Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 26 to 50 of 538 results

26. A Russian Parable

Illustration

Michael P. Green

A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft, soothing voice, “Isn’t it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let us negotiate the matter.” Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, “I want a fur coat.” “Good,” said the bear, “that is a negotiable question. I only want a full stomach, so let us negotiate a compromi...

27. A Salty Condition

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Suppose we pour a measure of salt into a container of pure water. The salt affects every drop of the water to the extent that all the formerly pure water becomes salty. From that time on, every bit of water drawn from that container is salty and no pure water can be drawn. This is similar to the depraved condition of man. The first sin was an act, one act that brought sin into the human race. Sinc...

28. A Southern Gentleman

Illustration

Michael P. Green

A well-known incident in the life of Robert E. Lee occurred while that southern gentleman was riding on a train to Richmond. The general was seated at the rear, and all the other places were filled with officers and soldiers. An elderly woman, poorly dressed, entered the coach at one of the stations. Having no seat offered to her, she trudged down the aisle to the back of the car. Immediately, Lee...

29. A Strong Bundle of Christians

Illustration

Michael P. Green

A man asked his young son to break a bundle of sticks. He returned a little later to find the lad frustrated in the task. He had raised the bundle high and smashed it on his knee, but he only bruised his knee. He had set the bundle against a wall and stomped hard with his foot, but the bundle barely bent. The father took the bundle from the child and untied it. Then he began to break the sticks e...

30. A Talk With the Butcher

Humor Illustration

Michael P. Green

For many days an old farmer had been plowing with an ox and a mule together and working them pretty hard. The ox said to the mule, “Let’s play sick today and rest a little while.” But the old mule said, “No, we need to get the work done, for the season is short.” But the ox played sick, and the farmer brought him fresh hay and corn and made him comfortable. When the mule came in from plowing, the...

31. A Vital Interest

Illustration

Michael P. Green

A U.S. Army officer told of the contrast in his pupils during two different eras of teaching at the artillery training school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In 1958–60 the attitude was so lax that the instructors had a problem getting the men to stay awake to listen. During the 1965–67 classes, however, the men, hearing the same basic lectures, were alert and took copious notes. The reason: these men kne...

32. A War Poet

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Wilfred Owen, a poet of the World War I period, described in the lines below his attitude after seeing a friend gag in a green field of gas fumes during an enemy gas attack. Owen himself was killed in action a week before the armistice but left a legacy of poems that decried the futility and horror of war. If in some smothered dreams, you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And ...

33. A Well-poured Child

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Pouring concrete is hard work. A solid base must be prepared before anything else is done. Then, when the concrete is poured, it must be shaped before it sets, because once set up, change is only possible if preceded by removal of what has already been laid down. If done correctly, a well-poured footing will last far beyond the original owner’s lifetime. If done incorrectly, the evidence will appe...

34. A Wife's Nudge

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Katherine, the wife of Martin Luther, dramatically revived the depressed Reformer’s confidence in God’s providence. This has been versified by F. W. Herzberger: One day when skies loomed the blackest, This greatest and bravest of men Lost heart and in an oversad spirit Refused to take courage again, Neither eating or drinking nor speaking To anxious wife, children or friends, Till Katherine dons...

35. Actions and Reactions

Illustration

Michael P. Green

A certain man purchased a paper at a newspaper stand. He greeted the newsman very courteously, but in return received gruff and discourteous service. Accepting the newspaper, which was rudely shoved in his face, the customer politely smiled and wished the newsman a nice weekend. A friend observed all of this and asked, “Does he always treat you so rudely?” “Yes, unfortunately he does.” “And are ...

36. Acts 8:1

Acts 8:1

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Acts 8:1 represents an important principle of thermodynamics: “The greater the heat, the greater the expansion.”

37. Adopted Love

Illustration

Michael P. Green

A new mother stayed with her parents for several days after the birth of her first child. One afternoon she remarked to her mother that it was surprising the baby had dark hair, since both her husband and she were fair. The grandmother said, “Well, your daddy has black hair.” To which the daughter replied, “But, Mama, that doesn’t matter, because I’m adopted.” With an embarrassed smile, that mothe...

38. Affecting the Curve

Illustration

Michael P. Green

You are driving down the highway when you encounter a sign that reads, “Dangerous Curve Ahead.” Immediately you are confronted with making a choice. One, you can observe the warning and slow down. Two, you can ignore the warning and maintain your rate of speed. Or, three, you can defy the warning and speed up. Whatever response you exercise, you will not change the truth of the sign. The curve rem...

39. All Is Discovered

Illustration

Michael P. Green

The story is told of a time when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle decided to play a practical joke on twelve of his friends. He sent them each a telegram that read, “Flee at once.… all is discovered.” Within twenty-four hours, all twelve had left the country.

40. Alpha To Omega

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Can you imagine the number of words it takes to write all the articles on Wikipedia? It must be an awesome number, but an even more amazing thing is that only twenty-six different letters were used. The authors did not have to go outside of the alphabet to assemble a massive collection of knowledge. 26 letters provided for them everything they needed for this one task. Jesus Christ called himself...

