Sermon and Worship Resources

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Luke 3:1-6

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

The story is told of young boy in a church Christmas program who had one line to remember. His role was that of the Angel of the Lord and his one line consisted of: “Behold, I bring you good tidings.” He wasn’t clear about the word “tidings” so he asked his mother what it meant. She defined it as “news.” Sunday morning the play was going smoothly and all was well. He was sent onto the stage as t...

2. A Commitment to Righteousness

Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Moline, Illinois, September, 1977 was the place and date for a special gift that Terry Schafer purchased for her policeman husband, David. It was a pre-Christmas gift. She had a fear that it might be too expensive, but nothing was too good for her husband! She loved him with all of her heart and wanted this to be special. Slipping into one of the stores that was on her list she found the exact it...

3. A New Name

Isaiah 62:1-5

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Let's play a game. I am going to say a name and you think about that person. What emotions does the name bring to mind? What nostalgic feature? What accomplishments do you remember about them or what negatives have they produced in your thinking? Abraham Lincoln Eve Tommy Dorsey Joan of Arc Paul the apostle Amelia Earhart Mohammad Ali Albert Einstein Mary the Mother of Jesus Osama bin Laden Mothe...

4. Born at Bethlehem — Hope

Micah 5:1-4

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Ellyn Sanna was twelve years old when she went on a camping trip to New England with her family. Four children and two parents were packed inside the family car. The tent was stowed away on top of the vehicle traveling from site to site. Each night they set up camp as the light faded. She tells that there were many happy memories from that vacation, but there was also the deep feeling of loneline...

5. Born in Bethlehem — Light

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Have you ever awakened in the early hours before dawn? Thick darkness covers the earth. Trees, rivers, and houses obscured. Silence reigns supreme. Chill, as cool as melting ice, fills the air. Then slowly a faint flush of gray begins to roll through the blackness, forms take shape. Hazy colors appear. Suddenly, as a rocket explodes into space, the sun rises on the horizon. There is a glow on the ...

6. Breaking The Cycle - God’s Answer In Forgiveness

Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

People often mistake forgiveness for a feeling, but it goes much deeper. Basically it boils down to a choice, an act of free will. A prime example of forgiveness from the scriptures is Joseph. Joseph, the elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel, comes to the pages of the biblical account at age seventeen (Genesis 37). He is first seen tending his father's flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bi...

7. Christ’s Call to Discipleship

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Throughout my academic career I struggled. Nothing came easily, but I determined to be the best pupil possible. The Greek culture considered a disciple a philosopher’s follower or sometimes an apprentice learning a trade. The New Testament writers used the term in different facets. Don Campbell shared the uses of the word disciple in The Theological Wordbook as: First, describing the twelve. Radi...

8. Don't Miss Jesus

Luke 2:41-51

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Luke is the only gospel writer who gives us a peek into the childhood of Jesus. Luke, the physician, is analytical and an observer of life. Biblical historians believe that Luke had much of his research with first hand observers of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Not being an apostle or having first person knowledge, he relied upon others. One of those was Mary, the mother of Jesus. So...

9. Finding Redemption in the Midst of Judgment

Malachi 2:17--3:5

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

A vase shatters, brushed by a careless elbow; a toy breaks, handled roughly by young fingers; and fabric rips, pulled by strong angry hands. Spills and rips take time to clean up, effort to repair, and money to replace, but far more costly are shattered relationships. Unfaithfulness, untruths, hateful words, and forsaken vows tear delicate personal bonds and inflict wounds not easily healed. Most...

10. From Tragedy to Salvation

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

On January 13, 1982, Washington DC and the surrounding area experienced a blizzard that paralyzed everything including the National Airport. Most of the day the airport would not allow any air flight takeoffs or landings. On that fateful day a decision was made to allow Air Florida Flight 90 to attempt a takeoff. The 737 had been delayed for hours. The chain of events that led to the ultimate cras...

11. God's Gift

Jeremiah 33:1-26

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Margery Tallcott relates that during the Depression she and her husband were barely making the money stretch from week to week. It was particularly tight during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Their finances would not allow for purchasing gifts for each other or for their son, Pete. With Christmas a week away, they told Pete there would be no store-bought presents for any of them. “But I’ll t...

12. Hidden Potential

1 Samuel 2:12-26

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Home and Garden television produces a program titled Hidden Potential hosted by Brandie Malay and architect/designer Barry Wood. Homebuyers are looking for a new home in a certain price range in their city. They are taken to three different homes that are not ready-to-move-in quality. The premise of the show is that the architect/designer will renovate the room by computer-generated graphic desig...

