Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2376 to 2400 of 4937 results

2376. Turning Up the Pressure

Job 2:1-13

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

Big Idea: Despite increased adversity, Job reasserts his complete commitment to the sovereign Lord. Understanding the Text Job 2 completes the prologue, which sets the scene for a thorough discussion of a godly response to adversity. Much of the language of 1:6–22 is repeated and intensified in 2:1–10, as the writer uses the technique of repetition with variation to build suspense and interest. When Yahweh’s words in 2:3 are compared to his earlier description of Job in 1:8, it is evident that the first ...

2377. “No One Can Redeem the Life of Another or Give to God a Ransom for Them”

Psalm 49:1-20

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: In the face of death, wealth cannot buy God off, but he can and does redeem (spare) our lives from the power of death at his own will. Understanding the Text Psalm 49 has typically been classified as a wisdom psalm and dated anywhere from the tenth to the second century BC (see the sidebar “Wisdom Psalms” in the unit on Ps. 37). Kraus prefers the category of didactic poem because this psalm, like Psalms 73 and 139, aims to reflect on a problem.1In the same frame of thought, Craigie imagines that ...

2378. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Matthew 6:11

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: a loaf of unsliced bread If you could ask God for one thing that you thought He had, what would it be? Suppose you were in a big line of people who were going to ask God for something and you had plenty of time to think about what you wanted. What would you ask God for? Would you ask for a swimming pool in your backyard, or an airplane to fly around the world, or a brand new ball and bat? What do you think that God has something of that you would want if you only had the chance to ask? When Jesus ...

2379. Giving and Receiving

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

Tom Garrison

A wise person, according to Sam Keen, the author of Fire in the Belly, is one who knows what time it is in his or her life; that is, they have a sense of the appropriate which enables them to know what to do amid a baffling array of options. Keen tells of going one summer to visit relatives who lived in the tidewater area of Virginia, where there are many little bays adjoining the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the old-timers there warned him about the peculiar dangers of swimming in that area, particularly at ...

2380. You Can Dress Them Up...

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

Several years ago, a barbers' supply company held a large convention in a metropolitan city. To show the world how good their products were they organized a publicity stunt. They went to the worst section of town and brought back the dirtiest and most helpless drunk they could find. They presented him on the stage. Everyone saw how dirty and unkempt his hair and beard were. Then they took him out and cleaned him up. They shaved him. They shampooed and styled his hair. They sprayed him with cologne. They ...

2381. Elijah Taken Up to Heaven

2 Kings 2:1-18

Understanding Series

Iain W. Provan

Elijah Gives Way to Elisha: Elijah’s days have been numbered ever since 1 Kings 19:15–18. The end of the war with Baal-worship will not come about, we know from that passage, until Elisha has succeeded his mentor and Hazael and Jehu have appeared on the scene. We are now to hear of the first of these events, as the prophetic mantle passes from Elijah to Elisha. As Elijah has called fire down from heaven in chapter 1, so in chapter 2 he will be lifted in fire up to heaven, and Elisha will be authenticated ...

2382. Facing Up To Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Thomas Long

Searching the aisles of the hardware store the other day for a tube of "Super Glue," I couldn't find it, so I went up to the customer service desk to ask for help from the young man standing at the cash register. He was on the telephone and, when he saw me coming his direction, he turned his back toward me. I could tell he was making a personal call, but I just waited. The call went on and on ... "So did you like the movie ... really? ... Oh you're kidding! ... What did Susan say? ..." Finally I cleared my ...

2383. For Your Part

Matt 5:17-37

Sermon

John Jamison

I walked to the bank the other day. I made my way over to one of the desks and sat down to talk to a guy whose name tag said "Andy." I said, "Andy, I need some money, and was wondering if you could help me?" Andy smiled and said he would be glad to do what he could. I told him what I needed and he left the room for a few minutes to run the credit check and whatever else it is that they do at a time like that. Minutes later he walked back in and said, "No problem, John. I've got your check right here!" He ...

