Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 45 results

1. John the Baptist, Sanctified Indifference, & the King of Pop

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... straighten up and they say, ‘Who am I? Where am I? What happened?’ And they lost themselves, and they’re broken. You have to be careful and have some kind of discipline. I’m going to close this sermon with a tribute to the Michael Jackson I shall remember the most. It’s Michael singing 20 years ago at the Grammy Awards, with a gospel back-up choir. He’s singing “Man in the Mirror,” and singing quite a bit of it on his knees. [You can find it on YouTube at the following url. Or you can just ...

2. Mark 6:14-29

Mark 6:14-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... am I talking about? Take former heavyweight champion and now indoor grill king, George Foreman. Foreman is also the father of five sons. He named all five “George.” Don’t ask, “Who comes when called?” Michael Jackson named both his sons “Prince Michael.” Michael’s older brother Jermaine Jackson named his daughter born in 2000 “Jermajesty.” But these recent examples don’t begin to compete with the name-fame fixation that afflicted the family of Herod the Great. In fact it gets difficult ...

3. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part II)

Luke 13:22-30

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... : I love to tell the story, But if I want to go to glory, I''d better tell the story Of Jesus and His love. (1) Michael Jackson sang a song popular a few years ago entitled, "The Man in the Mirror." I''m starting with the man in the mirror, I''m asking ... clearer If you want to make the world a better place You got to start with yourself and make that change! However, Michael Jackson is only half right. There is a danger in looking into mirrors that the creative Christian writer, Dr. Calvin Miller, shares: ...

4. Like a Waving Flag

Luke 7:36-50

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... who live in the United States have no experience with royalty or with “kingdoms” ruled by kings or queens. We have no royal family, so we have to invent our royalty. We had the “King of Rock’n’Roll,” Elvis Presley. We had the “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson. We had a “King of Soul,” James Brown. We have a Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. We have a “King of all Media,” Howard Stern. We have a Queen of Clean, Linda Cobb. We even have a King of Greasy Goodness” for the Queen of Clean to ...

5. Last Words Are Important

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... cringed at that and the media talked about it for days. But not much was said about the “dirty” dancing and lewd lyrics, including words about getting a woman naked before the song was done. Other singers grabbed their crotches, a la Michael Jackson, and through lyrics and dance displayed sexual lust as they gyrated with female dancing partners. The truth, friends, is that halftime show is not the exception in television fare. In fact, it was rather tame compared to what constantly flows from television ...

6. The Piety That Isn't

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon

Carl Jech

... over the issues of (1) church doctrine and practice, (2) abortion, (3) church and state issues, (4) interpretation of the Bible, (5) life-styles, and (6) views on morality. In this video age of images, where the outward image is so strong that Michael J. Fox, Tina Turner and Michael Jackson don't even have to say the name Pepsi to sell the product in a commercial, must not we too pay attention to the Gospel's image? Can we ignore these issues and simply practice our piety, simply focus on that which is ...

7. The Lord's Prayer: The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... upon for an errand. At best, the world manages a slight tip of the hat toward God as some sort of honorary Chairman of the Board. No glory though. No, the glory in our world goes to the Madonnas and the Michael Jacksons, the Magic Johnsons and Michael Jordans. The crowds cheer the gladiators, the Mike Tysons and Razor Ruddocks. Occasionally, there are hopeful signs - here and there a few new faces in the church, a new baby baptized, a confirmation class that unites with the congregation - small victories ...

8. Welcome or Warning?

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

People who try to revoke other people's tickets to heaven are those who are least likely to be allowed on the train themselves. Was there anyone the least bit surprised when Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson finally announced they were going to divorce? Most of us never even bothered trying to accept the fact that they had married in the first place. After all, what was the point? It may have been the first wedding in history greeted with death knells instead of wedding bells. Sure, ...

9. Physical Fitness For The Soul

James 3:1-12

Sermon

Erskine White

... . (James 3:10) Americans of all ages are on a physical fitness craze and many people are paying a great deal of attention to their waistlines. They worry endlessly about their weight and want their bodies to be just the right size. If your name is not Michael Jackson, it seems the fastest way to earn a fortune in this country is to write a new diet book. The next-fastest way is to open an aerobic dancing studio or an exercise club. Today I speak about another part of the body which also must be physically ...

