Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2651 to 2675 of 5000 results

Acts 4:1-22

Sermon

James Merritt

... comes into our life. Key Take Away: When problems come into your life, don’t look for a place to run; find a place to stand. You heard the old saying, “Fight fire with fire?” You are going to find that is a biblical principle that is illustrated in the chapter we are about to study. Keep in mind, everything that is happening in this chapter is simply because of a man that was physically enabled to stand. Whether you are facing a problem or you are facing persecution, we are taught by God’s Word ...

2652. Ignite: Burning Love

Acts 5:17-42

Sermon

James Merritt

We all learn sooner or later that “Things are not always as they seem.” Sometimes what we think is bad news is really good news in disguise. That is illustrated by a story of two women who had not seen each other in quite a while. They were catching up and the first woman said, “I just got married.” Her friend said, “That is good news.” She said, “No, it is bad news. He is ugly.” Her friend said, “That’ ...

2653. Ignite: Fire Extinguishers

Acts 15:1-21

Sermon

James Merritt

... point. Then there are the things we debate such as style of worship, musical preferences, etc. Nothing wrong with have differences of opinion and feeling strongly about those opinions, but those are not hills to die on or walls to divide. I guess I can best illustrate it with this story of a man who on a trip walked up on a guy who was carrying a Bible. He asked the man, “Are you a believer?” The man replied excitedly, “Yes!” The questions started coming rapid-fire. “Do you believe in the virgin ...

2654. All In: The Winning Hand

1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Sermon

James Merritt

... is a preference. The style of dress that you choose to come to church in is a preference. The fact that our music should honor Christ and speak biblical truth and the fact that dress should be decent, not necessarily dressy is a conviction. The is a great illustration of what I am talking about in the 16th chapter of Acts. There is a young man named Timothy, whose father was a Gentile and therefore he was considered to be a Gentile. Timothy loved God and he was all-in in reaching people for Christ, but ...

2655. Up Close & Personal: Drawing Near

Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Sermon

James Merritt

... some people need steps along the way to get from not journaling at all to keeping a spiritual journal. So let me suggest two ways to get started in journaling. The first is to take notes during the sermon. As I am preaching and sharing information, Scriptures, illustrations, take down notes. Write on your bulletin or a piece of paper. You are going to retain more of what you hear when you write, and you are already sitting there. So all you need to get started is a pen. This week, review those notes when ...

2656. When “Vocation” and “Vacation” Are One

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... thousand can be interpreted two ways. First, Jesus tries to get away, everyone finds him, he works all day healing, and then has to miraculously provide food for everyone come evening. Some “vacation.” But there is another way of interpreting this story — as an illustration of Jesus’ life, which always maintained a harmony between what he was doing and who he was. Jesus knew the answer to both parts of that equation. He knew what he was on earth to do; he knew the exacting demands of his earthly ...

2657. The Knot: Frayed (Part 2)

1 Peter 3:1-7

Sermon

James Merritt

... somebody’s hands. Husband, God has placed into your hands not just a woman, but a joint heir of the grace of eternal life who is to be treated with understanding, respect, and honor. When you wrap those chords around her heart your knot will stay forever tied. [1] 1001 Illustrations That Connect, p. 261.

2658. The Question that Will Change Your Life

Matthew 16:13-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... God? Is he the Lord of your life? 1. The Key Steps Creative People Take (New York: Harper Perennial, 1992), p. 70. 2. Charles Lindquist, Jr., http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/who-do-you-say-jesus-is-charles-lindquist-jr-sermon-on-lordship-of-christ-49766.asp. 3. More Perfect Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion, Compiled by PreachingToday.com (2003). 4. Parables (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 1991), p. 103.

2659. For Those Who Are Auditing the Class

Matthew 16:21-28

Sermon

King Duncan

... doing with the tools God has given us? It all depends how invested we are in this thing called discipleship. Are we simply auditing the course, or are we taking up our cross daily and following Jesus? 1. Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009). 2. John Ortberg, Who Is This Man? (Kindle Edition). 3. James R. Maxwell in Laughter Really Is the Best Medicine: America’s Funniest Jokes, Stories, and Cartoons (Editors of Reader’s Digest). 4. Mark Schwehn and Dorothy Bass, Leading ...

