Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3701 to 3725 of 5000 results

3701. Sometimes You Need to Grab Their Attention

Matthew 15: (1-10) 21-28

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

It seems a man was headed up to bed one night, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in their shed. She told him she could see it from the bedroom window. He told her he hadn't been in the shed that day. When he looked out the window, he saw that there were people in the shed, stealing things. So, he phoned the police. The police told him that there was no one was in his area and consequently, there was no one available to catch the thieves. He said "OK," hung up, counted to 30 and called the ...

3702. Belief in Hell

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

While the majority of Americans believe in heaven and eventually expect to end up there, studies show most people today do not believe in hell. It reminds me of a P. D. James' story. A young woman discovers that she was adopted. Almost immediately, she begins looking for her biological mother and father. She is stunned to discover that as a baby she had been taken from her parents when they were sent to prison for the murder of a ten-year-old girl. Although the father subsequently died in prison, the ...

3703. Pray for Yourself

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

In 1989, former President George H. W. Bush was entering St. John's Episcopal Church to attend a worship service. A homeless man, William Wallace Brown Jr., stopped him and asked for prayer. The President's answer must have shocked onlookers. He replied, "No. Come inside with us and pray for yourself." From that day forward, William Wallace Brown Jr. regularly attended St. John's Episcopal Church. This man in ragged, smelly clothes sat in the pews alongside the rich and the powerful. At offering time, he ...

3704. A Mother’s Faith

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

Augustine's mother, Monica, was a fervent believer who prayed constantly for her son's salvation. She devoted her whole life to praying for Augustine's conversion. At one point, when Augustine was becoming devoted to the Manichaean philosophy, Monica begged a holy man to speak to Augustine, and show him why their beliefs were not true. The holy man refused because Augustine was known to have a great intellect, and would likely try to savage the holy man's arguments. The holy man assured Monica that he, too ...

3705. The Triumph of Jesus

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

Sermons For Sundays

In 1896, after fifteen centuries, Athens renewed the Olympic games, thus fulfilling the dream of Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France. You can imagine how proud the Greeks were to host the first modern Olympics. You can also imagine how disappointed they were at their athletes' lack of success in event after event. The last competition was the marathon. Greece's entrant was named Louis, a shepherd without competitive background. He'd trained alone in the hills near his flock. When the race started, Louis ...

3706. A Point of Reference

Matthew 16:13-20

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 that same article Steinberg tells about a small disc on the Meades Ranch in north central Kansas where the ...

3707. One Generation Away from Extinction

Matthew 16:13-20

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 story about Jesus appearing in heaven just after his resurrection. Jesus is giving a progress report on all that ...

3708. People See Things Differently

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

Johnny Dean

People see things differently all the time. For example, three people – a minister, an archaeologist, and a cowboy – were getting their first look at the Grand Canyon one day. The minister exclaimed, "Truly this is one of the glories of God!" The archaeologist commented, "What a wonder of nature this is!" And the cowboy said, "Can you imagine trying to find a lost steer in there?" People see things differently. The Messianic hope of those in the Jewish community who held such a belief was that the Chosen ...

3709. The Penniless Teacher of Nazareth

Matthew 16:13-20

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 name: H.G. Wells. He best summed up the difference: "Christ," he wrote, "is the most unique person of history. No ...

3710. I Didn’t Know His Name

Matthew 16:13-20

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 Helen's face and she beckoned for a chance to respond. Through her teacher she said, "Mr. Brooks, I have always ...

3711. There Is Something about Jesus

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

David E. Leininger

Malcolm Muggeridge, for most of his life a skeptic, following his conversion became wonderfully reflective. In his book, Jesus Rediscovered, he writes, "Beneath the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, a silver star marks the alleged precise spot where Christ was born. A stone slab nearby is supposed to mark the exact site of the manger wherein he lay. The Holy Land is littered with such shrines, divided up like African territories in the old colonialist days, between the different sects and denominations ...

3712. One Word: Jesus

Matthew 16:13-20

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 when God was enjoying the man and woman, the devil slithered up to God and asked him why he liked those strange ...

3713. Who Are You and What Have You Done?

Matthew 16:13-20

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 second: "Why should I let you in?" The fellow replies: Look at my file; I developed drugs, which cured ...

3714. Set Free

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

Everyone knows the story of Helen Keller. I love that moment, let's call it the Helen Keller Moment, when she learned that a sign, a hand movement, could represent letters of the alphabet, learning that W A T E R could be represented by five distinct movements of the hands. Of that moment she said, "The living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!" There's a word for that: Revelation. That's a Peter moment: [say out loud slowly and put your hands together as if you are making signs ...

3715. The Difference It Makes in a Christian Life

Matthew 16:13-20

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 when he looked through the gates at Graceland (Presley's home). He had stood there for more than twelve hours ...

3716. Measuring Up to Jesus

Matthew 16:13-20

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, guarding an ammunition dump about one hundred miles from Paris, read with interest the notice about Pershing's ...

3717. The Only Way

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

David E. Leininger

A woman was talking to her Presbyterian minister, taking him to task for injecting something into a worship service which, she said, was "not Presbyterian." "Well," the minister replied, "you don't mean to say that you believe that the only way you can get to heaven is by being a Presbyterian, do you!" She thought a minute and said, "No, not really. But no genteel person would think of going any other way."

