Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4676 to 4700 of 5000 results

4676. How Is John Quincy Adams?

2 Tim. 4:6-8; 2 Cor. 4:7-9

Illustration

Brett Blair

On his eightieth birthday, John Quincy Adams was walking slowly along a Boston street. A friend asked him "How is John Quincy Adams today?" The former president replied graciously, "Thank you, John Quincy Adams is well, sir, quite well, I thank you. But the house in which he lives at present is becoming dilapidated. It is tottering upon the foundations. Time and the seasons have nearly destroyed it. Its roof is pretty well worn out, its walls are shattered, and it trembles with every wind. The old tenement ...

4677. The Race We Are In

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Illustration

Several years ago, I told you a story about one of my all-time favorite people. Not that I know her, or have even met her. But I admire her. Because one day, at age 42, in beautiful downtown Cleveland, she ran a marathon by accident (all 26 miles, 385 yards of it). Her name was Georgene Johnson. Still is. As you will recall, she lined up with the wrong group at the starting line. Not the 10K group, where she belonged. But the 26-mile group, where she didn't. It wasn't until the four-mile mark that she ...

4678. No Black Dots

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Illustration

When Benjamin Franklin was 27 years old, he decided he would take control of his life. He selected 12 virtues he wanted to acquire, and kept a daily chart of his progress in the development of each one. Whenever he missed the mark, he put a black dot beside that virtue. His goal was to ultimately have no dots on the chart. This method contributed to Franklin's success as an inventor, publisher, and statesman.

4679. Are You Really Listening?

1 Pet. 3:12; Psalm 46:10; John 9:31

Illustration

Eric Ritz

In his book Directions, author James Hamilton shares this insight about listening to God: "Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking ...

4680. Watching Life Pass By

2 Tim 3:10 - 4:8

Illustration

Brett Blair

A little boy was asked what his father did by an older man. The boy answered, "He watches." "You mean he is a night watchman?" "Oh no", the little boy exclaimed, "He just watches." "Well, what does he watch?" "I don't know if I can tell you everything, but I can name a few things." "Well, tell me," the curious man replied. "He watches TV, he watches Mom do the housework, he watches for the mail man, he watches the weather, he watches the computer, and I think he watches girls, too" he said with an impish ...

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

The whole conviction of my life now rests upon the belief that loneliness, far from being a rare and curious phenomenon, peculiar to myself and a few other solitary men, is the central and inevitable fact of human existence.

Thomas Wolfe

4682. The Prayer of Cyrus Brown

Luke 18:9-14

Illustration

Sam Walter Foss

Years ago Sam Walter Foss wrote a poem expressing the unimportance of the posture of prayer. He called it, The Prayer of Cyrus Brown: "The proper way for a man to pray," Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes "And the only proper attitude Is down upon his knees." "Nay, I should say the way to pray," Said Reverend Doctor Wise, "Is standing straight with outstretched arms And rapt and upturned eyes." "Oh, no, no, no," said Elder Slow, Such posture is too proud. "A man should pray with eyes fast-closed And head contritely ...

4683. Our Own Vices

Luke 18:9-14

Illustration

Eric Ritz

Dwight L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon were great preachers of the nineteenth century. Moody admired Spurgeon from a distance and looked forward to the opportunity of meeting him in London. On that historic day, Spurgeon answered the door with a cigar in his mouth. Moody was aghast. "How could you, a man of God, smoke that?" Spurgeon took the cigar from his mouth, put his finger on Moody's rather inflated stomach, smiled and said, "The same way you, a man of God, could be that fat." Because we are usually ...

4684. Pride

Luke 18:9-14

Illustration

James Merritt

I heard about a fifth grader that came home from school so excited. She had been voted "prettiest girl in the class." The next day she was even more excited when she came home, for the class had voted her "the most likely to succeed." The next day she came home and told her mother she had won a third contest, being voted "the most popular." But the next day she came home extremely upset. The mother said, "What happened, did you lose this time?" She said, "Oh no, I won the vote again." The mother said, " ...

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

When we hate our enemies we give them power over us - power over our sleep, our appetites, our happiness. They would dance with joy if they knew how much they were worrying us. Our hate is not hurting them at all, but it is turning our days & our nights into hellish turmoil.