2660. How to Hug

Romans 13:8-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... love just as a loving parent makes rules for his or her family. Rules given in love help us live life to the fullest. For example, rules regarding sexual morality are given to us not to restrict our happiness, but to increase our happiness. To illustrate this point, a rabbi once asked his students to explain the difference between a rushing stream and a stagnant pond. The answer, of course, is that a rushing stream has banks that are close together. The rabbi noted that love that is narrowly focused, like ...

2661. Drowsy Disciples

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... to bypass we make our destination. These early verses found in most of Paul’s letters are commonly known as the “thanksgiving section” of an ancient epistle. For our purposes in the New Testament, however, the importance of this section may best be illustrated not by its presence in most of Paul’s letters but by its conspicuous absence from one of Paul’s letters. Galatians is clearly the angriest of Paul’s epistles, and he noticeably passes the traditional thanksgiving section in order to go ...

2662. Still Surprised After Christmas

Luke 2:21-40

Sermon

David J. Kalas

... of the Lord (see Genesis 4:26b; Exodus 3:13-15, 20:7; 1 Kings 8:14-29; Psalm 113:3; Proverbs 18:10) and the New Testament emphasis on the name of Jesus (see Matthew 18:20; John 16:23-26; Philippians 2:9-11) illustrate the profound importance of God’s name. Earthly names, likewise, are vested with power and significance. Throughout the pages of the Old Testament, we see God’s people giving meaningful names to places — names, so often, that identify places as intersections with God (such as Beersheba ...

2663. The God of Second Chances

Jeremiah 30:1--31:40

Sermon

King Duncan

... Adapted from Andrew H. Rogers, https://sermons.logos.com/submissions/11254-The-Blood#content=/submissions/11254. 5. Emphasis, Mar/Apr 2001, p. 37.6. (Random House, 1999), p. 374; submitted by Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, IL. Cited at http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/article_print.html?id=25164. 6. James W. Moore, Standing on the Promises or Sitting on the Premises (Nashville: Dimensions for Living, 1995), pp. 88-89. 7. The Rev. John H. Pavelko, http://crossroadspc.org/thebarrel/20030706.htm.

2664. A Family Celebration - Maundy Thursday

John 13:18-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... This means the culture inside these walls is different than that which is outside. Competitiveness is replaced by cooperation. Looking out for number one is replaced by loving God and loving our neighbor. We are a family, the family of Christ. Pastor James W. Moore illustrates this in a beautiful way. He writes of an encounter his friend, Tom, had at a homeless shelter. Tom was serving Holy Communion at the shelter, when one man at the altar refused to take the elements. He whispered to Tom that he wasn’t ...

2665. While It Was Still Dark

John 20:1-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... , Status Anxiety (Vintage). 4. Dr. Dan L. Flanagan, http://www.asiweb.com/community/churches/stpaulsumc-sermons/stpaul06-12-05.asp. 5. Charles A. Trentham, Getting on Top of Your Troubles (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1966). 6. Contributed. Source: http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/stories-about-gospel-resurrection.asp. 7. Reverend Dr. Ken Kleckner, III, http://ocalawestumc.com/Sermons/093007.htm. 8. Jane McAdams, M.D. in A Piece of My Mind, edited by Dr. Bruce B. Dan and Roxanne K. Young (New York ...

2666. Building a New Team

Mark 8:31--9:1

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... -outs. Application There is a scene in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring where a partnership is forged among those who would accompany Frodo on his journey to destroy the ring of power. The movie version makes for a very gripping visual illustration, and the original literary text is equally as moving. What comes through is a sense of selflessness as the bond that unites these creatures. Furthermore, each subsumes his will to the greater cause, and trusts an unseen and transcendent good for an outcome ...

