Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 2591 results

1. Appropriating the Solution

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

... out the war was over he was afraid to come out for fear he would be executed. Two hunters found him one day and escorted him to freedom. He was living all this time under the indictment of sins that had all been dealt with, but he simply had not appropriated the atonement that was available.

2. Appropriate to Speak

Exodus 20:1-21

Illustration

Lewis Smedes

The commandment tells us to speak truthfully whenever it is appropriate for us to speak at all. Respect for truthfulness does not compel us to reveal our minds to everyone or on every occasion. The Ninth Commandment assumes, no doubt, a situation that calls on us to speak. It does not ask us to tell the people at the next table ...

3. Appropriate Laughter

Genesis 18:1-15

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

Exegetical Aim: Sarah laughs because the gap between divine promise and human possibility seems too big and seems ridiculous, but nothing is ridiculous for God. Props: Cartoon strips either from the newspaper, in a book collection or from a website like www.comics.com or www.ucomics.com. Lesson: Good morning. Response. Today I want to talk to you about laughter. I am a very big fan of the right kind of laughter. As a matter of fact, every morning I take a few minutes to read the daily cartoon strips in the ...

4. A Lifestyle Appropriate to Sound Doctrine

Titus 3:1-11

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

3:1–2 · Responsibilities in state and society: In 1 Timothy 2:2 Paul urges prayer for civil authorities. Now—as at Romans 13:1–7—Paul provides instruction for living under civil authority. The instructions in Romans 13 are simply to submit and be willing to pay taxes. Here the instructions are more active. The Greek term translated “be obedient” (3:1) indicates readiness of persuasion—an attitude of cooperation. In an age when municipal leaders often begged off when asked to help their communities, Paul ...

I'm scared! I don't know whether the world is full of smart men bluffing or imbeciles who mean it.

Morrie Brickman

6. Let It Shine!

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Carlyle Fielding Stewart

... shine it! A church, serve and support it! Let it shine. Use what God has given you or lose what God has given you. Let your light shine for Christ. There is a light shining in the darkness and the darkness cannot overpower it, put it out, absorb it, appropriate it, or be receptive to it, so let it shine! Just as the physical darkness got jealous when God said the light was good and separated them from each other, God has called you to be separate, apart, because you have something good. Now you need to stop ...

7. Job's Third Reply to Eliphaz

Job 23:1--24:25

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... the mouth of someone other than Job. Clines, for example, sets these verses after 27:7–17, where they expand Zophar’s third speech (Job 21–37, pp. 667–69). NJB leaves these words in the mouth of Job but places them after 27:23, as more appropriate in a context where Job is cursing the wicked and expressing his desire for (rather than certainty of) judgment on them. The NIV leaves the verses in place, noting in the Study Bible that “it is also legitimate to translate the verses as Job’s call for ...

8. Let's Have A Fruitful Christmas Season

Drama

May Dembowski

... time ago, "If you don't let the children do things, they can't learn." MARCY: I guess the key is to pray, plan, schedule, and follow through ... and look for God's patience and joy. (ALL nod to each other in agreement, make notes, sip coffee.) This is an appropriate place to take a short break. CAROL: I've got a challenge for you. How can we go about putting Christ in our Christmas when most of the family is anti-anything-religious? MAY: That IS a challenge! I'm never sure what to do ... so I do nothing ...

9. Jesus Made Like His Brothers

Hebrews 2:5-18

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... g., the physical agony, vv. 14–17; the mocking, vv. 6–8; the gambling for and dividing of Jesus’ clothes, v. 18); and the evangelists allude to the psalm in this connection. It is obvious that the early church regarded the whole of Psalm 22 as exceptionally appropriate on the lips of Jesus. If Jesus speaks the psalm to God, then—much to the delight of our author—he refers to the people in the assembly as his brothers. It is a man among humans who speaks concerning God. Thus our author has found an ...

10. The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons

Leviticus 8:1-36

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... they be pure show us what God expects of those who serve him in particular ways and therefore are analogous to the ordination of ministers today. 1. It is good to ordain ministers and dedicate sanctuaries. God commands Moses (v. 5) to conduct an ordination ritual appropriate to the dignity and gravity of the priestly office, and to perform it in public before all the assembly (vv. 3–4) so that all Israel can recognize that these men are set apart for God’s ministry in the tabernacle. Not only are these ...

11. The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... or the motivation that was brought to the assembly, rather than with the course or nature of the events per se. It is not the Lord’s Supper they eat, because they do not gather to eat the Lord’s Supper. Inappropriate aims make even appropriate actions unacceptable. 11:21 In sharp juxtaposition to “the Lord’s Supper” Paul states here that each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else, which literally reads, “for each one starts her or his own supper to eat.” In other words, self ...

12. Job’s Reply to Zophar

Job 12:1--14:22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... of the word pid, “ruin; destruction.” The latter option, used by the NIV (misfortune), makes more sense in context than the former. The stilted rendering would thus be: “For destruction (there is) contempt to take notice by the one at ease, it is the appropriate fate of those whose feet are slipping.” The sense of the verse, therefore, is that the one who experiences no trouble himself disdains even to take notice of the sufferings of others, assuming they are the just due of sin. 12:6 While those ...

13. The Three Kings--And The King Of Kings

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... ? As we begin to move away from Christmas we see in these three wise kings what all wise men and women do in the presence of the King of kings. They were wise enough to kneel before him. That is the first thing to remember. They knew that was the appropriate response for them. Saint Matthew tells us that when they came into the place where the child was "they knelt down." Everybody always knelt down in the presence of a king. It was just the thing to do. I wonder, would you be willing to do that even now ...

