Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 501 to 525 of 5000 results

Psalm 139:1-18

Sermon

James Merritt

... do anything that does not contradict His word, His will, or His ways. Titus 1:2 says that God cannot lie. James 1:13 says that God cannot do wrong or tempt others to do wrong. But consistent with his character, God can do anything. Then to illustrate the omnipotent power of God, David does something very surprising. He does not talk about creation. He does not refer to the stars or the sun or the moon or the galaxies, or even the universe; he uses the human body. Saint Augustine once said, "People travel ...

502. What to Remember When You're Having a Bad Hair Day

Romans 8:28

Sermon

James Merritt

... good is not necessarily what you think is best. But I can tell you that God's "good" always is better than your "best." You will never hear a more incredible story in your life than the one I'm going to share with you, which illustrates the truth of this verse. In 1971 my friend, Ravi Zacharias, was ministering in Vietnam. His interpreter was a young man named Hein Pham, a devoted young Christian who was a translator with the American Military and also with missionaries. Zacharias left Vietnam after awhile ...

503. What Is A Christian?

Acts 11:26

Sermon

James Merritt

... even have a Christian worldview, and still not be a Christian. These things may mark a Christian, but they do not make a Christian. There is a difference between being Christian in name and a Christian in nature. Two stories that happened to me personally this past week will illustrate this. I was on an airplane flying to Dallas, Texas working on this message, and I'm always looking for a way to get into the gospel. So I turned to the man next to me and I said, "Sir, I am a minister working on a message and ...

504. Murder in the First Degree

Matthew 5: 21-26

Sermon

James Merritt

... and if you chose to settle your case between the two of you, it would be settled. But the minute you walked into that courtroom and stood before that judge, it was out of your hands and your fate would then be in the hands of the judge. Jesus is illustrating a truth that I hope you will really take to heart today. It is very sad, to say the least, to have bitterness in your heart toward another person or for someone to be bitter toward you. For either person to die before they at least make an attempt to ...

505. It's Time to Go to Work

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

James Merritt

... To have a God-given gift, and not exercise that gift; to have the opportunity to serve the Creator of this universe, and not take advantage of that opportunity, is to be no better off than to have neither the gift nor the opportunity. Jesus told a parable to illustrate this truth: Every saint is to be a servant and a steward. He is to be a servant doing something for God, and a steward being faithful in using the gift God has given him. In this parable there are three truths that I believe, and I pray, will ...

506. Taking a Necessary Step

Acts 19:1-7

Sermon

Donald Charles Lacy

... shy away from a man who was virtually pulverized by the power structures of his day. Yet we are told we must suffer with him in order to rise with him. The crucifixion must never be seen divorced from the resurrection and vice versa. The twin events illustrate in a realistic and graphic way what it takes to understand such all-pervasive sufficiency. Our acceptance of this truth gives us doctrinal grounding that is good forever and ever. To plead the weakness of humanity can only be a trapdoor that acts as a ...

507. God Our Protector and Shield

Ephesians 6:10-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... who, while flying the stars and stripes, saw God as his protector and shield. The concept of God serving as a protector and shield for his people is what scholars call salvation history, as related in the scriptures. The story of the Exodus serves as one illustrative example. When the people cried out to God from their place of bondage, the Lord sent Moses to be the great deliverer. God wrought the plagues upon the Hebrews, led the people through the Red Sea and provided a cloud by day and a pillar of fire ...

508. Strength through Diversity

James 2:1-17

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... self-dignity and encouraged me to get my life in order. It is because of your faith in me that I have this job today." When we welcome others and show them respect, we welcome Christ and honor him. Spanish-speaking peoples have an expression that illustrates this point: Mi casa es tu casa. Literally translated it means, "My house is your house," but these words do not adequately convey the significance of this greeting. It is not only an expression of welcome; the words express the reality that for the time ...

509. Stand Together or Fall Apart

Acts 2:42-47

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... practiced with varying degrees of success by the early church, there is one more model we may turn to for guidance. So obvious that it may be overlooked, the uniquely Christian notion of a triune God, the doctrine of the Trinity itself, serves as an illustration of how we must remain united in community. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit stand together in a unified relationship, untainted by any struggles for superiority. The power and comfort we find in a Godhead which is "three in one" must be reflected in our ...

510. Lighting the First Step

John 1:6-8

Illustration

King Duncan

A high school principal urging graduates to go to college insisted that they should at least start college, and gave them a simple illustration. A very rough road ran from the school to the town. It was a dark night as he spoke to them but the principal explained that one does not need a great searchlight shining all the way to walk the road safely. All one needs is a very small light ...

511. Ephesians 2:4-25

Ephesians 2:4-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... back in a loving relationship with God. Verses 14-15 reminds us of a specific example of God cheating, as it were, on God's own rules in the early days of the God's history with the Hebrews. The First Testament text from Chronicles similarly illustrates how God finds ways to finagle us back into God's good graces. John 3:16 then magnificently sums up the most remarkable example of God's merciful love in all of history. This text, which Martin Luther called "the Gospel in miniature," has probably captured ...