2667. I'll Never Forget That Night

John 13:1-17

Sermon

Wayne Brouwer

... directly from the sun by way of firstborn inheritance. Cutting this link eviscerated the life-potency of the Egyptian civilization not only for the present but also for the future. It was a true knockout punch. Thus the plagues served not as gory illustration material for Sunday school papers, but rather as the divine initiatives in an escalating battle between Yahweh and the Pharaoh of Egypt over claims on the people of Israel. The plagues were a necessary prologue to the Sinai covenant because they showed ...

2668. Je Suis Jesus

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... what the calendar date reads. We are always “back there,” “right here,” and “out there.” In this week’s Corinthians text it is easy to get bogged down in the particulars of Paul’s examples. Paul gives specific illustrations: family people, bereaved people, celebrating people, wealthy people, influential people. Paul calls this cross-section of our everyday world 1) those who are “married,” 2) those who “mourn,” 3) those who “rejoice,” 4) those who “buy” (consumers), and ...

2669. Jesus Heals Body and Soul

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... they sing hymns about Jesus. They construct monuments in memory of their statesmen; communion tables in memory of Jesus. Before kings and queens, men bow and women curtsy; before Jesus they all kneel in prayer.” (1) Our lesson for today from Mark’s Gospel illustrates why Jesus captured the devotion of the people of his time. It was the Sabbath. Jesus and his disciples had been in the synagogue where Jesus healed a man with an unclean spirit. As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and ...

2670. Like a Butterfly

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... /sermons/glory-and-majesty-melvin-newland-sermon-on-transfiguration-32723.asp. 2. Lafcadio Hearn, Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things. 3. Reader’s Digest, May 2004. 4. “Jesus, Betrayed and Crucified,” http://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/outlines/2014/march/jesus-betrayed-and-crucified.html. 5. The source of this illustration is unknown.

2671. Everything Must Go: Striking It Rich

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... ’t have to be a lot. It could be a $5 gift certificate to Chick-fil-a. It could be some clothes you never wear given to people who need your clothes. It could be some extra toys your kids never play with to kids who have no toys. To illustrate this, today I've put a legal document in your Worship Guide. It's a title deed. A title deed is the written document we use to signify ownership. If you own your car, you have a title. If you own your house, you have the deed. Today I'm ...

2672. The Right Connection

John 15:1-17

Sermon

James Merritt

... market in the world and this industry employs 35,000 people. As important as the economical value of this vine is, Jesus gave it a spiritual value above and beyond any other plant that God ever created, because it answers, maybe, the greatest question of life. Let me illustrate it with a story. I used to pastor in Mississippi. When James and Jonathan were just toddlers my mom and dad would come two or three times a year and spend several days with us. One visit is burned into my mind forever. We had a couch ...

2673. The Failure

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

James Merritt

... question. Have you ever wondered why there were two crosses next to Jesus? Why weren’t there six or ten? Have you ever wondered why Jesus was in the center? Why wasn’t He on the far right or the far left? I believe it was God’s way of illustrating to all of us in this room that just like those two criminals you have a choice. Those two men had so much in common. They committed the same crime, were convicted by the same court, condemned by the same death, castigated by the same crowd and both of them ...

2674. What Do You See?

Luke 10:25-37

Sermon

James Merritt

... the two people that you would have bet everything you had on would have stopped to help this man didn’t. The religious people, the people who had just left church, passed by on the other side, because they didn’t want to get involved. Jesus, very subtly, illustrates something about this priest and this Levite. He shows they were really no better than the thieves who beat and robbed this man and left him for dead. You can be a thief in one of two ways - you can take something that doesn’t belong to you ...

2675. Everything Counts

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

James Merritt

... your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.” (Luke 16:9, NLT) In other words, Jesus said you can use what you have on earth today in such a way that you will receive an eternal reward tomorrow. Let me give you an illustration. My son, Joshua is a shrewd dude. Several weeks ago, he, James, my brother Richard and I, went over to Athens to see the Dawgs beat South Carolina. On the way to the stadium, he wanted to get a smoothie from Smoothie King and we all decided to get ...

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