Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4126 to 4150 of 5000 results

4126. An Admirer of Jesus

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Brett Blair

There were two brothers in Georgia during the 1950's. One decided that in opposition to the dominant culture of the day, he was going to participate in the formation of a desegregated community. The other worked as an attorney for a prominent law firm. Both were Christians and attended church regularly. As the community formed and social pressure forced the community into court proceedings, the one brother asked his attorney brother to help them with the legal work. The brother refused, saying that he ...

4127. Jesus Doesn't Know Him Like We Do

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

A woman and her grandmother a very forgiving and religious soul were sitting on their porch discussing a member of the family. "He's just no good," the young woman said. "He's completely untrustworthy, not to mention lazy." "Yes, he's bad," the grandmother said as she rocked back and forth in her rocker, "but Jesus loves him." "I'm not so sure of that," the younger woman persisted. "Oh, yes," assured the elderly lady. "Jesus loves him." She rocked and thought for a few more minutes and then added, "Of ...

4128. Commitment

Matt 5:1-12; Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Donald Deffner

J. Upton Dickson, who brands himself as a Christian humorist, joked after writing a pamphlet called “Cower Power,” that he was thinking about founding a society called D.O.O.R.M.A.T.S. It is an acronym for “Dependent Order of Really Meek and Timid Souls.” Their logo would be a yellow caution light. And their motto would be “The meek shall inherit the earth…if that’s okay with everybody.” Of course, Upton quipped, the society didn’t last very long when someone objected!

4129. Hurry Hinders Ministry - Sermon Opener

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Staff

An ethics professor at Princeton Seminary asked for volunteers for an extra assignment. About half the class met him at the library to receive their assignments. The professor divided the students into three groups of five each. He gave the first group envelopes telling them to proceed immediately across campus to Stewart Hall. He told them that they had 15 minutes and if they didn't arrive on time, it would affect their grade. A minute or two later, he handed out envelopes to five others. They were also ...

4130. SHARPENING UP

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

L. S. Chafer

One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. "I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did." "But you didn't notice," said the winning ...

4131. Come Right Home

Mark 6:30-34,53-56

Illustration

Staff

A Sunday School teacher asked her second graders: "How many of you would like to go to heaven?" All of them raised their hands except one little boy who sadly said, "I'm sorry, but my Mom told me to come right home after Sunday School."

4132. Reasons for Rest

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

Jesus has his reasons for inviting his disciples to rest. They have just returned from a mission on which he had dispatched them. He had sent them out in pairs and in haste. They were not to encumber themselves with gear or supplies, but simply trust local hospitality to meet their needs. They were not to linger where they were not wanted. Instead, they were to be on the move, calling people to repentance, casting out demons, anointing the sick. It was work they had never done before, and once they ...

4133. Take Time

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Martin Greyford Phiri

Martin Greyford Phiri, a natural born citizen of Zambia, wrote: Take time to think; it is the source of power. Take time to read; it is the foundation of wisdom. Take time to play; it is the secret of staying young. Take time to be quiet; it is the opportunity to seek God. Take time to be aware; it is the opportunity to help others. Take time to love and be loved; it is God's greatest gift. Take time to laugh; it is the music of the soul. Take time to be friendly; it is the road to happiness. Take time to ...

4134. All Our Free Time

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

In 1960, expert testimony concerning time management was presented to a Senate subcommittee. The experts said that because of advances in technology, within twenty years or so, people would be radically cutting back on how many hours a week they worked, or how many weeks a year they worked, or else they would have to start retiring sooner. The great challenge, according to the experts of the sixties, was what people in our decade would do with all their free time. I'm sure all of you are struggling right ...

4135. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand - Sermon Starter

John 6:1-15

Illustration

Brett Blair

Philip stood looking out at the masses that were now approaching. I'm not sure what was on his mind, perhaps thrilled by the success they were having. Jesus, watching over Philip's shoulder, asks, "Philip, where shall we find bread for these people to eat?" Philips gives a realistic appraisal of the situation: Eight months wages would not be enough to feed everyone so much as a little nibble. But we are let in on a little secret. Jesus is testing and I think teasing Philip a bit here. Jesus already knows ...

4136. Walking in Circles

John 6:1-15

Illustration

King Duncan

You may know the famous story of Jean Henri Fabre, the French naturalist, and his processional caterpillars. He encountered some of these interesting creatures one day while walking in the woods. They were marching in a long unbroken line front to back, front to back. What fun it would be, Fabre thought, to make a complete ring with these worms and let them march in a circle. So, Fabre captured enough caterpillars to encircle the rim of a flowerpot. He linked them nose to posterior and started them walking ...

