Sermon and Worship Resources

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2351. Give Us a Little Longer

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

King Duncan

Prudence Phillipson of England uses this analogy. When her children were young the floor of their playroom often became messy with games and toys strewn everywhere. Prudence got her children to clean up their toys and games by telling them she was going round the corner to the shop. "When I come back," she warned, "everything should be in its place." She would then give each child a task before she left. The oldest child would be given more complicated tasks while the simpler ones would go to the younger ...

2352. Give Us a Break

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

When was the last time you took a "breather" from all those distractions that claim to be the most important concerns in life? Take a break from the din and listen instead to the voices of biblical and church tradition - our true "sponsor" whose words we should heed, despite the cacophony of advertising that tries to dissuade us from the tradition. Remember when television shows were regularly interrupted by a velvet-voice announcing, "And now a word from our sponsors"? From there the programming moved ...

2353. Man Up A Tree

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Larry Powell

Every church school child knows the story of Zacchaeus: "Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he; he climbed up in a sycamore tree, for Jesus he would see." For our purposes here, let us divide the story into three parts: 1. The person. Jericho was the gate city for Judea’s trade with the East, which meant that it was also the checkpoint for customs on imports and exports. Zacchaeus, as "chief tax collector," was in charge of collections and overseer of all other tax collectors in his ...

2354. Opening Up to Jesus

Mark 2:1-12

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

Theme: Jesus fulfills all our needs. Summary: At the home of Joash a crowd gathers because Jesus is going there to teach. Joash has his house ready -- even a new roof. During the evening friends bring a lame man but can't get to Jesus. What to do? They tear off the roof, of course. Jesus heals the man and the roof gets fixed too. Playing Time: 8 minutes Setting: The home of Joash Props: Wine and cups Litter for lame man Pallet Costumes: Peasants of Jesus' Time Time: The Time of Jesus Cast: Joash -- the ...

2355. Get Up and Go

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

A primary Sunday school class invited their pastor to view their Christmas art work. On the bulletin board were posted pictures of the Holy Family at the manger, angels singing to shepherds in the field, and wise men bringing their gifts to the Christ child. One drawing, however, puzzled the pastor. It was a picture of the Holy Family boarding a jet plane with the pilot already in the cockpit. “Tell me about this picture," said the pastor. The little boy who drew it spoke up and said, “That is Mary and ...

2356. Giving What You've Got

Luke 2:1-7

Children's Sermon

Teresa L. Major

Object: None. Lesson: The innkeeper is accused of turning away the Savior, but actually he gave what he had to give. We are called to do the same. Help me remember some of the characters from the Christmas story. There's Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, anyone else? How about the innkeeper? What do you remember about him? (Children respond.) The innkeeper told Mary and Joseph there was no room for them in his inn. Sometimes when we hear about this fellow, we hear people say negative things about what he ...

2357. The Gift That Keeps On Giving

2 Kings 5:1-27

Sermon

Keith Hammer

It is a hectic Sunday morning after worship. People are streaming in and out of the pastor’s office as he tries to put away all of the things that seem to have accumulated on his desk since he arrived earlier that morning. Suddenly Neta appears at the door. “Pastor, I’d like you to meet Emily Johnson. She’s worshiping with us for the first time today and wants to join our church.” The pastor puts aside what he is doing and greets Emily warmly. He invites her to sit down for a minute so that he can get to ...

2358. Giving Thanks Before Thanksgiving

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Brett Blair

Greg Anderson, in Living Life on Purpose tells a story about a man whose wife had left him. He was completely depressed. He had lost faith in himself, in other people, in God--he found no joy in living. One rainy morning this man went to a small neighborhood restaurant for breakfast. Although several people were at the diner, no one was speaking to anyone else. Our miserable friend hunched over the counter, stirring his coffee with a spoon. In one of the small booths along the window was a young mother ...

