Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 151 to 175 of 813 results

Ephesians 1:13

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... or a picture of a caterpillar Good morning, boys and girls. Have any of you ever seen a caterpillar? I brought a (toy caterpillar, picture of a caterpillar) with me this morning. See, it's got a long body, lots of legs, it's fuzzy. I read something interesting about caterpillars recently. Did you know that caterpillars can grow a new skin every so often? As they get bigger and older, caterpillars can ...

152. What In The World Is Happiness?

Luke 6:17-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... you be then? In 1954, Billie Sicard's twelve-year-old son, George, died of cancer. George was the center of Billie's life. She was a wealthy woman, and she lavished all the best toys and things on her son. After his death, Billie Sicard became a recluse. She refused to change anything in George's room. All his clothes and toys stayed just where he had left them. Billie cut off most of her social contacts. For the next twenty-five years, Billie spent all her time at home grieving for George. She may have ...

153. Why Don't We Just Tell Them Our Names?

John 10:1-21, Psalm 23:1-6

Children's Sermon

King Duncan

... that is labeled as to its origin. Lesson: God is the shelherd of us all and calls us by name. Good morning boys and girls, As you know, many of the things we use every day come from all over the world. This toy was made in Hong Kong. Your car may have come from Japan or Germany. That may also be true of your television set or your camera, or almost anything you own. Of course, many things we have were made right here in the United States, but many other things were ...

154. Who's Your Daddy?

Matthew 10:1-42

Sermon

King Duncan

... 2) A boy was asked by his father what he wanted as a present for his sixth birthday. The boy was usually very specific about the gifts he liked his father to buy him, often giving his father great details about the names of certain toys and their color, size, and location in the toy store. The boy's response surprised the father. He simply said, "I'd like a ball." "Great," the dad said, "what kind of ball?" "A football or a soccer ball," the boy answered. "Which do you want more?" Dad asked. "Well," the boy ...

155. It Isn't Easy Getting Ready For Christmas

Luke 3:1-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... Christ desires is not a temple or a palace. The destination he most desires is residence within our hearts. But it's not easy getting ready for Christmas particularly in such a world as ours. Look at some of the "toys" on the market for children at Christmas time. There's a toy out there called "Forward Command Post." "It's essentially a bombed-out doll house, complete with smashed furniture, broken railings and bullet holes in the walls . . . It is recommended for children 5 years old and up." One of the ...

156. God Has Come

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... have a chimney and my father just installed a very expensive security system. Julie Dear Santa, How old are you? How did you meet Mrs. Claus? Is your first name really Santa? Can I be an elf next year? Who is your favorite kid? How do you fit all those toys in your sleigh? I have more questions for later. Your pal, Pauline Dear Santa, My mother told me to write to you and say thanks for the train set. My dad plays with it all the time. Mike Dear Santa, Mommy says that you only bring presents for the good ...

157. Discerning The Will Of God

Acts 1:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

In the popular cartoon, Marvin, Marvin's mother looks down at little Marvin who has just taken his hammer and broken his toys into thousands of pieces. "Why must you always break your toys, Marvin?" Marvin thinks to himself and then replies, "I'm just practicing for when I grow up. I'm going to be a broker." I don't think many of us want to spend our lives being "brokers;" we would rather builders and fixers. We want our lives to count ...

158. God's Design and Our Destiny

Isaiah 63:7--64:12

Sermon

King Duncan

... to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of their Christmas--the last thing opened on Christmas morning. The children ignored their new toys and waited with wide-eyed anticipation as Mike lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. But the story doesn’t end there. One year they lost Mike to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, Ann ...

159. On Doing the Truth

John 3:14-21

Sermon

Donald B. Strobe

... the nursery. They would come in all bright and shiny, and for a while would be the center of attention. Then in time the paint would fade and the mainsprings would break, and they would be tossed in the corner.The Skin Horse knew all along that they were just toys. In a conversation with the Rabbit who was seeking to be Real, he says, “Real isn’t how you are made. It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you a long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become real ...