Dale Carnegie

4686. Your Personal Best

2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18

Illustration

King Duncan

Mike Krzyzewski [pronounced “shuh- shef-skee”] was coach of the national champion Duke Blue Devils basketball team. He is known as being meticulous in his pursuit of basketball success. In his book titled, Leading with the Heart, he attributes much of his success to his mother. He writes, “You want to know who my hero is? My hero is my mother. Everything she did was something that she put her own trademark on. Whatever it was, something as simple as making a batch of chocolate chip cookies. When we were a ...

4687. Forgetting Your Own Fatigue

2 Tim 3:10--4:8

Illustration

C. E. Montague

The British writer C. C. Montague once told a remarkable short story about a man in his early fifties who awoke one morning with a curious numb feeling in his right side, which affected him from head to foot. The man had lived an active life, achieved a reasonable degree of success, but was now alone in the world, his wife being dead and his children grown and married. He saw the numbness as the beginning of old age. As he pondered his situation, he came at length to a decision. This moment was an ...

4688. We Don’t Play the Full Scale

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

James W. Moore

One of the most famous composers had a rebellious son who used to come in late at night after his mother and father had gone to bed. And before going to his own room, this rebellious son would go to his father's piano and slowly, spitefully… and loudly would play a simple scale, all but the final note. He would play, "Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti…" and then he wouldn't strike that final "Do." Then leaving the scale unfinished, he would retire to his room. Meanwhile, his father (great musician that he was) hearing ...

4689. Totally Immobilized

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

Mrs. Billie Cannon, a Knoxville, Tennessee homemaker, was preparing to paint her back porch. In order to protect the floor, she very carefully placed around the edges a strip of Scotch tape-the kind with adhesive on both sides. It was her plan to place a drop cloth over the floor and secure it with the tape. Having succeeded in placing the tape around the entire surface, she went back inside the house to get a drop cloth. Returning to the porch sometime later, she found that all of her carefully placed ...

4690. Are You Going to Fish?

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Bob Younts

There's an old story about a fisherman who was very successful. Every morning he went out on the lake in a small boat and when he returned a couple of hours later, his boat was loaded down with fish. He never failed. People wondered how he did it, even when others were not catching anything at all. He always came in with his boat just overflowing with fish. One morning a stranger showed up with his fishing tackle and said, "Mind if I go fishing with you this morning?" "No," said the fisherman. "Just hop in ...

4691. A Man Who Could Get the Last Quarter Out of You

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Brett Blair

A man on vacation was strolling along outside his hotel in Acapulco, enjoying the sunny Mexican weather. He heard the screams of a woman kneeling in front of a child. The man knew enough Spanish to determine that the boy had swallowed a coin. Seizing the child by the heels, the man held him up, gave him a few shakes, and an American quarter dropped to the sidewalk. "Oh, thank you sir!" cried the woman. "You seemed to know just how to get it out of him. Are you a doctor?" "No, ma'am," replied the man. "I'm ...

4692. He Looks Like You

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Mark Trotter

Mark Trotter, a few years ago, told a beautiful story about a boy whose parents were missionaries to India. When the boy was 12 years old, his parents left him and his younger brother to go to India and take up their tour of duty there. Their intention was that once they got settled they would send for the boys. But shortly after they left America, World War II broke out. They couldn't get to the boys, and they couldn't get the boys to them. So the separation between the missionaries and their sons went on ...

4693. Who You Gonna’ Vote For? - Sermon Starter

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Brett Blair

They say "politics and religion don't mix," but politicians can't stop talking about religion. They say "separation of church and state." I say politicians have sure been preaching a lot of sermons lately. Some of them preachin' political sermons in the churches, right up there where the preacher ought to be. You might be able to separate the state from the church but you sure can't separate the politician from the pulpit. They say, "I'm not going to force my values on others." I say, what is faith without ...

4694. Christ Sets Us Free of All Chains

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

There is a story about an ancient Persian king who had injured his ankle quite severely. None of his court physicians knew how to help him. A member of his court told him about a certain slave who was said to have a great insight into matters of the body. The Persian king sent for the slave who was brought to him weighted down with chains and dressed in rags. However, the slave was indeed able to give him great assistance with his problem. The pain ceased and the ankle soon healed. The king was elated and ...

4695. How Jesus Saw

Lk 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

Many of you have seen the delightful Broadway musical and motion picture, "My Fair Lady." It is based on George Bernard Shaw's wonderful play, "Pygmalion." It is about a brilliant professor, Henry Higgins, who transforms a humble flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into an elegant English lady. In the midst of her brilliant transformation, Eliza falls in love with Henry Higgins, but he treats her only with disdain. Towards the end of the play, she expresses her complaint to their mutual friend, Colonel Pickering ...

