Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3401 to 3425 of 5000 results

3401. All the More Reason

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

Brett Blair

It is interesting to note that it wasn't until we were at war, the Civil War to be exact, that our Thanksgiving holiday was officially recognized by Congress. It had started in the small Plymouth Colony in 1621 when the English Pilgrims feasted with members of the Wampanoag (Wam·pa·no·ag) Indians who brought gifts of food as a gesture of goodwill. The custom grew in various colonies as a means of celebrating the harvest. In 1777, over 100 years later, the continental congress proclaimed a national day of ...

3402. What A Difference A Day Makes

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

Brett Blair

There was an email that went viral the week of Sept of 11th. It was called "What a Difference a Day Makes." It is particularly appropriate during our national holiday of Thanksgiving: On Monday, we e-mailed jokes. On Tuesday, we did not. On Monday, we were fussing about praying in school. On Tuesday, we would have been hard pressed to find a school where someone was not praying. On Monday, our heroes were athletes. On Tuesday, we relearned who heroes are. On Monday, there were people trying to separate us ...

3403. Oppression and Liberty

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

Brett Blair

In 2001 as the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan advanced through the north and took control of Mazar-e-Sharif, reports slowly made their way to the rest of the world how the common afghan people were responding. The reports underscored for me, once again, the unimaginable oppression of the Taliban government but also, it served as a vivid reminder of the tremendous liberties we enjoy. The Associated Press reported that on Monday, "In Mazar-e-Sharif, men lined up at barber shops to have their Taliban- ...

3404. Better Not Bitter

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

If we are not thankful then we can become bitter. If we are not thankful, then it becomes too easy to sit around and ponder the question: why me? Dr. Jim Moore, pastor of St. Luke's UMC in Houston wrote a book entitled "You Can Grow Bitter or You Can Grow Better". He writes that he got the idea for the title from a young woman who once came to him in a most tragic moment in her life. She had tears in her eyes and her knuckles were white as she twisted a handkerchief. She had just received word that her ...

3405. Christmas

Illustration

Brett Blair

Theologian Emil Brunner tells the story of Nine-year-old Jenny, who had heard the Christmas story many times. One Christmas she asked her father if she could read it. Jenny couldn’t stand the part about Mary, Joseph, and the fully occupied inn. So, when she came to that part she ad-libbed a new twist. Joseph speaks, "Good evening, sir. My wife is expecting a baby any minute now and we need a place to stay. Could you help us?" The innkeeper replies, "Well, you see, we are crowded but there’s always room for ...

3406. The Deeper Magic - Sermon Starter

Luke 23:26-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

It might surprise you to learn that I did not disapprove of the Harry Potter phenomenon, when it first came out. I do not think that Christians who read these books or watch the movie are in any way practicing witchcraft. The books are first and foremost literature. There is, in the movie and book, a point being made that has nothing to do with witchcraft. I will get to this point in a moment. But first let me throw in a word of caution. If anyone misses the point of the books and rushes headlong into ...

3407. The Landmark

Luke 23:26-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

Henry Emerson Fosdick tells this story: Some years ago a little church on the coast of England was ruined in a hurricane. The congregation thought themselves unable to rebuild. Then one day a representative of the British Admiralty came to the clergyman to ask if they intended to reconstruct the church. The clergyman explained why they could not do it. "Well," said the representative of the British navy, "if you do not rebuild the church we will. That spire is on all our charts and maps. It is the landmark ...

3408. Taking the Fun Out of Christmas

Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

We prepare for Christmas by repenting. Repenting in the Biblical sense is more than having a change of heart or a feeling of regret. It is more than a New Year's Eve resolution. Repentance is a turning away and a turning back. A turning away from sin and a turning back to God. Bishop Joe Pennel of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, once attended a Christmas worship service in Bethlehem at a place called Shepherd's Field. As he heard the songs of the season, he thought to himself and ...

3409. Authentic Christianity

Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

William Faulkner, the novelist, toiled for years as an unknown, disrespected writer in rural Mississippi before he finally gained recognition. When he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1950, his acclaim grew. When approached later about the literary people and authors he associated with, Faulkner shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know any literary people. The people I know are other farmers and horse people and hunters and we talk about dogs and guns and what to do about the hay crop or this ...

3410. The Controlling Emotion of Fear

Matthew 11:1-19

Illustration

Johnny Dean

Years ago H. A. Williams was one of the leading preachers and theologians of the Church of England. He titled his autobiography, Someday I'll Find You. That may seem like an unusual title for an autobiography, but if you read the book it begins to make sense. You see, there was a period in Dr. Williams' life when he was almost totally incapacitated by phobic anxieties. He was afraid to go into the streets and marketplaces, afraid of elevators and escalators, afraid to ride on trains or buses or subways, ...