160. Three Modern Meanings of the Ancient Christmas Story

Luke 2:8-20, Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... , including a six-foot tall giraffe, dolls, dollhouses and games of every description. The room was transformed into a miniature "Toys-R-Us." Every time her parents came to the hospital they brought another present. But they were never able to ... her mother as she gave her a kiss and hug before rushing out to the next engagement. The mother tried to interest her in the newest toy she had brought. Through tears the child cried, "Mommy, I want you!" Yes, at Christmas our greatest need is to hang onto God. God is ...

161. Curiosity Or Consecration

Romans 12:1-8

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... top, would be the word - bored. Clifton Phataman has described our boredom as a special kind. Not unhappiness, not fatigue, he says. But that odd, modern, stunned look that comes from a circuit of toys and a deficiency of thought. Isn’t that descriptive? That odd, modern, stunned look that comes from a circuit of toys and a deficiency of thought. Carl Hine has spoken of a serene secularist. The person who asks no ultimate question and is not concerned even that he’s not concerned. Does that describe us ...

162. Turn in an Account of Your Stewardship

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Maxie Dunnam

... and reflecting, a friend says “I wonder what heaven is like?” In successive frames that conveys seriousness, satisfaction and conviction, Dennis responds, “Well...it probably looks like toy shop.”....Sounds like a carousel....”....and smells like a Deli.... Wisdom comes from unlikely places. For Dennis, Heaven is as good as it gets. Looks like a toy shop, sounds like a carousel and smells like a Deli.” All right, Dennis. I can go on that, too. Wisdom comes from unlikely places. Jesus knew that ...

163. God Communicates in Humanly Understandable Terms

Luke 2:41-52

Sermon

Richard D. Campbell

... was doing her best to make Christmas happy for her two little boys. This was their first Christmas without their father. Unexpectedly, someone knocked at the door. "Who could that be?" she wondered. When she opened the door, she found her pastor standing with his arms full of toys and candy. This man, who was one of the most renowned preachers of his era, said quite simply: "I thought your boys might miss their father on Christmas morning." He spent the next two hours playing with the two boys and their new ...

164. The Tree That Didn't Get Trimmed

Romans 11:33-34

Drama

Matthew Powell

... what it means to humans to stretch their toes down toward the bottom of a well-tucked bed. Storyteller 1: He had given up all that to lie here Tree: (Sadly) disdained and forgotten, in a littered alley, with the splashing of feet and cars. No toys or stockings for me. Storyteller 2: He trembled a bit with self-pity and shed some of his needles. Storyteller 1: Late that night, after all the shopping was over, the grocer came to clear away what was left. Storyteller 2: The boxes, Storyteller 1: the broken ...

165. Others

Romans 9:30--10:21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... becomes like an excursion through a hostile jungle. First, there is the terrifying lure of all those forbidden fruits – the delicately balanced stacks of wine glasses, the orderly parade of shoes and boots, the conveniently child-height displays of stuffed animal and toys. But the most parent-paralyzing moment comes when, with one quick dart and one mad dash, your child suddenly disappears completely from sight. With no straight aisles to look up and down, no neat rows of racks or counters to investigate ...

166. The Devil Takes Visa

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... local Montessori preschool for kindergarten. Her classroom is a delightful mix of about 20 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. At home, with just three kids, pandemonium seems to be a normative state. Despite closets, toy boxes, and floor sprawl that says the opposite, there are never enough toys to go around, never enough things for everyone to be satisfied. Yet every time we arrive to collect Soren from school the children in the classroom are going about their business quietly, orderly, cooperatively. It's ...

167. The Real Winning Attitude

1 Timothy 6:3-10

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... became the defining declaration among possession-possessed up-and-comers. As people surrounded themselves with hot new cars, snazzy stereo systems and miscellaneous gizmos, gadgets, and gratuitous consumerism, the popular mantra was everywhere: "The one who dies with the most toys wins!" Everybody loves to win. And everyone loves a winner. Winning brings a sense of power, achievement, success, and yes, great happiness. Who wouldn't want to win? But winning can come with a high price tag. Winning costs in ...

