Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2351 to 2375 of 4963 results

2351. Call Him a Story Teller

Luke 1:1-4

Sermon

George Bass

... . She thought Uncle Henry was unconscious. But suddenly she heard a voice from the pillow (quoting Hamlet and) saying, ‘Rest, perturbed spirit.’ " Shortly thereafter he went to that final rest - death. And Coffin adds: "During the days following his death, Uncle Henry remained such a presence in the house that when it was time to leave for the funeral no one really was surprised to hear Aunt Dorothy call, ‘Come on, Henry, time to go.’ His life had been so full that the service inevitably became ...

2352. The Joy of Sorrow?

Matthew 5:4

Sermon

Wallace H. Kirby

... to a friend the saddest experience of his boyhood. After a long illness, his older sister, whom he had loved and idolized, died. He was beside himself with grief. His mother, who had nursed her daughter for many months, caved in under the shock. Only his father remained unbowed. The father’s sorrow was unspeakable, yet he kept up his strength so that others could cling to him. "That was the first time I ever really knew my father," this man said to his friend. "I saw a side of his nature that I had ...

2353. Overcoming Self

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Dennis Kastens

... , is that Christ died for our sins, the innocent for the guilty, the eternal for the mortal, God for us! In this, "The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s son, cleanses us from all sin." And our iniquities are taken away forever. Nothing remains undone, nothing necessary for our salvation unfulfilled, not even the most insignificant part still to be accomplished. Judas could have been pardoned and restored, had his remorse given way to a true contrition! And if Jesus would have forgiven even his betrayer (had ...

2354. Whatever Became of Sin?

Romans 5:12-21

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... doctor’s wife broke through and were unveiled. There are ambiguities and hidden struggle in every life; these can lead to a break with God or to a reunion with God. Maybe Jesus makes sense in letting the tares we have sown in our own lives to remain until Judgment - but remember, there is a day of accounting wherein our lives are exposed against the real. There is also the grace of God, wherein is our hope. Our "normal" lives can get so hopelessly messed up. "Have mercy" on me, O Lord. "Cleanse thou me ...

2355. Children of the Eighth Day

Romans 6:1-14

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... despairing view of life. His picture, though beautiful, is not true; he had lost faith. With no true faith the picture is black: Which of us has known his brother? Which of us has looked into his father’s heart ... which of us has not remained forever prison-pent? Which of us is not forever a stranger and alone? ... Lost! Remembering speechlessly, we seek the great forgotten language, the lost lane-end into Heaven, an unfound door. Where? When? Thomas Wolfe seemed always to be waiting for someone to fling ...

2356. Life - The Womb of the Eternal

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... responsible."1 "Total responsibility in total solitude." (suggests Jean Paul Sartre) That’s what happens when we allow the shallow material world "to crush us into its own mold." Even Nietzsche, who tried brilliantly to handle the universe without God, had to admit, "There remains only the void. Man is falling. His dignity is gone. His values are lost. There is no difference between up and down. It has become chilly, and a dark night is closing in." And someone remarks, "This is the great sea sickness of ...

2357. On Being Lifted Beyond Ourselves

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... me: I could not sidestep the central question God had placed squarely before me. Was I to accept without reservations Jesus Christ as Lord of my life? It was like a gate before me. There was no way to walk around it. I would step through or would remain outside. A ‘maybe’ or ‘I need some more time’ was kidding myself." Then there came the commitment, and the answer. "Lord Jesus, I believe you, I accept you. Please come into my life. I commit it to you."5 The answer: "With these few words there came ...

2358. The Surprise of Absolute Victory

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... Kelsey puts it: "The Holy Spirit refills the psyche ... bringing harmony out of tension ... the psyche is brought to an entirely new level of reality ... the ego is transformed ... It now has a new center and focus. The old center and the new remain in relationship - a new relationship of wholeness."5 And to continue, "Wholeness is tasted for a moment ... then becomes a goal ... to be sought in life ... and finally experienced fully in the next life." And this is made possible by the love and availability ...