3718. Personal Understanding

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

Her name was Sarah Dowerday. Born with only one leg, she received national attention several years ago for climbing to the top of Mt. Reiner in Seattle Washington. To document this fascinating human-interest story, a CBS camera crew went along. When she finally reached the snow-capped peak they ask her how she felt: "Once you have experienced the peak, your life is never the same." Friends, once you have come to the point that you truly can echo the words of Peter: Thou art the Christ the son of the living ...

3719. Without the Struggle, There Are No Wings

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

David E. Leininger

A family brought in two cocoons that were about to hatch. They watched as the first one began to open and the butterfly inside squeezed very slowly and painfully through a tiny hole that it chewed in one end of the cocoon. After lying exhausted for about ten minutes following its agonizing emergence, the butterfly finally flew out the open window on its beautiful new wings. The family decided to help the second butterfly so that it would not have to go through such an excruciating ordeal. So, as it began ...

3720. God Loves Us All

Matthew 16:13-20

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 the Masai over every other tribe, providing them with rain and sleek cattle and protecting them against their ...

3721. The Lure of the Easy Way - Sermon Starter

Matthew 16:21-28

Illustration

Brett Blair

I like the story of the young man, eager to make it to the top, who went to a well-known millionaire businessman and asked him the first reason for his success. The businessman answered without hesitation, "Hard work." After a lengthy pause the young man asked, "What is the SECOND reason?" We want to deal this morning with the lure of the easy way. Jesus and His disciples were at Caesarea Philippi. Their ministry to this point had been a stunning success. Crowds pressed in on them everywhere they went. ...

3722. It Is Not I

Matthew 16: 21-28

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

It is said that St. Augustine was accosted one day on the street by a former mistress some time after he had become a Christian. When he saw her he turned and walked the other way. Surprised, the woman called out, "Augustine, it is I". Augustine as he kept going the other way, answered her, "Yes, but it is not I." It is an amusing story - one that comes close to making the same point the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer made when he wrote "When Christ calls a man to follow him, he calls him to die."

3723. Taking Risks for Faith

Matthew 16: 21-28

Illustration

Donald B. Strobe

It doesn't seem to me that many of us are risking very much for our faith. I once heard someone describe the average Christian today in terms of a person dressed in a deep-sea diving suit, oxygen mask firmly in place, marching resolutely into the bathroom to pull the plug out of the bathtub. An old slogan says: "Expect great things from God; Attempt great things for God." We're pretty good at the first; not so hot with the second. Remember the words of Shakespeare: "Our doubts are traitors, And make us ...

3724. He’s Going to Make It Hard on You

Matthew 16:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

Bob Hodges, a Presbyterian minister in Rogersville, Tennessee, tells about duck hunting with a friend of his on Cherokee Lake in East Tennessee. His friend, Riley, who had just recently given his life to Christ, began to ask some serious questions about his Christian pilgrimage. Riley's old friends were making it very difficult for him to remain consistent in his obedience and commitment to Christ. They seemed to delight in trying to get him to fall back into the old patterns of life. They ridiculed him ...

3725. In Celebration of American Thanksgiving

Philippians 4:2-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Illustration

Winston Churchhill: A speech at a Royal Albert Hall Concert in Celebration of American Thanksgiving Day. November 23, 1944 We have come here tonight to add our celebration to those which are going forward all over the world, wherever allied troops are fighting in bivouacs and dugouts, on battlefields, on the high seas, and the highest air. Always this annual festival has been dear to the hearts of the American people. Always there has been that desire for thanksgiving, and never, I think, has there been ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 3701 to 3725 of 5000 results

3701. Sometimes You Need to Grab Their Attention

Matthew 15: (1-10) 21-28

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

3702. Belief in Hell

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

3703. Pray for Yourself

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

3704. A Mother’s Faith

Matthew 15:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

3705. The Triumph of Jesus

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

Sermons For Sundays

3706. A Point of Reference

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

3707. One Generation Away from Extinction

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

3708. People See Things Differently

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

Johnny Dean

3709. The Penniless Teacher of Nazareth

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

3710. I Didn’t Know His Name

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

3711. There Is Something about Jesus

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

David E. Leininger

3712. One Word: Jesus

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

3713. Who Are You and What Have You Done?

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

3714. Set Free

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

3715. The Difference It Makes in a Christian Life

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

3716. Measuring Up to Jesus

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

3717. The Only Way

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

David E. Leininger

3718. Personal Understanding

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

3719. Without the Struggle, There Are No Wings

Matthew 16: 13-20

Illustration

David E. Leininger

3720. God Loves Us All

Matthew 16:13-20

Illustration

King Duncan

3721. The Lure of the Easy Way - Sermon Starter

Matthew 16:21-28

Illustration

Brett Blair

3722. It Is Not I

Matthew 16: 21-28

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

3723. Taking Risks for Faith

Matthew 16: 21-28

Illustration

Donald B. Strobe

3724. He’s Going to Make It Hard on You

Matthew 16:21-28

Illustration

King Duncan

3725. In Celebration of American Thanksgiving

Philippians 4:2-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Illustration

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