Sermon Resources on Benefit Of The Doubt

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Author

Paul Tillich

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 3:11-12, Matthew 14:28-31, Mark 9:24 , James 1:5-8 , Psalm 13:1-2, Psalm 42:5

Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.

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The Root of the Word Doubt

Author

Travis Dickinson

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 22:1-19, Numbers 13:14, Job 1:42, Matthew 14:22-33, Psalm 43:

The root of our English term doubt has to do with duplicity. It is being divided or doubled up in our thinking. But this isn’t a matter of simply being confused or unable to make up our mind or ...

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Understanding Cultural Identity

Author

Daniel Hill

Keywords

No writer has had a greater impact on my understanding of cultural identity than Dr. Beverly Tatum. …When introducing cultural identity (or racial identity, a term she uses synonymously), Tatum tells...

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Experiencing Joy and Sorrow as a Black Man

Author

Jonathan Walton

Keywords

In 2008, I felt like an American for the first time because I saw a leader who looked like me. All my life I hoped my education and accomplishments would free me from the history of my skin color as i...

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Certainty vs. Aiming at Confidence

Author

Travis Dickinson

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 15:1-6, Exodus 14:10-14, Job 1:42, Matthew 14:22-33, Psalm 23:

We should aim for rational confidence in these sorts of pursuits because certainty is a mere will-o’-the-wisp. Finite minds simply can’t pull it off. Though the distinction between aiming at certainty...

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What is Faith? Is it a Way of Knowing?

Author

Travis Dickinson

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 15:1-6, Exodus 14:10-14, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 23:, James 2:14-26

There’s no shortage of the religiously faithless who seem eager to tell us what faith is. Many of these characterizations of faith are reminiscent of Mark Twain’s precocious schoolboy who quipped, “Fa...

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Do You Want to be Judged?

Author

Ken Sande

Keywords

Ken Sande, the author and director of Peacemaker Ministries, puts it this way: “How do you want others to judge you? Do you want them to believe good about you instead of evil? To interpret your a...

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Certainty and a House of Cards

Author

Travis Dickinson

Keywords

Scripture

Job 1:42, Genesis 18:10-15, Exodus 14:10-14, Psalm 73:, Mark 9:14-29

When we aim at certainty when it comes to our Christian beliefs, it sets us up for failure. …Imagine someone with a lot of time on their hands who painstakingly constructs a five-foot-high house of...

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God Can Care for Us, Reputation and All

Author

Richard J. Foster

Keywords

There is a story of a medieval monk who was being unjustly accused of certain offenses. One day he looked out his window and saw a dog biting and tearing on a rug that had been hung out to dry. As he ...

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Not All Who Wander are Lost

Author

Travis Dickinson

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 3:1-15, Genesis 12:1-9, Job 1:42, Psalm 139:, Acts 9:1-19

In the novel The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien, there is a poem called the “Riddle of Strider.” One stanza goes like this: All that is gold does not glitter; Not all who wan...

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Who’s My Father?

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 3:13-14, Genesis 27:18-19, John 14:8-9, Luke 15:11-24 , Psalm 139:1-3

Ralph Fiennes (1962–) is a renowned British film actor, with a long-list of film credits to his name, including The Constant Gardner, Schindler’s List, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. He also starred i...

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Whatever Circumstances Arise

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, Numbers 30:2, Matthew 5:33-37, James 5:12, Psalm 15:1-4

Ira Gershwin (1896–1983), the celebrated American lyricist, was known for his collaborations with his brother George on numerous iconic songs and musicals. He was also an avid, though notoriously unlu...

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Resolved: To Use My Words For God’s Glory

Author

Jonathan Edwards

Keywords

The great pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards wrote up a series of resolutions regaring his personal life and behavior. These resolutions relate to the tongue: 31. Resolved, Never to say anything...

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G. K. Chesterton: The Great Defender of Tradition

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Matthew 15:3, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Psalm 119:97-98

G. K. Chesterton was well-known (and iconoclastic) in his defense of tradition in a time when progress was all the rage in Western Europe- in technology, in the sciences, in philosophy. Chesterton, on...

lectionary

25th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 12:38-44

Ancient Lens What's the historical context? Context in Mark Recall the context. In chapter 11, Jesus entered Jerusalem to much acclaim and briefly entered the temple (vv. 1-11). The next day,...

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5 Steps to Handling Strife Within the Church

Author

Mike Kenyon

Keywords

Scripture

James 4:1, Philippians 2:14, 1 Corinthians 14:33, James 1:5

Conflict in Ministry Have you ever whispered to yourself, “I didn’t sign up for this?” I confess those words have passed through my mind more than once over the years. When I started out in ministry...

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Where Is Jesus? A Question at the Heart of Advent

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 11:3

“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” It’s a simple question. It’s also a question on everyone’s minds in the gospels. But it hits differently when you remember who asks i...

