Sermon and Worship Resources

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Mark 10:17-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... way you please, but not every expenditure is a wise one and some people do very foolish things with their money. Each year thousands of people visit the renowned Hearst Castle on the west coast, the home of the fabulously wealthy William Randolph Hearst. Pastor John Ortberg notes that Hearst accumulated “3,500-year-old Egyptian statues, medieval Flemish tapestries, and centuries-old hand-carved ceilings, and some of the greatest works of art of all time, most of which came from Sweden. He built a house of ...

2. The Difference between Cowards and Heroes

Matthew 2:13-23

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

John Thomas Randolph offers this modern story of running and returning to illustrate our Lord's circumstances. Here is the difference between cowardice and heroism. The coward runs away and stays away. The hero runs away but he always returns at the appropriate time. I have a biography of General Douglas MacArthur that ...

3. What's This World Coming To Anyway?

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Randolph W. Barr

... the mid-week Lenten soup supper he saw Hank on his knees pushing at the dishwashing machine and Wayne with a rag mop ready to swab the deck of the good ship St. John's Church. Both men were still dressed from the day's work, at the office for Hank and on the road, selling, for Wayne. Suit coats were off. Shirt sleeves were rolled up. ... at them and whispered to her neighbor, "Look at that. What's this world coming to, anyway?" Amen. Randolph W. Barr is pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Camp Hill, PA.

4. Breakfast on the Beach

John 21:1-14

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... the same old results. Then along came Jesus, saying: "Say, boys, how ‘bout this. Why don't you try casting your nets out of the right side of the boat?" Now John doesn't record it, but I am sure there was a big silence right there. Then the disciples responded: The right side of the boat? You've got to be ... , Nov. 1978 4. J. Collins, Built to Last, page 81 5. Randolph Nugent, "And Have They Come to Know Christ?", April 3, 2000, www.gbgm-umc.org/mission/ news2000 6. Fred Craddock, Craddock Stories, page 69

5. Paul, Phoebe, Patronage, and Spain

Romans 16:1-27

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

... and thereby support to carry on their business or ministry (cf. Acts 18:27; 2 Cor. 3:1; 4:2; 5:12; 10:12; 12:11; 3 John 9–10; 1 Macc. 12:43; 2 Macc. 9:25).2 From the Greco-Roman literature, Robert Jewett supplies the following example: So-and-so, who is conveying ... critical to the functioning of the Roman government. They were the record keepers for the massive bureaucracy.1 E. Randolph Richards’s study of ancient letter writing shows that there was a continuum of how much input amanuenses had in ...

6. Herod Antipas

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

... a war with the offended father-in-law. It also brought the condemnation of John the Baptizer, who denounced the couple before the Jewish people. As revenge, John was beheaded. Let us reconstruct the scene of Herod, Herodias, and Salome entering Jerusalem. ... , ed. by Morrison (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1948), p. 287. 2. Ralph G. Martin, Jennie, The Life of Lady Randolph Churchill, The Dramatic Years 1895-1921 (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1971), II:44. 3. E. Stanley Jones, Christ ...

7. Spin-masters Need Not Apply

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

... created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1); "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16), and "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself ... , p. 21. 7. Tim Stafford, Christianity Today, September 14, 1992, p. 36. 8. "Toxic Thoughts Syndrome," by Laura B. Randolph, Ebony, September 1998, p. 30.

8. Behold The Man Who Taught By The Sea

Mark 4:1-20

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

... . A. Smart, The Contemporary Christ, Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, New York-Nashville, 1942, p. 163. 6. George Buttrick, The Parables of Jesus, Harper & Row Publishers, New York and London, 1928, p. xxv. 7. C. H. Dodd, The Parables of the Kingdom, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1961, p. 5. 8. John Thomas Randolph, "What You Need Is What You See," Emphasis, CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, January-February, 1993, p. 67. 9. Ernest A. Fitzgerald, Diamonds Everywhere, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1983, p. 52.

9. Wedding: With Communion

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

... are cultivating a new life together. The elements of consideration, love, and tender-heartedness should be planted for a lifetime. As Randolph Ray wrote, "I would like to have engraved inside every wedding band, 'Be kind to one another.' This is the Golden ... of never-ending steadfastness as I respect you for the rest of my life. Special Music: "Perfect Union" (by John Andrew Schreiner and Matthew Ward, Contemporary Christian Wedding Songbook, a Hal Leonard Corporation, 1995) Communion Pastor: As a Christian ...

