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Sermon
I remember reading in a church development book some time ago of the experiences of a church planter who spent a whole lot of his time in bars. Don't get me wrong. He didn't even drink! What this church planter decided right off the bat was that he would not seek out ready-made Christians (although they were welcome) but that he would go after the lost. He would go after the people that most churc...
Sermon
Frank Ramirez
In the old Soviet Union it was common for people who had fallen out of favor with the communist regime to also fall out of photographs. Long before digital photography made it easy to change our memories, a little air brushing could remove an incon­venient commissar who had been purged since the last worker's holiday. Indeed, Soviet watchers would study every photograph published in newspapers and...
Sermon
Mark Trotter
“Amazing Grace” is always listed among the favorite hymns. It is an old one. It goes back to the 18th century, written by John Newton, who was on the sea from the time he was a little boy. When he was a young man he became the captain of his own ship, a ship that brought African slaves to the colonies to work the plantations. Back in England, between voyages, he went to hear George Whitefield pre...
Sermon
Thomas C. Short
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it...
Sermon
Donald Dotterer
Let us pray: Gracious and eternal Father, today we come seeking to understand your purpose and your will for our lives. Help us to know that although we seek you, you have sought us first in love. Lord, grant us wisdom in these moments. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. One of the most common complaints that I hear about the medical profession is that many doctors are too detached from their patients...
Sermon
Richard J. Fairchild
Lord of light - shine upon us. God of love fill our hearts with your wisdom. Holy Spirit, bring yourself closer to us in my words and how we hear them, in our thoughts and how we think them. Use this time - and use us to accomplish your good will. Amen The Gospel reading began with these words: Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him (Jesus, that is.) And the Phar...
32. The ME and the WE
Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:1-7
Sermon
Leonard Sweet
The gospel is not a tablet of ink, but a table of food around which everyone is invited to sit down together and eat, drink and dream for tomorrow we act. A few weeks ago we marked the fiftieth anniversary (1963-2013) of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech. The power of that proclamation, the timely words of one man spoken at the one right moment before the enormous crowd gath...
33. When Heaven Rejoices
Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:1-7
Sermon
Timothy J. Smith
An owner of a small, crossroads store was appointed the local postmaster. But six months after his appointment, not one piece of mail had left the village. When concerned postal officials from Washington investigated, the local postmaster explained, "Well, it's simple; the bag ain't full yet." Once there was a church board that decided it wanted its congregation to grow numerically. An evangelism...
34. Dodging the Thrust
Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:1-7
Sermon
Carveth Mitchell
Jesus was the companion of sinners. Companion? Yes. We get our word "companion" from "com" (with) and "panis" (food). A companion is someone you eat with. Jesus was the companion of sinners. Who were these "sinners"? We’d have a difficult time pinning the label, having, as we do, Paul’s reminder to the Romans, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) The Pharisees h...
35. Stop the PANIC!
Exodus 15:1-21, Exodus 15:22-27, Exodus 16:1-36, Psalm 23:1-6, Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32
Sermon
Lori Wagner
Optional Prop: Shepherd’s crooked staff Stories about hikers lost in the woods have some common features. At some point, everything starts to look and feel the same. Instead of moving forward, the lost hikers circle around and around endlessly until, exhausted, they collapse in tears, resigned to never getting out, sure that the journey is impossible, complicated, and ultimately vexed? Thankfull...
36. Lost
Luke 15:1-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32
Sermon
Lori Wagner
[Possible props may include a coin, a sheep, or you may want to end with a witness to one who has gone through a “wrong turn” and has “re-turned” to God.] When I was young, there wasn’t a day that went by that the loudspeaker in the department store or the mall wouldn’t inevitably blare out the name of some lost child, tearfully waiting at customer service for his or her mother to find and rescue...
37. Welcome, Joe!
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Sermon
King Duncan
Welcome to worship this morning. I’m glad to see you here. And I’d like to offer a special welcome to all our Joes in the congregation this morning, since March 27 is officially “National Joe Day.” I’m not kidding. I don’t know who decides these things, like National Goof Off Day (March 22) or National Waffle Day (March 25), but March 27 is designated as National Joe Day. It’s a day for celebratin...
Sermon
Schuyler Rhodes
Not too long ago I had the privilege of being invited to preach at a conference in a different part of the country. I had a great conversation with the organizer of the conference, bought my plane ticket, and headed to my destination. After landing safely, I retrieved my luggage and went to meet my host. I had seen her photo before, and she gave me a description of her and what she would be wearin...
Sermon
Will Willimon
One spring break, I took a group of students on a retreat called, "Exploring the Christian Faith.'' The retreat was designed for people "who know something about Jesus, but are not yet ready to put their money down yet. I told them, ''I am going to use any means at my disposal—films, arguments, worship, music, Bible study—to arm wrestle you into following Jesus. But don’t get anxious, I am a Unit...
40. The Green-Eyed Monster
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Sermon
Lori Wagner
Who has heard of the “green-eyed monster”? Many predators can have green eyes: wolves, foxes, dogs, cats, among others. Those glow-in-the-dark, green eyes can chill us to the bone if we encounter them in the dark. And they should. They are probably contemplating what you’ll taste like for dinner. Narcissists think along similar lines. Give them your heart, and they’ll snack on you without battin...
Sermon
King Duncan
We all know that enthusiasm is contagious, isn’t it? When you’re around someone who is enthusiastic, you feel more energized and excited. Of course, if enthusiasm is contagious, then lack of enthusiasm must be contagious too, right? Pastor Ed Rowell once wrote about watching a famous country singer perform a live concert at a county fair. He said that she and her band gave a technically perfect p...
Sermon
Richard Hasler
D. L. Moody tells the story somewhere of going to a jail to preach and when he began to preach he saw a sign in the back of the hall that read in large bold letters: DO NOT PREACH ON THE PRODIGAL SON. Apparently, the prisoners had had enough sermons on that particular parable, even though it is one of Jesus’ most powerful parables about God’s redeeming grace. Fortunately, our lectionary text Lu...
43. Missing!
Luke 15:1-10
Sermon
Lori Wagner
Missing: Beagle, 12 pounds, black, brown, and white, 2 years old. Name: Barnabus How many of you would feel little sadness looking at this ad posted on your local street corner or on your facebook page? The first thing you think is that you hope the little dog can be found. You maybe think of the child who lost him or the owner in tears. You hope he is safe and that he’s not come to harm, becaus...
Sermon
King Duncan
Ken Davis tells a delightful story in his book, I DON'T REMEMBER DROPPING THE SKUNK, BUT I DO REMEMBER TRYING TO BREATHE. He writes that one morning, not long after Diane and he were married, he saw her wedding ring lying on the bathroom sink. He thought it would be great fun to make her think it was lost, so he hid the ring. That evening, Diane asked him if he had seen her ring. He wasn't ready f...
Sermon
James W. Moore
A few weeks ago (February 4, 2005) one of the major TV news networks (ABC Nightline) presented a powerful and amazing true story about the redemption of a notorious drug addict who had been lost… and then found. The program was entitled, The Doctor and the Reverend. The Doctor was an African-American man who was well-known and much feared in one of the roughest and toughest sections in the United...
Sermon
James W. Moore
A few weeks ago (February 4, 2005) one of the major TV news networks (ABC Nightline) presented a powerful and amazing true story about the redemption of a notorious drug addict who had been lost… and then found.  The program was entitled, The Doctor and the Reverend. The Doctor was an African-American man who was well-known and much feared in one of the roughest and toughest sections in the Unite...
Showing 26 to 46 of 46 results