3411. We Can't See What Is Before Us

Illustration

Brett Blair

In a Peanuts comic strip Lucy is speaking with Linus at the base of a hill. She says, "Someday I'm going over that hill and find the answer to my dreams.... Someday I'm going over that hill and find hope and fulfillment. I think, for me, all the answers to life lie beyond these clouds and over the grassy slopes of that hill!" Linus removes his thumb from his mouth, points toward the hill, and responds: "Perhaps there's another little kid on the other side of that hill who is looking this way and thinking ...

3412. Reasons for Jesus Submitting to Baptism

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

At first blush it seems odd that the student is baptizing the master. But John is a conduit. He is simply performing the ritual. The reasons for Jesus' submission are far deeper and to the heart of overall mission. He is baptized for these reasons: To fulfill all Righteousness: To be consecrated to God and approved by God. The public announcement of the arrival of the Messiah and the inception of His ministry. Identification with human sin and identification of himself with the peoples movement toward God ...

3413. Jesus' Consecration

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

Some years ago, a Scottish minister told his congregation about dreaming he had died. When he came to the pearly gates, to his dismay, he would be denied entrance until he presented his credentials. Proudly the Pastor articulated the number of sermons preached and the prominent pulpits occupied. But Saint Peter said no one had heard them in heaven. The discouraged servant enumerated his community involvement. He was told they were not recorded. Sorrowfully, the pastor turned to leave, when Peter said, " ...

3414. We Draw the Circle Too Small

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

Roy Lloyd, a Lutheran minister, once interviewed Mother Teresa. He said that one of his questions and one of her answers stands out in his mind as "a bright sun burning in my mind." He asked her, "What's the biggest problem in the world today?" And she answered, without hesitation, "The biggest problem in the world today is that we draw the circle of our family too small. We need to draw it larger every day." With all that is evil and wrong in this world today it would be easy to answer that question with ...

3415. Messages From God

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

A few years ago there were billboards scattered throughout the United States with messages from God. Some guy had purchased the space and conducted an advertising campaign for God. Actually, the person responsible for these "Messages from God" chose to remain anonymous. The Smith Agency in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, launched the advertising campaign in September 1998. Andrew Smith, the agency's president, said that an individual simply appeared in their office one day and hired them on the spot. He said that ...

3416. God's In This

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

Brett Blair

This morning I'd like to do something a little unorthodox and recommend an album (sorry CD....sorry again, a download) to you. So far it has sold more than 4 million copies. It won "Album of the Year" awards from the Country Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association, and was nominated for five Grammys. Rolling Stone called it one of the best albums of 2001, and Entertainment Weekly named the musicians one of their "Entertainers of the Year." The remarkable thing is it sounds ...

3417. Healthy Are the Poor In Spirit

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

Some years ago a panel of doctors was appointed by the Federal government to meet together and draw up eight laws off public health that could be printed in pamphlet form and distributed to the public. After twelve days off exhaustive meetings, the doctors were unable to come to a consensus. It seems that their areas off concern were so diverse: one was a cancer specialist, one a cardiologist, one a psychiatrist, and they all approached the problem from their own discipline. The chest expert was concerned ...

3418. Tis Good To Be Here

Matthew 17:1-13

Illustration

In the classic fantasy book by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins and his troupe is traveling through a dark, dangerous forest infested with gigantic, poisonous spiders and all manner of dark critters and creepy-crawly things. Just being in that kind of place was a frightening experience. And each member of the group, especially Bilbo Baggins, wanted to get out of that dreadful forest of darkness. As they traveled on, hoping against hope that the edge of the dangerous forest was near and not having ...

3419. Don't Your Ever Do That To Me Again!

Matt. 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36

Illustration

Johnny Dean

Fred Craddock tells a wonderful story about a young minister, newly graduated from seminary, serving his very first church. He gets a call telling him that a church member, elderly woman who has given her life in service to the church, is in the hospital. She's so weak she can't even get up out of bed, and the doctors don't hold much hope for her recovery. Would he go up and visit? Well, of course he will and he does. All the way to the hospital he's thinking about what he will say to this Christian lady, ...