2359. Shepherding One Another in a Collapsing World

Romans 9:1-29

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... that successful civilizations grow rich, grow over-confident, grow corrupt, grow soft, and the "Visigoths," or some "less civilized" group takes over. This can happen to any civilization - unless, unless, some civilization develops a strong spiritual center, continues to build around it, and remains committed to it. Could that be us? If we care with the spirit of Paul, crying out for his people, it could be. We are reminded that "the final reason for Rome’s defeat was the failure of mind and spirit."4 If ...

2360. Called to Be Saints

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Sermon

Hubert Beck

... the world as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) John says this is the honored one, the one coming after him who ranks above him. He is the one upon whom the Spirit has descended like a dove from heaven and remained on him, who is to change the course of the world. What honor God has given his Son in this moment - an honor that will carry him to a cross; an honor of bearing upon his shoulders the sin of the world; an honor of speaking the Word of the ...

2361. The Importance of Unity

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Hubert Beck

... life together, and submerge your gifts, your interests, your emphases, your concerns under him. Note again, that is not to say they were to ignore their gifts, forget their interests, lay aside their emphases, permit their concerns to be disregarded. No, all those things could remain so long as they were submitted to the lordship of Christ, and that all life together was lived in the light of the grace offered them in Christ. Is not this, after all, a long way of saying what in shorthand terms we always say ...

2362. The Strength of Poverty

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Hubert Beck

... - in some of our cases, perhaps, a good many things - are given to us momentarily, in a sort of passing way, for our usage. They all, however, belong to Another One, and they are only leased to us for the moment We are poverty-stricken, and would remain so, were we not blessed with a Benefactor for the fleeting moments of our life. This is the strength of poverty, to know that our poverty is relieved only by the gifting another person has made available to us. Without the Giver we would have nothing. All ...

2363. The Glory of the Cross

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

Hubert Beck

... situation. That is why it is so important to stand with those who are under the cross and to watch how Jesus dies. Surely the writers of the Gospels invite us to do so by the very way they write the accounts. We must see how willingly obedient Jesus remains on this road to the cross even though the way is difficult and forbidding. We can never make the cross less harsh than it is, less difficult, less forbidding. All the horror of the cross must become the horror of our own death under the bondage of sin if ...

2364. DEATH: THE SAD CELEBRATION

Illustration

John H. Krahn

... death loses some of its sting. It loses the sting of finality and eternal separation from loved ones. There is no sadness for us who die in the Lord. It is replaced by a wonderful, eternal life with God. There is only sadness for those who remain, for when someone loves, then loses, they grieve because they first loved. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection is still the most important news for humankind. With the empty tomb, death was put to death. Jesus now gives each of us the possibility of an eternal ...

2365. !!!

Illustration

John H. Krahn

... Disgraceful! All hell rejoices over such negatives. When I recite the Creed every Sunday at our services, I believe what I say. "I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Christian Church." I really do. And I know you do also. I not only believe the church will remain, but I also believe it will flourish. The promises of God and the powerful Spirit are still with us! There is no dream inspired by God and having the blessing of his Spirit that is unattainable for us. As a salesman member of our parish put it to ...

2366. HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

Illustration

John H. Krahn

... to earth again, those who put their hope in the Lord will receive the benefits of forgiveness obtained through his punishment at Calvary. They will be gifted with eternal life. Good works do not appropriate eternity, only faith does. To be ready for his return is to remain strong in the faith. If you have been putting off some aspect of the Christian discipline, put it off no longer - now is the time for change. The King is coming, and we must prepare. Each of us needs to be sure that our personal faith is ...

2367. The Excitement of Meaningful Living

John 10:10 · Matthew 6:33 · Ephesians 3:20

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... . This is not the way that Christ started us out. This is not the end that Christ calls us to. Listen: "I came that you might enjoy life and that you might enjoy it fully." And, "These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." The fourth hallmark of being a Christian, is full, joyful, winsome living. The question is, "Do I qualify?" Paul felt this reality, and he expressed it with exuberance, "Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly ...

