Sermon and Worship Resources

Antonyms: punish, blame, condemn, hold to

Showing 1 to 25 of 36 results

John 1:1-18

Bulletin Aid

J. B. Quisenberry

... the earth. The Lord will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98) Anthem "Love Came Down At Christmas" The Pageant Reader 1: Luke 2:1-7 (MARY and JOSEPH enter from the back of the sanctuary and proceed to the manger set up in front.) And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city ...

2. Taking Christ's Side

Mark 9:38-41

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... access to a millstone? If it is very big, then you probably cannot move it. Perhaps a millstone made from papier mƒch‚ would work just as well. In any case, it would be a lot lighter to carry into the sanctuary. Set the millstone in the front of the sanctuary. It could even be leaning against something. Put some flowers next to the millstone to draw the worshipers' eyes to it. Ask an artistic youth in the congregation to prepare a Picasso-like banner of hands, feet, eyes and the flames of hell. Perhaps ...

3. Prayers for the Sundays After Easter

Bulletin Aid

Rolland R. Reece

... cycle of life. We rejoice in the plants that withstand the punishment of snow and freezing temperatures -- already the delicate pansy blooms have appeared. We can almost hear the birthing sounds as all of nature welcomes the new growing season. We have been given front row seats to witness this breathtaking extravaganza. "O Lord, how manifold are thy works."* Our hope rises with the advent of spring. We shuck off the debris of the past and begin our ascent toward the Son. We respond to your dictum of growth ...

4. Wedding: Short Service

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... Pastor (Bride Repeats): I, (Bride), take you, (Groom), as my beloved husband. I covenant before God, to care for you as long as we both shall live. I will place your well-being at the head of my personal agenda. I pledge my love for you in front of these people, this minister, and God. I, too, shall pray that our lives will truly become one together. I will do my best to pursue God's will and purpose for our journey together. Pastor: (Groom) and (Bride), your families, friends, and God have witnessed these ...

5. Forgiven and Healed

Mark 2:1-12

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... that shows a contemporary person paralyzed by his or her sin. Let this group struggle with the question of how such a person would be forgiven and healed by Christ today. Visuals Ask a family with several young children to arrange five dolls in the front of the sanctuary. Ask them to arrange the dolls so that four of them appear to be carrying the fifth on a stretcher. Doll-size flower arrangements might be used to draw worshipers' eyes to this scene. Ask a creative member of the congregation to prepare ...

6. Hearing the Difficult News

Mark 9:30-37

Bulletin Aid

Robert D. Ingram

... (usually these can be found in children's Sunday school rooms) in conspicuous places in the sanctuary. This would be a good time to have the children color the worship bulletin covers. Run the bulletins on the church copying machine. Leave the front blank. Give the children crayons and let them decorate the covers as they choose. Let them draw children with Jesus, pictures of their church building, pictures of people worshiping at the church, or whatever they please. (Remember, though, that each child will ...

7. Christmas 2

Matthew 25:31-46

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... is preaching. Visuals Recruit some of the better artists in the congregation to cut out life-size figures from cardboard. Have them paint these figures to look like old Jewish scholars gathered in discussion with the twelve-year-old Jesus. Place these figures in a front corner of the sanctuary, or in an unused part of the choir loft, where the congregation can see them as they worship. Figures of Mary and Joseph hurrying to the scene can be posed in another area of the sanctuary. Have someone who can sketch ...

8. Lent 5

Luke 21:1-4 · Psalm 36:5-9

Bulletin Aid

Jack Brownlee

... part of a beautiful day, and that she would have bread for tomorrow. The morning found her up and present at the temple, standing with the others who had something to offer at the service. There was a space between her and the man in front of her. He kept nudging forward to the man in front of him. That was okay, she did not want to get dust from her floor on his fine shoes. She waited in anticipation for the priests to begin their liturgy, the Rabbi to read the words of scripture, and the men of the chorus ...

