Sermon and Worship Resources

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Galatians 2:11-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... by 613 commandments, with multiple codicils and qualifiers. For Jesus, it’s simple: there is only one commandment -Love God and love each other. This is Father’s Day. Some of you this morning have complicated relationships with your fathers. Novelist James Wood’s The Book Against God (2003) begins with these words: “I denied my father three times, twice before he died, once afterwards.” The Hebrews had a complicated relationship with Yahweh, so complicated that they couldn’t even speak the name ...

2. Be Patient

James 5:7-12

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... . "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength" (but when you're waiting and weary, it's hard to be patient). James writes, "Be patient, therefore, brethren until the coming of the Lord. Behold the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being ... Shem-Tov passed on. As his teacher before him, whenever Magid sensed a danger for the people, he would go to a place in the woods near a great tree. He would say, "Dear Lord, I do not know how to light the special fire, but I know the mysterious ...

3. The World's Fittest Human

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Does love of God flow through the strength of your body, making your every step a step toward love in action? As admired as Tiger Woods' accomplishments are, it is hard for us non-golfers to think of someone who strolls around the manicured links of a golf course hitting a ... is the kind of heart training suggested by James, who counsels us to accept the irritations and trials of life with joy, "because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance" (James 1:3). 2. Mind Training or Mental Toughness ...

4. Joseph's Friend

Matthew 2:13-18, Matthew 2:19-23

Drama

Robert F. Crowley

... lumber. And Jesus liked to cook for us. Well, Jesus was cooking a pot of stew and one of the other boys wanted some -- James, I think it was. Jesus said it wasn't ready yet, so James tried to trick Jesus away from the fire so he could steal a bit of stew. Jesus wasn't being fooled though. Jesus walked into the woods and acted like he was tricked and then doubled back and caught James sneaking a bit of the stew. Jesus tackled him and they wrestled on the ground rolling over and over, and do you know what ...

5. Dead Man Walking

John 11:38-44, John 11:17-37, John 11:1-16

Sermon

James Merritt

... me squarely between the eyes. One of the these days, that very phrase is going to be said about you and about me, "James is dead", "Jennifer is dead", "Pam is dead." It sounds morbid, because it is morbid. It sounds depressing, because it is depressing—at ... Now, the question to you is the same question Jesus asked Martha two thousand years ago - do you believe this? Four years ago, Tiger Woods won the Masters and was holding at the same time, all four major titles to what is known as golf's "Grand Slam." He ...

6. Looking for Rainbows

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... through him.” That has been God’s intent since the beginning of time. That’s what a rainbow in the sky means. Every time you see it give thanks. Knock on wood, if you will. God has made a covenant with humanity. That’s particularly good to know when the storm clouds are rising and you think there might be a flood. The past ... /sermons/God’s%20Blessing %20of%20Health%20and %20Wholeness%202005%20November%2013b.htm. 7. Dr. Peter James Flamming, http://www.fbcrichmond.org/sermons/11-28-99sermon.htm.

7. Waiting

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

Thomas D. Peterson

... enjoy sharing with others and give away with pride. Life is in the gift. Forests are regrown; the life of the woods comes back economically for all concerned. The life-giving force of great art, new medicines, and peace-creating policies serves millions ... belief that there is an unseen order, and that our supreme good lies in the harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto.* * William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, (New York, The New American Library, 1958), p. 58. The Mosaic heritage puts it more ...

8. Abraham Tested

Genesis 22:1-19

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... had asked about, establishes a link with the ram being one of the animals slaughtered in making the covenant (15:9–10; S. Walters, “Wood, Sand and Stars: Structure and Theology in Gn 22:1–19,” TJT 3 [1986], p. 309). In a few passages a ram functions as ... the Akedah played an important role for understanding God’s work in Christ. Explicit references to it are found in Hebrews 11:17–19 and James 2:21–23. The wording of Romans 8:32 (“he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all— ...

