Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1 to 25 of 35 results

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Lee Griess

This morning's Gospel reading sets the theme for us today, an appropriate theme as we begin our observance of Lent -- the theme of sin and temptation. It's an appropriate one because it is one with which we all struggle. I recently read a story about a little boy named Bobby who desperately wanted a new bicycle. His plan was to save his nickels, dimes and quarters until he finally had enough to ...

2. Our Christian I.D.

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

John M. Braaten

Given that you and I are reasonably good people, it probably does not amaze you to read that Jesus was able to overcome temptation. After all, like me, you've probably been able to do it yourself, many times. Admittedly, we have also caved in to temptation innumerable times, but for a person with Jesus' devotion and strength, eluding the tempter's entrapment must have been a piece of cake. That as...

3. LENT: The Passion of Christ: "Tempted"

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

There was a young man named Fred, from the mountains of eastern Tennessee. He was the poster child for lazy and no-good. When he was called up for duty in the Army during the Vietnam War, Fred had high hopes that he would be exempted because of he had double vision. The doctor said, "See that chart on the wall over there?" "Not very well, Doc. It's all blurry," said Fred. "You've passed," said ...

4. A Stone’s Throw From: Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

Have you ever noticed how on some signs the message which was intended isn't the one that comes across? Like the one in a Department Store which announced: "Bargain Basement Is Upstairs." Or how about these signs: "Show Signs" My favorite is actually a mistranslation, at least I hope. I'm pretty sure they meant valuables but the sign in a Paris hotel read: "Please leave your values at the front ...

5. When Saying No Means Yes

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Mark Trotter

Traditionally the lesson that is to be read on this Sunday, the first Sunday in the season of Lent, is the story of Jesus' Temptation. There is a reason. Lent begins forty days before Easter, excluding the Sundays. Forty days were chosen as the length of the season because Jesus was in the wilderness during his temptation for forty days. The number has an even more ancient significance. Israel sp...

6. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Jesus was unrelenting in his forward thinking. Consider how much time he spent teaching about the kingdom of God, which was both now and not-yet. What pleasures from God are being poisoned in our lives because we cannot escape a life of constant regret - the "if onlys," "wrong turns," "yes-buts," and "sour notes" of woulda/coulda/shoulda thinking? We've all done it: enraged or insulted, frightene...

7. What to Give Up for Lent

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

R. Robert Cueni

The Faithful Followers Sunday School class at the Church of What’s Happening Now was discussing the upcoming season of Lent. The congregation had never had such a discussion. This congregation prided itself on their core value of relevance. Adhering to ancient seasons such as Advent and Lent simply did not rise to that standard. Their church calendar had a softball schedule but no mention of Lent....

8. The Church Should Go To Hell!

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Many churches, as part of their routine of worship, engage in the "passing of the peace." The practice has been a part of reformed worship since the days of John Calvin following the Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon; it is a visible acknowledgment of the fact that, as we have been forgiven, we also forgive. "The peace of Christ bewith you ... and also with you." How about this scenari...

9. The Temptations

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Jon L. Joyce

No matter how many times I look at this text, I come back to my first inclination: "Temptations of Ministry." Each of the temptations can be related to temptations of the individual Christian or the corporate Christian body today. In a sermon based on that theme, you might make several points which may not be obvious to the worshiper who has just heard the Gospel read orally: 1. Jesus’ temptation...

10. Adam And Jesus See Temptation

Genesis 3:1-24, Genesis 2:4-25, Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David Belgum

Adam and Jesus were both good and created in the Image of God. It was not inherent evil or original sin that blinded Adam. We read that "God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good"; that included fish, birds, cattle, creeping things, and Adam. "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." Nothing was lacking. Everything was going along just fine. ...

11. Keep The Devil Out!

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Because of the book and movie, The Exorcist, there is probably more talk about the Devil than ever. The movie earned even more than The Godfather - $180 million. For blocks, people lined up waiting to enter the theaters. One theater operator reported that, at each showing, there were four blackouts, six vomiting spells, and many spontaneous leavings during the show. Today, we are pre-occupied with...

12. Out of Solitude

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

"HELP!!! I'VE LOST MY FOCUS!" That's the title of an article in the January Time Magazine with the subtitle: "E-mail and cell phones help us multitask, but they also drive us to distraction." The authors begin: "Spend a few hours with Hollywood producer Jennifer Klein and you might want to pop a valium. Or slip her one. From the moment she rises at 7:00 a.m., she's a fidgety, demanding, chatterin...

13. With Jesus In The Wilderness

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

This is not exactly camping season. Nevertheless, over the six weeks of Lent we are going into the wilderness as we prepare for Easter Sunday. And while we make our journey through the wilderness, we’re going to tell stories, wilderness stories, from the Bible. To get you in the mood, I found a list of camping tips by a man named Bruce Cochran which was printed in the Sept. ‘96 issue of Backpacke...

