Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 726 to 750 of 769 results

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter - Psalms 133:1-3 First Lesson - Joseph forgoes vengeance for forgiveness and largesse. Genesis 45:1-15 Second Lesson - Paul praises the wideness of God's mercy. Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 Gospel - Jesus teaches that purity has more to do with the heart than with the hands, with the spirit than with the external. Matthew 15:10-28 CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Chri...

727. Epiphany 7

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Leader: Greetings! The year is not quite so new. But we’re glad for the breath of life and for the opportunity to gather in this place. People: We enjoy being together and we anticipate hearing God and responding with music, silence, and words. Leader: Here we learn the teachings of Jesus, and we can practice them with each other. People: It’s easy to love one another here; it’s ea...

728. Epiphany 7

Bulletin Aid

B. David Hostetter

READINGS Psalter—Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40 First Lesson—Rather than blame his brothers for their ill treatment of him, Joseph shows how it is providential that he has come to a position of power that can save them from famine. Genesis 45:3-11, 15 Second Lesson—Paul’s explanations of resurrection are taken from nature and Scripture. 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 Gospel—Jesus describes the magnanimity of...

729. Living Lightly

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

Our scripture lesson for the message today comes from the 45th chapter of the Book of Genesis. I’m beginning with the 4th and ready through the 20th verses. Joseph said to his brothers, come near to me I pray you, and they came near. And he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me b...

730. Forgiveness and Reconciliation at Last!

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

It happened to a rural Lake County, South Dakota, Lutheran church in August of 2000. Vandals attacked the fieldstone St. Peter Lutheran Church building with vengeance -- breaking windows, smashing light fixtures, flipping over the baptismal font, slashing a large "Jesus the Good Shepherd" painting, scribbling, and carving obscenities into the sanctuary walls and fixtures. The golden altar cross ha...

731. The Possible Dream

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Sibling rivalry. It's the pits. It has been around as long as there have been siblings around. Beginning with Cain and Abel, we see one brother disgruntled because God likes the other brother's sacrificial offering better. We remember, too, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, the prodigal son and his older brother. Life is not fair. Sibling rivalry, and there's a fight. For every...

732. Breaking The Cycle - God’s Answer In Forgiveness

Sermon

Derl G. Keefer

People often mistake forgiveness for a feeling, but it goes much deeper. Basically it boils down to a choice, an act of free will. A prime example of forgiveness from the scriptures is Joseph. Joseph, the elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel, comes to the pages of the biblical account at age seventeen (Genesis 37). He is first seen tending his father's flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bi...

733. God’s Providence: The Long and Short of It

Sermon

David J. Kalas

We human beings are naturally fond of happy endings. We have an innate sense of the way things ought to be, and that part of us is profoundly satisfied when things turn out that way. The episode that we read today from the story of Joseph is a classic happy ending. It's a beautiful scene. The nearly blameless hero of the story, Joseph, has been finally rewarded for his wisdom and faithfulness, e...

734. A Man Of Character And Generosity

Sermon

King Duncan

When business guru Guy Kawasaki and his wife had their first child, they were determined to be politically and environmentally correct. They were going to use cotton diapers and wash them themselves. Two weeks went by. Doing your own cotton diapers, they discovered, doesn't cut it. They didn't want to wash the diapers with their stuff so they found that either their house stank or they felt guilty...

735. God Sends Us Ahead

Sermon

This is it. The moment we've all been waiting for. The moment when all the people who thought you'd never amount to anything watch you come out on the stage. The spotlight hits you. The audience stands and the entire hall reverberates with their applause. This is that moment when a man dressed in the finery of the Egyptian court makes himself known to his impoverished brothers. "It's me, Joseph! I...

736. You Meant Evil; God Meant Good

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

"I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt." With this poignant revelation, we come to the primary resolution of the Joseph story; but do we remember the beginning? It all started with a dream! Young Joseph was the favorite son of his father, the son of his old age. He was the one with the luxurious coat from his father. Joseph was too good to be true, the kind brothers can hardly abide...

737. God Made Me Do It!

Sermon

Barbara Brokhoff

"God sent me," "God made me" - strange words for most people to say! We say instead, "The devil made me do it!" It is almost remarkable then, that in a few short verses in the text, Joseph says four times: "God sent me," "God made me." Joseph feels that all of his life is under the guiding hand of God. Since God is his master, Joseph feels that no matter what happens - of good or bad - sadness or...

