Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: beginning, start, origination, genesis, birth, dawning, dawn, emergence, inception, launch, creation, birthplace, cradle, early stages, conception, inauguration, foundation, outset, source, derivation, root, roots, provenance, etymology, descent, ancestry, parentage, pedigree, lineage, line, line of descent, heritage, extraction, background, family, stock, blood, bloodline, genealogy, beginnings

Antonyms: end, conclusion, termination

Showing 1 to 25 of 49 results

1. Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

Sermon

... shaped by the Bible. Do you know the problem with Nicodemus. I know his problem because I have seen it in far too many of my collogues. His ministry had become a profession rather than a calling. Nicodemus had built his profession upon his education, his power, his pedigree, and not upon God. I know his problem his problem because I have seen far too many times in myself. Every time I visit the hospital, the nursing home, a member, every time I walk in that door—I ask myself are going cause you have to or ...

2. Nicodemus

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Brett Blair

... shaped by the Bible. Do you know the problem with Nicodemus? I know his problem because I have seen it in far too many of my colleagues. His ministry had become a profession rather than a calling. Nicodemus had built his profession upon his education, his power, his pedigree, and not upon God. I know his problem because I have seen it far too many times in myself. Every time I visit the hospital, the nursing home, a member. Every time I walk in that door [the church door]—I ask myself are you going cause ...

3. Advertised Goodness

Matthew 6:1-2, Matthew 6:5-6

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... Coker folks were highly incensed. Immediately after the service, they explained to me at great length that they were a whole lot better than some common feed and seed company. Looking back on it now, I chuckle a bit, because I suspect that this high-falooting Pedigreed Seed bunch needed a dose of humility, and maybe I helped deliver it. This little poem says it well: "Some Christians jump all over the room; Others are as solemn and quiet as a tomb. Some lift their hands high in the air, But others wouldn ...

4. Be Shrewd

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... 5), Thomas à Kempis says "Let not the authority of the writer offend you, whether he be of great or small learning; but let the Love of pure truth draw you to read. Search not who spoke this or that, but mark what is spoken." Jesus cared less about pedigree than destiny. In fact, Jesus even told the disciples not to stop those who were speaking even though they "were not one of us” (Lk.9:49-50). Paul echoed this sentiment to the church at Philippi in an equally amazing portion of Scripture: “It is true ...

5. The Supreme Worth of the Second Birth

John 3:1-9

Sermon

James Merritt

... . Being born into a Christian home doesn't make you a Christian anymore than being born in a bread pan makes you a biscuit. It would not matter if Billy Graham were your father, and Joan of Arc were your mother. Neither pedigree nor parentage makes a person a Christian. The second birth is "not of the will of the flesh." It is not of human desire. It has nothing to do with the fervency of your feelings. You were not born because you wanted to be; you were born because God wanted ...

6. Joshua People: Turning Worlds Upside Down

Joshua 10:12-15, Acts 17:1-9

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... and the tools of our culture on their head. We have to show others that these powerful communications tools can be used to glorify God. And today we do that through a few of the Super Bowl commercials. I. Pedigree Weird Animals The one I think showed the most Christian attitude was the Pedigree commercial. Believe it or not, this is who we are supposed to be, people who look at the world differently, people who turn the world upside down I've said it before: We are the abnormal people, we have chosen ...

7. Prayer-Conditioning Your Life

Luke 2:29-32

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... her pious behavior over decades is described. Her identity as a daughter of Phanuel (see Genesis 32:30) and her membership in good standing as one of Israel’s twelve tribes, the tribe of Asher, are only the tip of the iceberg of her “pedigree.” She has, remarkably, been a constant presence in prayer and penitence (prayer and fasting) for over sixty years within the temple compound. Exact words are not recorded. Luke simply states that Anna “began to praise God and speak about the child.” But Anna ...

