Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2251 to 2275 of 4972 results

2251. Change

Isaiah 43:14-28

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

... class and leave behind the teacher you love. These kinds of changes can be hard to handle at first, but they are not necessarily bad. If your friend moved away, you would be sad, but it might give you the chance to make new friends. If your favorite cartoon stopped coming on television, maybe you would choose to read a story or draw a picture. When you move to a new Sunday School class, you will miss your old teacher, but you will have the chance to meet, learn from, and love a new teacher. Just think how ...

2252. Serendipity!

Matthew 6:33

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

... even an eagle. They would be serendipities. Let's say you were on your way to the beach. You were so excited and couldn't wait to get there but you just hated the long drive. Even though you were in a hurry to get to the beach, your family stopped along the way to eat dinner and spend the night. There in the hotel you met a wonderful man who told funny stories and made you laugh. He became your friend. You guessed it. He was a serendipity. We can't go looking for a serendipity, because when we look ...

2253. The Potter Almighty

Jeremiah 18:1--19:15

Sermon

Richard L. Sheffield

... in the hand of God. That come what may God's purpose for his people would be served and advanced by what they were doing. Jeremiah's message to the people of Israel was that God's purpose for his people would be served and advanced if they were to stop doing what they were doing! That's the second thing that was clear to Jeremiah that day in the potter's shop. That our will is not always God's will. During the American Civil War when asked if he thought God was on his side, Abraham Lincoln responded: "I ...

2254. The Good Soldier

John 20:1-9

Drama

Pamela Urfer

... those who can't make it on their own. LUCIUS: Then you don't believe such a thing could happen. FLAVIUS: What do you mean by "such a thing"? LUCIUS: The dead coming back to life. FLAVIUS: No, I don't believe it could happen. And I wish you would stop talking about it. LUCIUS: (Musing) I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. FLAVIUS: You don't sound very sure. What was it this fellow said again? LUCIUS: He said that after he died he would come back to life. FLAVIUS: Really? Does that mean he's a god ...

2255. Boast In The Lord

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... Madeleine L'Engle tells of visiting Russia shortly after the sensational collapse of Communism. Madeleine stayed in an enormous cinder-block modern hotel in Moscow. On her floor near the elevator was a desk with a key-lady. When a guest needed to go to her room, she would stop at the desk and the key-lady would give her the key. When she left her room, she would turn over her key to the same woman. On the first night when she left her key at the desk, Madeleine was wearing a Swedish silver cross that had ...

2256. Be Wise In The Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... given us, then we must seek the guidance of God's Spirit. How can we be wise in the Spirit today? Do we understand the spiritual gifts God has given us for our journey of faith? To be wise in the spirit we need humility. One day Charlie Brown stops in Lucy's booth and notices that the "Doctor" is in. He shares his problem with Lucy, and she replies; "The whole trouble with you is that you're wishy-washy." Charlie asks her, "What's the difference between being wishy-washy and being humble?" Lucy points at ...

2257. Discern How Things Grow

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... to coming to America. As president of the college at Princeton he had strengthened its financial position, enlarged its enrollment and educated many of the future political leaders, including James Madison, of the emerging American nation. When John Adams stopped by the college to see Witherspoon on his way to the Continental Congress, the Scottish president impressed him. Adams called this newcomer to the colonies an "animated Son of Liberty." Later Witherspoon, the only clergyman to sign the Declaration ...

2258. Feast Days During Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... to perfection today and each day of our lives. March 25 Ä Feast Of The AnnunciationIsaiah 7:10-14Hebrews 10:4-10Luke 1:26-38 Saying Yes To God The recently published book titled All I Really Needed To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulgham made me stop and reflect about my earliest days. For most of us the last time we were in a kindergarten classroom was when our last child was that age. For some the last time might have been when we ourselves were in kindergarten. If we think back it is correct ...

