Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 451 to 475 of 5000 results

451. Singing The Lord's Song In A Strange Land (i)

Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... to this decision as I wrestled with this fact – that a static faith is an inadequate faith, and as I looked at the entire psalm. Originally I was going to deal with only the first six verses. Then I found in the balance of the text a perfect illustration of the limitation of a static faith. And I also came head-on with one of the most perplexing issues confronting Christians in every age -- our understanding and use of scripture. What did you think when I read verses 8 and 9? Did it register on you what ...

452. The Whole Load

Luke 6:27-36

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... of others but for our own sakes. Notice the movement of scripture. After Jesus tells us what we are to do in extending ourselves for the sake of others, he introduces a transitional thought, verse 31: "Do to others as you would have them do to you." Then he illustrates that and the principle of giving for the sake of others with the dynamic of love: giving and forgiving . Listen to just a part of that in verses 32 and 33: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love ...

453. How Is It With Your Soul?

Luke 6:37-42

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... condemn lest they be condemned, Jesus said, "Forgive that you may be forgiven." Compassion, not condemnation, is the stance of the Christian. How is it with your soul? III Now the third kind of hypocrisy--lack of integrity. Integrity means wholeness. Here's a great illustration of it. There have been a lot of famous people that have come from Mississippi. Leontyne Price is one of them--one of the great singers of our day. She's a black woman from Laurel, Mississippi--about 30 miles from my hometown. She's ...

454. Growing In Self-esteem

Psalm 81:1-16

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... is no doubt parents are the main ones involved. It is not that they necessarily word their rejection and say, "You are this" or "you are that." The message is given by their overall personalities, their inner and outer bearing and demeanor, by the radar they send out. Let me illustrate what I mean. Here is a list of "You are's" which easily become "I am's." You've no right to feel that way.If you can't say something nice, don't say anything.Why do you always do things like that?If there's a wrong way ...

455. Timing

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

Sermon

Elizabeth Achtemeier

... Wisdom says and acts in accordance with the ordered ways of nature and human society. Such a person finds life, says Wisdom. But the fool is one who refuses to learn the orders and defies them, acting contrary to them. Such a fool finds only death. As an illustration of that, we might say that one of God's orders set into human marital life is life-long faithfulness to one's spouse. Such faithfulness can bring with it a good marriage, full of joy. But a fool ignores that and goes out and commits adultery ...

456. The Sufficiency of Christ

Philippians 4:10-20

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... . I. We Have Amazing Coping Powers. First, we have amazing coping powers. Paul witnessed to it in verse 11, I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound, I can be content in whatever state I find myself. I heard a funny story the other day which illustrates what’s this, what this amazing coping power is not. A man went to see his dentist. He sat down in the chair and as the dentist approached him, the man began to kick his feet and to frail his hands in front of his face, and when the dentist ...

457. What Making a Difference Looks Like

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... . 3. Martin H. Mauser, The Westminster Collection of Christian Quotations (Louisville, KY: WJK, 2001), 158. 4. Ibid., 158-159. 5. John 4:23. 6. Manser, Quotations, 247. 7. Michael Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1990), 240. 8. Rewritten from James S. Hewett, ed., Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton, ILL: Tyndale, 1988), 347. 9. Kierkegaard’s dictum, “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” 10. James 4:8. 11. In The Problem of Pain, accessed at PreachingToday ...

458. The Heart of an Intimate Matter

Matthew 5:27-30

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... see Roger Olson, The Mosaic of Christian Belief (Downer’s Grove, ILL: IVP, 2002), Chapter 7, “Creation: Good and Fallen,” 155-176. The official U.M. statement is found in the Articles of Religion, Article 4. Edited from PreachingToday.com, new illustrations for May 29, 2006. 5. Mercer Schuchardt, “Hugh Hefner’s Hollow Ring,” Christianity Today, 2003, www.ctlibrary.com. interview with Dr. James Dobson, "The Family in Crisis," Focus on the Family [August 2001], 2-4; source: U.S. Census Bureau). 6 ...

