Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2276 to 2300 of 4943 results

2276. More Than "Turkey Day" (New) Thanksgiving

2 Chronicles 9:1-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... others? God set up this remarkable system of joy and blessings, gratitude and generosity, giving and receiving and then God backs it up with a lifetime guarantee. Gratitude and generosity feed on one another. Give out of gratitude and your sense of gratitude will continue to grow. It’s an important and time-tested principle of Christian living. No wonder Paul wrote, “Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!” Jump start the joy cycle in your life today by looking for ways to ...

2277. A Way Made Ready

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Darrick Acre

... to us; Advent. God does not come only “once upon a time,” and then the story is over, “happily ever after.” It is not something the Lord did “one and done.” Nor is the coming of God a once, and then only again at the end of time, reality. God continually comes to us. Every moment of every day, whether we realize it or not, whether we sense it or not, whether we can see or hear or touch Him or not, God comes to us. The presence of God bombards our lives, sweeping over us like waves in the ocean ...

2278. Hope in the Shadows

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

Darrick Acre

... blotted out, the moon may no longer shine, all the stars may fall, there may be no light—but no matter how bad it gets there is a greater reality than the shadows. It is the reality of a coming Savior. It is with that in mind that Jesus continues to speak to His disciples. I don’t believe He wants only Andrew, Peter, James, and John to hear this message. I believe Jesus wants all His disciples throughout the ages of time to hear it. There are going to be many times when we walk through shadows—intense ...

2279. What’s the Good Word?

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... and limited in our vision. Yes, John recognizes that there is wickedness and evil and darkness in the world, but those things are primarily attributable to human choice. Some folks love the darkness more than they love the light (3:19). But nevertheless the light continues to shine in the darkness, and the darkness has never yet put it out. And never will. “What’s the good word?” Jesus is. The Bible is not “the Word of God” as some Christians insist. That is not what the Bible says. The Bible ...

2280. Jesus: The Life of the Party

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... it all into perspective. Then he affirms his faith that God actually does save the best wine until the last, for Jesus is not only "the life of the party" at a wedding back there somewhere in the Galilee, He is also the Life of all life, the One who continually brings meaning and hope and joy to millions who believe in Him throughout all of the ages. And so our short visit to Cana in Galilee fades away into a rich sunset of color as we see the puzzled wine steward slowly twisting his cup in his hand and ...

2281. On Doing the Truth

John 3:14-21

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... fact.” They speak of the “Tat-wort,” or the “deed-word.” That is a good expression for Christians because for the Christian Faith deeds and words are inextricably entwined. It all began when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and it continues when that Word continues to become flesh and dwell within us. The reality is that fact is fact and truth is true only insofar as both are done. As St. Francis once said, a person “has only so much knowledge as he puts to work.” Believing, in the ...

2282. Some Said It Thundered

John 12:20-36

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son...listen to Him!” But the world did not listen to Him. And the world’s blindness and deafness made a Calvary. But you and I claim to be among that part of the world which did listen to Him, and continues to listen to Him. Maybe if we listen to His words 999 times (as Chesterton says) along about the thousandth time we will actually hear them, and hear them in such a way that our lives will be transformed! John Masefield’s poem “The Everlasting Mercy” tells ...

2283. Does God Give Out Blank Checks?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... anyone else in the world. Now, having gotten that out of the way, let’s speak no more of it again.” It is hard to see how much of a continuing mutual relationship can be sustained under those circumstances. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you,” said Jesus, “then you may ask what you will.” His words imply a continuing, active relationship of mutual love. I believe that our whole notion of what prayer is, depends upon our notion of who God is. Jesus said that God is a loving, heavenly ...

2284. That Would Be Some Miracle!

John 6:1-15

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... in life. He was an old man, tradition tells us, and had the advantage of having reflected on the story and its meaning for decades. Perhaps he was interested not only in telling us what Jesus did back then, but in what the living Christ in the Church continues to do, year after year, century after century; He takes whatever we can offer Him, blesses it, and makes it a blessing to others. “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” (John 6:9 ...

2285. On Panicking Close to Shore

John 6:16-24

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... by the sheer power of suffering love. He thought of “Messiah” not as one who would make others suffer, but as one who would suffer on behalf of others. And so Jesus slipped away to the hills to be alone. The disciples then got into their boat and continued their journey on the water. Mark’s Gospel says that Jesus told them to do so. It seems that it was His intention to walk around the north end of the lake and join them when they docked at Capernaum. This would take Jesus through the “deserted ...

2286. It Costs to Belong

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... came into the world, “The Word became flesh.” But the Word made flesh was put to death upon a cross. Yet, even though death could claim Him, it could not hold Him. He rose from the dead and continued His mighty work...through the Church, His body. Down through the ages, Christ continues to speak through the lips, minister through the hands, walk on errands of mercy upon the feet of those who belong to His Church. The special Twelve who were with Him were called “apostles,” which means “one sent ...

2287. Family Reunion

Mark 3:31-35

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... family of God called the church. And why we need to be faithful to our commitments to it. At the conclusion of our service this morning, we are being asked to give out of our “accumulated love,” and to the best of our ability, so that the Church might continue its ministry and be a beacon of light to those who come after us, just as it has been for us. So I invite you to give generously, and give “as unto the Lord.” You know, whenever there is a real “family crisis,” most of us are willing to ...

2288. Afraid of Sanity

Mark 5:1-20

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... leaders of nations sitting down to a peace table, while a little man in corner, holding bombs, guns, rockets in his arms, whines: “What about us? We’re gonna be put out of work!” One can only wonder how much of the trouble in today’s world is continually being stirred up by those whose business it is to profit by it. They began to beg Jesus to depart out of their neighborhood.” (v.17) We may exclaim with self-righteous astonishment, “How could they be so blind and stupid as to order Jesus to get ...