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Psalm 91 | God as Dwelling Place Against

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 91:, Genesis 3:, Deuteronomy 6:16

Ancient lens What’s the historical context? Psalm of Lament or Psalm of Trust? We’ve categorized this psalm under the psalms of lament. The psalms of lament highlight the problems and enemies tha...

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Truth in the Pulpit: Why Intellectual Integrity Matters for Pastors

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

While sexual sin, financial scandals, and toxic work environments hurt pastoral credibility, a more subtle, and probably more common danger is carelessness with the truth. Intellectual integrity matte...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

2 Kings 5:1-14, Luke 4:27, Joshua 12:1-3

Many Israelites Had Leprosy, but Naaman Was Healed As we go from mountains to fresh water, we go from Elijah to Elisha. Despite having a double dose of Elijah’s power and a fraction of his hair, Eli...

series

Lakes and Streams: 1, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

2 Kings 5:1-14, Joshua 12:1-3, Joshua 12:1-3, Luke 4:27

For purposes of practicality and relatability, this series considers the Sea of Galilee to be a lake and classifies other fresh or mostly fresh water locations together under the same banner. Th...

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Ageism Everywhere All at Once — An Opportunity for the Church

Author

Mark Roberts

Keywords

Third Third of Life

Scripture

Isaiah 51:null, Psalm 92:12-14, Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

Earlier this month Michelle Yeoh won the Best Actress Academy Award for her work in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once . In her moving acceptance speech, she said, “For all the little boys an...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Isaiah 9:2-7 (Guide A)

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 9:2-7, John 14:27

What is God’s essence? God’s primary motivation, desire, and purpose? What is God’s heart? God’s heart is a heart of peace. God could have chosen to stay distant – holy yet detached or absent. Inste...

lectionary

Christmas: Nativity of the Lord

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 9:2-7, John 14:27

preaching commentary What is God’s essence? God’s primary motivation, desire, and purpose? What is God’s heart? God’s heart is a heart of peace. God could have chosen to stay distant – holy yet de...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

Author

Jeff Volkmer

Keywords

Scripture

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15, John 13:10, John 14:7, John 14:13-14, John 13:31-32, John 14:19-21, John 14:16, John 14:15-18, John 3:8, John 8:46, Matthew 4:8-9, Luke 4:5-6, John 14:30, John 12:31, John 6:12, Ephesians 2:2, John 16:12, John 14:17, John 16:14, John 16:6, John 14:6

Context The Upper Room Discourse Our Gospel reading for today takes place within what has come to be known as the “Upper Room discourse,” a stretch of Scripture unique to John’s Gospel that begins ...

lectionary

Pentecost

Author

Jeff Volkmer

Keywords

Scripture

John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15, John 15:26-27, John 16:4-15, John 13:10, John 14:7, John 14:13-14, John 13:31-32, John 14:19-21, John 14:16, John 14:15-18, John 3:8, John 8:46, Matthew 4:8-9, Luke 4:5-6, John 14:30, John 12:31, John 6:12, Ephesians 2:2, Hebrews 12:2, John 16:12, John 14:17, John 16:14, John 16:6, John 14:6

Preaching Commentary Context The Upper Room Discourse Our Gospel reading for today takes place within what has come to be known as the “Upper Room discourse,” a stretch of Scripture unique to Jo...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Author

Geoff Helton

Keywords

Scripture

John 10:11-18, John 9:null, Genesis 4:2-4, Numbers 14:33, 1 Samuel 16:11, 2 Samuel 5:2, Isaiah 56:11, Zechariah 10:2, Jeremiah 23:1-2, Jeremiah 50:6, Zechariah 10:2-3, John 10:11-18, Ezekiel 34:11-16, Psalm 23:, Luke 15:1-7, Matthew 18:12-14, John 13:1, John 15:13, John 9:34-35

Preaching Commentary Context Signs and Dialogue There’s a reoccurring pattern in Johns’s Gospel in which Jesus performs a sign, which is followed by dialogue and then commentary from Jesus that pr...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, 2 Timothy 2:8-15

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 2:8-15, 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, 2 Timothy 2:18, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Philippians 1:12, Matthew 10:33, Romans 3:3-4

Preaching Commentary Paul’s Gospel In 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 we find the gospel that Paul preaches summarized in Christ’s crucifixion. Here in 2 Timothy 2:8, Paul’s gospel is encapsulated in Christ’...

lectionary

18th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

2 Timothy 2:8-15, 1 Corinthians 1:17-25, 2 Timothy 2:18, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Philippians 1:12, Matthew 10:33, Romans 3:3-4

Preaching Commentary Paul’s Gospel In 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 we find the gospel that Paul preaches summarized in Christ’s crucifixion. Here in 2 Timothy 2:8, Paul’s gospel is encapsulated in Christ’...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 6:1-6, 7-16, 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

preaching commentary A Tough Way to Start Ministry You don’t have to spend much time on Twitter or Facebook to be reminded that schadenfreude (taking joy from another's misfortune) is alive a...

Sermon Resources on benefit of the doubt

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