Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2376 to 2400 of 4935 results

2376. Make a 119 Call

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

“God hath not promised Skies ever blue, Flower-strewn pathways All our lives through; God hath not promised Skies without rain, Joy without sorrow, Peace without pain. “But God hath promised Strength for the day, Rest for the labor, Light for the way, Grace for the trials, Help from above, Unfailing sympathy, Undying love.” Annie-Johnson Flint When I went to seminary, we were required to learn “active listening” skills. One required exercise was to interview another student and draw out of them a conflict ...

2377. Will You Be an April Fool for Christ?

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

How many of you have been “April Fooled” already today? Did you get salt out of the sugar bowl for your coffee or cereal? Did the lids to the pepper and salt shakers fall completely off with the first shake? Were all your shirt sleeves turned inside out? Good April Fool jokes and pranks are supposed to strike out at our routines, shake up our perceptions, make something ordinary odd and extraordinary. Sometimes April Fool is something contrived. Sometimes April Fool just happens. For example, Andy Warhol, ...

2378. Sonny Moneybags

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

David E. Leininger

This text has been described as the greatest short story ever written. Junior comes to Dad and demands his portion of the inheritance, takes the loot, and heads off only to blow it all in high living, eventually having to take a job feeding pigs. Finally he decides that life back home was infinitely more appealing; so he heads back to what turns out to be a joyous reunion. Most sermons on the passage correctly point out the eternal analogy: that in spite of our rebelliousness and sin, our heavenly Father ...

2379. Joshua's New Diet

Joshua 5:9-12

Sermon

David J. Kalas

What do you or your family pray at mealtime? When I was growing up, our family typically recited the "God is good, God is great" prayer that so many folks use as a table grace. At Christian camp settings as a teenager, I grew accustomed to singing the Johnny Appleseed song before we ate. My children are fond of singing the doxology at the dinner table. And over the years I have heard a great many people offer mealtime prayers, thanking God for his bounty, for fellowship, for the hands that prepared and the ...

2380. Mugwumpers

1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39

Sermon

Stephen P. McCutchan

In certain streams of Christianity, it is common to speak of people being "born again." The phrase comes from an exchange between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus in the third chapter of John. In that exchange, Jesus contrasts being born of the flesh with being born of the Spirit. To be born of the flesh is to be shaped by the genes of your parents and their background. You come into this world with a heritage as a given. Because you live according to the demands of the flesh, you also possess the ...

2381. Going Home

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Sermon

Argile Smith

At the end of a long trip, home always looks appealing! Turning the corner and seeing the house you left days or weeks earlier can sometimes provide the best snapshot of the whole trip. The word home has a pleasant ring to it, and it’s a particularly beautiful word to hear after being away from it for a while. While such an assertion makes sense after a weeklong vacation at a theme park, it makes even more sense after the long journey called life. For Christians, coming to the end of life’s journey doesn’t ...

2382. When You Drop the Ball, What Next?

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

There are two things we absolutely crave in our lives: predictability and spontaneity. We crave the comfort of predictability. We work long and hard to grow life in a steady job, a certain career, a consistent source of income. We earn degrees, save money, buy insurance, invest for retirement. We have a home, a family, a schedule, which gives structure and meaning to our days and nights. We build our lives on the secure foundation of predictability. But conversely, we also crave spontaneity. We hunger for ...

2383. The Church in Antioch

Acts 11:19-30

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

Luke now leaves the “acts of Peter” for the time being. He will return to them again in chapter 12, after which, except for a brief reappearance in chapter 15, Peter passes out of the narrative and Paul becomes the focus of attention. The author’s purpose in these present chapters (8 to 12) is both to tell the story of the church’s early expansion (exemplified by certain carefully selected events) and at the same time to prepare the ground for the story of the Pauline mission. Thus he has given an account ...

2384. Stand Firm

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

With relief, Paul turns from discussing the delusion of those who are perishing to give thanks again for those who are being saved. The structure of this thanksgiving is almost identical with that of the introductory thanksgiving of this and other letters. So much so, indeed, that some suggest that this could be the remnant of another epistle that has been incorporated into this (see Schmithals, pp. 193f.). Nothing can be proven, of course, and it is better therefore to regard these verses as simply ...

