Sermon and Worship Resources

Dictionary: Author

“Author of life” is a title applied to Jesus by Peter in Acts 3:15 (KJV: “Prince of life”), where he uses it ironically to highlight that people had killed the one who was the source of life. Elsewhere, the Greek word behind “author” (archēgos) is translated as “prince,” “leader,” “captain,” or “pioneer” (Acts 5:31; Heb. 2:10; 12:2).

Synonyms: writer, man/woman of letters, wordsmith, originator, creator, initiator, instigator, founder, father, prime mover, architect, engineer, designer, deviser, planner, inventor, maker, producer

Showing 1 to 25 of 4991 results

1. Authority Through Servanthood

Matthew 20:20-28, Matthew 20:17-19

Sermon

Dean Lueking

... the people dying of AIDS in our city. She is quiet in her manner, but fearless in her daily rounds of prayer, counsel, medical help, and spiritual support for men and women (and now children) who have this irreversible disease destroying their lives. She has an authority because her mind is Christlike and her life is not cheapened by plastic images of great numbers, great wealth, great power in ministry. She washes the feet of the suffering day in and day out. I know her and honor her as a person of great ...

2. Amazing Authority

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... growing up, when my Dad whistled, you better come running and you better holler "Coming" as loud as you could. We were attuned to Dad's whistle. That was just one of the ways we knew that our parents ruled the roost. C. Then There's Boot Camp Authority: The Drill Instructor or Company Commander weren't just in charge, they were God. You didn't do anything without their permission. You ate, slept, walked, talked, went to the bathroom when they told you to. They even told you how long of a shower to take ...

3. The Author Who Wipes Away Sins

Acts 3:12-19

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... , the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life.... -- Acts 3:12-15a Let's look at this bad news. Let me paraphrase and summarize what happened. First, Peter said, "You misread the power you see. You think we have done this act of healing. We haven't done it. God, the God of our ...

4. Submission to the Authorities

Romans 13:1-7

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

... of view at the same time implies the limits of obedience. If obedience is a matter of conscience, then it is no longer servile; when conscience is introduced as the motive of obedience, the latter can no longer be counted on! It becomes possible to object to authority on the grounds of conscience (Romans, p. 335). Paul thus approached the relation of church and state not as a Sadducee who lived from the advantages of the state, nor as a Zealot who lived to overthrow the state, nor as a Pharisee who divorced ...

5. Where Did He Get Such Authority?

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... along a major trade route. When Jesus began his public ministry he made Capernaum his home. Our story takes place on the Sabbath. Jesus has gone into the synagogue and begun to teach. The people are amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. While he was teaching a man in the synagogue who, Mark tells us, “was possessed by an impure spirit,” cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you ...

6. Jesus’s Authority to Forgive and Heal Sinners

Mark 2:1-12

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... speaking from a human point of view, where it is harder to heal than to forgive. Also, Jesus centers on which is easier to say rather than to do, and one can demonstrate forgiveness much more easily than healing. 2:10 know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. “That you might know” may be language borrowed from Moses’s confrontation of Pharaoh on behalf of God (Exod. 7:17; 8:10, 12; 10:2), especially Exodus 9:14, where Pharaoh is to know “that there is none like me [the Lord ...

7. Jesus’ Authority to Perform Miracles

Matthew 8:18-22, Matthew 8:23-27, Matthew 8:28-34, Matthew 9:1-8

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.2 Putting trust in Jesus and following him are right responses to experiencing his authority. Poetry: “A Tent for a Home,” by Jeannine Brown. This lyric about allegiance and security is drawn from Matthew 8:18–22: The fox has its hole and the bird its nest, But the Son has no place to lay his head, So they followed the Lord and ...

8. The Resurrected Jesus Is Vindicated by God and Given All Authority

Matthew 28:1-10, Matthew 28:11-15, Matthew 28:16-20

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... this climactic scene of Matthew’s Gospel, the disciples are not those of exemplary faith, but they do rightly worship Jesus (cf. 14:33). By portraying the disciples in worship here, Matthew begins and ends his narrative with people worshiping Jesus (2:2, 11). 28:18 All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Matthew has identified Jesus with the “son of man” figure from Daniel at key narrative points (e.g., 10:23; 16:28; 24:30; 26:64). Daniel 7:13–14 is also evoked here with Jesus ...

