Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 601 to 625 of 5000 results

601. A New Law

Illustration

Dr. Mitchell tries to impress upon us that we are not under the Law when we're in Christ, but we're under a new law the law of LOVE. He used this to illustrate: In America there is a law stating a woman must take care of her child. So, a man comes to a new mother's home. He says "Are you taking care of your baby? The Law says you have to." The woman, tenderly holding her baby, said, "I don't ...

602. Think Wax

Illustration

The following illustration from A Primer on Meditation points out what happens when the mind is directed and focused on one thing: "M.A. Rosanoff, long associated with Thomas Edison, had worked futilely for over a year to soften the wax of phonograph cylinders by altering their chemical constitution. The results were negative. ...

603. Show Me a Sign

Illustration

A story from the "Sunday School Times" told of an Eastern king which illustrates at once our delusion respecting natural processes, and also God's work and presence in them. The king was seated in a garden, and one of his counselors was speaking of the wonderful works of God. "Show me a sign," said the king, "and I will believe." "Here are four ...

604. Tears of a Clown

Illustration

... anger, the little clown turned back to the elephant and tried to lift him off the hat. Defeated and in complete despair, the clown sat down and started to eat peanuts. The elephant was interested in peanuts and got up, ambled over, and begged for one!" That was a powerful illustration for that minister. He realized that he'd just witnessed a spiritual object lesson: You can't accomplish anything for God by crabbing and kicking at the world (or your spouse, child, neighbor or co-worker!).

605. Rethink the Market

Illustration

... demand for drill bits. The CEO challenged his men: "How can we revive the bit market?" After an embarrassing silence, one member of the team dispelled the fog: "Sir, the market isn't for bits—it's for holes!" The story, though apocryphal, does illustrate a basic but often overlooked truth: "The customer never buys a product. By definition, the customer buys the satisfaction of a want" (in the words of Peter Drucker). To put it another way, there are no markets for products only markets for what products ...

606. Lincoln's Record

Illustration

Staff

The value of courage, persistence, and perseverance has rarely been illustrated more convincingly than in the life story of Abraham Lincoln. You know about his defeats and how he kept going: Failed in business at 22 Ran for Legislature defeated at 23 Again failed in business at 24 Elected to Legislature at 25 Sweetheart died at 26 Had a nervous breakdown ...

607. The Bank of Heaven

Illustration

C. H. Spurgeon

... coin we needed; but we should lay before the clerk the promise to pay the bearer a certain sum, tell him in what form we wish to take the amount, count the cash after him, and then go on our way to attend to other business. That is just an illustration of the method in which we should draw supplies from the Bank of Heaven."

608. Thinking Out of the Elevator Box

Illustration

Brett Blair

When facing a problem, we should try to look outside the box for solutions. We should try "detours and reversals," anything that will give us a different angle from which to ponder solutions. To illustrate, here's a story about a problem faced by executives of a large company. The company had moved into a new skyscraper and discovered that the builder apparently had not put in enough elevators. Employees were disgruntled because there were long waits for the elevators, especially at both ends of ...

609. Pocket Warning

Illustration

Staff

An incident from the American Revolution illustrates that tragedy can result from procrastination. It is reported that Colonel Rahl, commander of the British troops in Trenton, New Jersey, was playing cards when a courier brought an urgent message stating that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rahl put the letter in his pocket and didn' ...

610. Reduced In Value

Illustration

Staff

Two theological students were walking along a street in the Whitechapel district of London, a section where old and used clothing is sold. "What a fitting illustration all this makes!" said one of the students as he pointed to a suit of clothes hanging on a rack by a window. A sign on it read: SLIGHTLY SOILED GREATLY REDUCED IN PRICE. "That's it exactly," he continued. "We get soiled by gazing at a vulgar picture, reading ...

611. What Are You Proud Of?

Illustration

Dr. Dale E. Turner

... ," said the old man. "I just want to put the thought into their minds. "They should live their lives in such a way that they can have a good answer. Not a good answer for me, but for themselves. That's what' s important." Note: This is a good illustration but an even better ministry tool to work into your pastorate. Make it part of the way you access people's lives and get them to think critically about what matters. And, where people really have an answer, use that as a chance for you as their pastor to ...

612. Dial-A-Tale

Illustration

... one alternative. He obtained a copy of "The Three Little Pigs," and set it by the phone. Whenever a child called, he simply read them the tale. He didn't change his telephone number to avoid "invasion of his privacy." Instead, he put his small neighbors before himself, a beautiful illustration of yielding personal rights in deference to others. Source Unknown

613. Carved from Ruins

Illustration

Staff

There may be a bit of legend and myth in this illustration but it is essentially true. The comment by the student is unverifiable. A sculptor had ruined a huge piece of beautiful Carrara marble. It was left in the courtyard of the cathedral in Florence, Italy, for 40 years. Artisans thought it was beyond repair. But in 1505, a young sculptor ...

614. Bolders, Rocks, and Pebbles

Illustration

Staff

... the large, obvious sins. But sad to say, many believers stop there. They don't go on to eliminate the little sins that clutter the landscape of their lives. Gordon MacDonald, in his book Ordering Your Private World, told of an experience in his own life that illustrates this truth: "Some years ago, when Gail and I bought the old abandoned New Hampshire farm we now call Peace Ledge, we found the site where we wished to build our country home strewn with rocks and boulders. It was going to take a lot of hard ...

615. Paralyzed by Pleasure

Illustration

Staff

... heroics in times of crisis. "If that dog hadn't been with me, I'd be dead today," John Elliott says. "When you're freezing to death you actually feel warm all over, and don't wake up because it feels too good." This moving story illustrates the spiritual condition of many people today. They are cold spiritually, and sadly are oblivious of their true condition. Thank God for all the ways in which He arouses such sleepers. He sends His messengers to nudge them awake. Sometimes the methods used to awaken them ...

