Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4476 to 4500 of 4508 results

4476. Paying Attention to Your Mission

Illustration

Phil Roughton

A good many years ago now, a brilliant theologian by the name of Reinhold Niebuhr noticed and wrote about an interesting thing that happens in groups and organizations. Put any group of people together, Niebuhr said, no matter how high and noble their initial purpose may be, and it doesn't take too long before two things begin to happen: they start becoming self-serving and self-protective. And wh...

4477. Overcoming Mediocrity

Illustration

Adrian Dieleman

Someone was talking to a great scholar about a younger man. He said, "I am told that he was one of your students." The teacher answered devastatingly, "He may have attended my lectures, but he was not one of my students." There is a world of difference between attending lectures and being a student. Likewise, there are so many so-called followers of Christ who are not one of His disciples.

4478. It’s a Mystery, and Always Will Be

Illustration

James C. Leach

Garrison Keillor, modern American prophet from the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion," said of love, "We should not think that we have figured this out, because it is not a problem, it's a mystery and always will be." "It is not a problem, it's a mystery, and always will be." Doesn't that offend you just a little — the suggestion that there are those things in life we have not, and furthermore...

4479. The Christian Life's Three Concentric Circles

Illustration

Francis A. Schaeffer

As I see it, the Christian life must comprise three concentric circles, each of which must be kept in its proper place. In the outer circle must be the correct theological position, true biblical orthodoxy and the purity of the visible church. This is first, but if that is all there is, it is just one more seedbed for spiritual pride. In the second circle must be good intellectual training and co...

4480. Feeling Like…

Illustration

Paul van Dine

Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick related a story from his own childhood. His father had said to his mother, upon leaving the house one Saturday in the morning hours: "Tell Harry that he can cut the grass today, if he feels like it." Then, halfway down the walk, his father turned once more to add: "And tell Harry that he had better feel like it." Well, in its own rather humorous way, there is something ...

4481. The Power of God Is Real

Illustration

Paul van Dine

In David Dunn's book entitled "Giving Yourself Away," he tells of a lesson he learned from a bus driver whom he once had met. Riding the bus this day, Dunn noticed a driver who was exceptionally cheerful in every imaginable circumstance. There was a kind and happy word from him for everyone who stepped on the bus, and again for everyone who left. As he was about to get off, Dunn told the driver ...

4482. An Example of God’s People

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

Dr. Mark Jacobson, as I recall, was valedictorian of his class at Harvard, and then he went to the University of Minnesota Medical School where again he was the top student in his class. Again, he was the valedictorian and gave the valedictorian address. He is an incredibly brilliant man. Then he went to Arusha, Tanzania, there with immense suffering. He used his brains and resources to work in ...

4483. A Great Commission

Illustration

Stephen M. Crotts

Pastor Stephen Crotts tells an amazing story. In the fall of 1971, he says, I visited Leo Tolstoy's home in Moscow. There, tied in bundles and stacked against the wall, were his handwritten manuscripts for all of his great novels - War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and Resurrection. For an hour I leafed through the mountain of paper, observing the man's handwriting, his strikeovers, and even the doodl...

4484. Church of God Grill

Illustration

Jim Davis

A story was told about a church in Atlanta. A man noticed in the Yellow Pages, in the listing of restaurants, an entry for a place called Church of God Grill. The peculiar name aroused his curiosity and he dialed the number. A man answered with a cheery, "Hello! Church of God Grill!" He asked how the restaurant had been given such an unusual name, and the man at the other end said: "Well, we had a...

4485. The Church Exists by Mission

Illustration

Richard Carlson

The Swiss missionary-theologian, Emil Brunner, likened the church's involvement in missions to the relationship that exist between fire and burning: "The church exists by mission as fire exists by burning." In other words: No burning, no fire. No missions, no church. James Montgomery Boyce in his preface to his book Here We Stand says this: So what is wrong with evangelicals? The answer is that w...

4486. It’s Like Water

Illustration

Thomas Tindell

I was probably about twelve when I was in my church confirmation class, and I remember asking my pastor about the Trinity. I couldn't get how one and one and one, can be One, and not three, and I definitely couldn't get why it was important to say that God is three and God is One, if it was something that by definition was a mystery, something we can't understand. The answer I remember well. I wa...

4487. Gave It All Up

Illustration

C. T. Studd

C. T. Studd inherited a fortune from his father, one of the wealthiest Englishmen of the latter 19th century, but Studd gave it all up to become a missionary to China, India and Africa. Why? Here he is in his own words: "Christ's call is to feed the hungry, not the full; to save the lost, not the stiff-necked; not to call the scoffers, but sinners to repentance; not to build and furnish comfortabl...

4488. Get on with It!

Illustration

Our Daily Bread

A college choir was all set to present its package of music in a large church. The program of sacred song was to being carried live by a local radio station. When everything appeared to be ready, the announcer made his final introduction and waited for the choir director to begin. One of the tenors was not ready, however, so the venerable conductor refused to raise his baton. All this time, nothi...

4489. Who Is this God Anyway?

Illustration

Gary Shaw

There's a story about an inquisitive 3 year old who was trying to get to the bottom of the mysteries of life. "Mom" he would ask, "who made the stove?" His mom, would respond back, "People made the stove." Not be outsmarted, he would ask, "Well who made the people?" "God made the people" she would reply. This would go on with just about everything. "Daddy who made the TV?" "People made the ...

4490. Let Us Show Thanks in Our Example

Illustration

Brett Blair

An international gathering of youth met for a full week to discuss how better to promulgate Christ's message to the world. Those assembled for the conference read many informative essays, heard many fine speakers, watched a few videos, and had ample time to discuss with each other. At the end and probably because of a little frustration with the proceedings a young woman from East Africa arose and...

