Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2351 to 2375 of 4962 results

2351. No Room At The Inn

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to hear it without slipping into automatic response mode. And yet, somewhere along the way, usually when we least expect it, this story is born again in our hearts; faith and hope are birthed once more in our spirit. And with Faith and Hope filling our spirits, the world may not make sense, but our place in the world begins to. With Faith and Hope we can face anything because the baby born tonight, Emmanuel, God with us, means we are not alone. The universe is not some black hole sucking the life out of us ...

2352. Joshua People: Remember, Remind and Recommit

Joshua 24:14-18, 2 Peter 1:10-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... made the Recommitment easier. For when they remembered the promises of God and Reminded themselves of all that God had accomplished in their lives, who they were and how they got there, their lives were filled with Hope. It is easy to Recommit when there is Hope both for the present and the future. Frederick Buechner wrote, "Hope stands up to its knees in the past and keeps its eyes on the future. There has never been a time past when God wasn't with us as the strength beyond our strength, the wisdom beyond ...

2353. Flying First Class

Ephesians 1:3-13

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... this silver I've bought your soul. I've ransomed you from fear and hatred. And now I give you back to God." Jean Val Jean, was a thief and newly released ex-convict with a yellow passport during the time of the French Revolution, which meant he had no hope and no future. He received Grace at the time of his greatest need. The Bishop took a risk and gave him a gift. But in so doing, Jean Val Jean's life was changed, forever. He received a real "Upgrade" to the First Class Life. He truly began Flying First ...

2354. Your King Comes

Luke 19:28-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” To which Jesus replies, “I tell you if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” It’s a wonderful story. No wonder Christians all over this world will be celebrating it today. It is a word of hope in a world of despair. It is a word of hope before entering a week in which we remember Christ’s betrayal and his death at the hands of sinful humanity. Let’s begin by thinking for a few moments about Christ riding on a donkey. If you and I were to choose a ...

2355. The Adventure Begins

Ephesians 1:15-23, Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... you in my prayers. [17] I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, [18] so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, [19] and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. [20] God put this power to work in Christ when ...

2356. Faithquest: Directions For The Journey Of Life

1 John 3:16-24

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... in turn were able to look through the window of the soul and experience the love of God in truth and action being lived out in the gift from General Foods. I think it's absolutely amazing that while we are on this Faithquest, searching for answers, faith, hope, salvation, grace, forgiveness, all of those things. God is searching for us. It's not so much that God is hiding from us or intentionally waiting to jump out from around the corner and yell, "Surprise." It's just that sometimes we don't expect to see ...

2357. The Upside Down Life

Luke 4:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the ones to receive healing. Not only were the weak and oppressed the ones granted release and reprieve? The worst of it was this: The identity of the Messiah himself was revealed. And it was revealed to be completely wrong, according to the hopes and expectations of the people. So who is the Messiah? Not a great military leader. Not a powerful king. Not a divinely-empowered conqueror. Not an angelically-accompanied Presence. No, the Messiah, the appointed and anointed one, is just Jesus. You heard this ...

2358. What Matters In the Light of Eternity: “Church Matters”

Acts 20:13-38

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... blest Redeemer saved With his own precious blood. My heart resonates with those words penned by Timothy Dwight more than two hundred years ago. I love the church. A thousand sermons finely tuned could not express my gratitude, for all that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become, I owe to the Church of Jesus Christ. The Church is of God and shall be preserved to the end of time and I would like to offer some reasons why. I. The Church Is of God and Shall Be Preserved Until the End of Time Because ...

2359. Resurrected Following (Series: Living on the Resurrection Side of Life)

John 10:1-21

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , I know my Savior cares. When do we receive real comfort and consolation? Is it when someone teaches us how to think or act? Is it when we receive advice about where to go and what to do? Is it when we hear words of reassurance and hope? Perhaps; sometimes. But, what really counts is that in moments of pain and suffering, someone stays with us. More important than any particular action, or word, or advice is the simple presence of someone who cares. When our oldest son was 25 years-old, he underwent open ...

2360. Valley of Betrayal (Series: Peace in the Valley)

Luke 22:47-53

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” Recovery from betrayal is no time to be beating around the bush. Can betrayal be overcome? Yes, if trustworthy behavior follows. Judas never gets a chance to prove himself. Loss of hope leads him to despair and solves nothing in the scheme of things. People who prove trustworthy in small things can be eventually trusted in larger things. III. The Paradox So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged ...

2361. Discover the Perfect Gift of Christmas

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... B. This gift, The Right Gift, The Perfect Gift which God has Chosen for us and sent wrapped in swaddling clothes, is a gift of hope. A gift from heaven reminding us, in part, that "We are NOT Alone." And in a world filled with loneliness and despair, fueled by ... of attack and war, we need to hear that "We Are NOT Alone." God wants us to remember and know that there IS Hope. There is Forgiveness. There is Grace. There is Redemption. And it all comes through this Perfect Gift which God has Chosen for us. ...

2362. Why Not Meet in the Middle? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

1 Peter 3:8-22

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord” (I Peter 3:15). Peter puts it this way: “But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Someone bumped into Billy Graham on an elevator. Stunned to be in the presence of the great evangelist, the person said, “Dr. Graham, You are a great man.” The ever humble Billy Graham replied, “No, I am not a great man. I have a great message.” I ...

2363. When We Get Where We’re Going, Where Will We Be? (Series: Real Faith for Real People)

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... is believing; in our life, eternity. In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory, Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. We Christians do not explain the resurrection, we are explained by it. We start with it, and live by it, and hope for it. We believe in life everlasting. Now let me be totally honest and completely blunt. The promise of eternal life is not good news for everyone. If you despise life here, eternal life will be hell, not heaven. If life is a miserable tale told ...

