Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4026 to 4050 of 5000 results

4026. Perennial Money Changers

John 2:13-22

Illustration

Brett Blair

Money Changers have always been in the church. It was a shock in 1965 when Professor Thomas Altizer of EmoryUniversity, a man from within the church, expounded his God is dead theology in the "New York Times." More recently, seminary professors at the so-called "Jesus Seminar" attacked the nature of Jesus. Luther, in the sixteenth century, saw the evil of the church in the monopolistic hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. The evil was not from the government, but from within the church itself. In our ...

4027. What Makes You Angry?

John 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

Paul Harvey told about a robber in Oceanside, California wearing a motorcycle helmet and carrying a gun who strode into a branch bank. He selected a teller who appeared fiftyish, soft, kindly, an easy mark. He handed her a note demanding money or her life. The woman reached for the cash drawer. Then she looked again at the note and her eyes flashed, her lips clenched. She pulled the entire cash drawer out, but instead of giving him money, she clobbered the robber over the head with the drawer. And again ...

4028. Consumerism

John 2:12-25

Illustration

Brett Blair

Another set of "money-changers" in the church is consumerism. Church members have bought into the concept of consumerism. They don't see themselves as servants, but as customers to be waited upon. Complaints about the church are frequently followed with the expression: "I do pay my money." That is consumerism. It is a way of saying: I am the one who is to be served. When a church buys into consumerism, they go about meeting the defined needs of the customers, rather than meeting God's need for a redeemed ...

4029. Acts of Anger

John 2:12-25

Illustration

King Duncan

It is an old story, but a good one. Former baseball manager Billy Martin told it in his autobiography titled Number 1. He says he and Mickey Mantle were doing a little hunting down in Texas. Mickey had a friend who would let him hunt on his ranch. When they got there, Mickey told Billy to wait in the car while he went in and cleared things with his friend. Permission was quickly granted for them to hunt, but the owner asked Mickey to do him a favor. He had a pet mule in the barn who was going blind and he ...

4030. Time to Get Angry

Jn 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

One of the angriest young men to grace the American spotlight was the black activist of the sixties, Stokely Carmichael. Remember Stokely, with his rhetoric of hate and rebellion? Why was he so angry? There were reasons. Let me give you an example. A school was being desegregated and Stokely Carmichael took his six-year-old niece to the school to begin kindergarten. Six years old. Remember that. The cops in that southern town weren't about to let the school be integrated. One cop grabbed Stokely's niece, ...

4031. You’re Out!

John 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

Seminary professor Tom Troeger tells about a childhood game he played when he was in grade school. The game was, "You're out! You're out! You can't come in!" The way the game was played was that half of the children would form a circle. Everyone would face outward and holding hands. The other half of the children would be outside the circle. The ones in the circle would chant, "You're out! You're out! You can't come in. You're out! You're out! You can't come in." And once they had chanted this twice, the ...

4032. The Spirit of the Church

Jn 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

Some of you are familiar with the writing of Madeleine L'Engle. She has inspired many people with her work. She reports that one Sunday she visited a unique Episcopal church in New York. A man stood up in that church and said, "I hope this is appropriate to ask. I was an abused child. I'm terrified of being an abusive father. I need help and prayer. " Madeleine L'Engle knew then this was a church she could stay in. "Because people are willing to be vulnerable," she says, "this church is very different. ...

4033. Finding God in Fellowship

John 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

The late Billy Graham shared his son Franklin's experience in the Middle East. Franklin was visiting a camp which held nationals from Kuwait. These people had traveled for days across the hot burning desert in buses. He noticed a woman who looked very distressed. She had small children around her. As Franklin began talking with her he discovered that she had given birth to a baby just three days before she and her family were evacuated from Kuwait. The newborn baby was dirty and smelly. Franklin was able ...

4034. Looking at the World through the Eyes of God - Sermon Starter

John 3:1-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

I can't think of a greater condemnation to be levied against a people than this: They loved darkness instead of light. I would never want that to be said of me. But that is the way God sees the world. You and I see the world as it is right now. Most of the people around us try and do the right thing and when we are wrong hopefully we apologize. So we tend to think well of most people. But look out on the passage of time…. The Ancient World of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Hellenism, Rome, Persia, India, and East ...

