Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 551 to 575 of 813 results

Jude 1:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

... much he loved them. Well, one Saturday he worked all day pouring a new driveway of cement. When he went into the house to let it settle, the little kids in the neighborhood got into it, walked all through it, wrote their initials on it, even put some of their toys in it, and then it hardened that way. When this man came out of his house, he exploded. Every time he saw the children in the neighborhood he would run them away from his house and scream at them, and be very mean to them. After awhile one of his ...

552. Don't Get Too Big For Your Spiritual Britches

Judges 16:20

Sermon

James Merritt

... ways in which strength can become weakness. You know the sad sordid story. Delilah, at first, begins to quiz him lightly. Then she begins to question him strongly. Then she begins to nag him diligently about the secret of his strength. Well, at first he toys with her and tells her different things that will remove his strength. First, he suggests seven fresh bow strings not yet dried. Guess what happened? He wakes up and is bound with seven fresh bow strings and is attacked by the Philistines. But he breaks ...

553. Joy to the World

Luke 2:8-12

Sermon

James Merritt

... of jelly…JESUS has a heart full of love. All Santa can do is "Ho, Ho, Ho"…JESUS offers health, help, and hope. Santa says, "You better not cry"…JESUS says, "Cast all your cares on Me, for I care for you." Santa's little helpers make toys…JESUS makes new life, mends broken wounded hearts, repairs broken homes, and builds mansions in heaven. Santa may make you laugh…But JESUS gives you everlasting joy. Santa puts gifts under your tree...JESUS became our gift and died on a tree. There really is no ...

554. Nothing Great Happens Without It

Luke 14: 25-35

Sermon

James Merritt

... nothing to him at all. He was invited to speak at the University of Glasgow where he had graduated many years before. That was the custom, of that day, for undergraduates to heckle visiting speakers. So they were ready for this preacher with their toy trumpets, whistles, rattles, and all manners of noisemakers. They even had peashooters. When Livingston was introduced, they were all ready to make fun of him, laugh at him, and disrupt his speech. That is, until they saw him. Livingston came to the platform ...

555. Why Were the Wise Men Wise?

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon

James Merritt

... Jews, but he was King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He may have been in a manger rather than on a throne, He may have been in a stable rather than in a palace, He may have been wearing rags rather than robes, He may have been holding a toy rather than a scepter; but make no mistake about it, this baby was a King. It is not how a man is born, nor what a man wears, nor where he lives that makes him a king; it is who he is that makes the king the king. This little ...

556. Fiscal Fitness

Proverbs 3:9-10

Sermon

James Merritt

... in the world earns.[4] Money is like nitroglycerin: handling it is not morally wrong, but, especially if you do not know what you are doing, it is extremely risky. It seems as if everywhere you look, there is a warning label of some kind on toys, cigarettes, diet soft drinks, even air bags! Perhaps it would be a good idea to put a warning label on dollar bills, certificates of deposit, and credit cards. Perhaps nothing has been the ruin of more people, marriages, and friendships, than the failure to handle ...

557. Seeing the End from the Beginning

Numbers 13:1-2, 17-33

Sermon

James Merritt

... been invented." In 1895, Lord Kelvin, noted physicist and president of the Prestigious Royal Society said, "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." Marshall Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy at a major French military institution said, "Airplanes are interesting toys, but will never be of any military value." In 1876, a Western Union internal memo said, "This ‘telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to ...

558. The Law of the Harvest

Psalm 126:5-6

Sermon

James Merritt

... swing out because we are to be on the go winning people to Jesus Christ. A Christian who will not go is like a ship that will not sail, a plane that will not fly, a car that will not drive. I heard about a little boy who got a toy automobile for Christmas and it quit working. He took to his father and his father said, "Son, what is the matter with it?" He said, "Dad, I think the ‘go' is broke." Well, I believe that is what is wrong with many of our churches. Many people think that if ...