10. Invitation to the Dance

2 Samuel 6:1-23

Sermon

... fields of fun in the sun. Carl Marie von Weber’s "Invitation to the Dance" receives an answer in our passage in 2 Samuel. Our dancing partner on this June day is not Arthur Murray in a ballroom, Fred Astaire in his top hat, or even Michael Jackson doing the most frantic break dance steps this side of Harlem. Our dancer is David. David, the sweet psalm singer of Israel. David, whose name in Hebrew means "beloved" is seen before our eyes leaping like a lizard; shouting like a banshee and hollering like a ...

11. A Queen Bee’s Sting

2 Samuel 6:1-23

Sermon

... ’s song about the sting of death. Michal was a queen bee whose tongue was a sharp saber of stabbing insult. Gazing down from her window, she saw her husband David approaching the walls of Jerusalem. He was dancing with the joyful abandon of a Michael Jackson. His voice was vibrant with an Ode to Joy. Over thirty thousand of his people cheered the conquering hero home. David had defeated the Jebusites and made Jerusalem the capital of a united nation. He had brought the Ark, in which were stored the Ten ...

12. A Princely Passion

2 Samuel 13:1-22

Sermon

... Sewing Machine’s spool. She is a doll. She is rich and famous. Her name is Barbie. Her boyfriend is tall, dark, and handsome. His tennis outfit would make Jimmy Connors’ eyes turn green with envy. His tailor-made gloves would make the likes of Michael Jackson drool with jealousy. His well-tailored suits are a model for budding executives on Broadway. He is Ken. Like Barbie, he, too, is a doll. Ken and Barbie are not real. They do not spring into action when the department store closes for the night ...

13. Congratulations, Joseph, It's A God!

John 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... go. This is not to say that heroes are unimportant. Carlyle once said, "Society is founded on hero worship." Traditionally many people, especially young people, have modeled themselves after their heroes. I can just imagine a society modeled after Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Rambo, can't you? Some distant civilization will discover a lot about American ideals in the latter part of the 20th century by studying our heroes. Recently at the University of Pennsylvania 8,000 prospective students were asked on ...

14. When You Feel Helpless

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... of some of the entertainment industry's most influential people. Since his battle with the twin aneurysms, Jones has produced and conducted the WE ARE THE WORLD recording, wrote the score for ROOTS and THE COLOR PURPLE, and also produced THRILLER with Michael Jackson, one of the most successful record albums of all time. He has been nominated for sixty-eight Grammy Awards and has won nineteen. Stephen Spielberg summed up Jones's intensity of life in a SIXTY MINUTES interview: “He finds two minutes of ...

15. Biblical Insights for Being a Christian Father

Deuteronomy 1:1-8

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... Oh, I''m a tail gunner on a bread truck!" (2) That is why the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi was part of our liturgy today. Our models for fatherhood and manhood are not Chuck Norris, Clint Eastwood, Dagwood, Rambo, Boy George or Michael Jackson. I am greatly concerned and bothered by what I have observed in the last 15-20 years in America concerning fatherhood. I am deeply disturbed by the complete abandonment and passivity concerning their roles and importance as fathers. I feel that the sacredness and ...

16. The True Story of the Magi

Matthew 1:1-17

Sermon

John Jamison

... . The highlight of the show was this exchange: Letterman: "Do you now know something I don't know?" Zevon: "I know how much you are supposed to enjoy every sandwich." Weird and Dumb 160 Candidates in Cal Gov race Schwartzenegger Presidential Race Jayson Blair (NYT) Michael Jackson Dixie Chicks Kobe Bryant Roy Moore Martha Stewart So 2005 is history — a year of transition, war, sickness and spam. All in all, most of us are probably pretty glad to see the back of it. As years go, after all, there have been ...

