Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 751 to 775 of 1138 results

751. Returned In Full

Illustration

... a few phone calls, located the distressed owner, and returned the briefcase along with the $25,000 cash it contained! The surprising thing about this episode was the ridicule the waiter experienced at the hands of his friends and peers. For the next week or so he was called a variety of names and laughed at, all because he possessed a quality the Bible holds in high regard: integrity.

752. Looking For Gold

Illustration

At one time Andrew Carnegie was the wealthiest man in America. He came to America from his native Scotland when he was a small boy, did a variety of odd jobs, and eventually ended up as the largest steel manufacturer in the United States. At one time he had forty-three millionaires working for him. In those days a millionaire was a rare person; conservatively speaking, a million dollars in his day would be equivalent to at least ...

753. A Slave to Food

Illustration

Dave Wilkenson

... most people since the room had several windows and a door of near-normal size, and none was locked or barred. The problem was Raynald's size. To regain his freedom, he needed to lose weight. But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods. Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter. When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer: "My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills." Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and ...

754. How Much Is That Preacher?

Illustration

Jean Shaw

... library of solid sermons, two of which have been printed in Christian Leaders Magazine. He's not too bad. Can you do something about his bald head? Mrs. Penner especially insists that our minister have some hair. Madam, all our ministers come in a variety of hair styles. Keep him in mind. I want to show you the Areopagus #222. Four years of varsity sports at Boston College. Plays football, basketball, volleyball, and Ping-Pong. Comes complete with sports equipment. What a physique! He must weigh 200 pounds ...

755. Who's Holding the Rope?

Illustration

Staff

A group of botanists went on an expedition into a hard-to-reach location in the Alps, searching for new varieties of flowers. One day as a scientist looked through his binoculars, he saw a beautiful, rare species growing at the bottom of a deep ravine. To reach it, someone would have to be lowered into that gorge. Noticing a local youngster standing nearby, the man asked him if he would ...

756. Reword the Question

Illustration

Roger van Oech

... in only one color ("Any color you want as long as it's black'). He believed that he had a formula that worked, and he didn't want to change it. This prevented him from seeing the rise of a post World War I consumer class that wanted a variety of styles and colors from which to choose. As a result, Ford lost market share to General Motors. The moral of the story is don't take the first solution that comes to you. Turn things over. Make obvious solutions wrong and find another way. Avoid falling in love ...

757. What's Your Style of Evangelism?

Illustration

Brett Blair

... of compassion will let people know of God's love and that God has provided a way to experience true life, an abundant life. But How? Do we all have to share the same way? No, the unbelieving world is made up of a variety of people: young, old, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, urban, rural, with different race, personalities, values, politics, and religious backgrounds. It's going to take more than one style of evangelism to reach such a diverse population! So what is your style? Confrontational? Repent and ...

758. I Didn't Recognize You

Humor Illustration

There's a story about "Blameless Jake" Bloom of Boston who fed three generations of Irish, Jews and Italians on credit in his small variety store. In appreciation, his friends and neighbors sent him to London for a fling. Inspired, Jake came home, slimmed down, capped his teeth, bought a hair piece and hit Miami Beach. He met a beautiful blonde, and just then, was struck by a bolt of lightning. "God," Jake complained when ...

759. John 1:6-8, 19-28

John 1:1-18

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... by the appearance of a group of inquisitors, and envoy of “priests and Levites” sent out by “the Jews” to investigate him. Only the fourth gospel records this exchange. This gospel writer uses the term “The Jews” in a variety of situations, referring to various Jewish groups. The reference is sometimes positive, sometimes simply descriptive, and sometimes clearly negative. Here the term “the Jews” seems to suggest Jewish leaders, for they are sending out “priests and Levites” — that is ...

760. Bear the Light

John 1:19-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

761. Hebrews 1:1-4

Hebrews 1:1-14

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... person who fulfills that purpose is the Son. Our English translation(s) lose the lovely alliteration used by the Hebrews author to describe God’s ongoing revelations to the world, a relationship that has existed “polymeros kai polytopos” “at various times . . . in a variety of ways” as God spoke to “our ancestors” through the prophets. The words and witness of these prophets is affirmed as God’s true words, but not God’s final word. As we enter into “these final days” there is a new ...

762. No Time for a Sermon

Hebrews 1:1-14

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

763. After the Parade

Mark 11:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... celebrate Palm Sunday. I was reading recently about a truck driver named Cornelius. Cornelius specialized in hauling animals, especially cows. He hauled live cows, and he also hauled dead cows that needed to be disposed of. Sometimes, however, he was hired to haul other varieties of animals. One April Fools’ Day he received a phone call. “I have a dead elephant for you to pick up in Los Angeles,” said the voice on the other end. “Yeah right,” said Cornelius. “You aren’t going to get me on that ...

764. A Concert of Praise

Luke 1:46-56

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... die in order to truly see our real selves. The second revolution Mary's song reveals is a social revolution. In a small town, a lakeside street became labeled "Millionaire's Road." The houses were grand, the yards were well-manicured, and flower gardens boasted a variety of expensive plants. Between two massive houses on wide lots sat a small, tar-pa-pered one on a very narrow lot. Though the owner did not have the money to side it for many years, he worked hard keeping his small yard mowed and tenderly ...

