Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2326 to 2350 of 4943 results

2326. Unlikely Election

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

John E. Harnish

You could make the case that right here, in the first days of the first church in the first chapter of the book of Acts, the church made its first big mistake. Jesus left them in Jerusalem with nothing but a promise and told them to wait. Waiting got to be too much. With no idea what was to come, or when, anxious about the future, uncertain about what they should do, they decide to take things into their own hands. I can just imagine impetuous Peter—always ready to jump into a vacuum, to fill the silence ...

2327. Is God Pleased With Me?

Hebrews 11:1-6

Sermon

James Merritt

One of the most exciting events in track and field is the relay races. It takes a combination of speed, timing, precision, and teamwork in order for a relay team to be victorious. Now the suspense is much greater than an individual race because in an individual race the fastest person always wins. In a relay race the fastest team can lose if one thing happens - they fail to pass the baton. Any track coach will tell you that relay races are won or lost not in the sheer speed of the team, but in the transfer ...

2328. Samaria and Our Spiritual Journey

John 4:1-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Edward DeBono is a man who travels all over the world, giving seminars on how to think. He teaches what he calls “lateral thinking,” and he illustrates what he means by that from an experience in an early life. Some thirty years ago he was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. One night he attended a party in London. The party lasted late, and he got back to Oxford after the gates were closed. Traditionally in that college the gates were locked at twenty minutes past midnight. So, in order to get to his room, he had ...

2329. Updating Some Ancient Laws

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Several years ago on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post, there was a painting by Norman Rockwell showing a woman buying her Thanksgiving turkey. The turkey was lying on the scales, and the butcher was standing back of the counter, apron pulled tight over his fat stomach, a pencil tucked behind his ear. The customer, a lovely lady of about 60, stood watching the weighing in. Each of them had a pleased look as if each knew a secret joke. There’s nothing unusual about a butcher and a customer watching as ...

2330. Investing in God’s Future

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Chris Ewing

(Note: At the time of reading this passage to the congregation, explain that a single talent was worth more than fifteen years' wages of a laborer [per NRSV footnote to Matthew 25:14] — in other words, easily a cool quarter of a million dollars in today's terms!) "I was afraid," quavered the third servant, "because I knew that you were a ruthless businessman, expecting profit even when it is impossible. I was so afraid of losing your money that I put it in a box and buried it. Here is your money, exactly ...

2331. One in Christ

Ephesians 2:11-22

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

Christ and the Unity of Believers The apostle is addressing Jewish and Gentile believers in 2:1–10. He begins by showing that both groups of people were living in disobedience and sin; both stood in need of God’s mercy and love. The Good News in the passage is that a loving and gracious God acted to correct that through his Son. In union with Christ, believers become a new creation and are resurrected and exalted with their Lord. As such, they are lifted out of their former evil condition that they might ...

2332. The Fall of Jericho

Joshua 5:13--6:27

Understanding Series

J. Gordon Harris

The Fall of Jericho: 5:13–15 Once the people are prepared to do battle in the name of the Lord, Joshua meets a mysterious visitor near Jericho (lit. in Jericho). The stranger is a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand (5:13). Joshua reacts like an alert sentry. He calls the man to identify himself: Are you for us or for our enemies? That request is especially relevant for a warrior standing with a drawn sword. The reply of the stranger puzzles interpreters. The NIV translates it, ...

2333. Riddles and Metaphors

Ezekiel 15:1-8, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Ezekiel 17:1-24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

As a priest, Ezekiel was literate and well educated. His learned background is apparent in his imaginative use of a variety of literary forms and styles. The effect of this creativity on his original audience was evidently mixed; some contemporaries dismissed him as a teller of riddles (20:49; the NIV renders the Heb. meshalim “parables”) or “one who sings love songs” (33:32). Certainly, though, this variety makes Ezekiel one of the most interesting, as well as the most baffling, of the prophetic books. In ...

