Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 56 results

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... begin to dance the Dance of Life. We can begin to find joy within sorrow, glitter in the dust, and play in the headwinds. William Butler Yeats wrote a poem at the turn of the prior century about the innocence of childhood and the ability for a child to dance ... Nor the best labourer dead And all the sheaves to bind. What need have you to dread The monstrous crying of wind! William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) Begin a Christian, surrendering your life to Jesus, doesn’t mean you don’t take the world seriously ...

2. Christmas and the Condensed Bible

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... basis! Luther put it that way, not simply because he was preoccupied with “gross” things (he was), but also because he wanted to make us stop short and really appreciate the wonder of it all, that God came and lived among us. The poet William Butler Yeats said that Christianity was distinguished from the Oriental religions in that what was philosophy in Eastern religion became biography in the Gospels. J. Robert Oppenheimer is credited with saying that the best way to send an idea is to wrap it up in ...

3. The Autobiography of God

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... Jesus. Christian Faith insists that if we would understand the God who is at the heart and center of all things, then we must read His autobiography in the life of Jesus of Nazareth who is called the Christ. The Irish poet William Butler Yeats declared that Christianity was distinguished from Oriental religions in that what was philosophy in Eastern religions became biography in the Gospels. Theologian Karl Barth, perhaps the greatest theological mind of our modern era, said that “What God is and what it ...

4. A Terrorist among the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... of England, perhaps the churches that were started during the English Reformation are spiritual descendants of Simon! We sure could use some of his zeal these days. We live in a day when the committed are intolerant, and the tolerant are uncommitted. Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote that: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are full of passionate intensity.” That sure seems to be true. I’d like people with about 10% of the passion of Simon the Zealot. Zeal is like fire; in a certain ...

5. Can These Bones Live?

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... no matter how we try to move on, no matter what kind of denial we try to practice, the wasteland stays with us, and with Ezekiel we are called to take an unscheduled tour. Take a moment now —?@a silent second or two —?@to comprehend that place that William Butler Yeats referred to in the "Circus Animals Desertion," as the "foul rag and bone shop of the heart." As we take stock of these spaces in our life, we need to remember that Ezekiel did not take the tour of the valley alone. We need to recall that ...

6. A Man Whose Dreams Came True

Genesis 37:1-11

Sermon

R. Blaine Detrick

... hadn’t been tempted by his master’s wife, if he hadn’t been thrown into a dungeon, if he hadn’t been forgotten by the butler, he would not have been in the right place at the right time - to save a whole nation (God’s nation) and a whole world (God ... perform." This quotation is not in the Bible (many people think that it is). It’s from a hymn, a famous hymn by William Cowper. It’s a great hymn - and it’s a great truth: that through every adverse experience, we must maintain our allegiance to ...

7. Redefining Life

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... greatness of His strength? At age 38, Los Angeles Dodger star Brett Butler was also diagnosed with cancer. Throughout his surgeries and treatments, Butler's faith sustained him. In an interview concerning this difficult adversary of cancer, Butler focused on the opportunity he had to witness for Christ. Then he ... Here's Life Publishers, 1990), p. 49. 5. "In Their Own Words" By Col. William Francis, The Asbury Herald, Volume 112, No. 2 & 3, pp. 10-11. 6. "Leave Room for God," an interview with Pastor Ed Dobson ...

8. How Can We Meet Grief?

2 Samuel 18:19--19:8

Sermon

Edward Chinn

... strong because I laugh to ease an aching heart, Because I keep the sweet side out, and hide the bitter part. In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, a character named MacDuff had just learned that his wife and children have been murdered. His friend Malcolm ... which had been turned into a refuge. Forty young people were being cared for in that place. Dr. Jones commented: "Josephine Butler threw herself into that service and became one of the greatest social reformers of the century. She didn’t bear her ...

9. Life Is What Happens When You've Made Other Plans

Genesis 37:1-11

Sermon

Dr. Robert E. Lair

... the dreams of two of his fellow prisoners, the chief butler and chief baker. The butler and baker were finally released from prison. Two years later, the Pharoah had a dream, and upon the recommendation of the butler and baker, Joseph was summoned to interpret the Pharoah's ... . "Life is what happens when you've made other plans." Tchaikovsky was a lawyer before he became a musician. Sir William Herschel had a brief career as a musician before becoming a scientist and pioneer in astronomy. "Life is what happens ...