4035. God Is Seeking You in Love

John 3:14-21

Illustration

James Fitzgerald

Fred Craddock tells the story of his father, who spent years of his life hiding from the God who was seeking him out: "When the pastor used to come from my mother's church to call on him, my father would say, ‘You don't care about me. I know how churches are. You want another pledge, another name, right? Another name, another pledge, isn't that the whole point of church? Get another name, another pledge.' My nervous mother would run to the kitchen, crying, for fear somebody's feelings would be hurt. When ...

4036. We Become His Son

John 3:14-21

Illustration

King Duncan

There is a story that comes out of the Bedouin culture. "Bedouin" is the Aramaic name for "desert dwellers." These people live much as the characters of the Old Testament did. During a heated argument, according to this story, a young Bedouin struck and killed a friend of his. Knowing the ancient, inflexible customs of his people, the young man fled, running across the desert under the cover of darkness, seeking safety. He went to the black tent of the tribal chief in order to seek his protection. The old ...

4037. Complain, Complain, Complain

John 3:14-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

The story is told of a young man who entered a very strict monastic order. It was so strict that members were permitted to speak only two words per year to the abbot. At the end of year one the young man appeared before the abbot and spoke his two words, "bad food." At the end of the second year the young man appeared before the abbot and spoke two more words, "hard bed". At the end of year three he came to the abbot and spoke his last two words, "I quit." The abbot responded, "Well it is about time. ...

4038. So Much Extra Love

John 3:14-21

Illustration

King Duncan

We're told that when early printers, using handset type, received an order to print a collection of Alfred Lord Tennyson's poems, they immediately ordered hundreds of extra letters L and V for their presses. They knew Tennyson. He used the word `love' so often in his poetry that the average set of type could not possibly supply all the necessary letters. It is with that same kind of extravagant love that God loves us. God so loved the world.

4039. All It Would Take To Make Me Happy

John 3:14-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

Charles Shultz, creator and author of the Peanuts cartoon characters often conveyed a message in his comic strips. In one strip he conveys through Charlie Brown the need we have to be loved and through Lucy our inability to love one another. Charlie Brown and Lucy are leaning over the proverbial fence speaking to one another: CB: All it would take to make me happy is to have someone say he likes me. Lucy: Are you sure? CB: Of course I'm sure! Lucy: You mean you'd be happy if someone merely said he or she ...

4040. Eluding the Rescue

John 3:14-21

Illustration

Staff

A Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use the crackers as rat bait. Now the police and the owner of the VW Bug were more interested in apprehending the thief to save his ...

4041. When a Grain of Wheat Falls - Sermon Starter

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

Years ago, when the Betty Crocker Company first began selling their cake mixes, they offered a product which only needed water. All you had to do was add water to the mix which came in the box, and you would get a perfect, delicious cake every time. It bombed. No one bought it and the company couldn't understand why, so they commissioned a study which brought back a surprising answer. It seemed that people weren't buying the cake mix because it was too easy. They didn't want to be totally excluded from the ...

4042. Wesley's Rule of Conduct

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

John Wesley wrote to his people called Methodist the following Rule of Conduct: Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can. This is the meaning of the Passion. The crucifixion of Jesus is God's conduct; it is the rule for our lives as long as we shall live.

4043. No Time Left

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

A man had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop at the next city he came to, and park somewhere where it was quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep. As luck would have it, the quiet place he chose happened to be on one of the city's major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back for a snooze when there came a knock on his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place. "Yes?" he said. "Excuse me, sir," the jogger, said, "do you ...

4044. Greeks Seek Wisdom Not A Savior

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

There seems to be little connection between the Greek's request and Jesus' response until you begin to speculate about why this leap in logic. Something appears to be missing. Why does Jesus seemingly ignore the Greeks request for an audience with him? Two possible reasons are put forth here. 1. Jesus knows that the Greeks "Seek Wisdom" and are only interested in debate and dialogue on theological philosophical issues of the day. Even if they are God Fearers they are perhaps noncommittal. Jesus draws a ...

