Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 4776 to 4800 of 5000 results

4776. A Call to Improve

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

King Duncan

In a Peanut's comic strip, Lucy is walking along the road with Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown asks her: "Lucy, are you going to make any New Year's resolutions?" Lucy hollers back at him, knocking him off his feet: "What? What for? What's wrong with me now? I like myself the way I am! Why should I change? What in the world is the matter with you, Charlie Brown? I'm all right the way I am! I don't have to improve. How could I improve? How, I ask you? How?" Most of us know ways in which we can change. With ...

4777. The Majesty of God

Illustration

King Duncan

Roy L. Smith tells about an aged and scholarly minister with a flair for astronomy who spent the night on a California mountaintop with a group of young men from his church. It so happened that a little after midnight two great stars came into conjunction, and the dear old man went from sleeping bag to sleeping bag, shaking them and shouting, "Get up! Get up! Don't miss it! Don't let God Almighty put on such a show as this for just this old mule and me!" Anyone who is sensitive to the beauty of nature sees ...

4778. John 1:29-42

John 1:29-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

When dinosaurs roamed the earth — you know, forty years or so ago — kids played a game called “gossip” or “telephone.” Sitting in a circle the first person whispered a secret message into the ear of their neighbor. The game was the comparison of the first and last message. By the time the message was whispered into the ear and passed along to each progressive person, the final reported words bore almost no resemblance to the initial whisper. The text message world makes this game less applicable today, ...

4779. St. Andrew Christians

John 1:35-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Even in the most barren desert you can find an oasis or two. In the wasteland of television you can find an oasis of decency and compassion. Take the commercials sponsored by the “Foundation for a Better Life.” Here is lifted up such radically righteous behavior as, oh, some young kid giving up his bus seat to an elderly woman, or, more shockingly, a taller man kindly reaching up to grab an out-of-reach package for someone who is vertically challenged. How sad that such ordinary human activities now rate ...

4780. A Change in Posture

John 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

In a cathedral in Copenhagen, Denmark, there is a magnificent statue of Jesus by the noted sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. When Thorvaldsen first completed the sculpture he gazed upon the finished product with great satisfaction. It was a sculpture of Christ with face looking upward and arms extended upward. It was a statue of a majestic, conquering Christ. Later that night, however, after the sculptor had left his fine new work in clay to dry and harden, something unexpected occurred. Sea mist seeped into ...

4781. Captured by the Spirit of Christ

Jn 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

Two months before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke to his congregation at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta about his death in what would oddly enough become his eulogy. "Every now and then I think about my own death, and I think about my own funeral," Dr. King told his congregation. "If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want ...

4782. Jesus the Sin Stealer

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Michael L. Cobbler

The primary emphasis of John's declaration is to say who Jesus is (the Lamb of God) and also to say what Jesus does (takes away the sin of the world). This is all well and good, but the old Adam in me gets nervous when I have an encounter with a "sin stealer." I want to be as graphic and as plain as I can be about this Jesus is the ultimate sin stealer, and that troubles me. You can certainly use language that describes this reality in different terms, like "Jesus removes our sins," or "Jesus washed my ...

4783. Carrying Your Sins

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

One day a saintly African Christian told his congregation about a vision he had the night before. In the vision he was climbing up the hill to the church. Suddenly he heard steps behind him. He turned and saw a man carrying a very heavy load on his back, climbing that hill. He was full of sympathy for this man and spoke kindly to him. Then he noticed that the man's hands were scarred. Suddenly he realized that this was Jesus. He said to him, "Lord, are you carrying the world's sins up the hill?" "No," said ...

4784. God’s Kind of Revenge

John 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

A young soldier was utterly humiliated by his senior officer. The officer had gone beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior in disciplining the young soldier and knew it, so he said nothing as the younger man said through clenched teeth, "I'll make you regret this if it is the last thing I ever do." A few days later their company was under heavy fire and the officer was wounded and cut off from his troops. Through the haze of the battlefield he saw a figure coming to his rescue. It was the young soldier. ...

4785. Our Children Watch Us Closely

John 6:8-9

Illustration

James W. Moore

Andrew's act reminds us dramatically of how important children and their resources are to Christ and his church. Andrew's act shows us graphically how crucial it is for us in our words and deeds to bring children into the presence of Jesus. Many years ago in Missouri, a minister made a bad mistake in moral judgment that later came back to haunt him and to hurt many others. Through trickery, conniving, and scheming, the minister stole a man's dog. That's bad enough, but to make matters worse, he included ...

