Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1751 to 1775 of 5000 results

Luke 18:1-8

Sermon

King Duncan

... to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice . . .” It’s a fascinating story. But here’s what’s really interesting. Jesus is using it as an illustration of why we should never give up on prayer. If your prayer is seemingly not answered at first, don’t give up, says Jesus. Keep asking. Now that doesn’t mean repeating vain, repetitious prayers. There is a story about a little boy who was praying ...

1752. What Do We Need For Christmas?

Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

Sermon

King Duncan

... is available to walk the journey of faith with us everyday of our lives, shedding light on our paths. Christmas is a celebration of how God shared Himself with us, not a saluting to sales slips which show how we accumulate material possessions. Let me illustrate with the following story. Time before time when the world was young, two brothers shared a field and mill, each night dividing evenly the grain they had ground together during the day. One brother lived alone, the other had a wife and a large family ...

1753. Have You Changed Your Clock?

Mark 13:32-37

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... ) If we are truly doing the work that extends the Kingdom of God, you will never have to worry if you are prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ because you have responded to the First Coming of Jesus Christ. 1. Thanks to Dr. George B. Wirth for this illustration. 2. Joel C. Gregory, Homesick for God (Waco, TX: Word, Inc., 1990), p. 28. 3. The Methodist Hymnal (Nashville, TN: The Methodist Publishing House, 1964), Hymn No. 133. 4. Thanks to Dr. Daniel Vestal for this story.

1754. When Jiggling Wires Is Not Good Enough

John 4:1-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... faith had brought her out of her shell. So Lee agreed to attend a service with his wife. He was astonished by the way the service "seemed to hit me where I was at." That morning the sermon spoke to him. The pastor even used illustrations about motorcycling which Lee liked and could identify with. Lee made an important discovery, "The church could be relevant, that it could have implications for my life today." The people in the church were wonderful to him. They took his questions seriously, they responded ...

1755. The Riches Of God

Romans 11:33-36

Sermon

King Duncan

... , who leads, and most of all who loves. 1. "How to Tell If You're Successful," CATHOLIC DIGEST, October 1992. 2. Dinah Smith, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, "Life In These United States," READER'S DIGEST, May ˜93, p. 116. 3. SALES UPBEAT, March 5, 1992, pp. 22-23.Based on an illustration by Martin Pyle, Jacksonville, Florida. 4. FORBES, April 26, 1993, p. 64. 5. FOCUS ON THE FAMILY CITIZEN, April 19, 1993, p. 6. 6. Roy Gibson, Eustis, Florida.

1756. You Can Be Happy

Mark 1:29-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... W. Mohney, DON'T PUT A PERIOD WHERE GOD PUT A COMMA, (Nashville: Dimensions for Living, 1993), pp. 21-22. [ORIGINAL SERMON] Muhammed Ali was the unprecedented three-time world heavyweight boxing champion. His picture appeared on the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED more times than any other athlete. At the height of his popularity he was "floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee." Everywhere he went reporters, trainers and his staff followed him. But that was years ago. Whatever happened to Muhammed ...

1757. Help Me Make It Through The Night

John 3:1-21

Sermon

King Duncan

... asks. "Can he go back into his mother's womb?" Nicodemas was confused. Jesus simply wasn't making any sense. Then Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the time Moses and the children of Israel were in the desert. Certainly Nicodemus, a high-ranking Pharisee would understand an illustration from the pages of the Torah. Out in the desert some of the people of Israel were being bitten by snakes. In fact some of the Israelites had died as a result of snake bites. It was such a problem that Moses sought out God for ...

1758. Once In A Lifetime

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... by God to say this to you: "It's all right. Your sins are forgiven. Today you can begin a new life. The angel has touched your lips, and your sin has been taken away. Now it's time for you to live for God." 1. A sermon illustration by Rhett Payne, Grace Church, Dallas, TX, from "The Great American Dream." 2. The ECONOMIST Isaac Asimov, BOOK OF FACTS, (New York: Wings Books, 1979), p. 332. 3. William Boggs, SIN BOLDLY, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990), pp. 37-39. 4. Arnold Fox, M. D. and Barry Fox, Ph ...

1759. Preparing For The Second Part Of Life

James 1:1-18

Sermon

King Duncan

... we need to put into practice what we have heard. And that's what James means when he tells us to "Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves." What we read, and what we hear in the gospel must be lived out. James offers an illustration to help us with this crucial point. What would happen if every morning we looked in the mirror, saw our reflection, and then as we went off to face our day, we forgot what we looked like? It would be a mess, that's what. We wouldn't know if ...

