Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 659 results

1. Grace in the Midst of Guilt and Shame

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Glenn McDonald

At the beginning of his ministry Jesus had a chance to impress the people he grew up with. According to Luke, chapter 4, Jesus was invited to stand up and read the Bible in his hometown synagogue of Nazareth. And why not? He was the latest sensation. His reputation as a teacher was starting to get around. He was the local kid who had made good. There must have been smiles and gentle ribbing as Jes...

2. Spiritual Blessings In Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

Bulletin Aid

H. Burnham Kirkland

Call To Worship Leader: Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. People: The Lord has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing. Leader: Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son. People: Praise be to God whose great love for us was revealed through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. Collect Almighty God, we are yo...

3. Deep Calling to Deep

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

Wow, our text is not only challenging, it is a momentous portion of scripture that keeps spreading and giving! The profound theology expressed is in some ways more than we are able to handle. Yet, we are called to make an honest and forthright attempt. A conscientious rendering of the passage is in order that others may, at least, taste such wisdom is our goal. To be chosen "in Christ before the f...

4. Keep the Stars in Your Eyes

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In a culture where even the atheists claim to have a "spirituality," it's time for the church to soul out. Until March of 1997, the approaching Third Millennium sneaked up on us like some great, fun adventure. For intrepid entrepreneurs, the year 2000 promises huge sales in commemorative junk. Party planners have been plotting big New Year's Eve blowouts for years. Except for those nerdy com...

5. The Gravity of Grace

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Postmodern culture has a moral atmosphere of zero. In a zero-morality culture, the church must pump up the atmosphere with the gravity of grace. One of the most basic skills astronauts must learn to master is how to function in an environment of zero gravity. While it may be a thrill to find your body suddenly capable of flying and free-floating anywhere in the cabin, an absence of gravity c...

6. A Theology of Linguistic Linguini

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Let’s begin with a little survey. How many of you have you have taken down your Christmas tree and packed up all the festive decorations until next December? How many of you are still living with your Christmas bling-bling? I thought so. There are not too many of us who hold on and hold out until the passing of Epiphany to take down our Christmas décor. This year Epiphany, January 6, falls on Tues...

7. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

There are some biblical texts and stories that naturally implant in the Christmastide memory and roll off the tongue. The cosmic imagery of John’s prologue. The poetry of Mary’s Magnificat. The storybook details of Luke’s birth narratives. This week’s lectionary epistle reading, Ephesians 1:3-14, is NOT one of those texts. In fact, within the linguistic linguini that makes up this lengthy unit th...

8. Ephesians 1:11-23

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

Ephesians is one of the most optimistic communications in the Bible. Whether or not authentically Paul's work, the fact remains that the distinctively Pauline nature of faith is presented here with a distinctively celebratory note. This week's epistle reading introduces one of the central tenets of this entire section - that of the special "inheritance" available to us through Christ. Verse 11 dec...

9. Ephesians 1:11-23

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

10. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

In this first unit of Ephesians, the text reveals itself to be both like and unlike other Pauline epistles. The opening greeting and declaration of blessedness are quite familiar. But the text never takes on the personal, pointed trajectory common to other Pauline letters. Though debate continues, there is considerable consensus that the "letter" to the "Ephesians" should be seen as a kind of gene...

11. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The epistle reading for this week gives us one of the longest continuous sentences found in ancient Greek literature. Ephesians 1:3-14 is only one complete sentence in its original Greek, although nearly all translations now break it down into several shorter sentences to make it an easier read. Some scholars suggest that this lengthy unit should be seen as a doxological hymn that may even have be...

12. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This entire text is in the form of a blessing. Actually, in Greek, verses 3-14 comprise one long sentence. Outside of the New Testament, there are no other examples of an introductory blessing in a letter (2 Corinthians 1:3,4 is the first New Testament example). The eulogy feature of the epistolary setting is a uniquely Christian contribution. These lines have been variously called "the most monst...

13. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The letter to the Ephesians opens with the lengthy prayer of thanksgiving. In Greek, these 13 verses are one long, continuous statement as though the author, so caught up in the wonder of God's work through Christ on our behalf, simply could not stop for breath. Consider all the theological issues covered in this prayer God's work through Christ, the plan of salvation effected, a repeated emphasis...

