Sermon and Worship Resources

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Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon

Carroll Gunkel

... in them. He was to say inelegantly but honestly of his experience in East London: "The whole city stank."2 This was a spiritual observation as well as a physiological one for the whole city - the whole of society reeked with corruption ... and in the effluvia of East London William Booth met the Master. As the result of that meeting, Booth knew what work God had called him to do. He was able to say to his wife, and devoted co-worker, "I have found my destiny."3 The result of this second meeting with the ...

2. Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams

Luke 1:67-80

Sermon

Carroll Gunkel

... given us the haunting lines which say: Ask not for whom the bell tolls, The bell tolls for thee.3 Just as surely as the shepherds heard angels singing of peace and goodwill on the night Jesus was born, so did Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan hear the voice of the Master calling them to be agents of that heralded but unfulfilled longing for peace and goodwill. At the first such rally a boy was heard asking his mother, "Momma, what kind of people are the Protestants?"4 The question could have been asked ...

3. You Can Be Happy

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... People who buy self-help books on how to be happy are going to be disappointed. Happiness begins with a touch, a touch of the Master's hand. W. E. Sangster was once asked if he would find time to cheer up a young man who was recuperating from a ... to do." Jesus would not be side-tracked by the adulation of the crowds. He knew where he was headed. Nothing else mattered. Gorman Williams spent most of his life as a missionary to India. He purchased tickets for a long-awaited vacation back to the United States. He ...

4. The Gospel We Preach

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Albert G. Butzer III

... You have yours and I have mine, and while many of these images are helpful and wholesome, some of them are not. In Tennessee Williams’ provocative play, The Night of the Iguana, the lead character is a defrocked minister by the name of the Reverend Shannon. At one ... As I have been saying, I have always assumed that the man’s fault was that he was too conservative with the master’s money. But now I am wondering whether I should have been paying attention to something else in the scripture — not just ...

5. Preparing For The Unexpected

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon

King Duncan

... ." That's the scout motto, isn't it? "Be prepared." It's also the motto of the follower of Jesus. Be prepared. It's like the master of a large estate, says Jesus, who goes to a wedding banquet. When he returns home, he expects his servants to be at their posts so ... one perfect pitch. Only one perfect pitch among the twenty to fifty pitches per game that a batter is likely to see. Williams said that because he had no idea when that one perfect pitch would appear, he knew it was crucial to be both prepared ...

6. There's Something about Con Men

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... man with a problem, a serious problem. We feel for him. But the truth of the matter is that many of us have a little of William John Cavendish within us. Our lives are dominated by fear, fear of what other people will think of us, fear of rejection, fear of making a ... to dig, and he was ashamed to beg. What was he going to do? He hatched himself a plan. He would call in his master’s debtors and discount their debts, thereby making friends for himself that might do him a favor in return when he was out on ...

7. After the Parade

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... happening it may have indeed felt like an April Fools’ Day prank. But there were others who were not put off by the Master’s means of transportation. They had seen his miracles first hand. They had listened to his teachings in person and knew he taught ... truly a hero. Later, the bridge the plane hit on its way into the icy water was renamed. Today it is the “Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge.” (2) “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend . . .” That’s ...

8. One Final Meeting

Sermon

Carroll Gunkel

... paths of our lives? A LITANY OF MEETING* Minister: For Damien, missionary, and good minister of Jesus Christ, who met the Master, People: We give thanks and pray that, like him, we shall meet the Master. Minister: For William Booth, evangelist and social reformer, who met the Master, People: We give thanks and pray that, like him, we shall meet the Master. Minister: For John XXIII, pastor to the world and brother to all, who met the Master, People: We give thanks and pray that, like him, we shall meet the ...

