Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 526 to 550 of 900 results

526. Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:44-46

Illustration

Brett Blair

A hundred years after it was buried with Manchu emperor Ch'ien Lungin 1799, the fabled "Pearl of Asia" was stolen by grave robbers. The fabulous pearl had been found by Persian divers, and purchased by the emperor Sha Jahan for his wife Mumtaz, for whom he also built the Taj Mahal and the Pear Mosque. About a century later the pearl was listed among the treasure of Ch'ien Lung. After it was stole...

527. People Get Ready!

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon

Brett Blair

At the height of the Civil Rights struggle Curtis Mayfield, the lead singer of The Impressions, wrote his most memorable lyrics. Listen to the Chorus: People get ready There's a train, a comin' You don't need no baggage You just get on board All you need is faith To hear the diesels hummin' Don't need no ticket, You just thank the Lord In that turbulent decade Curtis Mayfield was calling people...

528. People Get Ready! - Sermon Starter

Luke 12:22-48

Illustration

Brett Blair

Curtis Mayfield passed away in 1999. At the height of the Civil Rights struggle Mayfield, the lead singer of The Impressions, wrote his most memorable lyrics. Listen to the Chorus: People get ready There's a train, a comin' You don't need no baggage You just get on board All you need is faith To hear the diesels hummin' Don't need no ticket, You just thank the Lord In that turbulent decade Curt...

529. Perennial Money Changers

John 2:13-22

Illustration

Brett Blair

Money Changers have always been in the church. It was a shock in 1965 when Professor Thomas Altizer of EmoryUniversity, a man from within the church, expounded his God is dead theology in the "New York Times." More recently, seminary professors at the so-called "Jesus Seminar" attacked the nature of Jesus. Luther, in the sixteenth century, saw the evil of the church in the monopolistic hierarchy o...

530. Personal Understanding

Mark 8:27-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

Her name was Sarah Dowerday. Born with only one leg, she received national attention several years ago for climbing to the top of Mt. Reiner in Seattle Washington. To document this fascinating human-interest story, a CBS camera crew went along. When she finally reached the snow-capped peak they ask her how she felt: "Once you have experienced the peak, your life is never the same." Friends, once ...

531. Personal Understanding of Jesus' Identity

Mk 8:27-38; Mt 16:13-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

Who do you say that I am? I would suggest to you this morning that that is the most urgent, the most relevant, the most theological question that confronts us today. Wherever we turn in life we are faced with the implications of this question. Throughout the ages various individuals have attempted to answer that question posed by Jesus. Ernest Renan, a French writer, answered it by saying that Je...

532. Philosophers and Pessimists

Luke 20:27-38

Illustration

Brett Blair

When it comes to talking about the hereafter, I like the words of St Paul: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, What God has prepared for those who love him." Resurrection is not some natural right that we are given. It is a remarkable gift from the grace of God. Gratis! Some Greek philosophers believed that we are, by nature, immortal spirits. The human body and life on ear...

533. Planting the Seeds

Jn 1:1-18; Mt 11:1-19

Illustration

Brett Blair

There was a woman once who wanted peace in the world and peace in her heart, but she was very frustrated. The world seemed to be falling apart and her personal life wasn't that great either. One day she decided to go shopping, and she went to the mall and walked in to one of the stores. She was surprised to see Jesus behind the counter. She knew it was Jesus because he looked just like the paintin...

534. Politicians: The Oldest Profession

Illustration

Brett Blair

A surgeon, an engineer, and a politician were arguing which profession was the oldest. "Eve was made from Adam's rib," said the surgeon, "and that, of course, was a surgical procedure." "Yes," countered the engineer, "but before that, order was created out of chaos, and that most certainly was an engineering job." "Ah-ha!" exclaimed the politician triumphantly. "And just who do you think created t...

535. Power of the Written Word

Mt 4:4

Illustration

Brett Blair

If you ever visit the castle of Elsinore of Denmark, the guide will remind you that around A.D. 1200, the king of Pomerania built Elsinore Castle and also another fortified castle across the Skagerrak Channel in what is now Sweden. He thought that with these two bastions, one on each side of the channel, he could control entrance to the heart of Europe. The castle at Elsinore still stands, the one...