738. Pay Back Time

Sermon

David E. Leininger

Some years ago Bill Cosby did one of his many great comedy routines about his growing up years in Philadelphia.(1) He recalled a snowy winter day, enough snow on the ground for a really good snowball fight. So he and his friends had one. Now, if you grew up in an area where snowball fights are a common winter occurrence, you will know that there are certain unwritten rules about what is allowed a...

739. Turning Evil Into Good

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

The year was 1963. I was a graduating senior in high school and as president of our class I wrote in the year book this simple philosophy of life. “All things work together for good." Today, nearly 40 years later, I want to tell you why I still believe that statement is true. We catch up with our hero, Joseph, in the waning years of his life. His father is dead. His brothers are feeling guilty an...

740. Proper 15

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

COMMENTARY Old Testament: Genesis 45:1-15 Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, who have come to Egypt to secure food during the famine. Rather than seeking revenge, he sees God's gracious hand in his brothers' treachery. Joseph openly wept for joy and reveals his plan to provide for his entire family in Egypt. This ends the cycle of stories from Genesis. Old Testament: Isaiah 56:1-7 The proph...

741. Epiphany 7

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Genesis 45:3-11, 15 Joseph discloses his identity to his brothers. How does a person who has reached the zenith of success in terms of prestige, power, and authority deal with those who put him down to nothing but a slave and a prisoner falsely accused? In the story of Joseph, we have the dramatic moment when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers who sold him into slavery. One could e...

742. Testq sermon

Sermon

743. Playing Outside the Rules

Sermon

Lori Wagner

It’s no surprise that God is an “out of the box” thinker, is it? After all, God is the ultimate “outside of the box” God –can’t be confined to a tabernacle, won’t be pleased by a simple sacrifice, definitely won’t tolerate other gods, makes relationships in terms of covenant, creates humankind in God’s own image, gives people more than 1,000 chances to get it right…. and the list goes on. God can’...

744. Proper 15

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS In Genesis 45, Joseph provides his brothers with a theological interpretation of the events that have befallen him, while Psalm 133 celebrates kinship. Genesis 45:4-20 - "The Power of the Promise" Setting. Scholars have long since noted how different in character the Joseph stories are from the other ancestral stories. The sharpest point of contrast is the absence of God as...

745. Trusting God When You've Been Hurt

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Have you ever wished you could get back at someone who has treated you unjustly? You just want them to experience, if only for a moment, the frustration or pain that they have inflicted on you. Revenge is never a good idea, is it? But sometimes it’s awfully satisfying. A few years ago, a man named Mark Bao had his laptop stolen. Fortunately, Bao had a software program on his laptop that allowed h...

746. Jacob in Egypt

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Jacob prepares to head down to Egypt to see Joseph (46:1–34). On the way he stops at Beersheba and offers sacrifices to the Lord. Isaac, his father, has built an altar there (26:25). It is significant that the Lord speaks to Jacob after Jacob has worshiped. The last time God confronted Jacob was at night (32:22–32). The first time God spoke to Jacob was through a dream (28:10–12). The last time Go...

747. Jacob Goes to Egypt

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Jacob and His Family Move to Egypt: This account of Jacob’s family’s settling in Egypt contains seven sections: Jacob offers sacrifices at Beersheba (46:1–4), the journey to Egypt (46:5–7), a list of Jacob’s family (46:8–27), Jacob meets Joseph (46:28–30), Joseph prepares his brothers to meet Pharaoh (46:31–34), the audience with Pharaoh (47:1–10), and Joseph’s provisions for his father and brothe...

748. SHEPHERD

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Genesis 47:3 - "Pharaoh said to his brothers, ‘What is your occupation?’ And they said to Pharaoh, ‘Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.’ " Luke 2:8 - "And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." This is one of the oldest and most important occupations among the ancient Hebrews. There were two types of shepherds: nomads who fol...

749. Joseph and the Famine

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Joseph must continue to oversee the country. He collects the money the people use to purchase the grain. When the money is all gone, he accepts livestock as payment. When the livestock is all sold, he accepts land as payment. Only the priests are exempt from this administrative policy. Life is not prosperous for the Egyptians, but at least they are alive, and for this they are grateful to Joseph. ...

750. Joseph and the Famine

Understanding Series

John E. Hartley

Joseph’s Administration of the Famine: Joseph is pictured as a wise, shrewd, and compassionate administrator, loyal to Pharaoh as well as concerned for the people. During the harsh famine he displays great administrative skill in distributing the stored food in a way that meets the needs of the people and strengthens the crown. He prudently prepares for the land to return to production at the end ...

Showing 726 to 750 of 769 results