Sermon Resources on Observation

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Galileo and the Courage to See the Truth

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* This story is debated among Galileo scholars, though most would agree that the story conveys Galileo’s unique approach to learning. Galileo Galilei was a man who dared to look beyond what othe...

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Yogi Berra

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You can observe a lot by watchin’.

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Marilyn vos Savant

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To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.

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Clarence Budington Kelland

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My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.

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Christopher Guest

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Proverbs 13:20 , Job 12:7-9, Ecclesiastes 1:13, Psalm 119:99, Luke 14:7-11, 1 Corinthians 11:1

“People say, “You must have been the class clown.” And I say, “No, I wasn’t. But I sat next to the class clown, and I studied him.”

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Hans Urs von Balthasar

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There is much in Christianity which can be subjected to exact analysis. But the ultimate things are shrouded in the silent mysteries of God.

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Thomas à Kempis

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That learning which thou gettest by thy own observation and experience, is far beyond that which thou gettest by precept; as the knowledge of a traveler exceeds that which is got by reading.

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Jerry Bridges

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Good Works

My observation of Christendom is that most of us tend to base our personal relationship with God on our performance instead of on His grace.

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Edward Bulwer-Lytton

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Conversation

The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man’s observation, not overturning it.

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I once heard the missionary author Elisabeth Elliot tell of accompanying the Auca woman Dayuma from her jungle home in Ecuador to New York City. As they walked the streets, Elliot explained cars, fire...

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The Greatest Subject in Human History

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The Pastor's Workshop

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Matthew 22:36-38, Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Have you ever heard of the Greatest Books of the Western World collection? Published by Encyclopedia Britannica in 1954, this comprehensive series was edited by Robert Hutchins and Mortimer J. A...

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Sermon Prep & Self-Awareness: Austin Carty's Guide to Authentic Sermon Writing

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Paul Koptak

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Some of the Words are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon by is a book by a preacher who loves the craft of writing . And what is the writing of poetry, fiction, essay, but offering ins...

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What Is the Smell of Happiness?

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Mia Levetan

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Exodus 30:22–25, Genesis 8:20–21, Song of Solomon 1:3, John 12:1-8, 2 Corinthians 2:15, Psalm 141:2

Have you seen The Good Place ? You should. The afterlife comedy TV show, starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, offers a quirky take on heaven and hell which offers plenty of grist for the mill fo...

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God Dislikes Uniformity

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Richard J. Mouw

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Genesis 1:20, 22, 24, Deuteronomy 10:17–19, Isaiah 56:6–7 , Acts 10:34–35, Galatians 3:28, Psalm 104:24

The South African politician Nic Diederichs—a prominent leader during the apartheid era—once made a rather provocative observation: God, he said, dislikes deadly uniformity. I hate to admit that I lik...

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And the Rest...

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Darren Pollock

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John 21:1-19

The presence of two anonymous disciples in the list in v. 2 [of John 21] (“…Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Psalm 22 (Guide B)

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Scott B. Bullock

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Psalm 22:, Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:34, Hebrews 2:12

Ancient lens What’s the historical context? A Structured Complaint The Psalmist organizes his complaint against God in three sections. The first two sections dramatize the complaint (vv. 1-11 and...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Psalm 133 (Guide B)

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Scott B. Bullock

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Scripture

Psalm 133:, Luke 2:41-52, Zechariah 99:

Ancient lens What’s the historical context? Packed with Singular Meaning, A Pilgrim Song We have three verses packed with singular meaning⸺unity. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and si...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Psalm 8 (Guide B)

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Scott B. Bullock

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Psalm 8:, Psalm 144:3, Job 7:17, Hebrews 2:6-10, Matthew 21:16, 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Ancient Lens What’s the historical context? Background Structure This Psalm of David is unique. “It is the only hymn in the Old Testament composed completely as a direct address to God.” [1] It e...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Psalm 51

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Jin Cho

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Psalm 51:, Psalm 51:1-17, Psalm 51:, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:17, Romans 6:4, 2 Samuel 12:

The Broken Heart Bonus Content: Video prep session with Jin Cho on Psalm 51 . Password: Bn*=61p! Introduction Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent: a time of p...

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Scripture Guide, Acts 19:1-7

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Darren Pollock

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Acts 19:1-7, 1 Corinthians 3:6, Acts 19:, Acts 18:24-25, Philippians 3:5, Acts 11:18, Philippians 1:6, Romans 12:, 1 Corinthians 12:

Context Paul in Ephesus: His Third Missionary Journey This passage describes Paul’s arrival in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. He finds there some disciples who know only of John’s bapt...

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A Criticism for Higher Criticism in Biblical Studies

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Craig Evans

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Isaiah 55:8-9, Job 38:1-4, Proverbs 3:5-7, Colossians 2:8, John 20:27-29, Psalm 19:1-2

The New Testament scholar Craig Evans makes a compelling observation about how the academy can sometimes hinder the church through overly skeptical scholarship: Some scholars seem to think that th...

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The News-Media: Moving from Sports to Entertainment to Horrible Crises

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Steven Garber

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1 Kings 19:11-12, Isaiah 55:8-9, Psalm 46:10, Matthew 6:33-34, Philippians 4:6-7

In those same weeks, Harper’s Magazine featured an evening-long conversation between two professors, Neil Postman and Camille Paglia, about the meaning of television for persons and for polities...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Matthew 2:1-12 (Guide B)

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

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Scripture

Matthew 2:1-12, Micah 5:2

Confusion about Epiphany The celebration of the Epiphany of our Lord can be at once both wholly familiar or somewhat confusing, especially for those who grew up in less liturgical traditions. What ca...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, John 6:51-58

Author

Allen Thompson

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Scripture

John 6:51-58

Ancient Lens What's the historical context? A Hard Saying The difficulty of this saying was used by opponents of the early Christians to justify persecution, yet the early church still rallie...

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Was the Star of Bethlehem a Comet?

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The Pastor's Workshop

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Matthew 2:1-12

As early as AD 248, Origen suggested that the star of Bethlehem was a comet—and there continue to be astronomers who think that he was right. Comets are icy objects that orbit the sun. When seen fro...

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Less is More

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Mardy Grothe

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Luke 16:13, Matthew 6:21, 1 Corinthians 14:33, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 2:11-12, 1 Peter 1:14-16

Less is more. Coined by Robert Browning and popularized by the German-born American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, nothing could be further from the literal truth. But when people use this exp...

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13th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Allen Thompson

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Scripture

John 6:51-58

Ancient Lens What's the historical context? A Hard Saying The difficulty of this saying was used by opponents of the early Christians to justify persecution, yet the early church still rallie...

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Psalm 22 | Feeling Forsaken by God

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Scott B. Bullock

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Scripture

Psalm 22:, Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, Hebrews 2:12

Ancient lens What’s the historical context? A Structured Complaint The Psalmist organizes his complaint against God in three sections. The first two sections dramatize the complaint (vv. 1-11 and...

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Psalm 133 | Unity

Author

Scott B. Bullock

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Scripture

Psalm 133:, Luke 2:41-52, Zechariah 9:9

Ancient lens What’s the historical context? Packed with Singular Meaning, A Pilgrim Song We have three verses packed with singular meaning⸺unity. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers and si...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Acts 2:42-47

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Darren Pollock

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Scripture

Acts 2:42-47, Acts 5:5, Acts 5:11, Proverbs 19:15

A Sound Foundation Acts 2:42 would make for a solid outline for a worship service, checklist for a congregation’s life together, or personal schedule for an afternoon. Most of what we are called to d...

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