Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2276 to 2300 of 4943 results

2276. Weed-Pulling

Matthew 13:24-30

Sermon

Richard Patt

"Jesus told them another parable: 'The Kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. One night, when everyone was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the plants grew and the heads of grain began to form, then the weeds showed up. The man's servants came to him and said, "Sir, it was good seed you sowed in your field; where did the weeds come from?" "It was some enemy who did this," he answered. "Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?" they ...

2277. The Agony and Ecstasy of Sight

John 9:1-12

Sermon

Richard Hoefler

The miracle story of Jesus healing the man born blind is placed against the background of a puzzle that has plagued humankind ever since the first person stubbed his toe on a stone and cried out in pain. It is the question of why there is suffering in the world. Despite the many attempted solutions and suggested answers, people are still not satisfied - only more confused. The stubbed toe still hurts. Is the stone we stumble over placed there by chance or circumstance? Are we somehow engaged in a dangerous ...

2278. The Little Miracle Before The Big One

Luke 22:47-53

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

If you were a Miracle-Worker, and you had one final miracle to perform before dying, what would you choose as a big, never-to-be-forgotten climax? Suppose you had already done such things as calm a storm at sea, multiply five loaves and two fishes into enough food to feed 5,000 people, walked on water, opened blind eyes, caused the dumb to speak, the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear, turned water into wine, and even raised the dead - now you are about to do one more miracle before you die - what would it ...

2279. Standing Room Only Religion

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

It is a picturesque story containing drama, suspense, and humor. I have imagined the crowds pressing in upon Jesus in an effort to hear clearly the profound wisdom and good news he was sharing. There was an excitement in the air going along with being in the presence of a celebrity. I also have imagined the delightful scene of the four friends carrying the paralyzed man, trying to press through the crowd into the packed house where Jesus was "preaching the word," as Mark puts it. Frustrated in their ...

2280. Excited By Our Faith

John 1:35-42

Sermon

King Duncan

There was a rather poor, elderly lady who sometimes visited a church in her town. The lay elders of the church were always embarrassed when she did, because she loved to get excited in the service. "Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!" she would shout. That was more than the dignified members of this staid congregation could endure. One Sunday morning the church elders greeted her at the door and made an agreement with her. They promised her a new, heavy blanket for the cold, winter months if she would not shout ...

2281. When Jesus Comes to Church

Mark 11:27-33

Sermon

Michael Milton

1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3 ‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’ 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 ‘I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.’ 7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have ...

2282. Recognizing Christ

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

King Duncan

A woman named Lidia DeGormez and her husband were in the hospital waiting room shortly before the birth of their second child. They met a young couple also waiting for the wife to deliver. Lidia’s husband commented that the two mothers-to-be looked so much alike they could be twins. Before long, both soon-to-be-Moms went into the delivery room. Lidia’s baby, a girl, was born first. Lidia was covered up almost completely as they took her down the hall to await a room. Still a bit groggy, she barely noticed ...

2283. Like a Good Neighbor, Jesus Is There

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

Which stranded motorist would be helped the soonest: a pregnant woman, a little old lady, a messy hippie, a smartly dressed career woman, or a scantily dressed sex symbol? A Florida Space Coast newspaper decided to find out, and ran a test on U. S. Route One with a twenty-two year old actress, Sally Mullins, who played the distressed driver in five different roles: Career woman: standing by the side of her broken down Pontiac, dressed in a double-breasted suit, holding up a "stop and please help sign" - ...

2284. Law and Order

Nehemiah 7:73b--8:18

Sermon

James Merritt

I want to show you two pictures. The first picture is of a house [show picture]. The second picture is the family that lives in that house. [show picture]. Which is more valuable? The house or The family Which can make the greatest impact for God? The House or The Family Which is going to last for all eternity? The House or The Family Which is God more interested in building? The House or The Family Now those questions are very important as we come to the eighth chapter of Nehemiah. The people have finally ...

2285. What Happens When You're Not Prepared for What Happens

Luke 8:26-39

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

How do you handle what happens when you're not prepared for what happens? Well, sometimes not all that well. I would like to call your attention to a movie, Cheaper By The Dozen, starring Steve Martin. There are numerous scenes in this movie that illustrate how one father tries to take care of things while his wife is away. This movie is about a father who has just gotten his dream job of coaching football at his college alma mater. But this job change calls for him, his wife, their twelve children — yes, ...

2286. Bystanders or Standbys

Genesis 2:4-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Crime scene investigators (which we now know as “CSI”) acknowledge that if all the witnesses to an event report exactly the same information there is only one conclusion to draw: They are lying. Human individuality, the uniqueness of individual perceptions and eye-witness, the unrepeatability of each person’s own experience, makes it impossible for any group of individuals to see and report an event with the exact same language and coherence. If each rendition becomes a simply repetition — something is ...

2287. It Wasn’t The Hilton, You Know

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

Characters (in order of appearance) Child 1 (Lead Shepherd) Child 2 (Mary) Child 3 (Narrator) Child 4 (Joseph) Child 5 (Lead Angel) Child 6 (Angel 2) Director Assistant Director Kristy (Innkeeper's Wife) Shepherd 2 Shepherd 3 Props Dish towels Bathrobes White pillow cases Cardboard box Stuffed animals —a few Piece of white fabric “Scripts” Broom Clipboard Tinsel halos Cardboard star Baby doll Baby blanket Notes This play about doing a play drives home the central message of this volume — that the trappings ...