9. The Coming Judgment Calls for the Saints to Leave Babylon

Revelation 18:1-24

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... (e.g., Job 40:11–12; Ps. 5:5; Prov. 16:5, 18; Isa. 2:17; Matt. 23:12; Luke 18:9–14; 2 Thess. 2:4; James 4:16). Earlier in the book of Revelation, the risen Christ rebuked the church at Laodicea for this very attitude: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired ... 18:13 reveals the depths of Babylon’s depravity. Human beings are treated as trade goods. But gold, silk, and citron wood weren’t created in God’s image; only human beings have been stamped with God’s likeness. Trafficking in human slaves ...

10. Let's Go Fishing

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... back to New York, a sour-faced New Englander sat down next to him, and the two struck up a conversation. “Been to the woods, have ye?” asked the stranger. “I have indeed,” replied Twain. “And let me tell you something. It may be closed season for fishing ... Then how will people learn of what have you done and your love for them?” Jesus said, “I have asked Andrew and Peter, James and John, and a few more friends to tell others about me. Those who are told will tell others in turn. And my story ...

11. Proper 5

Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon

... accomplished. The story is done beautifully, in a macabre sort of way. We see Abraham in the early morning cutting the wood for the fire, telling his son they have a sacrifice to make. They start off on the journey. Three days they ... alone, then he would have ceased to be the father of the covenant people of God." (The Old Testament in Dialogue with Modern Man, James D. Smart, pg. 68) The relationship between God and the person of his choice must be unconditional. Paul repeatedly refers to himself as the ...

12. Never Underestimate The Power of a Cup of Cold Water

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

Brett Blair

... at Patrae, a Grecian Colony. 5. James, the younger, son of Alphaeus, was thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple, and then beaten to death with a club. 6. Bartholomew was flayed alive in Albanapolis, Armenia. 7. James, the elder son of Zebedee, was ... abbot called his monks together in the chapter room. He told them that he had received a teaching from the rabbi who walks in the woods, and that this teaching was never again to be spoken aloud. Then he looked at each of his brothers and said, "The rabbi said that ...

13. I Don’t Like My Options

2 Kings 5:1-17

Sermon

James Merritt

... to die in their sin, and not run the risk of being rebuked, or ridiculed, or rejected, we can stay silent. But therein lies the problem. James 4:17 says, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." Listen to Prov. 3:27 ... do what God wants you to do, then God will keep His part to work it out for your good and for His glory. Sir Leonard Wood was once invited to visit the King of France. It was such a pleasant experience for the king that he invited his honored guest to return ...

14. How Connected Are You?

John 15:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... to God and without either of these, we are not whole people. In his book, A Blue Fire, psychologist James Hillman describes a condition among “primitive” people which anthropologists call “loss of soul.” In this condition a person ... Bible teacher J. Vernon McGee once told about a little piece of wood that he kept on his desk. He explained that he took this small piece of wood from a vineyard in the San Joaquin Valley. The small piece of wood consisted of a section of a grapevine out of which grew a ...

15. What's Holding You Together?

Matthew 7:21-23

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... free.’ St. John continues: Finally, by heating and enkindling the fire transforms the wood into itself and makes it as beautiful as it is itself. Once transformed, the wood no longer has any activity or passivity of its own . . . For it possesses the ... When denial, hiding and false limiting of our own failure are overcome and transformation of self through grace is possible. For, as James claimed, when we confess our sin to each other and pray for each other we may be healed.” Thomas H. Green, Drinking ...

16. The Lamb

Revelation 7:9-17

Sermon

Argile Smith

... Church historians say that Polycarp was probably one of John’s disciples. You may recall that John had a brother named James, and they were sons of Zebedee. Jesus called them sons of thunder, probably because they were boisterous men who acted like ... that testimony, Polycarp sealed his fate. The judge sentenced him to death, and his executioners decided to burn him alive. They piled up the wood for the fire and tied him to a stake in the middle of the woodpile. As he prepared to die, he prayed. He thanked ...