459. Facing Fears, Kingdom Style

Matthew 6:25-34

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... . 8. PreachingToday.com search under Matthew 6:25-34. 9. David Dockery & David Garland, Seeking the Kingdom (Wheaton, ILL: Shaw, 1992), 96-97. 10. Sermon 60, “The General Deliverance,” http://gbgm-umc.org/UMHISTORY/ Wesley/sermons/serm-060. 11. Idem. 12. Idem. 13. Idem. 14. Idem. 15. Michael Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990), 21. 16. Matthew 25:14-30, 24:45-51, 25:1-13. 17. Michael Green, editor ...

460. Get off the Throne and Learn Wisdom

Matthew 7:1-6

Sermon

Phil Thrailkill

... Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun. 4. PreachingToday.com search under Matthew 7:1-6. 5. Idem. 6. 6:37. 7. 3:7. 8. “Matthew,” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), 183. 9. James Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton, ILL: Tyndale, 1988), 311. 10. Our Daily Bread, August 4, 1991. 11. Edited from William White, Stories for the Journey (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 1988), 47. 12. PreachingToday.com search under Mt. 7:1-6. 13. Albert M. Wells, Inspiring Quotations ...

461. Maximizing Your Potential

Isaiah 5:1-7

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... the gifts we truly seek are not of this world. As Jesus says, "When you have done all that you have been ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done' " (Luke 17:10). The misuse of God's gifts is illustrated in a little story. Jake was one of the most colorful and well-known people in a small town. Everyone knew him, liked him personally, and appreciated his work as an artist. One day Jake went to the local general store to pick up a few items. He paid for ...

462. Family Matters

1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... tells you God uses all kinds of voices to speak to you, expecting that God is there to overcome the separation. Because God's work in the world is reconciliation. He is at work among you. In the fifteenth chapter of Acts there is a wonderful illustration of this. The scene is the first Church Council at Jerusalem. The issue was whether Gentiles would be let into the Church without circumcision, which meant, do they have to become Jews in order to become Christians. Or what it really meant is that, in a ...

463. Here We Go Again

Luke 21:25-36

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... things come to pass, stand up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near." That's been the experience of Christians for all these years. Whether they are in exodus, or in exile, we are not alone. Our four year old grandson has provided me a wonderful illustration of this. His mother was going to go away for a couple of days. The night before she left, as she was in the two boys' room to hear their prayers, she told them she was going to go away, and asked if in their prayers they would like ...

464. Poor Mary

Luke 1:39-45

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... the meantime, the angel Gabriel has flown down to where Mary is, at Nazareth, to tell her, "You're going to have a baby, too." Mary is the country cousin. She lives in Nazareth, which is in the north, the poor part of Israel in those days. I used to illustrate what it meant to be from Nazareth by comparing it to some town around San Diego, only to have people come up to me after the service, and say, "Wait a minute. I live in that town!" They were offended at that, so I don't do that anymore. There ...

465. The Heart Has Eyes

Ephesians 1:15-23

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... , to protest the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church. There were a lot of things to protest. He had 95 Theses. But the precipitating offense that caused the Reformation was the abuse of All Saints Day. So the differences between Protestants and Catholics were dramatically illustrated this time of year with October 31 being Reformation Day, and All Saints Day being November 1. But all of that was 450 years ago, so we ought to be able to put it to rest now, and examine All Saints Day on its own merits ...

466. You Have Outwitted Me

Hosea 11:1-9

Sermon

Mark Trotter

... means that there will be surprises. Things are not always the way they seem. We thought we messed things up, but they came out better than we planned. We thought that we lost everything, but we discovered that we have found something that we never imagined. This popular epigram illustrates it. I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things ...

467. The Great I Am

John 14:5-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... to his brain was cut off by a compressed carotid artery, and he suffered a massive stroke--paralysis, brain damage, a life changed forever. Writing for Sports Illustrated Rick Reilly asked the right question about this freakish tragedy: "How could a bunch of students trying to idolize high school basketball star Joe Kay paralyze him instead?" (Sports Illustrated 05 September, 2005, 174; with thanks to Landrum Leavell III for this reference). Idol worship has never gone out of style. It's as attractive, it's ...