2288. Sleeping through the Alarm

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

I might as well get this off my chest. I have an abiding dislike for alarm clocks. Truth be told, more than a few of them have met an untimely demise as they have flown across the room after daring to interrupt my sleep. It's true. There is nothing quite so grating, so unpleasant as the electronic wheezing that emerges from the clock by my bedside every morning at 6 a.m. It doesn't matter if I'm dreaming or not. I could even be laying there half awake and thinking about getting up a little early. Sometimes ...

2289. Everything Must Go: Striking It Rich

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

James Merritt

I didn’t grow up poor, but I certainly didn’t grow up rich. If you were to divide the middle class into lower, middle, and upper my family would probably have been close to the upper part of the lower end. We lived in decent houses, but never one that had air-conditioning or a fireplace. Probably the nicest car we ever drove was a brand new Volkswagen Beetle. I wore decent clothes, but never name brands. The most money my dad ever made in a week was $100 dollars. Every summer my dad would raise ...

2290. What Do You See?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

A businessman was returning to the U.S. from Asia and had a connecting flight in Iran. After deboarding the plane he stopped by the bathroom. After washing his hands he looked down to realize his bag had been stolen. That is a problem for anyone, but for him it was a disaster, because his wallet and passport were in it. He rushed out into the terminal to see if he could spot someone running away, but he found no one. He was relieved that at least he was traveling with a co-worker, but his supposed friend ...

2291. The Coming of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 4:13--5:11

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Although the formula, “Now about …” (peri de), which sometimes appears to have marked Paul’s answers to questions (see disc. on 4:9) does not occur, 4:13–18 is probably his answer to a question about the fate of deceased believers. From the teaching the missionaries gave while they were still with them, the Thessalonians would have known the general eschatological scenario that Paul unfolds in these verses, but at least some of them were still unsure where the Christian dead fitted into it. They may have ...

2292. To Elders and Young Men

1 Peter 5:1-11

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

A Special Charge to Elders 5:1 Peter now turns to address the local church leaders, the elders among you. The term elders can indicate those senior in age (as in v. 5) or as here, senior in experience. In the nature of the case, of course, the latter meaning will often include the former. Hints of the function of elders can be gleaned from verses 2–3. Their duties include leading and pastoring church members, taking financial responsibility, and living exemplary lives that match up to Christian teaching. ...

2293. The Pointer

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

Ron Lavin

John, the cousin of Jesus, baptized Jews in the Jordan River for the forgiveness of sins. He pointed to sin to prepare people for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist might also be called, John the Pointer. In the gospel of Mark, we read that the ministry of John points to the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. John prepared the way for the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-2) by pointing. John pointed away from himself to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not an exaggeration to say that John ...

2294. Lent 3

John 4:1-26, Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:27-38, John 4:39-42, Isaiah 42:18-25

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Exodus 17:1-7 (C, E); Exodus 17:3-7 (RC) The people of Israel cry out against Moses and God for bringing them out into the wilderness, where there is no water. Moses, fearing for his life, takes the problem to the Lord. God commands Moses to take the staff with which he struck the Nile, when the sea parted before them, and strike a rock. Water would flow forth. This place is called both Massah and Meribah. Massah means "test" and Meribah renders "to find fault." The disobedient ...

2295. Proper 12

John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15, 2 Samuel 11:1-27, Ephesians 3:14-21

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: God fills us with the Bread of Life for our bodies and our spirits. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 (C) King David has consolidated his power and no longer personally engages in the risky task of doing battle with his enemies. Getting up from his afternoon nap, he surveys his capital from his balcony, when he spies a beautiful woman taking her bath; it is Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of David's valiant fighters. He has her brought to his palace and has sex with her. When she sends word ...

2296. The Lion, The Lamb And Herod’s Rage

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

Erskine White

A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children.(Matthew 2:18) The text I read to you from Matthew’s gospel is surely the least known part of the Christmas story. It’s the part most people forget about or would rather overlook. In fact, in all my years of growing up in the church, I never heard anyone preach an Advent sermon on this "Slaughter of the Innocents" in Bethlehem, even though it is as much a part of the Christmas story as shepherds and wise men and stars ...

2297. Give Me A Break!

Matthew 11:25-30

Sermon

Larry Goodpaster

Jesus was having one of those days! You know the kind of day when nothing goes exactly the way it was planned. The kind of day when staying in bed seems to be an option that should have been taken the first thing in the morning. The kind of day when the only words spoken to you, or at you, are words of criticism and sarcasm. The kind of day some of us have far too often. That was the kind of day Jesus was having. The picture of that day is painted for us by Matthew in the opening verses of the 11th chapter ...

2298. In The Nick of Time

Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon

Jon L. Joyce

The story of stewardship goes back to the beginning of the Bible when, high on a mountaintop, a father actually offered up his little boy. It is the first reliably recorded "pledge" in the Bible. We moderns, however, have flinched so in horror at this barbaric episode, which God stopped in the nick of time, that we have been afraid to take another look; and we have missed the extraordinary valor and enviable devotion that went, this once, with stewardship. God never meant to let this man make such a ...

2299. Immanuel

Isaiah 63:7-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Since it is so close to Christmas, could you forgive a really bad joke? Snow White took photos of the Seven Dwarfs and their surroundings. She took the film to be developed. After a week or so she went to get the finished photos. The clerk said the photos were not back from the processor. Needless to say, she was disappointed and started to cry. The clerk, trying to console her, said, "Don't worry, Snow White. Someday your prints will come." We've already noted that the people of Israel were awaiting their ...

2300. A Longer Stride and a Larger Embrace

Galatians 2:11-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel.” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned over Judah ...

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