2385. Samson’s Marriage

Judges 14:1-20

Understanding Series

Cheryl A. Brown

Samson’s First Encounter with a “Foreign Woman”: After the dazzling introduction of this wonder-man in Judges 13, we anticipate seeing him in action. He was grown, the Spirit was stirring him, the Israelites had been in bondage to the Philistines for forty years. Surely it was time for some action. We want to see what he can do, and we know that the stage is set for the performance. That is why Samson’s first moves are so surprising, and frankly, disappointing. We expected a little more than a spoiled brat ...

2386. Jesus Heals the Official’s Son

John 4:43-54

Understanding Series

J. Ramsey Michaels

Once again the narrator provides an explanation for Jesus’ itinerary. After two days at Sychar (cf v. 4:40), Jesus leaves Samaria and continues his journey to Galilee (v. 43; cf. vv. 3–4). The reason given is Jesus’ own remark (probably made on a different occasion), A prophet has no honor in his own country. A great deal of speculation has centered on whether Jesus’ own country (Gr: patris) refers to Galilee or Judea. If it refers to Galilee, the principle seems to be contradicted right away by the ...

2387. Woe to David’s City

Isaiah 29:1-24

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

29:1–4 Here alone is Ariel a name for Jerusalem. It means “God’s lion,” but a similar word means “hero” in 33:7, while “Ariel” sounds the same as a word for the hearth around the temple altar where animals were burnt in sacrifice (see Ezek. 43:15–16). So we hear Isaiah lamenting “God’s lion” or a hero or the altar hearth, and we are not helped a great deal by the next line that makes clear that the term refers to Jerusalem, which David had once besieged. Parabolic communication is again at work. Isaiah has ...

2388. Jesus Announces His Impending Suffering and Death

Matthew 16:21-28

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

Big Idea: Though they have just confessed Jesus as the Messiah, the disciples struggle to understand his revelation that he will suffer, die, and be raised, and that they are to follow in his cruciform footsteps. Understanding the Text This passage begins a new section, signaled by the formula “From that time on Jesus began to [explain]” (16:21 [as in 4:17]), narrating Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem (16:21–20:28). Jesus and his disciples travel from Galilee to Jerusalem, with Jesus teaching the Twelve along ...

2389. Resurrection and Christian Living

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Teach the Text

Preben Vang

Big Idea: The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith; without it, faith cannot stand and Christian living has no motivation. It is the announcement that God has reversed the curse of the fall. Death no longer has any sting. Understanding the Text After solidly grounding the resurrection in the soil of history, Paul moves on to establish its theological significance. His theological argument moves through three stages. He begins by a theological restatement of his Scripture/eyewitness ...

2390. The Nazirite Vow

Numbers 6:1-21

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

Big Idea: Willingly dedicate oneself to God. Understanding the Text The Nazirite regulations continue the theme of purity from Numbers 5. The Nazirites are laymen and laywomen who in a special way have dedicated themselves to God. Amos lists the Nazirite with the prophet as a special kind of holy person (Amos 2:11–12). These regulations also continue the theme of oaths, for both the woman suspected of adultery and the Nazirite make oaths (Num. 5:15–31; 6:2). Historical and Cultural Background Nazirite ...

2391. “I Will Not Fear Though Tens of Thousands Assail Me”

Psalm 3:1-8

Teach the Text

C. Hassell Bullock

Big Idea: Sadly, life’s conflicts become the baseline of our existence, when it ought to be our trust in the Lord. Understanding the Text The essential elements of lament, according to our definition, are the lament itself and the reason for lamenting. Further, the lament of the individual will generally include one or a combination of three complaints: against one’s enemies, against God, or against oneself. In Psalm 3, which is an individual lament, the complaint is against David’s enemies (3:1–2). ...

