Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1026 to 1050 of 5000 results

Luke 14:25-35

Sermon

Richard Patt

... reading now. It's an unusual reading because, you see, the book of Philemon consists of only one chapter, so that the reading consists of this entire chapter, save the last two verses. In the touching story it tells, we have a wonderful illustration about what the crux of being a Christian is. What is that story? Briefly, it involves three characters: the apostle Paul, his friend named Philemon, and a servant who worked in Philemon's house with the interesting name, Onesimus. Now this servant Onesimus ...

1027. How to Rise above Discouragement

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon

Maurice A. Fetty

... believes if she hasn't thought of it, it isn't true; or if she hasn't experienced it, it hasn't happened. The whole of reality is therefore defined by her narrow perceptions. The late Jacob Bronowski, outstanding scientist with the Salk Institute, illustrated that truth in the world of science. He did a popular television series which he later put into a book titled, The Ascent of Man -- a book which chronicled the development of scientific knowledge and understanding. In the chapter having to do with ...

1028. The Call Of The Tradition: Remember And Return

Nehemiah 7:73b--8:18

Sermon

Robert A. Hausman

... had been when Ezra read the law to the Israelites. "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth" (Luke 4:22). As the meaning of Jesus' message sunk in, however, the response was increasingly hostile. Jesus illustrated the inclusiveness of his message with references to scripture. Elijah was sent, not to an Israelite widow, but to the widow of Zarephath. Elisha did not heal a Jewish leper, but rather Naaman the Syrian (vv. 24-27). It is clear that for Jesus, the good ...

1029. Named And Claimed

Isaiah 43:1-13

Sermon

Tony Everett

... We are baptized into this amazing, overwhelming, irrational love made visible in the baptism and presence of Jesus Christ, the beloved Son in our midst. We are named and claimed by the steadfast love of the Lord. There is a marvelous story that illustrates this love. Four-year-old Virginia and her family were enjoying the first visit by their new pastor. Gathered around the living room were Mother, Father, Virginia, Grandmother and the pastor. Soon it was Virginia's bedtime. After a bath, Virginia invited ...

1030. A Hunger That Cannot Be Satisfied

Amos 8:1-14

Sermon

James McLemore

... , and he is too old to ever forget. And so he lives through sleepless nights and restless days. His stomach is full; his heart is hurting, from this hunger, this never ending hunger. It is a hunger that cannot be satisfied. Let me give you another true life illustration. An old man rocks in his rocking chair in a quiet room. Familiar scenes of his family look back at him from the walls. But there are no voices, only pictures. He is safe and secure in this home, and he feels comfortable, but he does not feel ...

1031. Go Down To The Potter's House

Jeremiah 18:1--19:15

Sermon

James McLemore

What is meant when we say, "Go down to the potter's house"? Let me explain through these illustrations. A young mechanic was doing his studies about engine repair. He was in the final stages and was discussing with his instructor what he felt was the most important thing he needed to learn to master the engine. He told his instructor that he had read all of the relevant ...

1032. All Tied Up

Luke 7:1-10

Illustration

John R. Steward

... too keep the bundle all tied up. When we go to church and simply go through the routine we might get wet but we never really feel very clean. Only confession of our sins and faith in Christ can cleanse us from all our sins. Adapted from Michael Green, editor, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House), p. 336.

1033. The Blind Guiding The Blind

Psalm 92:1-15, Luke 6:46-49, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Isaiah 55:1-13, Luke 6:37-42

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... a similar experience does not really know what it means to be Christian. They may also be tempted to believe that it was their personal effort that gave them victory and that they are therefore superior religiously to those who have never had to make such effort. Illustrative Materials 1. Falling into a Ditch. I believe it was George Washington Carver who early made the discovery of the trap found in getting even with other persons. He found that if he fought with a bully and put him down in a ditch, he had ...

1034. Lent 3

Luke 13:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Psalm 63:1-11, Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... service to others. It is natural to choose on the basis of self-interest. Animals react in that way normally. Christians should not react naturally but should act spiritually. For them the normal decision-making should arise from love of God and neighbor. Illustrative Materials 1. Major Disasters. A series of disasters in 1995 caused large numbers of deaths and injuries. January 17, 1995. An earthquake in Kobe, Japan, killed more than 5,000 people. March 20, 1995. Poison gas was released in five subway cars ...