9. Jesus’ Compassion and Authority to Do the Miraculous

Matthew 14:13-21, Matthew 14:22-36

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... ; 15:32), although this motif is implicit in many of the healing stories. 14:16 You give them something to eat. Jesus seems to expect his disciples to provide for the crowds in some miraculous way. This coheres with the Mission Discourse, in which Jesus grants authority to the Twelve to do the miraculous (10:1) by following the pattern of Jesus’ own ministry (10:7–8). Yet the disciples will fall short of Jesus’ expectations for them in this regard (see 15:33; 17:14–20). As Donald Verse put notes ...

10. A New Kind of Authority

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

King Duncan

... her mother and said, “Mommy, I want God to do for me what he’s done for Daddy.” It’s hard to argue with a testimony like that. Strobel says that God changed not only him, God changed his family and changed his world. Today he is a well-known author and pastor. Can you give the same kind of testimony? Saul was a big man with big plans. But he was an angry man who took out his anger on others. Christ humbled Saul and gave him a new name, Paul, a name that means small. Ironically, after becoming small ...

11. Jesus Claims God-Given Authority to Condemn the Leaders

Mark 12:1-12, Mark 11:27-33

Teach the Text

Grant R. Osborne

... and has won the first round handily. 12:1 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables. There has not been an extended parable since chapter 4, but Jesus now goes on the offensive and takes the fight to the leaders. They have challenged his authority in 11:28; now he challenges their refusal to follow God. He chooses a story form that will show them their unbelief, obduracy, and coming judgment by God. There are parallel parables in the Old Testament in which Ahab (1 Kings 20:38–43) or David (2 ...

12. Trusting Authority

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

... that I know. In company with the millions of Christians who have honored the lordship of Christ during the past 2,000 years, I willingly and lovingly submit my life and my heart to Jesus. Why? Because I trust his love. I trust his wisdom. I trust his authority. I trust that as Lord of my life, he will never lord it over me but instead, empower me to be a free and joyful servant in his name. Friends, who are the strangers, the foreigners, the seekers in your life that can teach you something about faith ...

13. Jesus Demonstrates Messianic Authority over the Temple

Matthew 21:12-17, Matthew 21:18-22

Teach the Text

Jeannine K. Brown

... . 3:16–17; Eph. 2:19–22; 1 Pet. 2:4–5); (3) the vision of a “new Jerusalem” that has no temple “because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev. 21:2, 22). Teaching the Text 1. Jesus shows his messianic authority over the temple by critiquing the Jerusalem temple administration. Matthew seems to draw on expectations for the Messiah to purify the temple in this scene, in which Jesus emphasizes God’s intention for the temple as a place of prayer and worship. This is the first ...

14. An Appeal for Full Allegiance to Apostolic Authority

2 Corinthians 10:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... , as over against his ability and willingness to write in a bold way from a distance. For his own part, Paul refuses, in imitation of the meekness and gentleness of Christ (see also 1 Cor. 4:12; 1 Pet. 2:23), to be moved to a demonstration of his authority simply by the challenge to do so (cf. Matt. 4:3, 6). Instead, before the necessity for authoritative action imposes itself, he chooses to beg that the challenge be withdrawn. If it is not, then a demonstration will indeed take place. But it will not be a ...

15. Speaking with Prophetic Authority

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... to listen when people speak the truth? Would we rather run from the message and its challenge than face it squarely? There are many others in our contemporary society who serve as prophets and probably don't even realize it. Parents, you have been given special authority by God to proclaim the Lord's word, in speech and action to your children. You are prophets to them in a real way. Do you take this responsibility to proclaim God's word, whether it is a word of discipline, praise, or love to your children ...

16. Submission to the Authorities

Romans 13:1-7

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Jerusalem in AD 70. The application of the principle of 13:1 is spelled out in 13:6–7 with regard to the payment of direct and indirect taxes (tribute and custom tax). These taxes must be paid, as they are demanded by the ruling authorities, whom God has instituted. The background of this astonishingly specific example is probably the unrest in the city of Rome at the time, caused by the increase in direct and indirect taxes under Nero. With the last two obligations—respect and honor—Paul returns to ...