13. Hope Again!

Zephaniah 3:1-20

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Charles Swindoll wrote a book titled Hope Again, with the subtitle “When Life Hurts and Dreams Fade.” On the back cover describing the contents of the book the publisher entices the reader with the following words: Hope is more than mere wishful thinking. Hope is a vital necessity of life — a gift that God wants to give to you. And in a world that regularly writes dreams off as foolish and drains...

14. It's All About the Messiah

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

I read an old legend about a Christmas party that Satan and his pack of demons were having in hell. As the demonic guests were departing, one laughed and grinned and sarcastically said to Satan, “Merry Christmas your majesty!” At that, Satan replied with a growl, “Yes, keep it merry. If they ever get serious about it, we’ll all be in trouble.” Today the focus is all about the Messiah and we need ...

15. Jesus In Ministry — Us In Ministry

Luke 4:14-21

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Chuck Swindoll illustrates how ministry concerns all of us in his “Saving Lives” parable (https://www.insight.org of October 2, 2015). On a rugged section of seacoast many decades ago a crude lifesaving station was built. Only a few volunteers manned the station to watch for ships that were in danger of the rocks. On the occasion of a shipwreck the handful of volunteers took their one and only bo...

16. Jesus Meets Our Needs

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Weddings symbolize the hope of the future for people who are in love. They symbolize to commitment, undying love and the best in each other’s company. It is at such an occasion that the first miracle of Jesus happened. The wedding took place in Cana of Galilee not far from Nazareth. It is the small village where Nathanael lived and he is the one who had said, “Can anything good come from there?” ...

17. Lessons From a Hurricane

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

It developed as a tropical wave leaving the coast of Africa on September 9, 1989, and within a few days became a Category 5 hurricane. In its path were Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The aftermath of that violent upheaval of nature was 82 dead and 56,000 people homeless. Mark Lewis and his family were living on the island of St. Croix when Hurri...

18. Rejecting The Message — Rejecting The Person

Luke 4:21-30

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Jesus wanted people to know and experience his loving Father — the true God. Anything else was false love….false gods. Christ’s message came directly from the heart of God. He and the Father were so intimately connected in heart, soul, and spirit. His whirlwind preaching and teaching tour in the synagogues in the communities of the region of Galilee landed him in his own hometown of Nazareth. His...

19. Restarting Joy - Rejoice

Isaiah 55:10-13

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Joy does not depend on the external events of life. Adversity may hit us with gale-like force, but the joy in our hearts will be determined by the will of our souls. Joy is a choice! In his book, Laugh Again, written in 1991, author Charles Swindoll relates that he was on the Dallas Theological Seminary's Board of Regents as they interviewed the first woman faculty member. Her name was Lucy Mabe...

20. Revolutionary Rules For Living

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Author Bob Welch observed that in Les Miserables that the uprising that Victor Hugo observed occurred in June, 1832 as a small Parisian insurrection that lasted only a short time. It was more of a street riot with a tragic outcome. Quoting Hugo, Welch said that the uprising was a defiance against the royalist government of France as a reaction to three problems of the day. First it was a defiance ...

21. Rock Stars at the Top

Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a)

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

If I were a Hollywood writer, the Transfiguration story would be a great setting. I could see it ranking right up there with “The Ten Commandments,” “Samson and Delilah,” “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” or any of the others. I would title it, “Rock Stars At The Top.” The stars would include Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, John, and the Voice and I’m still contemplating who I would cast in the ...

22. Rules for Basic Living

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Rules! Rules! Rules! We have a love/hate relationship with them. They bring order to chaos…stability from unpredictability…soundness to erratic changes. However, rules can frustrate, overwhelm and discourage us because we view them as concrete, never-bending or always rigid. At times we resist them with a passion while at other times we embrace them with vitality. How often has this conversation ...

23. Strengthening Your Grip On Prayer

1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

In 1982, Chuck Swindoll wrote a book titled Strengthening Your Grip. The introduction chronicles his maturing years from his birth in 1934 through his ministry of the early 1980s. Face it, ours is simply not the same world as it was a few short decades ago. The full picture hidden in the puzzle is still unclear, but the border is in place. The scene has changed drastically ... I found myself havi...

24. The Baptism of the Lord

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Rummaging through some of my old memorabilia I rediscovered a post card with the picture of a church on it. I well remember the church because it was the one where I was baptized. As a child of eight I asked Jesus to come into my heart at the altar of my small local church. It was an important time in my life and it started me on my Christian walk. The small church where I put down my spiritual ro...

25. The Call of God

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

Jeremiah had a task, a vision, and a promise from God. The prophet Jeremiah had a call from God to preach his word to a people needing to hear from God. His call has been duplicated multiple times over the centuries. Moses, Samuel, Amos, Isaiah, and Ezekiel could point to a precise moment in their journey when God called them to be prophets ... ones who announced God's actions and words. Preachi...

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