Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2451 to 2475 of 4508 results

2451. Proper 14, Pentecost 12, Ordinary Time 19

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Gathering Prayer/Prayer Of Preparation Begin this Sunday’s liturgy with a time of silence. Our lives are far noisier than wind, fire, or earthquake. In a great paradox, God speaks to us in sheer silence. Give the assembly a chance to listen. Leader: Wind, fire, earthquake, and storm: each event reminds us of how little we are. Arguments at work, grumbling at home: each event reminds us of how lit...

2452. Proper 14

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: How to overcome a contrary wind. The disciples faced a fiercely opposing wind on the Sea of Galilee. So too did Elijah, after his victory on Mount Carmel. Queen Jezebel was after his life. In both instances, they felt overwhelmed. Then, God came to still the storm. COMMENTARY Old Testament: Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 Joseph, who was given a long robe with sleeves as a sign of his father's favo...

2453. Baby Steps on the Sea of Galilee

Sermon

King Duncan

A comedian said he was in a shoe shop recently trying out a new pair of sneakers. He said to the salesclerk, “It’s too tight.” She said, “Try it with the tongue out.” [Pastor, stick out your tongue.] He said, “It’th nho ghood, it’th thtill thoo thight!” [It’s no good. It’s still too tight.] Sorry, sometimes I can’t resist a little joke like that. If you’re into fashion or social media, then you...

2454. No Other Thought

Illustration

Martin Luther

When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; he (Martin Luther) said, 'Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope."

2455. The Miracle Dog

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

As you know, there are probably hundreds of walking on water jokes around. My favorite is about a duck hunter who bought a new retriever. Besides being a beautiful dog, it was guaranteed to be the best retriever anyone had ever seen. He couldn't wait to show off his new dog to his buddies. And then he couldn't say enough about his dog. All through the trip down to the camp and all evening long, he...

2456. Run Faster!

Illustration

David E. Leininger

Mike Yaconelli, who used to edit the theological satire magazine called "The Wittenberg Door," wrote an insightful editorial a few years ago. Listen: One of the most interesting things about kid's sporting events is the parents' reaction to their children. Recently, I attended my daughter's track meet. On the fourth and final lap of the boys' mile run everyone was clumped together except for the ...

2457. Coasting Along?

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

In the 1970s, when the gasoline shortage was at its height, any possible proposal for increasing the miles per gallon ratio was taken up with enthusiasm. One popular but not terribly effective scheme was to tuck your own car right up behind any large truck barreling down the highway. The conventional wisdom was that the tremendous draft created by the truck would help drag your own vehicle along t...

2458. Jesus Walking on Water

Illustration

Johnny Dean

Alexander Solzhenitsyn said that only once during his long imprisonment in a labor camp in the Soviet Union did he become so discouraged that he thought about suicide. He was outdoors, on a work detail, and he had reached a point where he no longer cared whether he lived or died. When he had a break, he sat down, and a stranger sat beside him, someone he had never seen before and would never see a...

2459. Stronger after the Struggle

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

British naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace was without peer in the 19th century except for one name: Charles Darwin. One of Wallace's most astute observations about nature has gotten totally forgotten in the whole debate over the "survival of the fittest." Wallace made a surprising discovery about the saving nature of struggle. One day Wallace was observing moths struggling to hatch out from their...

2460. Everyday Miracles

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

Kentucky farmer and philosopher Wendell Berry is a poet who consistently invites us to look again at the every day, common things of life. He makes the case that turning water into wine is a relatively small miracle compared to turning water (and soil and sunlight) into grapes. Many times we are so transfixed by the humongous miracles God is capable of that we forget the humble, every day miracles...

2461. Water Walkers

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

I'll bet every one of us this morning can think of some remarkable water-walkers we have known. We all have watched simple, straight-forward, hard-working men and women, little toddlers and tormented teens, the shut-in elders and the shut-out homeless, perform acts in their lives that defy the limitations of the world in which they live. The chemotherapy patient who gets out of bed, puts on clean...

2462. It’s Stormy Out There

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

Events in the world and in our private lives are threatening our faith and causing many of us to wonder where God is. Biblical literacy is at an all-time low because people don't seem to have time to study the Bible, either in their homes or with other folks. Right now the seas outside our little boat are churning with a struggling educational system, a culture saturated with guns, drug addictions...

2463. The Ferry Only Costs 25 Cents

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

There is an old story that has often been re-told, especially in the Eastern Orthodox part of the church. According to the tale, a devout abbot from a monastery decided to take a prolonged spiritual retreat in a small cabin located on a remote island in the middle of a large lake. He told his fellow monks that he wanted to spend his days in prayer so as to grow closer to God. For six months he rem...

2464. Do Not Be Afraid

Illustration

Todd Weir

"Do not be afraid." The scriptures make this announcement over and over again. These are usually the first words out of angel's mouths. Abraham, Moses, Mary, Joseph, shepherds tending their flocks, Paul sitting in a jail cell, the women looking for Christ's body at Easter and disciples rowing a boat in the strong wind all hear these words. In all, these words occur almost 100 times in the scri...

2465. We Fall Down and We Get Up

Illustration

J. Howard Olds

An Italian peasant bumped into a monk who lived in a monastery high on the hill. The peasant seized the opportunity to question the monk about their daily routines at this holy shrine. "What do you men of God do up there on the mountain so close to God?" she asked. The monk replied, "We fall down and we get up, we fall down and we get up, we fall down and we get up." Failure is not our ultimate en...