17. The Authority of Jesus Questioned

Luke 20:1-8

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... :45–46). The atmosphere is tense. The many questions put to Jesus are hostile and are designed to trap him into making an incriminating response (see esp. vv. 20–26). The chapter may be divided into the following six parts: (1) the question about Jesus’ authority (vv. 1–8); (2) the Parable of the Wicked Vineyard Tenants (vv. 9–19); (3) the question about paying taxes (vv. 20–26); (4) the question about the resurrection (vv. 27–40); (5) the question about the Son of David (vv. 41–44); and (6 ...

18. The Authority of Scripture: God's Breathed Word

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... . We want the Bible to provide us a way to salvation, we want to hear and respond to the invitation of Christ, but we don’t want to use God’s Word as a blueprint for living. But we really have no choice. If we are going to accept the authority of Scripture – then we are going to have to accept it for the whole of life – and that means we are called to holiness. Here is a story, challenging us to holiness. A while ago there was a news paper article about a teacher who had taught in the public ...

19. The Four Authorities

Illustration

... the other fellow knows you are, the more confident he will be that you know what you are talking about and the more likely he will be to follow your orders, requests, or suggestions. He will think of you as an authority in the matter under consideration and will feel it risky to ignore your wishes. 2. The Authority of Position: This component gives you the right to tell someone, "Do it or else." It has teeth. "The boss wants it" is a bugle call that can snap many an office or shop into action. 3. The ...

20. A Man Under Authority / A Centurion's Faith, An Elder's Love

Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Lori Wagner

... friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ’Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ’Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said ...

21. Authority

Matthew 28:16-20

Children's Sermon

... am only one. Well, now, that isn't exactly the way it is with God, but it helps us to understand how one God can be three persons. I know that you believe that Jesus Christ is God and because he is God he is powerful. He has authority. Do you know what authority means? That's a big word. But there is a smaller word in it. Let me show you what I mean. Do you know what I brought with me this morning? [Hold up the comic strips.] How many of you read the comics? Good. Are they real people ...

22. The Authority of Jesus Questioned

Mark 11:27-33

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... as a buffer organization between Rome and Palestine. 11:27–33 ·“The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders” (11:27)—in other words, a delegation of the Sanhedrin—confront Jesus in the temple with the question, “By what authority are you doing these things?” (11:28). By “these things” they are evidently recalling Jesus’s presumption to forgive sins (2:10), supersession of torah and Sabbath (2:23–3:6), acceptance of sinners and tax collectors (2:16), disruption of temple ...

23. The Authority of Jesus Questioned

Mark 11:27-33

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... priests, the teachers of the law and the elders: These are the same figures mentioned in Jesus’ prediction of his execution in 8:31 (cf. 9:31; 10:33). These people were the main groups represented on the high council of the Jews (the Sanhedrin). 11:28 What authority: The term authority here and in vv. 29–33 is also found in 1:22, 27; 2:10; 3:15; 6:7 (see also 13:34). Its frequent usage in Mark makes it an important theological term. 11:32 But if we say, “From men …”: Mark does not complete the ...

24. United Obedience to God's Authority

2 Samuel 5:1-5

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

... 's Kingdom for which we pray. People: We pray for such unity and obedience, that God may have his way on earth. Collect Heavenly Father, who has created us to be subject to your divine authority: Grant us hearts submissive to your will, that we may live in harmony with one another, and in obedience to your authority. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Prayer of Confession We are brothers and sisters, Father, but we often deny our family ties by our disobedience to your will. Forgive us when we acknowledge your ...

25. A Strange Authority

Mark 6:1-13

Sermon

Kristin Borsgard Wee

... . I might not be any smarter or braver, but I'd certainly know I had been blessed. I wouldn't be interested in standing in front of a mirror practicing someone else's smile. I'd have a new self-confidence because Jesus believes in me and gives me his authority. I just might begin to think maybe I can do this after all. Of course, it doesn't usually happen that way here. But it does happen. Every Sunday you are sent. At the end of the worship service, we say, "Go in peace. Feed the hungry." Or words like ...

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