10. 'Nevertheless': A Word of Faith

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... wisdom has it that Billy Graham got his big push toward success from newspaperman William Randolph Hearst. In 1949 Graham's first major crusade was being launched in Los Angeles, and ... our vigil of love and prayer.” Back we go to the Sea of Galilee. So great was the catch of fish that Simon had to call to his partners, James and John, to bring their boats. Both boats were so overloaded with fish that they could barely make it to land. Nobody had to tell Simon Peter, a professional fisherman, that he had ...

11. Building A Home

John 14:15-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him" (14:21). And again in John 14 we read, "Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day ... TO LOVE (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1990), p. 49. 5. "In Praise of Black Mothers," by Laura B. Randolph, May 1998. 6. Dennis Prager in GOOD NEWS, July/Aug, 1993, quoted in CHRISTIANITY TODAY, Oct 25, 1993, p. 73. 7. Dave ...

12. The Perfect Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... comes to the same thing. We are praying, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” That is such an important part of this prayer. In 1945, Dr. John Muyskens was the pastor of a church in Jenkintown, PA. World War II had just ended. The church had a celebration. Dr. Muyskens delivered a sermon titled “I Pray for Them.” Who ... examine your priorities. In fact, let’s approach God’s throne right now as we pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven . . . ” * Rev. Randolph T. Riggs

13. For His Eyes Only

Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

James Merritt

... heard about a young lady who wrote this sweet note to her ex-fiance, whose heart she had broken a year before. It said: Dear John, I have been unable to sleep since we broke off our engagement. It has shattered me. I just cannot live any longer without you. Won ... Fleming. Fleming was the young Scottish lad with the team of horses, and the man who had sponsored his education was Lord Randolph Churchill, the father of Winston Churchill, who was the sick statesman who recovered. Take God's word for it. He has a ...

14. The Compassionate Christ

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... of the multitude. Matthew and Mark tell some version of it twice (Matt 14:13‑21; 15:32‑39; Mark 6:32‑44; 8:1‑10; Luke 9:10‑17; John 6:1‑15). There are very few miracles that have that level of reporting. That this event occurred can scarcely be denied. The scriptural evidence is overwhelming. On at least ... told by Rev. Lorenz Schultz, http://www.hillsboroumc.org/services/2004/sermons/03_28_2004_sermon.shtml. 4. Rev. Randolph T. Riggs, D.Min., http://www.firstpreslanc.org/sermons01Apr08.htm.

15. Above the Noise

Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

There is so much noise in the world today. There are so many voices competing for our attention. If you want to be heard, you almost have to shout. I once read that during a typical lunch hour at the University of California at Berkeley, spokesmen for a dozen different causes can be found on the plaza, trying to outshoot one another. One day a lone figure sat down defiantly in the middle of the crowd and held up a sign which said, "SILENT PROTEST." Someone tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "What are ...

16. Above the Noise

Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-6; Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

There is so much noise in the world today. There are so many voices competing for our attention. If you want to be heard, you almost have to shout. During a typical lunch hour at the University of California at Berkeley, spokesmen for a dozen different causes can be found on the plaza, trying to outshout one another. One day a lone figure sat down defiantly in the middle of the crowd and held up a sign which said, "SILENT PROTEST." Someone tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "What are you protesting?" ...

17. He is the One We are Looking For

Matthew 11:1-19

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

You see, God through Jesus Christ is still bringing good news to the poor. He is still bringing those who were dead back to life again! He is still healing those who were broken! In the May, 1982, issue of Guideposts magazine, Norman Vincent Peale tells of a woman who came to him for help. Her husband had been killed in a tragic car crash, and as a result, she felt numb, hopeless, and "broken. Peale was able to help her by telling her a true story about a distinguished British violinist named Peter Cropper ...

18. God on The Run!

Matthew 2:13-23

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

My copy of the Bible entitles this sub-section of Scripture, "The Flight into Egypt." Cruel Herod the king had been threatened by the birth of Jesus, apparently fearing that Jesus would become a competitor for his own crown. Since that was an intolerable possibility to him, and since he could not be absolutely sure which baby boy was Jesus, he ordered that all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two-years old or under be killed. Thus it was that an angel of the Lord directed Joseph to take ...

