Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 351 to 375 of 5000 results

Mt 14:22-33 · Rom 9:1-5 · Ex 14:19-31 · Ps 106:4-12

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... Bible teaches us to fear God not in terms of being afraid of God but to honor, respect, revere and obey him. The fear of God removes all reasons to be afraid, for if God is for and with us, we have it made. 4. Pride before a Fall. Peter illustrates the truism that pride precedes a fall. With great bravado he challenges Jesus to ask him to let him walk on water, too. He is sure he can do it. He has perfect self-confidence. He can do whatever Jesus asks him to do. But, the turbulent waves whipped by ...

352. Fish Miracle

1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-13, Luke 5:1-11

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... possibilities:A. Because Jesus was asked to do so? No.B. Because Jesus wanted to make up the loss of no fish the night before? No.C. Because Jesus wanted to impress the crowd? No.D. Because Jesus wanted to gain Peter as a follower? Yes. ILLUSTRATION Total Commitment. "They left everything and followed him (v. 11)."Kagawa: "Send me anywhere, only go with me. Place any burden upon me, only sustain me. Break any tie except that which binds me to Thyself and Thy service." William Booth, founder of the Salvation ...

353. Wedding: How God Blesses a Marriage

Sermon Aid

John M. Braaten

... impregnable fortress. And grace is powerless because it can do nothing except by consent. Grace never overpowers. The psalmist illustrated this winsome truth when he wrote: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless ... God) gives to his beloved sleep." Psalm 127:1-2 While that is a description of our dependence on God, it is even more an illustration of grace. Most things in life require that we work hard for them; we get things the old-fashioned way. "We earn them." After all ...

354. Wedding: Grounds for Marriage

Sermon Aid

John M. Braaten

... God and your invited guests. We are thrilled to share these moments with you. It would be nice to be unreservedly optimistic about your future. But I can't, because marriage isn't a one-way ride on the happiness express. An example of what can happen is illustrated by a story I once heard. A dog-tired business man came home from the office only to hear his wife announce that the cook had quit. "Why?" he asked. "Because of you," she fired back. "Me? What did I do?" "Well," the wife said, "the cook claimed ...

355. Better Than Slaves or Servants

John 1:12

Children's Sermon

... of mother and daughter. Good morning, boys and girls. Let's look at a picture together this morning. (Show them the illustration.) What do you see in this picture? Do you think the little girl and the woman are good friends? How can you tell? That's right. They seem to be enjoying their time together. Do you suppose the woman is the little girl's mother? Yes, there are some words ...

356. Something Special

Luke 1:38

Children's Sermon

... of star over Bethlehem. Lesson: Mary said, "... let it be to me according to your word." Boys and girls, let's look at a picture together. (Show them the illustration. Have them tell you what it is and what it means.) Do you think anybody in Bethlehem, besides Joseph and Mary and the shepherds - and maybe the innkeeper and his wife - thought there was anything special going on the night Jesus was born? I doubt it. I suppose they all ...

357. Epiphany 6

Luke 6:17-26, Psalm 1:1-6, Jeremiah 16:1--17:18, 1 Corinthians 15:12-34

Sermon Aid

George Bass

... gold, but then it could not be played. Its commercial value was enhanced, but its real value was gone. It could no longer do what it was fashioned to do. God can do that for us (and to us). He follows this with another classic illustration, as a warning to the church, as well as individual Christians which states that two clergymen watched a great ecclesiastical procession pass, with silver incense lamps and priests wearing cloth of gold. As a great golden crucifix passed them, one said to the other, "The ...

358. A Farewell Gift

John 14:15-31

Sermon

John M. Braaten

... not simply the end of conflict nor is it, for that matter, even the lack of inner struggle. The peace of God is an internal strength and tranquility which exists in spite of turmoil whether in the world around us or deep within us. An old story which illustrates this point concerns a little boy who sat calmly aboard a ship which was tossed about like a toothpick by the wind and waves. Another passenger asked him, "Aren't you worried? Doesn't the storm frighten you?" "No," replied the boy. "If I sit here I ...