1035. Lent 4

Psalm 32:1-11, Joshua 5:1-12, 2 Corinthians 5:11--6:2, Luke 15:1-7

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... , whether of sons or daughters, suffer from this same centering on oneself. People do not put themselves in the other person's place. They need to look at how life appears to the other. Once they suffer with the other vicariously, relationships change. Illustrative Materials 1. Sowing Wild Oats. Someone once remarked that he would rather have persons sow wild oats when young and get over it than to go through life wishing they had. The older brother probably wished he had! 2. An Inheritance. I believe ...

1036. Proper 6

Luke 7:36-50, Galatians 2:11-21, 1 Kings 21:1-29, Psalm 5:1-12

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... about itinerating as the twelve and the women did. They will seek to understand where he would go and what he would do if he were present in their place today. They will then seek to follow and walk with him as a real presence in daily life. Illustrative Materials 1. Divinity and Forgiveness. To err is human, to forgive is divine. We need the imparting of the spirit of Christ to enable us to proffer the grace of forgiveness to others. 2. Forgive and Forget. People often ask how they can forget the wrong. We ...

1037. Proper 12

Psalm 85:1-13, Colossians 2:6-23, Hosea 1:1-2:1, Luke 11:1-13

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... be most helpful, we need also to examine how they acted in response to prayer. Did they, as Jesus did, not only engage in formal acts of praying, but did they also act out the answer to prayer in trust and obedience to the will of God? Illustrative Materials 1. Serving Whose Needs? A young man wanted to go to college. His father wanted him to carry on the family farm. He acceded to the father's wishes but was always frustrated. He never fulfilled the possibilities a college education would have provided him ...

1038. Proper 13

Luke 11:1-13, Hosea 11:1-11, Colossians 3:1-17, Psalm 107:1-43

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... pledge to the church or charitable institutions is very important to most people. Is it because we are very vulnerable to disclosing our real spiritual condition when we show where our trust is placed that we are so secretive about our money and wealth? Illustrative Materials 1. Illusory Wealth. J. V. Thompson was a coal baron in southwestern Pennsylvania in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He bought up the mineral rights of much of the land in the county where he lived. He built a fancy ...

1039. Prepared Servants

Luke 12:35-48

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... potato Christians, "Wake up! Go forth from that comfortable pew and serve the needs of those around you. Get dressed for action. Be prepared for the unexpected coming of Christ into your life, giving you new energy and power to act as servants in the world." Illustrative Materials 1. Stay Awake. A young son wanted to stay up for the new year to come in. Just before midnight he conked out. He could not wait for the glorious event. He slept through the firecrackers and gunfire and shouting of "Happy New Year ...

1040. Weather Signs

Luke 12:49-53

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... is their vocation when making career decisions, a possible choice between a lucrative job and a service-oriented position. Unfortunately, fair weather Christians miss the full joy and stability that enables them to survive the stormy tempests that blow up in life. Illustrative Materials 1. Family Conflicts. A. A young woman in college felt a call to Christian ministry. She entertained the call of going to seminary. Her mother was very much opposed to it. She told the daughter she would not support or visit ...

1041. Proper 17

Psalm 81:1-16, Hebrews 13:1-25, Jeremiah 2:1-3:5, Luke 14:1-14

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... sends you a card. It means sending the note of consolation to a grieving family. It means providing a scholarship for a student who does not know you. Many are the ways that Christians know the unrepaid blessing of random acts of kindness. Illustrative Materials 1. Humility and Humiliation. A. A number of sayings refer to humiliation: "Eat crow," "Eat dirt," "Eat humble pie," and "Diss." B. Someone has suggested that modern persons are more bothered by embarrassment than they are by the guilt of sin. 2 ...

1042. Proper 20

Psalm 79:1-13, 1 Timothy 2:1-15, Jeremiah 8:4--9:26, Luke 16:1-15

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... about industries that exploit cheap labor or ignore safety regulations to maximize profits. Should Christians also be wise consumers in the purchase of products from those industries which gain dishonest wealth by engaging in some of the practices indicated above? Illustrative Materials 1. Charity and Greed. A report on the radio recently noted the high costs of AIDS to society. It looked at the high salaries of some organizations that do research to try to cure AIDS, or charitable institutions raising ...