19. What Goes Up Must Come Down

Mk 9:2-9 · Mt 17:1-9 · Lk 9:28-36

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

A little boy was out in his backyard, throwing a ball up in the air. An elderly passerby, not accustomed to such youthful delights, asked the boy what he was doing. He replied, “I am playing a game of catch with God. I throw the ball up in the air and he throws it back.” I am in no position to comment on God’s ability to play ball, but I do know that whatever goes up must come down. There may be exceptions, such as Charlie Brown’s kite! But as a rule, whatever goes up must come down. The process is so ...

20. No! I am not a virgin!

Matthew 1:18-25

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

We call it the virgin birth, and it is one of the most incredible ideas that was ever introduced to the world. Many of us may accept the virgin birth of Jesus on the basis of biblical authority, but we do not understand it. I have a beautiful little friend in the seventh grade whose name is Kristin. She is a very bright and sensitive girl, but she does not understand everything she hears in church. (I am sure that many of us can identify with that!) One day when Kristin was in the cafeteria at school, and ...

21. God's Kind of Happiness, Today

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

The Best Gift

George Matheson was a great preacher and hymn writer who lost his sight at an early age. He thought of that infirmity as his thorn in the flesh, as his personal cross. For several years, he prayed that his blindness would be removed. Like most of us, I suppose, he believed that personal happiness would come to him only after the handicap was gone. But then, one day God sent him a new insight: The creative use of his handicap could actually become his personal means of achieving happiness! So, Matheson went ...

22. Turn Your Other Cheek

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

I think of Jackie Robinson and the real service he provided to millions of people - players and fans alike - when he broke a long standing barrier and opened the big leagues to black athletes. As Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, prepared Robinson to sign a contract, he wondered if the young player would be equal to the challenge. Would Robinson be able to stay out of fights, both on and off the field? Could he behave in such a way that he would neither arouse black fans nor openly antagonize ...

23. The Saving Power of a Baby

Matthew 1:18-25

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

Harry Emerson Fosdick told the story of General Pickett's baby. It was during the last slaughterous days of the Civil War when the Confederates locked horns with the Union soldiers outside of Richmond. It was the cruelest time of the whole war. Then one night the Confederate lines were lighted with bonfires, and the Union guards discovered that the Southern troops were celebrating General Pickett's newborn baby, word of whose arrival had just reached the army. General Grant was so moved by the event that ...

24. God’s Kind of Happiness

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

God’s kind of happiness, as defined in the Beatitudes of our Lord, represents a radical reversal of almost everything we have ever been taught about the meaning of happiness! Look at the Beatitudes again and contrast them with what we have been taught. "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor." We have always been taught to define happiness in terms of wealth. "Happy are those who mourn." We have been taught that happiness means never experiencing anything that causes us grief. "Happy are those ...

Showing 1 to 24 of 24all results

Showing all results

1. A Word to the Wealthy

Mark 10:17-30

Sermon

King Duncan

2. The Difference between Cowards and Heroes

Matthew 2:13-23

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

3. What's This World Coming To Anyway?

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

Randolph W. Barr

4. Breakfast on the Beach

John 21:1-14

Sermon

John E. Harnish

5. Paul, Phoebe, Patronage, and Spain

Romans 16:1-27

Teach the Text

C. Marvin Pate

6. Herod Antipas

Luke 13:31-35

Sermon

Warren Thomas Smith

7. Spin-masters Need Not Apply

1 Corinthians 1:18--2:5

Sermon

King Duncan

8. Behold The Man Who Taught By The Sea

Mark 4:1-20

Sermon

Thomas A. Pilgrim

9. Wedding: With Communion

Bulletin Aid

Derl G. Keefer

10. 'Nevertheless': A Word of Faith

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

11. Building A Home

John 14:15-31

Sermon

King Duncan

12. The Perfect Prayer

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

13. For His Eyes Only

Matthew 6:1-4

Sermon

James Merritt

14. The Compassionate Christ

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

King Duncan

15. Above the Noise

Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

16. Above the Noise

Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-6; Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

17. He is the One We are Looking For

Matthew 11:1-19

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

18. God on The Run!

Matthew 2:13-23

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

19. What Goes Up Must Come Down

Mk 9:2-9 · Mt 17:1-9 · Lk 9:28-36

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

20. No! I am not a virgin!

Matthew 1:18-25

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

21. God's Kind of Happiness, Today

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

The Best Gift

22. Turn Your Other Cheek

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

23. The Saving Power of a Baby

Matthew 1:18-25

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

24. God’s Kind of Happiness

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

John Thomas Randolph

Showing 1 to 24 of 24all results