765. Christmas Grass and Easter Tinsel

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

... . A vacuum, a broom, or a feather duster might take care of them, but they are bound to return. Let me give you some clues to solving this mystery. * Clue: One is metallic silver. * Clue: The other comes in traditional green or in a variety of pastel colors. * Clue: They are used during two different seasons. * Song clue: "O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how pretty are your branches." * Song clue: "Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail." Can you guess what they are? Answer: Easter ...

766. Only the Best

John 2:1-11

Sermon

Cynthia Cowen

In areas where wine is made, there are places many go to sample the different varieties offered by each vineyard. People who are connoisseurs of wine — those who are critical judges in the matter of taste — can tell a good wine from a poor wine. The chief steward in our text was one of those who knew the difference, as does the winemaker, Leigh. After ...

767. No ... On

Luke 22:66--23:25

Sermon

Frank Ramirez

... passion" means "suffering," in particular the suffering of Jesus during this most holy of weeks. But "passion" also means "a deep feeling and commitment." We speak of people being passionately committed to something. During the last month, as we have had interviews with a variety of musicians to fill our organist position, it has been amazing to see how so many of them are passionately committed to music. Their lives are all about music, even at the expense of other things. For the sake of their music, they ...

768. Quitters

John 6:60-71

Sermon

King Duncan

... Copenhaver is a minister in the United Church of Christ denomination. United Church of Christ pastors have a reputation for being rather liberal in their theology, though that is not always the case. UCC pastors do tend to be advocates of a variety of social causes. And they tend to intellectualize their faith, which may seem to make them seem less passionate than pastors of some other denominations. Martin Copenhaver probably fits most of these stereotypes. So it surprised the congregation of one of his ...

769. Pax Christi Or Pox Christi?

Luke 12:49-56

Sermon

David E. Leininger

... . By way of background, some traditions insist to this day that the only thing that should be sung in worship is the psalter — psalms set to music. Others (including the mainline Presbyterian church) disagree and are more than willing to allow for greater variety. The church I was serving had been formed by a group in the psalm-singing tradition that wanted more. They argued for it, lost the battle, and left in a huff to form a new church. Mothers against daughters, fathers against sons, wives refused ...

770. Baptism of Our Lord

Psalm 29:1-11, Isaiah 43:1-7, Luke 3:1-20, Acts 8:14-17

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... own mirrors. In the quiet and in the fierceness of our days and relationships, you breathe, “It is good,” reminding us that we co-create with you the possibilities of Christ walking here in our town and on our street corner. Thank you for the variety in our thoughts and activities, on the land, in the waters, and in the sky. Amen. Benediction/Charge (Leader) As you leave the sanctuary, be alert for all the colors of humanity; listen for songs beginning low and swelling to a great “Hooray!” Watch for ...

771. Easter 2

Psalm 118:14-29, Psalm 150:1-6, John 20:19-31, Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4-8

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... diminished because our spaces and our lives are being threatened. We are afraid. Germinate compassion and justice in the human mind, we pray. Halt war and devastation on every continent. Move among tribes and gangs until genocide turns into appreciation for humanity and its awesome variety. We pray for peace. Healing God — while we enjoy you this hour, we are aware that some of us hurt, some of us have pain that is penetrating and distracting, some of us find our eyes dim and our ears fogged, some of us ...

772. Lent 3

Psalm 63:1-8, Isaiah 55:1-9, Luke 13:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... “dry us out,” coming back to the psalmist’s feeling that we are in the “shadow of God’s wings.” The psalm may indicate one way to deal with depression, sadness, and loneliness: verbalize the distress, imagine that God is present in a variety of ways — mother hen, protector, friend, stabilizing rock — and respond with music that touches all the emotions, ending with songs of joy. The psalm reminds us again and again that we are not able to travel this human way alone; we must seek sanctuary ...

773. Proper 14

Psalm 33:12-22, Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Luke 12:32-40, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

Call To Worship Leader: We’ve come here from a variety of places; each of us for our own reasons. Each of us has a perception of the Holy and we anticipate having that perception satisfied. People: We experience God as judge or as storm or as fire or as gentle voice or as creative friend. Leader: One thing we know ...

774. Proper 15

Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19, Isaiah 5:1-7, Luke 12:49-53, Hebrews 11:29--12:2

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... deep and far-off land. And I am yours! I rest in you. Great Spirit, come, and rest in me. Prayer Of Thanksgiving God of Isaiah and Jesus — we are thankful that you refurbished the grapevine of ancient Israel. And we are grateful for the variety of vines we enjoy today. Use this money to make this world a more hospitable place. Amen. Intercessory Prayers Farmer God — we are aware that agriculture varies from place to place; we are also aware that you are everywhere, capable of planting and harvesting ...

775. The Truth about Warren Buffet's Secretary

Mark 12:41-44

Sermon

King Duncan

... world, she probably gives more money to her church proportionally than her boss does. Now I know that Mr. Buffet is a very generous man. In fact, under the influence of Bill and Melinda Gates, Buffet has been giving away vast sums of money for a variety of good causes. But the principle remains on a percentage basis, those in the lower echelons of society give more of their income to serve Christ than do the people who employ them. Pierce Harris, a legendary pastor of the First Methodist Church in Atlanta ...

Showing results