Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 776 to 800 of 900 results

Matthew 23:1-39

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: The best leadership seeks to help people not burden them to point of despair. Key verses: 4 and 11. Props: One small bag of dried uncooked noodles—bow tie pasta works best. Hide the bag of candy. Lesson: What is today? (Halloween) What do we do on Halloween? (response) I happen to have something for you. Reach in and get a prize but you only get one. Allow each child to reach in th...

777. Tricks

Matthew 22:15-22

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: Beware of people who try and trick you. Props: A box of tissues, a child’s chair, and a little bit of magic skill. Set the chair up so that the child’s back is to the congregation. How to do the magic trick: In front of the child ball-up a tissue and hold it by the tips of your right hand thumb and middle finger. Put the tissue into the left hand by bringing the left hand over the ...

778. Trifling with the Trinity

John 16:5-16

Illustration

Brett Blair

There's a trend on social media to cancel peoples livelihood for even the slightest offenses that the person attacking them doesn't like. It's been billed the "cancel culture." It's an evil behavior often by anonymous sources. But it's not new. More prevalent but not new. And it certainly has been in the church for a long time. Let's use the acrostic CCC: Christian Cancel Culture. A religious wei...

779. Trinity

John 16:5-16

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: To teach the Trinitarian nature of God. Props: A solid-colored glass with ice and a clear glass with water. You want to be able to display the water but hide the ice. Optional: Hot water in a thermos or a cup on a hot plate that is hot enough to produce steam and a mirror to collect the steam. Lesson: [Hide the glass with ice and the thermos.] Good morning! (response) I have a few ...

780. Trouble Makers

Luke 12:49-53

Illustration

Brett Blair

Thank God for those free thinkers throughout Christendom who have brought fire upon the earth, the early Church and the Catholic Church which has prevailed for almost 2000 years holding the banner of Christ. Martin Luther, who called the church back to a Gospel which emphasized grace rather than works. John Wyclif and William Tyndale, who against the wishes of church leadership produced the Bible...

781. True Life

John 12:20-36

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: True life only comes through death. Props: A grass stalk with seeds or some other plant that prominently displays many seeds. Lesson: Opening: I don't know if you've noticed but is there something growing outside? (response) Have you seen all the plants and grass. They have buds all over them and some of them have actually already grown their new leaves and shoots. Can any body tel...

782. Truth - How Do You Know It When You Hear It?

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Brett Blair

School’s out. Summer’s here. My kids have been waiting for this for weeks. All summer and nothing but swimming, riding their bikes, endlessly playing video games, and vacations. While our kids live in that world this summer we adults will be living in another. There is the economy and the struggle to keep Wall Street and Main Street happy and accountable at the same time. There are conflicts with...

783. Turning Toward the Light

Matthew 4:12-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

A little boy named Bobby entered his first science fair in second grade. Because his Mom has a green thumb, they decided to experiment with the growth of plants. He took two small green plants and placed one on a sunny windowsill and the other in a cardboard box. After a couple of weeks, Bobby checked on the two plants. The one on the windowsill had grown a couple of inches and had vibrant green l...

784. Twice Named

Illustration

Brett Blair

Repeating a person's name is a Hebrew expression of intimacy. When God speaks to Abraham at Mount Moriah, as he is about to plunge the knife into the breast of Isaac, He says, "Abraham, Abraham." Or when God encourages Jacob in his old age to take the trip to Egypt, He says, "Jacob, Jacob" (Genesis 22:11, 46:2). Compare the call of Moses from the burning bush: "Moses, Moses," or the call of Samuel...

785. Two Most Important Questions a Christian Can Answer - Sermon Starter

Matthew 22:34-40

Illustration

Brett Blair

Isidor Isaac Rabi, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, and one of the developers of the atomic bomb, was once asked how he became a scientist. Rabi replied that every day after school his mother would talk to him about his school day. She wasn't so much interested in what he had learned that day, but how he conducted himself in his studies. She always inquired, "Did you ask a good question today?" "...

786. Two Wolves

Mt 13:24-30, 36-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

One of my favorite theologians, Mr. Rogers, used to say: "Have you noticed that the very same people who are bad sometimes are the very same people who are good sometimes?" It reminds me of a story called, "Two Wolves." It goes like this: An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life..."A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. 'It is a terrible fight and it is between two ...

787. Uncovering Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:1-39

Illustration

Brett Blair

A man, returning from a business trip, was met at the airport by his wife. They walked from the gate together and were standing waiting for the baggage to be unloaded. An extremely attractive stewardess walked by. Suddenly, the man came to life. Beaming, he said to the stewardess, "I hope we can fly together again, Miss Jones." On the way home his grew suspicious, "How come you knew the name of t...

788. Under His Wings

Luke 13:31-35

Illustration

Brett Blair

Listen to these great hymns that were sung during Jesus’ day in the Synagogues and Temple worship in Jerusalem. Hide me in the shadow of thy wings. 17:8. In the shadow of thy wings I will take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by. 57:1 Oh to be safe under the shelter of thy wings. 61:4 In the shadow of thy wings I sing for joy. 63:7 Under his wings you will find refuge. 91:4 How do we k...

789. Understanding Life

Matthew 13:1-23

Illustration

Brett Blair

Jesus also tells us how people respond to the Kingdom of God. There are four ways: There are those who understand it and the kingdom grows and produces fruit; they are good soil. There are those who receive it and the kingdom begins to grow but it is then choked by the worries of life; they are the soil covered by thorns. There are those who hear it with joy and the kingdom begins again to grow b...