359. The Greatest Wonder Of All!

John 14:5-14

Sermon

John M. Braaten

... the "right" words or doing the "right" things, as long as we are sharing the goodness and mercy of God. The Spirit can take even simple offerings and transform them into experiences which can shape and color and warm the lives of others. Let me illustrate. Douglas Maurer, 15, of Creve Coeur, Missouri, had been feeling bad for several days. Mrs. Maurer took Douglas to the hospital in St. Louis where he was diagnosed as having leukemia. The doctors told him in frank terms about his disease. They said that for ...

360. Two R-Rated Stories

John 7:45--8:11

Sermon

John M. Braaten

... Lily as the woman of sin? "Certainly we knew that Lily looked different from all the other women of our congregation. She wore high-heels and lipstick; she was by far the prettiest woman we’d ever seen. ‘Woman of sin,’ what did it mean? "In our Illustrated King James Version of the Bible there was a picture on page 90 with the caption, ‘Woman of Sin anoints the feet of Jesus.’ We studied that picture looking for clues. There were five figures in the scene. The three men who stood in the background ...

361. Dim Visions And Blind Guides

Sermon

Harold Warlick

... would God have to raise as God's sign? Oral Roberts once said eleven million dollars. How many cures would God have to work? Are we so evil that we need a sign? Are we so incapable of living with limits that faith without certainty is impossible? Let me illustrate from personal experience. I was standing in the checkout line of a Boston bookstore where I knew the manager. He stopped me and said, "I've got a check I need for you to vouch for. We normally don't take checks, but this man rummaging through the ...

362. The Water Gate And The Word Proclaimed

Nehemiah 7:73b--8:18

Sermon

Ron Lavin

... for the grace of God. That experience of law and gospel has been experienced by millions upon millions of people since Ezra's day. Another important aspect of preaching is illustration. Preaching is more than interpretation of what a text says. Preaching is even more than immediate application to our lives. Illustrations can bring the interpretation of the Word to life, and provides inroads to the subconscious mind which produces fruits of righteousness at later times. Stories and anecdotes help the people ...

363. A Good Thing To Know

Luke 19:11-27

Sermon

Theodore F. Schneider

... , because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow." Herod's Archelaus, definitely! Our Father's Christ, definitely not! There are intentional parallels here, but this parable is not an allegory. The sermon illustration must begin for us, "It is as if ..." The second story, the one about the faithfulness of the servants, narrows our focus to the third of the servants who reports to the king. At issue are the skill, the courage, the loyalty, the love and the ...

364. Athanasius Faithful Teacher

Drama

Thomas A. Renquist

... against it. Its leader in this struggle was Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Athanasius was born into a Christian family in Egypt in the year 295. Here is a story about his youthful years; and it may be more story than fact, but it does illustrate his early commitment to the Christian faith. Reader 2: A previous Bishop of Alexandria, whose name was Alexander, was in his home along the seashore. Looking out the window he saw some children playing on the beach. And it appeared to the Bishop that these ...

365. Revised Edition

Psalm 71:1-24

Eulogy

Richard F. Bansemer

... may get lost, it may sit on the shelves for years. It may even be destroyed, but somewhere another copy of it lives on. That is the kind of faith that Benjamin Franklin had when he wrote his own epitaph. Pastor Albert P. Stauderman, in his book Let Me illustrate, quotes what he wrote: "The Body of B. Franklin, Printer; like the Cover of an old Book, Its Contents torn out, And stripped of its Lettering and Gilding, Lies here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be wholly lost; For it will, as he believ'd ...

366. One Plus One Equals One

Matthew 19:1-12

Sermon

R. E. Lybrand

... have one apple and a friend gives you another apple, then you have two apples, because one plus one equals two. This is a basic rule of mathematics." When I went into high school, I was shocked to learn that there are exceptions to every rule. To illustrate that point, our teacher said, "For example, you and I know that one plus one equals two, but what about when one raindrop joins with another raindrop. Then you have one larger raindrop. In this case one plus one equals one." I was really amazed. There ...