4491. The Trinity - Sermon Starter

Illustration

Brett Blair

A preacher proudly boasted that he does not preach doctrinal sermons. They are boring he asserts and people do not understand or relate to them. Further, he claimed, I am a preacher and not a theologian. I get down do the practical issues and simply preach Christ crucified. His thinking is faulty at several points. First, he is wrong when he says that he is not a theologian. The fact is that ever...

4492. Tertullian on the Trinity

Illustration

Brett Blair

Tertullian, one of the theologians of the early church, explained the Trinity in a metaphor. God the Father he described as "a deep root, the Son as the shoot that breaks forth into the world, and the Spirit as that which spreads beauty and fragrance."

4493. Illustrations on the Trinity

Illustration

Brett Blair

The Fathers of the Church used examples to explain the Trinity. They said: Look at a tree if you want to try to understand God. There is the root, the trunk and the fruit. The root is like God the Father, invisible but you know it's there, the trunk is like God the son, sent forth by the Father, visible and tangible, the branches and fruit is like the Holy Spirit. We are connected to Christ throug...

4494. Kierkegaard’s Story of the Prince

Illustration

Brett Blair

We affirm a belief in the Son, Jesus Christ. We say that God took on human form, came and lived among us, suffered the same trials that we suffered, experienced the same feelings that we experienced. Jesus was purely human and purely divine. Jesus was not God. Jesus was God incarnate. There is a difference. Jesus never drew attention to himself but always pointed to God. Soren Kierkegaard, the gr...

4495. Keep the Pressure Out

Illustration

Brett Blair

There are two ways of handling pressure. One is illustrated by a bathysphere, the miniature submarine used to explore the ocean in places so deep that the water pressure would crush a conventional submarine like an aluminum can. Bathyspheres compensate with plate steel several inches thick, which keeps the water out but also makes them heavy and hard to maneuver. Inside they're not alone. When the...

4496. Understanding the Trinity

Illustration

King Duncan

This is Trinity Sunday. God in three persons--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Do we fully understand this wonderful doctrine? No, but some of us will fight for it. You may remember that ancient story about St. Augustine. One day he took a break from writing about the Trinity to take a walk along the seashore. There he came across a child with a little pail, intently scooping up a pail full of water ...

4497. Trinity Sunday

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

THIS WEEK'S TEXT Revised Common: Genesis 1:1--2:4a · 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 · Matthew 28:16-20 Roman Catholic: Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9 · 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 · John 3:16-18 Episcopal: Genesis 1:1--2:3 · 2 Corinthians 13:(5-10) · Matthew 28:16-20 Lutheran: Genesis 1:1--2:3 or 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 · Matthew 28:16-20 · Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Genesis 1:1--2:4a This is the fi...

4498. Trinity Sunday

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

THIS WEEK'S TEXT Revised Common: Isaiah 6:1-8 · Romans 8:12-17 · John 3:1-17 Roman Catholic: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 · Romans 8:14-17 · Matthew 28:16-21 Episcopal: Exodus 3:1-6 · Romans 8:12-17 · John 3:1-16 COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Isaiah 6:1-8 The story of Isaiah's call by God in the temple, 742 B.C., probably while he was officiating at worship. As Isaiah is viewing the Ark of the Covenant, e...

4499. Building An Understanding Of God

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

Object: a kite Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever flown a kite? It's a lot of fun, isn't it? I brought in a kite to show you. You know, there are three things a kite needs in order to work. First, there's the kite itself. It's got to be large and stiff, so the wind can catch it and lift it high up in the air. The next thing a kite needs in order to work well is a tail. It could be a li...

4500. Saint Patrick, Missionary

Children's Sermon

Robert B. Lantz

Object: Shamrock stickers or pins (Perhaps a shamrock pin might be worn today.) Good morning, boys and girls. Today I want to tell you an adventure story! It's about a young boy of sixteen who lived back around 300 A.D. Some raiders came ashore in the land where he lived and captured him and took him away to their homeland across the sea where he was made a slave. After about six years, he esca...

Showing 4476 to 4500 of 4508 results

4476. Paying Attention to Your Mission

Illustration

Phil Roughton

4477. Overcoming Mediocrity

Illustration

Adrian Dieleman

4478. It’s a Mystery, and Always Will Be

Illustration

James C. Leach

4479. The Christian Life's Three Concentric Circles

Illustration

Francis A. Schaeffer

4480. Feeling Like…

Illustration

Paul van Dine

4481. The Power of God Is Real

Illustration

Paul van Dine

4482. An Example of God’s People

Illustration

Edward F. Markquart

4483. A Great Commission

Illustration

Stephen M. Crotts

4484. Church of God Grill

Illustration

Jim Davis

4485. The Church Exists by Mission

Illustration

Richard Carlson

4486. It’s Like Water

Illustration

Thomas Tindell

4487. Gave It All Up

Illustration

C. T. Studd

4488. Get on with It!

Illustration

Our Daily Bread

4489. Who Is this God Anyway?

Illustration

Gary Shaw

4490. Let Us Show Thanks in Our Example

Illustration

Brett Blair

4491. The Trinity - Sermon Starter

Illustration

Brett Blair

4492. Tertullian on the Trinity

Illustration

Brett Blair

4493. Illustrations on the Trinity

Illustration

Brett Blair

4494. Kierkegaard’s Story of the Prince

Illustration

Brett Blair

4495. Keep the Pressure Out

Illustration

Brett Blair

4496. Understanding the Trinity

Illustration

King Duncan

4497. Trinity Sunday

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

4498. Trinity Sunday

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

4499. Building An Understanding Of God

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

4500. Saint Patrick, Missionary

Children's Sermon

Robert B. Lantz

Showing 4476 to 4500 of 4508 results