Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2551 to 2575 of 4884 results

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... she would practice as much as twelve hours a day, hitting as many as one thousand balls in an afternoon. She would swing and keep swinging until her hands were so sore that she could scarcely grip the club again. That is the method she used to perfect her powerful swing. (3) It is amazing how much natural ability you discover you have when you are willing to work at anything that hard. The English novelist, J.B. Priestly, was once asked why several gifted writers with whom he had been associated in earlier ...

2552. A Shocking Revelation

Revelation 1:9-20

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... bit further. Why did you always want to be an engineer? And then they’d talk about some childhood fascination they had with bridges or buildings. Or they’d tell him about the secret dream they kept hidden in their hearts, a dream to design the perfect model city, where people could really live in safety and experience community together. Why? he’d ask them again. What’s behind it all? What’s the driving force in your life? And in the end, he found it was always the same. The Great Desire, the ...

2553. Preparing For God's Great Gift

Matthew 24:36-51

Sermon

King Duncan

... Sea of Marmara and Constantinople. Sir Winston Churchill recommended that the British, the greatest fleet in the world at the time, sail up the Dardanelles, take Constantinople, and end the war. On March 18, 1915, the invasion began. The first day went perfectly but at the end of the day, largely out of fear of the risk and danger ahead, the admirals decided against Churchill’s recommendation. They decided to pull back and take a more cautious approach. Historians agree this missed opportunity allowed the ...

2554. Promises Kept!

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... Yahweh, the God who makes and keeps His promises! I will be there for you! You can count on me! One of the most powerful verses in the Bible comes from the New Testament letter of John (I John 4:18): "There is no fear in love," he says. "But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment." We’re afraid the future will punish us! We’re afraid others will let us down! We’re afraid of death, and disease, and disaster! But the whisper of God’s love takes hold of us and wraps us ...

2555. When Jiggling Wires Is Not Good Enough

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... and on his deathbed had given to his son, Joseph. It was believed that Jacob had dug the well. Both Jews and Samaritans held special memories of this place. It was located at a fork in the road making it an ideal stop for travelers as well as a perfect spot for social gatherings. As Jesus and his disciples were traveling through Samaria they stopped to rest at this fork in the road. Jesus sent his disciples to look for food while he rested at the well. It was midday and it was hot. There was no one around ...

2556. Get Your Third Class Tickets Here!

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... their homes and travel to the corners of the world proclaiming the gospel message. They were to look outward. Dr. Harry Ironside used to tell a story about a group of dissidents who left a church to begin what they hoped would be the “perfect church.” The new congregation considered themselves to be such a spiritual blessing to God that they put a sign outside their church: “JESUS ONLY!” The church didn’t reach out to their community; however, they only ministered to themselves. One day when Dr ...

2557. Is There Any Wind?

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

Thomas A. Kinsey, a pastor in Salem, New Hampshire, tells about a birthday card he sent his dad. It was his father’s 75th birthday. Kinsey was looking for "that perfect card." Standing there in the card shop, his eyes kept going back to one card ” one that had a drawing of two boats tied to a dock in what appeared to be a New England town. Although Kinsey lives in New England, his parents live in the hills of West ...

2558. Like A Rock

Isaiah 44:1-5

Sermon

King Duncan

... he submitted his plans, a member of the corporation, or town council, insisted that the roof required better support and wanted extra pillars to be added. In vain did Wren, the greatest architect in the realm, argue that his planned structure was perfectly safe. The politician was adamant. He also managed to spread alarm throughout the community and succeeded in pressuring Wren to add the supports. Many years later, when both the artist and his patron were dead, some repairs and cleaning were performed on ...

2559. Stepping Out In Faith

Matthew 14:22-36

Sermon

King Duncan

The world is getting scarier all the time. You never know what perfectly terrifying thing will happen next, even in a small town. A newspaper column years ago by Lydel Sims tells the fearful experience of Mrs. Wilma Sullivan, a widow who lives alone in Portageville, Missouri. "You just won't believe what happened to her the other night when she was sleeping ...

2560. To Forgive Is Divine

Matthew 18:21-35

Sermon

King Duncan

... in response to Jesus' teachings. For whatever reason Peter wanted to know how many times he should forgive. Before Jesus has a chance to answer, Peter suggests, "As many as seven times?" Seven seemed like a good number. Indeed, seven was regarded as the perfect number. Seven was a Biblical number; the world was created in seven days. Peter thought he gave an exceptional answer. The rabbis instructed persons to forgive someone only three times, and if there was a fourth then God would take care of the person ...

2561. Roll Call

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... and God alone for their ultimate security. Saints submit their will to the will of God. Saints stand firm and witness to their faith. I've known a few saints in my time, haven't you? Some of them are now with God. They were not perfect people, but they fit these three criteria ” trusting, submitting, standing firm. They blessed my life and they blessed all who knew them. And on this All Saints Day I would like to say one thing in their behalf. "Presente!" 1. FROM THE HEART. Ron DelBene. Nashville: Upper ...

2562. Treasured Relics

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... tacky item. Marty found a five and dime store and began his search for the tackiest gift. To his delight he discovered a yellow plastic dove with a silver beak hollowed to hold a small plant and chained so it could be suspended. This was the perfect gift for the occasion, he thought. No one would have a more ratty gift than his. Then, an amazing thing happened. Expecting to be embarrassed at the checkout counter, he was instead surrounded by shoppers. They wanted to know where he had found such a beautiful ...

2563. Profits And Losses

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

King Duncan

... like that," Joan thinks to herself. The irony never occurs to her that perhaps Jim's wife has a reason to be suspicious. She puts the finishing touches on her hair. "Oh, I know Bob would be crushed if he found out. But it's not like he's the perfect husband or anything. He's so preoccupied with his work, he scarcely has time for me. And he's always so tired. I've found him frowning so much lately. Something seems to be troubling him. I can't imagine what it is." She fumbles through her jewelry box for ...

