Sermon and Worship Resources

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Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... his message. JOHN THE BAPTIST TOLD THE PEOPLE TO PREPARE FOR THE MESSIAH BY STRAIGHTENING OUT THEIR LIVES. There was a sense of urgency in John's message. There wasn't much time left. The Christ was coming soon. They needed to be ready. Pastor James Harnish tells about buying a home near a lake in northern Florida. The house had been vacant for over a year and nature had taken control. "Down at the lakefront right beside the dock, a massive bramblebush had grown. Its long twisting vines totally engulfed the ...

2. Good News in the Ashes

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... -out fire. Nothing would seem so appropriately symbolic of the less-than-spectacular state of humanity. Gray and lifeless, ashes make it clear that something is not right, that human beings have settled in the dust and settled for the worst.(5) James Harnish tells of a seminary professor who asked each new group of seminary students, "What made you feel that God was calling you into the ministry?" And sometimes some poor, unsuspecting soul would say, "Well, I like working with people." The professor usually ...

3. A Life to Die For

Acts 6:8-15; Acts 7:54-8:1

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... out, the great divide grows porous, the Jordan River narrows, and we sit down to supper together. [3] O blessed communion, fellowship divine We feebly struggle, they in glory shine. Yet, all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleluia. Alleluia. Thanks be to God. Amen. 1. Quoted in James Harnish's sermon, "Till All Heaven Breaks Loose," Nov. 22, 1987 2. Time Magazine, Sept. 18, 2006, page 55 3. Bruce Modahl, Christian Century, Oct. 27, 1999, page 1025

4. On the Mountainside

Matthew 6:5-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... print and well-worth reading. John Killinger's The God Named Hallowed is no longer in print, but can be found through www.amazon.com or www.alibris.com 1. John Indermark, Traveling the Prayer Paths of Jesus, page 69 2. Phillips, Your God is Too Small, page 37 3. James Harnish, July 7, 1991, "Does Anyone Fear God Anymore?" 4. UM Hymnal, page 103 5. John Killinger, The God Named Hallowed, page 20 6. Killinger, The God Named Hallowed, page 11

5. The Lonesome George Church

Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to better make authentic disciples? Or . . . . Starting up new expressions of community and new programs in disciple-making? “If the disciples had sung, ‘Give me that old time religion, it’s good enough for me,’ we’d all be wearing yarmulkas.” --James Harnish When Jesus asked, “Do you love me more than these?” what do you think “these” means? Does it mean “more than these boats and fishing gear?” Does it mean “more than you love these other disciples?” Does it mean “more than ...

6. Point Of Origin

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... not the words of this preacher. They are not the words of the priests in Babylon who compiled them. That's Word from God. And perhaps we need to recognize that we just never heard God before in those words. So be it! 1. James Rachels, Created From Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990). 2. See Reinhold Niebuhr, The Self and The Dramas of History (New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1955), especially pp. 3-5. 3. Thanks to Charles Carter, Forest Hills Presbyterian ...

7. The Rest Of The Story

Genesis 3:1-24

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... He said that the sea, the Old Testament symbol of chaos, and the physical reality separating John from his people, the sea vanished -- it was no more. So the revelation of John is the final version of the restoration of the hope of the creation story." (James Harnish, Journeys With the People of Genesis, p. 22). There is no escape from the struggle -- we will forever be caught in it -- the struggle between good and evil. To live by faith, though, is to know that one day God will see the Creation's goodness ...

8. Poison Control

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... poison. That's what we take to heal us. In this case, the good news is The Good News – the love and grace of Jesus Christ, which not only saves us, but heals us. In ways we cannot even begin to imagine. Ending #1: One of my favorite preachers, Dr. James Harnish from Tampa, Florida, tells of a parishioner early in his ministry named Roger. Roger was a farmer who didn't have a lot of book-learning, but displayed a lot of life-learning. "I'll never forget the day he came up the church steps and I asked, 'How ...

9. Life in the Living Stone Age

1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to you.’ I knew that man. He wasn’t perfect. There were places where we disagreed. But there was never a doubt in my mind that the ‘one thing’ at the center of his life was knowing Christ and walking with him. I know because that man was my Dad.” James Harnish, “Walking with Jesus,” Tampa, Florida, 8 March 1998.