14. Star Miracle

Matthew 2:1-12, Isaiah 60:1-22, Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... :1-12). The star miracle is not only historical and ancient, but modern. The same type of miracle can happen today to anyone who follows the example of the magi. A. Recognize the Christ in Jesus - v. 2 B. Follow the vision to Christ - v. 9 C. Worship Christ with appropriate gifts - v. 11 D. Change your life to conform to Christ - v. 12 ILLUSTRATIONS 1.) The Light of a Star. The wise men saw a new star, and by the light of the star they came to the Holy Family in Bethlehem. Only when it is dark can we see ...

15. Grumblers Among God's People

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... were killed by the destroying angel." Do not grumble? You mean grumbling is a sin? Yes, according to St. Paul, grumbling is a sin. And, since grumbling is such a prevalent theme in Paul's writings and throughout the book of Exodus, it would be appropriate for us to give a few moments thought to it this day. No sooner did Israel gather into a congregation than they began to have grumblers. Those of you who have had small children in your family know about grumbling. Sometimes they will complain with whiney ...

16. The Winning Word

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

... the point by writing, This ... was a very important key in sustaining the renewal and revival that had begun in Israel. If this kind of work is to continue in the hearts of people, it must continue at the leadership level.[6] The appropriate action occurred when the people remembered their heritage. As Ezra read the passage of the Feast of the Tabernacle, the people learned that God had given their forefathers this special festival. It was a reminder of their temporary wandering in the wilderness and ...

17. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... The loss of timely wages would make it difficult for these farmers to keep food on their tables and would increase the stress and sorrow of their lives. 31:40 The oath, let briers come up instead of wheat and weeds instead of barley, enjoins an appropriate retribution for land and farmers. Should Job be proved to have abused the land and those who work it, then he will reap no benefit from the land but only useless “briers” and “weeds.” He is, of course, referring to divine punishment since no human ...

18. Eternal Echo Of Easter - Part 2

Matthew 28:1-10

Drama

Esther R. Russ

... going to use organ music for the entire program, making the tape will be quite simple. You need only to put the voices and sound effects on tape in their proper sequence. The individual who runs the recorder merely has to turn it off and on at the appropriate times in the script. If you have a recorder with an echo chamber, it is very effective to put the voice of God (In the Beginning) and of Christ (The Eternal Hope) on a wide echo. Pounding the Nails Try various things until you find a sound that sounds ...

19. Deliverance through Thanksgiving

Psalm 50:1-23

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... check in God’s bank. Well then. Since this promise is so astounding and since none of us are going to pass through too much of life without needing to lay hold of it, what are the conditions that we need to meet in order to appropriate this promise of deliverance that God gives us? The first condition is – offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Another translation has that – make thanksgiving your offering. Now that has a specially beautiful meaning if you see it in its entire context. If you go ...

20. When the Dragon Wins

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

... same time, asking about grandchildren in Swahili would seem impolite. For that, they would have to use the tribal tongue, the language of home. What a wonderful ability. To speak a variety of languages offers the opportunity to choose the language appropriate to the situation: one language for business, one for national issues, and still another for family. Each language requires a different vocabulary. Each language requires its own way of organizing thoughts that are then expressed in ways unique to that ...

21. The Son Superior to Angels

Hebrews 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... text in the early church (see Acts 13:33) and, combined with Isaiah 42:1, is applied to Jesus both at his baptism (Mark 1:11 and parallels) and at the transfiguration (see Mark 9:7 and parallels; cf. 2 Pet. 1:17). The today is understood most appropriately as referring to the resurrection (see Rom. 1:4), or especially the ascension, given the context of our verse. God never spoke so gloriously of angels. The second of this chain of quotations also refers to a special Son, this time with words drawn from the ...

22. God Disciplines His Sons

Hebrews 12:1-13, Hebrews 12:14-29

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... . The members of the community are to be accountable for one another (which may also be the point made in 10:25). The exhortation is restated in the language of Deuteronomy 29:18 about a bitter root that can grow and defile others around it. The appropriateness of the allusion is plain from Deuteronomy 29:19: “When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, ‘I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.’ This will bring disaster on ...

23. Warning Against Refusing God

Hebrews 12:14-29, Hebrews 12:1-13

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

24. Concluding Exhortations

Hebrews 13:1-25

Understanding Series

Donald A. Hagner

... ; 6:5). The perspective here, indeed, is very similar to that of Paul in 2 Cor. 11:28: “I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (cf. 1 Thess. 2:19f.). NIV’s translation they keep watch over you (lit., “your souls,” psychē) appropriately brings out the broader sense of whole persons or beings, as the word is used in 6:19 and 10:39 (see note on the latter passage). The responsibility of stewardship held by the leaders is a familiar biblical theme (cf. Ezek. 3:17–21; Luke 16 ...

25. Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

Amos 3:1-15

Understanding Series

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... 2, 5; 8:7) as well as those of the northern Isaac (7:9, 16) and Joseph (5:15), Amos is once more emphasizing the tradition of the election, which took place when the forebears of the northern tribes were delivered out of Egypt, and which finally was appropriated by all of the covenant people. Once more Amos has the whole of Israel, the elected people, in view (cf. 3:1). Yet what God attacks in the first-person speech in verses 14–15 are also specific sins in the northern kingdom, namely, false worship and ...

Showing results