Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 3826 to 3850 of 5000 results

3826. Preparedness

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

John Wesley was asked what he would do if he knew his Lord would return at that time the next day. He said in effect, "I would go to bed and go to sleep; wake up in the morning, and go on with my work, for I would want Him to find me doing what he had appointed."

3827. I'd Hurry If I Were You

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

Johnny Dean

The late Lewis Grizzard, a humorist and author of many columns and books, was by his minister in the hospital. Grizzard was scheduled to have open-heart surgery the next morning. He confessed to his minister that he had not exactly been a paragon of virtue and asked if there were still time to repent. The minister looked at his watch and replied, "Yes, but I'd hurry if I were you."

3828. The Willingness to Prepare

Mt 25:1-13

Illustration

King Duncan

In 1976, Indiana University's basketball team was undefeated throughout the regular season and captured the NCAA National Championship. Controversial and colorful coach Bobby Knight led them to that championship. Shortly afterwards, Coach Knight was interviewed on the television show "60 Minutes." The commentator asked him, "Why is it, Bobby, that your basketball teams at Indiana are always so successful? Is it the will to succeed?" "The will to succeed is important," replied Bobby Knight, "but I'll tell ...

3829. Prepared The Moment

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

Brett Blair

In 1998 the four time Governor of Alabama George Wallace died, but before he died, he openly admitted that when he stood at the door of the University of Alabama and denied entrance to blacks that he was wrong. He even apologized for that action and became something of a hero for repenting of his intolerance and recanting those views. I affirm that change of mind in him. Yet, when his great moment in history came, he was not prepared and he missed his great opportunity. Charles Colson also repented of his ...

3830. You Are Not My Students

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten students waiting for a professor to return to his office. They needed his signature to add his course, and the forms were due early the next day. Five were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones brought something to eat while they waited, but the foolish ones did not. The professor was a long time in coming, and as they waited all afternoon, they got very hungry. The foolish ones said, "Give us some of your food." But the wise ones answered, "No, we ...

3831. Stealing from Ourselves

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

King Duncan

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar tells about a most successful jewel thief back in the Roaring Twenties by the name of Arthur Berry. Berry liked to hobnob with the rich and famous of Boston's elite, except he did his hobnobbing at night when they weren't around. He wouldn't steal from just anybody. As a matter of fact, a visit from Arthur was a status symbol among the ladies of Boston's upper class. The police weren't nearly as intrigued by his status-oriented thievery. And one night they caught him and ...

3832. 90% Chance of Tomorrow

Matthew 25:1-13

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

Some folks in Iowa read in the weather forecast column of their local newspaper sometime back that "there is a 90% chance of tomorrow." I personally hope that the chances are better than that. But who knows? Let's not be foolish. Let's be prepared.

3833. Always Practiced

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

King Duncan

Liu Chi Kung, who placed second to Van Cliburn in the 1958 Tchaikovsky competition, was imprisoned a year later during the Cultural Revolution in China. During the entire seven years he was held, he was denied the use of a piano. Soon after his release, however, he was back on tour. Critics wrote in astonishment that his musicianship was better than ever. "How did you do this?" a critic asked. "You had no chance to practice for seven years." "I did practice," Liu replied, "every day. I rehearsed every ...

3834. Will You Be Ready?

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

Olin Robison happened to be with Senator Sam Erwin on the night before the Watergate hearing began. Olin Robison said, "Senator, we all look for a great deal from you tomorrow, it must be a tremendous weight." Robison reports that with no arrogance whatsoever, Sam Erwin looked at him and said: "Son, all my life I've been preparing for this moment. I am ready." Graham Greene once observed. "There is always one moment when the door opens and lets the future in." Will you be ready when your time comes?

3835. A Lifetime to Prepare

Matt 25:1-13; Luke 20:27-40

Illustration

King Duncan

There is an old legend about a man who had a rather stupid servant. The master often got exasperated with his servant. One day in a fit of frustration he said to the servant, "You've got to be the stupidest man I've ever met. Look, I want you to take this staff and carry it with you. And if you ever meet a man stupider than you are, give him the staff." So the servant carried the staff. Often out in the marketplace he'd meet some pretty stupid people. But he was never sure they were worse off than he. ...

