Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2376 to 2400 of 4957 results

2376. A Seeking Savior

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

... was another day at the nets in their father's boat. In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled and taxed and taxed and taxed. Now it is precisely at this point that the miracle of the gospel is seen. The claim our faith makes is that it was in a hick town, in those days, in such a place, that the Savior was born, and the new creation of God's kingdom was established. The Savior seeks us, not in the temple courts of the sacred and the sanctified, but in ...

2377. The Wisdom In Waiting

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

... as appropriate for our day as it was for Habakkuk's. Waiting for the return of Christ is disciplined believing. It is living as though God is at work in our world even though we may not be aware of it or see any immediate evidence to support the claim. Precisely when all of the evidence seems to point to the contrary and there is no reason on earth to assume that we will ever by any different, or our world changed - when it seems we are plagued by the same old temper and jealousies, troubled by the familiar ...

2378. Two Doors; One Choice

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

... from the world around us. Significant others define our values, roles, and self-image. Our identities depend upon measuring up to the expectations of family, school, the work place, church and society. We want to take our place responsibly within their ranks. But, claims Jung, the major task of the maturing individual is to get in touch with the inner self and especially that unconscious portion of the psyche that holds the key to our true identity. The person that we have consciously become is largely the ...

2379. Bringing Love Close

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

George Paul Mocko

... , it ought to thrill us - as when the two Isaiahs speak of God's using, and even guiding the actions of the world conquerers, even the bloody Sargon, and his successor Sennacherib of Assyria, Cyrus of Persia. Modern parallels for such would have us claiming as God's instruments Gorbachev, Ho Chi Minh, Yassar Arafat and Colonel Kadafi. The New Testament which surely found that even Herod and Pilate, whether they knew or liked it or not, served God and were instruments of God, carried to new heights this ...

2380. Reformation Sunday

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

George Paul Mocko

... 't. God finds us. How do we find out what he wants from us and this world? Not by figuring it out and writing in a book. God must write it on our hearts. What is it that God writes there? He writes this, "I forgive you your arrogance and claim you as my own."

2381. Obedience Is An Ugly Word!

Acts 5:17-42

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... to sign your name at the bottom of the blank sheet, and let God fill it in as God wills." He was right. Obedience is to bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You cannot make Christ the king of your life until you abdicate. Kierkegaard claims, "To be fully obedient we must hold onto nothing, and surrender ourselves totally to the promptings of God's Spirit." This total, absolute, and willing obedience becomes the crucial and critical issue in this text. The fuller narrative is an account of some of the events ...

2382. A Word Of Encouragement!

Acts 13:13-52

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... , Paul stood up and said, "Listen to me!" - and he begins his sermon. He started with the Old Testament Scriptures which he was sure they knew, and he focused on the reign of David and David's special place in God's affections. He then makes the claim that Jesus, a direct descendant of David, is the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel to send a Savior. He also reminds them that they had killed him. Even while God was graciously keeping his promise to them, they condemned his Son Jesus and put him to ...

2383. Are You A Basket Case?

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... was converted at the age of 15 years, but I still have vivid recollections of the nightmare of not being free. I was afraid nearly all the time. I was afraid of the second coming, lest Christ appear and I would not go with the saints he had come to claim. I hated to go to bed at night, scared that I might die and my soul be eternally lost. Even though I prayed, I had no certainty that my prayers were heard, for a guilty conscience made me doubt that God would hear. Like Pharaoh, the devil is a hard ...

2384. A Fireside Chat

Exodus 3:1-22

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... Lenten journey is leading us to see our crucified Lord, the One who is exactly like God - nay, is God - the One who showed himself to Moses. The record says of Christ, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)." Jesus is making the same claim as God. The Son of God, who proceeded from the Father, calls himself by the same name; "Before Abraham was, I AM." Can it be, oh, yes, it can be, that Jesus is adopting the very same name that God revealed to Moses, is presenting himself to ...

2385. The S & L That Didn't Fail!

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... mortals have killed God!" Our Sovereign Lord Becomes A Savior! But don't give up! Christ's atoning death is purchasing life for us. His shed blood has opened a fountain where our sins are washed away. The devil is defeated and can no longer claim us as his disciples. The Victim on the cross, is, in reality, the Victor. There is a Portuguese proverb which says, "Architects cover their mistakes with creepers, cooks with sauces, and doctors with earth." But our Savior covers our mistakes and our sins with his ...

2386. Lent 5

John 11:1-16, John 11:17-37, John 11:38-44, John 11:45-57

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... day, there was no hope for a return to life. Moreover, the reality of death was emphasized when Martha warned Jesus not to remove the stone away from the tomb, for by this time the odor would be most unpleasant. This miracle was not a hoax by claiming Lazarus was in a coma or unconscious. Because he was completely dead, raising him demonstrated the power and glory of God through Jesus. Here (vv. 21, 32, 37). Both sisters confronted Jesus with "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." Was this ...

2387. Baptism of the Lord

Luke 3:1-20, Isaiah 61:1-11, Luke 3:21-38, Acts 8:9-25

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... , a dream or a fantasy. The Spirit is real. He is both subjective and objective. Like the landing of a dove, the Spirit came calmly, quietly and peacefully. There was no roar or convulsions or rolling on the ground or foaming at the mouth as some do when they claim the reception of the Spirit. The Spirit of God came to anoint Jesus as the Messiah and to give him the power to fulfill his God-given mission. Voice (v. 22) - The voice of God was heard by Jesus only, according to Luke. The voice said, "Thou" and ...