1043. Proper 22

Luke 17:1-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13, Lamentations 1:1-22, Psalm 137:1-9

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... its own reward. That is part of the faith that Christians should profess and experience. Christians should not require stars in their crowns or rewards in heaven to vindicate doing what they ought to do in obedience to God in Christ. Illustrative Materials 1. Questioning. Jesus asks three questions in the parable. The answers are assumed. Some Christians feel that asking questions in matters of faith is an expression of doubt that is wrong. Nevertheless, asking questions and seeking deeper answers can lead ...

1044. Proper 25

Psalm 65:1-13, Luke 18:9-14, Joel 2:28-32, 2 Timothy 4:9-18, 2 Timothy 3:10--4:8

Sermon Aid

William E. Keeney

... even expressed in words. It is placing oneself in the presence of God and allowing oneself to be bathed in the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Then one can arise justified and ready to act as a child of God in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Illustrative Materials 1. Ceremonial Prayer. The leader of chapel at a school realized just as he was to give the closing prayer that he had failed to make an announcement that affected the student body. He incorporated into his prayer something like the following, "We thank ...

1045. The Results Of Resurrection

John 20:19-23

Sermon

Don M. Aycock

... The Church. Jesus' words sound strange to us: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. Is the task which Jesus gives us that of going around forgiving sin? If that is so, then we do not need God. Let us examine this task by way of an illustration. Someone in another city has a gift which she is seeking to give away. I know this person. You do not know her. I approach you and inform you that someone whom you do not know has a gift for anyone who will ask. I give you directions on how ...

1046. Baptism And Self-Esteem

Mark 12:28-34

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... would behave like animals. To behave like respectable and responsible human beings, they needed to have what every respectable and responsible human being must have: self-esteem. Brubaker gave it to them and it transformed the prison. There is one scene which especially illustrates how Brubaker used the prisoners' need for self-esteem to reform the prison. As the new warden, one of the first things he insists on creating is a council made up of prisoners which would govern the affairs of the prison. The ...

1047. Having The Last Word

John 18:28-40

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... to help a co-worker, even when it might cost us. Recently I heard someone tell a story about the experiences of the Freedom Riders in the American South during the '50s and '60s and their struggle for civil rights. The story was a vivid illustration of how life changes when Jesus has the last word, when Jesus is King. When the Freedom Riders traveled through the South staging their sit-ins and marches and protests, they were often arrested and jailed. The guardians of racial segregation and the status quo ...

1048. Miracle Four: Healing A Paralytic

Mark 2:1-12

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... become critics of the acts of God. Be careful in criticizing the church, or its pastors, or its people. They are trying to fulfill God's will. They need support and encouragement, not the superfluous judgment of "Monday morning quarterbacks." ILLUSTRATIONS Prejudice Following Compassion · In some ways we have made progress in overcoming prejudice toward the homeless. This is indicated in the desire to take pity on the unfortunate. The wandering tramp, or hobo, has practically disappeared from our daily ...

1049. Miracle Five: Healing A Withered Hand

Mark 3:1-6

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... on a pick or shovel, to type, to carve or chisel, to paint. In daily life it is used to drive a car, compete in sports, play a musical instrument, sweep with a broom. All of these things and more would be denied us by the loss of a hand. ILLUSTRATIONS Obedience To Christ Christ called to the man with the withered hand to come forward, and the man did. Christ asked him to stretch forth his hand, and he did. As a result of obeying Christ's commands the man was healed. We should learn from this that it pays ...

1050. Miracle Six: Stilling A Storm

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon Aid

Harold H. Lentz

... to times of trouble. We need to develop our spiritual growth at all times, good and bad. It is a privilege to call upon God when life is going smoothly, offering our prayers of thanksgiving. Then when trouble strikes we are ready to rely on spiritual resources. ILLUSTRATIONS "Why Are You Afraid? Have You No Faith?" · Faith and fear are enemies. You must choose one or the other, but you cannot have both. Some boys were playing on a beach with a large beach ball. By accident the ball was thrown too high and ...

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