9. Proper 20

Psalm 79:1-13, 1 Timothy 2:1-15, Jeremiah 8:4--9:26, Luke 16:1-15

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... not look ahead to the next year or the next decade. The wise Christians will look down the road and be prepared to maximize use of gifts according to the will of the master. 3. Wills and Living Trusts One aspect of looking ahead that perhaps requires separate attention is the question of how our estate will be disposed after we no longer have need of it ... Eyes: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke. Two Volumes in One. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976, pp. 96-106. "

10. Proper 22

Luke 17:1-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13, Lamentations 1:1-22, Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... of life. 5. The Table of the Lord. In human slavery it is not normal for the slave to find a place at the table with the master. It is one of the paradoxes of the Christian faith that our proper relationship is to be enslaved to God's will. Yet we are invited to ... in doing what she felt commanded to be done for the poor of Calcutta and elsewhere. 3. Against Slavery. A. William Wilberforce (1759-1833) of England early came under Christian influence. He became increasingly active in various social welfare and ...

11. Paul's Ministry in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... describes Paul as being “seized by the word” (Acts 18:5), as though it had overpowered him, and he was no longer master of when he would preach but the servant of a gospel that would be preached “in season and out” (2 Tim. 4: ... his years in Ephesus (Acts 19) that he did anything to organize for their relief. The epistles that stem from this period reflect this. See Williams, Acts, pp. 323, 336. 2:6 Apostles of Christ: Early use of the term “apostle” appears to be restricted to the Twelve (Acts 1:2 ...

12. Belling the Cat

John 6:60-71

Sermon

King Duncan

... love, first of all, because we were loved. Jesus never asks of us anything that he has not already done for us. He is our Master, our Lord, the inspiration of our lives, the example for our well-doing. To paraphrase William Barclay, suppose we play golf. Suppose our game is just ordinary. Then suppose we are present at the Masters and we see Tiger Woods play. After we have seen Tiger master the course we go back to our own course with a new idea of the game and a new standard to aim at. Suppose we collect ...

13. Moving At The Speed Of Light: Nazareth: Family Ties

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Frank Luchsinger

... that night and for the days afterwards. Leaving a poor and dependent mother behind, very poorly clad, my spirits crushed by the treatment I had received, and every moment dreading the footsteps of my hated master in pursuit of me, who had already declared repeatedly that he would follow me to Hell if I ever attempted to run away.3 William Hanby was a vigorous critic of the Fugitive Slave Law and well he should have been, because he hated what the law was doing to some of God's children, and he knew their ...

14. How Can I Know It's Real?

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... day and washy the next. We want life to be better but we want it to happen without any significant action on our part. William L. Stidger in his book, THERE ARE SERMONS IN STORIES, once told about the owner of a small drugstore. For some reason this ... we tell it is real? You know a tree by its fruit. What kind of fruit are you bearing? Have you experienced the touch of the Master’s hand? Have you experienced new life in Christ? If you really want it want it enough to change it can be yours. All Christ wants ...

15. Being A View Master

Romans 2:9-21

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... allowing yourself to be perfected by God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, so the Light of Christ will shine through you more fully. Preacher, teacher and theologian William Barclay said: "A saint is someone whose life makes it easier to believe in God." (3) In other words, Saints are people who are "Being A View Master." II. Saints Are Being View Masters A. A few weeks ago I talked about Mr. Dick, that's what everybody called him. He was a member of my church and owned the local Exxon station. His ...

16. Being Prepared

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... deck railing, and found himself flying once more into the air, watching the cruise ship sail away. Don’t worry. William survived. Although he had failed to make his James Bond entrance, “People on the boat loved it,” he told ... There are no guarantees of success or happiness for any of us. We need to be prepared for whatever life may send us. “Keep watch,” the Master said, “because you do not know the day or the hour.” We are certainly not prepared for Christ’s return. That is what our lesson is ...

17. Extraordinary Faith

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... didn't hesitate. "A hundred sixty-five," he said. (4) Maybe that is why players have agents now. Jimmy Williams could certainly have gotten much more than $165.00 per month, but he did not expect more. The centurion believed that Jesus could heal his servant with just a word. He believed that Jesus did not even have to enter the house. Just a word from the Master would do it. How our faith pales in comparison. There are some of us who are carrying heavy burdens this morning. We really do not believe ...