616. Aim for the Goal

1 Thess 5:23

Illustration

Staff

... on the near end of the lane. Like many bowlers, Bill knew that you can do better if you aim at a mark close to you that's in line with the pins. He proved his point with a perfect 300 game of 12 strikes in a row. Spot bowling illustrates part of a wise approach to life. When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the return of Christ, he reminded them that the ultimate goal of their salvation was to "be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:23). Paul taught them to focus their eyes ...

617. Victorious, but Not Unscarred

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... us of his great love for us. I wonder if on that day when we see him face to face, he will examine us for scars too. 1. http://reuters.com. 2. Edward K. Rowell, 1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008), pp. 255-256. 3. James S. Hewett, ed., Illustrations Unlimited, p. 165. 4. “Among the Believers,” September 24, 1995, p. 62. 5. http://www.faithandleadership.duke.edu/sermons/scars- hope. 6. Dr. William P. Barker, Tarbell’s Teacher’s Manuel (Elgin, IL: David C. Cook ...

618. How Firm a Foundation

Luke 6:39-49

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... destroy it. He had shored it up for support. In his distress, he had also shored up his faith in his reliance on God. His physical and spiritual construction brought him through his time of crisis. There are two favorite hymns I'd like to use as illustrations. The first is a hymn originating in the South. It was a favorite of such American leaders as Theodore Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, who asked that it be sung at his bedside shortly before he died, as well as Robert E. Lee, who also requested it for his ...

619. Amazing Faith

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... another blizzard and Dad's older sister, Marmien, was at the school, and the students started out for home, but realized they could never make it. However, they found refuge in a neighbor's house, and were saved, and Dad told this story to illustrate "almost lost but saved." Saved meant for Dad and his "congregation" that by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we are saved. Baptism is our connection in which we are grafted into that new life in Christ. Sir James Simpson, discoverer of chloroform ...

620. Sister Act(s)

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

... and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The Good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God." Meet the two M & M sisters — Mary and Martha. They are two peas in the same pod and yet so different. Martha and Mary live in the same town — Bethany in Judea. They live in the same house ...

621. Success Is Sometimes Measured in Inches

Matthew 15:8; Isaiah 29:13

Illustration

King Duncan

... inch longer, the face of Europe might have been changed because Caesar might have shown less interest in the lady. This is another example of how the size of the difference can be small, but the size of the consequences can be huge. A tragic illustration of the crucial importance of little things was furnished many years ago when a jet crashed shortly after takeoff. All 95 people on board were killed. An exhaustive study of the wreckage determined that it could have been caused by the rudder-control system ...

622. The Green Thing

Illustration

An old illustration but still usable in certain settings: Recently, in the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing ...

623. Jesus - The Leader of Our Team

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... 13-14 Saint John is unique among the gospel evangelists in the many titles he gives to Jesus. He describes Jesus as, “the way, the truth and the life,” “the Bread of Life,” the “door,” and “gate.” The powerful image of the vine and branches well illustrates the centrality of Jesus: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Scripture clearly shows how Jesus is the central figure for our ...

624. Obedience: Our Gift to Jesus

Hebrews 10:5-10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... like a team in obedience, generally find themselves on the victorious side of any contest. Similarly obedience to God and meeting our responsibilities and duties brings the peace that only God can bring. The story of a holy monk and a decision he was forced to make illustrates my point. There was an old and holy monk who prayed many years for a vision from God to strengthen his faith, but it never came. He had almost given up hope when, one day, a vision appeared. The monk was overjoyed. Then, right in the ...

625. Raised to New Life Today

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

... [the young man] was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions" (Mark 10:22). Yet, we have many positive examples of people, like William Wilberforce, who were given opportunities to change their lives and responded. The call of the apostles is certainly illustrative. When Jesus called, we are told they immediately left family, livelihood, home, and followed him (Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9; Mark 1:16-20; 2:13-14). Indeed, Peter was so taken with the miraculous catch of fish that he did not know ...

Showing results

Antonyms: deficient, imperfect

Showing 601 to 625 of 5000 results

601. A New Law

Illustration

602. Think Wax

Illustration

603. Show Me a Sign

Illustration

604. Tears of a Clown

Illustration

605. Rethink the Market

Illustration

606. Lincoln's Record

Illustration

Staff

607. The Bank of Heaven

Illustration

C. H. Spurgeon

608. Thinking Out of the Elevator Box

Illustration

Brett Blair

609. Pocket Warning

Illustration

Staff

610. Reduced In Value

Illustration

Staff

611. What Are You Proud Of?

Illustration

Dr. Dale E. Turner

612. Dial-A-Tale

Illustration

613. Carved from Ruins

Illustration

Staff

614. Bolders, Rocks, and Pebbles

Illustration

Staff

615. Paralyzed by Pleasure

Illustration

Staff

616. Aim for the Goal

1 Thess 5:23

Illustration

Staff

617. Victorious, but Not Unscarred

John 20:24-31

Sermon

King Duncan

618. How Firm a Foundation

Luke 6:39-49

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

619. Amazing Faith

Luke 7:1-10

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

620. Sister Act(s)

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon

Arley K. Fadness

621. Success Is Sometimes Measured in Inches

Matthew 15:8; Isaiah 29:13

Illustration

King Duncan

622. The Green Thing

Illustration

623. Jesus - The Leader of Our Team

Philippians 1:1-11

Sermon

Richard Gribble

624. Obedience: Our Gift to Jesus

Hebrews 10:5-10

Sermon

Richard Gribble

625. Raised to New Life Today

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Showing results