Sermon and Worship Resources

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Mark 15:1-15, Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to get ‘em to talk like saints than to act like saints.” (Jonathan Edwards as quoted in John E. Smith, “Piety and Its Fruits,” in The Return to Scripture in Judaism and Christianity: Essays in Postcritical Scriptural Interpretation, ... soldiers charged with getting Jesus out to Golgotha. Mark’s text notes that this Simon was “the father of Alexander and Rufus” — a detail that seems to suggest that those sons were known to the Christian community that Mark is addressing. If so, it would seem ...

2. Grade School Dropouts

Illustration

... director William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, American scout and showman Noel Coward, British actor, playwright, and composer Charles Dickens, British novelist Isadora Duncan, U.S. dancer Thomas Edison, U.S. inventor Samuel Gompers, U.S. labor leader Maxim Gorky, Russian writer Claude Monet, French painter Sean O'Casey, Irish playwright Alfred E. Smith, U.S. politician John Philip Sousa, U.S. bandleader and composer Henry M. Stanley, British explorer ...

3. Riddles and Metaphors

Ezekiel 15:1-8, Ezekiel 16:1-63, Ezekiel 17:1-24

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... 10) and Mary (Luke 1:46–55). Further, the notion of dramatic and unexpected reversal is a common image in the parables of Jesus (e.g., Matt. 20:1–16; Mark 9:33–37; Luke 13:20–30). Indeed, Jesus plays off verses 22–24 when he describes the kingdom of God as a mustard ... 1; New York: Brill, 1993], pp. 169–70; and Blenkinsopp, Ezekiel, p. 76). On the other hand, as Daniel Smith-Christopher notes, we have no reason to think that Ezekiel’s audience was predominately or exclusively male (“Ezekiel in ...

4. The Sin and Doom of Godless Men

Jude 1:1-16

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... You know who I mean!” Long ago (palai) can equally well refer to the recent past, as in Mark 15:44 and 2 Pet. 1:9. Itinerant preachers and teachers frequently caused trouble in the early church ... and are so inextinguishable that they float afire on water.” (G. A. Smith, Historical Geography, p. 508). In such a manner Sodom and Gomorrah and ... 14, 16, 19). The same caustic curt reference to enemies of the gospel is frequent in apocalyptic writings (e.g., Rev. 7:14; 11:4; 14:4; 1 Enoch 46:3; 2 Enoch 7:3; 18:3 ...

5. God’s Love and Ours

1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

... ; Houlden, Epistles; Jackman, Letters; Perkins, Epistles; Plummer, Epistles; Smith, First John; Stott, Letters; Westcott, Epistles; Nestle; UBS, ... for God and for one’s fellow believer, “What God has joined together, let man not separate” (Mark 10:9). 5:2 This verse begins with the last of the writer’s eight This is ... the present in response to faith in Jesus. It is given, the Elder says, to us, i.e., to those who have remained in the community of the faithful, not to the secessionists; they have not ...

6. Faith in the Son of God

1 John 5:1-12, 1 John 4:7-21

Understanding Series

Thomas F. Johnson

7. Proper 24

Job 38:1–41:34, Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Mark 10:35-45, Hebrews 5:1-10

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Lesson 2: Hebrews 4:14-16 (RC); Hebrews 4:12-16 (E) (See Proper 23) Gospel: Mark 10:35-45 (C, RC, E) James and John, who with Peter formed a sort of inner circle of disciples, ask Jesus for a favor. They request ... . Suddenly, standing before him was the Dallas Cowboys' star running back, Emmitt Smith. Just named MVP for Super Bowl XXVIII, Smith was carrying his small goddaughter. Smith looked down at her and said, "I want you to meet the greatest running ...

8. The Glory Departs

Ezekiel 8:1-18, Ezekiel 9:1-11, Ezekiel 10:1-22, Ezekiel 11:1-15, Ezekiel 11:16-25

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... or not. Why, then, does this text even mention the commission to the scribe angel? Is the whole business with the mark just a meaningless charade? It is possible that this motif serves to underline the justice of Jerusalem’s destruction: if no one ... solar imagery for the Lord (particularly relating to the Lord’s rising, or appearing) does occur in the HB; see, e.g., Ps. 84:12 (M. S. Smith, The Early History of God [San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1990], pp. 115–16). Josiah, as part of his reforms, had ...

9. Cain and Abel

Genesis 4:1-26

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

... a man. Building on the sound of Hebrew qanah (“gain, acquire”), which sometimes means “give birth, produce” (e.g., Exod. 15:16; Ps. 74:2; 78:54; Prov. 8:22), the child was named Cain (qayin ... out God’s commands to fill the earth and to manage it. Protected by the mark, Cain proceeded to produce offspring. We may surmise that Cain married one of his sisters. ... spearhead”) in 2 Sam. 21:16, it is not the primary Hb. term for “smith.” In Judg. 4:11 this term is a gentilic (an adjective formed from a ...