790. Use What You Have

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

In 1872, at the age of 16, Booker T. Washington decided he wanted to go to school. He walked 500 miles to Hampton Institute in Virginia, and presented himself to the head teacher. Washington later recalled, "Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and change of clothing, I did not make a very favorable impression upon her, and I could see at once that there were doubts in her mind about m...

791. Used Tombstone...Real Bargain

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Brett Blair

Dr. Paul Stuckey is pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Dayton, Ohio. He tells the story of an eye-catching ad in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, newspaper's classified section. Big, bold letters advertised "Used Tombstone." The ad's text read as follows: "Used tombstone for sale. Real bargain to someone named ‘Dingo'. For more information call..." The image of a used tombstone may at first seem g...

792. Valentine's Day

Luke 6:27-36

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Theological Aim: To teach the children how Jesus showed his love for us. Props: Enough sheets of Red Paper and Children's Scissors for each child. Extra paper for mistakes. Cut out hearts with crosses for each child, hand these out afterwards in exchange for their cut out hearts. Explanation: Fold the red sheet of paper in half. On the folded end cut out half the shape of a heart. When unfolded a ...

793. Wait For the Storm To Pass

Acts 2:1-41

Illustration

Brett Blair

Robert Schuller told the following family story: I remember one winter my dad needed firewood, and he found a dead tree and sawed it down. In the spring, to his dismay, new shoots sprouted around the trunk. He said, "I thought sure it was dead. The leaves had all dropped in the wintertime. It was so cold that twigs snapped as if there were no life left in the old tree. But now I see that there was...

794. Waiting

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Brett Blair

As a child I remember that the most difficult part of Christmas was simply waiting for it to come. From Thanksgiving to December 25 seemed more like an eternity than a month. Days seemed like weeks. Weeks felt like seasons. Time seemed to stand still. Waiting is foreign to our society. It seems unnatural. We hunger for immediate gratification. The idea of delayed satisfaction is a stranger to our ...

795. Waiting

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Brett Blair

796. Waiting - Sermon Starter

John 1:1-18

Illustration

Brett Blair

797. Walking on Water

Matthew 14:22-36

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: When we are scared we should have faith in God. Props: A basin of water. Three objects that will float in water and three that will sink. If possible, one of the floating objects should be a toy boat. Lesson: Good Morning. I’ve got a game for us to play. This game is called the sink and float game. Your going to help me figure out if these objects sink or float. I have a quarter....

798. Wants and Needs?

Matthew 21:33-46

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: Rejection of that which is essential. Props: Contrasting items: Bubblegum and a stock of asparagus; a book and an electronic handheld game (e.g. Gameboy); and a golf club and Bible. Lesson: Good morning. (response) I want to show you two things and ask you a question. Are you ready? (response) Show the following pairs one at a time as you say them. The “want item” is at the end for...

799. Warning: Preaching Fake Stories

Illustration

Brett Blair

The following illustration, based on the "Children's Crusades," is a conflation of many different tales that have been embellished for centuries, for their oratory effect. We include this here as a reminder to be careful grabbing stories from the internet and using them without first doing some investigative work: In 1212 a French shepherd boy by the name of Steven claimed that Jesus had appeared...

800. Watch and Be Ready!

Luke 12:35-48

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

Exegetical Aim: Conditioning God's children to be watchful and ready. Props: A tennis ball or something comparable. Lesson: [Tossing the ball from hand to hand:] Good morning! (response) A long, long time ago, when people used candles and lamps to see at night because there was no electricity, there was this man and he left home to go to a party. His maids and his servants had no idea when he woul...

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Showing 776 to 800 of 900 results

776. Trick or Treat

Matthew 23:1-39

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

777. Tricks

Matthew 22:15-22

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

778. Trifling with the Trinity

John 16:5-16

Illustration

Brett Blair

779. Trinity

John 16:5-16

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

780. Trouble Makers

Luke 12:49-53

Illustration

Brett Blair

781. True Life

John 12:20-36

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

782. Truth - How Do You Know It When You Hear It?

John 16:5-16

Sermon

Brett Blair

783. Turning Toward the Light

Matthew 4:12-17

Illustration

Brett Blair

784. Twice Named

Illustration

Brett Blair

785. Two Most Important Questions a Christian Can Answer - Sermon Starter

Matthew 22:34-40

Illustration

Brett Blair

786. Two Wolves

Mt 13:24-30, 36-43

Illustration

Brett Blair

787. Uncovering Hypocrisy

Matthew 23:1-39

Illustration

Brett Blair

788. Under His Wings

Luke 13:31-35

Illustration

Brett Blair

789. Understanding Life

Matthew 13:1-23

Illustration

Brett Blair

790. Use What You Have

Matthew 14:13-21

Illustration

Brett Blair

791. Used Tombstone...Real Bargain

John 20:1-18

Illustration

Brett Blair

792. Valentine's Day

Luke 6:27-36

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

793. Wait For the Storm To Pass

Acts 2:1-41

Illustration

Brett Blair

794. Waiting

John 1:6-8, 19-28

Sermon

Brett Blair

795. Waiting

John 1:1-18

Sermon

Brett Blair

796. Waiting - Sermon Starter

John 1:1-18

Illustration

Brett Blair

797. Walking on Water

Matthew 14:22-36

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

798. Wants and Needs?

Matthew 21:33-46

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

799. Warning: Preaching Fake Stories

Illustration

Brett Blair

800. Watch and Be Ready!

Luke 12:35-48

Children's Sermon

Brett Blair

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