Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3676 to 3700 of 5000 results

3676. Imperceptible Things Have Real Influence

Matthew 13:31-35

Illustration

Brett Blair

The Kingdom of God, said Jesus, is like a mustard seed that is planted in a field, but when it is grown it becomes a tree so large that birds nest in it. We live in a society that is enamored with bigness. We have gone beyond big churches to mega-churches. We are over whelmed with and bedazzled by huge social problems such as world hunger and children in crises. As a result, we sometimes overlook the tiny seed problems that are at the root of so many of these difficult situations. In 1989 there was a ...

3677. Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:44-46

Illustration

Brett Blair

A hundred years after it was buried with Manchu emperor Ch'ien Lungin 1799, the fabled "Pearl of Asia" was stolen by grave robbers. The fabulous pearl had been found by Persian divers, and purchased by the emperor Sha Jahan for his wife Mumtaz, for whom he also built the Taj Mahal and the Pear Mosque. About a century later the pearl was listed among the treasure of Ch'ien Lung. After it was stolen from the emperor's tomb, the pearl disappeared from sight for eighteen years before turning up in Hong Kong. ...

3678. Do What You Need to Do

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Illustration

King Duncan

Ron Del Bene was searching for answers in his life. Someone told him about a man in Los Angeles who has a reputation for being a very wise spiritual guide. On a business trip to the west coast Ron made an appointment to see this wise man whom he was sure could help him in his spiritual quest. The day Ron was to meet the wise man he had a hard time concentrating on his business. All he could think about was the upcoming meeting with the one who surely had The Answer. He drove up the coast only to discover ...

3679. Our Lord's Abundant Table - Sermon Starter

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

Charles Swindol tells a funny story about a nine-year-old named Danny who came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him about it. "Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased ...

3680. And Hungry People Were Fed

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

King Duncan

A number of years ago young Matthew LeSage, a third-grader, wanted to do something to help the hungry in his city. So he started a program, Hams for the Hungry. In its fourth year, Hams for the Hungry raised $40,000 to brighten the holiday season for people with limited resources. Matthew's story reminds me of another young man, 13 years old at the time, who read about Dr. Albert Schweitzer's missionary work in Africa. He wanted to help. He had enough money to buy one bottle of aspirin. He wrote to the Air ...

3681. It Don't Add Up

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Perhaps you have heard the story of the football coach who had two quarterbacks. The first team quarterback was gifted, aggressive, and a born leader. The second string quarterback was, let us say, limited. Oh, he was athletic enough but unfortunately, he lacked a mind for strategy. The championship game was in progress, the score was tied, the home team had the ball, and the clock was ticking down. An opposing player broke through the line of scrimmage and slammed the star quarterback to the ground with ...

3682. The Negative Verses the Positive

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

Outside a small town in New Mexico is a sign that reads as follows: "Welcome to Portales, New Mexico, home of 12,493 friendly folks and 8 or 10 grouches." Isn't that the way it is everywhere? There are always a few negative folks around to tell you that Murphy's laws will ruin everything. I like the story about the little boy who was trying to raise some money by collecting old bottles, going door-to-door in his neighborhood. When he came to the home of a woman who was the "town grouch," the little boy ...

3683. You Feed Them

Mt 14:13-21

Illustration

King Duncan

Tony Campolo is a professor of sociology and a popular speaker. He was once invited to a women's conference where he was to give a major address. These women were being challenged to raise several thousand dollars for a mission project goal. While Campolo was sitting on the dais, the chairperson turned to him and asked him if he would pray for God's blessing as they considered their individual responses to the goal. Campolo stood and to the utter amazement of everyone present graciously said "no." He ...

3684. Taking Care of the Crowd

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Johnny Dean

Too often, we think that giving our lives to God is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the altar, saying, "Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all to you." But the truth of the matter is that God sends us to the bank and tells us to cash that $1,000 bill in for quarters. And then we go through life giving away twenty-five cents here, fifty cents there, and so on. Instead of watching a ball game, we spend some time visiting a lonely person in a nursing home who has no family. Instead of sipping ...