10. Evangelism Jesus' Style

John 1:29-42

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... where actors had spoken and sung with ease for fifty years, audiences are now obliged to listen to what he called a “totally phony sound.” He said that in an amplified world “the voice is never heard in its ordinary resonance ... it is pure tin” (James Harnish, “Like Father, like son,” June 19, 1983). There is a resurgence of emphasis on evangelism in the church today, and we thank God for that. With that being the case, why would I think about a theater critic’s word about a “totally phony ...

11. Blue Highway Blessings

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of the way the Spirit of Christ is at work in other people's lives. Having done those three, you can: Go. Go into life with a new awareness and a new confidence that the God who is with us will fulfill his good purpose in our lives. (James A. Harnish, "Finding the 'New' You," sermon preached at Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa, Florida, 18 July 1999.) There are many people out there who have no conception of what REAL LIFE can be. They think long life wears a frown, and real life is a pout. I love ...

12. Ministry By Faith: Does She or Doesn't She?

I Corinthians 16:14, James 2:14-26

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... love be seen, evidenced, demonstrated in service? If you want clear evidence of a vital faith, it is to be found in active servanthood, ministry in the name and spirit of Christ. James says, "Someone will say, ‘You say you have faith and I have works.' Great. But I'll show you my faith by my works. Because faith, without works, is dead." In the ... /studies 2. Eugene Peterson, The Message, page 332 3. Timothy Tyson, Blood Done Sign My Name, page 102 4. J.E. Harnish, The Orders of Ministry in the UMC, page 54

13. A Circle for Dorothy

Ephesians 2:11-22, Ephesians 2:1-10

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... family with twins. And lo and behold, that's just what he did! He wanted us to be called Jim and Jack, so we have no middle name, only middle initials—James A. and John E.—but we were always Jim and Jack. There was only one problem. Nobody could tell us apart. Even some of our relatives just called us "the twins" and in high school it was just "Harnish," as if I didn't even have a first name. But in church... old Rev. Ross, a retired minister in our congregation, took Jim and me under his wing and loved ...

14. Noah: The Bearer Of An Alternative Possibility

Genesis 6:1-8:22

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... creatures have become mean spirited. Created for good, they have turned toward evil. Gifted with freedom, they have acted with utter disregard for the order and purpose you carved into the creation." (James A. Harnish, Journeys With the People of God, pp. 26 - 29). How would you feel? What would you have done? My friend, Jim Harnish, in thinking about this talked about remembering seeing Michael Angelo's Pieta at the New York World's Fair in 1965. He was moved by the beauty of the work, the perfection ...

15. A Matter Of The Heart

Psalm 51:1-19

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... the work in us. NOTES: This sermon was written as a celebration of Charles Wesley's 300th Birthday. If you would like to read the full account of John Harnish brother's experience with cardiomyopathy and the new life at Hyde Park Church, his book is entitled You Only Have To Die. You can order it from the virtual bookstore ... Man, Extraordinary Mission, are available from the virtual bookstore at www.fumcbirmingham.org. ENDNOTES: 1. James A. Harnish, You Only Have to Die, page 24, 40 2. U.M. Hymnal, page 417

16. The Lord's Song in a Foreign Land

Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... "The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong." On request, I will gladly provide you with a copy. 1. Gary Haller, "Searching for Shalom," April 14 and 28, 2002 2. Bill McKibben, "The Christian Paradox," Harper's Magazine, August 2005, page 31 3. Quoted in a sermon by James A. Harnish, "A Song of Hope," Hyde Park UMC, Tampa, Fla., June 24, 2001

17. Tongues, Ears, or Too Much to Drink

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... comes with the gift of tongues, speaking the Word of God so others will understand; the Spirit comes with the gift of ears, all hearing in their own experience. And we find it…together. May it be so. Even here. Even now. Amen. 1. Tom Ehrich, www.onajourney.org 2. James A. Harnish, "No One Gets to Heaven Alone," Oct. 26, 2003, Hyde Park UMC, Tampa, FL 3. Bruce Larson, Wind and Fire, page 39