4137. The Comfort of Bread

John 6:1-21

Illustration

Eric Ritz

Immediately after fighting had stopped in World War II, American soldiers gathered up many hungry and homeless children and placed them in tent cities. Many of them were malnourished and in need of medical care. The soldiers shared their bread with them. However, the soldiers noticed the children were afraid to go to sleep at night. One of the soldiers tried an experiment; after dinner he gave the children a piece of bread to hold. The result was astounding. When they had the security of bread for tomorrow ...

4138. The Meaning of All Religion

John 6:1-24

Illustration

Staff

What do we see in the image the gospel writer presents? We are told "they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat". Certainly there is the man, Jesus, exercising a power no human has; there is the storm that presents such peril to those in the boat; there is the location distant from shore. But what is behind what is told? What truth is present in the relation of the events? Karl Barth expresses well what it is in "Der Romerbrief." We all "are encountered" by God. "That we have found the ...

4139. 365 ‘Fear Nots’

John 6:1-21

Illustration

Donald B. Strobe

Someone once calculated that the words "fear not" appear in the Bible 365 times, and that means that there is one "Fear Not" for every day of the year! That makes a good story, but I tried to find the exact words in the electronic Bible on my computer, and could not find them even once! But I found similar ones, and I am sure that the meaning is there. But I need no "proof text" for every day of the year. All I need to hear is the words of Jesus which keep coming back to me again and again, "It is I. Do ...

4140. Jesus Walking on Water

John 6:1-21; Matt. 14:22-36

Illustration

Johnny Dean

Alexander Solzhenitsyn said that only once during his long imprisonment in a labor camp in the Soviet Union did he become so discouraged that he thought about suicide. He was outdoors, on a work detail, and he had reached a point where he no longer cared whether he lived or died. When he had a break, he sat down, and a stranger sat beside him, someone he had never seen before and would never see again. For no apparent reason, this stranger took a stick and drew a cross on the ground. Solzhenitsyn sat and ...

4141. I Am the Bread of Life - Sermon Starter

John 6:25-59

Illustration

Brett Blair

Sometime this week you will make a trip to the grocery store to get a loaf of bread. It will be readily available on the shelf. There will be quite a variety to choose from. You will pay little attention to the price, not realizing that the packaging that the bread is wrapped in actually costs more than the wheat that is in the bread. All in all, you will think it a very uneventful trip, but you will be wrong. It is quite difficult for me, as an American, to understand the importance of bread unless I turn ...

4142. A Messy Kitchen

John 6:24-25

Illustration

Here are actual signs found in the real kitchens of real people. A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen and this kitchen is delirious. A clean house is a sign of a misspent life. If we are what we eat, then I'm easy, fast, and cheap. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator. My next house will have no kitchen, just vending machines. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand. These sayings point to some of our society's attitudes about food: 'only junk food is enjoyable', 'food is meant to satisfy us', ' ...

4143. A Time to Remember

John 6:16-24

Illustration

Brett Blair

In his book The Swann's Way, the French novelist Marcel Proust wrote of returning home late one evening on a dull winter day when he faced the prospect of a depressing tomorrow. The maid greeted him and, seeing that he was tired, brought him a cup of hot tea and some cake. Being both tired and depressed he at first refused them. Only at her insistence did he finally begin to drink the tea and eat the cake. Proust wrote that an unexplainable delight suddenly came over him. His anxieties and troubles seemed ...

4144. Bread As A Weapon

John 6:25-59

Illustration

Brett Blair

200 years before Jesus arrived on the scene, the Roman Emperor Aurelian initiated something called the "bread dole." This meant that grain could be supplied to the poor for half price. The dole quickly became a political tool to be used by tribunes to buy voters. If Jesus were not careful, this whole thing of giving bread could quickly degenerate into a tool to win friends and influence people. He would become as just another demagogue. Bread can be used as a weapon. Indeed, there are those in our own ...

4145. Why Are You Here?

John 6:24-25

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

One day a couple by the name of Herman and Mary were riding along in their shiny new car. Mary spoke up and said, "You know, Herman, if it weren't for my money, we probably wouldn't have this wonderful new car." And Herman just sat there and didn't say anything at all. As they pulled into the driveway, Herman turned off the motor and they quietly admired their new home. Then Mary said, "You know, Herman, if it weren't for my money, we probably wouldn't have this new house." And again, Herman just sat there ...