2364. Go

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... 't hurt but she was so startled that she pulled over immediately. When she unrolled the paper, she discovered it was a gospel tract. She says she was the apparent victim of what she refers to as "torpedo evangelism." I'm sure the torpedoer meant well. At least I hope so, but they did the wrong thing for the right reason in the wrong way. The "HOW?" is simple. Pray. Listen. Love. Live your faith. And be ready to "GO" when the start signal comes. Be ready to tell others in your world of influence "Why" it's ...

2365. The Inheritance

Colossians 1:11-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... into the very viscera of your being and touch your soul and stir your gut? What is it that gives wings to hope and excites your spirit? Is it edge of your seat action/adventure movies like National Treasure, Spiderman or The Day After Tomorrow? ... The woman then asked, "Are you on your way to visit Aunt Elizabeth now?" The boy answered, "Yes, but Aunt Elizabeth is hardly ever home. I hope she's home today, though. It sure is cold." The woman looked at the boy again and then said, "You're awfully young to be ...

2366. No Longer Strangers

Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... they might become friends of Christ. The church must be a place of hospitality in which the lonely and broken hearted, the sick and the emotionally strung out, the estranged, those victimized by sin and guilt, find a place of healing, life, forgiveness, strength and hope. We must be forever restless as individuals and as a church until there is not a single stranger left among us. Now I ask you, how many strangers are there on your street, people who are outside the household of God, the church? How many ...

2367. Discipline and Means of Grace

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... brings virtues out of us like a plant out of the ground. First there’s a small stalk of green, then the separate leaves, and finally the flowers. Reflection reminds us that growth is a process that keeps us from growing lazy and keeps our hope alive when growth seems delayed. Regular reflection keeps the years from slipping by, unappreciated; we need to taste every one. Who would want to pass into eternity without having given thought — much thought, to this life, what it means, how to live it, and what ...

2368. A Sunday Kind of Love

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... way we incarnate Christ in the world. That is the way we can be a living testimony to “A Sunday Kind of Love.” Taking on the persona of Lover, Loved, and Love, is how the Body of Christ continues to be a living, vital, transforming force, indeed, the very hope of the world. I heard a story in a sermon many years ago that I’ve never forgotten, partly because the lowest grade I ever got on a test in my life was a grammar test. I got 44. My story concerns a high school student who was seriously burned ...

2369. Lessons from the Ordinances

Exodus 21:2-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... on the phone the following week and he told me that he was going to personally pledge a thousand dollars a month to this housing ministry and would be responsible for raising another $1,000. You can imagine my exhilaration. Then the Lord said something to me that I hope I never forget. Now He didn’t speak in an audible voice that could have been heard in a room, but in my heart I knew what his message was. He said, “Maxie, don’t miss the message of this dramatic generous gift.” I was puzzled by that ...

2370. Clear to the Better End - Parent Burnout

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... is the most precious gift that could be ours - to be parents. I. Tucked away into a catalogue of marvelous proverbs is a word of hope for us who seek to be good parents, who are seeking to take the gift that God has given us seriously. You know that word by ... to go on. Will you receive what I’ve said, act on it, and let that promise of God’s word be your undergirding power and hope: “ Train up a child in the way that he should go, when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Remember the symbol with ...

2371. Out of the Miry Bog (Dealing with Depression)

Psalm 22:1-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... use or memory to affirm our confidence and faith. The mournful expression of his plight is hardly off the psalmist’s lips, before he reaches back and into his memory and grabs hold of a truth, an experience upon which he can have his confidence and hope. Listen to him in verses four and five. In thee our fathers trusted; they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. To thee they cried, and were saved; in thee they trusted, and were not disappointed. (verses 4-5) One of the helpful things about the Psalmist ...

2372. When You Have Everything You Need, Except What You Need (Managing Money)

Luke 12:22-34, Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... the scripture. If you’ve ever doubted that Jesus was concerned about money, read the 12th chapter of Luke. The truth is Jesus talked as much about money as he did any other subject in life. I wish we had time to read the entire 12th chapter of Luke; I hope you’ll read it sometime today or during this coming week. The pivotal issue of the chapter was illustrated with a parable Jesus told. We didn’t read that parable, but I want to tell you the story. You’ll find it in verses 15-21 of the 12th chapter ...

2373. Who Are We Waiting For?

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... 40: 1—5 RSV) These people of Israel to whom the prophet was writing needed that word of comfort and hope. They were in exile from their homeland, suffering in captivity — homeless, homesick, heartsick. They were guilt—stricken because they knew ... scripture. A despised tax-collector was up a tree, escaping the crowd that could never accept him. He wanted to see Jesus, but he had no hope of Jesus seeing him. God is like a Ford, He has a better idea. Jesus saw him and called him down to new life. A woman ...

2374. Like a Waving Flag

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... was 11 of being attacked and shot at by some gunmen in Mogadishu. He was not hit. But three of his playmates were. All three died. K’naan recounts the story in the first verse of the song, and the chorus offers the cry of children around the world who hope for peace and love and joy in a world dominated by violence and oppression and hate: "When I get older/I will be stronger/They'll call me freedom/ Just like a waving flag" But then in the midst of that dream, reality breaks in. The next three lines are ...

2375. Liberated Women

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... with the company of women supporting his ministry. Perhaps Cuza approved. Perhaps he, too, had fallen under Jesus’ spell. I hope so. I truly do. But perhaps he didn’t approve. That’s entirely possible. Still, there she was. Then there ... came out of jail. He had nothing but a history of crime behind him, and when he saw Jesus as his Savior he knew there was salvation and hope and joy for him. And he knew how much he needed that help. But look at me. I was taught from earliest infancy to live as a ...

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