Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3451 to 3475 of 5000 results

3451. The Good Shepherd - Sermon Starter

John 10:1-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

It is small wonder that the image of the shepherd was frequently upon the lips of the savior. It was a part of his heritage and culture. Abraham, the father of the nation, was the keeper of great flocks. Moses was tending the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro, when God called him into a special service. David was a shepherd boy called in from the fields to be the King of Israel. The imagery of the shepherd was also imprinted upon the literature of the day. The 23rd Psalm is frequently referred to as the ...

3452. Sheep Know Their Shepherd

John 10:11-18

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In her book The Preaching Life, Barbara Brown Taylor tells of a conversation she had with a friend who grew up on a sheep farm in the Midwest. According to him, sheep are not dumb at all. "It is the cattle ranchers who are responsible for spreading that ugly rumor, and all because sheep do not behave like cows. Cows are herded from the rear by hooting cowboys with cracking whips, but that will not work with sheep at all. Stand behind them making loud noises and all they will do is run around behind you, ...

3453. The Reality of the Resurrection - Sermon Starter

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

Brett Blair

100 years ago few people thought it possible that man could fly. No one except the two sons of Rev. Milton Wright who at 10:35 on the morning of Dec. 17 1903 made their first successful flight of 175 feet in a airplane driven by a four cylinder combustion engine. Today we fly much more sophisticated crafts around the moons of Jupiter. It was very hard to believe 100 years ago today but the evidence of that first flight is all around us today. 200 years ago the borders of the United States stretched from ...

3454. We Have Become Dull

Luke 24:36-49

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St. Gregory the Great

"If a dead man is raised to life, all men spring up in astonishment. Yet every day one that had no being is born, and no man wonders, though it is plain to all, without doubt, that it is a greater thing for that to be created which was without being than for that which had being to be restored. Because the dry rod of Aaron budded, all men were in astonishment; every day a tree is produced from the dry earth, ... and no man wonders ... Five thousand men were filled with five loaves; every day the grains of ...

3455. Taste and See

Luke 24:36-49

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Brett Blair

An elderly woman made her living selling artificial fruit. One day a customer complained the fruit she sold was not realistic enough. She pointed to an apple, saying it was too red, too round and too big to be a real apple. At that point the artificial fruit lady picked up the apple and proceeded to eat it. The resurrection of Jesus, throughout the years has been critically examined, judged by authorities, and editorialized by writers, and the conclusion of most is that it is simply an event which can not ...

3456. Science is Amazing

Luke 24:36-49

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Brett Blair

5th and 6th graders were asked to define some things in our world scientifically. When asked to define the law of gravity, the child wrote, "no fair jumping up without coming back down." Pretty good. Another said about thunderstorms, "You can listen to thunder and tell how close you came to getting hit. If you don't hear it, you got hit, so never mind." A couple of them responded to questions about clouds. Another made a comment on clouds, "I'm not sure how clouds are formed, but clouds know how to do it, ...

3457. If He Sees His Shadow...

Luke 24:36-49

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A Sunday School teacher asked her class on the Sunday before Easter if they knew what happened on Easter and why it was so important. One little girl spoke up saying: "Easter is when the whole family gets together, and you eat turkey and sing about the pilgrims and all that." "No, that's not it," said the teacher. "I know what Easter is," a second student responded. "Easter is when you get a tree and decorate it and give gifts to everybody and sing lots of songs." "Nope, that's not it either," replied the ...

3458. The Demons of Fear

Mark 4:35-41

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We must remember that regardless of what happens, God will be with us. Wrote the Psalmist: "When I am afraid I put my trust in you." Well, let me ask you. Where else are you going to go? No matter the trials we face, God is still going to be the same. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In his Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Denial of Death, Ernest Becker says that so many of the fears that we grapple with--fear of rejection, abandonment, failure, separation, and loss--are but manifestations of ...

3459. Crossing Over

Mark 4:35-41

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The story is told of old Bishop Warren Chandler, after whom the school of theology at Emory University was named. As he lay on his death bed, a friend inquired as to whether or not he was afraid. "Please tell me frankly," he said, "do you fear crossing over the river of death?" "Why?" replied Chandler, "I belong to a father who owns the land on both sides of the river." In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. That is our great salvation hope. I want you to know that God cares if you are ...

3460. Making Babies Cry

Mark 5:21-43

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Brett Blair

The Menninger Institute in Topeka, Kansas once had a fascinating experiment. They identified a group of crib babies who did not cry. Let me explain. It seems that babies cry because they instinctively know that this is the way to get attention. Crying is their way of calling out. These babies, however, had been in abusive situations. Their parents let hem cry for hours on end and never responded. Do you know what happened? The babies eventually quit crying. It is almost as if they had learned that it was ...

