Sermon and Worship Resources

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1. A Better Influence

Matthew 5:13-16

Illustration

Eric Ritz

One of my favorite Peanuts cartoons showed Peppermint Patty talking to Charlie Brown. She said, "Guess what, Chuck. The first day of school and I got sent to the principal's office. It was your fault, Chuck." He said, "My fault? How could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is my fault?" She said, "You're my friend, aren't you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me."

2. A Christian Understanding of Worth

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Eric Ritz

When we attempt to live a life worthy of the Gospel it is because our understanding of "worth" is far different from the world's. John the Baptist was not beheaded because he went along with the status quo. John gave his life because of his commitment to truth as he understood it, much like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his struggles with Nazism and Hitler. Being a pastor in the German Lutheran Church, ...

3. A Cup Overflowing

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Now, let us shift gears and travel on to the beginning of verse five: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." A distinguished colleague wrote of the time he experienced such gracious hospitality when he stayed at the home of a friend. He wrote: "They received me into their lovely house, which the wife had labored all day to clean for my arrival. They ushered me into the...

4. A Faith that Works with a Victorious Attitude

Philippians 2:12-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Today, we continue to preach and study through the marvelous letter of the Apostle Paul to the church and believers at Philippi. As many of you know, I often begin with a story or illustration, but today I want to begin our work by addressing and hopefully clearing up two major misconceptions or misinterpretations often associated with this text. THE FIRST MISINTERPRETATION IS THAT WE ARE SAVED B...

5. A Fantastic Feast

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Once, while in New York City, I had the opportunity to see the movie "Babette''s Feast," which I liked so much that I bought the video version of it. As I viewed the film, I knew someday it would help form the foundation of a Holy Communion Meditation. As I viewed the film, my mind immediately made connections to the well-known passage of scripture written by Dr. Luke that we just read in our wors...

6. A Full House

Romans 5:12-21

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Tonight is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is an important service in the Christian Liturgical calendar because it is a season that reminds us of our MORTALITY. Tonight, when many of you come forward for the imposition of ashes upon your hands or your forehead, one of the pastors will share the words, "From dust thou camest, and to dust thou shall return." These penetrating words help to set the tone...

7. A Glimpse of Eternity

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I have often shared with congregations that the key sometimes to unlocking the meaning of a certain Biblical passage is to read what has happened in the book before the particular passage we are reading, and what is going to take place after the passage we are studying. No where is this principle more apparent than in our reading about the mysterious but marvelous story of the TRANSFIGURATION OF O...

8. A Man Named Pain (Part 1)

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Would you be surprised if I told you that the number one best-selling book in America is a novel that tells of the sexual and financial exploits of the men and women who seek power in the beltway around Washington D. C.? That wouldn’t be surprising. Well, what if I told you that the number one selling book is a book describing how you can be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams while losing forty p...

9. A Memorial Forever - Memorial Day

Proverbs 1:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I have always had an intense dislike for digital watches--especially those that beep. Perhaps it is my undergraduate training as a historian. A digital watch only tells us what time it is now. While it describes the present moment in exact numbers, it leaves out the past and the future. Some of you know that my favorite clock is in my church office. It has the face of Jesus on it. While it does he...

10. A New You in a New Year (Part X)

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I think ministers must be on the mailing list of every conceivable organization and charity in the United States of America. Much of the mail I receive at the church office (about 50%) is what is commonly called "junk mail." Dr. Lyle Schaller, a church consultant, urges ministers to review their mail over an open garbage can. Check the upper left hand corner or backside of the mail and look to see...

11. A New You or a New Year

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Most of us will not have the unique opportunity of Alfred Nobel who read his own obituary. It happened because of a mistaken identity. Alfred''s brother died, but the news media had confused the name and thought Alfred had died. As he read his own obituary, he was horrified to find that he was referred to as the "dynamite king." He was pictured as someone who had spent his life gathering a great f...

12. A Review of Resources

Matthew 6:25-34

Illustration

Eric Ritz

The value of a proper perspective on life can never be overstated. I once heard the story of an old Navajo Indian in Arizona who became a very wealthy man when oil was discovered on his land. But wealth did not change him. He went on living just as he had before while the money piled up in the bank. Every now and then, however, the old man would visit the bank and say to the banker, "Crops all dri...