2334. More Beyond

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Centuries ago, Portugal adopted a national motto. The motto read: “No More Beyond.” It was an appropriate statement since Portugal, at the time, was the end of the world. But later some adventurous persons sailed beyond Portugal and discovered a whole new world. So the question arose: “What do we do with our national motto?” After much debate, one person simply scratched out a word, and the new motto became: “More Beyond.” Whenever life tumbles in upon us, it is easy to have a “No more beyond” attitude. ...

2335. Pop Verses!: Philippians 4:13

Philippians 4:13

Sermon

Charley Reeb

Good morning! It is great to see everyone. I am excited because I begin a new message series today! It’s called “Pop Verses!” meaning “popular’ verses of scripture. It was tough for me to whittle down this list to seven. There are several popular Bible verses. However, I think I picked the ones that most people are very familiar with. And some of these may be your most favorite of all. In this series we are going to take a closer look at these pop verses and the context in which they appear. We are going ...

2336. Re-Gifted but not Returned

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Dean Feldmeyer

A few years ago the New York Times city room editor, James Barron, asked readers to recall the worst Christmas gifts they had ever received. I thought I’d share a couple with you. I’d tell you the worst Christmas gift I ever got, but I don’t, to this day, know what it was. It was a secret Santa gift from someone at a company I do consulting work for. I can’t describe it. It was something like a plastic, brown mushroom/toadstool thing, with things glued on it, in a box with clear plastic over it.... I ...

2337. About Face!

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

King Duncan

I’d like to take a quick poll this morning. If you could choose to visit a famous site around the world, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Colosseum in Rome or the Giza Pyramids in Egypt or any other place of your choice, which would you choose to see? That’s not an easy question to answer. There are so many beautiful places in the world to visit. British photographer Oliver Curtis has created a very successful career in films, television and fashion photography. His success revolves around capturing ...

2338. How Much Should We Pack?

Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)

Sermon

William G. Carter

As much as I like to travel, I am never sure how much to pack. When my wife and I take off for a week long vacation, we do our best to keep a week’s worth of possessions down to one suitcase. That is the goal. There is never a guarantee it will happen. Packing is determined by two contradictory principles: how do we move quickly? How can we be prepared for every contingency? How many pairs of pants can I take, or in my wife’s case, how many pairs of shoes? Should we pack a sweatshirt? Does it rain in New ...

2339. What Would Jesus Say About Medical Care?

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

The gentle healer came into a town one day. He touched the blind and helped the lame to walk away. But more than that, he forgave the sins of those who stray. The gentle healer comes into our town today. [1] A full twenty percent of the gospels deal with the healing ministries of Jesus. Seeing the crowds he has compassion on them and one by one, person by person, individual by individual, he heals their diseases, casts out their demons, forgives their sins, and challenges them to live a life of wholeness. ...

2340. I Want My Dollar Back!

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

David Russell, a pastor in Union City, Tennessee tells about Nathan, a precocious three-year-old in his church. Nathan’s parents were trying to introduce him to what it means to be in church. One Sunday they gave him a one-dollar bill that Nathan was to place in the offering plate. When the plate moved down Nathan’s pew, his parents held it in front of him and told him to place the dollar in the plate. Nathan balked. Finally his mother gently took the dollar from him. She placed it in the plate, and it was ...

2341. The Sign For Home

John 6:1-15

Sermon

George W. Hoyer

The crowd gathered because they saw the signs Jesus was doing for the sick. Another sign was the meal for the thousands. But among the thousands there were different interpretations of that sign. Some said it showed that Jesus was the long-awaited prophet God had promised Israel. Others said it showed that in any election Jesus would be a shoe-in for king. Outdated political bumper stickers are, of all signs, surely the most irrelevant. "Thomas E. Dewey for President" is as meaningful as "Tippecanoe and ...

2342. Don't Be Stupid

Jeremiah 4:5-31

Sermon

Richard L. Sheffield

I ordered a new book this week. Hope it comes soon. Because God needs to read it! It's called Your Executive Image. As CEO of all that is, that's Creator, Executive, Overseer; as CEO of anything and everything that matters to you and me, God needs to keep up appearances. And it really doesn't do God's image any good for him to go around calling people "stupid children" (Jeremiah 4:22). Yet, Jeremiah tells us, God said of his people in Israel "... My people are foolish, they do not know me; they are stupid ...