4696. Making Real Changes

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

Some people want to experience new life but they want to do it on their terms. They want to do it without making any real changes in their lives. "Next year I'm going to be a changed person!" Charlie Brown tells Lucy. "That's a laugh, Charlie Brown!" she says. "I mean it!" he replies. "I'm going to be strong and firm!" "Forget it," she says as she walks off. "You'll always be wishy-washy!" "Why can't I change just a little bit?" Charlie Brown asks himself. "I'll be wishy one day," he shouts, "and washy the ...

4697. Looking for a Savior

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Bruce Thielemann

Quite frankly, I'm sick to death of ideals. I have so many ideals and I've been so frustrated by them, I really don't care for them any more. What I'm looking for is a savior, not someone who will just tell me what I ought to be, but someone who will forgive me for what I am, and then with his very love will enable me to be more than I ever believed I could be. It's exactly that that Jesus does.

4698. What’s Happening Now Church

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Brett Blair

A popular comedian (Flip Wilson), did an impression of a preacher at the "What's Happening Now Church." The preacher yelled: "IF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO SERVE GOD IT'S GOT TO GET DOWN ON ITS KNEES AND CRAWL!!!" And the congregation in the skit would yell back "Make it crawl preacher, make it crawl! And then he would yell: "AND ONCE THIS CHURCH HAS LEARNED TO CRAWL, IT'S GOT TO GET UP ON ITS FEET AND WALK!!!" And the audience would yell back "Make it walk preacher, make it walk." Then he would say: AND ONCE ...

4699. The Political Controversies of Jesus - Sermon Starter

Luke 20:27-47

Illustration

Brett Blair

Someone has figured that if we put all of the materials in the Gospels that tell us about the life of Jesus together that it would equal about 80 pages. Yet, most of that would represent duplication, for we know that some of the Gospel writers copied from others. If, therefore you eliminate the duplication, you would have only 20 pages that tell us about Jesus life and teachings. Of those 20 pages, 13 of them deal specifically with the last week of his life. And if you separate it still further, you will ...

4700. Love the Questions

Luke 20:27-40

Illustration

Brett Blair

Rainer Maria Rilke's was a famous German poet and correspondent with an aspiring American poet. The letters were published in a book titled, "Letters to a Young Poet?" In the letter the "young poet" has many questions about their art form. Rilke doesn't mind. In fact she relishes the questions and says to the young poet: "Love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Live the questions now. Perhaps then someday far in the future, you will gradually ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 4676 to 4700 of 5000 results

4676. How Is John Quincy Adams?

2 Tim. 4:6-8; 2 Cor. 4:7-9

Illustration

Brett Blair

4677. The Race We Are In

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Illustration

4678. No Black Dots

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Illustration

4679. Are You Really Listening?

1 Pet. 3:12; Psalm 46:10; John 9:31

Illustration

Eric Ritz

4680. Watching Life Pass By

2 Tim 3:10 - 4:8

Illustration

Brett Blair

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Thomas Wolfe

4682. The Prayer of Cyrus Brown

Luke 18:9-14

Illustration

Sam Walter Foss

4683. Our Own Vices

Luke 18:9-14

Illustration

Eric Ritz

4684. Pride

Luke 18:9-14

Illustration

James Merritt

2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Dale Carnegie

4686. Your Personal Best

2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18

Illustration

King Duncan

4687. Forgetting Your Own Fatigue

2 Tim 3:10--4:8

Illustration

C. E. Montague

4688. We Don’t Play the Full Scale

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

James W. Moore

4689. Totally Immobilized

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

4690. Are You Going to Fish?

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Bob Younts

4691. A Man Who Could Get the Last Quarter Out of You

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Brett Blair

4692. He Looks Like You

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Mark Trotter

4693. Who You Gonna’ Vote For? - Sermon Starter

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Brett Blair

4694. Christ Sets Us Free of All Chains

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

4695. How Jesus Saw

Lk 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

4696. Making Real Changes

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

King Duncan

4697. Looking for a Savior

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Bruce Thielemann

4698. What’s Happening Now Church

Luke 19:1-10

Illustration

Brett Blair

4699. The Political Controversies of Jesus - Sermon Starter

Luke 20:27-47

Illustration

Brett Blair

4700. Love the Questions

Luke 20:27-40

Illustration

Brett Blair

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