Sermon and Worship Resources

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Showing 4101 to 4125 of 4963 results

4101. Labor Laws

Illustration

Staff

... is available on application to the supervisor. The supervisor will nominate a senior clerk to be responsible for the cleanliness of the main office and the private office. All boys and juniors will report to him 40 minutes before prayers and will remain after closing hours for similar work. Brushes, brooms, scrubber, and soap are provided by the owners. The owners recognize the generosity of the new labor laws, but will expect a great rise in output of work to compensate for these near Utopian conditions ...

4102. Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 25:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... unpreparedness of the “foolish” bridesmaids is revealed. All ten were sleeping. All ten awakened at the “shout.” All ten prepared to meet the bridegroom. But in five of these bridesmaid’s lamps, once the wicks were trimmed, there was not enough oil remaining in the lamp to reignite the flame. Instead, to their dismay, the lamps of those “foolish five” began to dim and sputter out. Without resources of their own to draw upon, the foolish bridesmaids implore the “wise” to give to give them ...

4103. Be Prudent or Productive?

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... underground for safekeeping. But while acting prudently he was not acting productively. In the first century burying treasure was an accepted, respectable way of safe-guarding valuables. Unless some enemy started to just randomly dig up the desert, the location of buried treasure remained the secret stash of knowledge known only to the one who had buried it. Jesus didn’t like buried treasure. He didn’t take the side-street safe-way. Jesus didn’t teach his disciples to bury their faith for some distant ...

4104. You Know It's a Bad Day When…

Humor Illustration

... buzzard. When you put both contact lenses in the same eye. When you call your answering service and they tell you it's none of your business. When your income tax check bounces. When suicide prevention puts you on hold. Your horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell's Angels on the freeway. The moving van starts to unload next door and the first four things down the ramp are motorcycles. Your 14-year-old daughter insists that Jesus never preached against pierced noses. Your ...

4105. Your Father Is My Father

Humor Illustration

If you are left with the impression, as I am, that almost everyone in Hollywood's ruling hierarchy was related either by blood or marriage, it is a correct one. To this day the genealogies remain complicated and, at times, confusing all the more so because of the extremely high divorce rate. "My father can beat up your father," said one little Hollywood boy to another. "Don't be ridiculous. Your father is my father." (Tony Randall and Michael Mindlin, WHICH REMINDS ME, New York: Delacorte Press, 1989)

4106. Campsite Teamwork

Humor Illustration

The loaded station wagon pulled into the only remaining campsite. Four youngsters leaped from the vehicle and began feverishly unloading gear and setting up a tent. The boys then rushed off to gather firewood, while the girls and their mothers set up the camp stove and cooking utensils. A nearby camper marveled to the youngsters'' father, "That, sir, is some display of teamwork." "I have a system," the father replied. "No one goes to the bathroom until the camp is set up."

4107. Tell Your Mother

Humor Illustration

One week I taught our 5-to 7-year-old Sunday school class about Jesus at age 12 remaining behind in the temple. The next week I taught them of his next "adventure" walking over the country roads to be baptized in the River Jordan. The children exchanged anxious glances, and one little girl spoke their concern. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "Did Jesus run off without telling his mother again?"

4108. Bird Heaven

Humor Illustration

A woman took her young son to the beach on a bright and sunny day. They came upon the remains of a sea gull. "What happened to him?" the little boy asked. "He died and went to heaven," Mom replied. They walked on, the little guy thinking about the sea gull and her answer. "Does God like birds?" he said. "He loves birds," Mom said. "And this bird went to heaven?" "Yes." "So why did God throw it back down?"

4109. Our Daily Chicken

Humor Illustration

It is common practice to accuse the church of selling out of not remaining true to its mission and message. Colonel Sanders went to Rome one time. He decided while there to seek an audience with the Pope. Always the businessman, Sanders said to the Pope, "I'd be willing to make a donation of one million dollars to the Vatican if you would ...