367. Giving Away the Store

Luke 22:7-38, John 13:1-17

Sermon

Carl Jech

... just awimp with a martyr complex"!) But grace is not a wimp word and Jesus is anything but a wimp! It takes great strength to love, to forgive, to understand rather than to blame and condemn. To be gracious is to balance strength with mercy, justice with love. The old illustration of the oak and the willow is a good one. The mighty oak is so strong that it never bends in a strong wind, but it may break. The willow tree, on the other hand, may bend in a wind but it will not break. By being firm yet flexible ...

368. Jesus Changes Water into Wine

John 2:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Carl Hoefler

... the effect of Christ's influence on us when he touches our lives. People: May the miracle of Christ's touch change our lives as we put our faith in him. Collect Almighty God, whose Son changed water into wine, illustrating the excellence of the life he offers: Transform our inferior living into a vital relationship with you, through the presence of your Son; that we may rejoice in the miracle of new life he provides. In his name we pray. Amen. Prayer of Confession We enjoy life, Father, but too ...

369. Building Barns, Postponing Life - Sermon Opener

Luke 12:13-21

Illustration

... was concerned, however, with the larger implications of preoccupation with the things of this world. He said: Beware of greed, for life does not consist of things possessed. The sum total of a person’s life is more than their financial portfolio. He then illustrated this point by telling a story. There was once a man who had an unbroken run of prosperity. In today’s language, he had successfully played the commodities market. So prosperous did he become that his barns could not hold all of his crops ...

370. Building Barns, Postponing Life

Luke 12:13-21

Sermon

Brett Blair

371. Proper 26

Lk 19:1-10 · 2 Thes 1:5-12 · Ex 34:5-9 · Hag 2:1-9

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... dirty life by repentance. He gave half of his wealth to the poor and restored fourfold what he took. 3. Steps to Life. 19:1-10. Need: People need to know the simple steps from a life of sin to a Christian, a life in Christ. The steps are illustrated in Zacchaeus' conversion. Outline: What steps do you take to get life in Christ? A. Climb - v. 4. This means your wanting to see and know Jesus because you need him. B. Confront - v. 5. Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the tree. He ordered him to come down and together ...

372. The Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

Brett Blair

... comes to us as the Lord of History and makes demands: “Take up you cross and follow me." He comes to us as one to be obeyed. II To follow Jesus we must first establish our priorities and secondly, we must count the cost. Look with me at how Jesus illustrates this point. Suppose, Jesus says, one of you wants to build a tower over your vineyard so you can keep a lookout for thieves who might want to steal your harvest. Before you build, what is the first thing you will do? Will you not, he says, first sit ...

373. Communion Is Realizing Forgiveness

Matthew 26:17-30

Sermon

... money or sells you something that turns out to be worthless? All too often our human reaction to such situations is to seek revenge! We begin plotting ways to even the score, to get them back for what they did to us. This, all too human way of reacting, was illustrated for me this summer at the beach when I saw a young lady wearing a T-shirt which said, "I don't get mad ... I get even." You see, some people pride themselves in their skill for getting revenge ... in their ability to be one up on the next ...

374. Communion Is Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2

Sermon

... fallen short of the glory of God." That "all" includes you and me. No matter how "good" we think we are, no matter what a "fine reputation" we have, no matter how "religious" we act, we all fall short of God's will for us as his people. Let me illustrate: The story is told of two men who were trying to escape from an errupting volcano. As the molten lava gushed from the crater, they ran for their lives. All went well until they came to a broad stream of fiery lava which was about twenty feet across. Their ...

375. The Servant’s Credentials

Matthew 23:1-39

Sermon

... in that decision to opt out as the Spirit is active in the decision of others to pursue church occupations. Why do I share this incident with you? I share it as an illustration of the Church’s investment in a qualified and caring cadre of pastors, deaconesses and lay professional leaders. I share it today because I feel it illustrates our text from Matthew’s gospel and some of the practical consequences of that text. Be not like those who do not practice what they preach, Jesus said; the ones who do ...

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