Sermon and Worship Resources

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Galatians 2:20

Sermon

James Merritt

... death in the Christian life. First, he talks about the death to sin which happens to all of us the moment we accept Jesus Christ into our heart. The second death is the death to self; dying to what we want, what we desire; dying to our will. The third kind of death is the death to safety, when we are called upon to take up the cross knowing that we might even have to suffer physically for the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Paul, in this verse, I believe is talking about all three types of death. What he is saying ...

2352. The Clone Zone: The Bible and Cloning

Genesis 1:26-28

Sermon

James Merritt

... that years ago in that original zygote contained the entire plan for creating you and every part of you. Now in all of this is a great mystery that doctors and scientists have asked for many years: What can the zygote as it multiplies, produce every different kind of cell in the body—kidney, liver, brain scan etc.—while the skin cell or the kidney cell or the liver cell is destined however many times it multiplies to remain just that—a kidney, liver, or skin cell forever? In other words, as the embryo ...

2353. Don't Be Afraid Of The Light

John 8:12

Sermon

James Merritt

... the lights went out, because of a power shortage and we were totally in the dark. It just so happened that Teresa and I were kind of close together when it happened. I stood real still for about 3 seconds and then I screamed out, "Boo!" I almost lost my marriage ... on your desk, by offering to pray for someone when you find out they've gone through a tragedy in their life, or by showing kindness even to those people who have no use for your faith or your commitment. God hasn't called you to be the sun (and I ...

2354. No Need to Worry

John 10:11-18; 27-30

Sermon

James Merritt

... than fifty-percent of the sheep. The reason is there were so many dangers to the sheep such as disease, poison grass, water, and wild animals. That is why Jesus Christ is like no other shepherd and that is why He is called "The Good Shepherd" the one of a kind shepherd, because when Jesus starts out with one hundred sheep, He ends up with one hundred sheep. He doesn't lose one. I realize there are some of you that don't have Jesus as your good shepherd, because you have never become a part of His flock. Did ...

2355. Your New Home

Joshua 24:14-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... All that we have talked about for eight weeks - this extreme home makeover, comes down to a decision. What god are you and your family going to serve? Some things in life are optional. You can choose where you live. You can choose where you work. You can choose what kind of car you drive, but there are some decisions you don't get to choose, you have to make. You have to decide about what god you are going to serve. You may sit there and think you don't have to choose, but you just did. Making decisions is ...

2356. God Where Are You? - The Problem of Evil

Genesis 3:1-6, Judges 6:13

Sermon

James Merritt

... is to make us more like Jesus Christ. Then, God uses evil and suffering not to drive people away from Him, but to draw people to Him. "For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek salvation. We will never regret that kind of sorrow..." (II Corinthians 7:10, NLT) All of us have known people who in times of health and happiness didn't give a rip about God, but when tragedy came into their life or sickness or sorrow, God used that to break them so that they would come to ...

2357. The King and His Castle

Matthew 16:13-18

Sermon

James Merritt

... Greek word petra which is the feminine form of that word referring to a slab of rock or even a mountain. For example, here in Georgia we have a massive mass of granite called Stone Mountain. If you go to the base of that mountain you can pick up all kinds of pieces of the rock. The stone is a petros, the mountain is a petra. Now what Jesus said was this: "You are Peter ‘a little stone,' but upon this petra, the mountain, I will build my church. Now the Bible tells us what the rock is. 1 Cor. 10 ...

2358. The God of War and Peace

1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... tells us that while Yahweh-Sabaoth is the commander-in-chief of the hosts, those hosts include not only of the army of Israel, and of angels, but also of whatever forces God chooses to use, from heaven or earth. We point this out not to lead to some kind of praise of warfare or to suggest that in any military conflict God is on our side to the exclusion of all others. That, in fact, is the arrogant heresy of the 9/11 terrorists, who claim that God gives a heavenly reward to suicide bombers and those who ...

2359. Nice Guys Finish First

Proverbs 1:20-33

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... , as Christians, don't you sometimes feel that way — as if you are expected to connect with the entire range of scripture? Doesn't it seem kind of disloyal to admit that there are parts of the Bible that either don't make sense or don't seem to fit with the basic ... looked now more to the example of other nations around them. This period of Israel's history might be called a kind of "renaissance" where the old traditions and old ways began to seem irrelevant. Israel was no longer a religious society, but ...

2360. Five Differences between a Franchise Faith and an Authentic Faith

Mark 9:38-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World (2004). In another plunge experience he decided only to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about everything in life. That project had the title I Think You’re Fat (2007), which kind of says it all about how that project went. In another plunge experience, he decided to outsource everything in his life to India, including reading bed-time stories to his kids and arguing with his wife. That project bore the title My Outsourced Life ...

2361. Mary’s Magnificat

Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Gary L. Carver

... . I enjoy the Christmas poster which describes the season as the time, "when God cared enough to send the very best!" This message out of the Magnificat comes to express the very best on behalf of the very worst. Where else in the world do you see this kind of exchange, when the best people are asked to sacrifice on behalf of the worst? In our culture it is usually the other way around. The worst of humanity are sacrificed in order to preserve the best. With God, it is the opposite. The best, such as Mary ...

2362. Testing Time

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... good and evil begin to separate before our Spirit-infused eyes. It is not for us to know all the whereofs and wherefores. It is humbling, but always true, you and I cannot know everything there is to know about people, places, and things! Our love can be "patient and kind" but that does not mean we know all the details of any situation. Our love can be free of arrogance and rudeness, but that does not mean we are filled with genius. Are we able to live in the absence of physical miracles? If we are sons and ...