3836. Ten Best Things to Say if You Get Caught Sleeping

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

These are the ten best things to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk: 10. They told me at the blood bank this might happen. 9. This is just a 15 minute power-nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to. 8. Whew! Guess I left the top off the White-Out. You probably got here just in time! 7. I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm. 6. I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance. 5. I was doing a highly specific Yoga ...

3837. Making a Difference

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

There is a little story that comes from a book called the Star Fisher. Picture if you will an early morning along a California beach. An elderly man is walking along the edge of the water and stops occasionally, picks up something, and then tosses it into the ocean. He then walks a few steps more, picks up something, and tosses it into the ocean. A young jogger is running along and has been watching the man. Finally his curiosity gets the best of him and he stops and goes over to the old gentleman and asks ...

3838. Starting Is the First Step

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

David E. Leininger

Starting is the first step to succeeding. We cannot be afraid of failure. I am a baseball junkie so I can bring you this: in 1915 Ty Cobb set the record for stolen bases, 96. Seven years later, Max Carey of the Pittsburgh Pirates became second best with 51 stolen bases. Does this mean that Cobb was twice as good as Carey, his closest rival? Look at the facts: Cobb made 134 attempts, Carey, 53. Cobb failed 38 times; Carey only failed twice. Cobb succeeded 96 times, Carey only 51 times. Cobb's average was ...

3839. Some Talents are Inappropriate

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Johnny Dean

One man in a group being received into the church heard the pastor say, "Now God has given each of you a unique talent. When you join the church, you are expected to serve God with whatever abilities you have." Well, it just so happened that this particular man was a reformed criminal. After he was released from prison, he had renounced the life of crime and gone straight. Joining the church, making a commitment to follow Jesus, was the first step in that effort. Serving God was a little out of his line, ...

3840. Somebody Should Have Helped

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

The worst nightmare of every mother happened to a Memphis woman a few years ago. A woman named Anita was stopped for a traffic light at the corner of Highland and Southern. Suddenly a stranger opened the passenger door of her car, grabbed her 2-month- old baby, and ran. Anita's instincts took over. She slammed that car into park, jumped out, and ran after the man. A terrified mother can move with lightning speed. When she got near the man he threw her baby into a ditch and kept on running. Miraculously, ...

3841. Parable of the Talents Retold

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Unknown

A retelling of the talents parable: Once there was a king who had three sons, each with a special talent. The first had a talent for growing fruit. The second for raising sheep. And the third for playing the violin. Once, the king had to go overseas on important business. Before departing he called his three sons together and told them he was depending on them to keep the people contented in his absence. Now for a while things went well. But then came the winter, a bitter and cruel winter it was. There was ...

3842. Only 60 Seconds

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Herman Cain, CEO and president of Godfather's Pizza, Incorporated, is an African-American man who was raised in poverty. He credits his hard-working father for his success in life. Throughout Herman's life, his father worked three or four jobs at a time in order to support his family. In addition to his father, Herman Cain also found inspiration from Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, a former president of Morehouse College. Dr. Mays taught Herman a poem that has guided him through the ups and downs of life. It is ...

3843. A Priceless Gift

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

King Duncan

Lois Cheney in her book, God is No Fool, tells a revealing parable about a man who was touched by God. God gave this man a priceless gift the capacity for love. The man was grateful and humble, and he knew what an extraordinary thing had happened to him. He carried this capacity for love like a jewel and he walked tall and with purpose. From time to time he would show this gift to others, and they would smile and stroke his jewel. But it seemed that they'd also dirty it up a little. Now, this was no way to ...

3844. Fear Is a Great Motivator

Mt 25:14-30

Illustration

King Duncan

Have you heard the story of the frog who fell into a deep rut and, try as he might, he could not get out? Mrs. Frog, standing above the rut, admonished, cajoled, beckoned, and belittled him: "Get out, come on, let's go." But Mr. Frog, down in the deep rut, said simply that he couldn't. "I've tried everything, and there is no way I can get out of this rut." So Mrs. Frog left him there and hopped on down to the pond. A few minutes later, however, Mr. Frog appeared beside her on their favorite lily pad. "I ...