14. Ephesians 1:3-14

Ephesians 1:3-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

The enthusiasm and eloquence of the Ephesians' author are magnificently apparent in these opening texts. Ephesians 1:3-14 is actually one very long complex sentence, into which the author weaves both the traditional opening blessing format of a formal letter, an internalized hymn and the outline of concerns and issues that will direct the rest of this epistle. While far richer and more extensive, ...

15. The Mystery of God’s Will and God’s Threefold Blessing

Ephesians 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1–2 · Opening and Greetings: The author identifies himself by name and calling and greets his readers in the manner typical in the Pauline Epistles, but without the usual companions. Whether the addressees live specifically in Ephesus is unclear. Re-creating the Human Family: What God Has Done (1:3–3:21) 1:3–14 · This opening section, setting the agenda for the rest of the letter, is itself open...

16. Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

The Opening Greeting 1:1 Except for the omission of Timothy, the opening of this greeting is quite similar to Colossians 1:1. The letter claims to be from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. This term was one that Paul used frequently to indicate that he was “one who was sent” (apostellō, “to send”) as a missionary or special envoy of God. It is used of the twelve disciples as well as for others wh...

17. Penguins in Mission

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Real life is often funnier than fiction. I want to tell you a true story about a family in Knoxville, TN that decided to take a day-trip to visit the Chattanooga, TN Aquarium. They entered the aquarium and were fascinated by the many displays. However, about midway through their visit the young parents suddenly discovered that their four-year-old son was missing. He had been with them the moment ...

18. A New Name for a New Year

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

A minister wrote in the church newsletter that he was setting goals for the New Year. One of his goals was to clean up his desk. Another of his goals was to find last year’s goals. Some of you probably keep desks like that. Some of you will remember the “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip. In one strip, Calvin and Hobbes are talking about the New Year. Calvin says, “I’m getting disillusioned with the...

19. God's Adopted Children

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Welcome on this first Sunday of a New Year. Some of you have probably been working on your New Year’s resolutions. On the other hand, it’s been three days. Some of you have probably already given up on your New Year’s resolutions. One poor guy I heard about tried praying about his resolutions. He got down beside his bed one night, closed his eyes and offered this earnest prayer: “Lord, in 2016, m...

20. Long Range Planning

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

Our text for the day comes from that immortal television series, The A-Team. At the conclusion of each show the leader would light up his cigar and say, "I love it when a plan comes together." He's right! It is great when a plan comes together. In 1943 Great Britain was planning an invasion of Sicily. In order to carry out this invasion successfully British planners had to convince the Germans an...

21. "Head" Lines

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

How many of us pick up the newspaper each morning and scan the headlines before we start reading the morning news? Not every story is of equal interest to everyone. For example, a headline about a tax hike or a bomb scare is more likely to catch my attention than is a headline about school marching bands or knitting clubs. You have your own criteria for judging which stories merit your time. But ...

22. Are You Ready For Your Inheritance?

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

The December 11, 2002, online issue of Forbes magazine carried the story of a family feud in one of the richest families in America. The Pritzker family of Chicago owns the Hyatt hotel chain. They also own many other businesses, including cruise lines, railroads, and banks. In 2002, 18-year-old Liesel Pritzker sued her father and other family members, claiming that they drained her trust fund of m...

23. Hope For A New Year

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

We live in a crazy world. There was an article sometime back in The Smithsonian magazine about Barbie Dolls. How many of you have ever owned a Barbie Doll? What? None of our men? Ever since Barbie made her debut on toy store shelves, she has been accused of creating self-esteem problems in teenage girls. You might remember one cynic's estimate that if Barbie were a real woman, she'd have to walk...

24. Children Of Dust Or Children Of God?

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

It's good to have you in worship on this first Sunday of the New Year. One of the controversial issues of this past year was whether airline pilots should carry weapons on planes. It reminded me of a story about a pilot who was seated in the cockpit of a passenger jet. Much to the surprise of his navigator the pilot pulled out a .38 revolver. He placed it on top of the instrument panel, then asked...

25. A Great And Wonderful New Year

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

At the beginning of a New Year, a high school principal decided to post his teachers' New Year's resolutions on the bulletin board. As the teachers gathered around the bulletin board, a great commotion started. One of the teachers was complaining. "Why weren't my resolutions posted?" She was throwing such a temper tantrum that the principal hurried to his office to see if he had overlooked her res...

Showing 1 to 25 of 659 results