14. At The Fork In The Road

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

In his book, Invitation to Pilgrimage, John Bailey wrote, "I am sure that the bit of road that most requires to be illuminated is the point where it forks." (Charles Scribner's and Sons, 1942, p. 8) He's right, isn't he? There's no place on our life's journey where we need more light than when we come to some crucial fork in the road and have to make a decision as to which direction we are going ...

15. Temptation

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Temptation. Oscar Wilde is quoted a saying, "I can resist everything -- except temptation!" Humorist Robert Orben has observed, "Most people want to be delivered from temptation but would like to keep in touch." Another wag has asked, "Why is it that opportunity knocks only once, yet temptation bangs on the door constantly?"(1) Once there was a small boy who wanted a pair of skates. His parents, ...

16. The Church Should Go to Hell!

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Last summer, shortly after my arrival in Warren, one of the first things I encountered as a "problem" in our worship services was the "Passing of the Peace" - some folks did not like it; they felt it was a disruption in the dignity of worship, this period of enforced sociability. For what it is worth, this is not the only congregation where that feeling has ever been expressed. Despite that, we co...

17. Feasting and Fasting for Lent (Part I)

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Eric Ritz

Many of you sitting in the congregation today often ask me where do I find the material and ideas for sermons. I must confess that 75% of the time the ideas find me. The ideas come from a variety of sources. I recently shared how a splendid quote from St. Frances de Sales helped create the sermon "The Measure of Love." I get ideas from the conversations I share with you at weddings, anniversary pa...

18. Testing Time

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

To live the Christian life is to be tested. As day follows night and night follows day, we experience it all of our days. The deeper we go, the more testing comes upon us. So, there is nothing unique about all of this. If we expect our daily walk with Christ to be any different, we are guilty of self-deception. Sometimes it is really severe and we wonder about its cessation. Patience becomes virt...

19. Are You Giving Up Chocolate for Valentine's Day?

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Welcome on this Valentine’s Day. It is ironic that this is also the First Sunday in Lent. Lent is generally that season of the year when people have chosen a favorite treat or some vice to give up for these six weeks. One man said his children traditionally gave up something like candy for Lent. Last year, however, he urged them to go beyond that to giving up some habit or sin that they knew was ...

20. In the Wilderness with the Devil

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Paul Grobman in his book Vital Statistics tells about incident that occurred on January 21, 1996. This incident--which might be every child’s fantasy and every parent’s nightmare--involved two brothers, Antony and Jerome who live in Quebec, Canada. It seems that the two boys wandered off from their backyard and went to a nearby Toys R Us, the now defunct toy store chain. While amusing themselves i...

21. When We Are Tempted

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Pastor John Jewell tells about a 20/20 episode sometime back in which some children of about four years of age were forced to deal with the ancient scourge of temptation. They were left alone in a room. Sitting in front of them was two or three M&Ms. They were told they could have a whole package of M&Ms if they would wait five minutes for a bell to ring before devouring the two or three M&Ms in f...

22. Hit Me with Your Best Shot

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was an expert at sleight of hand, a skeptic when it came to the spiritualists and other psychic phonies of his day, but he was best known for his ability to escape from what seemed to be impossible situations. Straitjackets, chains, ropes, jail cells, strange devices such as a milk pail filled with water — he managed to escape from one situation after another in full view...

23. Would You Take The Crown Without The Cross?

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Brett Blair

The local sheriff was looking for a deputy, and one of the applicants - who was not known to be the brightest academically, was called in for an interview. "Okay," began the sheriff, "What is 1 and 1?" "Eleven," came the reply. The sheriff thought to himself, "That's not what I meant, but he's right." Then the sheriff asked, "What two days of the week start with the letter 'T'?" "Today & tomorrow...

24. On Defeating the Devil

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

Frank G. Honeycutt

At every baptism in the Lutheran church an old question is asked. A question used at countless baptisms all over the world. A question that is almost as old as the church itself. Just before water is splashed in the threefold name, I look at parents and sponsors and sometimes adult candidates across the pool and ask: Do you renounce all the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises? T...

25. The Devil Quotes Scriputure, Too

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

I will always remember the immortal words of Flip Wilson’s "Geraldine:" "The devil made me do it!" She said those words with a gleam in her eye which let you know just how enjoyable yielding to temptation really was. Temptation has come on hard times in our day. It has come to mean little more than resistance to a hot-fudge sundae when you are on a diet, or turning down a piece of chocolate cake. ...

Showing 1 to 25 of 35 results