Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 601 to 625 of 813 results

John 6:25-35

Sermon

John Wayne Clarke

... children put other "needs" ahead of this need for the Bread of Life made known in the person of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ is the only real need that we have to live a life of eternal blessing. Yet, we pursue cars and homes and all manner of expensive toys and in the process neglect the importance of returning thanks to the giver of all good gifts for the only thing that really matters for eternity. It is sort of like going into the public library and seeing all the books. You can look at all that knowledge ...

602. Whose Inheritance Is It?

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sermon

Donna Schaper

... We were given all the raw material and set free to be co-creators with a divine God. Had God wanted to have us as puppets, God would have "over made" us. Instead God "under made" us, leaving the finishing work to us. It is like we are a toy that comes in a large box at Christmas: some assembly is required. While acknowledging the debt we owe to our Creator God, and giving it the nuance of our personal assembly, our personal "get up and go," we then return to the extraordinary dependency we have on God. Some ...

603. Walking in the Light

Isaiah 60:1-6

Sermon

Mary S. Lautensleger

Walking in the dark is difficult, even in the familiarity of your own home. Furniture has a way of rearranging itself in the dark so that you can whack your shins a little easier. Small, sharp toys crawl out from their hiding places to park themselves in your path. Your dog or cat is stretched out on the carpet, sleeping blissfully until your foot makes contact with a tail or a paw. At one time or another, most of us have been plunged into darkness involuntarily because ...

604. A Day of Singing

Zephaniah 3:14-20, Luke 3:7-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... , and an all‑weather coat. Mom found her dream house and a diamond necklace, dresses, coats, and a vacation cruise. Most of the make‑believe presents were for little Pete. There were pictures of a camping tent, a new bicycle, a pedal car, and all kinds of toys and games. Now, of course, Mom and Dad didn’t expect anything from little Pete. But Pete, with a squeal of delight, crawled under the tree and pulled out a gift he had prepared all by himself. He handed his present to his parents with a smile ...

605. Christmas Eve at Angel School

Luke 2:1-7

Drama

Lois Anne DeLong

... and Shepherds reenter from left without their costumes and move stage right to the Christmas tree. They pretend to be decorating the tree as they talk.) 1st Child: Boy, I love Christmas Eve. 2nd Child: And tomorrow’s even better. I know I’m getting lots of toys this year. 3rd Child: Why? 2nd Child: Because I’ve been very good. 4th Child: Yeah, right. 2nd Child: No, really, I have. 4th Child: Then why was Mom yelling at you yesterday? 2nd Child: She wasn’t yelling. She just had to talk loud to be ...

606. Preparation for Christ's Coming

Luke 21:25-36

Illustration

Billy D. Strayhorn

... . . ." It's time the Church took back Christmas. And we do. Every year we take it back and bring back the meaning and the purpose. The world tries to hold it for ransom each year, with its multiplicity of gadgets and this year's list of must have toys; the world tries to make demands and hold Christmas for ransom but it never works. The birth of the Christ child is just too powerful, even for Wall Street. The sight and the sounds and the remembrance of this child born so long ago changes all the rules. His ...

607. You Can Only Take 200 Pounds

Luke 3:1-6

Illustration

Richard A. Wing

... concerning what the communists were going to do with him, his wife, and two children. They said, "You can only take 200 pounds with you." The family went home and began arguing about what to take. The conversation got heated around typewriters, vases, and toys. Finally they worked it all out and packed 200 pounds on the nose. The army men came for them and asked if they were ready. "Yes, we are," they replied. "Did you weigh everything?" They answered affirmatively. Then the soldiers asked, "Did you weigh ...

608. Living In The Spirit Of Gentleness and Self Control

Galatians 5:22-25, Colossians 3:12-17

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... few times before but this time her good deed set off a chain of 1,013 customers paying for the next person's drink. Many coffee shop patrons tacked on an extra $10 or $20, which shift manager Sarah Nix said Starbucks Corp. will donate to its ongoing holiday toy drive. The seemingly spontaneous pay-it-forward run ended at 6:20 a.m. Friday, a store employee said. The name of the iced-tea drinker who started it remains unknown. (4) B. We can all do with a little reminder now and then, to act with kindness. It ...