17. God Speaks and the Church Is Our Hearing Aid

Mark 4:1-9

Sermon

James W. Moore

... Walking Corpse!” My face was so made up, so chalky… that I looked like a member of the Munster family! Now, on the video my face looked O.K. (considering what they had to work with),… but in real life, I felt like I had on more make-up than Michael Jackson!! On the final afternoon of the filming, we finished at 4:00 p.m. and our dinner meeting was not scheduled until 6:00 p.m… so I had a two-hour window of time. I thought this would be a good time to return a couple of sport coats ...

18. In Christ, or in a Jacuzzi Jesus?

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... of Christ so infiltrate your being that your very essence is affected. Every cell in your body becomes permeable to Christ's spirit, transforming you from the inside out. But a transformation this complete intimidates most people. They would rather join Michael Jackson in resorting to hair straightener, skin peels, and the surgeon's chisel to make their veneers palatable to the crowd. The gospel's radical re-creation requires more than cosmetic changes in lives and in lifestyles which have grown comfortable ...

19. Give me a C...

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to project the kind of strength we hope we possess. While cheering squads used to be made up of pretty, bouncy types, today's premier cheerleaders have the muscles and tumbling skills of a national gymnastics team combined with the dancing moves of Michael Jackson's backup singers. We want our team celebrated by cheerleaders who are as strong and nimble as the players themselves. Anything less might bely our boast of strength. The Corinthians were as anxious to project a winning image as any of us, but ...

20. Day-Timers or Begging Bowls

Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... without a chance, Christ appears. - Without a name, without parents, without health, Christ appears. - Without fear, without self-concern, without guile, Christ appears. Is your faith great enough to recognize Christ when he appears before you? In the music video of Michael Jackson's pop hit "Black and White," computer imaging techniques smoothly "morph" a series of faces into one another. The face of an African man melts into that of an Indian boy, which dissolves into an Asian woman, which coalesces into ...

21. What Would Jesus Do? - or - How Would Jesus Do It?

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... skirt. Anyone for grunge? Tie-dye? Shoulder pads? Converse? Platforms? Earth shoes? I remember from my high-school basketball days being really proud of my maroon and white varsity jumpsuit and jacket. I can also remember looking at the big baggy shorts Michael Jackson wore in his college days and thinking how ridiculous he looked. Far superior were my tight-fitting basketball shorts. Now I don’t want anyone to see shots of me playing basketball in those shorts that suddenly look now more like boxer ...

22. Lean on Me

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... been carefully planned and determined by the sovereign will of God. The widow in our parable has no visible means of hiring a competent attorney to plead her case. We are so used to seeing high-profile people with high-profile representation. From O. J. to Michael Jackson, we see that wealth can purchase the very best legal minds. Our lesson drives the point home that it is not money, nor who the attorney is — it is who Jesus is that matters! As was mentioned earlier, this parable is told in the shadow of ...

23. The Difference Between Getting and Giving

John 1:1-18

Drama

Arley K. Fadness

... a truly confused person can understand. At last, resolving to find out once and for all what giving and getting were all about, the old man set out on a long journey to consult those who had wisdom. (Old Man gets up and moonwalks like Michael Jackson or makes walking motions or walks on a treadmill to simulate traveling.) Narrator: First he went to the pastor of his former church where mix-ups during the offering had created enormous problems. (Pastor appears, shakes hands with Old Man and they sit down ...

24. How Big of a Risk Would You Take?

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... so thrilling for both of them. Mike is careful to note that the water was crystal clear and only about four feet deep, so if Caleb had slipped off the board, Mike could have easily grabbed him and lifted him to safety. This was not, he says, a Michael Jackson-dangling-his-son-over-the-balcony scene. The point is that this was a turning point for Caleb. He had ventured into a place of danger with his loving and protective father and emerged from the water alive and changed. From that day on, Caleb has called ...

25. Look and Live

Isaiah 44:24--45:25

Sermon

James Merritt

... quote says. Let me share with you the perspective of another very well known public figure, though he has been dead for over 100 years. If you were to ask a music fan, “Who is the king of music?” They may tell you, Elvis Presley, or Michael Jackson, or Justin Timberlake. If you were to ask a sports fan, “Who was the Sultan of Swat?” They would tell you, Babe Ruth. But if you were to ask ministers who was “Prince of Preachers?” They would undoubtedly tell you, Charles Spurgeon. Before anybody had ...

Showing results