9. Palm Sunday

Bulletin Aid

Jack Brownlee

... . And Mr. Voice. "Well," he thought to himself, "I may as well get this over with." And he picked up the basin and pitcher and two towels. "I hate doing this." He knocked on the door and pushed it open with his back, holding the pitcher and basin in front of him. "I welcome you to this house," he said in a stolid and prepared manner, "and to prepare you for the feast of Unleavened Bread, I have brought water and basin to remove the dust from your feet from your long sojourn. May you never be considered a ...

10. Candlelight Service

John 1:1-18

Bulletin Aid

Brett Blair

... will stand and sing "Silent Night, Holy Night." The first verse will be sung in place. On the second verse, the ministers and choir will recess out of the Sanctuary. The congregation will follow from front to back, until all have left the Sanctuary. Please take your candle into the night and gather on the front lawn around the nativity scene. Carol "Silent Night" Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace ...

11. Candlelight Service (Short Version)

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Bulletin Aid

Brett Blair

... candle of the person seated next to him/her. After all candles are lit, we will stand and sing “Silent Night, Holy Night.” The first verse will be sung in place. On the second verse, the ministers and choir will recess out of the Sanctuary. The congregation will follow from front to back, until all have left the Sanctuary. Please take your candle into the night and gather on the ...

12. Prayers for Epiphany

Bulletin Aid

Rolland R. Reece

... are faithful. We praise your name over and over, Lord Jesus. Amen. From the bleakness of our souls, O Lord, we turn to you. Our dark and empty mood leaves us frightened of the possible outcome of our days. We abhor the thought that we would become a shell, a front, a flat picture completely devoid of any depth or dimension. Our emptiness isn't our desire. We have run and are running now in life's race hoping to win a coveted winner's wreath. It isn't that we have set our sights on hollowness, or that we ...

13. Wedding: Unity Candle

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... ; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail. Love is eternal. Eternal love. That is what you will be pledging to each other in front of all your family and friends today, (Bride) and (Groom). "As long as we both shall live," you will say. We are talking about something really strong here: a love that will last your whole lives long. The strange thing is, as strong as your love for one ...

14. Getting Ready for The Coming Messiah

Mark 1:1-8

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

... way for Jesus, who then paved the way for us. Choral Invitation Have the two choirs move toward each other. The chancel choir will move one third of the way toward the rear; and the second choir will move one third of the way to the front. The chancel choir will sing "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" with less vigor; and the second choir will sing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" with more vigor than last week. Following the singing, wait for three minutes before continuing. Pastoral Invitation What difference, if ...

15. Easter 5

John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... the words, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." The same kind of thing can be done with a mural for the wall of the sanctuary. Use various paintings of Christ that your congregation may own (or can borrow) to decorate the sanctuary. Group them in front of the sanctuary in the same way that lilies and poinsettias are grouped at Easter and Christmas. A large ribbon or a cloth banner can be intertwined among the pictures. Words on the ribbon or cloth would be "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." In ...

16. We Come to Jesus for Rest

Mark 6:30-44

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... mats and begging Jesus to let them just touch the fringe of his cloak. Add the words, "They brought their sick and those who touched even the fringe of his cloak were healed." No great artists would be needed to prepare a long, narrow banner to hang across the front of the sanctuary. Use stencils and markers to add these words, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." (To center the words on the banner put the "a" in "all" at the center of the banner. Add the other letters as you ...

17. Our Souls Will Never Be Hungry Again

John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... . Frame this portrait with the words suggested above. Hang this portrait in a classroom when it is no longer needed in the sanctuary. Have several people in the congregation bring homemade loaves of various types of bread. Display these in a glorious pile in the front of the sanctuary. Use cut flowers in the display to add visual appeal. After the service take the loaves to a nearby nursing home for the residents to enjoy. Anthems and Special Music Bread of the World Eat This Bread I Am the Bread of ...

