Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 2401 to 2425 of 2815 results

2401. Help From Habakkuk?

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... everything would be okay in my life, in my family, in my church, in this country, and even in the world. But when we say, "amen," to the disciples' request we betray a basic misunderstanding of faith as a commodity we possess or as a personal achievement. Jesus' parable of the mustard seed illustrates our mistake in thinking (Luke 13:18-19; 17:5-6). In that story Jesus is saying that the level of faith really isn't the issue. What matters is in whom you put your trust — the quality not the quantity is the ...

2402. The Bride of Jesus

John 2:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... the divine wedding is carried over into the New Testament. It is not surprising that Christ’s first miracle was at a wedding. After all he referred to himself on one occasion as the bridegroom (Matthew 9:15). This same imagery is present in many of the parables that Jesus taught. We are his beloved. And one day we will join him at the wedding feast. Paul used this imagery in advising couples about their own marriages in Ephesians 5: 25-33. The last words of that passage go like this: “For this reason a ...

2403. When We Don't Know God

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... chorus of which goes like this, “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly day by day.” The song is from the musical, Godspell. In the musical, which is based upon the Gospel of Matthew, the cast acts out the parable of the unforgiving servant. To refresh your memory, a servant owes an enormous debt to his master. The master forgives the debt. However, a much smaller debt is owed to this servant by a fellow servant. The servant who has been forgiven this enormous debt by ...

2404. Luke 13:1-9

Luke 13:1-9

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... see Jesus simply as the executed criminal he was judged to be by those leaders. Jesus himself must have been one of those “worse sinners” who “got what he deserved.” But for those who “repent and believe,” the story has a very different ending. The parable of the fig tree — found in a narrative format in Mark 11:12-14 and Matthew 21:18-19 — offers a final, hopeful note on this theme of repentance. While in Mark and Matthew the fruitless fig tree is soundly cursed by Jesus, here the puny ...

2405. The 5 Worst Things Christians Say After A Tragedy

Luke 13:1-9

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2406. Anything to Declare?

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... My hero is that 19th century Scottish bard William McGonagall (1825-1902), who achieved notoriety for being such a bad poet, partly by doing such things as rhyming “fair” with “I do declare.” In fact, I’ve always suspected Jesus had some Appalachian in him when in the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids, he had the bridegroom say to five of them, “I declare, I do now know you” (Matthew 7:23). But you get the picture. Every one of you here this morning will be asked this week, in one form or another ...

2407. Divided We Fall

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... and purpose as the church of Jesus Christ. We celebrate the gifts of each person who is part of our church family. To advance the mission of the church it takes everyone working together, not for personal recognition but for the glory of God. Amen. 1. Thomas H. Troeger, The Parable of the Ten Preachers (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), pp. 20-22. 2. Ibid, pp. 93-96.

2408. Luke 17:5-10

Luke 17:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... described by Jesus, and used here as an example of faithful discipleship, is found only in Luke’s gospel. What helps to clarify Jesus’ unsettling description of the traditional master/slave interaction is the fact that throughout this section of parables and lessons (13:10-17:10), Jesus has been addressing two audiences. Sometimes he speaks directly to the cranky, carping Pharisees. Sometimes the target for his words are his own cranky, carping disciples. Yet Luke’s text suggests that whichever ...

2409. Broadband Discipleship

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

2410. A Faith that Does Not Quit

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... literally means, “unless she gives me a black eye.” Imagine that a judge, a man of power in the community, but he was finally cowered by this poor widow. This widow was persistent. She refused to let this corrupt judge go! It’s one of those quirky little parables that Jesus loved to tell. But he adds a very serious moral to it: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice ...

2411. The Story of Christmas

John 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Soren Kirkegaard, the Danish theologian of more than a century ago, gave us a simple parable to help us more easily understand. He tells a story of a prince who was riding through a rather poor section of a certain city in his kingdom. Looking through the curtains of his royal carriage he caught glimpse of the most beautiful maiden he had ever ...

2412. Getting out of the Doldrums

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... divine power. The salvation Christ offered was not something to be brokered by special groups with special powers. It was a gift offered to all who confessed faith. It was the reclamation and reiteration of Jesus’ own mission and message. Jesus’ parables, his public messages, delivered to a larger audience but always arrow-aimed at his disciples, reveled in paradox and reversed expectations. The first were to be last. All sorts of outcasts, sinners and lepers, tax collectors and woman of questionable ...

2413. A King Like No Other

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... God. “This is made more amazing when you consider that this man had none of the advantages the disciples had. He never heard Jesus teaching by the seashore, he never saw Jesus heal the sick or raise the dead. He knew nothing of Jesus’ great parables and never saw any of his miracles. This man missed all the outward signs of Jesus’ kingship. Yet he believed. “He knew nothing of the virgin birth, the Old Testament prophecies or the raising of Lazarus. The coming miracle of the resurrection was unknown ...

