Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 71 results

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... Jesus’ voice of authority on the occasion. In his mind he would hear that “Talitha cumi” all of his life! Mark was Peter’s secretary and Peter was an eyewitness and recalled for him the actual words Jesus used. And then what do we read? “And he strictly charged ... for it, this particular child was not dead but was, perhaps, in some deathlike coma...such as that which befell Max Hoffman 1800 years later. But remember: it was a coma which, without Jesus’ interference, would have ended in death. Go ...

2. When Fishermen Don't Fish

Matthew 4:18-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... go fishing during spring break. But one year, his brother and his mom couldn’t go, so his dad let him invite a friend. Max and his Dad looked forward to this vacation with great anticipation. They pictured the sun shining down on them as they sat in the ... have the courage to stand up against the majority and declare, “That’s not right.” Or would we cut and run like Simon Peter? When fishermen don’t fish, they fight. And when fishermen don’t fish, they run away. But there’s one thing more we need ...

3. In the Wilderness of Temptation

Mark 1:9-15

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... , but I couldn't find Marcus Stewart's clock anywhere. Finally, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked St. Peter about Marcus Stewart's clock. St. Peter looked at me and said, "Marcus Stewart? Oh, yeah, we keep Marcus Stewart's clock in office. We use it for fan ... has this look of desperation on his face as he says, "I'd love to know who told Mean Max I'm on a diet!" (1) Temptation is just like Mean Max. It never really touches you, it never really assaults you, it just follows you where ever you go, ...

4. Baby Steps on the Sea of Galilee

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Last year, a pair of designers created a whole different kind of fashion statement when they bought a pair of Nike Air Max 97’s and re-designed them as “Jesus Shoes.” The “Jesus Shoes” came with little golden crucifixes hanging from the laces and ... in the middle of a storm. Matthew says the boat was “buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.” It would be remarkable for Peter to try to walk on the waves if the sea was calm that day, but to do it in the middle of a storm is even ...

5. Show Me The Fish!

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... a closed mind or a closed heart. People who are full of themselves cannot open themselves up to the leading of God's Holy Spirit. Peter's reaction was one of humility and repentance: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" He knew he was in the ... the rider still on him. It swims downstream in a hail of bullets from the bridge, and once again, Zorro makes a cunning escape. Max Anders questioned how in the world did that stunt rider get that horse to jump over that railing into the black abyss below? He ...

6. Follow Your Failures (Series: An Invitation to Christian Discipleship)

John 21:1-14

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Jenna up in his lap and asked, “Is that a good thing to do?” Through her tears, Jenna replied, “No.” “What does daddy do when you write on the wall?” Max inquired. “Spank me,” sobbed Jenna. “What do you think daddy should do this time?” “Love me.” Is that not what happens here by the sea? Jesus loves Peter anyway. He could have said, “I told you so.” “Let this be a lesson to you.” “I don’t want this to ever happen again.” But instead, Jesus fixes breakfast and loves ...

7. For Those Who Are Auditing the Class

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” Then Jesus goes on to say about Simon, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the ... yard dash. But this guy was good at the “ninety-five-yard dash.” “That is a distinction I can do without,” says Max DePree. “Lacking the last five yards makes the first ninety-five pointless.” (5) Christ needs disciples who will run those final five ...

8. Yes, You Can Work Yourself to Death

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... and we don’t see any results, we lose heart. That tired feeling isn’t just bone-deep. It’s spirit-deep. Author Max Lucado tells the story of a man named Joseph Crater, a New York Supreme Court Justice who disappeared in August 1930. Crater was ... Jesus says to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” Jesus is talking to us as well as Simon Peter. Don’t be afraid, he says to us, from now on you will fish for people. Whatever work you are doing, whatever hobbies you have, ...

9. The Messiah Who Cares About Feet

John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... that his soul and spirit are dirty. Peter needed to be washed all over. I think the disciples said to themselves that night, "If no one else is going to do it, I won't do it either." And thus they were willing to go to dinner with unwashed feet. In the midst of this conflict, it is the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes off all his garments, except for a loin cloth, and takes upon himself the lowly duties of a servant. Notice he first gives the example, then he teaches it. Max Lucado describes it so vividly: "As ...