3685. Use What You Have

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

In 1872, at the age of 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go to school. He walked 500 miles to Hampton Institute in Virginia, and presented himself to the head teacher. Washington later recalled, "Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about me." Finally she said to him, "The adjoining recitation room needs cleaning. Take the broom and do it." A lesser ...

3686. You Feed Them

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

King Duncan

A man was packing a shipment of food for the poor people of Appalachia. He was separating beans from powdered milk, and canned vegetables from canned meats. Reaching into a box filled with various cans, he pulled out a little brown paper sack. Apparently one of the pupils had brought something different from the items on the suggested list. Out of the paper bag fell a peanut butter sandwich, an apple, and a cookie. Crayoned in large letters was a little girl's name, 'Christy Room 104.' She had given up her ...

3687. Fear - Sermon Starter

Matthew 14:22-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

In the story of creation found in the Book of Genesis, we read where Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit, something which had been specifically denied them. Knowing that God is searching for them, they attempt to hide. It is a scene perhaps reminiscent of many of our childhoods when we had done something that we were not supposed to and we literally hid from our searching parents. Finally God finds them, as we know that He will, for, after all, where can we go to hide from God? God asks them ...

3688. Motorcycle Churches

Matthew 14:22-36

Illustration

King Duncan

Even churches can know what it is to walk on the water. Wes Seliger is an unconventional Episcopal clergyman who loves motorcycles. He tells about being in a motorcycle shop one day, drooling over a huge Honda 750 and wishing that he could buy it. A salesman came over and began to talk about his product. He talked about speed, acceleration, excitement, the attention-getting growl of the pipes, racing, risk. He talked about how the good-looking girls would be attracted to anyone riding on such a cycle. Then ...

3689. We Need a Sign

Matthew 14:22-36

Illustration

Jon S. Dawson

Rabbi Feldman had been having trouble with his congregation. It seemed they could agree upon nothing, and controversy filled the air until the Sabbath itself became an area of conflict, and unhappiness filled the synagogue. The president of the congregation organized a meeting of 10 elders and the rabbi. They met in the conference room of the synagogue, sitting about a magnificent mahogany table. One by one the issues were dealt with and on each issue, it became more and more apparent that the rabbi was a ...

3690. The Miracle Dog

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

As you know, there are probably hundreds of walking on water jokes around. My favorite is about a duck hunter who bought a new retriever. Besides being a beautiful dog, it was guaranteed to be the best retriever anyone had ever seen. He couldn't wait to show off his new dog to his buddies. And then he couldn't say enough about his dog. All through the trip down to the camp and all evening long, he talked nonstop about his dog and how good it was going to be. Opening day came. The hunters were all sitting ...

3691. Taking Risks

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

King Duncan

Writer Dale Galloway tells about the two giant retailers in America right after World War II that made two very different decisions affecting their separate destinies. One was Sears Roebuck and Company while the other was Montgomery Ward. The leadership of Ward's expected that after the war an economic depression would come, so they refused to take any risk in expanding. Meanwhile, the leadership of Sears determined that there was going to be economic growth such as America had never seen before. So they ...

3692. Hanging by an Inch

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

King Duncan

There is a character in the classic work Don Quixote named Pancho Sanchez. Pancho Sanchez hangs in fear from the ledge of a window all night long, too frightened to let go. When morning dawns he discovers his toes are only an inch off the ground. It's amusing to think of Simon Peter climbing out of the boat trying to imitate his Lord by walking on the water. Then, like a cartoon character, he makes the mistake of looking around. "What in the world am I doing?" he asked himself and suddenly he begins to ...

3693. Run Faster!

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

David E. Leininger

Mike Yaconelli, who used to edit the theological satire magazine called "The Wittenberg Door," wrote an insightful editorial a few years ago. Listen: One of the most interesting things about kid's sporting events is the parents' reaction to their children. Recently, I attended my daughter's track meet. On the fourth and final lap of the boys' mile run everyone was clumped together except for the two front-runners who were leading the pack by a few yards. As the runners came toward the finish line, the ...

3694. No Other Thought

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Martin Luther

When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; he (Martin Luther) said, 'Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope."

