Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2451 to 2475 of 4945 results

2451. Blind Bartimaeus - Model For Healing

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

James W. Robinson

His name was Bartimaeus. He occupied the lowest rung on society’s ladder, a poor man of Bethany, who eked out a living begging at the side of the road. In his sightlessness, he was forced to depend on others to guide him to his place of business. He had never seen the smile on the lips of a child, the blush on a maiden’s cheeks, the love in his mother’s eyes. His eyes had never feasted on a sea of flowers in a field, a sky spilling over with stars, or the glorious glow of the setting sun. He had heard, but ...

2452. It’s as Simple as That

2 Kings 2:1-18

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

Elijah was the leader of the Sons of the prophets, bands of prophets located throughout Israel. Elisha was his protege. Naturally the other prophets were jealous of him. Our scripture opens when there is general knowledge among the prophets that the Lord was soon to take Elijah. Elijah was told by God to go on a journey from Gilgal to Bethel. He told Elisha to remain behind. Elisha refused, saying that as long as the Lord and Elijah live he will not leave his master. Together they arrive at Bethel where ...

2453. Feet Of Clay

2 Samuel 11:1-27

Sermon

Roger Prescott

Introduction King David was riding a crest. He had broken the Philistines’ control over Canaan once and for all. He had captured the old fortress of Jerusalem, despite the boast of its occupants that it was impregnable. He had rescued the Ark of the Covenant from the place of oblivion in which it had rested since the fall of the confederate sanctuary of Shiloh, and had brought it to Jerusalem. He had begun to consolidate the Israelite nation. He was a leader, and he was loved. He seemed to be able to do ...

2454. Be At Peace With One Another

Mark 9:38-50

Sermon

Brett Blair

One person armed with the Gospel of peace can change the world. Telemachus did. Who was Telemachus? He was a monk who lived in the 5th century. And his story is a story of courage. He felt God saying to him, "Go to Rome." He was in a cloistered monastery but he put his possessions in a sack and set out for Rome. When he arrived in the city, people were thronging in the streets. He asked why all the excitement and was told that this was the day that the gladiators would be fighting in the coliseum, the day ...

2455. The World Is Crowded With Gethsemanes

Luke 22:39-46

Sermon

Brett Blair

The Garden of Gethsemane is not really a garden but an orchard. Olive trees still grow there today. During Jesus’ day it was a place of business, an olive press produced the local areas supply of oil. This is where the word Gethsemane comes in. A gat (Hebrew) is a press, a large five-foot high square stone pillar, and a semane, or seman, is oil. So on the evening before his crucifixion he went to the orchard of the Olive Press with Peter, James, and John, to pray. If you lived in the first century and ...

2456. The Ten Commandments #6: No Murder

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

David E. Leininger

["This is the word of the Lord..."] And the word of the sheriff...and the police chief...and the governor...and the president...and MOTHER. EVERYBODY! "You shall not murder," (and, by the way, "murder" IS a more accurate translation of the commandment from the Hebrew than simply "kill" - the word means "violent, unauthorized" killing). No problem with that. And that is why there is such national revulsion at the horrible death of Matthew Shepherd in Wyoming. No matter what anyone thinks of his sexual ...

2457. Civil War Isn't!

2 Samuel 18:1-18, 19--19:8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Civil War ISN'T! Of course! If it is CIVIL, it is not WAR. If it is WAR, it is anything but CIVIL. And every war that has ever been fought with that designation, from our own a century-and-a-half ago, to some of the horrific conflicts we see on the news from Africa and the Middle East. Our lesson tells the story of Israel's ancient Civil War, the attempted overthrow of King David by his son, Absalom. Absalom was David's third oldest son, the child of a union with the princess of a neighboring city-state,(1 ...

2458. The Lord's Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy Name

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

An old, old story has a minister going from Sunday School class to Sunday School class one morning to meet with the students to see how their studies were going. He came into one first-grade group and began to question them as to what they had been learning. They had been studying about God and eagerly, the youngsters shared their knowledge. One little boy said God created the whole world and everything in it. A little girl said that God loves us very much. Another little girl said that God had a son named ...

