Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4376 to 4400 of 5000 results

4376. Make Sure You Invite Jesus

John 2:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

Years ago when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show he interviewed an eight year old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian. So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school. When the boy said he did Johnny inquired, "What are you learning in Sunday school?" "Last week," came his reply, "our lesson was ...

4377. What Are You Going to Do When the Wine Runs Out?

John 2:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

The Nobel Prize author Earnest Hemmingway, well known for his book "The Old Man and The Sea," was a person who went for it all. A newspaper reporter, ambulance driver during WWII, involved in the Spanish Civil War, friend to bullfighters as well as authors; he did it all. And, when he did it he did it to the fullest. In a manner of speaking he enjoyed the wine of life. But there came a day when the wine ran out. Carlos Baker records it in his biography of Hemmingway in this way: Sunday morning dawned ...

4378. Repealing the Laws

John 2:1-11

Illustration

King Duncan

Author Jay Kesler says that shortly after he got his driver's license he wrecked his dad's car. The crash tore away the front fender, two doors, and the rear fender. After Jay found out everyone was okay, he stood in the ditch and prayed, "Dear God, I pray this didn't happen." He opened his eyes and saw that the car was still wrecked, so he closed his eyes, squinted real hard, and prayed again, "Dear God, it didn't happen." Then he opened his eyes, but, he says, it happened anyway. Have you ever been there ...

4379. When You Have Christ

John 2:1-11

Illustration

Thomas a Kempis

In the middle ages, Thomas à Kempis wrote: "When you have Christ, you are rich. He is enough. He will provide everything you need so you won't have to count on others without him. People change and fail. You can't depend on them. Those that are for you today may be against you tomorrow. They are as variable as the wind. But Christ is eternally faithful." Mary Trusted. Mary knew that she could count on Jesus and so can we.

4380. The Future is God’s Gift

Luke 4:14-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

Let me tell you about a commencement speech that was addressed to Harvard's Senior Class. On the morning of their graduation, seniors gather in Memorial Church to hear the minister offer words of solace and encouragement as they leave "the Yard" to take their places in the world. The 1998 senior class heard the unvarnished truth from the Rev. Peter Gomes, minister at Harvard and the author of several books on the Bible. Doctor Gomes took no prisoners that day. He began: "You are going to be sent out of ...

4381. You're Gonna Fry

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

There's a musical group called "The Austin Lounge Lizards" (I would imagine that none of you have heard this group!) Sometime back they had a song out and the lyrics went like this: I know you smoke, I know you drink that brew I just can't abide a sinner like you God can't either, that's why I know it to be true That Jesus loves me but he can't stand you I'm going to heaven, boys, when I die 'Cause I've crossed every "t" and I've dotted every I" My preacher tells me that I'm God's kind of guy; That's why ...

4382. Highest Act of Life

Luke 4:14-21

Illustration

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

What is the highest, most exalted act of intelligent life? It is to love. Love seeks no cause, no end, no reward beyond itself. "I love because I love; I love that I may love."

4383. Each Day is a Little Life

Luke 4:14-21; 11:1-13

Illustration

St. Francis of Assisi

Our Father, each day is a little life, each night a tiny death; help us to live with faith and hope and love. Lift our duty above drudgery; let not our strength fail, or the vision fade, in the heat and burden of the day. O God, make us patient and pitiful one with another in the fret and jar of life, remembering that each fights a hard fight and walks a lonely way. Forgive us, Lord, if we hurt our fellow souls; teach us a gentler tone, a sweeter charity of words, and a more healing touch. Sustain us, O ...

4384. Challenging the Provincial

Luke 4:26

Illustration

James Garrett

Dr. James Sutherland Bonnell, a Presbyterian minister of another generation, has a great line on this text. “Jesus was favorably received by his townsfolk until he challenged the provincial, racial prejudice. He dared to declare that the children of Israel were not special favorites of God.” Indeed, the heavenly Father had singled out individuals in Sidon and Syria for unparalleled blessings. “And that,” Dr. Bonnell wrote, ‘‘really set the heather on fire!”

4385. Tell the Cats to Turn Around

Luke 4:21-30

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

We despise people who challenge our cherished myths and kick us out of our comfort zones. The truth is that when Jesus sets about the task of saving us, he has to heal us of any myth or prejudice that is contrary to the spirit of Christ. Billy Sunday was the Billy Graham of a previous generation. He was conducting a crusade in a particular city. In one of his sermons he said something critical of the labor conditions for workers in that area. After the service, several prominent businessmen sent a message ...

4386. The Word

Luke 4:21-30

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

The Sanford Hotel in San Francisco reports that it never lost a single Bible in the 15 years it placed them at the bedside as a service to the guests. But, in one month after it started putting dictionaries in the rooms as well, 41 dictionaries disappeared. Now, I don't know whether you can draw a solid conclusion from that, but on the surface, it seems obvious that persons apparently place a greater value on human words than they do the Word of God. So, there are words and The Word. Of course, the Bible ...

4387. Fear of the Cure

Luke 4:21-30

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

In order for Jesus to heal us, He must first expose our sins, prejudices, and myths. That process is not pleasant. It made the folks in Nazareth fighting mad. In order for Jesus to heal them, he had to challenge some of their cherished myths and prejudices. When I was a boy of 7 or 8, I was running through a neighbor's yard one day and stepped on a sling blade. Today's children don't know what a sling blade is, but it was an ancient grass-cutting instrument. My foot was cut rather deeply. I ran and hid. ...

4388. Focusing on the Flaws

Luke 4:21-30

Illustration

King Duncan

Upon his retirement as CEO of the Coca-cola Company Donald R. Keough spoke to the graduating class of Emory in 1993. To those young men and women who would soon be facing a very tough and critical world, he said, "I have an architect friend who says, 'I can take the newest building, built by the finest builders anywhere in the world, and if you give me a camera and the ability to focus various lenses, I can make that building look like it's about to fall down because I will find five or six minor ...

4389. A Gospel to Save

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

Many years ago a new Juicy Fruit ad appeared. The old jingle and song had been drummed into boomers minds for 20 years. We still can't get that jungle out of our mind. In this new ad, a bunch of snow skiers are sitting around the fire at a ski lodge singing the song. In walk two snow boarders. They look at each other, shrug their shoulders, then one of the newcomers grabs the guitar from one of the singing skiers and smashes it in the fire. Here Juicy Fruit is making fun of its own jingle, its own ...

4390. I Think of Maria Often

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Illustration

Many of you will recognize the name of Eli Wiesel, the renowned Jewish theologian and prolific author. In his book, All Rivers Run To The Sea he tells of his family, living in Hungry during the dark days of the WWII. His family was waiting for their time to come, for the Nazis to arrive at their door and take the to labor camp. He tells about a peasant woman by the name of Maria. Maria was almost like a member of the family. She was a Christian. During the early years of the war she continued to visit them ...

4391. The Obligation to Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Illustration

Cecil G. Osborne

We can not, and should not, escape the obligation to love, because when we cease loving, we cease being human. Ralph W. Sockman once noted that Toyohiko Kagawa, the Japanese Christian leader, distinguished three levels of love. The first of which is physical love, which holds people together in families. "Above this level is a plane which Kagawa calls psychic love. Psychic love includes our association in friendships, in professional and social groups, and in all those relationships which rest on community ...

4392. Eager for the Journey - Sermon Starter

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

Many years ago the great explorer, Sir Francis Drake, was attempting to recruit a number of young men for an upcoming exploration. He gathered them around and told the group that if they came with him they would see some of the most marvelous things their eyes could ever behold. Sandy white beaches, juicy fruits, foreign peoples, priceless treasures, and gorgeous landscapes. And he told them that this wild adventure could be theirs if they came with him. Not one of them enlisted for the journey. The next ...

4393. The Impala Problem

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

One of the few creatures on earth that can out-jump Michael Jordon is the Impala. This is an African deer with a supercharged spring. It has a vertical leap of over 10 feet and can broadjump over 30 feet. You would think that the zoos of the world would find it impossible to keep such an animal enclosed. Not so! It's rather easy. Because the experts discovered something about the Impala. It will not jump unless it can see where it is going to land. Therefore, a solid wall even 6 feet tall is a sufficient ...

4394. How Brave Are We?

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

King Duncan

Let me tell you a true, but humorous and slightly scandalous story that comes out of the early days of the church. When the father of Origen, a third century theologian, was arrested for being a Christian, Origen, then only 17, was aflame with the desire to follow his Dad and share in glorious martyrdom. His mother pleaded with him not to go, but the headstrong boy did not want to listen to reason. His quick thinking mother did what she could. She hid his clothes. Though Origen stormed and protested, she ...

4395. Little Transmitters

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe "Pioneer 10." Its main mission was to reach Jupiter and send back information about that planet. It was a bold plan because at that time no satellite had gone beyond Mars. Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and so much more. It swung past Jupiter in November, 1973, then passed Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. By 1997, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun. Despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals ...

4396. Hooked for Life

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

If fishing is one of your passions, you will love our scripture lesson for today. Though I prefer hunting to fishing, I have a soft spot in my heart for fishing because of a childhood experience. I was about 10 or 11 years old. One Wednesday afternoon Papa took me with him to a nearby pond to do a little fishing. I was just learning to use a rod and reel. Papa caught a little bass weighing about half a pound. Then he had to leave for prayer meeting. He asked me if I wanted to stay a bit longer and make a ...

4397. Fishermen

Luke 5:1-11

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

It's like a man who had spent a fruitless day fishing. In desperation he picked out three fat fish at the local market. "Before you wrap them," he said to the clerk, "toss them to me, one by one. That way I'll be able to tell my wife I caught them and I'll be speaking the truth." Fishermen must be all alike. Someone has said that the only thing that casts doubt on the miracles of Jesus is that they were all witnessed by fishermen.

4398. Fish Stories

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

David E. Leininger

Two Fishing Stories: Two guys go on a fishing trip. They rent all the equipment: the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. They spend a fortune. The first day they go fishing they catch nothing. The same thing happens on the second day, and on the third day. It goes on like this until finally, on the last day of their vacation, one of the men finally catches a fish. As they drive home, they are both really depressed. One turns to the other and says, "Do you ...

4399. It'll Come Back to You

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43)

Illustration

This preacher moved to a new Church. This particular church didn't have a lawn mower so he was looking for someone to either mow the lawn or sell him a used lawnmower. One day he saw a young man going by pushing a lawnmower. So the preacher asked him, "Hey, looking for a job?" The young man said, "Sure." It turned out that he was mowing yards and trying to earn enough money to buy a bicycle. This preacher was kind of young and didn't mind mowing the yard so he told the young man, "Look, I've got a 10 speed ...

4400. We Haven’t Been Up To Bat Yet

Luke 4:1-13

Illustration

Brett Blair

Temptation tries to blind us to other possibilities. A business man driving home from work one day, saw a little league baseball game in progress. He decided to stop and watch. He sat down in the bleachers and asked a kid what the score was. "We're behind 14 to nothing," he answered with a smile. "Really," he responded. "I have to say you don't look very discouraged." "Discouraged?" the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face. "Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet."

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 4376 to 4400 of 5000 results

4376. Make Sure You Invite Jesus

John 2:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

4377. What Are You Going to Do When the Wine Runs Out?

John 2:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

4378. Repealing the Laws

John 2:1-11

Illustration

King Duncan

4379. When You Have Christ

John 2:1-11

Illustration

Thomas a Kempis

4380. The Future is God’s Gift

Luke 4:14-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

4381. You're Gonna Fry

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

4382. Highest Act of Life

Luke 4:14-21

Illustration

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

What is the highest, most exalted act of intelligent life? It is to love. Love seeks no cause, no end, no reward beyond itself. "I love because I love; I love that I may love."

4383. Each Day is a Little Life

Luke 4:14-21; 11:1-13

Illustration

St. Francis of Assisi

4384. Challenging the Provincial

Luke 4:26

Illustration

James Garrett

4385. Tell the Cats to Turn Around

Luke 4:21-30

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

4386. The Word

Luke 4:21-30

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

4387. Fear of the Cure

Luke 4:21-30

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

4388. Focusing on the Flaws

Luke 4:21-30

Illustration

King Duncan

4389. A Gospel to Save

Luke 4:14-30

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

4390. I Think of Maria Often

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Illustration

4391. The Obligation to Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Illustration

Cecil G. Osborne

4392. Eager for the Journey - Sermon Starter

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

Brett Blair

4393. The Impala Problem

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

4394. How Brave Are We?

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

King Duncan

4395. Little Transmitters

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

4396. Hooked for Life

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

4397. Fishermen

Luke 5:1-11

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

4398. Fish Stories

Luke 5:1-11

Illustration

David E. Leininger

4399. It'll Come Back to You

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43)

Illustration

4400. We Haven’t Been Up To Bat Yet

Luke 4:1-13

Illustration

Brett Blair

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