10. Fingerprints of the Soul

Romans 5:1-5

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... a renewed interest in the whole notion of virtues. Former Secretary of Education and self-proclaimed social critic William J. Bennett has recently published a work entitled The Book of Virtues (New York: Simon & Schuster Trade, 1993). ... faith so that we end up with strong fingerprints of the soul. Alternative Sermon Idea "The Rhett Butler Syndrome" seems to be pervasive in American culture. And what is "the Rhett Butler Syndrome"? "He drew a short breath and said lightly but softly: 'My dear, I don't give ...

11. Three Basic Attitudes about Life

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... priest and the Levite. That attitude is: “Not my problem.” This is a growing attitude in our society. Not my problem. Army Major Odie Butler was on his way to work at the Pentagon one morning when he came upon a serious accident on Interstate 395. A man had lost ... Thank God there are still people like that, some of them in this congregation. I was reading sometime back about Dr. William Magee Jr., a plastic surgeon in Norfolk, Va. In 1981 Dr. Magee traveled to the Philippines to operate on children with ...

12. Your Wake-up Call

Philippians 3:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... knock on your door a few minutes later to ensure you actually wake up. It’s like a human snooze button. Another hotel sends a butler with coffee, tea and pastries to knock on your door. That idea would definitely get me out of bed. At The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas ... and fulfillment. No other goal will satisfy your life in the same way. And that brings us back to the story of Chad Williams, our Navy SEAL who thought he would find success in a military career with one of the most elite special forces teams in ...

13. A Word to the Wealthy

Mark 10:17-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... with this scam was able to move to England, become a duke, and live like a king in a mansion with maids, cooks, butlers, gardeners, and drivers. Even after the FBI checked out his story and announced that it was a total lie, that Sir Francis ... Do you take Jesus seriously or not? It’s a serious question. Now you and I will never be as wealthy as Johnny Depp or William Randolph Hearst, but the same principles apply to the use of our financial resources as it did to theirs. Are we neglecting people that we ...

14. Thankless Jobs

John 10:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... : "Let All the World in Every Corner Sin." Whoopee! Here's a good one: "Last time we asked for prayer for Jerry Butler's foot. After nine months of various treatments, it's finally all gone." Poor Jerry! From a Louisville, KY. newspaper: "Reverend Hawley ... his sheep follow him. In fact, they crowd around so closely they hamper the shepherd's movement. Dumb, helpless sheep. According to William Barclay the life of a shepherd was very hard. The shepherd was never off duty. There being little grass, the sheep ...

15. Like Cupped Hands

Mark 10:1-12

Sermon

Frank Lyman

... grounds for divorce or not. In Jesus time, "some reason" for divorce had become "any reason" and even "no reason" for divorce. As William Barclay reminds us, "In Jewish law a woman was regarded as a thing. She had no legal rights whatever but was at the ... A GOOD MARRIAGE IS PERMANENCE. As the Bible says, "The husband cleaves to his wife." When you cleave, you're together forever. John Butler Yeats said: "I think a man and a woman should choose each other for life, for the simple reason that a long life ...

16. Listen!

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

Sermon

King Duncan

... the latest news and headlines from a town crier. The job of town crier began officially in the year 1066. What happened in 1066? William of Normandy and his army invaded England. Consequently, men were hired by the government to travel from town to town to publicly remind ... Kindle Edition. 4. Doc’s Daily Chuckles - docsdailychuckle-join@freegroups.net. 5. Holman Bible Dictionary by Trent C. Butler Holman Bible Publishers 1991. 6. Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., https://drjustinimelsr.com/sermon-on-romans-as-simple-as ...

17. Augustine, Defender of the Faith

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

... the Reformed church; • John Wesley, who saw religion as issues of the heart, and his shaping of the Methodist church; • William Booth, his deep concern for the soul’s safety, and how he shaped the Salvation Army. • Martin Luther, his lifting ... home and talking to his wife. The maid answered the telephone. "I’d like to speak to my wife." "She’s having an affair with the butler and can’t talk to you now," she said. "Get my gun and shoot the both of them!" he ordered. There was a long silence on ...