10. He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... wonderful conclusion of the matter: he gave his life willingly that you and I might have life abundant. The bank once sent author Max Lucado an overdraft notice on the checking account of one of his daughters. The overdraft was for $25.37. What should he do ... began to yearn for her faith. He began searching the Scriptures. One day he came across Matthew 26:53 in which Jesus told Simon Peter that he could ask his Father and he would send twelve legions of angels. Overholt didn’t know at the time that twelve ...

11. How to Make Heaven Our Home

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... a seat in the U.S. Congress. His opponent was a Methodist Circuit Rider by the name of Peter Cartwright. One night, Lincoln went to hear Cartwright preach. As the fiery Cartwright came to the conclusion of ... this way: At confirmation one year, Joe, a young adult, became a mentor for Max, a 14-year-old kid. Joe took his responsibility seriously, saying to Max, “Drop by my apartment anytime. Let’s be friends.” About three weeks later, Max did stop by Joe’s apartment. At the time, Joe happened to be in ...

12. An Extraterrestrial Celebration

John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... epiphany. He knew something important was happening. “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Then Jesus said something interesting: “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” Then John adds, “For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.” Writer Max Lucado has a way of capturing truth in little verbal snapshots ...

13. Death Has Been Conquered

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... Christ’s presence in our lives today. It is so good to know that Christ does live. We share in the joy of Mary Magdalene and Peter and all those disciples and devoted followers to whom the risen Christ appeared when death could no longer contain him. For you see, he lives in ... jumped to conclusions and over-reacted. (1) Strange things happen in small country churches. But it reminds me of Max Lucado story about a physician in Arkansas who misdiagnosed a patient. He declared the woman to be dead. The family ...

14. Building A Life

1 Peter 2:4-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... . If the rock is gone, it's a hurricane." Today we check the Rock . . . or better yet, to use the language of our text from I Peter, the Stone--the Cornerstone on which our lives are built. We read, “As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God ... our lives is not only a model that we copy, but a Mentor who dwells within us, guiding us and encouraging us daily. Max Lucado, in his book IN THE GRIP OF GRACE, tells of his boyhood days when he and his friends would gather on the street ...

15. P.S. I Love You

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... immense haul did not rupture the net. The net held. The boat did not capsize. The fishing “mission” was filled to the max, but the net the disciple’s cast held fast. Instead of fussing about figures, it seems that that detail is the most ... I love you.” Without the Hollywood smarm, that is what this epilogue of John 21 is. It is a “P.S. I love you” – to Peter, to John, to the Johannine community, and to all the generations of Jesus followers that are to come. That means you and me. “P.S. I ...

16. Wounded, In Pain. Serving Still

Luke 22:7-38

Sermon

Siegfried S. Johnson

... bodies bright with flame. And buried God no deeper than our hearts." (2) I address a similar poem to our enemy. "You say you buried Peter, Elijah, David, (not to mention you and me) under an avalanche of guilt and unworthiness. But God calls us still to have bodies bright ... Volume 23, No. 2, p. 19-20. 4. Illustrations Unlimited, James S. Hewett, editor, Tyndale, p. 15. 5. Max Lucado, On The Anvil Stories on Being Shaped Into God's Image, Tyndale, 1985, pp. 45-46. The author of this sermon, Siegfried ...

17. You Can Be Happy

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... acceptance don't bring happiness, where are they to be found? HAPPINESS BEGINS WITH A TOUCH. Jesus was visiting in the home of Simon Peter. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. Without anyone saying a word about her illness Jesus went over ... Happiness is discovering the power of prayer. Happiness is having your priorities in order. ---------------------------------------------------------- 1. Max Lucado, THE APPLAUSE OF HEAVEN, (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1990), pp. 152-153. 2. Jim Lilliefors ...

