Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: young, youth, son in the faith, pastor, genuine faith, committed, guidance, practical, sound teaching, pastors, church leaders, instruction, good conduct, reputation

Showing 1 to 25 of 2369 results

1. Famous Last Words

Deuteronomy 18:14-22

Sermon

William L. Self

... of the people. Jesus had a job to do and he got it done. He directed the activities of that band of followers. He did not begin the day by asking the disciples each morning, "Where shall we go today?" He was in charge. The modern church leader (pastor) has been too influenced by the miracle of dialogue, group dynamics, clinical pastoral education, and congregational democracy. He/she preaches "from the back of the heels rather than the balls of the feet." Moses did not ignore the diversity of gifts, but he ...

2. Replacing a Fallen Comrade

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... to ministers use the Bible to justify slavery. He was so disturbed by the bad teaching and poor example of church leaders as a whole that he became bitter toward the things of God. That happens sometimes. People judge us more by what we do during ... the week than by what we say on Sunday. And sometimes church leaders disappoint us. The early church wanted to make certain that their message always rang true, so they chose people to lead the ...

3. Develop Leaders—Humbly

Colossians 3:12-17

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... were connecting instead of controlling, influence instead of power, direction instead of dictatorship? What if, like Simba, you are destined to be a leader whether you want to or not? Maybe you are not a business leader, a political leader, or even a church leader. Never, however, shy away from your role as a spiritual leader—a person with the responsibility of influencing God's people in God's direction—in your family, in your community, at your church, and yes, even at work. Today, I want to ...

4. The Power to Make a Difference

Acts 16:1-5

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... in a meeting the other day that got me to pondering a question. What are the characteristics of a spiritual leader? We know about team leaders, entrepreneur leaders, charismatic leaders, dictatorial leaders, visionary leaders. What is a spiritual leader? Books abound about church leaders, most of which are adaptations of business models. But I've started asking another question. What is a spiritual leader? What are the qualities of a person who can engage others in the purposes of God for their lives? I don ...

5. Leaders Worthy of Imitation

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... to cultivate a faith-producing environment, such as our church, that is conducive to spiritual growth. By virtue of our baptism into the priesthood of all believers, God calls each and every one of us to a ministry of caring for others. Pastors and church leaders are today's more obvious shepherds. I am not the only minister around here; we are all ministers and latter-day counterparts of the early apostles. The New Testament church functioned as a seminary that raised up the laity from the inside, training ...

6. The Thorn of Discontent

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... it were a business entity, or a political platform. And of course, the insipid gossip, insider quarrels, and outsider arrogance that always issues from that sort of culture, ensued. So, before Paul can turn that church around, he needs to re-define for these church leaders what it means to be “powerful” and “successful.” What IS the source of power in a church? How is the church different from any other entity? What does it mean to be a powerful church, a “successful” church, a church with good ...

7. Influence!

Matthew 23:1-12

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... matters quickly and out of court lest you be sucked into the system and not get out until you pay your last penny. Yes, Jesus knows what mosquitoes we humans can be in our dealings as lawyers, as physicians, and in the text, as pastors, elders, and church leaders. So lean close, one and all, and heed well! Verse 1 informs us Jesus spoke these words to "the crowds," to his "disciples," and to "the scribes and the Pharisees." And after he made these remarks, he broke down and wept! (v. 37ff). Why was Jesus so ...

8. Separation of God and State?

Isaiah 44:24--45:25

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

... illustration of theocracy in today’s Iran which is governed by a Muslim religious primate and other lesser religious leaders as subordinate officials. God forbid that the church should ever be over the state! Church leaders are not equipped to rule a nation. They may know theology but not political science. The province of church leaders is in the church where they have enough to do to preach the Word of God and build up the moral and spiritual character of the populace. It should never be the church over ...

