Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2426 to 2450 of 5000 results

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... happy-go-lucky pleasures of youth. I’m not quarrelling with pleasure here. It’s a matter of attitude and value. Who wins? Who loses, in this game called life? (Making the Most With the Least, MSS Cathedral Publishers, pp.309-310) I’ve jumped ahead in Mark’s Gospel today, because of where we are in the life of the church - in the midst of our Stewardship Emphasis. Here is the world’s best-known widow, though only Jesus paid her any attention that day. Only Jesus even noticed her. Jesus told about ...

2427. The Measure You Give Is the Measure You Get

Mark 4:21-25

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of nitrogen on the ashes. Thus the ashes of the volcano became fertile. The winds continued to blow, wafting seeds to the island, the bird’s droppings also brought seeds; and the miracle took place. The miracle of new life coming out of the ashes! (Story told by Mark Trotter, “When the Door is Closed”) That’s a dramatic example of the countless parables of hope all about us in nature - parables that tell us that the future is always open, that God is able to use the past no matter what we do to it ...

2428. Simon

Mark 15:21-32

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... somebody else to carry Jesus’ cross. So, Simon, trying to be a spectator of one custom, ends up being a participant in another, and thereby provides for us a lesson about the cross. “You get too close to it and you wind up carrying it.” (Mark Trotter, “Pressed Into Service,” Mark 16, 1980) We’re going to come back to that later — for that is one of the big messages that we see in Simon that if you get too close to the cross, you’ll end up carrying it – but there are lesson to observe as ...

2429. The Time Is Right

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... son (Galatians4:4). Therein lies the true meaning of Christmas. In the Bible there are two words for time. One is chronos, from which we get the word chronology by which we mark our calendars. Chronos time is the ticking of the clock, the passing of the days, the turning of the years. Picture a convict in a prison cell, marking the days for release—that is chronos time. Remember the nights you couldn't sleep even by counting sheep and every second seemed like an hour—that is chronos time. Somebody here ...

2430. Climbing the Right Ladder

Genesis 28:10-19a

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... , I would just let Jacob wallow in it. Thank God I’m not God. God views things totally differently than I. If your ladder climbing has left you out on a limb of isolation, I have good news for you. God does not desert his own. Sure, Jacob missed the mark. Sure, he has not understood his calling. Sure, he has not really grasped the notion of the blessing that is his. In reality, God comes to him anyway. Here the Lord builds a ladder all the way to Jacob. The Bible says, “The Lord stood beside him.” The ...

2431. Is There More Than One Way to Heaven?

John 4:19-26

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... and again. In John 10:16, Jesus says, “You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen." In Mark 9:38, Jesus tells his disciples, “Those who are not against us are for us." The verses imply salvation is to be far and wide ... that you could come to the Father. He said it was only by Him. So, it is possible to be on Christ's way and with his mark upon you without ever having heard of Christ, which brings me to the final question.[1] III. WHO HAS THE FINAL ANSWER? Who has the final ...

2432. Let Go of the Stone

Mark 16:1-8

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Even in the sunshine, He is there to make joy doubly dear. CHRIST IS RISEN. Let go of the stone of fear and embrace a life of faith. III. LET GO OF THE STONE OF BEWILDERMENT AND EMBRACE A LIFE OF BELIEF. It is suggested that Mark's Gospel is the earliest of the Gospels and that these first eight verses are the original resurrection story. If it is, then it is really not very hopeful. The words that are recurring here are “scared," “trembling," “bewildered." Trembling and bewildered, the women went out ...

2433. About Whose Business Was He?

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... of action and few spend time interacting with their youngsters about religious matters. 81% of mothers and 78% of fathers say they eventually want to send their children to Sunday school. But a much smaller percentage actually get around to doing it on a regular basis. But mark this truth. What you don't teach them someone else will and you may not like the lessons. If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight. If he lives with pity, he learns to ...