512. 1 John 4:7-12

1 John 4:7-12

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... will be excised. The true Israel will be known by its fruits. Its ability to incarnate the love of God through Christ depends on a disciplined, directed life, a life "pruned" to allow for new growth, new insights. Jesus uses the word "abide" ten times in this illustration, but we must look beyond verse 8 to understand its power. Verses 10-13 make it clear that to abide in Jesus is to enter a costly domain, for what we are asked to inhabit is Jesus' sacrificial love, even unto death. What may appear to be ...

513. Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... artfully set, that our whole being is drawn into the flair and fascination of these stories. It is no surprise that Luke's Gospel is most commonly read at Christmas, or that our most beloved parables are found in his writings. The "Good Samaritan" illustration is the continuation of Jesus' discussion with the lawyer about the requirements for inheriting eternal life. Matthew (22:34-40) and Mark (12:28-34) each record their own versions of this dialogue, but neither add the capstone of the Good Samaritan to ...

514. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... common thread one that makes sense of their location in Matthew's gospel. In chapters 11 and 12, Jesus' words and actions have been met with repeated rejection on the part of "this generation." The parables of chapter 13 now serve to both discuss and illustrate the division and strife that will result because of this rejection. They also serve to heighten the wall of separation between those who hear Jesus and those who reject him. Chapter 13 is concerned in its entirety with parables of the kingdom. But it ...

515. Isaiah 35:1-10

Isaiah 35:1-10

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... he turns to the human part of God's creation. It too, the prophet declares, will be regenerated, made whole again, with the human deserts of physical handicaps rejuvenated by Yahweh the Creator God. Deliverance from the exile and from physical maladies illustrates God's creative redemptive action on behalf of the people. As this poem continues in verses 6b-7, Isaiah continues to incorporate the imagery of the Exodus. Just as Yahweh provided water in the wilderness wanderings during his people's first Exodus ...

516. Ephesians 2:4-25

Ephesians 2:4-25

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

517. 1 John 4:7-12

1 John 4:7-12

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

518. Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25-37

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

519. Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... ) the main character is a wealthy pearl merchant. Pearls were so desired in that culture that they were actually valued more highly than gold. Thus, with no hesitation, the merchant sells all his other jewels to buy this one great pearl. Jesus' third illustration (vv.47-50) describes a typical fishing practice in the Sea of Galilee - using suspended, weighted nets that were then pulled toward shore. The mixed catch, as described, then had to be sorted to cull the inedible and ritually unclean fish from the ...

520. Astonishing! - Sermon Starter

Mark 1:21-28

Illustration

Brett Blair

... went to the top and pushed off a ten-pound and a one-pound weight. Both landed at the same instant. The power of belief was so strong, however, that the professors denied their eyesight. They continued to say Aristotle was right. I believe that this illustrates perfectly what is going on in the world today. You could show the terrible ravaging effects of AIDS and people will have promiscuous sex anyway. You can show someone a diseased liver and cancerous lungs and people are going to abuse alcohol and smoke ...

521. It Was the System

Mark 1: 21-28

Illustration

David Buttrick illustrates the structure of evil and its systematic impact by telling the story of John Steinbeck's sharecropper in The Grapes of Wrath. The sharecropper wanted to find out who had foreclosed his farm, a act which caused his family great suffering, an evil act from his perspective, an act for ...

522. The Agony of Change

John 3:1-21

Illustration

Craig Brian Larson

For years, the opening of "The Wide World of Sports" television program illustrated "the agony of defeat" with a painful ending to an attempted ski jump. The skier appeared in good form as he headed down the jump, but then, for no apparent reason, he tumbled head over heels off the side of the jump, bouncing off the supporting structure. What viewers didn' ...

523. Epiphany 6

2 Kings 5:1-27, 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, Mark 1:40-45

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

... of their leprosy of sin in obedience to God's command to be baptized. Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 1. Race (v. 24). Paul does not say that the Christian life is a race, but it is like a race. He uses the athletics of his day to illustrate his point. In once sense, the Christian life is a race because we race throughout life. Salvation is a continuing process. In this life we never "arrive" nor do we attain perfection. The prize is given when life is ended. On the other hand, the Christian life is not ...

524. The Source of Joy and Life

John 17:6-19

Illustration

Donald Deffner

... but they were at the mouth of the mighty Amazon river, whose fresh water flows far out to the sea. God's fresh living water in his teaching and in his word are always there. Why do we despair? "Dip it up!" HERE'S ANOTHER VERSION OF THIS ILLUSTRATION The Amazon River is the largest river in the world. The mouth is 90 miles across. There is enough water to exceed the combined flow of the Yangtze, Mississippi, and Nile Rivers. So much water comes from the Amazon that they can detect its currents 200 miles out ...

525. A Higher Priority

John 6:56-69

Illustration

Brett Blair

... birth. People said, "What a shame." But Bill said he had no regrets. After all, his commitment to his wife was more important then, and it still was now. Bill Havens paid a high price to fulfill a commitment to the one he loved. NOTE: If the above illustration is used offer this sequel as the ending of your sermon: There is a sequel to the story of Bill Havens. The child eventually born to Bill and his wife was a boy, whom they named Frank. Twenty-eight years later, in 1952, Bill received a cablegram from ...

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