2384. Pack Up Your Troubles

James 4:13-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In 1942, a man named Felix Powell sat down to a piano to play an old tune. He had every right to play it. He had written it himself. It had been tremendously popular in both World Wars. He was playing and singing it now. What's the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile.So pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, And smile, smile, smile. When Felix Powell finished his song, he walked in his bedroom, took out a revolver, put it to his head, and shot himself. He could write a song about not worrying, and ...

2385. An Up-Close Nativity

Titus 2:11-14

Sermon

Heather Sugden

One of my favorite childhood memories of Christmas is the decorations. Growing up, about mid-December, all these special decorations would come out of boxes and appear around the house. Ornaments for the trees, stockings for the mantle above the fireplace, pretty snow globes that sat on top of the book-shelves, and my mother’s nativity scenes. My mother owns several nativity scenes. They come in different sizes, are made of different materials, and show different interpretations of what the holy family ...

2386. O Give Thanks To God

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Sermon

Rodney Thomas Smothe

On several occasions I have heard persons say, "God is good -- all the time!" I often wonder if they are responding to a single act of kindness of God or if they really do understand the faithful nature of the God we serve. Is our response to God usually only the result of something God has done for us or do we hold before us a constant reminder that God keeps his promises? In a society where we expect things to come so easily, we sometimes forget that God has a plan that connects us with his sovereign ...

2387. Give Me A Break

Mark 6:30-44

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

Call to Worship Leader: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." People: We do so much coming and going that we have no leisure even to eat. Leader: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." People: We give and give and give until nothing is left of us to give. Leader: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." Collect Just the thought of a time-out, a pause and respite, brings us comfort, O God. Let us find during this service ...

2388. Some Things To Get Choked Up About

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

Everyone has his or her own perspective about the meaning of Christmas day. Some years ago, when Lou Holtz was the head coach of the Arkansas Razorback football team, he was taking his team to play in a bowl game in Tempe, Arizona. The game was to be played on Christmas Day. He was asked how he felt about having to play a football game on Christmas instead of being at home with his family. Lou Holtz answered candidly, "Frankly, I'd rather be in Tempe. After all, once you've been to church, had Christmas ...

2389. Up and Down Faith

John 20:24-31

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: a yo-yo (might want to get a young person with yo-yo skills to help with this demonstration) Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever played with a yo-yo? They're a lot of fun once you learn how to play with them. You can do all kinds of tricks with a yo-yo, but first you've got to learn the most basic move: getting the yo-yo to go up and down. That's the first and most important move for the yo-yo, just going up and down. That's what a yo-yo was made to do. Did you know that sometimes our faith ...

2390. They Grow Up Fast

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Mark Trotter

I selected this lovely hymn this morning, "Once in Royal David's City," because of its reference to the childhood of Jesus. It is one of the few places where you will find any reference to the fact that he grew up the way we have to. The third verse reads, "Jesus is our childhood's pattern; day by day, like us he grew." The hymn was part of a fascinating project, one of a series of hymns written by Cecil Alexander, back in 1848, to teach children the meaning of the Apostles' Creed. "Once in Royal David's ...

2391. Get Up

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Will Willimon

In her novel The Living, Annie Dillard describes this scene from a funeral: ''Hugh stood with stiff Lulu and supple Bert at the graveside. The Nooksacks stood together with their preacher. ''Before the funeral, in mourning for his father, they had shrieked and pounded on boards... ''At last big-faced Norval Tawes read Scripture and prayed. 'O Death, where is thy sting?' Norval Tawes called out, and his little black eyes glittered on Hugh. ''Hugh thought, 'Just about everywhere, since you ask.''' And it is ...