2434. The Kingdom for Which We Long

Matthew 13:31-35, Matthew 13:44-46, Matthew 13:47-52

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... . It’s not as secret and hidden as we often think that it is. The will of God can be known, it can be found. Mark Twain said, “It’s not the parts of the Bible that I don’t understand which bother me, it’s the parts I do understand.” ... creates family where there is liberty and justice for all. Jesus said, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Mark 35:25). He transformed the kingdom of God into the ‘kin-dom’ of God. In Christ there is no east nor west In him no ...

2435. The Calling of Our Baptism

Luke 3:21-22; Matthew 28:18-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... it. At baptism we are claimed as children of God. Who is more loved than a baby surrounded by family and a community of faith being marked as a child of God? What is more meaningful than an adult who suddenly realizes that they belong to God and that they should come home ... another. If we could create a community where it was outstanding because people truly loved one another it would make a mark on this world. Our calling and purpose as followers of Jesus Christ is to love God completely, to love self ...

2436. In Prayer’s Way

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... back down on our knees and became first and foremost, a praying church? What was it that made Jesus so angry, at least angry enough to throw a Temple tantrum? We turned God’s house into everything else but what? “My house shall be a house of prayer!” (Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46). Has anyone ever told you, “You are an answer to prayer!” As a kid Elizabeth was required to visit a great-great aunt who lived nearby, every Sunday evening. The Rennies would take her a plate of cookies or some other treat ...

2437. Giving Our Gratitude

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... would say, “Carpe Deim, Seize the Day." I say, “Live like you're dying." God's work is urgent. I know a thousand years in God's sight is nothing more than a passing day or one night shift. God's time is not our time. We mark time by minutes; God marks time by millenniums. We talk about events; God talks about eternity, but let us not be lulled to sleep. Paul said, “Now is the acceptable time, today is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). Autumn is awesome. Solomon in all his glory was not ...

2438. The King on a Donkey

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... instructed the disciples to go bring the donkey to him, and he adds, “If any one says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.” (Mark 11:3) That is boldly underlined in the assertion of Jesus’ authority. “Say to them, ‘The Lord has need of it.” Mark it down friends: It is a strong word about how we must see ourselves and every thing we have in relation to the Lord. What the Lord requires, He has a right to take. If he needs our ...

2439. The Cost of Discipleship: Get Lost!

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... t think enough of ourselves; our problem is that we can’t get outside ourselves. So what the church says in the marriage ritual is j an application of the gospel. “He who would save his life will lose it. He who lose his life will find it.” (Mark Trotter, Get Lost, March 3, 1985) The cost of discipleship? — and the first facet of the one truth is this “deny self.” II. The second facet of this one truth is expressed by Jesus in the fashion “take up your cross.” Again we can’t plumb all the ...

2440. The Curse of the Impossible

Mark 9:14-32

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... cannot ignore this chapter in the life of the disciples and Jesus. Let me state the truth as crisply as possible that it may be etched in your mind: “Most of us are cursed with a sense of the impossible, and that is precisely why miracles do not happen.” (Barclay, Mark, The Daily Bible Study, p. 224) But not only is it the reason miracles do not happen, it’s the reason our l are so humdrum and routine, so hemmed in and dull. 2 the reason the church is so bland in its witness that not many stop to take ...

2441. Holy Waste

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... are tempted to lose all touch with reason – we do things that we would not normally do – we do extravagant things. Our scripture today is about that kind of experience. The crowd had gathered in the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany. Now that’s significant within itself. Mark wants us to know in whose home the party was being held — Simon the Leper. We can imagine that Simon is enjoying the party most of all. He seems like a guest, he’s enjoying it so much. And there is a sense in which he is a ...

2442. There Is Always a Load Limit

Luke 10:38-42

Illustration

Arthur E. Dean Windhorn

Dr. John Anderson tells about a cartoon that appeared in the NEW YORKER magazine. Approaching a small bridge plainly marked, "Load Limit " 8 tons" was a truck, also marked on its side, "8 tons." When the 8 ton truck was about in the middle of the bridge with the 8 ton limit, a bluebird lighted on the top girder. At that point the bridge gave way and crashed with the truck into the river below, to the obvious surprise ...