2368. The Gospel According to Christ’s Enemies

John 11:1-16

Sermon

Richard Hoefler

... of the gospel accounts presented by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Van der Loos offers no solution to this problem. He simply states, "The difference between the Synoptics and the Fourth Gospel as regards content, form and outlook is so great that it will always remain a source of discussion."3 Parable Become Event Alan Richardson, along with other scholars, suggests the story of raising Lazarus is the parable of Luke 14:19-31 (Dives and Lazarus) become an event. In Luke’s parable of Dives and Lazarus, the Jews ...

2369. Forever His

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Raymond Gibson

... today are searching for happiness, but they forget that happiness is always the by-product of service. We can be happy only as we make others happy. If we want Christ to become Lord of both the living and the dead, if we want to remain forever his, we must look for ways to bring genuine Christian happiness to the lives of others. Since World War II, the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer have brought inspiration and new meaning for life for millions of people. A German pastor-theologian who opposed Hitler ...

2370. Genuine Imitations

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Sermon

Raymond Gibson

... preach and be silent! According to Luke, Jesus said, "You shall be my witnesses ..." (Acts 1:8). You can’t witness and be unknown as to what you believe! According to John, Jesus’ last utterance was, "Follow me" (John 21:22). You can’t follow Jesus and remain unrecognized! Jesus made it clear that his disciples were men with a story to tell, good news to share, a kingdom to proclaim. They were to become genuine imitations of what he said and of what he did. The word of the Lord was to sound forth from ...

2371. A SUNDAY OF THE PASSION [PALM SUNDAY] SERMON-DRAMA

Drama

Tom Eberle

... . Commentator: If I might interrupt, as you know, this year National Guard units have been called to active duty for the first time during a Passover observance in recent memory. Some have suggested that for the sake of order, Jesus should voluntarily remain away from Jerusalem during this festival. What is your response to that? Judas: We have discussed this problem. Jesus is quite insistent that we observe the Passover in Jerusalem, as is customary. However, we have also not encouraged any form of violent ...

2372. A LITURGICAL DRAMA FOR PENTECOST

Drama

Tom Eberle

... - reaching out to you. You see, I have already poured out my Spirit. It is just a question of whether it will seep through the cracks. (H.S. leaves the pulpit and sits down.) Stewardess: For those of you deplaning in Philadelpia, we ask that you remain seated until the plane makes a complete stop at the terminal. We thank you for flying with us today. Voice 2: This seems like the quickest flight I’ve ever had. Voice 4: When you’re preoccupied, time goes fast. Hang in there, though, with your father ...

2373. Are You Exercising Your Faith?

Mt 4:1-11 · Phil 3:12 · Gen 32:3

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... is pleasing to one is to make a pillow of the mind."1 Faith is not nearly so fragile an entity as we might suppose. Faith is like bread dough with yeast, work it and it will expand and rise; but do nothing with it and it will remain flat. Sometime ago I had occasion to fly from Chicago to Albany and the flight plan took me directly over my hometown of Rochester, New York. From my position in the sky there she was - Rochester totally within one view. What utterly amazed me was how shrunken Rochester looked ...

2374. The Circus and My Faith

Ps 139 · Mt 22:37

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... lead to criticism. There are differences in theology that lead to factions. There are differences in priorities that lead to power struggles. There are differences in commitment that lead to disgruntlement. There are differences in personality that lead to stress. It remains to be said, though, that what unites us is incredibly more important and persuasive than what separates us. Should we allow, on the other hand, what separates us to become more important to us than what unites us, we declare ourselves ...

2375. God and the Weather

Matthew 5:45; 16:2-3 · Psalm 18:7-11; 46:1-3, 11

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... weather," but it is only "bad" because it may mean human inconvenience. It rains on our picnic, and we curse the weather. It snows on Thanksgiving eve and we are unable to travel to see loved ones, and we raise our fists in anger. The fact remains, however, that we need moisture for the balance of nature, and what we curse because of inconvenience would be welcomed as blessing in a place like California where the water table often dips dangerously low. Robert Loveman’s words serve as a corrective to the ...

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