Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 44 results

1. Which Will It Be - the Silvered Cross or the Slivered Cross?

Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... symbol of the human capacity for cruelty, blood-thirstiness, abandonment, and evil. And for that reminder alone we should all thank Mel Gibson. The designer Roger Dubuis offers for sale a "Follow Me" watch in the form of a cross. It starts at $12, ... reminds us that every one of us gets to carry a cross. Every one of us gets a mission in life to carry out. Whether you like Mel Gibson's movie or not, The Passion of the Christ reminds us that in the 1st century if you're bearing your cross you're going out in ...

2. The Blame Game

Isaiah 52:13--53:12

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... , especially at Passover. This was nothing more than enlightened self-interest; that is why Caiaphas would say privately, "it is better...that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."(3) Ultimately, the decision was Pilate's. Mel Gibson's film presents the governor as something of a philosophical humanitarian which is based on only the tiniest passing references in scripture. The Apostles Creed gets it right when it states that Jesus "suffered under Pontius Pilate." Pilate was boss; he ...

3. The Healing Power of the Resurrection

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

James W. Moore

... that would have been the furthest thing from his mind as a career. And now he publicly credits it all to the goodness of God and the sacrificial love of people who cared for him. By the way, the young man’s name is one you will recognize… Mel Gibson! His life was the inspiration for his production of the movie, “The Man Without a Face.” Most women, when they hear that story, say pretty much the same thing, namely this: “That plastic surgeon did a good job!” Now, I like that story for a couple of ...

4. Torn Curtain

Luke 23:44-49, Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... all around his body. Smoke is seen coming out of his ears. Cast members are screaming. Wouldn’t you think, if you were the actor playing Jesus that, just maybe, God was telling you something? Well, such an event really occurred during the shooting of Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ. Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Jesus, was struck by lightning. In his own words, for a few moments he “looked like [he] went to [boxing promoter] Don King’s hairstylist.” (1) Now, let me hasten to say ...

5. His Cleansing Of The Temple

Luke 19:45-48

Sermon

Brett Blair

... accomplishment for a film written in two dead languages. Why the success? There are several: 1. It is skillfully done; it is not another one of these “Holy Land Postcard” movies that Hollywood often produces. 2. Its creator (Mel Gibson) believes that the crucifixion accomplished what Christianity believes it accomplished—nothing less the then salvation of the entire world. This “serious intent” registered with the Christian public. 3. It focused on the crucifixion and his suffering. No other ...

6. The Passion of the Christ – The Rest of the Story

Matthew 27:45-56

Sermon

James Merritt

... in this country for the last six weeks is - "Have you seen ‘The Passion'?" If the answer is "No" the next question is "Are you going to see it?" If the answer is "Yes" the next question is - "What did you think about it?" There is no question that Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, is as the Spanish put it, en fuego – it is on fire! In Hollywood parlance it is a blockbuster. Geologists would give it a "10" on the Richter scale. Motown would say, "It is off the charts." The Passion - Had the ...

7. Boasting and Praying for You

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... gospel. When we boast, we need to find a way to boast with humility about ourselves and pride in our God. The litmus test, the way we know whether we are boasting as people of faith or as people of pride, is whether we personally gain or not. Like the Mel Gibson Christian foundation, the best proof of the gospel is when it is given away. It is spread around. It is not about us. It is about God. We relinquish and release when we boast. We point, like a good steeple, to the heavens, not to our position or r ...

8. The Path of Discipleship

Mark 8:31--9:1

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... Caviezel played the role of Jesus in the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ. Before accepting the role, Mel Gibson (the producer and director) warned the actor that the role might cost him his career. But Caviezel, a professing Christian, wanted to honor Jesus by ... portraying his life and death. He responded to Gibson, “Mel, this is what I believe. We all have a cross to carry. I have to carry my own cross. If we don’ ...

9. The Fifth Trumpet (First Woe)

Revelation 8:6--9:21

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... can easily be led astray by the deceptive power of idolatry. (If your context allows, supplement this illustration with pictures of archaeological artifacts.) The powers of darkness can destroy a culture. Film: Apocalypto, directed by Mel Gibson. In this 2006 film, writer, director, and producer Mel Gibson tells the story of one man trying to get home after escaping from his captors. That simple story is set against the epic backdrop of a Mayan culture in decline. It has worshiped bloodthirsty gods and ...

10. Were You There?

John 19:17-27

Sermon

King Duncan

... has ever been cowardly and given in to the crowd, anyone who has ever kept silent in the face of bigotry and persecution, anyone who has ever been weak when you know you should have been strong was there encouraging this . . . the most tragic crime in history. Actor and director Mel Gibson has become a sad and controversial figure the past couple of years. Most tragic of all, his personal life now overshadows his remarkable accomplishment in producing the film, The Passion of the Christ. In the film ...

11. Obedience Really Matters

Matthew 7:15-23

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... jokes, bad pick-up lines, the revelation of secret prejudices, roadside encounters with the law, and bad mug shots.” Just ask Mel Gibson, a fellow Christian. Using your gifts to make great movies about the suffering of the Christ is no guarantee of exemplary behavior, is it? ... And if you see this as a shot at Mr. Gibson, you misread me. His is just the most recent and famous example of why we must not just admire Jesus but actually ...

12. What Do You Call Success?

Luke 10:1-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... incident that occurred to his wife, Andrea. She was talking with Ken Vanderjack, a campus pastor in New Jersey. She asked him what he was doing for students for Easter. Ken answered that they were hosting a free showing of Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Since Gibson’s portrayal of the crucifixion has been criticized for its brutality, Andrea inquired if he was showing the original version or the less-violent edited version, which cut out most of the beatings and blood. “No, we’re showing ...