2259. The Second Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

... said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment." Note that in Jesus' parable, love is the result of forgiveness. Then Jesus took this principle, to which the Pharisee had agreed, and applied it to the situation at that table ...

2260. The Ninth Meal

Sermon

Robert F. Scott

... much more: more than we had ever heard before, more than we had ever learned from the priests.His words stirred us from within. Somehow his words lifted us up, and the miles did not seem as long. Seven miles: we were home at Emmaus, late in the day.We stopped at our house. He said, "Shalom," and he started on. "Stay," we asked him. "It's supper time and it will be dark soon; it's not time to travel on." We urged him, and he agreed. Supper was simple; my wife had no time to cook. We had a ...

2261. Climbing Rainbows Through The Rain

Genesis 6:1-8:22

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... helpful in cutting to the heart of things when he observes that even though this account speaks about something that happened in the past, it is really about the present.2 If we really want to get from this story the message it has to offer, we should stop arguing about the issue of literal or not literal and instead, take the scripture seriously. Remember this is Holy Writ, and as such, tells us the truth about how God used to deal with human community and how God continues to deal with us. We need to take ...

2262. When Life Doesn't Go According To Plan

Genesis 21:8-21

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... carrying her son on her shoulders. That makes more sense. In fact, are there not parents here who feel as though they carry grown or near-grown children on their shoulders? Don't you wonder sometimes if they will ever grow up? Don't you wonder sometimes if they ever stop coming home in times of trouble? It is the same from the perspective of Ishmael. Are there not 16-year-olds who feel as though someone else must carry them if they are ever going to make it? We don't plan for life to turn out that way, but ...

2263. An Arranged Wedding, But An Intentional Marriage

Genesis 24:1-67

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... chapter 24 of Genesis, people keep asking, "Is this what God wants?" And then, as usually happens today, the people really didn't know until later. God, it seems, seldom speaks clearly in the present moment. It is only in retrospect, as we stop to think and pray about it, that we realize, "That was the leading of God!" While the scripture does not explicitly mention it, there is one other ingredient that has not changed. Marriage becomes emotionally satisfying when husbands and wives commit themselves to ...

2264. The Essence of Spirituality

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... senses: "Open my eyes, that I may see Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Open my ears, that I may hear Voices of truth Thou sendest clear; Open my mouth and let me bear Gladly the warm truth everywhere."6 The story is told of the minister who stopped by the hospital to visit a dying church member. This particular woman had led a long, good and faithful life, but was coming to the end of her days. The minister entered the room unnoticed by the woman. She was praying. He overheard her share with the Almighty ...

2265. Good Guys And Bad Guys Alike

Genesis 37:1-11, 12-36

Sermon

Steve Burt

... , so we decide that some babies are better off dead. So now it's sometimes good when a baby dies. What's happened to our concept of good? Herod and the Romans were trying to kill babies, too, all Hebrew babies under two years old, so they could stop the birth of the Messiah. Why didn't God just blast them off the face of the earth? One reason may have been that Herod and the Romans represented the responsible and legitimate political power of that time, and they were keeping the peace as well as it ...

2266. Jesus Christ, Our Passover Lamb

Exodus 12:1-30

Sermon

Steve Burt

... Road Less Traveled, begins with the line, "Life is difficult." Life is indeed difficult much of the time, occasionally even downright cruel. We've all had our own long, dark nights Ä the loss of a loved one that was so painful, a physical disability that stopped us from being athletic, an injury or disease, a cancer that scared the very life out of us, a shattered dream, the breakup of a marriage and accompanying feelings of failure. Life is difficult. At times the dark night is very long. Robert Veniga ...

2267. Meeting Our Needs, Not Our Greeds

Exodus 16:1-36

Sermon

Steve Burt

... of our better television theologians, Michael Landon. In one episode of Little House On The Prairie, farming hasn't worked out, so Pa Ingalls moves the family to a new state. Gold has been discovered there, so Pa decides it's worth a try. They stop in town for provisions and meet a minister who befriends them. A conversation about Sunday school ensues. When the wagon is loaded, Pa Ingalls says (with that winning Michael Landon smile), "S'long, Reverend. Maybe you could say a prayer we find gold." To which ...