2392. Will the Real Prophets Please Speak Up?

Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon

Richard L. Eslinger

There was a time in Israel when no prophets spoke for God. During those long years after the Exile, prophecy seemed dead. There were no prophets and none were expected. All the people could do was to look back for comfort to the times when God had sent an Amos, an Hosea, an Ezekiel. Those were the good old days, when the word of the Lord was heard in the land. But now they were gone ... and the long wait for the messenger of the Lord had begun. Our problem is quite different, it seems. We may be living in ...

2393. One-Fired Up Preacher!

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

Norval Christy was fifteen years old when he agreed with the Lord that everything he possessed was a gift and that he was willing to use it in God’s service however, whenever, and wherever God chose. After attending Westminster College in Pennsylvania, Norval applied to Harvard Medical School and was accepted in spite of long odds. He was in the process of doing his medical residency when a call came to help the thousands of refugees who were flooding into Pakistan from India. Norval agreed to interrupt ...

2394. Will the Real God Please Stand Up?

2 Corinthians 13:14

Sermon

James Merritt

I have been to Israel on many occasions and without question, one of the most impressive architectural sites is what is known as the Dome of the Rock. It is the masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It was erected in 691 A.D. to enshrine the rock where traditionally it has been held that Abraham sacrificed Isaac. To this day it is probably the most distinctive and beautiful monument in all of Jerusalem. If you look carefully, you'll notice the geometry of a dome supported by an octagon shaped building. It ...

2395. Sucked In, Washed Up, Blown Over

Mark 4:35-41

Illustration

Vince Gerhardy

Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over. The problems began when Chippie's owner decided to clean Chippie's cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She'd barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked in. The bird's owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum cleaner, and ...

2396. Sing And Give Thanks

Ephesians 5:19-20

Children's Sermon

Object: Your church hymnal. Lesson: Singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times for everything. Good morning, boys and girls. (Hold up your church hymnal, ask the question and let them answer.) What am I holding? This is our church hymnal. All the hymns that we sing during church are in this book. (Prior to the lesson find afew hymns that children know and show them where they are in the book.) For example, on page (name the page) is "Jesus Loves Me," ...

2397. All The More Reason To Give Thanks

Psalm 100:1-5

Sermon

Brett Blair

It is interesting to note that it wasn’t until we were at war, the Civil War to be exact, that our Thanksgiving holiday was officially recognized by Congress. It had started in the small Plymouth Colony in 1621 when the English Pilgrims feasted with members of the Wampanoag (Wam·pa·no·ag) Indians who brought gifts of food as a gesture of goodwill. The custom grew in various colonies as a means of celebrating the harvest. In 1777, over 100 years later, the continental congress proclaimed a national day of ...

2398. Don't Worry! Give Thanks!

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

King Duncan

Fresh out of business school, a young man answered a want ad for an accountant. Now he was being interviewed by a very nervous businessman who ran a small business that he had started himself. “I need someone with an accounting degree,” the businessman said. “But mainly, I’m looking for someone to do my worrying for me.” “Excuse me?” the accountant said. “I worry about a lot of things,” the business man said. “But I don’t want to have to worry about money. Your job will be to take all the money worries off ...

2399. Jesus Brings Life

Mark 5:21-43

Illustration

Will Willimon

With whom do you most identify in today's gospel? There are plenty of characters here who are being stung by death. There is a woman whose whole life has been caught, dominated by a terrible, life-demanding illness. There is a distraught father. A little girl whose young life is being cut short. There are the baffled disciples, the crowd who doesn't know what to think of all this. Where are you? And yet, intruding into the story is another face, the strong, live-giving face of Jesus. Mark says that Jesus ...

2400. All Wrapped Up

John 20:1-18

Sermon

Lori Wagner

He is risen! [He is risen indeed!] This must have been the exclamation that followed Simon Peter and John’s visit to the tomb after hearing from Mary Magdalene that early, dark morning that we call resurrection day. Sometime in the night, something miraculous had occurred. Something had changed. When Mary came to the tomb and found the stone removed, she also found that Jesus was missing. And yet, there was evidence left behind. And that evidence is extremely important to the telling of the resurrection ...

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