2363. Mary Magdalene’s Day

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... to go away. If we have not seen him, what good does it do to go on living with a miraculous affirmation and story never reenacted into our lives? It is a pressingly relevant way to get at religion, which is alive and well. Really, no other kind or variety is worth having. Not to have some conversion experience, regardless of how and when it comes about, may be the most sad void known to those who continually hear the gospel preached. Offering after offering is made through Word and sacrament. What's our ...

2364. A Samaritan Took Care of Him

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

David R. Cartwright

... than the pastor did, he wanted to pass by on the other side. Then, Jesus tells us that a Levite came by. That is, a kind of assistant priest. He also came upon the place, saw the man, and he, too, passed by on the other side. Probably, because he had been ... that he had done all that he could do. That's a good feeling, to be sure. It's one of the best there is in these kinds of situations. It is satisfying to feel that you have done all that you could possibly do. That was the situation and how one man chose ...

2365. Cured Cripples and Crabby Critics

Luke 13:10-17

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... for the World and a disability consultant. Like Joni, Ron believes that all people who have self-pity and resentment are seriously handicapped. Tom Landry, the former football coach of the Dallas Cowboys, says, "Ron Heagy's success story is one of a kind. His determination, positive attitude, pleasing personality, and tremendous sense of humor are an inspiration to everyone he meets." Life isn't easy. Bad things happen to good people. We are tempted to give up or give in as we face physical, mental, and ...

2366. Prayer - What’s in It for You?

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... out there is thinking that they don't fit this job description — don't fall into this category. Let's take this discussion a little further. If you take a close look at biblical history you will find that there were at least three different kinds of Pharisees. There were what we can call the Cultural Pharisees — those that just couldn't stand others because the others didn't look as good as they think they looked. There were the Societal Pharisees — those that looked down their noses and the only ...

2367. My Earlier Life

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

John Jamison

... is that it was somewhere on the downhill side of Mount Hermon, a place noted for its furious and unannounced thunderstorms, that God announced his alternative plans for Saul. We could spend lots of time here, debating over whether Saul really got hit by lightning, or had some kind of inner-flash. We could go on to debate if he was blinded by some actual scales that somehow got on his eyes and fell off later in Damascus. Those are fun things to argue over sometimes, but for today we won't let them get in the ...

2368. Sowing and Reaping

Galatians 6:1-10

Sermon

John Jamison

... be sooner or it may be later, but you won't get away with it, that's for sure. One of these days ... Pow! Sorry. I kind of got carried away there. But is sure sounds like that is just what Paul is saying to the Galatians. You will reap what you ... dismissal. Can you feel the energy being sapped out of her? How about the marriage in which you don't reap what you sow? Kind words spoken out of love are responded to with anger, or ignored completely. One person does something completely cruel and abusive, and the ...

2369. Developing a Glad Attitude

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

Clayton A. Lord

... . There will always be something that gets in the way. But if we look to God, we will be happier. Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, "But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." It's kind of like having a best friend. When you share your problems with that person, you feel better. They help you see things in a new light. The friendship itself brings you joy. So it is with God. It is our relationship with God, which is the source of contentment ...

2370. Decaffeinated Christianity

Mark 10:35-45

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

Most Christians prefer what Bishop Michael Marshall has called "decaffeinated Christianity," the kind of religion that won't keep you awake a night. This kind of religion costs little, won't require you to get involved in controversy or other people's troubles, and will surround you with comfort. But by the way, this kind of religion is counterfeit.

2371. Choosing to Believe

1 Kings 18:20-39

Sermon

Stan Purdum

... refuse to consider it. Do you remember the old Sunday school chorus, "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus"? It means exactly what it says: Following Jesus is a decision. But here's the thing: For those who make the decision to follow Jesus, there is a different kind of certainty available. Jesus referred to it one time when he was challenged by some of his countrymen about where his teaching came from. He responded, "My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know ...

2372. A Father's Heart Cry

Hosea 11:1-11

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... of heartache, but a rebellious child is another matter altogether. You can't divorce your children regardless of how much you might want to sometimes. The parent-child relationship holds a different kind of passion — and, when things go awry, a different kind of grief. "When Israel was a child, I loved him," God pronounces, "and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went from me." Nearly every parent can relate, one would think. "Stay in the driveway," we call to the four ...

2373. What a Deal: Investing in Hope

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... to sell his family property, the responsibility fell on the nearest relative to purchase the property and thus keep it in the family. Jeremiah got first option to invest in property that was quite possibly already under foreign domination. What a deal! Kind of like trying to sell oceanfront property just before the hurricane hits. Good strategy if only you can find somebody foolish enough to buy it. Somehow, Jeremiah sees more than meets the eye. Like those farmers and shopkeepers who pooled their assets ...

2374. Calamity and Hope

Joel 2:23-32

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... who follow. In fact, "Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (2:32). The people of Judah had become prosperous and complacent. They were taking God for granted, they had turned to self-centeredness, idolatry, and sin. Joel warned them that this kind of lifestyle would inevitably bring down God's judgment. Of course, they, like us, fail to adhere to the warnings that tell us that we should slow down and take the time to reconnect with God. We are in so much of a hurry in our day-to ...

2375. Good News about Faith

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... at anything like the same figures as those you quote.” Tournier’s friend, somewhat put out, at once took a fresh sample of the blood, and rushed to his laboratory. Sure enough, the blood count had suddenly changed. “If I had not been the kind of person who keeps carefully to laboratory routine,” his friend said, “and if I had not previously checked my figures at each of my patient’s visits, I might have thought that I had made a mistake.” He returned to the patient and asked her, “Has ...

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