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 2251 to 2275 of 3314 results

2251. The Attitude of Gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Sermon

James Merritt

... ought to be Christians. If any group of Christians ought to be thankful to God and grateful for His goodness, it ought to be Christians in this church. We ought to have an attitude of gratitude. In this simple sentence which forms one verse of scripture, the Apostle Paul gives us three reasons why we could, everyday, in every way, be thankful. I. Gratitude Is A Demand From God We are commanded to "give thanks." The verb for "give thanks" is in the imperative tense. In other words, thanksgiving is as much a ...

2252. Preach the World and Reach the World

2 Timothy 4:1-5

Sermon

James Merritt

... philosophy I will be facing a Ph.D. in philosophy. What do you think I ought to do?" That wise godly father said, "Son, why don't you just preach the Bible. They probably know very little about that!" That advice is extremely similar to the counsel that the Apostle Paul gave to his young protégé Timothy two thousand years ago. I have built my ministry on two pillars: biblical exposition and personal evangelism. I want to bear my soul and share my heart and I want to be very candid right up front. I see a ...

2253. Have You Heard the News?

Ephesians 2:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... that has proven more destructive to human personality, and hence counterproductive to the evangelistic enterprise, than the un-Christian, uncouth strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition."1 Well, if that is true, then the Apostle Paul was one of the most un-Christian, uncouth individuals in history. For he gives a devastating description of the spiritual condition that afflicts every person from the time they are born. First of all, Paul declares man is spiritually dead ...

2254. Body Building at Its Best

1 Corinthians 12:13-27, Ephesians 4:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... an orchestra. Unity does not mean that everyone plays the same instrument. Unity means they play the same song, on the same key, in harmony with one another. The unity that brings the members of the body together and binds them together is doctrinal and theological. In Eph. 4 the Apostle Paul gives us the basis of this unity. We are told in v.3 that we are to be "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." In Eph. 4:4-6 we find the basis of this unity. The unity of the body of ...

2255. The Danger of American Express

Exodus 20:17

Sermon

James Merritt

... . This sin can only be seen on the inside. The Hebrew word for covet means "desire" or "to pant after." Now it needs to be said that, in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with desire if you desire the right thing for the right reasons. The Apostle Paul even said in I Cor. 12:31, "earnestly desire the best gifts." This commandment does not stop with the first four words, "you shall not covet" because that, in and of itself, is not wrong. There is nothing wrong with coveting a good wife, or a beautiful ...

2256. When in Joy, Enjoy (Fruit of the Spirit: Joy)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

... why Jesus taught all that he taught? He said in Jn.15:11, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." You see, when you get Jesus you get joy, joy inexpressible and full of glory. The Apostle Peter speaks of this joy in the first chapter of his first epistle. He tells us that we can find joy in at least five places if we know the Lord Jesus Christ. I. There Is Joy in Salvation In v.2 Peter calls us the "elect according to the ...

2257. Winners Never Quit and Quitters Never Win (Fruit of the Spirit: Patience)

Galatians 5:22

Sermon

James Merritt

... , but it is more than patience. Let me give you my definition of long-suffering. Longsuffering is the determination to live by faith and not by feeling, and to respond with grace rather than to react with grief, regardless of the circumstances. Now the Apostle James tells us in a wonderful passage of Scripture, that longsuffering will be manifested in three ways in our lives. I. A Patience with Difficult People "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the ...

2258. Gentle On My Mind (Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness)

Galatians 5:23

Sermon

James Merritt

... wounded. We need to be helping those who are hurting, and especially those who have fallen into the pit of sin, and do all that we can in a spirit of gentleness to help pull them out. c. We Are To Defer To the Father with Meekness The Apostle James said, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21) Now let me make this very practical. If you are not going to come to church and hear the preacher ...

2259. A Trip to God's Woodshed

Hebrews 12: 5-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... no affect, and the only other step is death. Do you know that you can rebel against God to the point that death is the only remedy. That is why v.9 says, "Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?" The Apostle John tells, in I Jn. 5:16, that there is "sin unto death." There were people in the church at Corinth who were dying right and left because they were abusing and misusing the Lord's Supper. Dr. Homer Lindsay, Jr., the Pastor of the First Baptist Church of ...

2260. What Child Is This?

Isaiah 9:6-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... Christmas carol, "O Come All Ye Faithful," goes? Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning, Jesus, to Thee be all glory given; Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing,[1] Now the assertion that God came in the flesh is a great mystery. The Apostle Paul himself called it that. "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh." (I Tim. 3:16a) It is a marvelous mystery, a magnificent mystery, a majestic mystery; but it is none-the-less a mystery. We are not ...

2261. Don't Forget to Remember

Jude 1:5-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... of God, and therefore the power of God. There is a word for all of us here who have been given the privilege and position of teaching the Word of God. Listen to it carefully: The higher the position, the greater the judgment. That is why the Apostle James said: "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." (James 3:1) I want to tell you, the hottest part of hell is reserved for these apostate, infidel professors and preachers who pervert the truth of ...

2262. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

John 16:7-11

Sermon

James Merritt

... of God." Now a courtroom can convict you of crime, your conscience can convict you of guilt, but only the Holy Spirit can convict you of sin. Many of you will remember the first sermon ever preached in the book of Acts on the day of Pentecost, when the Apostle Peter preached on repentance and faith in Christ, and 3,000 people were saved in one day. But do you understand that if Peter had preached that the day before, which is the day before the Holy Spirit had come, no one would have been saved. Those 3,000 ...

