Sermon and Worship Resources

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1. Dynamic Preaching January 2024 Sermons

Sermon

King Duncan

... King Duncan is enjoying ... Despite being a newcomer to the sport, he was able to make a significant impact and set new records. General Douglas MacArthur, from his own experience once said, "Preparedness is the key to success and victory." Henry Ford put it this ... was the last of Israel’s Judges and the first of its prophets. Remember, it was Samuel who anointed both King Saul and King David to be kings. He had an important role to play in the Old Testament. He played that role thanks to a mother’s promise ...

2. Finding Jesus

John 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

Bill Bryson traveled to Hannibal, Missouri, to visit the boyhood home of author, Mark Twain. The house was a "trim, white-washed house with green shutters, set incongruously in the middle of downtown." It cost two dollars to walk around the site. Bryson found the house a disappointment. "It purported to be a faithful reproduction of the original interiors," he writes, "but there were wires and water sprinklers clumsily evident in every room. I also very much doubt that young Samuel Clemens’ bedroom had ...

3. Transforming Moment

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

You may be familiar with Peter Jenkins, author of such best selling books as Walk Across America. Jenkins tells of the night he was converted to Christ. He was attending a huge revival in Alabama. "I didn’t understand all that these people were saying about what had just happened between God and me," he recalled. "Born again...," "Saved...," "The Lord led you here tonight...," "Praise the Lord...," "Well, God finally’s got you away from the Devil...," "Ain’t God good?" were words that Peter Jenkins heard ...

4. It's Not Fair!

1 Peter 2:13-25

Sermon

King Duncan

Strange things happen in this world. Surely you’ve noticed that. There was a news report about two motorists who had a head-on collision and I do mean a head-on collision. It happened in heavy fog near the small town of Guetersloh, Germany. The two motorists were guiding their cars at a snail’s pace near the center of the road in the dense fog. Each of them had his head out of the car window trying to see. And yes, before they realized it, they smacked their heads together. Both men were hospitalized with ...

5. If the Stones Cried Out

Luke 19:28-40

Sermon

King Duncan

(With apologies to Mick Jagger) For most of his ministry, Jesus tried to hide his true identity. He often referred to himself as the Son of Man, and when others tried to worship him or spread the news of his miracles, he told them to keep silent. He didn’t want their praise or publicity. Not yet. His time had not yet come. But it’s time now. As he makes his way to Jerusalem, the time is at hand for him to reveal his mission. Jesus knows what’s waiting for him in Jerusalem. He knows he will be betrayed, ...

6. A Loving Parent

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

King Duncan

I want to begin today by saying, “Happy Mother’s Day” to all the Moms here today as well as to those who serve as Mom substitutes. You deserve to be celebrated on this special day because of the incredible impact you have on so many lives. A good mother is such a powerful example of God’s love. Many mothers are willing to do almost anything to communicate their love to their children. Some even try desperately to keep up with the changing styles popular with young people nowadays. Good luck with that. ...

7. A Most Unlikely Evangelist

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

A Mercedes-Benz TV commercial shows one of their cars colliding with a concrete wall during a safety test. Someone then asks a Mercedes engineer why their company does not enforce their patent on their car's energy-absorbing car body. The Mercedes' design has been copied by almost every other car maker in the world in spite of the fact that they have an exclusive patent. The engineer replies in a clipped German accent, "Because in life, some things are just too important not to share." (1) Wow! What a ...

8. The Most Generous Gift

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

King Duncan

Fanny Brice, was a well-known comedian, singer, theater and film actress in the first half of the twentieth century. Her second husband was professional gambler Julius W. “Nicky” Arnstein who, unfortunately, fell into trouble with the law. According to one source when Arnstein finally went to jail, Fanny kept the truth from their children, telling them that their father was working in Paris. For Christmas, the children wrote their father, telling him that they wanted a pair of rabbits for Christmas. Fanny ...

9. Dealing with Cantankerous People

Ephesians 4:30-5:2

Sermon

King Duncan

There is an old, old story about a cantankerous, crabby old man. His neighbors avoided him. His four boys moved away from home as soon as they could. You get the picture. His poor wife stood by him, but it was not easy. One night he went to bed and just slipped away. His four boys were called in. What should they do? “He was hard to live around,” one of them said, “and no one could get along with him, but he was our pa. We owe him a decent burial, out in the meadow beyond the field.” So they went out to ...

10. Speak, Your Servant Hears

1 Samuel 3:1--4:1

Sermon

King Duncan

"[Sometime back] the San Francisco Examiner carried the photograph of a sixtysevenyearold black man with a smile that went from ear to ear. The light coming from his eyes was extraordinary. "The accompanying story told about this man who had been a longshoreman all his life and had retired at the age of sixtyfive. He was an alcoholic. He visited the same bar every day. One day he found that he was bored and decided to ask the universe for help. He didn't really expect an answer. However, he heard a little ...

11. No Time for a Knapsack Faith

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

King Duncan

A ridiculous story made the rounds years ago. Most of you have heard the story, but I wonder if you have caught its religious significance. It is about a pilot and three passengers--a boy scout, a priest, and an atomic scientist--and a plane that develops engine trouble in mid-flight. The pilot rushes back to the passenger compartment and exclaims, “The plane is going down! The plane is going down! We only have three parachutes, and there are four of us!” Then the pilot adds, “I have a family waiting for ...