8. Master Teacher

Matthew 15:10-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... , and these can defile them.” Their words and actions can be sweet as honey or bitter as horseradish. Evil thoughts and deeds that derive from a heart that is not rooted in God –these are what defile. Unwashed hands do not defile. A person’s pedigree does not defile. A person’s illness does not defile. A person’s nationality does not defile. A person’s food habits or cultural differences do not defile. The heart is what God cares about. The disciples still don’t quite get it. So….and this ...

9. People With Power To Forgive

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... that separates us from one another and from God. The big breakthrough with Saul, the zealous Pharisee, came when we saw how obnoxious all his super-religiosity was, not only to his fellow man, but to God. Taking great pride in his pedigree, his productivity and his astonishing achievements, Saul had attempted to storm heaven, as it were, to demand God give him a place of honor. But then the breakthrough came, the penetrating, life-changing insight, that he really was an arrogant, self-righteous ...

10. Finding Faith In Unlikely People

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... those who were born to the Kingdom will be driven out into the dark, the place of wailing and grinding of teeth" (Matthew 8:11-12). It is not a matter of being an insider, said Jesus, not a matter of ecclesiastical aristoc_esermonsracy or religious pedigree, but a matter of faith -- faith which is open and possible for all. Notice further that Jesus was surprised with the Centurion's faith in his word. The Centurion may have had some opportunity to be exposed to the wisdom of Rome and Greece. Undoubtedly ...

11. Two Doors; One Choice

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

W. Robert McClelland

... is that it ignores the fact that everyone in the parable is sincerely seeking entrance to the kingdom. Those who get in are no less sinful than those left on the steps. Indeed, those at the front door can boast impressive religious pedigrees. They are the sons and daughters of Abraham. No doubt their credentials include letters of moral recommendation. The difference is not in the taint of their lives but in their choice of doors. The great masses of those concerned with heavenly issues believe ...

12. When God’s “No” Means “Yes”

Habakkuk 1:1-4, Habakkuk 2:2-20

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... and his people were to live by faith trusting not in their own strength but in God’s acceptance completely. Righteousness implies a right relationship with God. Throughout the Scriptures righteousness is defined not in terms of good works, correct worship or proper pedigree but solely in terms of faith, trust and dependence upon the grace of God. The Apostle Paul seized upon the prophet’s words in explaining the meaning of the Gospel in his communication with the young churches in the gentile world. He ...

13. Captive To The Word Of God

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

... of the Jews who had believed in him. It is also important for us to understand the slavery by which Jesus sees the Jews of his generation have been entrapped. What does it mean to be descendants of Abraham? Is it a matter of birthright, a theological pedigree? Do we gain the papers of salvation because we can prove the pure ethnic origin of our birth ... or even because we revere and hallow the sacred traditions of our people? Or is a true descendant of Abraham one who shares with Abraham the steady and ...

14. Repent Your Way To A Merry Christmas

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Brett Blair

... : Repent. There comes a moment when the preacher longs for his hearers to lose sight of everything except his message. "Don't listen to my accent. Don't look at my clothes. Don't comment on my style. Don't search my biographical details for my University pedigree. Just listen to what I am saying. Repent! I would like to suggest this morning that Repent was the first component of John’s message. There are two others. Let’s take a look at the first. I John's message called people to repentance. One of ...

15. Compassion

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... he came from? He couldn't take a chance on being seen on the Jericho road associating with just anybody. The rumors would ruin him. Then a Samaritan came by. Jesus said, "The Samaritan was filled with compassion." He was not concerned with the man's pedigree, his race, or the cause of his tragedy. He simply had compassion. Compassion. Jesus said, "You go and do the same." Have compassion. The person may never be capable of returning the favor, but you go and have compassion. The ten may not thank you; your ...

16. It’s How It Ends That Matters

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

... so many highways leading to the Great Reunion. Celebrate the fact that men and women come to Christ in such surprising ways. Embrace the differences that make our pilgrimage so interesting. Celebrate the common journey we are called to share with pilgrims of all colors, races, backgrounds, circumstances, and religious pedigree. It’s going to be a great reunion!

