Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4151 to 4175 of 4508 results

Sermon

Carroll Gunkel

What do we think of when we see members of the Salvation Army? We might think of individuals quaintly garbed in uniforms which are seemingly anachronistic for our day and time. Or, we might think of Christmas when Salvationists appear on street corners and in shopping centers with bells, buckets, and tambourines. Or, we might remember the concern shown by members of the Salvation Army in wartime...

4152. God’s Safety Net

Sermon

D. Wayne Burkette

Political jargon over the last decade has given us a new understanding of an old term. The term is ‘safety net.’ My first recollection of a safety net was at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus when it was still performing under the big top. Who could forget those daring acrobats balanced on the trapeze or high wire and, under them, a net. When the act was finished they would fall ...

4153. The Divine-Human Nexus

Sermon

Like a magnet to a magnet, I am at once attracted to and repelled by this vision. I find its picture of the end time attractive because it so vividly depicts the transcendent and divine dimension of every earthly act of human mercy. With exquisite simplicity, our Lord says of visits to the sick and imprisoned, bread shared with the hungry and clothing given to the ill-clad, "as you did it to one o...

4154. When Christ Shall Come

Sermon

King Duncan

Only moments after prying open a window and stepping into a dark bedroom a burglar came face to face with a vicious looking Doberman Pincher. The burglar froze in his tracks. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark he noticed a parrot on the back of the dog which squawked "You're gonna get caught!" The burglar hesitated, then ever so carefully lifted an item off a dresser and put it in his sack. The do...

4155. The Sheep And The Goats

Sermon

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 abou...

4156. Stewards and the Hungry

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

So God called into existence his creation and then, according to Genesis 1:28, he said to us humans, "I’m putting you in charge." That makes us caretakers of all which God has given to us. That includes the Earth and all its natural resources. In the days ahead, we’ll discover that being a caretaker and steward involves a lot more than whether we tithe or not and what we put in the church offerin...

4157. I Believe In Judgment

Sermon

Robert Allen

Recently, I heard a preacher on television preach a sermon on divine judgment. I have no doubt that he is sincere in his beliefs. He is very good at using words and manipulating the emotions of his audience. He is charming, witty, and entertaining. But his interpretation of judgment degrades God from a Heavenly Father to a heartless tyrant. He drew a picture of God which makes my heart shudder, b...

4158. Christ The King, Proper 29

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

Prayer Of The Day Leader: O Christ our King, bring us together under your gracious rule that we might hear your voice in the voices of the suffering among us, and begin to love as freely as you have loved us, for with the Father and the Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and forever. All: Amen. Intercessory Prayers Leader: Let us pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glor...

4159. Parable of Raising Kittens

Illustration

"We have four new kittens at our house and all different colors. Would you like to have one?" asked Jennie. "Yes, I would," said Mary, "but I will have to ask my mother and she doesn't like cats." "I would like to keep one myself," said Jennie, "but Dad says, if I don't give them away, he will drown them. He doesn't want any more cats around. Billy is going to take one, but the other three still...

4160. Meeting God

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

Once there was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it would be a long trip to where God lived, so he packed a suitcase full of Twinkies and cans of root beer (his two favorite foods) and set off on his journey. He had only gone a few blocks when he passed an older woman, sitting on a park bench and just staring at some pigeons. She looked sad and lonely, so the boy went over and sat down ...

4161. The Long Reach of an Act of Kindness

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 chil...

4162. A Deep Love for God, A Deep Love for Neighbors

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 a...

4163. Life’s Take-Home Final

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

There are two types of students. There are those students who jump for joy when they hear the words "take home final." And there are those students who are not thrilled with joy but filled with dread when they hear the words "take home final." At first blush it seems a no-brainer. Who wouldn't prefer a take home exam? There is no time crunch. There is unlimited access to resources for checking fa...

4164. I Saw the Face of God

Illustration

Johnny Dean

A man named John Jackson, who is an advocate for the poor in Orlando, Florida, tells of an event that happened one day outside a food distribution center where he was working. Jackson describes the event: "The line was long that day, but moving quickly. And in that line, at the very end of the line, stood a young girl who appeared to be about 12 years old. She waited patiently as those at the fro...

4165. Wishing for Kings and Queens

Illustration

Larry R. Kalajainen

Did you ever secretly wish that we had kings and queens here in America? I think that must be a secret wish of many of us, if the tabloid newspapers and magazines which are always on sale at the supermarket checkout counters are any indication. Between the romantic antics of Hollywood and the goings-on of the British royal family, the tabloids do a rushing business. (I won't embarrass any of us by...

4166. Remember Your Purpose

Illustration

J. Howard Olds

Back in Sweden in 1716, the story goes that King Charles XII announced to a tiny town that he was coming for a visit, and that he planned to worship at the tiny village church. Well, the pastor got so excited about the royal visit that he laid aside his usual text and delivered a eulogy on the greatness of the royal family. A few weeks later, a gift arrived for the pastor from the king. Inside was...