2388. Fish Miracle

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-13, Luke 5:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... that he was called and commissioned as an apostle. Gospel (Luke 5:1-11). Peter is called to be a disciple. The gospel lesson contains the account of Peter's call to be an apostle in connection with a miraculous draft of fish. Reginald Fuller claims that the miracle is a post-resurrection appearance which Luke inserted here to illustrate "I will make you fishers of men." Many modern scientists consider the miracle to be a "pious legend." Since Christian faith is based on Christ as Savior, the above questions ...

2389. Breakfast Miracle

John 21:1-14

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

Is this catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee a miracle or just a natural happening? William Barclay claims that it is not a miracle, for it "still frequently happens on the lake." Is it not a miracle that a dead person is alive again to talk and serve? Is it not a miracle that one catch should include all the known kinds of fish? Is it not a ...

2390. Living Water

John 7:25-44

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... so carefully! To drink of that Living Water says, "Jesus' trust of his Heavenly Father did not depend on all the answers." His garden prayer, for one. And his cry from the cross. Do you have a fear of the future? Is there a thirst to have a claim to an eternal home? For some persons this becomes an all-consuming thirst. To drink of that Living Water says, "Jesus saw all of life - earthly and eternally - in God's good care." Jesus shared his own belief in that "house not made with hands, eternal in the ...

2391. Our Own Mountaintop Walk

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Leonard H. Budd

... new coins were minted. The inscription was changed to Plus Ultra. It translates, "More beyond!" That is the mountaintop affirmation which came to the disciples in Galilee and the word that ends Matthew's gospel. And those 11 disciples - and we who follow in their footsteps - claim the authority to speak that message to the world! What had been a wall, a great confinement, is now the arch of a great doorway, an entry! It is an entry into much that gives us joy! Part of the joy is knowledge that the harsh ...

2392. When You Can't See The Rainbow for the Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

James Weekley

... him again and again - often for less than thirty pieces of silver. Yet he keeps coming back with these two words that have astounded the world, "I forgive." Only the God who sent us Jesus, only the God with a love so vast could make such a claim. Forgiveness is possible because love is possible. In the last century there was a man named George Matheson. He entered Glasgow University with a sharp mind and a willingness to learn. He was also engaged to be married. He had a vision of a promising future. But ...

2393. Turning the Corner on the Very End

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

James Weekley

... to the hurting needs of our community, we know that his life within never runs its course. When our dying comes, within he will vibrate with the promise, "Where I am, there you may be also." The flower of his eternity sinks its roots into our present. We claim the future because his future for us begins in the "now." Listen to Victor Hugo's affirmation. "I feel in myself the future life. I am like a forest once cut down; the new shoots are stronger and livelier than ever. I am rising, I know, toward the ...

2394. Tilted Haloes

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

James Weekley

... get cocky around the Holy Spirit." Evil is never a package easily unwrapped. Jesus does come on by saying that he can eclipse evil with good. His deathless caring keeps pouring our way. It arrives to tame the raging beast within. Only he can back up any claim on permanent forgiveness. M. H. Schubert shares the story about a group of fishermen in the Scottish highlands. They gathered for tea and discussed the day's catch. As a waitress set down a cup of tea, a hand accidently knocked it against the wall. It ...

2395. Is It I, Lord?

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

Erskine White

... death. No, I'm more worried about you and me tonight. I'm more concerned that we live with the question the disciples asked so long ago. We have come to the time of shadows, the night of darkness. This is no time for easy promises or selfcongratulation or glib claims of glory. It is a time for soul searching. "One of you will betray me." Is it I, Lord; is it I? Amen

2396. A Chosen Race?

John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14

Sermon

Erskine White

... remember, the objection to Jesus' words, "I am the way." It was said that other people have other ways, so we ought not to offend them by believing that ours is the way to God. It was also pointed out that fundamentalists have misused Jesus' words by claiming to be the only Christians who know the one true way. Yet once again, this is human-centeredness! If other people have other religions or no religion at all, should this make me hesitate to say that Jesus is the way to God? Do other people define what ...

2397. Do You Believe In Peace? - Memorial Day

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Erskine White

... between enemies so that the causes of war are themselves removed, you might be especially excused for having your doubts about the possibility of peace. In the face of all this evidence and these reasons for doubt, our text this morning makes a startling claim. Our text says that we already have peace. Jesus Christ is our peace. He has already broken down the dividing wall of hostility between us and reconciled us to one another, making us one. Scripture makes peace a consistent theme throughout Jesus' life ...

2398. The Nearness Of A Faraway God

Isaiah 40:12-18

Sermon

Erskine White

... talk show. But when you seek a God whose distant and awesome wonder you cannot begin to imagine, the nearness of that God becomes filled with meaning! You cherish Him because you don't take His nearness for granted. You don't need to glorify yourself or claim God for yourself in order to find your own significance. You find your significance in Him, that this God, so full of unsearchable grace, would deign to come and be near to you. We should remember that the Bible presents God in both these lights. God ...

2399. Sing A New Song

Acts 10:23b-48

Sermon

Erskine White

... ears to hear Your assurances and promises as we set out on the journey. Open our minds, that we may never again say to You, "But Lord, we haven't done it that way before." Open our lips, that we may sing a brand new song, in faithfulness to Your claim upon our lives and in obedience to Your Word. Most Righteous and Holy God, whose Son is Lord of the church as well as Lord of our lives, make Your church as eager for Your new ways as each of us are as members. Help us to distinguish between the ...

2400. Wedding: Grounds for Marriage

Sermon Aid

John M. Braaten

... by a story I once heard. A dog-tired business man came home from the office only to hear his wife announce that the cook had quit. "Why?" he asked. "Because of you," she fired back. "Me? What did I do?" "Well," the wife said, "the cook claimed you called on the phone this afternoon, that you used coarse and abusive language, and you insulted her womanhood." "Oh no," the man responded, "that's too bad. I thought I was talking to you." It happens. It happens if we stop courting each other and cherishing ...

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