3845. Multiple Intelligences

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

King Duncan

There is a psychologist at Harvard named Howard Gardner who is trying to revolutionize the study of intelligence. He says we have been studying I.Q. all wrong. On our intelligence tests we only measure one or two forms of intelligence. Gardner says that there are actually seven forms of intelligence. Some people are gifted with linguistic intelligence, he says. These are our writers and poets. Others have what he calls logical/mathematical intelligence. They make good accountants and scientists. Some ...

3846. Don’t Wait to Live

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Eric Ritz

In my files, there is a poem that describes well the strategy for life employed by the one talent servant. There was a very cautious man who never laughed or played. He never risked, he never tried. He never sang or prayed. And when he passed away, his insurance was denied. For since he never really lived, they claim he never died. You cannot reach your full potential with your efforts crippled by caution. Mark Twain once said, "Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit ...

3847. The Sheep and the Goats - Sermon Starter

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

Brett Blair

Like it or not, judgment is a fact of life. That is true whether we are talking about the histories of nations or the events of our own personal life. If we break the law, then society will judge us. If we live immorally drink too much, engage in sexual promiscuity, live a lifestyle of constant stress then our bodies will judge us. We simply cannot escape judgment in life. Jesus rarely spoke about the final judgment, but on one occasion he did paint a picture for us in one of his stories. The parable that ...

3848. The Long Reach of an Act of Kindness

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

Alex Haley, the author of Roots tells the story of how his father had his life changed by a simple act of kindness: He was the youngest of eight children, living as a sharecropping family. Everyone in the family was needed to help with the crops. After several years of schooling the family pressed each child into service on the farm. Fortunately the boy's mother intervened on behalf of her child and was allowed to stay in school. When he was ready for college he chose the Lane Institute, working as many as ...

3849. A Small Act of Kindness

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

King Duncan

Let me suggest that you try something that never gets old or stale or unsatisfying. Do something for somebody truly in need. Let me tell you about a man named Floyd. According to the standards of the world Floyd was nobody. Floyd traveled around the country looking for work at harvest time. Floyd had no home and no place to go. A couple invited him into their home and gave him a home-cooked dinner. Floyd said very little as they ate. The wife, Nancy, offered to wash his clothes for him but Floyd declined ...

3850. A Deep Love for God, A Deep Love for Neighbors

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

There is an Irish legend about a king, who had no children to succeed him on the throne. So, he had his messengers post signs in every town and village of his kingdom inviting qualified young men to apply for an interview with the king. This way the king hoped to be able to choose a successor before he died. Two qualifications, especially, were stressed. The person must have a deep love for God and a deep love for his neighbor. A young man saw one of the signs. He indeed had a deep love for God and ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 3826 to 3850 of 5000 results

3826. Preparedness

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

3827. I'd Hurry If I Were You

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

Johnny Dean

3828. The Willingness to Prepare

Mt 25:1-13

Illustration

King Duncan

3829. Prepared The Moment

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

Brett Blair

3830. You Are Not My Students

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

3831. Stealing from Ourselves

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

King Duncan

3832. 90% Chance of Tomorrow

Matthew 25:1-13

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

3833. Always Practiced

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

King Duncan

3834. Will You Be Ready?

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

3835. A Lifetime to Prepare

Matt 25:1-13; Luke 20:27-40

Illustration

King Duncan

3836. Ten Best Things to Say if You Get Caught Sleeping

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

3837. Making a Difference

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

3838. Starting Is the First Step

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

David E. Leininger

3839. Some Talents are Inappropriate

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Johnny Dean

3840. Somebody Should Have Helped

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

3841. Parable of the Talents Retold

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Unknown

3842. Only 60 Seconds

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

3843. A Priceless Gift

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

King Duncan

3844. Fear Is a Great Motivator

Mt 25:14-30

Illustration

King Duncan

3845. Multiple Intelligences

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

King Duncan

3846. Don’t Wait to Live

Matthew 25:14-30

Illustration

Eric Ritz

3847. The Sheep and the Goats - Sermon Starter

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

Brett Blair

3848. The Long Reach of an Act of Kindness

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

3849. A Small Act of Kindness

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

King Duncan

3850. A Deep Love for God, A Deep Love for Neighbors

Matthew 25:31-46

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

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