2343. Week Five Of Lent

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Monday Week FiveDaniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62John 8:1-11 The God Of Forgiveness Humans love to tell stories about others. We tell many humorous stories which bring out the beauty of one's personality. We tell stories of heroism, bravery and significant accomplishments. Sometimes we even hear and tell stories of unconditional love and kindness shown to another. These are the types of stories we like to hear, ones that pick us up and make us feel good. Humans are far from perfect and thus there are ...

2344. Yes, But How?

Sermon

Lee Griess

Luke 13:1-9 A friend of mine tells a story about a man who borrowed a book from an acquaintance. As he read through it, he was intrigued to find parts of the book underlined with the letters YBH written in the margin. When he returned the book to the owner, he asked what the YBH meant. The owner replied that the underlined paragraphs were sections of the book that he basically agreed with. They gave him hints on how to improve himself and pointed out truths that he wished to incorporate into his life. ...

2345. Greed - Putting Things In Their Proper Perspective

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

R. Curtis Fussell

Mr. Jones had a job that gave him a comfortable income. He enjoyed fishing and motorhome camping. Every year or so he would buy a new combination fish and ski boat, not some little dinghy, but a really nice, fancy boat. Every couple of years Mr. Jones would buy a new motorhome camper. It was obvious that several other men in the neighborhood envied Mr. Jones and tried to keep up with his new toys. They too would buy and sell boats and campers. It was obvious that keeping up with Mr. Jones was a priority in ...

2346. Proper 13

Mt 14:13-21 · Rom 8:31-39 · Ex 12:1-14 · Ps 143

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

The Miracle Of Feeding 5,000 A little lad was asked which was his favorite parable. He replied, "I like the one about the loafs and fishing." The kid may be confused whether the story of Jesus' feeding the 5,000 is a parable or a miracle. However, the miracle of multiplying is also a favorite of the gospel writers. This miracle of Jesus is the only one recorded by the four evangelists. In addition, there are two accounts of feeding the 4,000 which New Testament scholars consider to be different versions of ...

2347. The Long Wait

2 Peter 3:9

Children's Sermon

Object: a pine cone Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a little tiny tree for you to see. (Hold up the pine cone.) This really isn't a tree, is it? (Let them answer.) It's a pine cone. This is a good time of year to talk about pine cones. What kind of tree does a pine cone come from? (Let them respond.) That's right, a pine tree. Pine trees are the kind of trees we use for Christmas trees. How many of you have your Christmas tree already? (Wait for show of hands.) Did you know that there are male or ...

2348. Step Two - Hope

Mk 10:46-52 · 2 Cor 12:7-10 · Is 12:1-6

Sermon

John A. Terry

Step two. "Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity." One word sometimes used to summarize this step is the word hope. We are going to look at today's texts as they relate to believing God restores us as we turn our lives over to that Power greater than ourselves. In the Old Testament reading, Isaiah sings a song of deliverance. The words might sound like a call for personal deliverance, but it is really a song for the deliverance of the nation and a call for a ...

2349. World Communion Sunday: A World In Communion

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Sermon

On this Sunday, while Americans were sleeping, Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo left their homes for places of worship to see their pastors take bread in their hands and declare, “This is my body.” In the Church of the Holy Resurrection in Jerusalem were heard the words, “This is my body.” In Saint Paul’s in London a hush fell across the congregation as the pastor declared, “This is my body.” In churches and cathedrals across the United States today pastors take bread into their hands and ...

2350. A Glory Revealed in Truth and Faithfulness

John 19:28-37

Sermon

"It is finished." - John 19:30 (RSV) Tonight we are confronted with the culmination of Jesus’ life and ministry. Last night we saw how Jesus knew that his death was imminent, that he was about to be betrayed, tortured and publicly executed. Even though he knew it, he did not give in to panic or cowardice, but calmly, with all the aplomb of a king, he faced the personal disaster head-on. We read that "he loved his own ... [and] he loved them to the end." He loved them to the end of his earthly life with a ...

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