9. Not Your Lips, but Your Life

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Sermon

King Duncan

... problems with moral and ethical consistency. We all fail to meet our own standards sometimes. That’s not an excuse, it’s a reality. Somehow our hypocrisy radar fails us when we point it at ourselves. And it’s an especially difficult issue for church leaders. Realistically, if you call yourself a Christian, a Jesus-follower, then you are a leader. Other people will watch you and draw conclusions about the character of God and the authenticity of your faith by how well your words and your actions match ...

10. A New Calling

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... . These all have their place in society, but the church ought to be something different. This ought to be a place where people meet God. Some of you may be familiar with a man named John Wimber. Wimber was an extraordinary church leader who influenced many people in their faith walk. When Wimber was first introduced to the Christian faith, he became a voracious Bible reader. The Scriptures excited him. Finally, after weeks of reading about life‑transforming miracles in the Bible and attending boring ...

11. What Is Our City?

Acts 4:32-35

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... shared the earmark of resurrection proclamation! This suggests that there is some credence to the claims of some Christian communities today that they possess an "apostolic succession" of one kind or another. Most Protestants today reject such lists of bishops or church leaders that trace the proclamation of the good news physically from one leader to another backward all the way to Peter, but all Christians agree that one mark of the continuity of the Christian church is the faithful passing on of the ...

12. Discern How Things Grow

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... Each one has gifts and talents to fuse together in strengthening the unity and the mission of the whole congregation. But there is another principle of church growth that is even more crucial to Paul's understanding of how things grow. All church leaders while performing a valuable function are actually secondary to the all-important truth that it is God who gives the growth. Not human techniques but God's activity assures genuine advance. Even the best church growth principles and methods do not guarantee ...

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

Matthew 10:40-42

Sermon

Mark Ellingsen

... Christian life, our purpose, the opportunity to serve God. It seems like a natural, something Christians should be pleased to do. But we know that it does not happen that way an awful lot. Christ comes to our door many times in the person of our pastor, other church leaders, and those in need — and we turn them all away. I think it has to do with the fact that too often the Christian life — living our purpose — is a burden. And I think that that is because we have missed how valuable you and I are to ...

14. Until He Comes

2 Timothy 4:7-8

Sermon

James Merritt

... task. So until He comes, let us exercise this highest power carrying out this greatest task being faithful to the fight, being faithful to the faith, being faithful to the finish. Even so, come Lord Jesus. [1] unknown [2] "Seven Habits of Effective Church Leaders," Robert Clinton, The Pastor's Update, 7/91. [3] Cited by Clyde S. Kilby, A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C. S. Lewis (New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1968), 169. [4] Robert Lichter and Linda S. Lichtner and Stanley Rothman, "Hollywood and ...

15. Yes, You

1 Peter 2:2-10

Sermon

David O. Bales

... with other groups, sometimes with other educated professions; but how does the Bible instruct us on the person and function of a pastor in relation to all of God's people? First, our text is abundantly clear that there's no essential difference between church leaders and other Christians. The Bible doesn't tell us that there's a better group of Christians called "pastors." First Peter declares all Christians as priests. Peter points to us through the Bible's page, "You," he says. "I'm talking to you. ‘You ...

16. Living with Integrity

Galatians 2:15-21

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... Peter had fallen short. That's where the Galatians were also in danger of falling into the same error. Today, hypocrisy and personal integrity continue to be challenges for the church and for all of us. Peter has lots of company! In our own day, some church leaders have also been taken to task in very public ways for their failure to live according to the very truths that they have preached. The issues today are not so much about food and eating together, but revolve around the big three of money, sex, and ...

17. Reasons for Rejoicing

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... church at Philippi soon will have two warring factions with the potential of polarizing the congregation. Pastor Paul would advise us to go to the throne, not to the phone. We can only guess at what this disagreement is about, but a quarrel between two church leaders can potentially split a church right down the middle. People begin to take sides with one or the other, and draw their lines in the sand. It’s obvious that Paul is concerned. He even addresses this issue, which all the Philippians must know ...