2359. The World's Greatest Cover Up

Romans 4:1-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

"Catch Me If You Can" was the title of one of the big movies out a few years ago, starring two superstars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. When Leonardo DiCaprio's con-man character Frank has to sneak out of the Miami airport while being watched by hundreds of FBI agents, he first sneaks in by attracting the maximum amount of attention. Instead of trying to move through the airport unobtrusively, Frank surrounds himself with a crowd of beautiful young women dressed as flight attendants. Every FBI agent ...

2360. Can I Give Enough?

Mark 12:41-44

Children's Sermon

Marti Kramer Suddarth

Object: Card stock printed with scripture reference and verses, Bag of pennies Have you ever looked for a gift for someone but worried that it wouldn’t be good enough? Sometimes, we worry that the person receiving our gift won’t like it or maybe other people who see the gift won’t think that it was good enough. And sometimes, we judge the gifts we receive by how big or how fancy or how expensive we think they are. In the Bible, Jesus told a story that shows how he judges gifts. (Show the card stock with ...

2361. Loving Close-up

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

I was with Bishop Bevel Jones recently, and he told me about a funny experience that happened to him recently. He was preaching at a camp meeting down in South Georgia. The tabernacle was packed with people and Bev was really getting with it. He had preached longer than normal – but still had about 10 minutes to go. He was in the midst of a dramatic point of sharing, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a little boy get up from the front row and start toward him. Well he didn't know what was going on. ...

2362. Up Close & Personal: Coming Into Focus

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

James Merritt

This is what most of us know as an “eye chart.” The actual name for this piece of paper is a Snellen Chart, and it is used to test your vision. More specifically, it is used to test how well your eyes can focus. At a distance of 20 feet, if you can read the red line on this chart, then you have 20/20 vision. Now, if all you can read is one of the larger letters, then this tells the eye doctor that your vision is out of focus. [Pastor’s Note: A PowerPoint slide of a Snellen Eye Chart is included in your ...

2363. Showing Up

Ephesians 3:1-12

Sermon

John N. Brittain

We lived in Florida for a while in the 1980s and it was then that we learned about Tarpon Springs. Not a large city, it has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any place in the US. This dates back to the 1880s, when Greek immigrants moving into the area were hired as sponge divers, a trade they had plied back in the old country. Today Tarpon Springs' main claim to fame is the Greek Orthodox Church's Epiphany celebration, which is held every January 6, with the blessing of the waters and the boats ...

2364. Sermon on the Mount: Giving, Prayer, and Fasting

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Jesus expects his disciples to practice a covenantal piety that centers on a longing for God’s kingdom to arrive and strives to please God, not humans. Understanding the Text Following on the heels of Matthew’s instructions about keeping the law, this passage indicates right ways of enacting religious practices of giving, prayer, and fasting. In each case, believers ought to act “in secret” to receive divine rather than human approval. Their behavior is to contrast with “hypocrites” who care ...

2365. When What’s Holding You Up Lets You Down

2 Samuel 18:33-19:8

Sermon

Shirley Gupton Lynn

Once in Atlanta the relief organization CARE sponsored a No-Show Marathon. For a ten-dollar donation, participants got a race number and a Marathon T-shirt, every runner's status symbol. But the good part is, they didn't have to run the grueling 26-mile course. In fact, in the No-Show Marathon, no one ran at all; they just gathered at a local nightclub and talked about it. Sometimes we wish life were a No-Show Marathon, and we didn't have to run the race. But even when illness, disappointment, and problems ...

2366. Growing Up

Judges 17:1-13

Sermon

Michael J. Anton

NEW YEAR’S DAY Last night the final day of the Lord came one step closer. In assorted ways and with a mixture of feelings we watched the hands on the clock make their last revolution and inch their way into the new year. No one really looks different, and the scenery hasn’t changed between yesterday and today, but we have that feeling of climax, knowing yesterday is last year. In the mind’s eye, there is a great, long distance between today and all that happened last year. We feel a newness, a freshness ...

2367. Good News Or Bad News?

Sermon

Rolf E. Aaseng

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ..." Then he will say ...