559. The Greatest Place in the World

Romans 12:1-2

Sermon

James Merritt

... into this store, he said, "Now boys, you can have anything you want." Well, first they went to the candy counter. They decided they wanted to buy a couple candy bars. The Dad suggested that they look a little more. They came to two cowboy suits with the toy guns, the hat, the rifle. The boys said, "Daddy, we want these cowboy suits!" The daddy said, "Well, let's look just a little bit more." They moved farther back into the store and they got to the sporting goods. They saw some basketballs. They began to ...

560. Deal with It, Get over it, and Get Help

Romans 8:18-27

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... our families, even make the shopping mall food court our family dining room, all in order to enable us to consume more material goods. We are slaves to wanting more “things;” We are slaves to wanting more “stuff;” We are slaves to wanting more “toys” (anyone notice the long lines at Apple and ATT stores these past few weeks?) We are slaves to more goodies, more clutter, more junk; We wrap more and more chains around our lives, chains draining our time, our attention, our money, our love. Our ...

561. The Superhero Miracle of Humor

Matthew 14:13-21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... it the best film of the decade. Some are even calling it one of the “Top 10" movies of all time. How many of you have seen it? . . . . Batman was always my favorite super-hero. He didn’t have any super-powers per say. He only had super-toys because of his super-wealth, and super-cunning because of his intelligence and erudition, both of which seemed more accessible to me than super-powers. Aside from the cape and the tightly-fitting, pulled-up pants, Batman was a user-friendly super-hero. In the dim and ...

562. And the Angel Said to Harry Potter

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon

... that it does not work for me….or on me….is not an indictment of its effectiveness as a resource God can use. It does, however, call to mind a game I once loved as a child. Believe it or not, I found it Friday at the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley. It cost me all of $14.95 (which was its price 25 years ago). But don't go looking, given that I bought the only one they had. Also called "Labyrinth," it invites you move a steel ball across a movable surface from start to finish ...

563. The Treasure Principles

Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... had. His father told him he could spend it any way he liked. Now back in those days, almost 100 years ago, a dime would really walk and talk. And it would buy lots of things. Charles shopped long and hard in Cleveland. He could buy any number of toys, or lots of red-striped candy, or a big red tablecloth with the Constitution of the United States printed on it. Charles saw oranges that day for the first time. He could have bought several of them for a dime. Well, time was running out. Charles was supposed ...

564. The Secret Of Our Confidence

2 Timothy 1:11-12

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... her home has been broken into four different times. The family installed an alarm system, but in the latest robbery, the thieves disengaged the alarm system before they broke in. There are two young children in the family. Now they hide their special toys before going to school for fear that they may be stolen. This mother said to me, “Our boys are losing confidence in their parents’ ability to protect them.” Soon a summit conference will be convened on this threat. It will be entitled “Operation ...

565. A Defiant Response to a Dangerous Theology: Does God Desire to Wipe Us Out?

Gn 6:1-8. 9:6-17

Sermon

... to it….or (worse yet) ignorant of it? Those are the questions of suffering and pain….the kinds of questions that begin, "Why me?"…. gradually expand to "Why us?"….and sometimes even to "Why them?" In my youthful years of academic games playing, I toyed with them. In my middle years of anguished pastoring, I chafed under them. And in my later years of trustful surrendering, I have made increasing peace with them. As concerns such questions, neither Job nor Billy Graham got an answer. So why should I ...

566. Out of Solitude

Luke 4:1-13

Sermon

John E. Harnish

... your own physical and material wants and desires, to get all the goodies life has to offer." And Jesus says, "Ah, life is more than that. Life is more than the latest gimmick and gadget and the mere accumulation of material things. Life is more than material toys and trinkets, more than bread for the belly and the accumulation of more stuff. Life is all about the soul, the heart, the spirit. It's about a Word coming from the very mouth of God." In response to the temptation to throw himself into the rat ...

567. Like a Child

Hebrews 4:1—5:10

Sermon

Lee Ann Dunlap

... to her sobbing sister with absolute confidence. "I'll just tell Grandpa, and he'll buy you a wagon, too." Now little red wagons are not a dime a dozen, and Grandpa Harvey was not known to be a doting grandparent, nor was it his habit to lavish toys willy-nilly — even upon his grandchildren. In all her four years of living, Angela had never once asked him for anything more than to sit on his lap, but when the story made its rounds amidst the family grapevine her words of trust found their mark. And as ...