4110. Killing Time With Jokes

Humor Illustration

It seems that in Vienna Austria, American, French, British and Russian soldiers share jeeps for military police duty. One group of them used to kill time by telling jokes. That is, the western ones did, for the Russians remained silent and sullen. The American asked, "What's the matter with you, Ivan? Doesn't anything funny ever happen in Russia?" "Have you heard of the great canals in Russia?'' Ivan asked. "Yes," the American replied. "It must have been a hard job building them." "Exactly," Ivan said. " ...

4111. Answered Prayers

Humor Illustration

... between them and stay on opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After some days, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. On the other side of the island, the second man had ...

4112. Rules for Teachers

Illustration

Staff

... pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to the individual taste of the pupils. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly. After ten hours in school, the teachers may spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed. Every teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will ...

4113. The Counting Beagle

Humor Illustration

... that he could prove it. First, the two men took the dog Earl out into the field. Joe Bob pointed to a nearby pasture. "Earl, how many cows are in that field?" Earl rolled on the ground five times. "Five cows! That's right!" exclaimed Joe Bob. Jack remained unconvinced, so they decided to try another test. They went to a local pond. Joe Bob pointed at the pond and said, "Okay, Earl, how many ducks are there in that pond?" Earl rolled over four times. "Four ducks! Yep, he did it again!" Joe Bob said. Jack ...

4114. Third Biggest Lie

Humor Illustration

... yourself? I never would have guessed. You don't look a day over 40. Dad, I need to move out of the dorm into an apartment of my own so I can have some peace and quiet when I study. The new ownership won't affect you. The company will remain the same. The puppy won't be any trouble, Mom. I promise I'll take care of it myself. You don't need it in writing. You have my personal guarantee.

4115. Heavenly Dessert

Humor Illustration

... businessman decided it was time to shed some excess pounds. He took his new diet seriously, even changing his driving route to avoid his favorite bakery. One morning, however, he arrived at work carrying a gigantic coffeecake. His co-workers scolded him, but his smile remained cherubic. "This is a very special coffeecake," he explained. "I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window were a host of goodies. I felt this was no accident, so I prayed, 'Lord, if you want me to have one ...

4116. It Pays To Be a Saint

Humor Illustration

... hired. Not only could he see right through the brothers'' deception, but he also spoke well and true, and the church started to swell in numbers. A fund-raising campaign was started to build a new assembly. All of a sudden, one of the brothers died. The remaining brother sought out the new pastor the day before the funeral and handed him a check for the amount needed to finish paying for the new building. "I have only one condition," he said. "At his funeral, you must say my brother was a saint." The pastor ...

4117. Hate to Burst Your Balloon

Illustration

Staff

... and popped. With a single, loud "bang" it burst and fell to her feet. She looked down and saw what had been her beautiful balloon, now a forlorn wad of wet blue rubber. It took her only a moment to regain her buoyant mood, however, as she picked up the remains of that balloon, marched cheerfully to where her father was standing and thrust it up to him. "Here, Daddy," she said brightly. "Fix it."

4118. A Pain in the Neck

Humor Illustration

... terrible neck pains, throbbing headaches, and shortness of breath, visual blurring, and recurring dizzy spells. The doctor examined him and said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. You have only six months to live." The doomed man decided he would spend his remaining time on earth enjoying him. He quit his job, bought a sports car, and a closet full of new suits and shoes. Then he went to get himself a dozen tailored shirts. He went to the finest shirt shop he could find. The tailor measured him ...

4119. The Love of the Shepherd

Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... One by one the sheep filed out to follow him. Only his sheep followed his voice. The other sheep waited patiently. Hillman’s friend said it was an amazing scene to see the sheep recognized their shepherd’s voice and followed him while the other sheep remained in the pen. (4) “My sheep listen to my voice,” said Jesus. “I know them, and they follow me . . .” That’s like an experience that Dennis Covington tells about. He recalls what it was like as a child being called home. He describes it this ...

