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 2226 to 2250 of 2273 results
2226. I Shall Rise Again!
I Corinthians 15:19-26 · Luke 24:1-12
Sermon
King Duncan
For more than 1,400 years, a Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood at the highest point in the City of London. The cathedral is one of the most famous and most recognizable sights of this great city with so many historic sites. St. Paul’s was designed by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London destroyed an earlier cathedral that stood on the same site. Before work could begin on the new cathedral, the remains of the old cathedral had to be cleared away. Once the site had ...
2227. Provoked
Luke 4:21-30
Sermon
Lori Wagner
It’s hard to impart joy to those who dwell gladly and gainfully in sorrow. Ever notice that? I’m not talking about the truly sad or those who are grieving, and I’m not talking about those suffering from depression or anxiety. These are truly debilitating conditions. Some people however neither respond to joy nor comfort because they are gaining too much power, attention, satisfaction, or compassion in remaining unhappy, angry, miserable, or spiteful.Especially when they feel they are justified. Especially ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Let me ask you a question this morning: how many of you are bilingual—that is, you speak two languages? Or tri-lingual . . . if you want to show off? If so, were you raised speaking a language other than English, or did you learn that second language as an adult? There is a federal agency called the Foreign Service Institute that trains diplomats to operate in other countries. The folks at FSI also provide advanced language training in over 65 languages. Sometime back, they ranked all the major languages ...
2229. The Call
Matthew 16:13-20, Mark 1:14-20, Matthew 5:13-16
Sermon
Will Willimon
When I was a seminarian, in a geriatric hospital, learning to be a chaplain, this old man told me one day that he was Dwight D. Eisenhower. The nurses urged me to try to talk him out of it. I couldn't. He steadfastly insisted that he was Eisenhower. Trouble was, I had no personal acquaintance with Dwight D. Eisenhower. The man was bald, had a Midwestern accent, had been in the army, seemed harmless enough, which, for all I knew, qualified him to be Dwight D. Eisenhower. He told me that I didn't have to ...
Sermon
King Duncan
I have an important question for you this morning: what is something that is essential for human life, is highly contagious, yet most of us take it for granted? Any ideas? It’s kindness. You might think I’m exaggerating when I say it’s essential for human life and highly contagious, but I believe I can back that up. A student once asked anthropologist Margaret Mead what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a society. What separates an uncivilized collection of people from a true ...
2231. Sheep and Shepherds
John 10:11-16 · Psalm 23
Sermon
Will Willimon
Someone was telling me about a college, somewhere in the Midwest, that had a large contingent of Iranian students. Back when the former Shah was deposed, the students demonstrated at the college administration building. The president went out to speak to them and, during the course of their negotiations, the president casually remarked something to the effect that, “You look like a bunch of sheep out here.” With that, the students went on a campus-wide rampage, breaking windows, threatening other students ...
2232. Shameless!
Luke 11:1-13
Sermon
Dave Zuchelli
One of the reasons I want to preach on this passage of scripture is because I’ve never really understood it. The only way to really make sense of it is to view the story of the friend at midnight as a parable. You may remember the old definition of the word, parable. It goes something like this. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. We could flesh that out considerably, but this little quip really captures it quite nicely. Parables are sometimes confusing until you realize that most, or at ...
Sermon
Dave Zuchelli
One thing I learned a long time ago is that the Bible makes sense. Some things, of course, are mystical and difficult to understand. Other things seem fantastic and beyond the reach of reasonable explanation. But in the grand scheme of all that we find in scripture, everything begins to make sense as we see God’s plan laid out before us. With that in mind, when I hear Jesus say, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor,” I have to wonder: Does he mean for us to sell everything? It seems like quite a ...
Sermon
Lori Wagner
How many of you have had a time in your life when you made a terrible mistake that you grew to regret? How many of you have undergone some kind of trauma or upheaval that caused you excruciating pain? How many of you wished at one time or another that you could go back in time and erase that one pesky “thing” that haunts you, make it right, so that your mind can be at peace? I have good news for you! Your life is not set in stone. Your past does not have to dictate your life, your success, or your ...
Sermon
King Duncan
Have you ever gotten really upset with the ending to a book or movie? If the ending is too unexpected, or too weak, or if they kill off your favorite character, it can ruin the whole story for you. In other cases, the ending might be offensive to some people, but that’s a risk you take when you go to the movies. Here’s something you may not know. Movie censors in China are allowed to change the ending to movies to protect Chinese citizens from “scenes that might disturb social order or impart criminal ...
Sermon
Richard Hasler
When Robert Rubin (who eventually became treasury secretary of the United States) as a high school senior applied to Princeton and Harvard he received a rejection letter from Princeton but he was accepted at Harvard. He had hoped to go to Princeton. Four years later Rubin sent a letter to the Director of Admissions at Princeton saying: “You ought to be interested to know what happened to one of the people you rejected … I graduated from Harvard summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.” Later, Rubin received a ...
Sermon
King Duncan & Angela Akers
Have you ever heard a story that was so exciting and tense that you were practically sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to find out the ending? Rev. Harry B. Parrott Jr. tells of listening to a radio broadcast of a pastor who also piloted his own small plane. The pastor had been in Detroit for some meetings, then he jumped in his plane and headed back toward his home in Escanaba, Michigan. As he flew over Lake Michigan, he experienced engine trouble. The engine was stopping and starting, stopping and ...