17. The Word According to Superman

Genesis 15:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... his bayonet. Rather than face the consequences of admitting he had lost this important weapon, he carved an excellent facsimile out of wood and placed it in the scabbard at his side. For weeks he went about his duties carrying this fake bayonet. He was ... his bicycle to court Mother. And for years he had made these weekly trips to visit his own parents.” His father knew the way. James Hewett writes, “How often when I can’t see the road of life, and have felt that familiar panic rising in my heart, I ...

18. Getting Real

Genesis 22:1-14

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... to the wall not for punishment purposes but as fund raisers. The Darwin awards came out this week and the winner was James Elliot. When his 38-calibre revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California, the ... walked on together. [7] Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" [8] Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, ...

19. St. Jim, Your Halo Is Tipped

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... who will give these places to those for whom he has prepared them." When the other ten disciples heard about it, they became angry with James and John. So Jesus called them all together to him and said, "You know that the men who are considered rulers of the heathen have ... to remind the people of their heritage of the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he dug a trench around the altar and put wood in it. He started a fire, then added the sacrifice of a bull to the fire. Then he had the people sprinkle water on ...

20. Seat of Power

Mark 10:35-45, Matthew 20:20-28

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... . And the adaptability of evil to seek out a path will always be strong and powerful. The path to greatness is through the woods and in confrontation with the hunter. No one gets to the castle merely by proxy. Jesus’ knew that his disciples would have a hard ... to the right hand of God occurred as part of his grande sacrifice and who he was as the Son of the Father. In essence, James and John don’t so much want to be “with” Jesus as to “be” Jesus and to hold the seats of favor. They want to be ...

21. Prayer: A Way of Life

James 5:13-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Once there was a monastery in the woods that had fallen upon hard times. In the past it had been a thriving community that was well known and ... the day and creation, and even the challenges that come our way. Lastly, we must also pray for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus specifically calls for this in the Lord's Prayer and so does James today. We are all sinners and thus in need of God's healing touch. We should never be too proud to admit that we are wrong and have failed. We must not forget how Jesus ...

22. Rise Above It

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

King Duncan

... full stature as children of God. How difficult it must be for God, however, to watch us seek to cope with this hard world. Peter James Flamming tells about a young man who had been pitched from a horse and had been paralyzed. Slowly, but surely he had begun to ... point one way, and where a tree to live must stay on its knees all through its life, that is where the most resonant wood for violins is born and lives and dies. (3) Through pain and perseverance is born the most beautiful music. In the same way ...

23. Listen to Him

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... lesson from scripture. It is one of the most stunning events in the New Testament. Jesus took his three closest disciples--Peter, James and John--with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. The Bible says he was transfigured ... hair and blue eyes. But still I wonder how many of us think on the life of Christ in the same way that Tiger Woods mentally pictured Jack Nicklaus, so that he actually sought to become all that Nicklaus embodied? A few saints perhaps, but that’s about all. ...

24. Have You Been Pruned?

John 15:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... can be painful. When the owner of the vineyard prunes a vine, not only does he cut away all the dead wood. He also cuts away some of the live wood. “The vineyards in the early spring look like a collection of barren, bleeding stumps,” says one Bible scholar, “but in ... have been pruned that we can bear the most splendid fruit of all. This is what the writer of the book of James means when he writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know ...

25. Monologues: Disciples Redeemed

John 20:10-18, John 20:19-23, John 20:24-31

Drama

Raymond I. Keffer

... death. Dying, I prayed to God to forgive them as Jesus forgave his murderers." Matthew "I am Matthew, son of Alphaeus, brother of James. I was blessed as only one other disciple was blessed. I was given the honor of writing a Gospel which told of the ... in Christ. He wanted my security, but he wouldn't surrender himself to Jesus. This king tied me up, placed me on sticks of wood, and covered my body with oil-soaked papyrus. Worse than that, he insulted God by surrounding me with 12 false gods. When he lit ...

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