568. Let Me Count The Ways

Hebrews 1:1-14

Bulletin Aid

Frank Ramirez

Call To Worship We cannot count the ways in which God has been revealed to us, but we count on this one way, this one day, to say, "The king is born among us! Let us rejoice!" Collect As children we approached the toy manger with confidence, holding in our hands the emblem of the Word made flesh. Now let us approach with equal confidence the one who has removed all the barriers and made us whole. Amen. Prayer Of Confession How many ways, God of change, yet unchanging, have you tried to get ...

569. Outrageous Love

John 13:1-15

Sermon

Shirley Gupton Lynn

... tiny hamburger, I stepped to the counter and said, "I'll have a Fast Mac, please, and a cup of black coffee." I put down my $1.21 and waited. Imagine my shock when my order was set before me: a white cup of steaming black coffee, and a tiny toy car about so big, a "Fast Mac"! Things are not always what they seem. And on a deeper level, there must be more going on here than an example lesson. The Gospel writer obviously wants his readers to look deeper because he gives us a glimpse of what is going ...

570. Time for a New Wardrobe

Isaiah 61:1—62:12

Sermon

Schuyler Rhodes

... many of us have gazed into a box to discover slacks and skirts, blouses and vests; sweatshirts and pajamas, all of a dizzying array of colors and styles? When I was a boy, clothing was a staple for Christmas gifts, because there was little available cash for frivolities like toys or games. But new clothing is really great. Personally, I'm partial to L.L. Bean. But you tell me. What does it feel like to wear a new suit? Come on, level with me. It feels good, doesn't it? A new outfit or sweater always somehow ...

571. Twas the Beginning of Advent

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

... . Oh, we knew what was coming no doubt about that. And that was the trouble it was all "old hat." November brought the first of an unending series of pains With carefully orchestrated advertising campaigns. There were gadgets and dolls and all sorts of toys. Enough to seduce even the most devout girls and boys. Unfortunately, it seemed, no one was completely exempt From this seasonal virus that did all of us tempt. The priests and prophets and certainly the kings Were all so consumed with the desire for ...

572. A Confusing Scene

Mark 1:1-8

Humor Illustration

King Duncan

... her baby brother on her lap and tells him the story of Christmas. According to her version: Jesus was born just in time for Christmas up at the North Pole surrounded by eight tiny reindeer and the Virgin Mary. Then Santa Claus showed up with lots of toys and stuff and some swaddling clothes. The three Wise men and elves all sang carols while the Little Drummer Boy and Scrooge helped Joseph trim the tree. In the meantime, Frosty the Snowman saw this star. We can appreciate her confusion. There is a lot to ...

573. Settle for an F

Hebrews 13:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... out the borders and boundaries of experience. Why else would people voluntarily go "bungee-jumping" (leaping off bridges with only stretchy bungee cords lashed about their ankles to stop their free-fall), or spend $100 per person for a meal of nouvelle cuisine's "toy food," or watch the hollow excesses of sex and stardom portrayed in Madonna's "home video" Truth or Dare? Fear of the too familiar feeds our negative image of marriage as well. We view marriage as an end - an end to unlimited freedom, an ...

574. These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Matthew 10:24-39

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... are not supposed to have "poker faces." If anything, we should all go around looking like "the cat that swallowed the canary." We should be as wiggly and excited about the Good News the "secret message" that we have been given as a 4-year-old with a new toy to show off. In fact, Jesus intimates that if we sit dour and quiet about God's miraculous working in our lives, there may come a day when God will be equally quiet about us. Sometimes in the church, it becomes easy to fixate on the organization instead ...

575. Paying Dues to God

Matthew 22:15-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... often- mangled "indivisible." It was the final ending that kept stumping him. Again and again, Thane would triumphantly conclude the "Pledge of Allegiance" with these words: "With liberty and beyond!" (We suspect some unconscious influence from Disney's hit movie "Toy Story" here!) Thane consistently, insistently kept forgetting the final phrase "with liberty and justice for all." How many of us have forgotten the same ending? How many of us have forgotten that the glue that is intended to bind our country ...

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