Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 4576 to 4600 of 4943 results

4576. CARPENTER

Isaiah 44:13; Mark 6:3

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Isaiah 44:13 - "The carpenter stretches a line, he makes it out with a pencil; he fashions it with planes, and marks it with a compass; he shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house." Mark 6:3 - "Is not this the carpenter, the son ot Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" 2 Samuel 5:11 - "And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house." ...

4577. CENSUS TAKER

Exodus 30:12; Numbers 1:1

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Exodus 30:12 - "When you take the census of the people of Israel, then shall each give a ransom for himself to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them." Numbers 1:1 - "Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by families, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head;" I’m sure we all remember the great census of 1970, which our government claimed would be the most comprehensive ever undertaken in this ...

4578. COUNSELOR

1 Chronicles 27:32; Ezekiel 7:14

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

1 Chronicles 27:32 - "Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a counselor, being a man of understanding and a scribe;" Ezekiel 7:14 - "For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand." Counselors were, apparently, the king’s state advisers, and it is even possible that the counselor was next in power to the king himself. These were worldly men of high intelligence, good education, and polished graces, as indeed ...

4579. DANCER

Judges 21:23; Psalm 87:7

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Judges 21:23 - "And the Benjamites did so, and took their wives according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off; then they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the towns, and dwelt in them." Psalm 87:7 - "Singers and dancers alike will say, ‘All my springs are in you.’ " Dancing has formed a part of religious rites and has been associated with war and hunting, with marriage, birth, and other occasions, since the recorded history of man. It grew out of three basic human ...

4580. FOWLER

Prov. 6:5; Jer. 5:26

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Proverbs 6:5 - "Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler." Jeremiah 5:26 - "For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men." Although I don’t suppose that most of us ever use the word "fowler" in the course of your daily conversation, still this is a legitimate term to use for persons who capture birds for food or other reasons. If we will stop to think of the displays of rare birds in our zoos, we ...

4581. GARDENER

John 20:15

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

John 20:15 - "Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ " On any given spring or summer weekend, we can drive through the streets of our cities, and through the country as well, and see people in practically every plot of ground mowing, weeding, planting, watering, all the things that are necessary to have a beautiful, well-cared for ...

4582. IRONSMITH

Isaiah 44:12

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Isaiah 44:12 - "The ironsmith fashions it and works it over the coals; he shapes it with hammers, and forges it with his strong arm; he becomes hungry and his strength fails, he drinks no water and is faint." Tubal-cain, of the race of Cain, is described as "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron" (Genesis 4:22). It used to be thought that the use if iron was very late, but modern archaeology has found that there was a knowledge of iron as early as the third millenium B.C. Remains of an iron ...

4583. MAGICIAN, SORCERER

Micah 5:12; Acts 8:9

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Micah 5:12 - "and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers;" Acts 8:9 - "But there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the nation of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great." Throughout history man has been fascinated by the thought of defying or controlling the laws of nature. A man who can place his hand in a roaring fire and bring it out unharmed will attract as much attention today as he did 5,000 years ago. ...

4584. SERVANT, SERVITOR

Exo. 12:45; 2 Kings 4:43

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Exodus 12:45 - "No sojourner or hired servant may eat of it." 2 Kings 4:43 - "But his servant said, ‘How am I to set this before a hundred men?’ ..." A servant is a person of either sex who is in the service of another person, and the term does not necessarily mean that this servant is a domestic, in the sense that we use it today. In our usage, a servant is one who works for pay and in so doing attends to the physical needs, in one way or another, of the person who has employed him. But this was not ...

4585. SHEEPSHEARER

Gen. 38:12; 2 Sam. 13:23

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

Genesis 38:12 - "in course of time the wife of Judah, Shuah’s daughter, died; and when Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah, to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite." 2 Samuel 13:23 - "After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baalhazor, which was near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons." Shearing was done after the spring lambing season at the shearing houses. However, not all the sheep were shorn - the firstlings of the flock were sacred to God and were not ...

4586. SOLDIER

1 Sam. 4:10; Acts 12:18

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

1 Samuel 4:10 - "So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers." Acts 12:18 - "Now when day came, there was no small stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter." Before Saul there was no regular Israelite army, but, when a need arose, the tribes would gather together, each tribe with its own banner, and rally to the cause. And when the situation had been ...