18. Unlikely Election

Acts 1:12-26

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... blessed face I see, thy rest, thy joy, thy glory share. [5] 1. Bruce Larson, Wind and Fire, page 27 2. Stephen Tomkins, A Short History of Christianity, page 90 3. E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of Every Road, page 25 4. Quoted in the sermon "What Me? Holy?" by James A. Harnish, Hyde Park UMC, Tampa, FL, April 24, 2005 5. U.M. Hymnal, page 463

19. High Noon

Psalm 91:1-16

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... not spoken of the soul. And that was my dad. Life is real. Life is earnest. Life is serious business. I sometimes think we Harnish men are burdened with a congenital disease...an inherited case of terminal seriousness. But at high noon, in the midst of our busyness, there ... , parent and spouse. It amazes me what he is able to accomplish. In one of his recent books, Greg quotes from James Gleick's Recovering the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time: Busy people may think that what we need ...

20. Are You Ready for the Journey?

Mark 8:27-9:1

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... year, we make this incredible journey. Like most love stories, it begins with an act of utter foolishness. We won't fly, we won't swim, for the most part we will walk. Are you ready for the journey? 1. Justo Gonzalez, Mark's Message, page 41, 66 2. Rev. James A. Harnish, Sermons from Hyde Park, 3/31/96

21. Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26-38

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

For most of us, it just wouldn't be Christmas without reading Luke's eloquent words foretelling Jesus' birth. Tampa's James A. Harnish says that the difference between Luke's account of the Christmas story and Matthew's account is the difference between a Norman Rockwell painting in Saturday Evening Post and a tax collector's report. "If Luke reads like the Saturday Evening Post," Harnish writes, "then Matthew reads like the Wall Street Journal." In Luke's account, all the facets of this expertly crafted ...

22. Mustard Seed Faith

Mark 4:30-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... the mustard seed. Big surprises come in little packages. Mountains are moved. Sycamore trees plucked up. And tired cynical folks like you and me are transformed-picked up off the ground to soar like eagles. 1. (POSSIBILITIES, Jan/Feb 1988, p. 6) 2. James A. Harnish WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH KING JESUS? (Nashville:The Upper Room, 1987). 3. Robert L. Veninga, A GIFT OF HOPE (New York: Ballantine Books, 1985). 4. (Waco: Word Books, 1986). 5. Harold E. Kohn, ADVENTURES IN INSIGHT (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans ...

23. Legacies of Power

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

... in the Cross-Cultural Context (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), pp. 30-31. 2. As told by Bishop Bevel Jones in a sermon before the 1996 United Methodist General Conference, Denver, Colorado (Nashville: United Methodist Communications, April 25, 1996), DVD. 3. James A. Harnish, "Out of Sight!" Tampa, Florida, May 19, 1996. 4. Anonymous, "Resolutions for Avoiding Misery," http://www.medonnabp.com/h1/newyear/ny04.htm [Accessed September 1, 2006]. 5. Henri Nouwen, in Mornings with Henri J.M. Nouwen, quoted in ...

24. The Scope Of The Spirit

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... movement of the Spirit. Never has there been a time, never a moment, when the Spirit of God has not been actively at work. James Stewart, in The Wind of the Spirit, points out that although there was a burst of a mighty rushing wind on Pentecost, it was ... The Scope Of The Spirit What is the scope of the Spirit in this aspect of human life and suffering? My colleague Jim Harnish in his book, Journeys with the People of Genesis, makes this statement, The good news is that while there may be circumstances over ...

25. Power

Mark 1:9-13, Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... reaffirm our baptisms. Remember with a sense of holy awe. Remember. Power! Amen! 1. ©1997 Butchers Run Films. Produced, written and directed by Robert Duvall 2. 2 Kings 1:8 3. Luke 3:7-14 4. Brian Stoffregen, via Ecunet, "Gospel Notes for Next Sunday," #2764, 1/5/97 5. James A. Harnish, "Out of Sight!," Tampa, Fla. 5/19/96 quoted in Homiletics Online, http://www.homileticsonline.com/Installments/jan1297.htm

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