2268. The King Of Hearts

Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them ... I am against the shepherds; and I will demand my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves" (Ezekiel 34:2b-4, 10a). Notice, however, the subtle shift in emphasis which occurs at verse 11: "For thus says the Lord God, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out ...

2269. Life's Loose Threads and The Tie That Binds

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... it: clearing the Protestant landscape as if operating a bulldozer, building from the ground up, and sparing no expense -- least of all, it would seem, in his economy of words. And yet, though the end was clearly in sight, Barth stopped short of ever actually completing the task. For whatever reason, one of the most provocative theologians of this century curiously left his doctrinal tower still under construction. Such experiences, of course, are hardly limited to artists, composers, and theologians. As ...

2270. Sometimes, You Gotta Get Your Feet Wet First

Joshua 3:1-4:24

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... first step. In other words, what constitute faith in this story is not so much a belief about God's grace as a movement toward that grace. And there is that same dynamic quality of movement in this scripture passage. After all, the Jordan River doesn't stop flowing until the Israelite priests have already waded up to their ankles. And maybe that's the point. Perhaps faith means getting your feet wet first! For it is only in reaching out to God, that it finally becomes possible for the Almighty to take hold ...

2271. Heaven's Wait

Joshua 24:1-27

Sermon

Robert S. Crilley

... unite them as husband and wife. Granted, they may not fully appreciate the fact, but their lives -- from this very moment on -- will change in countless ways. Nevertheless, for most couples, it is a welcomed change. On the way down to the maternity ward, you stop off at the store to purchase an infant car seat and an extra supply of diapers. The baby's room is freshly painted, and much of the morning has been devoted to the paternal (albeit painstaking) task of assembling a crib. With all of the excitement ...

2272. Giving Thanks Empowers

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Phyllis Faaborg Wolk

... of the service, the pastor felt exhausted. The church was empty as he walked up the aisle to remove his robe and hurry home for lunch before the afternoon youth activities. As he shuffled across the tile, the little two-year-old came around the corner and stopped in his path. With a smile and sparkle in her big brown eyes, she looked up at him and said, "Jesus loves you, Pastor Bob!" Those simple words, spoken in the high shrill voice of a little one, powerfully touched his heart. "Thank you, Leah," he said ...

2273. Two Sons: A Parable

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

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... . A. The Demand of Obedience B. The Claim of Sonship C. The Real Test in Behavior 5. Talkers and Doers. (vv. 28-31) Some people talk about needs. Others proceed to meet the need or solve the problem. Some people are so busy doing many things they never stop to ask if they are meeting real needs or doing the most important thing. A. All Talk, No Action B. All Doing, No Reflection C. A Rhythm of Talking and Doing Contact: Points of Contact 1. Many people live with tension between what they hear and confess in ...

2274. The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... encountered opposition. Persons who have the security of trust in him and awareness of his presence have a serenity despite the troubled world in which they live. This brings a kind of enduring satisfaction that transitory pleasures cannot afford. 2. Life requires growth. When we stop growing we begin dying. Muscles that are not used begin to atrophy. Abilities not used begin to fade. Skills not practiced lose their edge. It can be said that a basic law of life is that you must use what you have or you lose ...

2275. Toward A More Sensuous Christianity

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... surrounded by football enthusiasts. If I go to a symphony concert I expect to be surrounded by music lovers. When people come to worship why shouldn't they be surrounded by enthusiasts for the kingdom of God, by God lovers? Several years ago when I stopped at the welcome station after entering the state of Virginia I was given a bumper sticker that read: "Virginia Is For Lovers." The church is for lovers and when people enter the fellowship of Christian worship they should be able to sense that love which ...

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