4167. When? All the Time

Illustration

J. Howard Olds

Every time I read Jesus' parable of the Last Judgment, I am struck by the adverb "when." 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or when did we see you thirsty, or when did we see you naked, or when did we see you sick?' Both those who see and those who fail to see the needs around them ask the same question, "When?" Those who helped didn't remember helping; those who passed by didn't remember passing ...

4168. My Servant Martin

Illustration

John A. Stroman

Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier and a deeply committed Christian who lived in France in the fourth century. The story has it that early one winter morning he was met by a beggar who was shivering and blue from the cold. Without hesitation Martin took off his army cloak and wrapped it around the beggar's shoulders. That night he had a dream. In it he saw a vast multitude gathered in heaven and ...

4169. Can We Bear the Light?

Illustration

B. Wiley Stephens

The story is told of a young monk asking an older monk, "Father, if God is infinitely merciful, how can he deprive anyone of his heavenly kingdom?" The older monk answered, "Why do you keep turning your head from side to side?" The younger monk replied, "Because the sun keeps hitting me right in the eye and just won't leave me in peace." "Then you've answered your own question," the older monk lau...

4170. The Sound of Money for the Smell of Food

Illustration

B. Wiley Stephens

A hungry man was walking down the street in a village of medieval Turkey. He had only a piece of bread in his hand. He came to a restaurant where some meatballs were being grilled. The cooking meat was so near and the smell so delicious the man held his piece of bread over the meat to capture some of the smell. As he started to eat the bread, the angry restaurant owner seized him and took him away...

4171. Underneath the Target

Illustration

Bill McDonald

The Sunday School teacher was known for his elaborate object lessons. Sally knew they were in for a fun day where she arrived in his classroom and tacked on the bulletin board was a big target. Bunches of darts lay on a nearby table. The teacher told the students to draw a picture of someone they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's pi...

4172. Today I Am Your Judge

Illustration

Doug Van Essen

In Warren Wiersbe's Meet Yourself in the Psalms, he tells about a frontier town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon. The child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime. The prisoner recognized t...

4173. Love Still Asks the Question

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

In Matthew's Gospel where the judge asks the question at the end of history, "What have you done?" What a question. It's a way of asking, "Do you really believe in Jesus Christ?" They are the two sides of the same question. When we are asked that question, "What have you done for the least of these, my brothers and sisters," this does not contradict the grace of God, that salvation is a pure gift....

4174. Francis of Assissi and Jesus

Illustration

John Bedingfield

Francis of Assisi, (the almost universally known monk and saint) was born into a noble family in the 12th Century, in Italy. As a young man, he was the worst type of spoiled, rich kid. He was a musician and a party hound. He lived for music, poetry, drinking and women – not necessarily in that order. Legend has it that after one of his trips away from home, where he could party without having to...

4175. Opening the Door to Jesus

Illustration

Jimmy Carter

Is there any parallel between the experience of the followers on the road to Emmaus and our lives? Yes, there are times when each of us fails to recognize the presence of Christ or the Holy Spirit. Remember that the Scriptures promise us that Christ is with us—at least potentially—not just as an occasional, miraculous event but at all times. In Revelation 3:20, he tells us, "Here I am! I stand at ...

Showing 4151 to 4175 of 4508 results

4151. General William Booth

Sermon

Carroll Gunkel

4152. God’s Safety Net

Sermon

D. Wayne Burkette

4153. The Divine-Human Nexus

Sermon

4154. When Christ Shall Come

Sermon

King Duncan

4155. The Sheep And The Goats

Sermon

Brett Blair

4156. Stewards and the Hungry

Sermon

Jerry L. Schmalemberger

4157. I Believe In Judgment

Sermon

Robert Allen

4158. Christ The King, Proper 29

Bulletin Aid

Amy C. Schifrin

4159. Parable of Raising Kittens

Illustration

4160. Meeting God

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

4161. The Long Reach of an Act of Kindness

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

4162. A Deep Love for God, A Deep Love for Neighbors

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

4163. Life’s Take-Home Final

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

4164. I Saw the Face of God

Illustration

Johnny Dean

4165. Wishing for Kings and Queens

Illustration

Larry R. Kalajainen

4166. Remember Your Purpose

Illustration

J. Howard Olds

4167. When? All the Time

Illustration

J. Howard Olds

4168. My Servant Martin

Illustration

John A. Stroman

4169. Can We Bear the Light?

Illustration

B. Wiley Stephens

4170. The Sound of Money for the Smell of Food

Illustration

B. Wiley Stephens

4171. Underneath the Target

Illustration

Bill McDonald

4172. Today I Am Your Judge

Illustration

Doug Van Essen

4173. Love Still Asks the Question

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

4174. Francis of Assissi and Jesus

Illustration

John Bedingfield

4175. Opening the Door to Jesus

Illustration

Jimmy Carter

Showing 4151 to 4175 of 4508 results