4146. The Power of Bread

John 6:25-59

Illustration

Brett Blair

Bread has power but in the end its power will fail. Bread can buy you land but not love; it can buy you bonds but not brotherhood; gold but not gladness; silver but not sincerity; hospitals but not health; 3 karats but not character; houses but not homes. You can trade bread for commodities but not comfort, real-estate but not righteousness, hotels but not heaven. To satisfy your hunger for heaven you cannot eat the bread of earth, you must eat the bread of God. That bread is He who comes down from heaven ...

4147. Sorry, Wrong Plane

John 6:24-25

Illustration

Staff

During one of the busiest times at Houston's Hobby Airport, a flight was delayed due to a mechanical problem. Since they needed the gate for another flight, the aircraft was backed away from the gate while the maintenance crew worked on it. The passengers were then told the new gate number, which was some distance away. Everyone moved to the new gate, only to find that a third gate had been designated. After some further shuffling, everyone got on board. As they were settling in, the flight attendant made ...

4148. Bread Is Wondrous

John 6:24-35

Illustration

Ladislas M. Orsy wrote: "There is something wondrous in the taste of bread. It is so ordinary yet it is so good. It is very democratic. It nourishes the poor and the rich. It goes well with meat or fish, with fruit or cheese. It may return three times a day to the table; it may even stay there all day long. Yet it never outstays its welcome." Jesus Christ said, "I myself am the bread of life. No one who comes to me shall ever be hungry; no one who believes in me shall ever thirst."

4149. It’s for Sinners

John 6:24-25

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

It was a Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. The Church was having the traditional communion service. This time the pastor suggested that they serve one another. He also suggested that as they pass the bread and cup they whisper, "The body of Christ, broken for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you." As the service progressed, one man concentrated on remembering the pastor's words, and thought it would be nice to do this more often. Between him and the aisle was an older woman, not nearly so ...

4150. Jesus: Liar, Lunatic, Legend, or Lord? - Sermon Starter

John 6:25-59

Illustration

Brett Blair

Before we read the text for this morning I am going to ask you to do something a little different. I want you to listen to the reading not with a heart of faith but with a skeptical mind. If it helps, imagine that you do not know that Jesus is anything else but a teacher. You are a first century person who has just been introduced to him. [Read John 6:35, 41-51] Pretty incredible isn't it? For someone to make such claims. What if, later today, you were introduced to someone and that someone said, "Hi, I am ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 4126 to 4150 of 5000 results

4126. An Admirer of Jesus

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Brett Blair

4127. Jesus Doesn't Know Him Like We Do

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

4128. Commitment

Matt 5:1-12; Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Donald Deffner

4129. Hurry Hinders Ministry - Sermon Opener

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Staff

4130. SHARPENING UP

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

L. S. Chafer

4131. Come Right Home

Mark 6:30-34,53-56

Illustration

Staff

4132. Reasons for Rest

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Charles Hoffacker

4133. Take Time

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

Martin Greyford Phiri

4134. All Our Free Time

Mark 6:30-34,45-56

Illustration

4135. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand - Sermon Starter

John 6:1-15

Illustration

Brett Blair

4136. Walking in Circles

John 6:1-15

Illustration

King Duncan

4137. The Comfort of Bread

John 6:1-21

Illustration

Eric Ritz

4138. The Meaning of All Religion

John 6:1-24

Illustration

Staff

4139. 365 ‘Fear Nots’

John 6:1-21

Illustration

Donald B. Strobe

4140. Jesus Walking on Water

John 6:1-21; Matt. 14:22-36

Illustration

Johnny Dean

4141. I Am the Bread of Life - Sermon Starter

John 6:25-59

Illustration

Brett Blair

4142. A Messy Kitchen

John 6:24-25

Illustration

4143. A Time to Remember

John 6:16-24

Illustration

Brett Blair

4144. Bread As A Weapon

John 6:25-59

Illustration

Brett Blair

4145. Why Are You Here?

John 6:24-25

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

4146. The Power of Bread

John 6:25-59

Illustration

Brett Blair

4147. Sorry, Wrong Plane

John 6:24-25

Illustration

Staff

4148. Bread Is Wondrous

John 6:24-35

Illustration

4149. It’s for Sinners

John 6:24-25

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

4150. Jesus: Liar, Lunatic, Legend, or Lord? - Sermon Starter

John 6:25-59

Illustration

Brett Blair

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