41. Am I The Exception

Illustration

Michael P. Green

The story is told of an author, William Saroyan, who had achieved great success in his field. His works had been acclaimed in the literary world, his name was a familiar entry on best-seller lists, and he had even been awarded a Pulitzer Prize. But now he lay dying in New York City of cancer, which had spread to several of his vital organs. One evening, as Saroyan reflected on his condition and w...

42. Among The Weeds - Blooms

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Have you ever stopped to examine weeds? They serve as a reminder of judgment, a result of the curse on the ground after the fall of Adam. But if you look closely, you can see signs of mercy in that judgment. Some weeds have gorgeous flowers: tiny blue bells, ruffled purple blooms, and even magnificent displays of gold. In the same way—even in trials or discipline—if we look closely, we can see bea...

43. An Epidemic Among Two-Year-Olds

Illustration

Michael P. Green

The two-year-old, normally a quite obedient little boy, was having an attack of stubbornness—a disease endemic to the species. Still, it was surprising to see such a severe case in one of such tender years. His mother had asked the lad to do something, but he was much too absorbed in his own activities to take time out for that. The father watched as the mother went over to impress on the little b...

44. An Exposed Phone Lie

Humor Illustration

Michael P. Green

Some people feel a need to cover up a lack of self-confidence by trying to make a big impression. A newly promoted Army colonel moved into his new and impressive office. As he sat behind his new big desk, a private knocked at his door. “Just a minute,” the colonel said, “I’m on the phone.” He picked up the phone and said loudly, “Yes, sir, General, I’ll call the President this afternoon. No, sir, ...

45. An Impenetrable Wall

Illustration

Michael P. Green

In ancient China, the people desired security from the barbaric hordes to the north. So they built the Great Wall of China. It was too high to climb over, too thick to break down, and too long to go around. Security achieved! The only problem was that during the first hundred years of the wall’s existence, China was invaded three times. Was the wall a failure? Not really—for not once did the barb...

46. An Institute By Smithson

Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Born in 1765 in France, James Smithson was the illegitimate son of a prominent English duke (Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland) and a direct lineal descendant of King Henry VII through his mother (Elizabeth Hungerford Keate Macie). Branded as a bastard, James was refused British citizenship and denied a rich inheritance through his true father. Due to this rejection the young Smithson felt co...

47. Ancient Scanners

Illustration

Michael P. Green

We think that airport security scanner s are new but the idea is very old. . Centuries ago, one of the palaces of Chang-an, the ancient capital of what is now known as Thailand, had a similar device. Its gates were made of lodestone—a natural magnet. If a would be assassin came in through the gate with a concealed dagger, the lodestone would pull at the hidden weapon like an invisible hand. Start...

48. Ant Following

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Someday, watch a stream of ants stretching between their anthill and a food source. Some will be going to pick up their load; others will be returning to deposit their prize in the recesses of the anthill. The whole process will be very organized, very precise. Then ask yourself, “Why are these ants so organized in their task?” The reason is that ants are good followers, each dependent on the ant ...

49. Anybody and Nobody

Illustration

Michael P. Green

This is a story about four people in the church whose names were Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. The church had financial responsibilities and Everybody was asked to help. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. But you know who did it? Nobody. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Then the church grou...

50. Appealing Orange

1 Cor 6:13

Illustration

Michael P. Green

You can usually get a large audience together to watch a striptease. There is no question about it, a lot of people would come to watch a woman undress on the stage, thus indulging and misusing their sexual appetites. Now suppose you visited a country where an auditorium is packed to the walls with people watching, not a girl undressing, but a guy walking out with a big tray covered with a veil. ...

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Showing 26 to 50 of 538 results

26. A Russian Parable

Illustration

Michael P. Green

27. A Salty Condition

Illustration

Michael P. Green

28. A Southern Gentleman

Illustration

Michael P. Green

29. A Strong Bundle of Christians

Illustration

Michael P. Green

30. A Talk With the Butcher

Humor Illustration

Michael P. Green

31. A Vital Interest

Illustration

Michael P. Green

32. A War Poet

Illustration

Michael P. Green

33. A Well-poured Child

Illustration

Michael P. Green

34. A Wife's Nudge

Illustration

Michael P. Green

35. Actions and Reactions

Illustration

Michael P. Green

36. Acts 8:1

Acts 8:1

Illustration

Michael P. Green

Acts 8:1 represents an important principle of thermodynamics: “The greater the heat, the greater the expansion.”

37. Adopted Love

Illustration

Michael P. Green

38. Affecting the Curve

Illustration

Michael P. Green

39. All Is Discovered

Illustration

Michael P. Green

40. Alpha To Omega

Illustration

Michael P. Green

41. Am I The Exception

Illustration

Michael P. Green

42. Among The Weeds - Blooms

Illustration

Michael P. Green

43. An Epidemic Among Two-Year-Olds

Illustration

Michael P. Green

44. An Exposed Phone Lie

Humor Illustration

Michael P. Green

45. An Impenetrable Wall

Illustration

Michael P. Green

46. An Institute By Smithson

Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland

Illustration

Michael P. Green

47. Ancient Scanners

Illustration

Michael P. Green

48. Ant Following

Illustration

Michael P. Green

49. Anybody and Nobody

Illustration

Michael P. Green

50. Appealing Orange

1 Cor 6:13

Illustration

Michael P. Green

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