2392. Praise to the Lord

Isaiah 25:1-12

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

Devastation and Renewal for the Whole Land: The word massa’ no longer introduces the prophecies, but not until chapter 28 do we return to the direct, confrontational challenges to the people of God that dominate chapters 1–12. Chapters 24–27 thus stand out from the material on either side. The canvas broadens yet further than it had in chapters 13–23, but the tone of these chapters continues. The prophecy depicts further disaster and devastation, but makes fewer references to specific peoples. The effect ...

2393. The God Who Comforts

Isaiah 40:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

A story came across my desk recently about a man who worked for the Post Office. This man’s job was to process all the mail that had illegible addresses. One day, a letter came to his desk addressed in shaky handwriting to God. He thought he should open it to see what it was about. He opened it and read these words: Dear God, I am a 93-year-old widow, living on a very small pension. Yesterday someone stole my purse. It had $100 in it, which was all the money I had until my next pension check. Next Sunday ...

2394. Not Such a Difficult Question

Matthew 22:34-46

Sermon

King Duncan

If you’ve ever sweated through a job interview, then you know what it’s like to hold your breath as you wait for that next question. Will it be something off-the-wall that you can’t possibly answer . . . Or will it be a perfectly reasonable question . . . but one that will cause your mind to go blank the minute the interviewer asks it? Maybe you heard the story of a young woman who was interviewing for admission into a top business school. The head professor began the interview. “We can ask you ten easy ...

2395. An Important Village with a Questionable Reputation

John 1:43-51

Sermon

King Duncan

According to a recent report from the BBC News, inhabitants of a village in northern Nigeria are celebrating the renaming of their village. The old name of the town was “Area of Idiots.” Wonder why they wanted to change it? “Area of Idiots.” The new name of the village is “Area of Plenty.” I believe you will agree with me that’s an improvement. The local emir announced the name change after residents complained that they had been mocked for years because of that name and were ashamed to tell people where ...

2396. Having the Right Connection

John 15:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

After Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, died in 1977, many people claimed to be related to him. Tabloids published stories with headlines like “I was Elvis’ love child!” Some of these claims were made by fans desperate to maintain some connection to the musical legend. Some of the claims were made by folks who just wanted a chance at publicity or money from Elvis’ estate. Claiming a connection to Elvis Presley became so popular that Detroit-area disk jockey, Dick Purtan, began selling birth ...

2397. I’ve Come To Bring Fire

Luke 12:49-56

Sermon

Dave Zuchelli

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). This is a pretty startling statement from Jesus. This is something we’d expect old Beelzebub to spew forth as he foamed at the mouth. It’s not the kind of thing you’d expect Jesus to say. It is, undoubtedly, one of his least quoted utterances. Out of context, it sounds as though he’s about to bring hell on earth. When most of us think of a place called hell, we envision flames, torment, and punishment. These are ...

2398. A Life-changing Question

John 9:1-41

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Have you ever noticed how many questions you ask each day? We are constantly learning from our environment, and asking questions is a big part of that. It’s the best way to learn. Usually. But you have to ask the right questions too. Not every question leads to greater knowledge. Some questions lead to greater frustration. A few years ago, when the internet was fairly new, a woman named Nancy wanted to teach her elderly mother how to use it. So she introduced her to the website “Ask Jeeves.” Before Google ...

2399. A Child of God

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Sermon

Ronald Love

Perry Noble of NewSpring Church, the worship leader of 32,000, the largest church in South Carolina with multiple campuses, caused a theological stir with his Christmas Eve sermon in 2016, proclaiming that the Ten Commandments were not commandments, but only “promises” since the word for “commandments” is not in the Hebrew lexicon. Having this epiphany, he wrote a revolutionary sermon in ten minutes transforming “you shalt not” to “you are free …” Reputable theologians challenged the irrefutable pastor ...

2400. Baptized in Water

Mark 10:35-45, Psalm 104:1-35

Sermon

Thomas C. Willadsen

For the past month in our gospel readings, Jesus has been making his way to Jerusalem. He has been preparing his disciples for what awaited him there. They have rebuked him, been afraid to ask what he meant, and squabbled over who would have positions of leadership in his movement after he left them. Mixed in with his instruction and preparation to his disciples are stories of Jesus healing people seized with demons, disputing with the Pharisees, and lifting up the needs of children and “little ones,” ...

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