Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 2676 to 2700 of 4508 results

2676. The Authority of the Church

Illustration

Brett Blair

Dr. W. A Criswell, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas Texas, said on one occasion on an airplane flight he found himself seated beside a well known theologian. He desperately wanted to start a conversation and they got to talking. The man told Dr. Criswell about how he had recently lost a little boy through death. Dr. Criswell listened as he told his story: He said he had come home from ...

2677. One Generation Away from Extinction

Illustration

Brett Blair

It has been pointed out that the Church is always one generation from extinction. If we don't spread the Gospel, it will be just one generation away from disappearing from the face of the earth. It's a compelling idea, isn't it? It enhances our sense of Christian responsibility. We need to get out there and work for the Gospel or the Church could fade into history. Perhaps you have heard the old ...

2678. The Penniless Teacher of Nazareth

Illustration

Brett Blair

At Amazon, if you do a search for "reference books of..." and type in a famous name, for William Shakespeare there are a little over 1,000 reference books. 972 books on George Washington. 938 on Abe Lincoln. But if you type in Jesus Christ, amazon won't give you an exact numbers. It simply says there are, "over 10,000 results for reference books of Jesus Christ." Let me bring up another famous na...

2679. Who Are You and What Have You Done?

Illustration

Brett Blair

These doctors on their way to the golf course get into a car accident and they all die. They are now standing before the gates of heaven and St. Peter says to the first: "Why should I let you in?" He replies: "Look at my file! I am a research physician. I developed all kinds of procedures to prolong people's lives." St. Peter checks out the folder and says: "OK, you can come in." Then he asks the ...

2680. Personal Understanding of Jesus' Identity

Illustration

Brett Blair

Who do you say that I am? I would suggest to you this morning that that is the most urgent, the most relevant, the most theological question that confronts us today. Wherever we turn in life we are faced with the implications of this question. Throughout the ages various individuals have attempted to answer that question posed by Jesus. Ernest Renan, a French writer, answered it by saying that Je...

2681. Public Notions of Jesus' Identity

Illustration

Brett Blair

Some, said Peter, say that you are Elijah. Now why would people think that Jesus was the long deceased prophet Elijah? Elijah was, of course, a highly revered personality in the religious life of the Hebrews. His defeat of the 450 prophets of Baal on the top of Mt. Carmel was a story that was known even by little children. It was a commonly held belief among the Hebrews that one day Elijah would r...

2682. Genius, On The Spot

Illustration

Brett Blair

Many say that the Beatles were the greatest band of all time. I won't argue that. But Band On The Run was arguably the greatest album made by either John, Paul, George and Ringo, after their breakup. One of the non-hits on the album has a great story behind it. McCartney was vacationing in Montego Bay, Jamaica where he "snuck" onto the set of the film Papillon where he met Dustin Hoffman and Steve...

2683. The Difference It Makes in a Christian Life

Illustration

King Duncan

In one of his books, Gordon MacDonald tells about a young Florida man who became devoted to Elvis Presley. For Dennis Wise, devotion meant spending every bit of money he had to collect Presley memorabilia (books, magazines, pillows, records, and even tree leaves from the Presley mansion in Memphis). Wise never met Presley but he saw him perform several times, and he had once seen him at a distance...

2684. A Point of Reference

Illustration

King Duncan

The state highway department in Pennsylvania once set out to build a bridge working from both sides. When the workers reached the middle of the waterway, they found they were thirteen feet to one side of each other. Albert Steinberg, writing some time ago in the Saturday Evening Post, went on to explain that each crew of workmen had used its own reference point. No wonder they did not connect. In...

2685. God Loves Us All

Illustration

King Duncan

I was reading recently about a tribe in Africa known as the Masai, a race of strong, tall people. This particular tribe has always believed in one god, Engai. They believe Engai is passionately involved in his people's lives. But here is what the Masai believe about their god: that he loves the rich more than the poor, the healthy more than the sick, the virtuous more than the wicked. Engai favors...

2686. I Didn’t Know His Name

Illustration

King Duncan

One of my favorite stories about Helen Keller concerns her introduction to the Christian message. When Helen learned to communicate, Anne Sullvan decided it was time for her to hear about Jesus Christ. Being a Bostonian, she summoned the most renowned clergyman of his day, Phillips Brooks. Brooks came, and with Sullivan interpreting, he talked to Helen Keller about Christ. Soon a smile lighted Hel...

2687. Measuring Up to Jesus

Illustration

King Duncan

In one of his books Haddon Robinson tells about a series of victory parades planned by General Pershing through many European capitals after World War I. He needed 27,000 soldiers to march in those parades. Each participant was to have two qualities. He was to have an unblemished military record, and second, he was to stand at least one meter, eighty-six centimeters tall. Forty American soldiers,...

2688. A Big Fisherman · Peter

Sermon

Gordon Pratt Baker

He came from the sea, a brawny, boisterous man, who loved nothing better than the spray in his face as he pitted his little craft against a gale, his calloused hands locked on the tiller, a defiant cry on his lips. And when the wild trick was over how he must have boasted of his feat to friends sharing his hearth! He was an impulsive man, quick to make decisions and equally quick to make mistakes...

2689. Peter · A Leader

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Symbol of Peter Well, boys and girls, this morning we shall talk to you about one more friend of Jesus. Jesus had many friends, so many that the Bible doesn't even mention all of their names. Many of his friends we don't know but the one we are going to talk about this morning we know best of all. His name is Peter. How many of you have ever heard of this friend called Peter? Peter was a...

2690. Who Is Jesus?

Illustration

John R. Brokhoff

Now, more than ever, we need to face the question, "Who is the real Jesus?" Is the Christ of faith the Jesus of history? What is the truth about Jesus? What can we believe? We turn to the Apostles' Creed which has given the church's answer for 2,000 years. Different Positions It is not strange that the most popular question of our time is, "Who is Jesus?" Was this question not answered in Matthe...

2691. Proper 16

Sermon Aid

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

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 1:8-2:10 contains three stories that explore the power of salvation, while Psalm 124 turns the insights gained from the introductory stories in Exodus into the language of praise. Exodus 1:8--2:10 - "The Salvation of the Savior" Setting. Moses is the central human character in the book of Exodus and, indeed, in the remainder of the Pentateuch. He is the one called by ...

2692. Seeing the Truth of Jesus

Sermon

King Duncan & Angela Akers

Have you ever met someone who claims they’re not the competitive type? I personally don’t believe anyone who says this. I think we all have a competitive streak in some area whether it’s in having the nicest yard in our neighborhood, or making good grades, or baking the flakiest pie crust or having the best-behaved dog. We all want to be the best at something. We all want to be number one. It is ...

2693. Wherever The Messiah Is

Sermon

William G. Carter

When you were a little kid, did you have a favorite super hero? The kind of super hero that you could read about in the comic books? Batman was pretty cool, sticking to the shadows of night but full of ingenuity and agility. He had all those nifty gadgets in his utility belt! Or there was The Flash, who could run faster than the speed of light. Or the Incredible Hulk with his radioactive streng...

2694. One Word: Jesus

Illustration

King Duncan

William J. Bausch tells a story that says it as well as it can be said. The story says that God created the heavens and earth and everything in them. He created them by His words. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. This happened with everything. God was proud of His work. He was especially proud of the man and woman which He made. But the devil was jealous and angry. One day whe...

2695. Keeper of the Keys

Sermon

Lori Wagner

“And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder, so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” Isaiah 22:22 Remember those old, beautiful “master keys” that used to unlock every door in the house? The old doors had a large, fish shaped opening filled with secret crevices, and the master key was a large, ornate device with unique edges that would s...

2696. The Glory of God

Sermon

Will Willimon

If you are new here, as I am, you're part of this marathon of words which universities call ‘’Orientation.'' Orientation -- that's when everyone tells you what's what at Duke. Professors telling you about courses, seniors telling you about Professors. It's natural for you to think that, since you're the Chapel, I'll tell you what's what about religion. It's tough to be a Freshman. There are so man...

2697. You Are the Christ....Now What About Them?

Sermon

Will Willimon

I'm a Christian. But last week my cantankerous car was finely fixed by a Muslim mechanic. I ate food prepared by Hindu hands. A Zoroastrian solved my software problem and a Jew persuaded me to be on a citizens' committee to build a better Durham. Welcome to multi-religious America. I'm not sure that we mainline Protestant types know how to live in such a world. After all, our major project, well i...

2698. For Someone Remembered by Many

Eulogy

Richard E. Zajac

This Is Your Life [Tell of whose voices might have been heard and the stories that might have been told, had the deceased been the chosen celebrity.] Those of you sporting a bit more gray than I may well recall the television show This is Your Life. It aired from 1952 to 1961. Its host and producer was a fellow by the name of Ralph Edwards who upon a stage would greet an unsuspecting celebrity who...

2699. For Someone Remembered by Many

Eulogy

Richard E. Zajac

Memories [Provide a review of the good memories the deceased had generated.] A good number of you are old enough to remember how you had to wait at least two minutes for the television to warm-up, how you got your windshield cleaned and oil checked, and your gas pumped without having to leave your car, how when you bought a box of laundry detergent, it wouldn’t be unusual to find a free glass or a...

2700. Getting Out Of Our Own Way

Sermon

Roger G. Talbott

I'd like to ask you to relax for a moment about the clothes that you are wearing. Think about how your clothes say something about who you are: your gender, your age, your economic status, maybe even how you feel about yourself. As you think about that, imagine yourself in quite different clothes. Note that your real self would not change. Even if you were wearing Eskimo clothes or Arabian clothes...

Showing 2676 to 2700 of 4508 results