3461. They Grow in Clusters

Mark 5:21-43

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Brett Blair

Though I have never seen the Sequoia trees of California, known as Redwoods, I am told they are spectacular. Towering as much as 300 feet above the ground. Strangely, these towering trees have unusually shallow root systems that spider out just under the surface of the ground to catch as much of the surface moisture they can. And this is their vulnerability. Storms with heavy winds would almost always bring these giants crashing to the ground but this rarely happens because they grow in clusters and their ...

3462. Lip Service

Mark 7:1-23

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Brett Blair

According to the story, Queen Victoria was once at a diplomatic reception in London. The guest of honor was an African chieftain. All went well during the meal until, at the end, finger bowls were served. The guest of honor had never seen a British finger bowl, and no one had thought to brief him beforehand about its purpose. So he took the finger bowl in his two hands, lifted it to his mouth, and drank its contents--down to the very last drop! For an instant there was breathless silence among the British ...

3463. Preconceived Ideas - Sermon Starter

Mark 8:27 - 9:1

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Brett Blair

Could you believe what the news reported this week? [Pause] You ask, what news report are you talking about preacher: The one that said $87 billion dollars is an admission of the presidents failed policy in Iraq, or the one that said $87 billion shows the presidents serious resolve in finishing what he started in Iraq? Or the report that said the United Nations is now being asked to come in and clean up our mess, or the one that said the United Nations is being asked to participate because the world should ...

3464. Lord, I Want to See - Sermon Starter

Mark 10:46-52

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Brett Blair

Helen Keller, so brave and inspiring to us in her deafness and blindness, once wrote a magazine article entitled: "Three days to see." In that article she outlined what things she would like to see if she were granted just three days of sight. It was a powerful, thought provoking article. On the first day she said she wanted to see friends. Day two she would spend seeing nature. The third day she would spend in her home city of New York watching the busy city and the work day of the present. She concluded ...

3465. Some People Are Never Satisfied

Mark 10:46-52

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Brett Blair

It is like the beggar in the movie “Monty Python’s Life of Brian.” Brian and his mother are walking through town and get hit up by a beggar. “Alms for an ex-leper. Alms for an ex-leper, please.” And Brian says: “What do you mean an ex-leper?” And the leper says: “Well I was cured” “Who cured you?” Brian says. And the leper says: “That Jesus fellow.” He says: “Now I have a hard time making a living, all I’ve ever known how to do is beg.” And Brian says: “Well why don’t you go back and ask him to make you a ...

3466. We Interrupt This Service

John 1:1-18

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Brett Blair

It was question and answer time at the worship workshop. Pastor and Author Thomas Long had been speaking on the theme of worship all morning to a group of people gathered in a church fellowship hall in a suburban neighborhood in Indiana. Dressed in sweatshirts and jeans, they had given up a Saturday of golf and gardening to sip coffee and listen politely as he rambled through discussions of Vatican II, Calvin's view of the Lord's Supper, the pros and cons of children's sermons, the development of the ...

3467. A Future Hope Transforms the Present

John 1:1-18

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In the early 1960s, the German theologian Jurgen Moltmann wrote a incredible book called "Theology of Hope". This work takes as its assumption that true Christian faith can only have its transforming effect on the individual, on society and on the world when it is rooted in a vision of hope. "From first to last, and not merely in the epilogue," wrote Moltmann, "Christianity is hope, forward looking and forward moving, and therefore also revolutionizing and transforming the present." In Moltmann's view, to ...

3468. Middle C

John 1:1-18

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Lloyd C. Douglas, author of The Robe and other novels lived in a boarding house when he was a student. On the first floor of the house there lived a retired music teacher who was confined to a wheelchair. Every morning as Douglas went down stairs he would stick his head in the music teacher's room and ask his friend; “What's the good news?” To which the music teacher would respond each day by striking a tuning fork against the side of his wheelchair and saying; “Middle C! Hear that, it's middle C! It was ...

3469. When Our Children Teach Us - Sermon Opener

Luke 2:41-52

Illustration

James W. Moore

Some years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article by Dr. Paul Ruskin on the “Stages of Aging.” In the article, Dr. Ruskin described a case study he had presented to his students when teaching a class in medical school. He described the case study patient under his care like this: “The patient neither speaks nor comprehends the spoken word. Sometimes she babbles incoherently for hours on end. She is disoriented about person, place, and time. She does, however, respond to ...