4120. The Four Sacred Chords of Home

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... in the words of God to her and God’s mission for her life? There is a test known to psychologists as the body-sway test. A person stands with eyes closed and is subjected to repeated suggestions that you are falling. If, in spite of this, you remain in a fairly upright position, it can be assumed that you are emotionally mature; but if you give way to the suggestion of falling, the chances are that you need some major maturation. Every day we face a world where people are telling us that we’re falling ...

4121. When the Light Comes

Illustration

William G. Carter

... , and I hated the ugliness, so I wanted to burn it down." Shine some light in a dark place and there's no telling what will happen. When all you have ever seen is darkness, that is all you know. And when light comes, it makes for a contrast. Darkness remains a choice. In fact, it is possible for light to come into the world, and for somebody to say, "Turn out the lights!" It is possible for the Light of the world to shine on people, and those very people may not accept it.

4122. The Only Place We Have No Fear

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Illustration

King Duncan

... full of fear that I've got to bring the message that they no longer need to be afraid." The angel said, "And how are you going to do that, since they're so fearful?" God said, "There's one place on earth that people are not afraid: that one remaining place is a little baby. My people on earth are not afraid of a baby. When a baby is born they rejoice and give thanks without fear because that's the only place left in their lives where they're not afraid. So I will go to earth. I will ...

4123. We Need to Look Within

Luke 1:26-38

Illustration

Mickey Anders

... learn by heart. Strangely enough, God figured very little in any of this. Attention seemed focused on secondary details and the more peripheral aspects of religion. I wrestled with myself in prayer, trying to force my mind to encounter God, but he remained a stern taskmaster who observed my every infringement of the Rule, or was tantalizing absent… But nothing had actually happened to me from a source beyond myself." Finally, after thirty years of study, she discovered that instead of waiting for God to ...

4124. No Time for a Sermon

Hebrews 1:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... elements of worship have taken all the time there is, nor that we began late, nor that the preacher overslept, nor even that the offering was so great that the ushers required an additional twenty minutes to gather it. It is none of these, yet the topic remains in all its validity, “No Time For A Sermon.” There is a moment that comes, just before Christmas, a moment when we find ourselves at “the still point of a turning world.” It may come in the wee hours of the morning after having spent a long ...

4125. Doing Your Own Thing

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... of the Bible has been established over hundreds of generations. The only safe sex is sex practiced within the marriage relationship. And that relationship is to be exclusive. People make mistakes of course, even the best intended of us, but the ideal remains. As Paul cites from Genesis, “The two are to become one flesh.” Humanity has experimented for thousands of years with various other approaches to the question of sexual morality. And no approach yet has come even close to the Christian ideal of ...

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Showing 4101 to 4125 of 4963 results

4101. Labor Laws

Illustration

Staff

4102. Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 25:1-13

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

4103. Be Prudent or Productive?

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

4104. You Know It's a Bad Day When…

Humor Illustration

4105. Your Father Is My Father

Humor Illustration

4106. Campsite Teamwork

Humor Illustration

4107. Tell Your Mother

Humor Illustration

4108. Bird Heaven

Humor Illustration

4109. Our Daily Chicken

Humor Illustration

4110. Killing Time With Jokes

Humor Illustration

4111. Answered Prayers

Humor Illustration

4112. Rules for Teachers

Illustration

Staff

4113. The Counting Beagle

Humor Illustration

4114. Third Biggest Lie

Humor Illustration

4115. Heavenly Dessert

Humor Illustration

4116. It Pays To Be a Saint

Humor Illustration

4117. Hate to Burst Your Balloon

Illustration

Staff

4118. A Pain in the Neck

Humor Illustration

4119. The Love of the Shepherd

Ezekiel 34:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

4120. The Four Sacred Chords of Home

Mark 13:24-37

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

4121. When the Light Comes

Illustration

William G. Carter

4122. The Only Place We Have No Fear

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Illustration

King Duncan

4123. We Need to Look Within

Luke 1:26-38

Illustration

Mickey Anders

4124. No Time for a Sermon

Hebrews 1:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

4125. Doing Your Own Thing

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Sermon

King Duncan

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