2443. A Kingdom that Cannot Be Shaken

Hebrews 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... leave the light on anymore. It was so bad . . . you get a credit card in the mail and it’s already pre-declined. It was so bad . . . McDonald’s is now selling the 1/4 ouncer. It was so bad . . . the bank returns your check marked “Insufficient Funds.” They mean them, not you. Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. “Oh Great!!” says one comedian. “The guy who made $50 billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 trillion disappear!” We live in ...

2444. Scaring the Church, So It Will Be the Church

Matthew 5:13-20

Sermon

Charles L. Aaron

... world can see the way out. What will motivate the church to be the salt and the light? Will we fulfill our task only if we are frightened? Matthew adds a twist to this saying of Jesus. In Mark, Jesus asks essentially the same rhetorical question as in Matthew, "If salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it?" (Mark 9:50). Matthew adds the phrase about throwing the salt out and trampling it underfoot. Matthew adds a little bit of a fear factor. If we don't fulfill our calling, we'll be thrown out and ...

2445. Having Fun with The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... of all the gospel writers, he tends to focus more on obedience. This is evident in his version of the Great Commission, as it is not so much preaching or the conjuring of the Spirit that is to be done in evangelism (Luke 24:46-48; Mark 16:15-18; John 20:22-23), but instead evangelists are to teach to the targets of evangelism "to obey everything ... [Christ] commanded ..." (Matthew 28:20).4 Does that mean evangelism is commanded? It is not insignificant to remind ourselves that before Matthew had Jesus tell ...

2446. With a Firm Foundation, Application Is Second Nature

Matthew 7:15-23, Matthew 7:24-29

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... ), p. 175. 10. Ibid. 11. See page 233, notes 7-8. Also see Sonja Lyumbomirsky, as summarized in Claudia Wallis, "The New Science of Happiness," Time, January 17, 2005, pp. A8-A9. 12. John Calvin, "Commentary On a Harmony of The Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke" (1555), in Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVI.I, trans. William Pringle (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2005), p. 370. 13. For such an analysis of American social dynamics, see my Blessed Are the Cynical: How Original Sin Can Make America a ...

2447. Wonderful Opportunities for Mission

Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... (n.d.), L.III.1, in The Works of John Wesley, Vol. 6 (3rd edition; Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1996), p. 133. See the use of this citation by Warren, p. 259. 8. John Calvin, Commentary On a Harmony of The Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke (1555), in Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVI.I, trans. William Pringle (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2005), p. 442. 9. Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety (New York: Pantheon Books, 2004), pp. vii-viii, 36-37. 10. Martin Luther, Sermons On the First Epistle ...

2448. If Your Sense of Purpose Ever Becomes a Burden, Remember Your Value

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... parent. That grace-filled perspective on life makes living a joy! Amen. 1. Eduard Schweizer, Good News According To Matthew, trans. David E. Green (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975), pp. 179, 181. 2. John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, in Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVI.I (reprint edition; Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2005), p. 476. 3. Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety (New York: Pantheon Books, 2004), pp. 5-7. 4. Ibid, p. 6. 5. Martin Luther, The Freedom of ...

2449. How Jesus’ Friendship Makes Your Burdens Light

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... page 233, nn.2-3. 2. Martin Luther, The Last Sermon, Eisleben (1546), in Luther's Works, Vol. 51 ed. and trans. John W. Doberstein (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1959), pp. 383-384. 3. John Calvin, Commentary On a Harmony of The Evangelists, Mathew, Mark, and Luke (1555), in Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVI.II, trans. William Pringle (Grand Rapids, Michigan Baker Books, 2005), p. 43. 4. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The One Who Thinks and Lives for Others (1934), in A Testament to Freedom, ed. Geffrey B. Kelly and ...

2450. It’s Not about You; It’s All about God

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... Hooke (2nd rev. ed.; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1972), pp. 149-151; Rudolf Bultmann, History of the Synoptic Tradition, trans. John Marsh (New York and Evanston, Illinois: Harper & Row, 1963), p. 187; Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According To Mark, trans. Donald H. Madvig (Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press, 1970), p. 96; Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, trans. David E. Green (2nd printing; Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1977), p. 297. 2. Martin Luther, The Large Catechism (1529 ...

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