2368. Stirring Things Up

Mark 13:1-8, Hebrews 10:11-25

Sermon

Mark Trotter

The Union Tribune carried a series of articles this last week on the variety of religions that are emerging as we approach the millennium. We used to talk about religion in America as Protestant, Catholic and Jew. Now there are more Muslims in America than there are Episcopalians, and soon there will be more than there are Jews. Now with the largest in-migration to this country from Asia, there will soon be a lot of Buddhists to add to the mix in America. So while at the beginning of the 20th century you ...

2369. A Ministry Of Hospitality

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Richard Patt

Maybe you've heard the humorous story about the pastor who was having difficulty with his assigned parking space on the church parking lot. People parked in his spot whenever they pleased, even though there was a sign that clearly said, "This space reserved." He thought the sign needed to be more clear, so he had a different sign made, which read, "Reserved for Pastor Only." Still people ignored it and parked in his space whenever they felt like it. "Maybe the sign should be more forceful," he thought. So ...

2370. Gifts of Lent V: A Soldier Gives His Wine

Matthew 27:45-56

Drama

Donald Neidigk

Dramatic Monologue My name is Saint Longinus. The ancient traditions of the church say I was martyred in the service of Jesus. I was just Longinus then. You'll remember me for a number of things I did on that Friday of Holy Week: commanding the execution squad, giving Jesus a drink of cheap wine as he hung on the cross dying, confessing that he was the Son of God, and finally piercing him with my lance to ensure that he was dead. And you wonder why I'm called Saint Longinus? I understand your confusion. I ...

2371. Christ Gives Us Victory Over Sin and Death

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

Call to Worship Pastor: The resurrection hope offers a new quality of living even in this life. People: Both sin and death would try to defeat us; but Christ gives us victory over both! Pastor: Such victory challenges us to be firm in our faith, and in our service to Christ. People: We commit ourselves to Christ, assured that life lived in his service has its greatest value. Collect O God our Father, who gives victory over sin and death through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: Grant us your victory, that ...

2372. Pucker Up in the Morning

Illustration

Staff

If you want to be happy, healthy, successful, and live longer, give your spouse a kiss before you go to work each day. That's the conclusion of a study conducted by a group of German physicians and psychologists, in cooperation with insurance companies. According to Dr. Arthur Sazbo, the study found that those who kiss their spouse each morning miss less work because of illness than those who do not. They also have fewer auto accidents on the way to work. They earn 20 to 30 percent more monthly and they ...

2373. Wake Up!

Romans 13:11-14

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate the urgency of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Props: An alarm clock Lesson: How many of you like to wake up in the morning? (response) How many of you like to lay in the bed and sleep, and find it hard to get up sometimes? (response) Me too. How many of you can get up easier if you know that you’re going to do something really neat that day? (response) That’s kind of like me, too. I remember two different times that it was time for me to wake up. One time I didn’t. ...

2374. Hope Lifted Up

Numbers 21:4-9

Sermon

Ken Lentz

It was a mystery. Hezekiah, the twelfth king of Judah, the father of Manasseh, asked around about the mysterious bronze snake, named Nehushtan, on display in a corner of the temple. Encouraged by the prophet Micah, Hezekiah wanted to restore and strengthen the monotheistic religion of his forefathers. The veneration of such a "graven image" was inconsistent with the worship of the one God, the God of Abraham and Moses. No one knew the origin of the thing. Hezekiah didn't research the matter. He ordered ...

2375. Man, Give Me Some Bread: I Want To See God

John 6:25-59

Sermon

King Duncan

Many years ago, a Mrs. Maria Rubio of Lake Arthur, New Mexico, was rolling out tortillas for lunch when she saw something that took her breath away. Looking back at her from a flat tortilla was the face of Jesus! The skillet had burned a perfect representation of a slender, bearded face onto the surface of the bread. Now I am not certain how Mrs. Rubio knew that this was Jesus, but she convinced a reluctant priest to bless the piece of bread, then she built a shrine around it. Mrs. Rubio quit her job so ...

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