536. Preconceived Ideas

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Brett Blair

Could you believe what the news reported this week? [Pause here] You ask, what news report are you talking about preacher: The one that said $87 billion dollars is an admission of the presidents failed policy in Iraq, or the one that said $87 billion shows the presidents serious resolve in finishing what he started in Iraq? Or the report that said the United Nations is now being asked to come in a...

537. Preconceived Ideas - Sermon Starter

Mark 8:27 - 9:1

Illustration

Brett Blair

Could you believe what the news reported this week? [Pause] You ask, what news report are you talking about preacher: The one that said $87 billion dollars is an admission of the presidents failed policy in Iraq, or the one that said $87 billion shows the presidents serious resolve in finishing what he started in Iraq? Or the report that said the United Nations is now being asked to come in and ...

538. Predictions in the Past

2 Pet 3:11

Illustration

Brett Blair

I am fond of a line from Niels Bohr, the physicist, and have quoted it before: "Prediction is a very difficult art especially when it involves the future." Scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center report that one of the largest stars in our galaxy is about to self-destruct. Eta Carinae, which has a mass 100 times greater than that of our sun, is giving signs that its life is about over. Rese...

539. Preparation

Luke 3:7-18

Illustration

Brett Blair

Many years ago as the world watched the beginning game of the World Series in San Francisco there was suddenly an interruption of the opening interview. The screen blinked and went blank. When the program resumed: A Special News Bulletin. The San Francisco metropolitan area had experienced a serious earthquake. We all watched the live pictures as the huge fire in the Marina area burned. A remote c...

540. Prepare The Way

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Brett Blair

His name was John. People knew him locally as the Baptist. Some would say of him that he was a religious eccentric. Others less kind would dismiss him as being simply a flake. He definitely did not seem to be the kind of “How to win friends and influence people” type of personality to usher in the news of the Messiah’s coming. He just somehow doesn’t seem to fit in with shepherds and wise men and ...

541. Prepare the Way - Sermon Starter

Mark 1:1-8

Illustration

Brett Blair

His name was John. People knew him locally as the Baptist. Some would say of him that he was a religious eccentric. Others less kind would dismiss him as being simply a flake. He definitely did not seem to be the kind of "How to win friends and influence people" type of personality to usher in the news of the Messiah's coming. He just somehow doesn't seem to fit in with shepherds and wise men and ...

542. Prepared The Moment

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

Brett Blair

In 1998 the four time Governor of Alabama George Wallace died, but before he died, he openly admitted that when he stood at the door of the University of Alabama and denied entrance to blacks that he was wrong. He even apologized for that action and became something of a hero for repenting of his intolerance and recanting those views. I affirm that change of mind in him. Yet, when his great moment...

543. Priorities

Matthew 16:21-28

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: Life is more valuable than material things. Priorities. Props-Suggested: A marble, a toy, a twenty dollar bill, a cell phone, and your spouse or child to participate. Lesson: How is everyone this morning? (response) I’m going to show you a few things this morning and I want you to tell me how much they are worth. Place the following objects one by one in the middle of the childre...

544. Public Notions of Jesus' Identity

Mt 16:13-20; Mk 8:27-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

Some, said Peter, say that you are Elijah. Now why would people think that Jesus was the long deceased prophet Elijah? Elijah was, of course, a highly revered personality in the religious life of the Hebrews. His defeat of the 450 prophets of Baal on the top of Mt. Carmel was a story that was known even by little children. It was a commonly held belief among the Hebrews that one day Elijah would r...

545. Public Pressure

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Brett Blair

Lloyd J. Ogilve, in his book Life without Limits, tells the story of a pastor who in the space of one week heard the following comments from various people: A woman said, "I'm under tremendous pressure from my son these days. I can't seem to satisfy him, however hard I work. He really puts me under pressure." A young man said, "My parents have fantastic goals for me to take over the family busin...