4587. Hay, Harmony, and Hallelujah

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

G. William Genszler

Text: Luke 2:12 - "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." The night was bitter cold. Little Nanuska couldn’t sleep because she was cold and she had never slept in a hayloft before. She desperately missed her warm comfortable bed back in the East Zone. The smell of the cattle below the hayloft almost turned her stomach and, when the cows let out a bellow, she became scared. Oh, why, oh, why, had her father been so set in his ways? It all ...

4588. A 12 DAY RUNNING START

Illustration

G. William Genszler

The twelve days of Christmas could prove to be a practice session for learning the art of CHRISTMAS LIVING. Keep the pear tree and the partridge and start giving love and understanding and forgiveness and peace to one another. Give, not grudgingly, but with the joyful abandonment of a child at PLAY. Who knows, by the grace of God that suddenly floods your hearts, you might become addicted to the idea and be "hooked" on a Life Style that means "Fun Forever." Jesus said, "I have come that you might have Life ...

4589. Parents, Tend Those Lambs!

John 21:15-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Two children, a four-year-old and a six-year-old, gave their mother a houseplant for Mother's Day. They had used their own money, and she was thrilled. The older child said with a sad face, "There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you, but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said, 'Rest in peace."' A parent, particularly a mother, gets little chance to rest in peace this side of heaven. Parenting is intensive leadership, 24 hours per day. The Bible describes parental ...

4590. Spiritual Markers

1 Samuel 7:2-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Bishop Bevel Jones of North Carolina tells about visiting a small congregation in the beautiful Smokey Mountains area. The occasion was the celebration of the church's 100th anniversary. After the service a little elderly lady came up to him and said, "Sir, I keep historical records for the church. You are the first bishop to visit our church in 75 years." She hesitated a moment and then added, "But it ain't hurt us none." A church and a Christian can survive without regular visits by a bishop, but we ...

4591. The Might of the Mite

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

A few months ago I received a letter that touched my heart. Let me share a portion of it with you, using fictitious names so that anonymity will be preserved: "Dear Dr. Bouknight: My name is John Brown. I have been a member of Christ Church for four years. At that time a very dear friend, Jean Smith, invited me to attend the 9:45 service. Christ Church has been the only tangible thing in my life to remain a 'sure thing' during these last four years. I have experienced the highest highs, and the lowest lows ...

4592. Overcoming Fear

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Many years ago when I was a young preacher, I noticed that a new family had moved into a neighborhood not far from our church. So I dropped by late one afternoon. I noticed that one car was parked in the carport. I went to the side door, the one opening onto the carport. I had rung the door bell only once when I heard a deep, bass growl that sounded like the rolling of thunder. It was coming from the back of the carport and it made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. I glanced to my left and ...

4593. Only One Superpower

1 Chronicles 29:1-9

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

America is on a roll following her 221st birthday! She is the only national superpower. Though the Middle East is always fragile and Saddam Hussein bears watching, no war clouds can be seen on the horizon. The soaring stock market sets a new record every week or so, while inflation and unemployment remain low. New millionaires are being created at a breath-taking rate; one can only hope that some of them are Methodist tithers. Some responsible experts are predicting that we may actually see a balanced ...

4594. Called Into Covenant

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

Did you see the glorious color picture of the rainbow in last Monday's Commercial Appeal? It had to do with Davis Love's victory in last week's Professional Golf Association Championship. Just as he marched triumphantly onto the 18th green, a glorious rainbow arched across the sky. Though the PGA could not have known I would be preaching on the rainbow covenant today, the Lord did. It was mighty nice of them both to provide an advertisement in living color of my sermon focus for the weekend. Genesis, ...

4595. Our Scheduled Appointments with God

Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

That epic movie "Titanic" is breaking attendance records at the theaters, proving yet again that the awful tragedy of 1912 continues to fascinate people. 1645 passengers died that night in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. Over 600 were saved. As the movie demonstrates, most of the survivors were people who stayed close together and encouraged one another. That same principle applies in our faith journey. The evil one (Satan, the devil) is angered by every profession of faith in Christ. Each person ...