12. Yes! (Easter Sunday)

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

Dr. John Trent tells about a wedding video he once saw. The video was shot from the back of the church looking up the aisle toward the bride and groom. Because of the camera angle, you could see several members of the congregation. Suddenly, during the vows, a man jumped up from his pew and yelled, “Yes, Yes, Yes!” as he pumped his fist. Then he froze and slid down into his seat--and sheepishly took off his headphones. It turned out he had been listening to the Auburn-Alabama football game, and his ...

13. Rushing And Realizing

Isaiah 2:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

Advent was one week away, so Michelle Hardie and her husband thought they'd see what their children remembered from their family devotions the year before. "Who can tell me what the four candles in the Advent wreath represent?" Michelle asked. Luke jumped in with seven-year-old wisdom and exuberance. "There's love, joy, peace, and . . . and . . ." "I know!" six-year-old Elise interrupted to finish her brother's sentence: "Peace and quiet!" (1) I don't know about you, but peace and quiet would get my vote. ...

14. Do We Know What We've Got?

Matthew 18:15-20

Sermon

King Duncan

Our lesson from Matthew’s Gospel for today reminds me of a story of a pastor in a drought-stricken part of Alabama last summer who implored his people to pray for rain. In fact, he asked each member of the church to join in a prayer vigil that would continue day and night until God granted their request. Never had there been a greater sense of urgency in that church than was revealed over the next few days. At any hour, one might pass that small rural church and find the lights on and someone at the altar ...

15. A Long Line Of Love

Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of the most popular music today comes out of places like Nashville, Tennessee and Austin, Texas. I am referring, of course, to Country and Western music. Country music is known for its colorful lyrics. We're told that Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas was a country music fan. He delighted in recounting the titles of his favorite songs. Among them were, "When the Phone Don't Ring, You'll Know It's Me," "Walk Out Backwards, So I'll Think You're Coming In," and "My Wife Ran Off with My Best Friend ...

16. Adopted! (New)

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Ian Lewis, 43, of Standish, Lancashire, England, was interested in finding out about his family. He spent thirty years tracing his family tree back to the seventeenth century. Thirty years. He traveled all over Britain talking to 2,000 relatives about the family tree. He even planned to write a book about how his great-grandfather left to seek his fortune in Russia and how his grandfather was expelled after the Revolution. Then, after doing all that research, Ian Lewis made a discovery that stopped him in ...

17. Get Out the Ticker Tape - Palm Sunday

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

There is a time-honored story about a little boy who was sick. It was Palm Sunday and the children waved palm branches to open the service. But this young man stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch. The little boy was curious and asked, “Why do we wave palm branches on Palm Sunday, Dad, and why do we call it Palm Sunday?” “You see,” his Dad explained, “when Jesus came into town, everyone waved palm branches to honor him, so we got palm branches in the ...

18. A Small Town Is Blessed

Micah 5:1-4

Sermon

King Duncan

Some of you grew up in a small town, so you can identify with some of those lists that begin with “You know you live in a small town when . . .” For example, “You know you live in a small town when . . .” City limits signs are both on the same post. Your car breaks down outside of town and news of it gets back to town before you do. Without thinking, you wave to all oncoming traffic. You know you live in a small town when the New Year’s baby is born in October. A “Night on the Town” takes only 11 minutes. ...

19. If We Had Known You Were Going To Win . . .

Acts 10:34-43

Sermon

King Duncan

A gentleman wrote into The Christian Herald magazine. In their family, he said, it was a custom to have a sing-along while traveling by car. It helped keep their boys out of trouble and in a good mood. On one trip their eldest son, Aaron, asked if they could sing the “Gravy Song.” “What’s that?” The rest of the family asked. “Teach it to us.” With all innocence Aaron began singing the Easter hymn, “Up from the gravy arose.” (1) It’s sad that the only day of the year when churches sing the gravy song is ...

20. The Power Of A Focused Life

Philippians 3:4b-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Staying focused is one of the secrets of a successful life. Comedian Jay Leno says that he went into a McDonald’s one day and said, “I’d like some fries.” He vows and declares that the girl at the counter asked, “Would you like some fries with that?” Focus! Doctors hear some pretty strange stories in their line of work. Audiologist David Levy recalls a frantic client who lost her hearing aid. She had been eating a bowl of cashews while talking on the phone. Her tiny hearing aid was sitting on the table ...

21. Piercing A Hole In The Darkness

Job 38:1--41:34

Sermon

King Duncan

Series on the Book of Job, #3 Suggested music: "A Few Questions" (See the forward to this series) Author Sheila Walsh tells of meeting Debbie Arden. Debbie's husband was the agent for golfer Payne Stewart. He and Stewart died in a freak airplane accident a few years ago. Debbie Arden claims that her husband's death led her to a new place of assurance and faith in God. As she said, "God used the death of my beloved husband to, as Oswald Chambers said, "˜Pierce a hole in the darkness so that I could behold ...

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