2466. Who Could Have Commanded?

Illustration

Will Willimon

"Jesus calls us o'er the tumult of our life's wild, restless sea, in our joys and in our sorrows, 'Christian come and follow me.'" Isn't that how another old gospel hymn puts it? But in today's Gospel, Jesus doesn't simply call us over the tumult. Jesus doesn't call us out of the tumult. No, in today's Gospel, Jesus calls Peter into the tumult. Jesus calls Peter out of the boat and on to the wave...

2467. Dancing in the Wind

Sermon

Lori Wagner

We live in an embattled time. Conflicts in politics, problems with economics, and a global pandemic have put the icing on the proverbial cake of usual issues. Most of us already feel we are up to our necks in alligators. Now we have entered hurricane season to boot. How much more can we take? How much longer can we fight? Let’s face it. We are a tired, fatigued, tense, and nervous bunch right now...

2468. Is There Anyone Else Up There?

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

You may know the old story of a hiker who comes too close to the edge of the Grand Canyon, losing his footing and plunging over the side. Yet, amazingly, the hiker is able to grab hold of a small bush. Filled with fear, the hiker calls out, "Is anyone up there? Can anyone help me?" A reassuring voice promptly answers, "I'm here; I'm the Lord your God." Overjoyed, the hiker responds, "I'm so glad...

2469. The Great Spiritual Task

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

Henri Nouwen speaks of the challenges and rewards of placing our trust in God. Says Nouwen, "The great spiritual task facing me is to so trust that I belong to God that I can be free in the world – free to speak even when my words are not received; free to act even when my actions are criticized, ridiculed, or considered useless; free also to receive love from people and to be grateful for all the...

2470. Missing the Rocks

Illustration

David E. Leininger

There is a joke concerning this text that has gone around for years about three ministers out fishing together in a small boat. One of them, suddenly realizing that he had left his tackle box in the cabin, stepped out of the boat, and walked on the water over to shore. Just then, the second one said he had forgotten his faithful fishing hat on the front seat of the car. He too stepped out of the b...

2471. Light Shining out of Darkness

Illustration

William Cowper

God moves in mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill, He treasures up his bright designs, And works his sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread And big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,...

2472. Now I Know Why Jesus Walked!

Illustration

David E. Leininger

Mark Twain tells this story: A man visited the Holy Land and stayed in Capernaum. It was a moonlit night, so he decided to take his wife on a romantic boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Twain asked a man in a rowboat how much he would charge to take them out on the water. The man saw Twain's white suit, white shoes and white hat and supposed he was a rich Texan. So he said the cost would be twenty-...

2473. We All Need This Boat

Illustration

David E. Leininger

Will Willimon, the one time Dean of the Chapel at Duke, tells of a visit he made to the office of a lawyer in his congregation. It was just a drop-in. Will says he did not know the man that well - his wife seemed to bear the church interest for the family. Listen to the story in Will's own words: It was at the end of the day. I entered the outer office of his law firm. Everyone had left. All was ...

2474. Don’t Panic

Illustration

Keith Wagner

In the winter of 1995, a fishing boat began to sink in rough, cold waters off Vancouver Island, west of British Columbia, Canada. The two men on board quickly moved to a life raft that was tied to the sinking boat by a nylon rope. Unfortunately the rope was tied so tightly, they could not untie it. As the fishing boat listed more and more the men knew they couldn't reboard. Neither man had a knife...

2475. Miracles Are Part of Our Lives

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

The word, "miracle," and the experience of the miraculous, is in no way confined to Biblical times or the first century. The word, "miracle," and the experience of the miraculous, is very much part of our modern world and our everyday lives. In spite of all the technological advances and scientific sophistication that is part of the modern world, the word, "miracle," is still very much part of o...

Showing 2451 to 2475 of 4508 results

2451. Proper 14, Pentecost 12, Ordinary Time 19

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

2452. Proper 14

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

2453. Baby Steps on the Sea of Galilee

Sermon

King Duncan

2454. No Other Thought

Illustration

Martin Luther

2455. The Miracle Dog

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

2456. Run Faster!

Illustration

David E. Leininger

2457. Coasting Along?

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

2458. Jesus Walking on Water

Illustration

Johnny Dean

2459. Stronger after the Struggle

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

2460. Everyday Miracles

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

2461. Water Walkers

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

2462. It’s Stormy Out There

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

2463. The Ferry Only Costs 25 Cents

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

2464. Do Not Be Afraid

Illustration

Todd Weir

2465. We Fall Down and We Get Up

Illustration

J. Howard Olds

2466. Who Could Have Commanded?

Illustration

Will Willimon

2467. Dancing in the Wind

Sermon

Lori Wagner

2468. Is There Anyone Else Up There?

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

2469. The Great Spiritual Task

Illustration

Joel D. Kline

2470. Missing the Rocks

Illustration

David E. Leininger

2471. Light Shining out of Darkness

Illustration

William Cowper

2472. Now I Know Why Jesus Walked!

Illustration

David E. Leininger

2473. We All Need This Boat

Illustration

David E. Leininger

2474. Don’t Panic

Illustration

Keith Wagner

2475. Miracles Are Part of Our Lives

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

Showing 2451 to 2475 of 4508 results