Sermon
William G. Carter
Whatever else we want to say about this story, it is an Easter story. At dawn on the day he was raised, the risen Christ said, “Tell my brothers to go to Galilee.” When they did, they saw him, just as he promised. Our text is the only Galilee appearance that Matthew reported. It sounds like other Easter stories. Christ is present...and the disciples have mixed feelings. As Matthew noted, “When they saw him, they worshiped him, and some doubted.” It’s like every Easter Sunday, for it’s a mixed house. Have ...
2239. The Fringe
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
Sermon
Lori Wagner
Those of you men or women who wear protective clothing, aprons, or uniforms know that these not only identify you within a certain profession but assist you in your form of trade. A waitress wears an apron. A chef wears a kind of apron-like garb. A tradesman wears a tool belt or heavy apron. A policeman wears a uniform and belt. You would never do your job without wearing your special garb. They are an extension of sorts of who you are and what you do. Likewise, a prayer shawl has a similar purpose. Years ...
2240. Herding Cats
Matthew 9:35-10:8-23
Sermon
Lori Wagner
A popular expression in our culture expresses exasperation in the face of trying to govern other people’s behavior, particularly those with very individual preferences, goals, agendas, and initiatives, who have no interest in being governed. Throwing their hands up in frustration, leaders trying to command such individuals into a group with a common goal may exclaim: “Trying to work with this group is like herding cats!” What does the phrase mean? It reflects on the “independent” nature of cats (often in ...
Sermon
William G. Carter
The more we read the Bible, the more we see things we might wish Jesus never said. This passage is one of them: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Did any of us come to church today to hear him say that? This is the season for family reunions. Most of us have been in gatherings that include fathers, mothers, grandparents, and children. It it is somewhat disturbing to come to church today and hear Jesus say, “I have come to set a man ...
2242. House of God
1 Kings 8:22-30
Sermon
Will Willimon
"Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven, and the highest heaven cannot contain thee, how much less this house which I have built." Fifty-one years ago tomorrow, Duke Chapel was dedicated in a great service of worship. Speakers hailed this Chapel as a splendid symbol of faith. President B.R. Lacy of Union Seminary in Richmond was the first to speak at the Sunday afternoon service on June2nd. Dr. Lacy noted, "Other universities have great faculties and student bodies, well-equipped laboratories, ...
Sermon
Will Willimon
''And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor'..." Baptist prophet Will Campbell, a man who is always an uncomfortable guest, was asked to be a visiting preacher for a series at New York's Riverside Church on "What Riverside Church Can Do To Help the Future of Race Relations in America." Here is a church with impressively activist preachers and the right sort of forward thinking congregation. Campbell took as his text Mark's story ...
2244. The Reckoning
Matthew 14:13-21, Genesis 32:22-32
Sermon
Lori Wagner
How many math wizards are out there today? Anyone? I’ve always been amazed at those phenomenal people who can compute sums and fractions in their heads in the matter of moments. Or how about accountants? Tax accountants! Hear me? Oh man! You have to have a certain personality I think to be a tax accountant, amen? Or what about statisticians? Or those who program AI! Rocket scientists? Physicists? Math wizards! When I was in school, we called these super amazing computational people “geeks.” Now, I’m ...
Sermon
Ronald Love
Devon Still had encountered many difficulties in life, some of which were of his own doing. Playing football became his salvation. The six feet-five inch, 310 pound defensive end was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012. His lifelong ambition had arrived, but injuries kept him off the field of play for many games. This resulted in playing for the Houston Texans in 2016, and the next year on the practice squad for the New York Jets. After that season, Still was dismissed from professional football. ...
2246. Investment Choices
Matthew 25:14-30
Sermon
Steve Molin
I started reading crime novels about fifteen years ago. Like any pastor, so much of what I read relates to theology or ministry that I needed to find some genre of reading that would take me away from what I do twelve hours a day; something to capture my imagination. I started with John Grisham and read everything he has written. Then I moved on to Swedish author Henning Mankell and read all of his stuff. More recently, I have been reading the murder mysteries of Lee Childs. There is nothing like a good “ ...
Sermon
John B. Jamison
There were five kings; joined together to fight for their independence. There was King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the King of Bela. For the past twelve years, those kings had served the King of Elam, Chedorlaomer. They each ruled their own countries, but they each paid Chedorlaomer for the privilege to do it. Not any longer — the five kings brought their armies together in the Valley of Siddim near the Dead Sea and prepared to fight for their ...
Children's Sermon
Various Authors
Object: Baptismal font/bowl of water. Good morning, boys and girls. I have a quiz for you this morning (this evening). Are you ready for a fun quiz? When I say “I love you”, what makes you believe that I really do love you? When I give a speech about love to you? When I define love from the dictionary? When I tell a story about love? When I reach over and hug you? Yes, when I reach over and hug you, that proves that I love you. Actions are better than just words. So it is the night of Jesus’ betrayal. ...
Sermon
Will Willimon
“Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” What did you do this summer? I don't know if they still ask school children to write essays on that subject at this time of the year. I'm sure that George Williams never asked for an essay on, “My Most Memorable Summer” in his English classes here. However, if they did, I would be happy to tell you about my worst summer. It was after my Junior Year of college when I spent an ...
2250. Many Rooms
John 14:1-14, 18-19, 25-27
Eulogy
George Reed
It must have been a somber time when Jesus gathered his disciples around him for what would be their last meal together. The events of the week were dramatic and scary. When Jesus entered into Jerusalem and was greeted with the enthusiastic crowd it would have been very exciting. But with the Romans in charge it was also very dangerous. The Romans did not tolerate anything that looked like rebellion and the consequences were meted out quickly and severely. The usual punishment was crucifixion. Jesus and ...
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