoms of the world and their glory shall be yours." In other words, Satan kept saying to Jesus: "Look what’s in it for you." Jesus ...

2238. The Glory and the Cross

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

... glory. He invites us to take up the cross. When we take up our cross, Jesus says to us: "It is well that you are here." Jesus sees us working in the valleys for a better world. Jesus sees us giving of our lives for our neighbors. Jesus sees us bearing witness to his resurrection triumph. Jesus sees the service we offer in the ordinary flow of daily life. "It is well that you are here," Jesus says to us. "It is well that you are here."

2239. The Crucified Ruler

John 19:17-27

Sermon

Richard A. Jensen

... of Jesus. The soldiers, for example, put a mock crown of thorns on his head. they dressed him up in purple robes. "Hail, King of the Jews," they hissed with sarcasm in their voices. When Pilate finally ended the proceedings and sent Jesus off to die, bearing his own cross, Pilate put a sign on the cross. The sign said: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (John 19:19b). The sign was in three languages: Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. As best we can understand it, Pilate fixed this international proclamation ...

2240. In Control

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

James W. Robinson

... kingdom of the world [will one day] become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ." (Revelation 11:15). Meantime, as we wait, what are we to do? Paul provides an answer in Colossians 1:1 "... lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." Jesus provides another in his admonition in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:16) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who ...

2241. How Can We Meet Grief?

2 Samuel 18:19--19:8

Sermon

Edward Chinn

... went to a house which had been turned into a refuge. Forty young people were being cared for in that place. Dr. Jones commented: "Josephine Butler threw herself into that service and became one of the greatest social reformers of the century. She didn’t bear her grief; she set it to music." IV Fourthly, consider the word "Decide." You can meet grief by deciding to look at life and death from the perspective of Jesus Christ. The late German theologian Helmut Thielicke wrote these words in his book How To ...

2242. What Makes People Great?

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Sermon

Edward Chinn

... and he realized it by choosing a neutral city, midway between north and south. He captured this Jebusite city and today we know it as Jerusalem. Again, David hoped to capture the Ark from the Philistines, that Covenant Box in which the stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments were kept. He succeeded in capturing that Ark and restoring it to Jerusalem. That Ark of the Covenant became the basis of the great Temple which David planned to build and which his son, Solomon, succeeded in building. Great hopes ...

2243. Will Names Never Hurt Us?

Proverbs 10:1-32

Sermon

Edward Chinn

... essays. Four of the essays were signed with common names Michael, David, Karen, and Lisa. The other four essays were signed with unconventional names - Elmer, Hubert, Bertha, and Adelle. When these essays of identical quality were marked by these teachers, those bearing the names "Michael" and "David" scored an average of a full letter grade higher than "Elmer" and "Hubert." Among the girls’ names, "Karen" and "Lisa" received a point-and-a-half higher score than "Bertha." A great many bad names, demeaning ...

2244. What Do We Do Now That We’re Happy?

Isaiah 62:1-12

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... what you obviously do well. Build on the positive; invest your days in the constructive, and accept the good that is at work in your life. Christmas often draws together our two sayings. It is often called the time for neurotics. No one day can bear such a heavy weight, reward such heavy investments, and fulfill totally unrealistic fantasies. We put away our gifts, pick up the wrappers, pack up the ornaments, and take off the pounds of holiday feasting. We heave a deep sigh, "Maybe next year I will reach ...

2245. All Dressed Up and No Place To Go

Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... its meaning on a broader and broader scope. We go to the mountain heights where we hear him speak to us and inspire us. We walk dusty streets and heal and minister in his name, giving good news to those who know it not. We go to our Jerusalem, bearing the fickleness of warm-weather friends, and to the high court where all we have believed is challenged. And, we go to our cross - surrendering the self to Christ as we give our best for his highest that we may fulfill the highest in ourselves. We are to bring ...

2246. Who Knows?

Jonah 3:1-10

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... other than that, what about his more nearly human thoughts. "Well, Jonah, you didn’t get very far, did you?" "This is it." "Don’t you wish you had ..." No doubt he had once felt secure in managing his own life. What control could he bring to bear inside a whale? Who could imagine there would be a way out? Who knows? In the autumn, Glens Falls, New York, holds a Hot Air Balloon Festival. It is a national event drawing balloonists from around the country. We live five miles south of the launch site. Most ...

2247. Advent 2

Isaiah 40:1-31, 2 Peter 3:1-18, Mark 1:1-8

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... we have sinned again and again in such a variety of ways that we have lost track. As a result, we feel tainted and corrupt, especially in light of your righteousness. Forgive us all our sins, both those we remember and those we have forgotten. Bring your cleansing Spirit to bear upon our souls, so that we may know the profound baptism that the voice in the wilderness promised would follow in Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen

2248. Advent 4

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

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... selfishness. How quickly we forget how you have always depended upon fragile instruments like us to accomplish your will in history. Forgive us our reluctance. Keep before us as an example Mary, our Savior’s mother, who responded in faith and obedience, and - by your grace - moved history forever by bearing your Son, in whose name we pray. Amen

2249. Christmas 1

Isaiah 61:1-11, Isaiah 62:1-12, Galatians 3:26--4:7, Luke 2:21-40

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... Son: help us to see in him, and in his growth within a holy family, a model for our own growth in righteousness within our human families; that we may continue to nurture one another in the name of Jesus. Amen Prayer of Confession O seed-bearing God, we confess that we have failed miserably to cultivate the seeds that you have most graciously sown among us. We have not allowed the faith planted in ourselves through your Son to grow to its full potential; we have not consistently nurtured the spirits of the ...

2250. January 1

Numbers 6:22-27

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... name. We live, as often as not, as people with neither hope nor peace, as people of darkness upon whom the divine countenance has never shone. Forgive us, we pray. Let us feel once more the brightness of your face and the benefits of your faith. That we may worthily bear the name to which we lay claim. Through Jesus Christ, your Son, we pray. Amen.

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