4596. Lessons from a Shrewd Crook

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

There are certain scriptural passages that we preachers avoid, because they are difficult. One of those is my text for today. In my thirty-one years of ministry I have never attempted to expound this text. Why in the world would Jesus tell a story that makes a hero out of a thief? In most of Jesus' stories, the hero is a positive role model, like the Good Samaritan or the father of the Prodigal Son. But this story applauds a man who is obviously dishonest. Nevertheless, let's see if we can discover ...

4597. Jesus and Judgment

Romans 2:11-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

When I was a youngster of seven or eight years of age, our neighborhood grocery store was owned by a Mr. Strout. He knew our family well. One day when I was in the store I saw a customer walk up to the counter with an armful of groceries and say, "Charge it, Mr. Strout." No money was exchanged. He just said "charge it" and walked out. I was amazed by this mysterious transaction. I said to myself, "How foolish I have been, believing that money was required for needed items, when all I had to do was to say ...

4598. Friction Points

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

The great soul singer, Smokey Robinson, was a scheduled speaker for a two-day Youth Anti-Drug rally for the public schools of Sarasota, Florida. On the first day, he testified how God had rescued him from drug abuse. As a result, his speech for the second day was canceled. Smokey Robinson said, "The awful thing is that you can go into many public schools and talk about the Charles Manson murders, describe sexual promiscuity, and even pass out condoms, but if you mention God or Jesus, it's taboo." Something ...

4599. Judgment Day is Coming (Adapted)

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 13:47-52

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

The late great Bishop Ken Goodson of Virginia was considered a staunch conservative. He had a very liberal Methodist lady in his conference named Tess Hoover. One day Tess said to him, "Bishop, you're so conservative that you probably believe in the devil." "Yes I do," he said, "and I don't like her at all." The text this morning says that one-day—we do not know when—but it asserts that one day the ages of earth will end. There will be a final judgment when God separates those whom he calls wheat and those ...

4600. Using our Special Talents

Romans 12:6-8

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

Object: Cup, scissors, picture. Good morning, boys and girls. How are you on this beautiful winter morning? Winter must be a very special season for God, because He decorates His earth with snow and beautiful cloud formations in the heavens. It is wonderful how the various seasons do different things and make us feel differently. It makes me think of some good friends around my house that have special jobs. Let me show you what I mean. First of all there is my friend, Charley Cup. [Hold up cup, admiring it ...

Showing results

Showing 4576 to 4600 of 4943 results

4576. CARPENTER

Isaiah 44:13; Mark 6:3

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4577. CENSUS TAKER

Exodus 30:12; Numbers 1:1

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4578. COUNSELOR

1 Chronicles 27:32; Ezekiel 7:14

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4579. DANCER

Judges 21:23; Psalm 87:7

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4580. FOWLER

Prov. 6:5; Jer. 5:26

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4581. GARDENER

John 20:15

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4582. IRONSMITH

Isaiah 44:12

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4583. MAGICIAN, SORCERER

Micah 5:12; Acts 8:9

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4584. SERVANT, SERVITOR

Exo. 12:45; 2 Kings 4:43

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4585. SHEEPSHEARER

Gen. 38:12; 2 Sam. 13:23

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4586. SOLDIER

1 Sam. 4:10; Acts 12:18

Illustration

Stephen Stewart

4587. Hay, Harmony, and Hallelujah

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

G. William Genszler

4588. A 12 DAY RUNNING START

Illustration

G. William Genszler

4589. Parents, Tend Those Lambs!

John 21:15-25

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4590. Spiritual Markers

1 Samuel 7:2-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4591. The Might of the Mite

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4592. Overcoming Fear

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4593. Only One Superpower

1 Chronicles 29:1-9

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4594. Called Into Covenant

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4595. Our Scheduled Appointments with God

Hebrews 10:19-39

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4596. Lessons from a Shrewd Crook

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4597. Jesus and Judgment

Romans 2:11-16

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4598. Friction Points

John 17:6-19

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4599. Judgment Day is Coming (Adapted)

Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 13:47-52

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

4600. Using our Special Talents

Romans 12:6-8

Children's Sermon

Wesley T. Runk

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