10. Tyre, Sidon—and Israel

Ezekiel 26:1-21, Ezekiel 27:1-36, Ezekiel 28:1-19, Ezekiel 28:20-26

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... Zech. 9:2; see also 1 Macc. 5:15); it is in this way that the cities usually appear in the New Testament (e.g., Matt. 11:21–22; Mark 3:8; Luke 6:17; Acts 12:20). Likewise, with one exception (Jdt. 2:28), Tyre precedes Sidon when the Apocrypha mentions the ... In old Canaanite texts, the Rephaim are fallen heroes and kings from ancient days, who were consigned to the place of the dead (M. Smith, “Rephaim,” ABD 5, pp. 675–76). You will not return or take your place in the land of the living. The NIV emends ...

11. Egypt

Ezekiel 29:1-21, Ezekiel 30:1-26, Ezekiel 31:1-18, Ezekiel 32:1-32

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... s mind (Jonah 3:10). We might consider as well the many predictions in the New Testament that the end of the world would come soon (e.g., Mark 13:30; 1 Cor. 7:29–31; Rev. 22:12, 20), which, taking them at face value, clearly was not the case. The difference between the ... Israel, hoping to shed light on the attitudes of ordinary Israelites by looking to this material evidence. Elizabeth Bloch-Smith argues that the evidence of family bench tombs, with lamps and food left for the deceased, supports the notion ...

12. When What You Signed Up For...

Acts 16:9-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... feet. A few long-time members of the church got upset when these young people tracked oil on the church’s brand-new carpet. One Sunday, Pastor Smith got to church and found a sign on the door that said, “Shirts and shoes please.” And he realized that some young people would feel excluded ... /. 5. Letters on the Healing Ministry by Dr. Albert E. Day (Methodist Evangelistic Materials: 1964). 6. David McLemore, https://www.thingsofthesort.com/sermons-2/2019/10/28/mark-1112-25-the-lesson-of-the-fig-tree. 7. ...

13. The Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:1-33

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

... 2 and Jer. 7:9, in the LXX version of Exod. and Deut., as well as in later Jewish and Christian listings (e.g., Matt. 19:17–20; Mark 10:18–20; Luke 18:19–20). Cf. Freund, “Murder, Adultery and Theft?” The numbering of the Ten Commandments is not ... , the following are prominent and contain full bibliographical information on other and older works: de Moor, Rise of Yahwism; Smith, Early History; Tigay, No Other Gods; Hess, “Yahweh and His Asherah?” 5:12–15 The observance of special days ...

14. Paul's Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... 3:5) is a comprehensive term for the inner self, “the seat of the rational as well as the emotional and volitional elements in human life” (Abbott-Smith). God is commonly described in Scripture as the searcher and tester of hearts (1 Chron. 28:9; 29:17; Ps. 7:9; 139:23; Prov. 17:3 ... of the kingdom’s arrival (see, e.g., Mark 1:22, 27). “The time has come,” he said (i.e., the anticipated time of its manifestation), “the kingdom of God” has arrived (Mark 1:15; cf., e.g., Luke 17:21). But, if ...

15. Miscellaneous Oracles of Judgment

Ezekiel 21:1-32, Ezekiel 22:1-31

Understanding Series

Steven Tuell

... clear that the coming day of destruction is his day and the approaching end marks the climax of his punishment. In a reverse of the coronation ceremony, God directs ... endure them faithfully. That, however, is not Ezekiel’s point! Just as he plays with other traditional images (e.g., the vine as a symbol of Israel in 15:1–8, or the lion as a symbol ... last is clearly attested as a Babylonian practice (M. Odell, Ezekiel [Macon, Ga.: Smith and Helwys, 2005], p. 269). See also the discussion on divination at 13: ...

16. The New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:1-27

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... :8). John repeats these same themes in reverse order in concluding his extended description of the new Jerusalem (E; 21:9–26). The new order belongs not to the impure (D′; 21:27a) but to those found ... refer to a “brand new” reality; neither does Christ’s parousia mark the end of human history. Rather it consummates the renewal ... that is, “the glory of God is manifest for the salvation of man in Jesus” (so D. M. Smith, John, p. 30). This, then, is the essence of God’s Word which is the light of ...