609. The Power of Small Things

Luke 3:1-20

Illustration

Brett Blair

... mother in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is now doing well. So well that she entered a NASA essay contest to suggest names for the two rovers the Sapce Agency was about to send to mars. She was in the third grade and out of 10,000 applicants, she won! Toy maker Lego and The Planetary Society sponsored the event. As a result of winning her family received an all expense paid trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the lift off of the Mars Rovers. While there she was asked to read an excerpt from ...

610. Superman: More Than A Super Hero

John 1:1-5, 9-14; John 13:31-32; John 20:30-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... comic books he talks about his upbringing by the Kents who took him to church every week. He even goes to the pastor for advice in trying to decide his future. (1) From the comic books, to radio serials, TV, movies, games, newspaper comics, video games and toys, Superman is one of the world's most loved and most recognizable figures. What was the draw? Why did every boy and half the girls in America run and grab the biggest towel they could find and tie it around their neck like a cape right before Superman ...

611. Altar Your Gifts

Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:27-42

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... when we wait. Because you know, we see that new gadget that we really, really want. So, where do we get that money, Oh, yeah, we've got this little bit sitting over here. Surely God wouldn't mind if I take just a little to buy this really cool toy. Once won't matter. But it doesn't stop at once. We see something else, and then something else. And pretty soon, all we have is leftovers. Some people don't think it matters which portion they give to God; the first fruits or the leftovers, but it does. You ...

612. LOST? Looking For Love

John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 1 John 4:7-19

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... in a broken tricycle. Another person brought in a skateboard and if I remember the news follow up correctly, some guy even brought in one of those little Hot Wheels cars that had been run over by a real car. The wheels were still intact but the toy was flat. "As-is" denotes that the seller is selling, and the buyer is buying an item in whatever condition it presently exists, and that the buyer is accepting the item "with all faults", whether or not immediately apparent. And friends, that's exactly how God ...

613. LOST? Pursuing Purpose

1 Peter 2:9-10

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... As God's creations we are called to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. And to love our neighbors as our selves. Once we've focused on and discovered the meaning of life, it's almost like opening the door to the toy store and being invited in to play because in that focus of loving God and loving our neighbor, we the powerful nature of God's unconditional love. And that love, experienced through our relationship with God, allows us to love ourselves unconditionally. Which in turn allows ...

614. The Guest List

Luke 2:8-20

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... baby brother on her lap and was telling him the story of Christmas. It was something like this: "Jesus was born just in time for Christmas up at the North Pole surrounded by 8 tiny reindeer and the Virgin Mary. Then Santa Claus showed up with lots of toys and stuff and some swaddling clothes. The 3 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...." That was quite a Guest List Dolly dreamed up wasn't ...

615. The Character Of Christmas; Mary: Faith Filled

Luke 1:39-56

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... of their two ministering angels. I'm sure it was a little bit of Christmas miracle, because in a week's time the truck was repaired and the boy's injury healed. On Christmas Eve, the pastor asked this same man if he'd deliver a basket of food and toys to the needy family he'd set out to bring the tree to earlier. He loaded up his truck and drove to the address he was given and rang the doorbell. Who should answer the door but the couple who'd stopped to help him on the highway just weeks ...

616. Superman: More Than A Super Hero

John 1:1-5, 9-14; John 13:31-32; John 20:30-31

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... one of the comic books he talks about his upbringing by the Kents who took him to church every week. He even goes to the pastor for advice in trying decide his future. (1) From the comic books, to radio serials, TV, movies, games, newspaper comics, video games and toys, Superman is one of the world's most loved and most recognizable figures. What was the draw? Why did every boy and half the girls in America run and grab the biggest towel they could find and tie it around their neck like a cape right before ...

617. Harvesting What We Plant

Mark 4:26-34

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... smiled. "Doctor," I replied, "this is so cool. I remember standing at my dad's side as a little boy, infatuated with the process of shaving. It got to the point that when he shaved in the mornings I was always there, watching him. My dad bought me a little toy razor, with a little knob on the bottom of the handle that opened the top, just like his. The blade was a piece of cardboard that looked like a razor blade. "After that, I got to smear shaving cream all over my face and shave with my dad." My ...

