Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 32 results

1. Up Close & Personal: Coming Into Focus

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

James Merritt

... old daughter what happened. His little girl, Hannah, said, “He hit his head.” Kent said, “On what?” She pointed to the floor and said, “The bat.” Kent said, “Where was the bat?” She said, “In my hands.” Admitting sin is ... Testament and the only place where we are specifically commanded to confess sin. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16, ESV) This is one instance where even confession to God doesn ...

2. To Tell The Truth

Exodus 20:16

Sermon

James Merritt

... in a separate corner, gave them a sheet of paper and said, "Your examination only has one question, and here it is: ‘Which tire?'" Kent Hughes beautifully put it this way: Lies are compounded with lies, and the lies are held together by the futile adhesive of more ... the truth is, if you will come to Jesus Christ you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. [i] James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth, (New York: Prentice Hall, 1991), p. 200. Also, "Lying is Just a Way of ...

3. Superman: More Than A Super Hero

John 1:1-5, 9-14; John 13:31-32; John 20:30-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... know that Superman is a Christian and a Methodist. In one of the comic books he talks about his upbringing by the Kents who took him to church every week. He even goes to the pastor for advice in trying to decide his future. (1) ... lame to walk. How else could he give hearing to the deaf and cure leprosy. How else could he raise the dead. High on a mountaintop, Peter, James and John heard the truth right from the mouth of God. With Moses and Elijah pointing all of humanity to Jesus, God spoke and said, "This ...

4. Superman: More Than A Super Hero

John 1:1-5, 9-14; John 13:31-32; John 20:30-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... know that Superman is a Christian and a Methodist. In one of the comic books he talks about his upbringing by the Kents who took him to church every week. He even goes to the pastor for advice in trying decide his future. (1) From ... to walk. How else could he give hearing to the deaf and cure leprosy. How else could he raise the dead. High on a mountaintop, Peter, James and John heard the truth right from the mouth of God. With Moses and Elijah pointing all of humanity to Jesus, God spoke and said, "This ...

5. Were You There?

John 19:17-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... water, it was Simon Peter who tried to duplicate the feat, but faltered and had to be rescued by Christ. Peter was there with James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was revealed once and for all as the chosen one of God. How could Simon ... try to be Superman on the outside showing no vulnerability, but underneath they are really just a weak and sometimes confused Clark Kent. Peter, for all his bluster, was a weak man. Peter was there when they crucified my Lord. Pontius Pilate was also there ...

6. Heroines of the Faith

Mark 1:29.39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... said, “Done.” And he became a woman.[12] We love you, ladies. God bless you for who you are and all that you do. Amen! 1. James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), 378. 2. “Woman in National Parliments,” Archive.ipu (February 1, 2019). archives.ipu.org/wmn-e ... Servant of God,” History’s Women. http://www.historyswomen.com/womenoffaith/MotherTeresa_000.htm. 12. “Mermaid Granst a Wish…,” Kent.Edu. math.kent.edu/-mtackett/chuckles/mermaidwish.html.

7. Eyewitness News

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... because he lives, we too shall live. But how do we know? How do we know the resurrection is true? To answer this question author Kent Crockett points us to a more recent dramatic event. On April 15, 1912 The RMS Titanic, the largest passenger steamship in the world at ... most of them died cruel deaths. Peter was crucified upside down. Paul was beheaded. Thomas was killed with a spear. James was executed with a sword. Phillip was crucified. (3) It’s hard to dispute the testimony of an eyewitness, particularly ...

8. Magic Mountain

Matthew 17:1-13

Sermon

... in our house ... I had the sense that something was wrong. The voice on the other end belonged to a college friend; ‘Kent is dead,’ she said. ‘He drowned in Mexico.’ I hadn’t seen him for a long time. Lives which intersect ... , a prelude to a week which would take us to another cruel death and a cold cemetery unmoved by any amount of tears."53 Did Peter, James, and John understand that Jesus was about to die and God would raise him up again? Matthew doesn’t tell us the answer to that. It was ...

9. The Scarlet Letter

Exodus 20:14

Sermon

James Merritt

... in the misprint of a Bible. In 1631 someone discovered a word that was missing in a newly published version of the Bible, called The King James Version. The missing word was "not" in the seventh commandment which then made the Authorized Version to read, "Thou shalt commit adultery." From then on, this ... , p. 96. [4] David A. Seamands, God's Blueprint for Living, p. 100. [5] Dr. James Dobson, When God Doesn't Make Sense, pp. 185-186. [6] Ibid, p. 187. [7] Charles R. Swindoll, The Finishing Touch, p. 105. [8 ...