4045. See My Hands and My Feet

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

King Duncan

Tolstoy told a story of a Czar and Czarina who wished to honor the members of their court with a banquet. They sent out invitations and requested that the guests come with the invitations in their hands. When they arrived at the banquet the guests were surprised to discover that the guards did not look at their invitations at all. Instead they examined their hands. The guests wondered about this, but they were also curious to see who the Czar and Czarina would choose as the guest of honor to sit between ...

Luke 24:36b-48

Jesus did not command the whole world to go to church. Jesus commanded his church to go to the whole world.

4047. The Secret of Power

Luke 24:36b-48

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

The story is told of the explorer who some years ago had just returned to his country from the Amazon. The people at home were eager to learn all about the vast and mighty river and the country surrounding it. How he wondered, could he ever describe it to them - how could he ever put into words the feelings that flooded into his heart when he saw the exotic flowers and heard the night sounds of the jungle. How could he communicate to them the smells the filled the air and the sense of danger and excitement ...

4048. The Urgency of the Task

Luke 24:36b-48

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

Luiqi Tarisio was found dead one morning with hardly any creature comforts in his home, except the presence of 246 exquisite violins. He had been collecting them all his life. They were all stored in the attic, the best in the bottom drawer of an old rickety bureau. In his very devotion to the violin, he had robbed the world of all that music. Much of that collection was owned by others before him who had done the same. So that when the greatest of his collection, a Stradivarius, was first played it had ...

4049. Victory over Ourselves

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

King Duncan

Of course, the greatest victory that the Spirit can give us is victory over ourselves. If we could be changed within, if all those destructive thoughts and habits within could somehow be dispelled, then we could handle our circumstances. Then we would be powerful indeed. Dwight L. Moody once demonstrated the principle like this: "Tell me," he said to his audience, "how can I get the air out of the tumbler I have in my hand?" One man said, "Suck it out with a pump." The evangelist replied, "That would ...

4050. The Work of the Students

Lk 24:36-49

Illustration

King Duncan

The painter Rubens is recognized even today as a genius. His work has been so influential that we sometimes talk about the "Rubinesque" figure. Rubens was also quite a businessman. Unlike many other immortal artists, Rubens was fortunate enough to taste the fruits of success while he was still alive. He was highly commissioned for his work. In fact he was so highly compensated that he opened what one writer called a painting factory. He hired a school of pupils, and started an assembly line! He made the ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 4026 to 4050 of 5000 results

4026. Perennial Money Changers

John 2:13-22

Illustration

Brett Blair

4027. What Makes You Angry?

John 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

4028. Consumerism

John 2:12-25

Illustration

Brett Blair

4029. Acts of Anger

John 2:12-25

Illustration

King Duncan

4030. Time to Get Angry

Jn 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

4031. You’re Out!

John 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

4032. The Spirit of the Church

Jn 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

4033. Finding God in Fellowship

John 2:13-22

Illustration

King Duncan

4034. Looking at the World through the Eyes of God - Sermon Starter

John 3:1-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

4035. God Is Seeking You in Love

John 3:14-21

Illustration

James Fitzgerald

4036. We Become His Son

John 3:14-21

Illustration

King Duncan

4037. Complain, Complain, Complain

John 3:14-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

4038. So Much Extra Love

John 3:14-21

Illustration

King Duncan

4039. All It Would Take To Make Me Happy

John 3:14-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

4040. Eluding the Rescue

John 3:14-21

Illustration

Staff

4041. When a Grain of Wheat Falls - Sermon Starter

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

4042. Wesley's Rule of Conduct

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

4043. No Time Left

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

4044. Greeks Seek Wisdom Not A Savior

John 12:20-36

Illustration

Brett Blair

4045. See My Hands and My Feet

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

King Duncan

Luke 24:36b-48

Jesus did not command the whole world to go to church. Jesus commanded his church to go to the whole world.

4047. The Secret of Power

Luke 24:36b-48

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

4048. The Urgency of the Task

Luke 24:36b-48

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

4049. Victory over Ourselves

Luke 24:36-49

Illustration

King Duncan

4050. The Work of the Students

Lk 24:36-49

Illustration

King Duncan

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