17. The Great Inescapable Question of Eternity

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Robert Leslie Holmes

... in his Father's glory with the holy angels. — Mark 8:36-38 Let us consider what we know about ... value." Fred Smith submitted a ... must be feasible." Fred Smith left Yale and founded ... ? "Some say John the Baptist" (Mark 8:28). King Herod, who ordered ... Herod the voice of God? Hardly! Mark 8:28 states, "... others say Elijah ... as "the Christ," all miss the mark. What Do Jesus' Followers Say About ... man was the Son of God!' " (Mark 15:39). All these and many, ... glory with the holy angels. — Mark 8:36-38 Amen. 1. Alex ...

18. You Can Be Happy

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... in his senior years? There was a reporter by the name of Gary Smith, a sportswriter, who went to find out the answer to that question. As ... the town that Jesus was there and that he had the power to heal people. By dusk Mark says the whole city was at Simon's door looking for Jesus. They brought their sick, " ... happy are going to be disappointed. Happiness begins with a touch ” a touch of the Master's hand. W. E. Sangster was once asked if he would find time to cheer up a young man who was recuperating from ...

19. What Makes A Family?

Mark 3:31-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... about the ordeal and the love that kept them together with columnist Liz Smith. Smith asked Reeve a painful question, "During those times in the night when you ... does Superman draw his strength? From his wife and children. What does it take to make a family? Mark tells us about a most unusual event in Jesus' life. Jesus was not very far into his ministry. ... MAKE GOOD PARENTS. People of questionable character make questionable parents. Kimberly E. Davis tells how her brother once snooped through their father's ...

20. What's in It for Me?

Mark 10:17-31

Sermon

Michael Milton

... question on the heart of an unbeliever or a believer—What’s in it for me? Here in Mark 10:17-31 we discover Jesus’ teaching on wealth and reward in the kingdom of God. But it is ... come to Him and for disciples to know how to trust Him. I often get stock tips via e-mail guaranteed to increase my wealth. But what I am giving you is not tips but truth that will ... treasure.” [1] Rev. Robert G. Herring, Bethel Lutheran Church, Fort Smith, AR, in his sermon, “The Affluent Poor” preached on September 10 ...

21. The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

Nahum 1:1-15

Understanding Series

John Goldingay

... commonly denotes a high rock on which one takes refuge; it is thus a term used to describe God (e.g., Isa. 17:10; Hab. 1:12). Verse 7 will go on to refer to Yahweh as a ... . 1:12–13 The introduction This is what the LORD says suggests that verse 12 marks a new start, and the change in subject matter fits with this. Verses 2–11 ... verse is uncertain” is milder than that of scholars such as J. M. P. Smith, who describes it as “wholly unintelligible” (A Critical and Exegetical Commentary, p. 294). This ...

22. A Call to Return to the Lord

Zechariah 1:1-6

Understanding Series

Pamela J. Scalise

... God’s word of judgment was fulfilled (vv. 5–6). Several passages in Jeremiah (e.g., Jer. 7:25–26) make it clear that the prophets’ preaching and the ... of the ancestors and a recommitment to what they rejected—the ethics of Moses” (Smith-Christopher, A Biblical Theology of Exile, p. 121)—which is exactly the message of ... deserve, just as he determined to do.’” The NIV includes this sentence within the quotation marks, indicating that it is part of the oracle. The NIV also begins a new paragraph ...

23. Philip the First

John 1:43-51

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... just the clergy in the pulpit, but the laity in the pew. Mark Twain once asked someone, “Why do you sit there looking like an envelope ... Smith and roared, “And are you, my son, a soldier in the army of the Lord?” Surprised at being singled out, Smith replied anxiously, “Y-yes sir, I am.” “Then why,” pressed the clergyman, “do we see you here only at Christmas?” Thinking quickly, Smith ... wonder when the rest of us are going to learn it! E. Stanley Jones once told of a mother who was reading to ...

24. More Parables of the Kingdom

Mark 4:30-34, Mark 4:26-29, Mark 4:21-25

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... unreceptive to the kingdom. There is hyperbole in this because Jesus is seen in Mark teaching the crowds without parables (e.g., 1:15; 8:34–9:1); Mark emphasizes the deliberate “riddle-like nature of much of Jesus’s teaching.”2 The disciples ... the kingdom forward through average, sinful people like you and me. James Darrell Edwards III, who becomes Agent J (played by Will Smith), is one of a select group of government employees chosen to be tested in order to join a secret organization that polices ...

25. Jesus Walks on the Water

Matthew 14:22-36

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... distinct from the lowlands (especially the hills above the sea of Galilee, Abbott-Smith, p. 324). To the west of the lake these hills rise about 1200 ... the first as “toward the sea” and the second as “by the sea” (cf. similar uses in Mark 16:2 and John 21:1). Taken in this way, Jesus, as he came toward the lake, ... Matthew (vv. 28–31). It is sometimes taken as an acted parable of Peter’s career (i.e., in his pride he fell and had to be rescued and restored by Jesus). Christian elaborations on the ...

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