18. The Jump to Judgment

Matthew 7:1-6

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... shop. Word spreads through town like wildfire. Later that night, Melanie throws a surprise birthday party for Ashley. Rhett Butler demands that Scarlett go to the party as invited, so that Melanie can have the public satisfaction of throwing ... you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get." Lord, let me be a Melanie Wilkes. Amen! 1. William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible, CD-ROM edition (Liguori, MO: Liguori Faithware, 1996) used by permission of Westminster/John Knox Press 2. II ...

19. Cut Your Losses!

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

King Duncan

... were created to be. And he wants us to act now and act decisively. 1. Anthony Spaeth,"Going for the Guinness," WORLD PRESS REVIEW, August 1995, p. 19. 2. Vernon Howard, INSPIRE YOURSELF (Grants Pass, OR: Four Star Books, Inc., 1975), p.32. 3. Robert B. Cialdini, INFLUENCE (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1984), pp. 185- 186. 4. Daniel R. Butler, Leland Gregory and Alan Ray (Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 1995), pp. 120-121.

20. Sons And Daughters Of God

Romans 8:18-27, Romans 8:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... dies and leaves ten million dollars. One-fifth is to go to his wife, one-fifth is to go to his son, one-sixth to his butler, and the rest to charity. Now, what," she asked her class, "does each get?" After a very long silence in the classroom, Little Johnny raised his ... we are sons and daughters of God. 1. From the Internet. Source unknown. 2. Denis Waitley, Empires of The Mind (William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1995). 3. Becky Freeman, Eggstra Courage For The Chicken Hearted (Honor Books, 1999). 4. Ron Mehl ...

21. How Free Are We?

John 8:31-41

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... paradigm cases where anyone would agree that we have freely performed our actions. One of my theological mentors, Dr. William Hordern, in a book written some years ago titled “The Case for a New Reformation Theology” called this the “Argument ... Many people think that to be free means they can do as they please, without any qualms of conscience. As Nicholas Murray Butler said, when he was president of Columbia University, “Some people think that they are emancipated, when all they are is unbuttoned!” ...

22. A Small Man Who Was Given a Big Heart

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... House, 1991), p. 47. 2. Gregory Baer, Life: The Odds (New York: Gotham Books, 2003) 3. Rev. James Brassard, http://www.ccpc.bowiemd.org/sermons/nov072004.doc. 4. The Rev. William G. Wilson, http://day1.org/813-changed_from_a_taker_to_a_giver. 5. “Sermons That Work,” year C. Cited by The Rev. Canon Joan Butler Ford, http://www.stpaulcathedral.org/pages/archives/2004/sermon10‑31‑04ford.htm. 6. What’s So Amazing About Grace. Cited by Priest Robert Thomas, http://ruminations.ratsco.com/. 7. John ...

23. THE NEIGHBORHOOD GAP

Sermon

William McKee Aber

In this pre-Lenten period we are thinking about the gaps in life - gaps between generations, between sexes, between races - in short, all of the separations that exist in our world, pulling us apart and rupturing relationships that were meant to be vital. Our thesis has been that there is in fact a God who is cncerned about gaps - who meets us in the midst of our separation, and who may enable us to bridge the gaps that exist. Today we come to one of the most difficult of all - the neighborhood gap. When, ...

24. Daniel’s Training in Babylon

Daniel 1:1-21

Understanding Series

William Nelson

Daniel and His Three Friends Avoid Defilement: Chronological notations frame the opening chapter. It begins with the third year of King Jehoiakim of Judah, at which time the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem (1:1). It ends with the first year of King Cyrus of Persia (1:21). These are roughly the parameters of the exile; apparently they are also the bookends for Daniel’s career. Nebuchadnezzar deported to Babylon the Jewish leaders, including Daniel and his friends; Cyrus conquered Babylon ...

25. The Price of Success

Illustration

William H. Hinson

You may have seen the “Hi and Lois” cartoon in which Ditto, their little boy, went to visit one of his rich young friends. The butler met him at the door and showed him to entire rooms filled with toys. Ditto said to his friend, ‘‘You and your daddy must have lots of fun playing with all these toys.” The boy answered, “No, my daddy doesn’t have time to play with me. He’s at the office--he’s got offices all over the world. He can’t play with me.” The little rich boy reflected for a moment and then said, “I ...

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