10. The Lord Is (More Than) My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

... . That is true in both the Old Testament and the New. There are few passages in Scripture more prized than Psalm 23. The New King James Version translates it like this: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads ... are God’s children. Truthfully, it’s not entirely comforting to think of ourselves as God’s sheep. In describing sheep, Kent Hughes once wrote: “Among the animal kingdom sheep seem to have come out on the short end. From all accounts ...

11. The Only One Who Is Number One

Exodus 20:1-3

Sermon

James Merritt

... , planes would not fly, computers would not even compute. When "anything goes" everything goes." We are living today in a world where "anything goes." James Patterson and Peter Kim wrote a groundbreaking work entitled, The Day America Told the Truth. Under a chapter entitled, "A new moral authority in ... , The Law of Perfect Freedom, p. 20. [5] R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of Grace, p. 13. [6] Russ Walton, One Nation Under God, p. 12. [7] Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, edited by Michael Green, p. 253 ...

12. Hotline to Heaven

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... needs. Now I emphasize the word needs. Where many people get off track with prayer is this: They think prayer is to get what they want, when actually it is to get what they need. Again, James 4:3 says, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures." Jesus said we are to ask for bread, not apple pie. The Bible says, " ... and mean it, not just with your words, but with your walk, you will have a hotline to heaven. [1] R. Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount, p. 150.

13. It Doesn't Matter What I Do

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... amazing." (1) Well, it is amazing. But that's life. It takes some crazy twists and turns. Even good people can get burned by it. Author James W. Moore in his book When All Else Fails, Read the Instructions tells a haunting story. It was a story originally told by retired seminary professor Fred ... Nelson Publishers, 2001), p. 149. 4. Kent Hughes, 1001 Great Stories and Quotes (Wheaton, Illinois, Tyndale House, 1998). 5. Cited in James Merritt, Friends, Foes & Fools (Nashville, TN, Broadman & Holmes, 1997 ...

14. No Longer Orphans

John 14:15-31

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... totally unexpected will happen," said Jesus. "Beyond your wildest imaginings, out of death will come life!" In the words of artist Corita Kent, "To believe in God is to know that all the rules will be fair and that there will be wonderful surprises." ... word. He is with us in time of success or failure, in times of sickness or in health, in times of sadness or joy. As James Russell Lowell put it in a poem that became a hymn which, for some inexplicable reason, seems to have been omitted from the most recent ...

15. www.Salvation.com

Ephesians 2:8-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (vv.8-10) There are three words in my version (the New King James) which, taken together, explain salvation completely and totally. They are the words "by," "through," "for." Those three simple prepositions will ... of the gunman, the officer slowly stood to his feet. The driver couldn't believe it. He said, "This guy must be Clark Kent." In shock, the policeman slowly began to brush the dirt from his uniform. After two or three seconds the officer regained his ...

16. Up And Down The Mountain

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

Donald Dotterer

... to face. It is important for us to note the context of the meeting between Jesus and his father in heaven. We are told that Jesus took the disciples Peter, John and James with him and "went up on the mountain to pray (9:28)." It was when Jesus was praying that his face was changed, that he received the heavenly light and power which ... , a sermon preached at Riverside Church, New York City on January 23, 1983, p. 2. Quoted by Kent D. Richmond in Preaching to Sufferers (Nashville: Abingdon, 1988), p. 69.

17. Expectant Living

2 Peter 3:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... one of everything from the boys' section of the Sears catalog. But nothing from the girls' section. I can't wait for Christmas to come. Kent Dear Santa, Could you come early this year? I've been really super good, but I don't know if I can last much longer. Please ... with humanity has not yet been written. Christ is coming again to take us unto himself. Some of you may remember writer James Thurber's story of a thin and lanky prophet who went around Thurber's boyhood hometown crying, "Get ready! Get ready! The ...

18. Loved By The Father

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Sermon

King Duncan

... and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." It doesn't matter who we are, God loves us. Christian psychologist James Michaelson once counseled a woman who felt lonely and abandoned. As she explained how she felt, he couldn't concentrate on what ... , CO: Focus on the Family Publishing, 1997), pp. 35-36. 2. "Maximum Joy" by Andrea Malin, Prevention, September 2003, pp. 117120. 3. Kent Crockett, I Once Was Blind, But Now I Squint, Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2004, p. 50. 4. Ibid., p. 84. 5. (Dutton ...