3420. The Gift Of The Breeze

John 3:1-17

Illustration

Johnny Dean

I remember growing up in the South, in "cotton country," in the summer, before air conditioning became something almost every home had. Several of those summers I spent working on my uncle's cotton farm, down in the Mississippi delta, just outside of my birthplace, Cleveland, Mississippi. It was hot work, hard work, bringing in a cotton crop. It still is, but technology has made it a lot easier than it was back then. When the crop had been tended for another day, the weeds chopped from between the cotton ...

3421. You Must Be Born Again

John 3:1-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

The Chevy Nova was a relatively successful American car for many years. Encouraged by U.S. sales, Chevrolet began to market the American Nova throughout the world. Unfortunately, the Nova did not sell well in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Additional ads were ordered, marketing efforts were stepped up, but sales remained stagnant. Sales directors were baffled. The car had sold well in the American market; why wasn't it selling now? When they discovered the answer, it was rather embarrassing: In ...

3422. Living Water for a Thirst Soul - Sermon Starter

John 4:1-42

Illustration

Brett Blair

One of the commencement traditions at Harvard University is Senior Class Chapel. On the morning of their graduation, seniors gather in Memorial Church to hear the minister offer words of solace and encouragement as they leave "the Yard" to take their places in the world. The 1998 senior class heard the unvarnished truth from the Rev. Peter Gomes, minister at Harvard and the author of several books on the Bible, including The Good Book and Sermons. In his gentle ringing tones, that call to mind a cross ...

3423. We Don't Actually Do It!

John 4:39-42, John 4:27-38, John 4:1-26

Illustration

Johnny Dean

On an ABC News Special, "In the Name of God," Peter Jennings interviewed the founder of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship, John Wimber. Wimber said that the first time he went to church he expected dramatic things to happen, but they didn't. After attending church for three Sundays, he became frustrated. After the worship service, he approached a man who looked like someone with authority. "When do you do it?" he asked. "When do we do what?" the man replied. "You know, the stuff," Wimber answered. "And ...

3424. How Do You Know It's A Bad Thing?

John 1:1-42

Illustration

Brett Blair

There is an ancient Chinese legend of an old man and his only son. One night the old man's horse escaped, and the neighbors came to comfort him in his loss. "How do you know this is a bad thing?" he asked them. Several days later his horse returned with a herd of wild horses. Now his friends came to congratulate the farmer for his good fortune. But the old man said, "How do you know this is a good thing?" While his son was trying taming one of the wild horses, he is thrown and breaks his leg. Again his ...

3425. Look, He's Moving!

John 11:1-57

Illustration

Brett Blair

Three friends were discussing death and one of them asked: "What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?" The first of the friends said: "I would like them to say, he was a great humanitarian, who cared about his community." The second said: He was a great husband and father, who was an example for many to follow," said another. The third friend said, I would like them to say, "Look, he's moving!!"

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 3401 to 3425 of 5000 results

3401. All the More Reason

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

Brett Blair

3402. What A Difference A Day Makes

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

Brett Blair

3403. Oppression and Liberty

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

Brett Blair

3404. Better Not Bitter

Psalm 100:1-5

Illustration

3405. Christmas

Illustration

Brett Blair

3406. The Deeper Magic - Sermon Starter

Luke 23:26-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

3407. The Landmark

Luke 23:26-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

3408. Taking the Fun Out of Christmas

Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

3409. Authentic Christianity

Matthew 3:1-12

Illustration

3410. The Controlling Emotion of Fear

Matthew 11:1-19

Illustration

Johnny Dean

3411. We Can't See What Is Before Us

Illustration

Brett Blair

3412. Reasons for Jesus Submitting to Baptism

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

3413. Jesus' Consecration

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

3414. We Draw the Circle Too Small

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

3415. Messages From God

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

3416. God's In This

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

Brett Blair

3417. Healthy Are the Poor In Spirit

Matthew 5:1-12

Illustration

3418. Tis Good To Be Here

Matthew 17:1-13

Illustration

3419. Don't Your Ever Do That To Me Again!

Matt. 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36

Illustration

Johnny Dean

3420. The Gift Of The Breeze

John 3:1-17

Illustration

Johnny Dean

3421. You Must Be Born Again

John 3:1-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

3422. Living Water for a Thirst Soul - Sermon Starter

John 4:1-42

Illustration

Brett Blair

3423. We Don't Actually Do It!

John 4:39-42, John 4:27-38, John 4:1-26

Illustration

Johnny Dean

3424. How Do You Know It's A Bad Thing?

John 1:1-42

Illustration

Brett Blair

3425. Look, He's Moving!

John 11:1-57

Illustration

Brett Blair

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