618. The Law of the Pendulum

Mt 14:22-36; Mk 6:45-56

Illustration

Brett Blair

... release point. Each time it swings it makes less and less of an arc, until finally it is at rest. This point of rest is called the state of equilibrium, where all forces acting on the pendulum are equal. He then attached a 3-foot string to a child's toy top and secured it to the top of the blackboard with a thumbtack. He pulled the top to one side and made a mark on the blackboard where he let it go. Each time it swung back a new mark. It took less than a minute for the top to ...

619. How Much Are You Worth?

Luke 15:11-32

Illustration

... for a nail; enough sugar to fill a sugar bowl; enough fat for seven bars of soap (that may vary from person to person); enough lime to whitewash a chicken coop, enough phosphorous for 2,200 match heads, enough magnesium for a dose of magnesium; enough potassium to shoot a toy cannon, all mixed in with a little sulfur so that even in today's inflated market you are valued at about $7.50. That is how much we are worth. What gave the prodigal his value is that he belonged to someone. He had a father. If I hear ...

620. Discover the Meaning of Christmas

Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Sermon

Billy D. Strayhorn

... , too. Say Ed, we have kind of an unusual situation here. I know you've got that pick-up truck. Do you still have some oil in that barrel on your truck? You do?" By this time the rest of the family was pulling clothes out of their closets and toys off of their shelves. It was long after the kid's bedtime when they were wrapping gifts. The pickup came. On it were chairs, three lamps, more blankets, boxes of food and gifts. There was even a Christmas tree. Ed had made a call to some of the members of ...

621. Follow Your Calling (Series: An Invitation to Christian Discipleship)

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... and uncles, and lots of others who feel compelled to tell us what to do. Parents want us to sleep all night. They expect us to gain control of our bowel movements. They may even expect us to clean up our messes, and pick up our toys, and behave in the prescribed ways, at least when company comes. Siblings seem particularly concerned about proper places in the pecking order of things. The old joke constantly used by the Smothers’ Brothers stating that “Father loved you best,” is not very funny in the ...

622. Hope That God Is Nearby

Isaiah 7:1-25

Sermon

J. Howard Olds

... Before Us A cartoon depicts the board of a certain company taking a critical vote in the board room. After the vote, the chairman announces, “It’s unanimous—we don’t know what to do.” I introduce you to my friend, the sparrow [a child’s stuffed toy bird that chirps]. A friend sent him to me after I told the story about sparrows trying to break into my room at Vanderbilt Hospital when I was isolated with a stem cell transplant. I let my grandchildren play with him but they are under strict orders ...

623. Chosen by God

Ephesians 1:1-14

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... feeling that comes when we are chosen; I remember how it was growing up in rural Mississippi. Vivid in my memory are those long Sunday afternoons when neighbor children came together - many walking two or three miles to play the afternoon away. We had to manufacture our toys out of tin cans, broom sticks, barrel hoops, corn cobs and the like. And we had to invent our games, and/or adapt those which had been passed down to us from who knows where - except that they came to us through our older brothers and ...

624. On the Road with Some Would-Be Diciples

Luke 9:57-62

Sermon

James W. Moore

... ’s family that is holding him back… No, it is his own hesitation, his own inability to break with the past and so… bound by the “old,” he misses the “new.” You see, what we have here is the quickly-drawn portrait of three men toying with discipleship… but not totally committed. If you look closely, you can see that each one has a “Big Hat, but No Cattle!” But, this won’t work, will it? The Call (then and now) is to unconditional commitment,… to total commitment with No reservations ...

625. Being and Doing as the People of God

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... were heart broken and grief— stricken, but there was something special about them. It happened about three weeks before Christmas and I went by to see them - about four days before Christmas. You know what they were doing? Going through all of Jon-Jon’s toys and games, selecting all the best in order to make them available for needy children at Christmas time. Can you imagine being able to do that? Our Christmas Eve service was one of the most powerful worship experiences I’ve known. We shared Holy ...

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