17. Repent Your Way To A Merry Christmas

Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

Brett Blair

18. Song of a King

Psalm 101:1-8

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

The author of the One hundred and first Psalm is a poet-king about to ascend Israel’s throne. He gives us no clue as to his pedigree, but he makes crystal clear the objectives of his coming reign. For he has evidently prepared the psalm as an inaugural for his coronation. Obviously convinced that he is God’s ambassador, he uses the occasion to tell his people in no uncertain terms that he intends to model his ...

19. Prepare The Way

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Brett Blair

... There comes a moment when the preacher longs f or his hearers to lose sight of everything except his message. “Don’t listen to my accent. Don’t look at my clothes. Don’t comment on my style. Don’t search my biographical details for my University pedigree. Just listen to what I am saying. I am a voice. And it was John’s crowning glory that he saw something, which no other had recognized. It is true that others had anticipated that God would intervene in human affairs. They had predicted that the ...

20. Why Prophets Get Under Our Skin

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... because of their background. But John knew most people didn't do that. He well knew that most people, in their anxiety of nothingness, and their craving for somethingness, begin to put undue pride in their background. They strive to develop a socially acceptable pedigree that will look good on the resume‚ and the club application. But God, says fearless John, is more concerned about fruits than roots. God is more interested in where you are going than where you came from. He is more focused on what ...

21. Titles, Credentials, or Resurrection Power

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... that despite the harsh words Paul uses in verses 2 and 3, he stills has the heart of a pastor. In verses four through seven, Paul shows how foolishly he tried to earn his salvation by human confidence and credentials. If anyone had the proper pedigree, it was Saul of Tarsus. As Dr. Charles R. Swindoll shares in today''s terms, that proud Pharisee known as Saul of Tarsus won all the marbles--The Pulitzer, The Congressional Medal of Honor, The Most Valuable Player, The Heisman, The Gold Medal.... The Nobel ...

22. What Really Matters

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... from God, by faith.” Paul chose not to boast except about what Christ had done for him. Had he been prone to boast otherwise, he had enough external privileges to put him out front in any comparison – and he listed four special items of his external pedigree. 1 – He was born of orthodox parents, circumcised as the law required on the eighth day. 2 – He was of the stock of Israel. More precisely, he was an Israelite by race. He was not just talking about being of the people of Israel, as the Revised ...

23. The Oneness of Twoness

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... fact, Bethlehem had a highbrow history. It had “royal roots” as the City of David, the birthplace of a king once upon a time, and the prophesied birthplace of a king that is to come, the very Messiah, the Savior of the world. Despite this royal pedigree, Jesus grew up in Nazareth. What was Nazareth known for? It was known for being a know-nothing, nowhere town with no pretensions, no assertions, no distinctions. Growing up in Nazareth was like growing up in a trailer park or a low-income housing project ...

24. The Bloodline of Christ

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of faith, the ekklesia, was conceived. Look around you this morning. What do you see? Who do you see? You see Jesus’ bloodline. We are Christ’s offspring. We are Christ’s bloodline. We are brothers and sisters together, sharing the same water pedigree and bound by blood. All birthing takes blood-letting, and our birth came about through the greatest blood-letting of all time, Jesus’ death on the cross. The risen Christ did not sugar-coat the reality or enormity of that sacrifice. His resurrected ...

25. Good and Bad "Magical Thinking"

Acts 17:16-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... John Lennon composed his best know work on: “Imagine.” Michael ships this piano off to places that are in need of some kind of spiritual support: to New Orleans after Katrina; to Virginia Tech after the shootings. The piano is put on public display, with its pedigree, open for any and all to sit down and plunk out a few notes, to seek out a bit of solace in its noteworthy presence. No matter how much scientific knowledge we acquire about the world we live in, physical reality is never enough. The human ...

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