Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

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2801. The Drag Net

Matthew 13:47-52

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: a piece of netting. Lesson: Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by a fisherman - he casts a net into the water and gathers in fish of every kind, valuable and worthless. Will God miss you? Suppose the time comes for everyone to live in heaven and you are here on earth. Do you think that He will remember that you are here, or will there be so many people that He might just miss you? Jesus talked about the Kingdom of Heaven a lot, and of how people were going to be chosen to live there, ...

2802. The Mote and the Beam

Matthew 7:3

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Some splinters and a board (enough splinters for each child to have one). Do some people really bug you? Can you think of one guy or girl who is really a creep? Do you know someone who really thinks he is hot stuff and never lets you forget it? I know some people like that. Then there are the others who are always tattling on everyone. I think they are the worst. They even make things up to get people in trouble. How about the ones who never want to do anything? If you want to play they want to sit ...

2803. Historical Surprises

Luke 12:32-40

Illustration

William E. Keeney

Who would have thought that relatively powerless persons could bring shifts in history? Gandhi, an unsuccessful lawyer, adapted the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and the writings of Tolstoy and became the key to bringing independence to India, because he was ready. Rosa Parks, in refusing to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, sparked the beginning of the civil rights movement of the '50s and '60s. She was a rather inauspicious person to take such a critical action, but she was ready. Nelson ...

2804. Hoping To Goodness

Luke 18:1-8

Illustration

Robert Short

Lucy planned a picnic for the next day. She says to Charlie Brown, "I just hope to goodness that it doesn't rain ..." Walking away, Charlie answers, "Hoping to goodness is not theologically sound." Charlie's right. "Hoping to goodness" is not sound. Fixing our hope upon God is.

2805. In the Quiet of the Wilderness

Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

The wilderness is silence and quiet. It is the elimination of the sounds of television, the radio, the stereo, the iPod, the cell phone. It is the elimination of the voices of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends. It is the elimination of the racing tape of your own mind that absorbs your thoughts. The wilderness is quiet. It is utter stillness. It is being alone with God. It is for a moment, for a minute, for a month, being still - absolutely still - …and listening. God speaks in the wilderness of ...

2806. Two Wolves

Mt 13:24-30, 36-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

One of my favorite theologians, Mr. Rogers, used to say: "Have you noticed that the very same people who are bad sometimes are the very same people who are good sometimes?" It reminds me of a story called, "Two Wolves." It goes like this: An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life..."A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. 'It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, ...

2807. The Right Spirit

Matthew 20:1-16

Illustration

Philip W. McLarty

This story is told of Yogi Berra. The New York Yankees were at their peak and were negotiating contracts for the next year. A group of reporters interviewed players as they emerged from the owner's office, and one of them asked Yogi Berra about the terms of his contract. In his characteristically, plain-spoken style, he said, "I'm gonna get to play baseball again next year for the Yankees, and would you believe it, they're gonna pay me besides!" That's the spirit of gainful employment, doing what you love ...

2808. Heaven and Earth

Revelation 21:1-27

Illustration

Robert Capon

Heaven or heavenly in the New Testament bear little relation to the meanings we have so unscripturally attached to them. For us, heaven is an unearthly, humanly irrelevant condition in which bed-sheeted, paper-winged spirits sit on clouds and play tinkly music until their pipe-cleaner halos drop off from boredom.... But in Scripture, it is a city with boys and girls playing in the streets; it is buildings put up by a Department of Public Works that uses amethysts for cinder blocks and pearls as big as the ...

2809. The Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:45-46

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: enough imitation pearls so that each child may take one home; one pearl larger than the other pearls. What is really important to you? What is the most important thing that you call your own? Is it your doll or baseball glove? Maybe it is a pretty dress or a chemistry set. What is the most important thing to you? Jesus told a story about a businessman who thought that the most important thing in the whole world was a perfect pearl. This man was a good businessman and he had earned a lot of money ...

2810. The Lost Coin

Luke 15:8

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: a bag of coins. It is a beautiful time to be together. Here we are in God's House sharing one another and the things that God has given us, and we are having a wonderful time. When you get up in the morning to come to church do you say, "Good morning, God, thank you for the wonderful day?" Some of you do, but not very many. Do you think that God says, "Good morning, Tom, or Sally, or Bill, I hope that you make the very most of this day and if you need me, please call?" Some of you think that God ...

2811. The Hidden Treasure

Matthew 13:44

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: a treasure map I need some volunteers this morning who have lots of things in their pockets or purses. Is there anyone here who has his pockets filled with things that really mean a lot to him? If you don't have very much of your own you can find a partner and maybe together you will have enough for our experiment this morning. The other day when I was out walking in my woods I decided to sit down and rest for a minute against an old hollow tree. I remember this tree because for years different ...

2812. The Weeds

Matthew 13:30

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: weeds Is there anyone here who has a garden? What do you grow in your garden? Do you have any corn, peas, potatoes, pickles, tomatoes, strawberries? Sounds like a wonderful garden. Maybe you have flowers in a garden. Does anyone grow roses, petunias, daffodils or flowers like that? I think that people who have flowers around their houses have some of the luckiest houses in the world. A house has to feel dressed up when someone takes the time to plant flowers and make it look pretty. There is one ...

2813. Patches

Luke 5:36

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: patches (enough for each child), a smaller patch of the same material. Have you ever had anything shrink? Do you know what I mean when I tell you that my socks shrank? (Wait for answers.) That's right, it means that they got smaller. A lot of times when you put some clothes into the wash for the first time they shrink. The material pulls closer together so that it is not the same size that it was. Jesus told a very interesting story about how you should be very careful with the kind of material ...

2814. The Candle

Mark 4:21

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: a candle and a box. How many people have at least one candle in their home? When do you burn your candle? (Wait for answers.) You burn candles on your birthdays and at Christmas and other special times. Do you ever burn your candles when the lights go out so that you can see? How many of you have ever had the electricity go out and have had to use a candle? A lot of you. It's kind of fun to use candles for light in an emergency. Seems kind of spooky, doesn't it? A long time ago people used candles ...

2815. The Mustard Seed

Matthew 17:19-20 · Mark 4:30-32

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: mustard seeds. How many people here this morning think that they are growing up? (Check a raising of hands.) Is there anyone who is not growing? Of course not? We are all growing up and we are growing in a lot of ways. How many are growing taller? Good, you will soon be big enough to hang up your own coat and hat. How many are growing smarter? Terrific, soon you will figure out new ways to grow better spinach and brussel sprouts. Is there anyone here who is growing stronger? Tremendous! You can ...

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