Sermon and Worship Resources

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John 15:1-17

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... p.46) Now, if Greeley is referring to the lavish love of God, I could not agree more; but I must confess that his metaphor of God’s giving us a checkbook full of blank checks bothers me. And that gave me the title for this chapter: “Does God Give Out Blank Checks?” Obviously, I don’t think so. At least, not according to the fifteenth chapter of St. John’s Gospel. There Jesus did not say, “Ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” No, he said, “If you abide in me, and my words ...

2. For The Love of God is Giving

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... " giving. Grudge giving gives but doesn't really want to and feels forced into it either by peer pressure or guilt. Duty giving gives simply because it knows it's supposed to and is afraid of the consequences if it doesn't. But "thanks" giving gives out of the spirit of love, the spirit of thankfulness that grows from humility and a loving relationship with God. At one time Rudyard Kipling was so popular that his writings were getting ten shillings per word. There were a few college students, however, who ...

3. He Touched Me

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... , but the cancer returned and spread to her bones. She was given a terminal diagnosis and was told she had only a few months to live. One day, Liz was feeling particularly low and decided to go for a walk. She came across a group of people who were giving out free hugs. Liz was hesitant at first, but then decided to approach them. She was embraced by a stranger who held her for a long time. The hug was so comforting that Liz broke down in tears. The stranger turned out to be Juan Mann, the founder of the ...

4. Commitment Beyond Calculation

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

William G. Carter

... Gospel of Mark sees her contribution differently. She gives her money, but not in order to receive some service in return. Her contribution has nothing to do with getting a tax break. She does not calculate the monthly budget and then decide what she can afford to give out of what's left. Rather she gives it all, and then she has to figure out how she is going to live. She is committed beyond all calculation. That is troubling, for it reveals a faith so sacrificial that it scares us to death. Anybody here ...

5. Celebrating Generosity

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... . Grudge giving gives but doesn't really want to and feels forced into it either by peer pressure or by guilt. Duty giving gives simply because it knows it's supposed to and is afraid of the consequences if it doesn't. But thanks giving gives out of the spirit of love and thankfulness which grows out of a loving relationship with God. At one time Rudyard Kipling was so popular that his writings were getting ten shillings per word. There were a few college students, however, who didn't appreciate Kipling ...

6. Thanks Be to God

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Sermon

Rick Brand

... . We will give as our testimony of our faith that God has blessed us in the past and God will continue to bless us in the future. We will give so that others may see the abundance of God and desire to open themselves to that goodness. We will give out of our thanksgiving so that there will be a choir full of praise and thanksgiving from those who receive and those who are blessed by the gifts. But our giving is not caused or in response to the needs of the victims. Our giving as children of God is ...

7. Bountiful Faith: Two All Beef Patties, Special Sauce, Lettuce, Cheese, Pickles...Etc

2 Corinthians 9:6-11

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... to live out of the abundance of God's grace offered to us in Jesus. It's not just asking for pledges from the pocketbook, but the commitment of the heart. God is not just calling us to be donors, but calling us to be disciples of Christ, giving out of a bountiful faith in a bountiful God who gives blessings in abundance. The phrase "bounteous God" has been humming in my head. It comes from the ancient hymn by Martin Rinkert. I told you the story of the hymn this summer. It was written during a difficult ...

8. A Penny For God

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... as you go' if we could only finish paying for where we've been." Some of us know what it's like to have too much month left over at the end of our money, but, for the most part, with a little discipline, we can meet our responsibilities. We give out of our abundance rather than out of our poverty, and we can be grateful for that. Our giving to God reflects our values. It is an important spiritual truth that giving doesn't reflect our income, or the state of our balance sheet. It reflects, rather, what is of ...

9. No Holding Back

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... In my experience, nothing ever demonstrates our response to this Great Commandment to love God and neighbor better than what we do on Consecration Sunday. This literally puts our money where our mouth is. A rabbi was asked, "Which act of charity is higher--giving out of obligation or giving from the heart?" All in the class were inclined to respond that giving from the heart had something more in it, but they knew the rabbi was going to say just the opposite, because in spiritual teaching nothing is logical ...

10. The World's Best-Known Widow

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... is the key. III. Now, this final truth – it is a rather scathing one, and we will feel the pinch of it - even the judgment. If you give only what you won’t miss, you are not giving s a Christian – you are not showing much faith. TO GIVE OUT OF ABUNDANCE MISSES THE POINT OF CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP. Christian stewardship has to do with faith. That was the measure of the widow’s gift - not the amount, but her faith. Think about that. If you give only what you won’t miss, you’re not showing much faith ...

11. The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Acts 20:13-38

Sermon

James Merritt

... . Giving is the way to getting. Remember what we said earlier? Giving does not take from you what you should not have. It gives to you what you would never have if you did not give. Jesus said, “The more you give the more you get back. The more you give out the more that comes back to you.” Do you know why that has to be true? God is the greatest giver in the universe and He will not let you out give Him. It is a law you cannot break. By the way, that is true universally. Every time you ...

12. With Gratitude and Humility

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

April Yamasaki

... wash your face and anoint your head as you would normally do. In other words, don’t do these things to impress others. Don’t show off. There are plenty of other reasons to give to the poor, to pray, and to fast. In one survey, some said they give out of compassion for those in need, some because they believe in a cause and want to help, some out of religious obligation, some for a tax break. Prayer can be a way of expressing our faith and connecting with God, and is reported to improve sleep and mental ...