2289. Childish or Child-like?

Mark 10:13-16

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... for bringing children to Jesus. Halford Luccock asks in the INTERPRETER’S BIBLE: “How could they be with Christ so continuously, seeing what he cared about most, hearing his words, and still fail so dismally to understand him?” (THE INTERPRETER’S ... was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” This building was not built fifty years ago without enthusiasm. Our church will not continue its ministry into the next century without enthusiasm. A minister was showing a friend around his church, and, referring to ...

2290. Not the Seasons for Figs

Mark 11:12-19

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... enough to say to a mountain, “Be cast into the sea, and it shall be done.” We might ask: What mountains of difficulties and problems were they having in the early church? These students had learned so little from their Master that they were continually squabbling among themselves about who was to be the greatest in God’s coming Kingdom. I take this tack in dealing with these words, because of what Jesus says next: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so ...

2291. God’s Greatest Gamble

Mark 12:1-12

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... an initiative of “grace.” It is not the normal response to rebellion, nor the action of a wronged property owner. It is, however, a perfect description of what God did in response to humanity’s downward slide of disobedience which began in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day. “For God so loved the world, that he sent His only Son....” (John 3:16) The third act shows the rejection of God’s grace in Jesus Christ by the religious leaders of His day. That is what Mark wanted us to see when ...

2292. Blessings Beyond Our Dreams (Part 2 )

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , fathers, until you get to the one of Jabez. Evidently, he had an irresponsible father whose name had been dropped from the official records at the Temple because he had lost the family’s land and inheritance in a shameful way." (1) Evidently his brothers continued in that same shameful tradition. Jabez starts his life behind the proverbial eight ball. He has no property--no way to start earning a living--no way to attain to a position of honor or status in the community. In the midst of this emotional ...

2293. Whose Hand Is On Your Shoulder? (Part 4)

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... crowd on any subject they chose. A local troublemaker who had come to heckle the preacher suggested that he preach on nothing. So that’s what Preacher Marks did. God created the world out of nothing, he said. There is nothing unjust in God’s laws, he continued. We have nothing of our own to boast about, but if we give our lives to Christ we will have nothing to fear in eternity. On and on, Pastor Marks preached eloquently on this subject of nothing. A few months later, Pastor Marks returned to Ancaster ...

2294. The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... reformer, once said, "The only way you can be assured of one''s forgiveness is when you are able to forgive others." While you might not be able to completely forget what the other person has done to you, it is no longer a barrier to continuing that relationship. The following ad appeared in the Scottsbluff, Nebraska, local newspaper in the sale/trade column. It said, "Will trade one white wedding gown--size 14, never worn--for 357 magnum." She would be a good candidate for the School of Forgiveness. We all ...

2295. The Lord's Prayer: Deliver us from Evil

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... of Yugoslavia. The reports of Serbian war atrocities in Bosnia involving Orthodox Serbs, Muslim Bosnians, and Roman Catholic Croats does not speak well of the role of faith and how it is supposed to add to the healing of a nation, not its destruction. * The continuing bloodshed in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. Then the sobering fact that came to light in the Los Angeles riots, that for far too many Americans prison life is a step up to a better life than the cruelty of life lived in the streets ruled ...

2296. GIVE ME YOUR SINS: The First Word

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... part of the story occurred when the son of the pilot who flew the first missionaries to the island in 1956 was baptized by the very man who had tragically killed his own father. Instead of buying a gun and taking his revenge, he joined God''s team and continued the missionary witness that his father had given his life for. You can only forgive like that when you have stood at the foot of the cross. Yes, we often do hold onto grudges and desires for vengeance like they were valued treasure--but it is a type ...

2297. The First Commandment: Who's on First?

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... people. One geologist is heard to say, "You know, if they had a different god, they could have been a different people." We become like the gods we worship. This is why we must only worship the true God--the God whose character is holy and righteous. As we continue in our study of the Ten Commandments, we look at the first rule for building a life of faith: "You shall have no other gods before me." Some of you remember the old Abbott and Costello routine "Who''s On First?" The very real and age-old struggle ...

2298. The Second Commandment: What Is Your Golden Calf?

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Today we continue in our series on the Ten Commandments. We come to the second commandment which teaches us: "You shall not make for yourself an idol." We are not to bow down to wood or stone. We learn that God is jealous for us against ... in our faith and nudged to lay aside all things that prevent us from giving ourselves completely to the living God. Let us now prepare for the holy meal. This blessing has not only gone on for three or four generations but also will continue until his very coming again.

2299. Hissing in the Garden

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the conditions under which we are tested, but God can never tempt with evil--because evil is always contrary to God''s sovereign nature. Thirdly, temptation reveals to us how much more we need to grow and lean on the everlasting arms of God rather than continue on our journey with our present resources. Everett Fullam, in his book Living the Lord''s Prayer, tells of being taken by a friend on a tour of the test facility of a major airplane manufacturer in Seattle. Coming upon a piece of aircraft, his friend ...

2300. Honestly, Are You Worried about Tomorrow?

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , "You''ll never finish the job, old man! There are not enough days in the year for you to do this." But Tan replied confidently, "I am not as foolish as you think, my friend. I may be old and feeble, but after I am gone, my sons will continue to peck away at the mountain. Then their sons and their sons'' sons will do the same. Since the mountain cannot grow, someday it will be level with the ground, and the sun will shine upon our land." Many of the problems we cannot eliminate instantly can be moved ...

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