Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 2451 to 2475 of 3926 results

2451. Everyone's a Fundamentalist About Something

Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . Of course, if you really want to fan the flames of fundamentalism, start messing around with the church music. The point is that all of us are fundamentalists about something. We all choose to erect certain foundational pillars that we use to support the weight of other attitudes and actions called for in our lives. Being a "fundamentalist" about some things can strengthen our centeredness and build up our sense of security for the marginality that is required of disciples of Jesus. Fundamentalism only ...

2452. Take an Ember Day

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 14 (Holy Cross week) and December 13 (St. Lucy's Day.) Over time, Ember Days in the Roman tradition, particularly those during Advent, came to be associated with ordination and the preparation for ordination. The worshiping community came together in unison to support the fruitful ministry of those seeking ordination. It's time for each disciple of Jesus and each body of Christ to reinstitute the tradition of Ember Days. These special days will help us to do three things: to trust, obey and disengage ...

2453. Armageddon Anxiety

John 6:56-69

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... counsels us all to move through a progression of end-time emotions moving from our fear of the '90s to pondering the 00, and finally to great expectations of the 01. Indeed, the pattern established during the past few centuries tends to support Schwartz's optimism. Historically, the dawn of a new century has been accompanied by a burst of artistic and scientific innovation. The long-awaited new century seems to unleash fresh energies and enthusiasms. The challenge of a clean slate encourages the human ...

2454. A Concert of Prayer

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Drama

Leonard Sweet

... of legs on which a stool can stand is three. You can have more than that, but you can't have fewer. It is the same with the Christian life, Olsen argues. The first leg is individual prayer. The second leg is small group prayer, support and study. The third leg is the formal prayer of Sunday worship, where the individual and small groups become integrated into the skeletal structure of the body of Christ (Charles M. Olsen, "The Closet, the House and the Sanctuary," Christian Century 9 [December 1981], 1285 ...

2455. Cut It Out!

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... abstinence if they are to control their addiction. Yet it takes a tremendous amount of energy to renew that dedication to stop doing that destructive behavior each and every day. That is why AA and other "12-step" programs rely heavily on creating supportive communities of their peers - others who have "stopped it" and will stand by each other on those inevitable bad days. This is what Jesus calls the church to do as a community of faith dedicated to living an internalized righteousness. You can have ...

2456. The Family Ideal, Not Idol

Genesis 12:1-4a

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... God. - When we put our job first - we ask our job to be our God. - When we put our country first - we ask our country to be our God. Let's build strong families, stronger than ever before. Let this church be a place that facilitates family life and that supports families. But let's not build an idol of family.

2457. Holy Spirit Holes

Acts 2:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... it was charged with caring for all the individual souls it served in the community. These were harsh times simple survival was a full-time occupation for most people. Religious faith was not a mere convenience or habit it was the main support system in the lives of struggling, frightened, powerless men and women. The cathedral offered a source of comfort, beauty and security for all who entered her doors. Harvard scholar Diana Eck, in her work entitled Encountering God (Boston: Beacon, 1993), reveals some ...

2458. Sleep Loose

2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Holy Spirit is ours. 6. Join the cloud of witnesses Paul invoked the presence of "all the saints" in his farewell to the Corinthians. Likewise, we must feel a part of all the saints, the entire community of faith. It is in feeling the strength of all that support that we can relax and "sleep loose." Nancy Wilson is one of my favorite singers. There is a T-shirt that says "Aged to Perfection." Nancy Wilson's singing of the blues, jazz and Big Band tunes is just that "aged to perfection." At a fundraiser for ...

2459. A Bill of Rights

Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , avoiding feeling bad. And, oh boy, the excuses some of you can come up with for doing so"(29)! Her book argues that society must get back to the 3 C's: Character, Courage and Conscience. She begins her book with this declaration: "The path to solid, supportive, healthy relationships, self-respect and a quality life starts with the usually painful decision to do the right thing. This is the book to get you on that path and to keep you focused on those goals" (2). As good as Schlessinger's book is, it isn ...

2460. Teamwork Works!

Judges 4:1-7

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... female lead, the key to victory over the oppressor is found in teamwork. Whereas David's confrontation with the larger-than-life Goliath was a one-man show, the defeat of Sisera's soldiers and the release of Jabin's stranglehold comes about through the supportive, cooperative efforts of Deborah, Barak and Jael. David's victory brought an end to the fear the giant Goliath had driven into the hearts of Israel's soldiers. But the triumph of Deborah, Barak and Jael brought about the destruction of all those who ...

2461. A Match Made in Heaven

Isaiah 61:1—62:12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to be a manifestation of converging opposites? It is in the diversity of the church that rich and poor manifest charity; the young and old manifest understanding; the sick and the whole manifest encouragement; the able and differently-abled manifest mutual support; diverse racial groups manifest vision; men and women manifest cooperation; and saint and sinner alike manifest an explosion of the grace of God! What manifestations shall we pray for in the coming year? What manifestations can our faith and that ...

2462. Tabloid Testaments?

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... for the Cleveland (Ohio) United Methodist District Committee on Ministry. One of the "situational causes" of low clergy morale named in this study was this: "Who can you trust any more?" is the cry of those who look to the covenant community for support and comfort in times of low morale. Fear, suspicion and mistrust keep colleagues from truly sharing their hurts and hopes in ministry. The ecclesiastical grapevine is one of the wonders of the modern world. Information passes among us at a speed which defies ...

2463. Who Are You?

Hebrews 12:18-29

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... homes are without "earthquake kits" stocked with emergency food, water, survival gear and first aid supplies. Are we as prepared for all the spiritual quakes and shakes we shall encounter in our daily lives? What is your first reaction when the earth begins to shift and the supports you have built your life upon begin to sway and crack? - What do you do when you lose your job and your standard of living is threatened? - What do you do when a spouse or a child suddenly dies? - What do you do when the nest is ...