2459. Wrestling With God

Genesis 32:22-32

Sermon

King Duncan

If Jacob were alive today, I am certain that he would be a Yuppie. The three-piece suit, BMW and condo at the beach would certainly all be among his possessions. For you see, Jacob was a born competitor. Any corporation would be delighted to employ him. He came out of the womb with his hand grasping his brother Esau's ankle seeking to be the first born because the first born received a greater portion of the inheritance. That is how he got his name, "Jacob," which means one who strives. You know the story ...

2460. Time For Action

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a humorous story about Bob Zuppke, the colorful football coach at the University of Illinois. Zuppke was trying to get his team prepared to play the University of Iowa. "Men," he roared, "I want you to get in there and die for Illinois. Nobody will be taken out unless he's dead. Get that? Unless he's DEAD!" The inspired but overmatched Illini played Iowa to a standstill until late in the fourth quarter when they finally ran out of gas. In fact, one of the frail Illinois halfbacks litterally keeled ...

2461. Ready For The Great Race

Hebrews 12:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

There are certain texts in the Bible that have a built-in excitement about them. There is no text more exciting than this morning ™s. Imagine if you will a great grandstand-the largest grandstand ever constructed-larger than that erected for the Kentucky Derby or the Indianapolis 500 or any Super Bowl. This great stadium is filled to capacity with spectators come to witness a racea race with vital consequences. At the starting block of that race are you and I. All eyes are upon us as we begin crouching ...

2462. What Are You Sitting On?

Jeremiah 16:1--17:18

Sermon

King Duncan

Robert Fulghum tells about meeting a young American traveler in the airport in Hong Kong. She was tensely occupying a chair next to his. Her backpack bore the scars and dirt of some hard traveling. It bulged with mysterious souvenirs of seeing the world. When the tears began to drip from her chin, he imagined some lost love or the sorrow of giving up adventure for college classes. But then she began to sob ” a veritable flood of tears. She was not quite ready to go home, she said. She had run out of money ...

2463. Humility You Can Be Proud Of

Micah 6:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

Comedian Bob Hope was accepting a plaque at an honorary dinner. He listened as his many contributions to humanity were lauded. When it was his turn to speak, he said that he had stopped letting such honors go to his head. "I just got a call from a fellow who said I'd been named Man of the Year by his organization," Hope said, "because I was America's outstanding citizen, greatest humanitarian, and so forth. It was going to be the biggest dinner, biggest civil reception ever. I told him I was sorry, but I ...

2464. A Birthday Celebration

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

A mother took her three-year-old daughter to church for the first time. The church was having a special candlelight service. The church lights were lowered; then the choir came down the aisle, carrying lighted candles. All was quiet until this three-year-old started to sing in a loud voice, "Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you . . ." (1) It was only a candlelight service, but it seemed like a birthday party to her. And today [tonight], she would be right! This is a celebration of Jesus' birthday. ...

2465. What Must I Do?

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

King Duncan

Not everything in life can be accepted at face value. Sometimes we are fooled. For example, one of the best-known sites in New York City is named Trump Tower. Trump Tower is named, of course, after successful realtor and self-promoter extra ordinaire, Donald Trump. Located in mid-Manhattan this spectacular building is 68 stories tall, according to most reference sources. At least that's what the books say. And, in fact, there is a button for the 68th floor in the elevator. Pushing that button takes you to ...

2466. It Doesn't Matter What I Do

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Sermon

King Duncan

"Five Things Christians Should Never Say," #5 A would-be burglar in Pennsauken, N.J. needed to make sure the door to the company he was looting wouldn't fully close while he was burgling the place, so he stuck a piece of paper in the door. The piece of paper was a traffic ticket he'd been issued for driving with a cracked windshield. Police found the ticket, with a name and address on it, still in the door the next day, which proved helpful in their pursuit of the burglar, who was arrested at his home in ...

