Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 207 results

Proverbs 1:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I think everyone knows today--that this Sunday is the day we celebrate and honor motherhood. It is the day we descend on Mom to show her our love. It is always inspiring as we leaf through the pages of history to see the great influence that mothers have had on their sons and daughters. Our own founder and spiritual mentor, John Wesley, was deeply influenced by the godly character of his mother, S...

2. A Memorial Forever - Memorial Day

Proverbs 1:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

I have always had an intense dislike for digital watches--especially those that beep. Perhaps it is my undergraduate training as a historian. A digital watch only tells us what time it is now. While it describes the present moment in exact numbers, it leaves out the past and the future. Some of you know that my favorite clock is in my church office. It has the face of Jesus on it. While it does he...

3. Foreword

Proverbs 1:1-7

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Proverbs 1–9 serves as the theological introduction to the canonical book, giving a foundational introduction to biblical wisdom—its nature, sources, acquisition, and value. Chapters 10–29 build on this foundation, offering a plethora of illustrations of what wisdom and its opposite, folly, look like in everyday life. In effect, Proverbs 1–9 offers the “Wisdom 101” course, while Proverbs 10–29 pre...

4. Prologue: Purpose and Theme

Proverbs 1:1-7

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

Introductory Instructions: The contrast between the wisdom poems (chs. 1–9) and the discrete sayings (chs. 10–31) is striking. The former are strongly hortatory and didactic, leaving little to be verified by personal experience. At the most, it is the teacher’s experience that is verified (e.g., 7:6–27). These instructions are presented with utmost confidence and promise, but also with no little c...

5. Know Fear: The Fear of God

Proverbs 1:7

Sermon

James Merritt

I am concluding the series of messages we have entitled - fear factor. I am afraid fear may have gotten a bad rap, because some fear in life is good. In fact, some fear is even necessary. Small children need to be taught to be afraid of a hot stove or else they will be burned. As they get older, they need to be taught to be afraid of a busy street or else they may get hit by a car. As they become ...

6. Why Do We Want To Learn?

Proverbs 1:2, 5

Children's Sermon

Kenneth Mortonson

Purpose: To help children understand the importance of learning new things. Material: You will need one large jar and two smaller jars. In one small jar, using food coloring, place yellow water. In the other small jar, place blue water. Lesson: How many of you boys and girls are going or plan to go to school? ... Why do people go to school? ... Learning new things is very important for everybody...

7. The Initial Appeals of the Parents and Lady Wisdom

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Proverbs 1:8–19 contains the first parental lesson out of ten (or more) in the prologue, exhibiting the basic structural features that the additional lessons will follow. On the basis of posited Egyptian literary models, scholars have often divided up this section into a number of originally independent “lectures.” Nevertheless, a convincing case can be made that the prologue as a whole presents a...

8. Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

9. Paul Piper's Funeral

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Much of the wisdom of the Book of Proverbs is stated in the expression of stark contrasts between the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish. Chapter 10 is full of those expressions. Listen to a few of them: Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences (vs. 12). The wise lay up knowledge, but the babbling of a fool brings ruin near (vs. 14). When words are many, transgressio...

10. Our Father Who Art on Earth

Sermon

Louis H. Valbracht

This morning we celebrate a rather poor imitation of something that takes place on the second Sunday in May. It is the day when we pull our leftover sentiments out of the deep freeze where we stashed them on Mother’s Day, warm them up a bit to dish them out now for Father’s Day. Yes, it is Father’s Day. It always comes as a bit of a shock and surprise, doesn’t it? No one talks very much about it. ...

11. God As Wisdom

Sermon

Sue Anne Steffey Morrow

If someone like me were to ask someone like you, "How do you imagine God?" what would you answer? What is the first word that comes to your mind when I say God? Creator? Love? Mother? Friend? Jesus? Help? Shepherd? Defender? How do you imagine God? When you are praying, how do you experience God? As strength? As light? As comfort? All-encompassing? How do you imagine God? Is God someone with a lar...

12. Nice Guys Finish First

Sermon

Stan Purdum

One day, a Sunday school teacher asked her class of children about their favorite Bible verses. One boy volunteered that his favorite was John 11:35, "Jesus wept," because it was short and easy to remember. A girl said her favorite was John 3:16, because she'd been told it was a summary of the gospel message and had memorized it for Bible school the previous summer. One boy said he liked the ...

13. Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

In 1:20–35, wisdom is presented not simply as an abstract capacity or skill but as a person who directly addresses those most lacking in wisdom. Although the nature and origin of Lady Wisdom (Hebrew hokmah is a feminine noun) have been much discussed, this figure is best understood as both a poetic personification of a divine attribute and a foil, or conceptual antithesis, to the promiscuous or fo...

14. Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

Understanding Series

Roland E. Murphy

15. Embarrassed Enough To Finally Listen?

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship One: The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. All: Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. One: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; All: the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlig...

16. Storm Shelter

Bulletin Aid

Dallas A. Brauninger

Call to Worship Consider the following provisions for a storm shelter for the spirit: willingness to listen for God, readiness to hear God, love of knowledge, an attitude of praise rather than of ridicule, openness to new and other ways of doing things, dedication to the truth. Collect We come, O God, with hearts open to discern what is true and what is wise, knowing that truth and wisdom come fr...

17. The Lord Is Our Wisdom

Bulletin Aid

James Wilson

Call To Worship Leader: The wisdom of the Lord belongs to those who will seek God's will! People: Then let us lift our prayers to the Lord that we might have God's wisdom. Leader: Seek God's will in both the great things and the small. People: We will seek God's will in all we are about day in and day out. Leader: For the more God's light shines in us the greater is God's blessing. All: Blessed be...

18. Proper 19

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

Theme: Seek true wisdom; follow Christ. COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Proverbs 1:20-33 (C) Wisdom personified warns the fool to heed its words of wisdom and instruction or face dire consequences. The foolish will be destroyed by their own devices; when they call for help on the day of trouble, it will not be granted to them. However, those who listen to the voice of wisdom will dwell secure. Lesson 1: I...

19. Proper 19

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Proverbs 1:20-33 Israel is warned against rejection of wisdom. The wisdom of God is personified as a female. She cries out in the streets but she is rejected. Wisdom will laugh when the people get in trouble. When they cry for help, wisdom will not answer. But, they who listen will live in safety and at ease. Epistle: James 3:1-12 Because teachers use their tongues, the...

20. Proper 19

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 19 [OR] Wisdom of Solomon 7:26–8:1 First Lesson—Wisdom is personified by the writer as the Word of God, and will, thereafter, be incarnate in a human person. Proverbs 1:20-33 Second Lesson—James describes the havoc created by uncontrolled talk and vicious cursing. James 3:1-12 Gospel—Jesus clarifies the nature of his mission as Messiah as that of a sufferer rather than a con...

21. The Channel Between The Buoys

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

Let's go boating!" How I love to hear those words! It means open sky, shore birds, negotiating the chop on the sea, perhaps a water-borne adventure out to Bald Head Island! I must confess I'm new at nautical adventures. I've shown my ignorance by running out of gas, falling overboard, even running aground. Mishaps don't have to happen very often before one begins to learn fast. For instance, I'...

22. Clear Channel Voice

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

One rather frustrating Sunday morning the teacher of the junior high class decided to try a little experiment with her students. What made the morning difficult was that some of the students were having a hard time concentrating on the lesson while other students were struggling to keep quiet. The teacher asked for three volunteers, explaining that all they had to do was talk, which certainly woul...

23. Having a Good Name

Sermon

Donna Schaper

Proverbs is right: Having a good name is a terribly important thing. It is important in business, it is important in society, it is important at home, in a family. When we lose our good name, we have lost our trustworthiness. Sometimes it cannot be replaced. How do we know if we have a good name? What is the measurement? Is it the absence of gossip? Or the presence of trust? Is a good name someth...

24. Wisdom for the Living of These Days

Sermon

John R. Brokhoff

Four men were in a plane: the president of the United States, a college professor, a preacher, and a youth with a backpack. Engine trouble developed. The pilot announced that the motors flamed out. He further announced that there were only three parachutes for the passengers. A discussion was held among the four over who should get the parachutes. The president said that he should get one because ...

25. Where Can We Find Wisdom?

Sermon

Edward Chinn

"Dad, have you cut all four of your wisdom teeth?" asked the teenager. "Yes, son," replied the father. "I have bought a used car, accepted a nomination, been chairman of the civic association, and married your mother." That man obviously thought that he had cut his "wisdom teeth" by chewing on four tough experiences. The four "third molars" have been given that name "wisdom teeth" because they usu...

Showing 1 to 25 of 207 results