2263. Joy to the World

Luke 2:8-12

Sermon

James Merritt

... Savior. The title Savior, the noun salvation, and the verb to save, are found in every book in the New Testament. The origin of these words is the Latin salvare, which means to make safe or secure. It means to deliver from the penalty and the power of sin. The Apostle John said, "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world." (1 Jn. 4:14) Jesus Christ came into this world to be our Savior. In fact, before He was born, the angel of the Lord said to Mary, "You shall ...

2264. Nothing Great Happens Without It

Luke 14: 25-35

Sermon

James Merritt

... in Greece. Bartholomew was slain alive in Armenia. Andrew was crucified in Achaia and Thomas was killed with a lance in east India. Thaddeus was shot with arrows, Simon, the Zealot, was crucified by the Persians. Peter was crucified upside down by the Romans. The Apostle John died alone on the island of Patmos.[3] Greatness means there is a price to be paid. Always has meant that and always will mean that. III. There Is a Cost That Must Be Counted There are two statements that may sound contradictory to ...

2265. Are You Going to Fish or Cut Bait?

Mark 1:16-18

Sermon

James Merritt

... the minds of men through teaching and persuasion. That is, they would "bait the hook" with their teachings and "catch" disciples. I find it very revealing to notice that the first title Jesus ever gave his followers was not "bishops," nor "pastors," nor "elders," nor "apostles," but the first title He gave to his followers was "fishers of men." Furthermore, He did not say, "Follow Me, and I will make you become speakers in tongues." He did not say, "Follow Me, and I will make you become healers of the sick ...

2266. Building Your Home on the Rock

Matthew 7:24-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... you into a pool of water, you don't have enough life in your faith to get you into heaven. But this wise man also proved something else (2) He belonged to the Son of God. Do you know who really belongs to Jesus? Those who become like Jesus. The Apostle John said: "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected ...

2267. Don't Forget to Forgive

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

James Merritt

... let God take care of the matter. Psychologists and ministers alike now agree that there is only one cure for the cancer of bitterness, and that is forgiveness. Dr. Archibald Hart defines forgiveness as: "Giving up my right to hurt you for hurting me."1 Now the Apostle Peter asked the question that many people would like to ask, but sometimes are too ashamed to ask. His question was: "How many times do I have to forgive a brother who sins against me?" Now Peter pulls a shrewd trick. He makes a suggestion to ...

2268. O Little Town of Bethlehem

Micah 5:2

Sermon

James Merritt

... the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (Jn. 1:1) "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (Jn. 1:14) The Apostle Paul spelled it out even more plainly when he wrote: "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities ...

2269. Tastes Great, Less Filling - Sounds Good, Not True

Proverbs 23:29-35

Sermon

James Merritt

... I appeal to you, my fellow dads, to hear me as you consider this issue, and determine what you are going to teach your kids, both by example and precept, concerning drinking alcohol. There are two words I want you to keep in mind influence and witness. The Apostle Paul wisely stated: "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." (Rom. 14:21) My three sons are also my Christian brothers. One of the reasons why I am grateful that ...

2270. God's Will: Don't Leave Home Without It

Romans 12:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

... story is without a pilot a plane will inevitably crash.1 But there is a greater truth for all of us. Our lives are like that plane, and without God piloting our life, and us flying according to His will, the plane of our life will also eventually crash. The Apostle Paul wrote in Eph. 5:17, "Do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." The wisest thing you will ever do with your life is to find the will of God, and do it. That is also one of the five greatest lessons parents can ...

2271. In Defense of the Offense

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Sermon

James Merritt

... save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached." Now it is not foolish preaching that pleases God. There is enough foolish preaching going around, but it is the foolishness of the message preached that saves people. That's one reason I admire the Apostle Paul so much. He could have so easily compromised the message. He could have said that the message of the cross is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, so he would alter it and change it, tone it down, polish ...

2272. The World's Greatest Body Builder

1 Corinthians 12:13

Sermon

James Merritt

... seven Mr. Olympia titles and along with an unprecedented 13 world bodybuilding titles, Arnold Schwarzenegger became known as the world's greatest bodybuilder. While I want to dispute that because I believe that the world's greatest bodybuilder is the Holy Spirit of God. The Apostle Paul speaking of this Master Bodybuilder in I Corinthians 12 said, "For as the body is one and has many members, But all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all ...

2273. What Is A Christian?

Acts 11:26

Sermon

James Merritt

... we need to get back to is the term "saved." We need to teach people what being "saved" really means, because it's a good Bible term. Acts 2:47 says, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." The Philippian jailer said to the Apostle Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts. 16:30) Rom. 10:13 says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." 1 Tim. 2:4 says, "God desires all men to be saved…" You see, we were all born lost, and that's why ...

2274. Saved to Share

Acts 26

Sermon

James Merritt

... your condition before Christ, which was to be separated from God, lost in sin, and in need of forgiveness. II. Recall Your Conversion to Christ There have been many remarkable conversions in the history of Christianity, but none more remarkable than Paul the Apostle. One meeting on a dirt road heading out of Jerusalem to Damascus, resulted in the gospel being carried to the center of the Roman Empire, and one-half of the books of the New Testament being written. Paul shifts the conversation from his ...

2275. The Secret of Self-Esteem

Ephesians 1:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... is. If anyone can help him find his identity would you please come to the gate."1 That really is a great question. Do you know who you are in the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, let me tell you. If you are a Christian you are a saint. "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus..." (v.1) Now we are very reluctant to call ourselves saints. We don't mind calling ourselves believers, or children of God, or Christians, but we don't like to ...

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