468. Are You Willing to Be a Donkey?

Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... , substantial, and subservient, donkeys were a necessary, but unexceptional part of first-century life. The donkey is clearly Jesus' own choice of mount for his entrance into Jerusalem. Riding on that humble beast, Jesus both inhabited the words of Zechariah's prophecy and illustrated the dual nature of his messianic identity. He was King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But he was also servant of servants, a work horse, helper of helpers. While he was ushered into Jerusalem with a royal processional, he rode on ...

469. Conversion to Christ

Jeremiah 23:1-8

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... ? The answer will be different for each person. There are, however, a couple of areas that need our common restoration. One is the area of admitting our errors and seeking wholeness. The dramatic effect such an act of humility can have on ourselves and others is illustrated in a popular tale from Native American culture. One day a twelve-year-old Indian boy died from a snake bite. The poison took away his life and the grieving parents carried his body to the holy man of the village and laid it before him ...

470. Christianity's First Sermon

Luke 23:26-43

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... the truth of what it means to be fully human. Jesus is the live Truth. And Jesus calls us his followers to be live truths to the world. Be a living truth this week. Go . . . BE Jesus and DO Jesus out there in the world this week. Illustrations The 17th century English poet John Donne put it like this: On a huge hill, Cragged and steep, Truth stands, and he that will Reach her, about must, and about must go. --“Hymn to God My Father in My Sickness,” Know the motto of the Dominican order? “Truth ...

471. Are You Living the Three Advents?

Romans 13:11-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... relationships and communities. Paul wants to shine a bright light on all our activities, all our words, all our behaviors, bringing everything done by those who confess Christ into HD (high definition) focus. Although Paul uses the contrasts between light and dark to illustrate his discussion, ironically Paul’s point is that for Christians there IS no night vs. day, no dark vs. light. Since Christ’s arrival on earth, since Christ’s life among us for our sake and “our salvation” (v.11), we live in ...

472. Ash Wednesday

Mt 6:1-6, 16-21 · 2 Cor 5:20b--6:10 · Ps 51:1-17 · Jl 2:1-2, 12-17

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... of God of which the prophet reminds Israel in v. 13. It is because God is merciful and gracious that judgment need not be an end in itself. The third conclusion is really an extension of the previous two. God can change depending on what we do. This is illustrated in Joel 2. Even though God has declared judgment on Israel, the activity of the people of God in confessing sin can motivate change in God. As the prophet states in v. 13, God is able to "repent of evil." Psalm 51:1-17 - "Coming to Grips with ...

473. Easter 2

John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23, 1 Peter 1:1-12, Acts 2:14-41, Psalm 16:1-11

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... in the risen Jesus (those referred to by Jesus in v. 29 and those addressed by the writer in vv. 30-31)—is the point of the passage. This transition requires a new understanding of faith, which the character of Thomas is meant to illustrate for us. The appearance of Jesus to the disciples follows the expected form of post-Resurrection narratives. Faith in this situation can be described as "seeing and believing." These stories of the resurrected Jesus and his disciples always move to a command that ...

474. Easter Vigil

Genesis 1:1-2:3, Romans 6:1-14, Matthew 28:1-10

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... Genesis 7-9 shows how God is obligated to bring about a new creation that is free of sin. God's obligation is explored through the theme of covenant in Genesis 9. The final lesson in Genesis shifts the focus from God to Abraham. Genesis 22 illustrates the important role that the people of God play in God's commitment to bring about a new world by idealizing the faith of Abraham. The (primarily) prophetic lessons sketch out God's future salvation for Israel, the nations, and the entire creation. Isaiah 55:1 ...

475. Lent 2

Psalm 121:1-8, Genesis 12:1-8, Romans 4:1-25, John 3:1-21

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... the blessing of God on Abraham provides mission for the people of God. The divine speech to Abraham separates into three parts: it moves from command (v. 1), to God's relationship with Abraham (v. 2), to Abraham's relationship to the nations (v. 3). The structure illustrates how Genesis 12:1-4a is a "small" story taking place on a one person stage in contrast to the grand drama of Genesis 1-11, where all of creation provided the setting for larger-than-life conflict. In the smaller drama of Genesis 12:1-4a ...

Showing results