168. Patience

James 5:7-12

Sermon

King Duncan

... watch television.’ The most often spoken words in the American household today are the words: go watch television. If not now, when? Later. But later never comes for many and the parent fails to communicate at the very earliest of ages. We give her designer clothes and computer toys, but we do not give her what she wants the most, which is our time. “Now, she is fifteen and has a glassy look in her eyes. ‘Honey, do we need to sit down and talk?’ Too late. Love has passed by.” (5) That would be a ...

169. Proper 15

Genesis 45:1-28, Matthew 15:21-28, Romans 11:1-10, Romans 11:25-32, Psalm 133:1-3

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

... theological content, the reader has suspected as much all along. Worth noting, however, is the timing of Joseph's theological insight. God enters the story precisely at the moment when Joseph also undergoes a transformation from being a powerful Egyptian, who is toying with a Canaanite family, to becoming their brother once again. The timing is not a coincidence, for it provides a strong message of how theological insight and proper human action often occur in tandem. The point is not to determine which of ...

170. What If God Was One of Us?

Philippians 2:1-11

Children's Sermon

Tim Carpenter

... if I said, “Hey baby, ten plus ten equals twenty”? What would he say? (response) How do you talk to a baby? (response) Let me hear you talk to a baby. (response) Sometimes, the only thing that a baby will understand is baby talk. It helps to have a toy, like a doll or a rattle to get their attention. When my children make this part appropriate for your situation were babies, I talked to them in baby talk. I would look around and make sure no one was looking, and then I would say and do something silly ...

171. The Bridge over Troubled Water

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

James W. Moore

... a rigid observance of Sunday. No playing on Sunday! That was the rigid rule. But, on days, Donnie’s mother caught him sailing his toy boat in the bath tub. “Donnie, she cried. Don’t you know it’s wicked to sail boats on Sunday?” “It’s all right ... a thrill it is to see people coming from all over the city to bring clothes and food, water and diapers and formulas and toys to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. When a disaster like this strikes, there will be a few people who will try to take ...

172. It Was the Birthday of a King

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon

James Merritt

... you, and at the party everybody got a gift but you? How would you feel if somebody threw a party for you, but you were not even mentioned, in fact, you were not even invited. We have managed to make Christmas a $15 billion industry. Half of the toys sold in America are sold at Christmastime to the tune of $4.5 billion. Now I am not a scrooge, and there is nothing wrong with giving gifts and celebrating the season, but there is something tragically wrong when you forget the reason for the season. Christmas ...

173. Not Bad, Just Too Busy

Luke 2:1-7

Sermon

Bill Bouknight

... items, and technical gadgets. Children and adults get caught up in this craving for things, and we want them now! A little boy named Ryan was standing beside his father in the checkout line at a department store. Ryan asked if he could have a toy that was on display. His father said, “Christmas is a month away. You’ll have to ask Santa.” Ryan replied, “I know a quicker way. I’ll ask Grandma.” Ryan has already bought into the instant gratification of our culture. In preparation for the birthday ...

174. Give Us a Little Longer

Mark 13:24-37

Illustration

King Duncan

Prudence Phillipson of England uses this analogy. When her children were young the floor of their playroom often became messy with games and toys strewn everywhere. Prudence got her children to clean up their toys and games by telling them she was going round the corner to the shop. "When I come back," she warned, "everything should be in its place." She would then give each child a task before she left. The oldest child would be given more complicated tasks while the simpler ones ...

175. Thank You, Magic Dragon

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... anonymous friend who signed each card simply: "Magic Dragon." One of P.J.'s favorite gifts was a large green plush toy dragon, who quickly became the embodiment of the gift-giver and P.J.'s constant companion. As P.J. grew sicker, "Magic ... Dragon's" attentions never waned; notes of encouragement and support arrived continuously. The treasured toy dragon accompanied P.J. to the hospital, sympathetically sporting the same bandages and sharing all the painful, unpleasant treatments ...

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