18. We've Been Bragging About You!

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... incredible. Exaggerating the size of the fish they "almost caught," the one that "got away," has given us the term "fish story." Max Anders, in one of his books, tells about a fishing contest which holds a lying contest afterward. The person who catches the ... a church keep providing the services that only the church can offer whether that church is in Thessalonica or in our town. Peter Wagner, a church growth expert, took a survey of hundreds of pastors. His intent was to compile a list of measurable factors ...

19. Liar, Liar

Exodus 20:16

Sermon

James Merritt

... Fletcher Reid, a fast talking attorney and habitual liar. He is always lying to his son, Max, and he lied to him when he told him he would attend his fifth birthday party. When he didn't show up, as Max is blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, he has only one wish, "that ... then I can honestly tell you that you can become a part of God's family forever. [1] James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told The Truth, (New York: Prentice-Hall, 1991), p 200. [2] Albert M. Wells, Sr., Compiler, ...

20. The Tempest

Jonah 4:1-11, Jonah 3:1-10, Jonah 2:1-10, Jonah 1:1-17

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... center for dealing with our problems and issues. In 1963, Maurice Sendak wrote a children’s book called, Where the Wild Things Are. The story tells us about a little boy, Max, who while dressed in a wolf costume, wreaks havoc through his family’s household and causes his parents to send him to his room to bed without supper. Presumably in his ... to Come Psalm 64: A Plot is Arising but the Righteous Will Prevail Matthew the Tax Collector Witnesses to Peter’s Paying of the Temple Tax Per Jesus (17:24-27)

21. Reading the Last Chapter First

Matthew 17:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... and He sent Jesus to lift us up out of the dirt. By his own sacrifice, he carried us to home plate. Notice in verses 5-8, Peter wants to build three booths on the mountain, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, so they could stay there a while longer, but ... Sports Illustrated, June 29, 2009, www.si.com/ vault/ 2009/ 06/ 29/ 105832485/ the-way-it-should-be. Cited by Max Lucado, Unshakable Hope (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2018). 5. “Watch Adele pull a fast one on a group of her impersonators” by ...

22. 'Nevertheless': A Word of Faith

Luke 5:1-11

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... . Perhaps this incident is one of the reasons that Jesus chose Simon Peter to be the president of the early church. Simon Peter said to Jesus, "NEVERTHELESS, if you say so, I will let down the nets." "Nevertheless" is a great word of faith. In Hebrews 11:6 we read, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Max Lucado says that "faith is the grit in the soul that puts the dare into dreams." Faith is hanging tough when the evidence would have us bailout. Faith is launching forth when everyone but Jesus ...

23. Political Pardon

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... heart." Personal Pain Several themes emerge from Jesus' story. First, it becomes obvious that forgiveness is always personal because pain is personal. Peter asks about what he should do when his "brother" sins against him. That makes sense to us, even if we don't ... the same way that our Father in heaven is merciful with us. It begins as a one-sided initiative. In February of 1982, Max Lindeman and Harold Wells were sentenced to modest prison terms by a New York judge. Police had booked the pair on rape and ...

24. Dealing with the "F" Words of Life

John 21:1-14

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... after they had betrayed and deserted him. He could have scolded them, lectured them, beat them, and with sarcasm said, especially to Simon Peter, "Peter, I told you so." But he did not. He fed them. He had plans for them when they did not even consider ... changed my middle name to `VICTORIA'' to honor the victory God has so graciously given me in the face of spiritual death." As Max Lucado writes so powerfully: "Our lives are not futile Our failures are not fatal Our deaths are not final." (3) Just imagine a ...

25. A Glimpse of Eternity

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... the deep misunderstanding in his own family circle, especially his half-brothers and sisters as to his real identity. It is like what Max Lucado describes in his book, IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: "For a brief moment the burden of his humanity is lifted from ... . Not a bad idea. However, God must inform him that what God wants to build, mold and shape is a hot-tempered man named Peter, and two power seekers, James and John. This is God''s first priority. In Will Campbell''s splendid book, BROTHER TO A DRAGONFLY, he ...

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