13. Greed or the Gospel?

Acts 8:9-13, 18-24

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... about him is the last plea, “Please pray for me." Did the Lord hear his prayer? I can't prove that he did, but I am on Simon's side at this point. At the height of his stardom, Mel Gibson realized he was empty. He had achieved everything he ever hoped for except a sense of purpose. Gibson felt he was drowning in fame, wealth, drink and despair. This led the one-time “sexiest man alive" to his knees and back to God. Of course, not everyone was ready to embrace his conversion. When his movie The Passion ...

14. Who Is Isaiah’s Servant?

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

Ken Lentz

... would be difficult, even for a skeptic, to deny the connection between the servant of Isaiah and Jesus. The violence of Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, if anything, vividly dramatizes the assault against the pacifist, Jesus of Nazareth. If the reading ... of the passion accounts in the gospels do not offend the sensitivities of the reader, Gibson's movie will. It's not just that an innocent, loving man is shredded by the torture instruments of the Romans. We ...

15. David the Conqueror

2 Sam 5:6-25

Teach the Text

Robert B. Chisholm Jr.

... self-seeking, unselfish, the ignoble noble, the impure pure.’” Moody’s response to praise was always the same, that if the Holy Spirit was working through God’s servants, great results would follow.6 Film: Braveheart. In this film (1995), starring Mel Gibson as William Wallace, a thirteenth-century Scottish knight gains recognition when he comes to the forefront of the First War of Scottish Independence by opposing King Edward I of England. The film won five Academy Awards and was nominated for an ...

16. Spiritual Warfare and Jewish Suffering

Daniel 8:1-14

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... 6:10–13) God as our captain is both vanguard and rearguard. Film: We Were Soldiers. Actor, director, and producer Mel Gibson’s 2001 war drama, We Were Soldiers, follows the stories of a group of US Army brothers in arms in the first major battle of ... the Vietnam Warat Ia Drang (1965). In it, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore (Gibson) pledges to his men: “This I swear, before you and before Almighty God, that when we go into battle, I will be the ...

17. Illusion Or Reality?

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... t act like that in real life. We conjure up images and illusions of perfection and get divorced when reality and its people aren't perfect. We want our teachers to be like Robin Williams, our wives to be like Meryl Streep, our boyfriends to be like Mel Gibson, and our girlfriends to be like Cindy Crawford in heat. We live in such a world of illusion that reality would kill even our national politicians: George Bush had to maintain the illusion that we were not in a recession and Bill Clinton has to maintain ...

18. An Uncompromising King

Luke 22:54-62

Illustration

Perhaps some of you saw Mel Gibson's movie that came out a couple of years ago called Braveheart. In the movie William Wallace (a Scottish commoner) attempts to unite the feuding clans of Scotland in their fight against England in the 13th century. He attempts to elicit the help of Robert the Bruce, the leader of ...

19. Compassion

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... a kind of third sex, we had an emphasis on Jesus as a real man's man. The rugged carpenter came into focus. The man who could do all that walking and speaking must have had real stamina. Consequently, we perceived Jesus as a tough Mel Gibson or Sylvester Stallone look-alike with muscles flexed and a jogger's pair of legs. Then, in the 1970s, we tried to reconcile Jesus' appearance with the fantastic sums of money pouring into the coffers of television evangelists. "Jesus only deserves the very best," became ...

20. The Next 5 (A Drama about Love)

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Drama

Dave Marsh

... : Okay, let’s see. Well, there’s Richard Gere. Dave: (getting mad) Fine. You want me to be like Richard Gere: Beth: Settle down there. I’m not done. I don’t choose him. Let’s see, there’s Ted Turner. Hmmm. Nah. That’s 2. Um, there’s Mel Gibson… nah, not my type. Oh, here we go. Dino. Dave: You mean from the Flintstones? Beth: Yeah. I know it sounds weird but Dino has great qualities. He’s a faithful friend – always sticking by Fred. He’s happy to see him every time he comes home. He ...

21. Bracing For The Rough Times

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... God can always use heartaches to God's glory and to our best good. Perhaps you know the story of Rene Russo. Rene is one of the most glamorous women in Hollywood, and has acted in movies with such megastars as John Travolta, Kevin Costner, and Mel Gibson. These things are at least external indicators of success. But for many years, Rene Russo did not feel successful inside. She was miserable. After dropping out of school in her teens, Ms. Russo was discovered by an agent, and moved to New York to model. She ...

22. When the Best People Were Left Out

Matthew 21:28-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... crooked smiles and old people with trembling hands. We are to value all people as worthy of acceptance, and we are to introduce them to the One who died in their behalf, and in our behalf. Millions of people around the world have been inspired by Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ. Maxine Raines, director of a ministry to the homeless in Knoxville, Tennessee, knew her homeless friends couldn't afford to buy a movie ticket. So she brought the movie theater to them. With the support of her church ...

23. Lethal Weapon

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Harold Warlick

A popular series of movies has been the Lethal Weapon series. You might remember that in the series Mel Gibson plays a semi-unbalanced police officer named Riggs. Riggs is a capable detective but occasionally he goes berserk and mentally flips out. He's called a lethal weapon because you never know when he's going to go off. Each of us has the potential to become a "lethal weapon." ...

24. Do You Get It?

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

... to others? If we do have that attitude, what does a crucified Messiah have to do with our hope? Do we get it? When we hear about the cross, do we say, "Was that really necessary?" That was the reaction of a lot of people to the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ. Certainly there are criticisms that can be made of that movie, but when people suggested that an intense focus on the passion was somehow inappropriate, we really have to wonder if they got it. "From that time on, Jesus began to show ...

25. Only a Compromising Man Can Be King

Matthew 21:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

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