2414. Only Time Will Tell

James 5:7-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of peace and justice. Gandhi founded much of his non-violent resistance movement upon what he learned from his Methodist friend’s Jesus-centered messages. Gandhi took to heart the teachings that Jesus offered in his Sermon on the Mount, his parables of love and forgiveness, his morality of turning the other check, of loving one’s enemies. As we all know, Gandhi’s attitude and actions, which he called Satyagraha, transformed and ultimately freed India from its oppressors and its own oppression. Shortly ...

2415. When We No Longer Recognize Ourselves

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... , to cover up his sins. After arranging for the death of Bathsheba’s husband, David marries her and has a child with her. And he thinks that he has escaped the consequences of his sin. But one day, the prophet Nathan approaches King David and tells him a parable about a rich man who steals a little lamb from a poor man. David, who was once a poor shepherd boy himself, declares, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!” (II Samuel 12:5) David does not recognize himself. A ...

2416. Honk If Something Falls Off

Matthew 5:43-48

Sermon

King Duncan

... , especially given the risk that she might, herself, be targeted by angry protestors. Martha answered, “It made me think of Jesus’ words, ‘Love your enemies.’ I felt that . . . [Tamerlan] was being maligned probably because he was Muslim, and Jesus tells us to, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ and your neighbor is not just someone who you get along with but someone who is alien to you . . . If I’m going to live my faith then I’m going to do that which ...

2417. The Nano-Punch of Pentecost

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... that held up the Rose Bowl Parade: Standard Oil Company. Here was a company that had huge oil and gas reserves at its disposal, and because someone forgot to fill the tank their float was helpless and without power to move, and it held up everyone else. This is the parable and plight of the church that is not living out of Pentecost. We are rich in the oil reserves of the Spirit, but refuse to fill up our little tanks with the fuel we need for the mission God has given us. From our studies of physics we all ...

2418. Supernatural: Taken By Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

James Merritt

... got to experience a little of what those disciples did that day. Every time I get into the boat on the Sea of Galilee this thought comes to my mind. Key Take Away: There is no need to fear when Jesus is near. Remember, we are characters in every parable that Jesus taught and every miracle that Jesus performed. The boat is our life. The disciples are us. There are three lessons you should put in your iPad or smartphone and drill into your heart, because you are going to need them when you are taken by storm ...

2419. The Question that Will Change Your Life

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... Creative People Take (New York: Harper Perennial, 1992), p. 70. 2. Charles Lindquist, Jr., http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/who-do-you-say-jesus-is-charles-lindquist-jr-sermon-on-lordship-of-christ-49766.asp. 3. More Perfect Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion, Compiled by PreachingToday.com (2003). 4. Parables (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 1991), p. 103.

2420. Leave Your Calculator Home

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... Grace of Giving (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972). 6. George Barna, How to Increase Giving In Your Church (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1997), p. 20. 7. The Power of a Whisper (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010) 8. http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/undertaker-or-risk-taker-david-dykes-sermon-on-parable-talents-57025.asp?Page=5.

2421. An Announcement to a Virgin

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... I am going myself!!” (3) And, of course, that is what God did. In Jesus Christ the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. But why? What is the meaning of it all? Years ago Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish theologian, explained the miracle of Christmas with a parable: Once upon a time there lived a king who loved a poor maiden. This king was an all-powerful king. He could choose any maiden in his kingdom for his bride. But the maiden did not know the king or suspect his love for her. This posed a problem ...

2422. TGFGF - Good Friday

John 18:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... as a medical doctor and it is reported that he healed many patients. Until the time of his death, he was sharing the Good News by healing the sick, touching the lonely, feeding the hungry, and helping the poor. “Jesus was most noted for recounting parables about his Father’s Kingdom, performing miracles, such as feeding more than five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, and healing a man born blind. The day before his death, he held a last supper celebrating the Passover feast ...

2423. The Kingdom Is at Hand

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... , anger and a host of negative thoughts and emotions can be washed away. At that moment you begin living in the Kingdom of God. Then life offers possibilities that you cannot now imagine. Let me tell you a true story, but a story that can be a parable of the Kingdom. It’s about a young woman named Eleanor Sass. When Eleanor was a child, she was hospitalized for appendicitis. Her roommate was a young girl named Mollie, who was injured when an automobile hit the bicycle she was riding. Mollie’s legs had ...

2424. The Failure

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

James Merritt

... t even covered with the robes of royalty. He was crucified stark naked. He had never even met Jesus until that day. He had never heard Jesus teach by the sea. He had never seen Jesus heal the sick or raise the dead. He had never heard Jesus tell one parable. He had never seen Jesus perform one miracle, yet He knew that this suffering Savior was not just a king, but the Kings of all Kings. Don’t miss this. This man was never baptized, never took the Lord’s Supper, never went to confession, never joined a ...

2425. Digging Deeper

Luke 1:1-4

Sermon

James Merritt

... spoken out loud in front of many others who were also familiar with the tradition and could corroborate the accuracy of what was told. Third, the sayings of Jesus were very memorable and phrased in a way that facilitated memorization. The parables that Jesus told were very short, very relevant, and again easily committed to memory. In 1st century Palestine, the ability to memorize and retain large amounts of oral tradition and information was a highly prized and highly developed skill. From the earliest ...

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