Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 1 to 25 of 4943 results

1. Take Up Your Cross And Follow Me

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon Aid

Clement E. Lewis

... those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?" Sermon: "Take Up Your Cross Daily" Jesus spoke about the cross on several occasions, because it was to take center stage in the drama of his life, and it was to be remembered by people everywhere in terms of his sacrifice for all souls of all people. He said, "Whoever does ...

2. Take Up Your Cross

Luke 8:1-15

Sermon

Robert V. Dodd

... many people are busy "playing it safe," our Lord calls us to risk all on the cosmic gamble that his way of life is the only way to live. He said, "If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave self behind; day after day he must take up hiscross, and come with me." (Luke 9:23 NEB) That old self with all its fears and prejudices, its antiquated and deadly way of thinking, would like to hold us back. It would have us seeking to preserve our flesh and therefore cause us to lose Life Eternal. But our ...

3. Take Up Your Cross

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... is stated by our Lord in the Holy Gospel for today. In this reading we hear Jesus predict his own passion. Peter tries to reject that notion. Jesus then not only rebukes him for that, but goes on to say that all his followers should be willing to take up their crosses. The language does not appear to be attractive when Jesus talks about self-denial, losing one's life, and being able to turn one's back on an "adulterous and sinful generation." If this is the nitty-gritty of our faith, where are we going to ...

4. Take Up Your Ministry

Mark 9:38-41

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

Several years ago at my previous congregation I remember a discussion I had with the church council. It was very revealing of the kind of distorted vision of ministry that is very much afoot in the church these days. I had a sudden change in my vacation plans and was going to have to be out of town for a Sunday that I had not planned on. I was having great difficulty finding another pastor to fill the pulpit. It was the summer. Many pastors are already on vacation and those who are available for pulpit ...

5. Taking Up the Cross

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

A man by the name of Harold Luccock, a pastor and theologian, wrote the following words about this passage. I found his words illuminating. “Taking up the cross of Christ is a deliberate choice of something that could be evaded. To take up a burden that we are under no compulsion to take up except for the love of Christ living inside of us. It makes the choice of taking upon ourselves the burdens of other people’s lives. Of putting ourselves, without reservation, at the service of Christ and the world ...

6. Take Up and Read

Illustration

Augustine

Here is St. Augustine's description of his moment of conversion: "I was weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when I heard the voice of children from a neighboring house chanting, "take up and read; take up and read." I could not remember ever having heard the like, so checking the torrent of my tears, I arose, interpreting it to be no other than a command from God to open the book and read the first chapter I should find. Eagerly then I returned to the place ...

7. Consecration Take up His Cross

Mark 8:31--9:1

Bulletin Aid

Leader: "If anyone would come after me," spoke Jesus, "he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Congregation: We lay aside our desires and ambitions, subjecting them to the path of service you have chosen for us, Lord. Leader: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save ...

8. Take Up Your Cross

Mark 8:27-38

Illustration

Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian and Olympic champion had his story documented in the film Chariots of Fire. He was ready to forfeit an Olympic medal rather than to run on Sunday. He eventually does run in the Olympics, in another race not scheduled for Sunday. God made me for running, he tells his sister. He made me fast. And when I run I feel pleasure. To give it up would be to hold God in contempt. We feel like cheering as he crosses the tape and wins Olympic gold. After that, however, he gives ...

9. Take Up Your Cross

Mark 8:27-38

Illustration

G. Curtis Jones

In 1580, a Dutch Protestant leader named Klaes was arrested and condemned as a heretic. Eventually he was burned at the stake. When the tragedy was over, his dear wife took their small son by the hand and walked through the back streets of town to the hill where their loved one had perished as a Christian martyr. At the place of execution, the bereaved widow gathered up a few of the ashes, placed them in her satchel, and hung it around her boy's neck, saying, "Son, I place these ashes on your heart, and on ...

10. Job's Third Reply to Bildad

Job 26:1--31:40

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... verses each (12–14; 15–17) lay the foundation of this public respect for Job. Verse 12 begins with the Hebrew particle ki, “because.” Each segment describes Job’s praiseworthy actions toward the poor and needy. Given the preceding verses recalling Job taking up his seat in the city gate, these verses almost seem like an honorific summary of a prestigious career as attorney or judge dedicated to upholding the cause of the poor and defenseless of society. Such a past career may also explain Job’s ...

11. Taking Something Up for Lent

John 3:1-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... attacks. In other words, here were 13 families of 9/11 victims who couldn't climb out of their grief just to fill out the forms! Grief can be that crippling! Grief can be that debilitating! Can we take on each other's grief and sorrow? Taking on leads to taking up . . . the cross. The whole point of a Lenten season is to lead us to the foot of the cross, to bring us to our knees in gratitude and awe at the love flowed from the cross of Christ. The more we are able to take on during these few short ...

12. Parabola

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... method to separate the “thrill seekers” and “those coming for the food” from those serious about following him as a disciple. If you look at the parables as a whole within Matthew’s, Mark’s, and Luke’s witnesses, you find that they take up the bulk of the gospels. They may be interlaced with healing moments or explanations. But Jesus’ spent a large part of his time “teaching,” discussing, proclaiming, telling stories that let people know who he was and why he was with them. The parables ...

13. Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

Habakkuk 2:2-20, Habakkuk 1:12--2:1

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... another understanding of Habakkuk’s “watch,” that it refers more literally to his position as a minister in the temple (e.g., 2 Chr. 35:2; Neh. 12:9; Zech. 3:7). He intends to wait on Yahweh there. What answer I am to give to this complaint takes up another aspect of the fact that in addressing Yahweh he does not speak for himself but for his people. It is their questioning that he has been passing on to Yahweh and to which he seeks a reply. This, too, could support the idea that the questioning and ...

14. Job's Third Reply to Eliphaz

Job 23:1--24:25

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... and second tests, Job remains unwilling to “curse God and die,” preferring instead to hang on to faith while pursuing God for understanding and resolution. 24:25 If this is not so. Job ends his speech with a challenge—since his friends fail to take up this challenge, the dialogue rapidly dwindles to an end. Bildad’s five-verse response (25:2–6) covers no new ground and serves little purpose other than to introduce Job’s final monologue (26:1–31:40) and to demonstrate convincingly the friends ...

15. Prayers for the Sundays After Easter

Bulletin Aid

Rolland R. Reece

... support them all their days. Today we consider how we can aid those who are in such great need. Sometimes we like to dream how we might become a part of some gigantic force for good that would sweep away all manner of evil and enable thousands of people to take up their lives filled with unlimited hope and success. Please don't take from us the pursuit of our dreams, but enable us to see what we can do right here and now to meet the real needs of real people. We lift up to you who we are, what we ...

16. Playing to the Right Audience

Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... benefit of spiritual disciplines is always indirect. They hold us open to the surprising work of God. And the result from God’s side is always out of proportion to the effort from ours. It takes energy to respond to God’s grace, but even the desire to take up the effort is itself a gift which can be refused. The God who offers the discipline also offers the desire to take it up and the ability to persevere. John Ortberg gives us a visual image to understand the interplay of what only God can do and what ...

17. At Cross Purposes

Mark 8:31-38

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." [34] He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [35] For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. [36] For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and ...

18. The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

Nahum 1:1-15

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... expedition to Judah in Hezekiah’s reign (cf. Isa. 36–37), or to one of the seventh-century expeditions to Egypt by Ashurbanipal or his army. But Nahum continues to provide no names, so the prophecy is not limited to this application. The verse takes up the verb “plot,” or rather “think,” from verse 9, and uses it to indicate something of the rationale for Yahweh’s act of judgment by tweaking the earlier expression in various ways. Here the verb has a direct object; the verse refers to thinking ...

19. Comfortable Christianity Is a Big, Fat Lie

Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... beings; no one has to teach us how to corrupt ourselves; it’s standard equipment. It is deep virtue and loving transparency that takes the effort of a long and serious response to grace. Giving in to temptation and the allurements of evil is easy; taking up the daily battle for your own soul is hard and demanding. Following the crowd is the definition of popularity; finding a new crowd that will not appeal to the worst in you is what Christian community is all about. Without spiritual resources on the ...

20. The Gathering at Cana

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... always extraordinary and frequently unexpected. It is an unusual vintage, nothing like it. Just as with the Spirit…you don’t know where it comes from or where it will appear next, only that it fills you with great joy, even while it challenges you to take up the cup and feast with Jesus. God always goes against the grain! And God does things you least expect when you least expect them. Jesus doesn’t choose to grace your life because of any special things you’ve done. But simply because YOU are HIS ...

21. Cloak of Power

Psalm 5:1-12

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... spirit your spirit. Get rid of the sackcloth of guilt and grief, and wear the cloak that binds you to God and emboldens you to dance. Why? Because Jesus says, “I’ve got this.” No payback. No strings. No cost. Except… “Follow me.” “Trust my Way.” “Take up my yoke.” For “my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Wait for the covering of the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and covers you, go into the world and continue my mission. This month and next there will be a ...

22. Bearing the Cross

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... to do. When you bear a cross, God’s will comes first in your life. Is that where you are today? Does that accurately describe your life? There are a couple of things we ought to say about that. First of all, without the Gospel, it makes no sense to take up a cross. Let’s admit it. Why not eat, drink and be merry and ignore our responsibilities if there is no Gospel, no good news from God? There are many people who live only for themselves and the people they love. Maybe you’re one of them. These are ...

23. What to Wear to the War

Ephesians 6:13-17

Sermon

James Merritt

... I'll never lose my salvation") He said, "I have everlasting life and I cannot lose it. Jesus said so." He took that Bible, stuck it under the couch and said, "There devil, read it for yourself." He said from that time on the doubt left him. That's taking up the helmet of salvation. VI. The Sword of the Spirit Is For the Dart of Disbelief Our last weapon is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Now remember the first five weapons were for our defense against Satan, but this weapon is for our ...

24. All In: Betting the Ranch

Luke 9:18-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... really ready to gain everything from Him. It is only when you deny yourself and die to yourself that you are ready to take the last step of following Jesus which is …. III. Devote Yourself “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23, ESV) That word “follow” is a very interesting word. It comes from a prefix which means “like” or “same.” It is attached to a word that means “way.” It literally means to “walk in the same ...

25. Faking It or Making It?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... it all?” The man replied, “There are times when I would very much like to leave it all. But there is a strange man on a cross with love in his eyes who won’t let me.” Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross . . . Then he adds three more words: “and follow me.” What does it mean to follow Jesus? You know what it means. Following Jesus means living a life of loving service just as he did. Let me tell you about a young man named Mike Cohen who was ...

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