19. The Revelation Code I: DaVinci, A to Z

Revelation 1:1-20

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... a world flattened by too many words and too much prose. Maybe that's why Harry Potter and Frodo, Clark Kent and DaVinci attract our attention and ignite something within us, like poetry in a prose-flattened world. So John ... churches and to conceal the message from their enemies. For background on various ways to interpret the Book of Revelation, I recommend James Efrid's book, Revelation for Today. It is available through our "Virtual Bookstore" on the church website: www.fumcbirmingham.org. In literature ...

20. Act Quickly - Catch It Early

Matthew 5:21-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Don’t let your anger fester and grow. Act quickly. Get rid of it. It will do you no good. Author Kent Crockett tells about Sam and Jacqueline Pritchard, a British couple, who started receiving mysterious phone calls to their home in the ... they had done to deserve such cruel treatment. After four months of unexplained terrorism, they finally met the perpetrator. Mr. Pritchard caught James McGhee, a 53-year-old man, while he was damaging their car. As they looked at each other, Pritchard asked McGhee, “ ...

21. Get Rid of Your Anger

Mt 5:21-26

Illustration

King Duncan

... anger fester and grow. Act quickly. Get rid of it. It will do you no good. Author Kent Crockett tells about Sam and Jacqueline Pritchard, a British couple, who started receiving mysterious phone calls to ... had no idea what they had done to deserve such cruel treatment. After four months of unexplained terrorism, they finally met the perpetrator. Mr.Pritchard caught James McGhee, a 53-year-old man, while he was damaging their car. As they looked at each other, Pritchard asked McGhee, "Why are you doing this ...

22. The Days Are Coming

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... for “righteousness” is zaddik. It refers to a saintly person, someone whose character and actions are aligned with the will of God. Dr. James Qualben tells a story to illustrate the meaning of this word. A few years ago, his car’s fuel-injection system was ... to the Bone,” Rev. Chandler Stokes, http://www.firstchurchoakland.org/closetothebone1luke4211. 5. Note: Author may be Pastor Kent. Can’t find staff listing. “Three Tests of Faith: Believe, Love, and Obey,” Campus Lutheran Church, Columbia ...

23. The Man in the Mirror

2 Samuel 12:1-31

Sermon

James Merritt

I will never forget the first time I was able to actually go to see the Master's golf tournament in person. I wanted to follow a young phenom by the name of Tiger Woods. I was right behind him on the seventeenth tee box to see him rip one of those majestic drives. In the split second that he hit the ball, one man in the crowd yelled at the top of his lungs - "You 'Da Man." Every time you go to a tournament you are going to hear someone yell that at Tiger Woods. I don't know how that phrase got its origin, ...

24. Start at the Epicenter

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

James Merritt

Friday night, February 14th, 2014, something happened at our house that I never thought would ever happen and I hope never happens again. Many of you experienced the same thing. It was as if someone with giant hands took our house and began to shake it. I was asleep and Teresa woke me and said, “Did you feel that?” I said, “What?” She said, “I believe we just experienced an earthquake.” I said, “Seriously?” What really got my attention was when she said, “I hope it did not damage the foundation of our ...

25. God Is Pro-Life

Exodus 20:13

Sermon

James Merritt

I read in the paper last week a fascinating article by a woman named Naomi Wolfe. She is an unabashed, avowed, feminist. The title of the article was: "A call for truth." The byline of the article was: "Pro-choice advocates should defend abortion honestly, says a prominent feminist author." I want to share with you just a part of this article: At its best feminism defends its moral high ground by being simply faithful to the truth to women's real-life experiences. But to its own ethical and political ...

Showing results

Showing 1 to 25 of 32 results

1. Up Close & Personal: Coming Into Focus

1 John 1:5--2:14

Sermon

James Merritt

2. To Tell The Truth

Exodus 20:16

Sermon

James Merritt

3. Superman: More Than A Super Hero

John 1:1-5, 9-14; John 13:31-32; John 20:30-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

4. Superman: More Than A Super Hero

John 1:1-5, 9-14; John 13:31-32; John 20:30-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... know that Superman is a Christian and a Methodist. In one of the comic books he talks about his upbringing by the Kents who took him to church every week. He even goes to the pastor for advice in trying decide his future. (1) From ... to walk. How else could he give hearing to the deaf and cure leprosy. How else could he raise the dead. High on a mountaintop, Peter, James and John heard the truth right from the mouth of God. With Moses and Elijah pointing all of humanity to Jesus, God spoke and said, "This ...

5. Were You There?

John 19:17-27

Sermon

King Duncan

6. Heroines of the Faith

Mark 1:29.39

Sermon

David E. Leininger

7. Eyewitness News

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan