Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 426 to 450 of 5000 results

John 9:1-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... this same reporter attended a meeting conducted by Dwight L. Moody. His purpose was to catch the great evangelist in some inconsistency and expose him. He was greatly surprised, therefore, when Moody used the reporter's own newspaper account of the three children to illustrate a spiritual truth. "Just as the blind girl couldn't visualize the toys," said Moody, "so an unsaved person can't see Christ in all His glory." He said that God opens the eyes of anyone who acknowledges his sin and accepts the Savior ...

427. Sister Act

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... and attentiveness. Charles Wesley perhaps, said it best: "Faithful to my Lord's commands I still would choose the better part; Serve with careful Martha's hands And loving Mary's heart." 1. Kenny Moore, "She Runs and We Are Lifted," Sports Illustrated (December 26, 1983), p. 38. Cited in Ted Engstrom, High Performance (San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life Publishers, 1988), pp. 120121. 2. Max Lucado, A Gentle Thunder, Word Publishing, 1995, page 127. 3. The Living Pulpit, Work Issue, JulySept. 1996, volume 5 ...

428. All That From A Little Bit Of Water?

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... 4. Walt Kallestad, WAKE UP TO YOUR DREAMS (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), p. 48. 5. As told by Sara Owen-Gemoets in EMPHASIS, Jan./Feb., 1999, p. 35. 6. William J. Fallis, POINTS FOR EMPHASIS, (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1993), p. 33. 7. "To Illustrate" by Robert Shannon, PREACHING, July/Aug 1999, p. 49. 8. John H. Leeper & Barbara Moseley, "Revival in the Camp," THE OLD SOUTH FARMER'S ALMANAC, 1998, pp. 115-116. [ORIGINAL SERMON] There was the Baptist minister who, at his first baptism, became stagestruck ...

429. There's Something About A Mystery

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... it. Relax. Everything will work out fine. Note: This sermon is a brief meditation for the Epiphany of the Lord 1. Michael Hodgin, 1001 Humorous Illustrations For Public Speaking (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), pp. 63-64. 2. Richard@witandwisdom.org 3. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995). 4. Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, & Writers. Craig Brian Larson, ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1996), p. 216. 5. "Great Expectations" by Vernon E. Jordan, Jr ...

430. I Can Make It By Myself . . .

1 Corinthians 12:12-31, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... a Woman's Dreams, compiled by Kay Allenbaugh (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001), pp. 139-141. 2. "Kitty's Daily Mews" Illustration Service, #1248 5. "Miners took vow to live or die together" by Larry Neumeister, Associated Press, The Knoxville News-Sentinel July 29, 2002, p. A1. 6. David Parsons, Paso Robies, CA in The Preacher's ...

431. "Head" Lines

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

King Duncan

... Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom . . . so that you may know him better . . ." Wisdom has two components: the ability to think beyond one's self, and the ability to think beyond the temporary. There are two great Bible passages that illustrate wisdom. Psalm 14:1 reads, "The fool hath said in his heart, "˜There is no God!'" And in Luke 12, Jesus tells a story about a rich man who builds great storehouses to hold all his riches, then says to himself, "Take life easy; eat, drink ...

432. Hungry For God

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... tremble. But God is at work in the lives of those who open themselves to Him. 1. From a sermon by Dr. C.A. McClain. 2. Illusaurus. 3. Practical Bible Illustrations from Yesterday and Today, compiled by Richard A. Steele, Jr., and Evelyn Stoner (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1996), pp. 80-81. 4. Bryan Chapell, Using Illustrations to Preach with Power (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2001). 5. Emphasis/Jan-Feb/1992, p.13. 6. Richard Exley. Deliver Me (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1998), pp. 112-113.

433. Lord, What A Bountiful God!

John 6:1-15

Sermon

King Duncan

... hath not seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him." (2 Corinthians 2:9). 1. R. Maurice Boyd, A Lover's Quarrel with the World, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Westminster Press, 1985). 2. Cullen, Joseph P. "James' Towne," American History Illustrated (October, 1972), p. 35. 3. The illustration is from Robert Schuller's Move Ahead With Possibility Thinking, (New York: Jove Books, 1967).

434. The Coming Of The Spirit

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... that time. As St. Paul writes to the Philippians: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (4:19) Adequate is hardly the word for that. God is able to do far more than we could ever ask. Let me illustrate it in another way. There are 14.7 pounds of pressure per square inch long exerted on each one us right now from the earth's atmosphere. The amount of pressure is determined, of course, by how many square inches we are. At any rate, tons of pressure are ...

435. Passing The Ultimate Test

Genesis 22:1-19

Sermon

King Duncan

... 8: 32 reminds us, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all"”how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" That kind of good and loving God can be trusted through any test. 1. Biblical Illustrator 2. Biblical Illustrator 3. "In Their Own Words." By Capt. Gordon Sparks, The Asbury Herald, Volume 112, No. 2 & 3, p. 11. 4. "On a Wild and Windy Mountain," by William H. Willimon, Pulpit Resource, April/May/June 1996, p. 54. 5. Quoted in Lord if I Ever Needed You ...

436. Formula For A Glowing Face

Romans 12:9-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... a ship arrived. The captain said that they had found him from his signal -- his bonfire. Amid the turmoil and excitement and hurry of this busy world, we need to learn the lesson of patient waiting on God, who is never in haste. Dr. Wayland Hoyt illustrates this thought. He writes, "They have preserved in Bedford, England, the door of the jail which was locked upon John Bunyan. How many prayers which Bunyan must have pleaded behind it that that jail door might swing open for him! Yet for twelve years the ...

437. WHAT'S ON YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST?

Drama

Angela Akers

... it for fun, to make my son happy." Angel: "Yes, I know. So, what did you ask for?" Father: (trying to hide his list under his arm) "Oh, um, nothing." Angel: "Let me guess. A Corvette, an electric power saw, and a subscription to Sports Illustrated . . . Am I getting warm?" Father: "You''re frying. Okay, so I''m greedy and materialistic. That''s part of the fun of Christmas." Angel: "Why do you want those things, Doug?" Father: "They''ll make me happy." Angel: "Let''s try another question ...

438. Believing Isn’t Easy

Hebrews 11:1-40

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... give our allegiance, our ultimate concern to them. III. YOU SEE, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, BELIEVING ISN’T ENOUGH. Faith is a better word, a more characteristic Biblical word. Jesus again and again exhorted His disciples to have faith. Faith is belief, plus action. A homely illustration occurred to me years ago. I may visit a pond in midwinter and ask a bystander if the ice is thick enough to hold me. The bystander may tell me that it is; and I may believe him. And then go home, having done nothing further ...

439. The Chicken or the Egg

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... to be in our own righteousness, or in the gracious invitation of God? Peraps on World Wide Communion Sunday next week I will get a chance to address those questions. But I think that the old, traditional invitation to the Communion gives us mixed signals. Another illustration of the mixed messages that we send out is to be found in a worship bulletin of a church (which shall go nameless) and which printed two contradictory Assurances of Pardon in the same month. One Sunday, the pastor said, If God be for us ...

440. On Talking to Oneself

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... , which has no pharmacological properties, but nevertheless many people report that they are healed by it. This placebo effect is taken by many, he notes, as an illustration of our capacity for self-deception. But Cousins argues against this interpretation. He and a growing body of other students of the phenomenon believe that it dramatically illustrates the interaction of the mind and body. He concludes: “The fact that a placebo will have no physiological effect if the patient knows it is a placebo ...

441. The Lord's Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... . It has such a surplus of meaning that it speaks to every age and every stage of life. However, the bottom-line is always a response, a decision, and a commitment. One Dr. Seuss book which many of us have read to our children and grandchildren has an excellent illustration about a character named "Zoad" who wrestles with a "response" that he needs to make. It goes like this: "Did I tell you about the Zoad who came to TWO signs at the fork in the road? One sign said to place one--the other pointed to place ...

442. The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Matthew 6:5-15

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... BE MORE THAN YOU ARE, Waco, Texas: Word, Inc., 1976, pp. 56-57. 2. By Maurice Boyd, PERMIT ME VOYAGE, Canada: Welch Publishing Co, Inc., 1989, pp. 35-36. 3. I am indebted to the Walnut Street Baptist Church, The Pulpit, April 19, 1992, volume 24, no. 16, for this illustration. 4. Thanks to Donald Shelby, First UMC Pulpit, November 26, 1989, Santa Monica, CA, for this ...

443. The Triumph of the Cross

Galatians 6:11-18, Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... 76''ers were soundly defeated by the Bulls. After the game, Charles Barkley gave his observations and opinions on why they lost. Barkley offered no excuses but simply stated, "We deserved to lose." Then he said something that struck me, and I knew it was a great illustration for Pentecost. Charles Barkley said, "WE PLAYED WITH NO SPIRIT TODAY." Whether it is in the world of sports or in the work of the church, when we don''t have the spirit something is sorely lacking that allows us to go out in power to ...

444. God's Timing or Our Timing -The Tension of Time

James 4:13-17

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... connected to God can we know the difference. Time is not a tyrant, but rather a tool to do the work of the Kingdom. We know that in Romans 8:28, God has promised He will work all things to the good with those who believe. Let me illustrate it this way. A missionary couple went to Brazil. In one of their newsletters which they mailed to friends, they included a calendar of events in their lives. At the top of the calendar, they had written "Our Schedule." Under that heading they had placed goals for their ...

445. What a Difference a Day Makes

Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... News about what happened on that first Easter day and what a difference the power of the truth of that day can make in your life. EASTER DAY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT DECLARES THAT GOD ALWAYS HAS THE LAST WORD, NOT SATAN. Let me share an illustration here. On display in the magnificent Louvre Museum in Paris, France, is that dramatic painting of Goethe''s Faust. Faust is seated at a table engaged in a competitive game of chess. And at first glance, it looks like Faust is losing. His opponent in the ...

446. Handling the Harshness of Life

2 Corinthians 4:1-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... is not a spectator religion--it''s founder has nailprints in his hands. He believed he could make a difference. Jesus never said, "That''s it! I quit! I resign my Messiah-ship!" Not even on the Cross. Recently, I clipped a beautiful illustration from a colleague''s sermon which illustrates the point of making our response. Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl, One was an optimistic soul; But the other took the gloomy view, "I shall drown," he cried, "and so will you." So with a last despairing cry, He ...

447. Just Speak the Name

Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... other name because it is the word that teaches us how to labor, how to live and how to love. I share these three "L''s" for your spiritual edification today. First, Christ teaches us how to love without limitations. I open today with a story that illustrates this biblical concept. This is said to be a true story from the time of Oliver Cromwell, in England. A young soldier had been tried in military court and sentenced to death. He was to be shot at the "ringing of the curfew bell." His fiancee climbed ...

448. Proclaimers Of The Gospel

Philippians 1:12-30

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... Rome were much more bold to proclaim the word without fear. That’s what it says in verse 14. They were much more bold to proclaim the word without fear. So we can proclaim the gospel anywhere. There’s a story about the old evangelist, Billy Sunday, which illustrates this. He was in New York City preaching a revival and he had a day off, so he thought he’d see the sights. He went down to the EmpireStateBuilding, and got on the crowded elevator taking sightseers to the roof. They all stood there in the ...

449. The Eternal Question

Matthew 27:11-26

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... business being the terrible choice. And there is no more terrible choice in terms of its implications than our relationship to Christ. We’re free to respond to him. He doesn’t force the relationship; we have to take responsibility for the choice we make. Let me illustrate. When Leonardo DaVinci was painting the famous picture of the Last Supper, a story has it that he looked for men whose faces he might use for the disciples or for Jesus in the painting. As he found a person worthy of Christ or of Peter ...

450. Put To Death The Old; Put On The New

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... the precious gift of forgiveness and she shared it. That day she knew the joy of reconciliation and the glorious liberty of chains breaking. She heard trumpets in the morning (because she had chosen to put off the old and take on the new).(Brubaker illustration from sermon "Trumpets in the Morning", November 23, 1986). Let me suggest one spiritual discipline that will assist us in intentionally putting off the old -- it's what we call the examination of conscience. A good time to practice it is at the close ...

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