4786. Landed on Top of a Lamb

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Brett Blair

A tourist visited a church in Germany and was surprised to see the carved figure of a lamb near the top of the church's tower. He asked why it was there and was told that when the church was being built, a workman fell from a high scaffold. His co-workers rushed down, expecting to find him dead. But to their surprise and joy, he was alive and only slightly injured. How did he survive? A flock of sheep was passing beneath the tower at the time, and he landed on top of a lamb. The lamb broke his fall and was ...

4787. Our Misguided Goals

John 1:19-34

Illustration

William J. Kemp

There's an emptiness in pursuing anything less than God's call. Darrell Bock is one of those baby boomers who has entered mid-life. A teacher at Dallas Theological Seminary, he writes in Christianity Today how as a young, idealistic man, headed for seminary, he thought being a successful Christian meant "being a winner for God, taking control, and doing all I could for his kingdom...The essence of our spirituality was to do all we could for God in the 40 or so years we had." Now, at mid-life, he has ...

4788. The Can’t Help Its

John 1:29-42

Illustration

James W. Moore

A minister friend of mine tells about a woman in his church who is so excited to be a Christian. She has a shady past and had pretty much hit bottom when a friend reached out to her… and brought her to church. The church member welcomed her warmly and loved her into the circle of their love and God's love. She started going to church faithfully. She joined a wonderful Sunday School class. She began studying the Bible daily. She started praying regularly… and in the process was converted. She realized for ...

4789. Dance the Offering Forward

John 1:29-42

Illustration

James W. Moore

A missionary in Africa was preaching his first sermon in a mission church. When time came for the offering, the people danced their offerings forward. They danced and sang praise to God as they brought their offerings to the altar. It was a beautiful moment. What do you think? Should we get our ushers to do that? After the service, he asked one of the people, "Why do you dance and sing when you bring your offering forward on Sunday morning?" Back came the answer: "How could we not dance? We are so grateful ...

4790. Who You Are

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

What you're looking for tells the story of who you are. Jewel Crowson gave me a Nancy cartoon recently which speaks to the issue of things living up to our expectations. Nancy is out in the snow, waiting for her friend Sluggo to come. She's up to no good. She waits behind a tree getting her snowball ready, and she says, "Here he comes...I can't wait to see the look on Sluggo's face when I cream him with this snowball...I can see it now, the dazed look on his face, the snow all over his head." She loses ...

4791. Miss Donna

John 1:29-42

Illustration

James W. Moore

Her name is Donna. Donna is a member of our church. She is a mentor in our Kids Hope USA program. Every week she goes to a nearby elementary school to be a friend, encourager, and mentor to a little boy named John. John looks to be 6 or 7 years old. Donna and John have bonded in a beautiful way. Though there is quite a difference in their ages, Miss Donna – as John calls her – has become John's best friend. Once each week, she visits him at school, helps him with his school work… and then "going the second ...

4792. The Parrot Won’t Talk

Illustration

I read a story about a woman who went to a pet store to purchase a parrot to keep her company. She picked out a beautiful bird that was supposed to be the smartest type of parrot alive. This parrot was guaranteed to be easy to train to talk. She bought a book on training parrots that claimed the technique taught would have her parrot talking within a week. She took the book and her new pet home. A week went by and she returned to the pet store and complained, "I've followed the book explicitly but that ...

4793. Ain’t Got Time

John 1:29-34

Illustration

James W. Moore

One of the great celebrative anthems that comes to us out of African-American culture is the powerful spiritual "Ain't Got Time To Die." It was written by Hall Johnson and it has these joyfully dramatic words: Been so busy praising my Jesus, Been so busy working for the Kingdom, Been so busy serving my Master… Ain't got time to die. If I don't praise him, If I don't serve him, The rocks gonna cry out Glory and honor, glory and honor… Ain't got time to die." In this inspiring and wonderful spiritual, the ...

4794. One Little Act

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

I read the story recently about a busy airport, where a line of travelers were waiting to buy tickets. The line grew so long and moved so slowly that patience was wearing thin. At the worst possible moment, two boisterous women carrying large suitcases started elbowing their way to the front. A man near the head of the line saw that the two women were pushing and shoving and feared that the situation was getting out of control. Consequently he offered them his own position. This response took everyone, ...