13. A Rod And A Staff

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

We have been talking about moving through the valley of the shadow--and now we come to the phrase "of death, I will fear no evil." A colleague, Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr., believes the two greatest fears of life are the fear of dying and the fear of living. These two fears conveniently cover everything on our list. I''ve heard of a tombstone somewhere in the mid-West that reads as follows: Pau...

14. A Sense of Wonder

Matthew 2:13-23

Illustration

Eric Ritz

Jacob Needleman was an observer at the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975, and he describes what every NASA launch experience has been like in the observation area across the water from the launch pad. This one was a night launch, and there were hundreds of cynical reporters all over the lawn, drinking beer, wisecracking, and waiting for this 35-story-high rocket. The countdown came, and then the launch....

15. A Soul Restored

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Today, we are continuing in our study of the 23rd Psalm, as we claim new insights from this trusted old friend of ours. Now, if you were with us these last two Sundays, you know that we have looked at the first two verses of this marvelous writing. I am going to give a quick review of what has been taught these past two weeks for those of you who have been absent or not listening very well. I...

16. A Surprise Party

Luke 14:15-24

Illustration

Eric Ritz

It's like the story of a small lad whose mother, unknown to him, planned a surprise birthday party. After he got home, he went upstairs to his room. Then all his classmates and teachers gathered in the living room. When his mother went to his room to get him, he was gone. He had climbed down a tree outside his window and was hiding in a nearby park. The rest of the children went on to enjoy a good...

17. An Eye-Opening Experience

Luke 24:13-35

Sermon

Eric Ritz

One of the most significant books I read in seminary was titled THE MEANING OF REVELATION by Dr. H. Richard Niebuhr. Dr. Niebuhr probes the difference between history as lived and experienced, and history as observed by an external spectator. History is constantly being made each and every day of our lives. The Christian Church exists in a real world, but how do we discern between the external re...

18. Are We on Speaking Terms with the Almighty?

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

As we open our splendid scripture lesson today, we see the story of two men who go to the same synagogue. They go to the synagogue for the same reason--to pray--yet they experience such different results. One goes to pray to God, and the other goes and hopes God overhears his litany of how good he is. I believe these two characters represent in a very real way our approach to prayer. We, too, shif...

19. Are We On Speaking Terms With The Almighty?

Luke 18:9-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

TV evangelists have taken a beating in the media in recent years. You may have heard the story of the Hindu priest, the Jewish rabbi and the TV evangelist who were caught in the same area by a terrific thunderstorm. They sought shelter at a farmhouse. "That storm will be raging for hours," the farmer told them. "You'd better stay here for the night. The problem is, there's only room enough for tw...

20. Are You Praying or Pouting? (Part IV)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

The well-known television talk show host, Phil Donahue, shares an insight to the reality of prayer. When stationed in Dayton, Ohio, he was called to cover a coal mine disaster in West Virginia. The following is an excerpt from his book, MY OWN STORY. "The rescue teams came out of the mine, and the men had soot all over their faces. The lights on their hats and one smudge pot were the only sources...

21. Are You Really Listening?

1 Pet. 3:12; Psalm 46:10; John 9:31

Illustration

Eric Ritz

In his book Directions, author James Hamilton shares this insight about listening to God: "Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer. ...

22. Biblical Insights for Being a Christian Father

Deuteronomy 1:1-8

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Bill Cosby has suggested that Father's Day is almost as exciting as Ground Hog Day. Among the many problems that he discloses about this observance is the issue of buying a present for Dad. Among the dumbest gifts that Cosby has received on this day of obligatory recognition is soap-on-a-rope-- a remembrance which ranks slightly higher than the time he received a thousand yards of dental floss. Th...

23. Blank Walls or Filled Lives (Part V)

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

G. W. Target wrote a short story titled "The Window," which tells of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same small hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the only window in the room. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke...

24. Blessings Beyond Our Dreams (Part 2 )

1 Chronicles 4:1-23

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Last week we began our study of The Prayer Of Jabez, a best-selling book by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson which has become a publishing phenomenon. Jabez begins life with little promise. His name means "pain." Every time his name is mentioned, it is as though he is reminded, "I am a born loser." A distinguished Bible teacher puts it this way: "We have a picture of a young man who has all the cards stacked...

25. Bread for Everyone (I am the bread of life)

John 6:1-15, John 6:25-59

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Some children wrote letters to their pastor: Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister. Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8, Nashville. Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson. Sincerely, Pete. Age 9, Phoenix Dear Pastor, My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something. Robert...

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