546. Qualities Needed In All Moms

2 Timothy 1:5

Illustration

Brett Blair

A panel of experts was asked to complete some sentences about their moms. What made them experts was the one thing they all had in common. They were all kindergarteners. Even though these are the words of 6 year olds I think the qualities they recognized in their moms are they qualities needed in all moms. Here are the sentences and the answers: My mom is best at: "feeding the dog," "making my be...

547. Quiet Time Is for Listening

Mark 6:31

Illustration

Brett Blair

In Mark 6, in the middle of a bunch of chaos, Jesus took his disciples to a quiet place. I think I know why. There's a a fifth grade teacher who decided that she would use a listening process with her children. Every morning for five minutes she required them to be totally quite. That's hard for any of us to do, much less a fifth grader. She discovered that a great deal of good came from the exper...

548. Reach Out And Touch Someone

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Brett Blair

As Mark's story begins this morning, Jesus, the great physician, is on his way to make an emergency house call. There was a little girl who was in a grave state and her father implored Jesus to come. We are told that a large crowd of the curious followed Jesus. Some were hoping he would succeed, others that he would fail; most probably got caught up in the excitement of the parade. In this throng...

549. Reasons for Jesus Submitting to Baptism

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

At first blush it seems odd that the student is baptizing the master. But John is a conduit. He is simply performing the ritual. The reasons for Jesus' submission are far deeper and to the heart of overall mission. He is baptized for these reasons: To fulfill all Righteousness: To be consecrated to God and approved by God. The public announcement of the arrival of the Messiah and the inception of...

550. Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed!

Matthew 24:36-51

Illustration

Brett Blair

A.J. Gordon was the great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I gues...

Showing results

Showing 526 to 550 of 900 results

526. Pearl of Great Price

Matthew 13:44-46

Illustration

Brett Blair

527. People Get Ready!

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon

Brett Blair

528. People Get Ready! - Sermon Starter

Luke 12:22-48

Illustration

Brett Blair

529. Perennial Money Changers

John 2:13-22

Illustration

Brett Blair

530. Personal Understanding

Mark 8:27-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

531. Personal Understanding of Jesus' Identity

Mk 8:27-38; Mt 16:13-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

532. Philosophers and Pessimists

Luke 20:27-38

Illustration

Brett Blair

533. Planting the Seeds

Jn 1:1-18; Mt 11:1-19

Illustration

Brett Blair

534. Politicians: The Oldest Profession

Illustration

Brett Blair

535. Power of the Written Word

Mt 4:4

Illustration

Brett Blair

536. Preconceived Ideas

Mark 8:27-38

Sermon

Brett Blair

537. Preconceived Ideas - Sermon Starter

Mark 8:27 - 9:1

Illustration

Brett Blair

538. Predictions in the Past

2 Pet 3:11

Illustration

Brett Blair

539. Preparation

Luke 3:7-18

Illustration

Brett Blair

540. Prepare The Way

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon

Brett Blair

541. Prepare the Way - Sermon Starter

Mark 1:1-8

Illustration

Brett Blair

His name was John. People knew him locally as the Baptist. Some would say of him that he was a religious eccentric. Others less kind would dismiss him as being simply a flake. He definitely did not seem to be the kind of "How to win friends and influence people" type of personality to usher in the news of the Messiah's coming. He just somehow doesn't seem to fit in with shepherds and wise men and ...

542. Prepared The Moment

Matthew 25:1-13

Illustration

Brett Blair

543. Priorities

Matthew 16:21-28

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

544. Public Notions of Jesus' Identity

Mt 16:13-20; Mk 8:27-30

Illustration

Brett Blair

545. Public Pressure

Mark 6:14-29

Illustration

Brett Blair

546. Qualities Needed In All Moms

2 Timothy 1:5

Illustration

Brett Blair

547. Quiet Time Is for Listening

Mark 6:31

Illustration

Brett Blair

548. Reach Out And Touch Someone

Mark 5:21-43

Sermon

Brett Blair

549. Reasons for Jesus Submitting to Baptism

Matthew 3:13-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

550. Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed!

Matthew 24:36-51

Illustration

Brett Blair

Showing results