18. Spirit and Life

John 6:25-59, John 6:60-71

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... young computer buffs in the congregation to run off two banners on computer paper. The first should read, "Jesus, we have come to believe and know," and the second banner should read, "that you are the Holy One of God." Put these two banners on the wall across the front of the sanctuary. If the sanctuary has a cross hung high up on the wall, the banners could be angled up toward the cross, in the shape of an upside-down "V". ANTHEMS AND SPECIAL MUSIC Eat This Bread Lord, To Whom Shall We Go ORGAN AND OTHER ...

19. Who Do You Say I Am?

Mark 8:27-30

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

The Community Gathers to Celebrate (Leader 1 and Leader 5 should be at microphones in the front of the sanctuary. Leader 2, Leader 3 and Leader 4 should be sitting in the pews, and just shout out their response from there.) Leader 1: Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Leader 2: John the Baptist! Leader 3: Elijah! Leader 4: One of the ...

20. First Sunday After Christmas

Luke 2:21-40

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... two live pigeons (or turtle doves if they can be found and legally caged temporarily) in bird cages sitting near the altar table. Have a photographer in the congregation take a slide photograph of an old man holding a baby. Project this slide onto the front wall of the sanctuary as a silent testimony to the truth proclaimed by Simeon. Anthems and Special Music (Luke 2:22-40) Child of Bethlehem Lord, Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant In Peace and Joy I Now Depart Nunc Dimittis -- K. Nystedt Nunc Dimittis -- F ...

21. Fourth Sunday In Advent - Joy!

Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:39-45

Bulletin Aid

David M. Oliver

... glorious music like the shepherds heard on that wonderful night!" As he reflected on this, his mind filled with visions of that first Christmas. The disappointment about the organ gave way to new inspiration! In his mind he could see Mary and Joseph kneeling in front of the manger; there was the Christ Child. The thoughts began to form themselves into a poem. He went home and wrote it down. The next day he went to the home of Franz Gruber, the church organist. The excited organist said, "These words could ...

22. Lent 2

Luke 13:31-35

Bulletin Aid

Jack Brownlee

... he were to believe he would have to give these fish and this bread. He saw Phillip who used to fish out of Bethsaida. Levi gave him the basket. Phillip passed it on, the next passed it on, the next and the next until it had been emptied out in front of the master. Prayers were said, the bread and fish were passed, and everyone started to eat. They ate and they ate and they ate and the next time he saw the basket it was full and he was too. And that's why he was sitting on that stump ...

23. Lent 4

Luke 13:18-22 · Joel 2:12-19

Bulletin Aid

Jack Brownlee

... bring the response of condemnation from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The scripture teaches and confirms: we must be pure." "He is in our town now!" a voice burst into the synagogue. "He is just off the square. We must stop him from blaspheming in front of our wives and children." It was as if King David himself called for an army to fend off the Philistines. As if with one body the men arose. As if with one voice they cried, "death to the blasphemer." Gideon, seeking to fight the Midianites could ...

24. The Lord's Return

Mark 13:1-31

Bulletin Aid

James Wilson

... as though the day of Your return will never come. We often talk about Your return, but then we live as though we will always have time to change our lives and get ready. Too often our hearts are not focused on eternity but rather only on the matters in front of us today. Forgive us, Lord, and help us be more responsible. In Christ we pray. Amen. Hymns "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" "More Like The Master" "Yield Not To Temptation"

25. Prayer

Matthew 3:13-17

Bulletin Aid

Baptized Ordained! Set apart Chosen by God Called and Commissioned! Jesus' Baptism Was the beginning of his public ministry, God claimed him publically Put the Spirit on him Sent him out to work. My baptism Was the beginning of my life in Christ. God claimed me - In front of witnesses - Set me apart To do God's work. I too am a "Beloved Son"/"Beloved Daughter" One called and commissioned Given a work to do, But I more often think of Baptism As a ritual of belonging to the church, Than as a sending out to ...

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