18. Why Did You Bring Us Out of Egypt?

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... that each of us could use a little more trust and faith in the context of our lives. Whether it is participating in our own democratic process or stepping up to the plate as a volunteer in our community, we need to do more. Whether it is trusting a church leader or a community leader, we need to risk it so that we might all move forward. Does this mean we are to be naive? Well, yes, a little. But the naiveté that we seek is not a purposeless and mindless wandering. It is an intentional deliberate choice to ...

19. Imperfect Pastors

Exodus 32:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

... . We will only find abundant and eternal life in our relationship with the one true God. 1. “Twenty-five Really Weird Things Said to Pastors and Other Church Leaders” by Thom S. Rainer, Churchanswers.com, August 19, 2015. https://churchanswers.com/blog/twenty-five-really-weird-things-said-to-pastors-and-other-church-leaders/. 2. “Hundreds attend church service generated by ChatGPT” by Kirsten Grieshaber, KTLA.com June 10, 2023. https://ktla.com/morning-news/technology/hundreds-attend-church-service ...

20. Remembering Jesus

2 Peter 1:16-21

Sermon

James L. Killen

... the church together, had all died. The Bible had not yet been put together in the form in which we now have it. Things were happening that put stress upon the life of the church, and lots of people were falling into confusion. At that time, an unknown church leader undertook to call the church back to the faith that was taught by Peter and Paul and the other apostles. He wrote a letter to the churches in the name of Peter to say to the churches the things that he knew Peter would want them to hear. That ...

21. What Shall We Do With The New Wine?

Mark 2:18-22

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation, everything old is passed away, see, everything has become new." Copernicus, who lived in the sixteenth century, was a great astronomer and scientist as well as a Christian. To many church leaders of his day he was a radical because he made a radical new discovery. His Book of Revolutions shook the world because in it he introduced his new discovery that the earth is not the center of the universe, rather the sun is and the earth ...

22. Lost Baggage: The Middle Seat

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Sermon

James Merritt

... privately. If leadership is involved the sin is brought before the church. If the parties profess faith in Christ, we offer forgiveness, and a process of restoration. Whether this is accepted or rejected by the parties, we have acted properly in our role as church leaders. Now this is all hypothetical, but in a room this size I am sure many of you have had experience with sin in the church. Sometimes it is handled biblically and unfortunately sometimes it is not. Now, when you hear my thoughts on what ...

23. Role Models

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... you will need to make a very special kind of commitment. Last November, Dr. Avi BenAbraham, resident of the American Cryogenics Society, told an audience in Washington, D.C., that several highranking Roman Catholic Church leaders support human embryo cloning, despite the church's public stance against such research. According to BenAbraham, those church leaders hope to reproduce Jesus Christ from DNA fibers found on the Shroud of Turin. (7) If Dr. BenAbraham is right, somebody needs to tell those venerable ...

24. Wise Leadership

1 Kings 2:1-12, 3:1-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... . "Here's an outline of our itinerary: • a day in Cyprus where the Middle East Council of Churches has a liaison office and I attended a young leaders conference on reconciliation; • two days in Beirut interacting with partner church leaders; • drove overland through the Bekaa Valley to Damascus, Syria, where we met with religious and governmental leaders and members of the Evangelical (read Presbyterian) Church of Damascus; • drove overland to Amman, Jordan to spend time with mission personnel ...

25. Episode 1: The Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Brett Blair

... set it off by itself. In silence the two watched it smolder and eventually go out. The man looked at moody and said, "I see." One sure way NOT to experience the power of the Holy Spirit is to isolate ourselves. Hundreds of years ago, a church leader said, "There is no salvation outside the church." I understand what he is saying. You could say this in a number of ways. There is no Christianity without communion. There is no love without family. There is no power without Pentecost. 3. We must have a purpose ...

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