3695. Coasting Along?

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

In the 1970s, when the gasoline shortage was at its height, any possible proposal for increasing the miles per gallon ratio was taken up with enthusiasm. One popular but not terribly effective scheme was to tuck your own car right up behind any large truck barreling down the highway. The conventional wisdom was that the tremendous draft created by the truck would help drag your own vehicle along thereby reducing the air friction on it and thus increasing your own gas mileage. Following in the wake of the ...

3696. A Place for Caution

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

King Duncan

Cowboy writer Curt Brummett likes to tell how proud he felt the day his father gave him his first real rope. All young cowboys dream of owning their own rope, which they can use to rope steer. As his father tied the rope into a lasso, he gave Curt one important piece of advice, "Never . . . put it on anything you can't get it off of." That evening, company came by for coffee. Curt and his little sister were playing in another room. He was trying to rope her feet as she ran by. She retaliated by tying a ...

3697. Great Is Your Faith - Sermon Starter

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

Brett Blair

What would you think if I told you that on your tombstone would be inscribed a four-word epitaph? Well, you might respond, it would depend on who would write this epitaph an enemy or a loved one. It might also depend, you might say, on how well this person knew and understood you. If a newspaper critic wrote of a concert pianist the four words: "He was a failure," you could always say: That was his opinion. But if one of the world's great musicians wrote, "He was a genius," then you are apt to take the ...

3698. A Little Time Alone

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

John R. O'Neil, in his book The Paradox of Success, tells about a psychologist who was once summoned for a delicate interview with a top executive who had been acting oddly. Every Wednesday afternoon, this hard-charging company man would leave his office for a 3:00 P.M. appointment and did not return. He never told anyone where he went, but because he was observed entering a nearby apartment building, it was assumed he must be visiting a mistress. Not so. The executive explained his habit to the ...

3699. Don’t Take No for an Answer

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

A story came across the wires from the Reuters new service about a family of ducklings that fell down a sewer grate in Vancouver. Their mother did what any parent would do. She got help from a passing police officer. The mother duck grabbed the policeman by the pant leg while he was on foot patrol. The policeman shoved what he thought was just a goofy duck away, but she persisted, grabbing his leg again when he tried to leave, and then waddling to a nearby sewer grate where she sat down and waited for him ...

3700. A Strong Woman

Matthew 15: (1-10) 21-28

Illustration

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape, but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape. A strong woman isn't afraid of anything, but a woman of strength shows her courage in the midst of fear. A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her, but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone. A strong woman walks sure-footedly, but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls. A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face, but a ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 3676 to 3700 of 5000 results

3676. Imperceptible Things Have Real Influence

Matthew 13:31-35

Illustration

Brett Blair

3677. Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:44-46

Illustration

Brett Blair

3678. Do What You Need to Do

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Illustration

King Duncan

3679. Our Lord's Abundant Table - Sermon Starter

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

3680. And Hungry People Were Fed

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

King Duncan

3681. It Don't Add Up

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

3682. The Negative Verses the Positive

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

3683. You Feed Them

Mt 14:13-21

Illustration

King Duncan

3684. Taking Care of the Crowd

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Johnny Dean

3685. Use What You Have

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

3686. You Feed Them

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

King Duncan

3687. Fear - Sermon Starter

Matthew 14:22-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

3688. Motorcycle Churches

Matthew 14:22-36

Illustration

King Duncan

3689. We Need a Sign

Matthew 14:22-36

Illustration

Jon S. Dawson

3690. The Miracle Dog

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

3691. Taking Risks

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

King Duncan

3692. Hanging by an Inch

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

King Duncan

3693. Run Faster!

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

David E. Leininger

3694. No Other Thought

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Martin Luther

3695. Coasting Along?

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

3696. A Place for Caution

Matthew 14:22-33

Illustration

King Duncan

3697. Great Is Your Faith - Sermon Starter

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

Brett Blair

3698. A Little Time Alone

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

3699. Don’t Take No for an Answer

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

3700. A Strong Woman

Matthew 15: (1-10) 21-28

Illustration

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