2467. What Do You Really Know?

John 16:5-16

Sermon

King Duncan

Kay Strom was teaching third grade in a large elementary school. One morning all of the teachers were called to the teachers' room for an emergency meeting, and they hurried over, leaving their classes unsupervised. Everyone was worried, but none as much as Mrs. Whiting, because her class of first graders was especially mischievous and unruly. When they got to the teachers' room, Mrs. Whiting said, "I think I had better listen in and find out what's going on in my classroom." She turned on the intercom, ...

2468. About Work

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

There's a silly story going around about two factory workers, Joe and Lester, who were talking. "I know how to get some time off from work, " said Joe. "How do you think you'll do that? " asked Lester. At this, Joe climbed up to the rafters of the factory and hung upside down by his knees. The boss walked in, saw Joe hanging from the ceiling, and asked him what on earth he was doing. "I'm a light bulb," Joe answered. "I think you need some time off," said the boss. So Joe jumped down and walked out of the ...

2469. Love And Submission

Ephesians 5:22-33

Sermon

King Duncan

Bishop Bompas was the first Anglican clergyman to venture among the Indians of the Yukon. There is a somewhat unusual story about his service there. It seems that when he discovered that no member of the tribe had ever been officially baptized or married, he immediately proceeded to do both. After the five-hour baptismal and marriage ceremony was over, he asked the tribal chief which part the people enjoyed most. "Well, Bishop," said the chief, "we liked being baptized, but most of all we loved being ...

2470. The Sower and the Seed

Matthew 13:1-23

Sermon

Brett Blair

The Kingdom of God was the main emphasis of Jesus’ ministry and this is accepted by most. But defining precisely what the Kingdom was is a bit more difficult. Indeed, even Jesus himself was often elusive about it. He did not speak in absolutes; rather, he spoke in parables. Such is our scripture text for this morning. Jesus compared the Kingdom to a sower going out and spreading seed. Some of it falls upon hard ground and is unable to take root. Some of it falls on shallow ground, and although it initially ...

2471. On Living Before You Die

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

The NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS published recently several pages listing accounts with unclaimed money in them. As impossible as it seems, hundreds of people or their families forget the bank is holding money for them in their name. When men and women give their lives to God, many then lose faith in the Creator. They don''t use the treasure He has for them. Our orientation gets mixed up. We aim our lives in the wrong direction. Charlie Brown in the PEANUTS cartoon comes to the kitchen one morning in his PJ''s ...

2472. The Glorious Interpolation

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

Mark Twain once wrote a story with the descriptive title: “The Terrible Catastrophe.” Before he had finished he had worked all of his characters into such a predicament that whatever any one of them did they would all be destroyed! Contemplating his creation at this juncture, Twain concluded the story by writing, “I have these characters in such a fix I cannot get them out. Anyone who thinks he can is welcome to try!” In our Scripture we find that Jesus’ enemies thought that they had Him in just such a fix ...

2473. So Who Needs A Shepherd?

John 10:1-21

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

One Sunday morning, following the church service, a layman accosted the pastor and said, “Tom, this church has been insulting me for years, and I did not know it until this week.” The stunned pastor replied, “What on earth do you mean?” “Well,” said the layman, every Sunday morning the call to worship in this church ends with the words, We are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.’ And I have heard ministers over the years call the congregation, God’s flock.’ Then this past week I visited ...

2474. Love Is Extravagant

John 12:1-11

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

“But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ “ (John 12:4-6) You’ve got to admit that Judas had a point. His was the voice of sweet reasonableness. “Let’s not let ourselves get carried away,” he said, “Let’s not jump off the deep end. This is wasteful extravagance. This costly perfume could be sold and the money given to the poor.” Never mind that the author of the Fourth ...

2475. Does God Give Out Blank Checks?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

One of my favorite authors is Father Andrew Greeley, who, when he is not writing newspaper columns, popular (and somewhat racy) novels, and technical sociological treatises, somehow finds time to write passable books on theology. Greeley is so prolific that some have suggested that he is a committee rather than one individual man. Some critics say that he has never had an unpublished thought; but perhaps some of the criticism leveled against him might come under the heading of jealousy...from folks who ...

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