2564. Help Me Make It Through The Night

John 3:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... night of the soul, look to the cross. That was a discovery that Harry Teuchert made. For years Harry had been a successful publisher of anniversary books. He also sold specialized advertising and promotional materials to churches. Everything in his life seemed to be perfect. A lovely home, a family, a solid future; but all this suddenly collapsed. His wife informed him she was leaving him. She was in love with someone else. Devastated, he tried to cope, work, continue with his life, but this tragedy was too ...

2565. Aren't You Glad?

Mark 16:1-20

Sermon

Anne-Rose Reeves

... a year and only put a dollar in the plate. "Pastor, tell them how much money it takes to keep this building in good repair, and who pays the electrical bill when the boy scouts meet here every other night. And besides, Easter is the perfect opportunity to say something about being a good Christian and commitment. Save some of those souls ” tell them what Christianity is about." On another occasion, a member of the adult Sunday school class had approached him about the same subject. "Gee, Pastor, I don't ...

2566. Why Are You Troubled?

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

King Duncan

... an art form. Her child was a cancer patient, so some of her concerns were legitimate, but still, Estelle admits, she carried worrying a bit too far. She says that as a parent it was her duty to worry. And as the parent of an oncology patient, she perfected it. She kept lists of her worries in case she forgot one. Every time something happened in her life she would revise the list, developing intricate new worries. Within a six-year period, she says, she had a list of 142 things to worry about. Six actually ...

2567. Once In A Lifetime

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... to be filled," he wrote in his journal, "it is a treasure to be savored." Later that same day he spoke with one of the monks who offered him some advice, "It is more important to do what is good," said the monk, "than to do what is perfect." William thought about his life and realized that sometimes he was pushing himself too hard when he should have allowed God to be his source of strength. He found that the self-destructive games he had been playing were unnecessary. He went to bed that night singing a ...

2568. The Unexpected Jesus

Mark 3:20-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... Johnny Cornflakes food and clothes and tried to see that he had a place to spend the night. One Sunday after church Timothy George and his wife held their first dinner party in Chelsea for out-of-town guests. They had worked very hard to make everything perfect: they had brought out their best linen and their finest dishes in order to make a good impression. But right in the middle of the main course the front door of the parsonage burst open. Into their dining room in all of his inebriated glory sauntered ...

2569. Battle With The Law

Mark 2:23-3:6

Sermon

King Duncan

... explained to her that God had actually given only one law which consists of ten different parts. "Look at this watch of mine!" he said. "If you counted all its cogs, you would find many. If you ruined only one, you might leave the other parts in perfect condition, and yet this would be a broken watch and would no longer run." The woman still couldn't see the point; so he said, "Suppose you were hanging over a precipice, suspended by a chain with ten links. If someone took a hammer and smashed every ...

2570. The Real Leap Of Faith

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

King Duncan

... and even his good job if only God would save his son. The next day he returned to his son's hospital room. His son was sitting up in bed calmly talking to his mother. Ulrich sat down and talked to his son for two hours. "He was perfect," Ulrich says. Ulrich followed through with his promise. He broke his habits of smoking and drinking. He even quit his well-paying job which required him to be away from his family. Before too long John Ulrich began conducting lay preaching revivals, and he took some courses ...

2571. God's Job Profile

Amos 7:10-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... more glamorous spot than Calcutta to serve as His example of self-giving love. Or Martin Luther King, Jr. African-American. Like Graham, a Baptist. King's politics were always a little too far to the left for most mainline Christians. Dr. King was a not a perfect man. Yet when he stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and proclaimed, "I have a dream..." it was God's dream with which he confronted America, and America has never been the same since. How does God let things like this happen? What kind of job ...

2572. Sinner Or Saint?

Hebrews 7:11-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... wife. She was a saint on earth. She went to church three times a week, spent her days reading and quoting the Scriptures, sang hymns and psalms all evening, filled our house with religious tracts, and had a Bible study in our living room on Thursday evenings." "She sounds perfect," the second man said. "How did such a pious woman come to die so young?" "I strangled her," the first man replied. We don't really like saints in the here and now, do we? It's all right to talk about St. Paul and St. John but we ...

2573. Jesus Goes To School

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

King Duncan

... you have not placed your children in an environment where they can fill their young minds with these most important of all truths, where will they turn? Listen to what someone has written called FROM THE HEART OF A CHILD: My hands are small; please don't expect perfection when I make a bed, draw a picture or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you. My eyes have not seen the world as your have; please let me explore safely. Don't restrict me unnecessarily. Housework ...

2574. Flies On The Ceiling Of The Sistine Chapel

Luke 9:28-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... the devil. The pact allows Faust to satisfy his every human want and desire except one. Never, never under any circumstances, is he ever to stop and say to the passing moment, "Wait, you are so beautiful!" This world is so beautiful ” so intricate ” so perfect. Scientists tell us that the slant of the earth, for example, tilted at an angle of 23 degrees, produces our seasons. If the earth had not been tilted exactly as it is, vapors from the oceans would move both north and south, piling up continents ...

2575. Like The Love Of A Mother

John 10:27-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... mothered them, that he talked to them and that they understood what he said. This year, deep in his own heart, John Deckard knew that he would again win the blue ribbon, for this year his rose was truly a rose among roses. Never had he seen such perfection in a flower. This was his masterpiece and as he watched it daily, his contentment and pride grew. The show was on Saturday and he planned to transplant his rose to a pot early in the morning. But while he was at breakfast, the tragedy happened. His little ...

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