13. Out of the Box Gifts

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of frankincense that can provide wellness and wholeness and joy for the sick and diseased of the world. Gifts with the restorative abilities of myrrh that can release God’s resurrection energies on new life and on a dying person or planet. Let’s give out of the box gifts this Christmas. Gifts that only come to life when taken out and set free. Gifts that bloom and blossom. Gifts that are empowered when pungent. Gifts that are only useful when used. Remember: we are all Marys — undeservedly gifted by ...

14. Living in The Spirit of Generosity

2 Corinthians 9:6-12, Galatians 5:22-25

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... of the world. Rev. Don Maddox tells the story of a little girl who was standing in line at church to get a free ice cream cone on a hot summer's day. There wasn't any cost for the ice cream except a hug from the one who was giving out the ice cream. Each child said a polite, "Thank You" and offered a hug. (8) After receiving the ice cream cone, this little girl gave the person two hugs and walked away by saying, "Keep the change." That's what it means to be Generous With Our Kindness. Conclusion There ...

15. Giving

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Brett Blair

... to stewardship. We send people a line item budget that details what our expenses will be for the ensuing year. It is boring and few people read it. But beyond that it perpetuates the concept that you are to give in proportion to what our bills are. We should be giving out of a sense of thanksgiving and joy, not to pay bills. When I give money to the church I don't look at a line item budget. What I look at first of all is my child, Hannah. God has blessed me with a beautiful daughter--Lord, love her, she ...

16. Re-thinking Our Mission

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... . They were curious and watched to see what happened but had little active involvement. The second group was the police officers, of whom he was one. The response of the police was to investigate the cause of the accident, assign blame, and give out appropriate warnings and punishments. The third group was the paramedics. They are the people usually most welcomed by those involved in the accident. The paramedics could care less whose fault the accident was and they did not engage in lecturing about bad ...

17. For Those Who Have Received Much (Father's Day)

Matthew 10:5-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... The young man was sharing with others because someone first shared with him. Actually this is the personal story of Tony Robbins himself. He was the boy whose stressed-out family received the Thanksgiving basket and who turned around and began giving out similar baskets at nineteen years of age. And because, as a motivational speaker, he has achieved astounding success, Robbins also started a foundation that has given Thanksgiving baskets to hundreds of thousands of people over the years. (3) 2. Freely You ...

18. Year-Round Christmas

1 Kings 17:1-24

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens' A Christmas Carol? Here was a man so stingy he would not even let Bob Cratchet have the whole of Christmas day off from work, but who through insight into the hollowness of his own life and heart is changed into a person who gives out of joy and discovery that it is indeed more blessed to give than to hoard. You know what I am talking about. We all love the feeling of discovering just the right present to give to someone we love at Christmas or for their birthday. Who has not ...

19. Proving Your Love

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Sermon

Edward Inabinet

... had been persecuted by the Romans and taxed until there was nothing seemingly left. Their hardship, however, instead of making them stingy, made them give freely. Somehow their own need made them realize more deeply the needs of others. They asked, even begged, to give out of their joy. THERE ARE SOME CHURCHES THAT GIVE LIKE THIS TODAY. You’ll find they seem to have a greater love for Christ, greater interest in their fellow believers and the world at large, and a greater freedom from the anxieties of ...

20. Focus on the Finish

Galatians 6:7-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful individuals with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. III. Don't Give Out In Sharing "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." (v.10) You see the law of the harvest tells us we ought to do good to everyone that we ...

21. Defeating Discouragement

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Charley Reeb

... and be weary and the young will fall exhausted.” Count on it. No matter how young you are, how self-sufficient you may be, or how independent you may feel, if you try to live your life on your own power, you will break down. You will fail. You will give out. You will be discouraged over and over again. This is a truth so many of us resist. We don’t want to be told that we can’t stand on our own two feet. We don’t want to be told that we can’t handle life on our own ...

22. More Than "Turkey Day" (New) Thanksgiving

2 Chronicles 9:1-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... and subsequent giving will have on the lives of others? God set up this remarkable system of joy and blessings, gratitude and generosity, giving and receiving and then God backs it up with a lifetime guarantee. Gratitude and generosity feed on one another. Give out of gratitude and your sense of gratitude will continue to grow. It’s an important and time-tested principle of Christian living. No wonder Paul wrote, “Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!” Jump start the joy ...

23. Confronting a Christless Culture

2 Timothy 3:1-17

Sermon

James Merritt

... are now reaping the bitter fruit of the seeds that were sown in the sinful 60s of spiritual liberalism, secular humanism, and social relativism. John Underwood, former Senior Editor for Sports Illustrated, and a feature writer for the Miami Herald, wrote, "Civilizations do not give out, they give in. They come apart not in a flash, but by the inch. In a society where anything goes, everything eventually will."2 Well, our society is not just giving in, it is caving in. Virtues are out Vices are in Victors ...

24. Defended By the Divine

Mark 14:1-11

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

... town!" How about that for being beautiful and unique? Love cannot always do what it wants to do - but love will do something. Love has a way of finding a way. Love has an ingenuity all its own. It is born of that high desire to give out of purity of heart, devotion, and of a spirit free and unencumbered with selfishness. A crippled woman was the mother of three lovely little daughters, aged nine, seven, and three years. As the mother’s birthday approached, the older girls saved their small allowances in ...

25. Sustaining Faith

Mark 12:38-44

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... small copper coins worthy a penny into the box. (Jesus points to her and says): “I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury!” (He points to the wealthy givers): “All of them are giving out of their spare change.” (Then motioning again to the poor widow woman): “But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had –the only money she had to live on.” Now do you hear what Jesus is doing here? Is Jesus praising the woman ...

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