2464. Home Improvement

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... faith, the church did it for me. When it seemed that life had fallen apart, the church reminded me that the foundation stands firm." 2. A need for greater loyalties. Within the safe haven of a home, you should never have to question the support of others. Husbands and wives, parents and children, parishioners and pastors, lay leaders and choir members, should never feel as if their "home" is booby-trapped - where one misstep may bring a rainfall of ridicule down on their heads. Within our homes, there must ...

2465. Enemies of Promise

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of hatred can be built. Hate people because of how they talk; hate a race because of how they look; hate the rich because you're poor; hate the poor because you're rich; hate peace because your life is not peaceful. Hate, in turn, supports the whole structure of violence that is staggering our nations. On April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City testified to the violent legacy begotten by hate. That particular hatred was so intense it could not even wait to eradicate the promise within all children through a lifetime ...

2466. Dream Reality

Matthew 2:19-23, Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... finding excuses to run and hide from hate-mongers and naysayers, daydreamers must proclaim "we can." We can make our children's lives happier; we can keep our family strong; we can help our community to join together; we can offer reassurance and support and concern. Word dreamers also dream "yes" instead of "no." "Yes" to possibilities instead of "no" to probabilities. "Yes" to risking commitment instead of the "no" of safe detachment. "Yes" to loving without guarantees instead of "no" to all but our own ...

2467. Seven Resolutions

Illustration

Walter Schoedel

... . Do good. Five, LOOK-UP. Open your eyes to the Lord. After all, He is your only Savior. Six, REACH-UP. Spend time in prayer with your adorations, confessions, thanksgivings and supplications to the Lord. And finally, LIFT-UP. Be available to help those in need serving, supporting, and sharing. If you're going to make New Year's resolutions this year, let me suggest Rev. Schoedel's list. Why do we bother to make New Year's resolutions in the first place? Why do we feel this need each January 1 to set new ...

2468. Mark 8:31-38

Mark 8:31-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... Christianity. Believers are not to be preoccupied with saving their own lives. Like Peter, true disciples are called to take up their cross and follow Christ. Relating the Texts Throughout the fourth chapter of Romans, Paul argues in support of the essential equality and unity among Christians, against the divisions between Jewish versus Gentile believers. All distinctions are artificial devices based on a faulty understanding of our relationship to God. The example of the covenant established between ...

2469. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... tradition of the early church, not one Paul had developed on his own. There are too many non-Pauline phrases, the style differs from his own, and the fact that the confession reaches beyond the scope of Paul's immediate discussion all support its previous institutional existence. The confession closes by proclaiming the risen Christ's appearance to "Cephas, then to the twelve." The separate appearance to Cephas (Simon Peter) suggested by this text, is not recorded in any of the gospels - although there is ...

2470. 2 Kings 5:1-15ab

2 Kings 5:1-15ab

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... that most defines him is straightforward and totally devastating. Naaman is a leper. In the light of that one fact, it seems not to matter that Naaman, whose very name means charm or pleasantness, is triumphing over Israel with the Lord's support. As the story unfolds, the first of a remarkable set of juxtapositions is revealed. In contrast to Naaman, the powerful, prestigious warrior, we are introduced to a character profoundly weak and pitifully alone. Whereas Naaman is the conqueror, the other is the ...

2471. 2 Timothy 1:1-14

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... by reminding him of both his grandmother's and his mother's Jewish-Christian faith. Paul recognizes that our lives necessarily reflect the particularity of parentage as well as the larger kinship shared by a faith community. In Timothy's case this parentage is supportive and beneficial. While we know Timothy's father was a Greek (Acts 16:1), his grandfather's lineage is unclear. Since in Judaism any child who is born of a Jewish mother is considered Jewish, it makes sense for Paul to single out Timothy ...

2472. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

2 Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... is much debate about the correct interpretation of the first phrase of the verse. While the NRSV has accepted the translation as "first fruits," other scholars contend that it would be more aptly construed as the phrase "from the beginning." Extant texts support both versions. It does seem odd, however, that Paul would refer to the Thessalonians as the "first fruits" when they were in no way the first converts, even within Macedonia itself. A less specific temporal connotation is possible by asserting that ...

2473. 1 Peter 2:19-25

1 Peter 2:19-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , there is a creedal feel and sound to these verses. It is quite likely that here we have an established creedal formula already used in the church which 1 Peter imports here into his text. The image of Christ as the suffering servant further supports 1 Peter's concept that the obedient Christian must likewise experience suffering at the hands of others. Verse 23 uses the image of the silent sheep before its slaughterers (Isaiah 53:7) as a template for 1 Peter's instructions on the proper Christian attitude ...

2474. 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... while." And far from being "rejected," this experience of suffering indicates that they are "called" by God's "eternal glory in Christ." 1 Peter makes the experience of suffering "for a little while" seem insignificant beside the reward that awaits "eternal glory." Finally, in this future glory, God will "restore, support, strengthen, and establish" the faithful four interrelated terms the author stacks one upon the other in order to demonstrate just how good God's intentions are for them.

2475. Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... in verses 17-20. Jesus' proclamation about "what defiles" should not be taken as a rejection of all the laws of kashrut or an outright denial of the continued power of Jewish law. While later generations of Christians found in Jesus' words support for acceptance of the church's then Gentile majority, there is nothing in this text to suggest that here Jesus completely abrogates all tradition. The disciples' response to Jesus' announcement seems to be almost ridiculously self-evident. Yet it serves ominously ...

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