4795. Don't Ever Say That Again

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Keith Wagner

In A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul, there is a story about a student who was unlike most students. One day in the 11th grade he went into a classroom to wait for a friend. The teacher appeared and asked him to go to the blackboard. He replied, "I'm not one of your students." The teacher said, "Doesn't matter. Go to the board anyhow." The student told him he couldn't do that and when the teacher asked "why not?" the student told him he was mentally retarded. The teacher came over to the student ...

4796. Right Questions

Matthew 4:12-17

Illustration

James W. Moore

I am a collector of lists. I want to share with you this morning my favorite list of all time. It's a list of answers given by English school children on their religion exams. Noah's wife was called Joan of the Ark. A myth is a female moth. Sometimes it is difficult to hear in church because the agnostics are so terrible. The Pope lives in a vacuum. The Fifth Commandment is "Humor your father and mother." This is my favorite of all: Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night. The ...

4797. God Reigns

Matthew 4:12-17

Illustration

William Temple

While we deliberate, God reigns; when we decide wisely, God reigns; when we decide foolishly, God reigns; when we serve God in humble loyalty, God reigns; when we serve God self-assertively, God reigns; when we rebel and seek to withhold our service, God reigns The Alpha and the Omega, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

4798. A Moment of Decision

Matthew 4:12-17

Illustration

William Barclay

In his commentary William Barclay notes the significance of Jesus' move from Nazareth to Capernaum. He says, "There was a kind of symbolic finality in that move. In that moment Jesus left his home never again to return to live in it. It is as if he shut the door that lay behind him before he opened the door that stood in front of him. It was the clean cut between the old and the new. One chapter was ended and another had begun. Into life there come these moments of decision. It is always better to meet ...

4799. The Evidence of Life Is Growth

Mt 4:12-23, 2 Pet 3:18

Illustration

King Duncan

A disciple is one who studies with a great teacher. It is implied that those who follow Jesus need to grow. We do not blossom overnight into mature spiritual giants. As Dr. Dwayne Dyer said in his book, Your Erroneous Zones, "How do you distinguish between a flower that is alive and one that is dead? The one that is growing is alive. The only evidence of life is growth." So it is with the life of the spirit. One prominent evangelist has complained that despite the burgeoning statistics, the church today is ...

4800. Lamplight vs. Starlight

Matthew 5:13-16

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

In the middle of the New Mexico desert, astronomers fume about the "light pollution" from all the sprawling cities that are gradually snaking out across the land. Even on the darkest moonless nights, the stars that used to gleam and twinkle so brilliantly look faded and dim. We who dwell in the middle of cities and suburbs rarely glance heavenward at night anymore - at least not to see stars. The lights that now illumine our nights as brightly as our days read "McDonald's," "Holiday Inn," "Casino Open," ...

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Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 4776 to 4800 of 5000 results

4776. A Call to Improve

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

King Duncan

4777. The Majesty of God

Illustration

King Duncan

4778. John 1:29-42

John 1:29-34

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

4779. St. Andrew Christians

John 1:35-42

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

4780. A Change in Posture

John 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

4781. Captured by the Spirit of Christ

Jn 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

4782. Jesus the Sin Stealer

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Michael L. Cobbler

4783. Carrying Your Sins

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Bill Bouknight

4784. God’s Kind of Revenge

John 1:29-42

Illustration

King Duncan

4785. Our Children Watch Us Closely

John 6:8-9

Illustration

James W. Moore

4786. Landed on Top of a Lamb

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Brett Blair

4787. Our Misguided Goals

John 1:19-34

Illustration

William J. Kemp

4788. The Can’t Help Its

John 1:29-42

Illustration

James W. Moore

4789. Dance the Offering Forward

John 1:29-42

Illustration

James W. Moore

4790. Who You Are

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

4791. Miss Donna

John 1:29-42

Illustration

James W. Moore

4792. The Parrot Won’t Talk

Illustration

4793. Ain’t Got Time

John 1:29-34

Illustration

James W. Moore

4794. One Little Act

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

4795. Don't Ever Say That Again

John 1:29-34

Illustration

Keith Wagner

4796. Right Questions

Matthew 4:12-17

Illustration

James W. Moore

4797. God Reigns

Matthew 4:12-17

Illustration

William Temple

4798. A Moment of Decision

Matthew 4:12-17

Illustration

William Barclay

4799. The Evidence of Life Is Growth

Mt 4:12-23, 2 Pet 3:18

Illustration

King Duncan

4800. Lamplight vs. Starlight

Matthew 5:13-16

Illustration

Leonard Sweet

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