3470. A Different View

Luke 2:41-52

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Brett Blair

It is entirely possible, and even more probable, that people see you in several different ways. Some may see you as a patient man while others may see you as hot headed. Only you really know the truth. Why do we tend not to not recognize the nature of other people? Perhaps, most of the time, it is a simple case of forgetting. Mary, Jesus' mother, was upset with her son for leaving the caravan and staying behind in Jerusalem. In a moment of anger she lost her head, and said to him, like any mother, "Wait ...

3471. Good News - Sermon Starter

Luke 4:14-30

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Brett Blair

The story is told of a Franciscan monk in Australia was assigned to be the guide and "gofer" to Mother Teresa when she visited New South Wales. Thrilled and excited at the prospect of being so close to this great woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her and what they would talk about. But during her visit, he became frustrated. Although he was constantly near her, the friar never had the opportunity to say one word to Mother Teresa. There were always other people for her to meet. Finally, her ...

3472. Setting the Prisoners Free

Luke 4:14-30

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Brett Blair

No greater image of oppression and captivity exist today than that of World War II's Nazi concentration camps. Elie Wiesel, a teenager then, witnessed the death of many family members. He recalls the day when he, as well as the other prisoners, were finally liberated from Auschwitz by the allies. On that day powerful, strong soldiers broke down the fences of the concentration camp to release the prisoners. Frail, feeble, gaunt, and near death they were terrible victims of a horrible criminal evil. In spite ...

3473. In and Out of Favor

Luke 4:21-30

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How quickly the opinion of crowd can change (cf. Acts 14:8-19). Amazingly, these were the same people who, moments ago, "were speaking well of Him". Fast forward three years and we witness another extreme shift in attitude during Jesus' last week of ministry. "Hosanna" (an expression of adoration to God) would swiftly turn into the deadly cries of "Crucify Him!" Sonny Jurgenson (former QB for the Washington Redskins) was being interviewed by a reporter after winning a game and then losing the next. The ...

3474. Sight to the Blind

Luke 4:14-30

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Brett Blair

A young boy of 9 was sitting in his father's workshop watching his dad work on a harness. "Someday Father," said Louis, "I want to be a harness-maker, just like you." "Why not start now?" said the father. He took a piece of leather and drew a design on it. "Now" he said, "take the hole-punch and hammer out this design, but be careful that you don't hit your hand." Excited, the boy began to work, but when he hit the hole-punch, it flew out of his hand and pierced his eye! He lost his sight in that eye. ...

3475. Saving the Best for Last - Sermon Starter

John 2:1-11

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Brett Blair

The Jews attached great importance to the high moments of life. Thus a wedding was not just a brief ceremony, but an experience shared by the entire community. The typical wedding feast could last up to seven days. That sounds strange to our modern way of thinking, but this offered a bright interlude in an otherwise dreary existence. The ceremony would begin on Tuesday at midnight. After the wedding the father of the bride would take his daughter to every house so that everyone might congratulate her. It ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 3451 to 3475 of 5000 results

3451. The Good Shepherd - Sermon Starter

John 10:1-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

3452. Sheep Know Their Shepherd

John 10:11-18

Illustration

3453. The Reality of the Resurrection - Sermon Starter

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

Brett Blair

3454. We Have Become Dull

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

St. Gregory the Great

3455. Taste and See

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

Brett Blair

3456. Science is Amazing

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

Brett Blair

3457. If He Sees His Shadow...

Luke 24:36-49

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3458. The Demons of Fear

Mark 4:35-41

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3459. Crossing Over

Mark 4:35-41

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3460. Making Babies Cry

Mark 5:21-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

3461. They Grow in Clusters

Mark 5:21-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

3462. Lip Service

Mark 7:1-23

Illustration

Brett Blair

3463. Preconceived Ideas - Sermon Starter

Mark 8:27 - 9:1

Illustration

Brett Blair

3464. Lord, I Want to See - Sermon Starter

Mark 10:46-52

Illustration

Brett Blair

3465. Some People Are Never Satisfied

Mark 10:46-52

Illustration

Brett Blair

3466. We Interrupt This Service

John 1:1-18

Illustration

Brett Blair

3467. A Future Hope Transforms the Present

John 1:1-18

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3468. Middle C

John 1:1-18

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3469. When Our Children Teach Us - Sermon Opener

Luke 2:41-52

Illustration

James W. Moore

3470. A Different View

Luke 2:41-52

Illustration

Brett Blair

3471. Good News - Sermon Starter

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

3472. Setting the Prisoners Free

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

3473. In and Out of Favor

Luke 4:21-30

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3474. Sight to the Blind

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

3475. Saving the Best for Last - Sermon Starter

John 2:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

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