18. A Place At the Table

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... where the savage lampreys tore him to pieces. Juvenal draws the picture of the mistress who beat her maidservant at her caprice and the master who "delights in the sound of a cruel flogging, deeming it sweeter than any siren's song," who was never happy "until he has ... some lovely things to say about their wonderful bishop. The bishop's name? Onesimus.[4] Hmm. ____________ 1. William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible, CD-ROM edition (Liguori, Missouri: Liguori Faithware, 1996). Used by permission of Westminster/ ...

19. The King Of Ifs

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Richard Andersen

... en route by robbers. The offspring of the chief of the band of brigands was exceptionally entranced by the Child Jesus. William Barclay says, "The young brigand could not bear to lay hands on Him but set Him free, saying, ˜O most blessed ... seemingly uncaring planet has engulfed you, take the if out of life and give it to Jesus. He is the King of Ifs, who masters them all with a love that transforms impossible situations into possibilities for joy. Jesus is the King of Ifs. Touchstone, a clown, in ...

20. The Man in the Tree

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... Porter promise that he would take good care of that name. In 1901, after his release from prison, William Sydney Porter became a well-known writer; his short stories are considered classics of English literature. You may have heard of this reformed writer yourself. His pen name was O. Henry. Zacchaeus had a new name following his encounter with the Master. Now he could be called Christian. I have a feeling he took good care of the name. How about you? Are you a seeker? Is there a void in your life that ...

21. A Big Enough Reason

1 Peter 2:19-25

Sermon

David O. Bales

... didn't bother writing to slaves, even if the slaves could read. Paul the apostle took another step. He wrote instructions to masters as well. Knowing the giant institution of slavery in the Roman Empire and how long it had operated, it shouldn't shock ... creative ways of serving Christ. The Nobel Committee granted the 1976 Peace Prize to two women from Northern Ireland: Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan. Their action for peace started in Belfast Northern Ireland when British soldiers shot and killed an IRA ...

22. Fish Miracle

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-13, Luke 5:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... came into his life. It can happen to you also. The changes Christ can make in your life:A. Change from unbeliever to believer, from "Master" to "Lord" - vv. 5, 8B. Change from pride to humility - v. 8C. Change from a fisherman to a preacher - v. 10. 6. A Man and ... a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of the land, I made up my mind that God should have all of William Booth there was. And if there is any power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has had all the adoration of my ...

23. What It Takes

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Timothy J. Smith

... was a win-win-win situation. Everyone was a winner at the end. The shrewd manager not only had people in his debt but also had the praise of his master, the wealthy landowner. The farmers were happy because they had some of their outstanding debt reduced. And the wealthy landowner was seen as a generous man by everyone for reducing what people owed him. William Barclay states that "our Christianity will begin to be real and effective only when we spend as much time and effort on it as we do on our worldly ...

24. Big Fish

John 21:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... a story about successful living. We could say that the moral to the story is that the disciples prospered because they did exactly what their Master told them to do. “Cast your net on the right side of the boat,” and they cast their net on the right side of ... 2003 Tim Burton motion picture, Big Fish. It’s a strange film about a man who told tall tales--fish tales. His son William wants to know what his father was really like, but he finds it difficult to separate fact from fiction, the tales he told ...

25. The Excitement of Meaningful Living

John 10:10 · Matthew 6:33 · Ephesians 3:20

Sermon

Robert G. Tuttle

... his sanity and found himself sitting at the feet of Jesus "clothed and in his right mind." He wanted to follow Jesus but the Master said, "No, stay with your people and minister to them." Nicodemus was a man - not too hot, not too cold. He was a ... the terms. Pursue them; and now let the full life flow in from the Holy Spirit. It is a gift. In Free Fall, by William Golding, Sammy is thinking, "There is no point at which something has knocked on your door and taken possession of you. You possess yourself ...

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