1760. Sons And Daughters Of Thunder

Mark 10:35-45

Sermon

King Duncan

... worked on a garbage truck before finding his niche in basketball, said something you and I need to apply to our faith. If you are truly committed, you will never be satisfied with just playing. You play to win. There was an article in Sports Illustrated sometime back about a winning streak put together by the girls' volleyball team at Dayville High School in Oregon. These young women ran off a string of 65 victories before losing. What makes this streak so appealing is that Dayville High has only 18 female ...

1761. Preparing For An Unknowable Future

Mark 13:1-31

Sermon

King Duncan

... , D.C. speculated on how various news media would play the story of the end of time. Here are some suggested headlines: *LOS ANGELES TIMES: NO TRAFFIC ON FREEWAYS TONIGHT. *USA TODAY: WE DIE! (Late Sports, 1C) *THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: MARKET CLOSES EARLY. *SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: THE FAT LADY SINGS. (1) Our lesson from Mark's Gospel is part of the apocalyptic literature of the Bible. In very vivid terms it describes the last days of planet earth. Some people get a chill just thinking of the possibility of the ...

1762. What Is True And Who Can You Trust?

John 18:28-40

Sermon

King Duncan

... is to strike a match in the darkness and to look on the face of Jesus. 1. Leo Rosten, THE JOYS OF YINGLISH, (New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1992. 2. Bill Hybels, HONEST TO GOD? (Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan Publishing House, 1992). 3. Steve Wuthrich, Dunkirk, NY. 4. "To Illustrate," PREACHING, Jan-Feb 1989. Contributed by Wayne Rouse.

1763. Giants Or Grasshoppers?

Numbers 13:1-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... 's what God wants from us. He wants us to grow. He wants souls fit to dwell in eternity with Him. If things come too easy for us, we will remain infants or adolescents and never become what He needs us to become. Then he used a true story to illustrate his point. There was a high school swimmer a few years back named Nelson Diebel. Nelson dreamed of one day making it to the Olympics. He was a life guard at his high school pool. One day when no one was around, he got bored. He thought it would be ...

1764. People Who Dread Christmas

Malachi 2:17--3:5

Sermon

King Duncan

... EXECUTIVE SPEECHWRITER NEWSLETTER, "Religion & Philosophy, Volume 1, Cited in IN OTHER WORDS..., May/June 1994, p. 7. 3. The Rev. Dr. Ward Williams, Caracas, Venezuela. 4. Herman Wouk, THIS IS MY GOD: THE JEWISH WAY OF LIFE, (New York: A Touchstone Book, 1970). 5. Contributed by Wayne Long. Source: BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR.

1765. Victory Over Darkness

Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon

King Duncan

... . Dr. William P. Barker, TARBELL'S TEACHER'S GUIDE, (Elgin, Illinois: David C. Cook Publishing Co., 1988). 3. TIME, Jan. 25, ˜93, p. 15. 4. Francis X. Weiser, THE CHRISTMAS BOOK, (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1952). 5. TIME, April 19, 1983, p. 23. 6. Wayne Long. Source: BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR.

1766. A New Look For A New Year

Isaiah 61:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

... ." 1. "College Out to `Snow' Students," The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Feb. 22, 1989), Section A, p. 7. 2. Contributed ” source unknown. 3. The Rev. Patrick Napier in HOMETOWN HUMOR, U.S.A., Loyal Jones and Billy Edd Wheeler, eds, (Little Rock: August House Publishers, 1991). 4. J. B. Fowler, Jr., ILLUSTRATED SERMONS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS, (Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1988).

1767. Our Damascus Road Experience

Acts 9:1-19a

Sermon

King Duncan

... take care of the little things and are highly conscientious. Some people call them perfectionists. Some of them are. But most of them simply take pride in a job well-done. Four personality types ” all valued, all necessary. There is a clever story that helps illustrate these four types of personality. Four of King Arthur's knights were guilty of betraying him. They were sentenced to die on the guillotine. Somehow, though, as the blade was ready to drop, it jammed. King Arthur took this as a sign that he ...

1768. Like The Love Of A Mother

John 10:27-30

Sermon

King Duncan

... our Moms. They deserve it. But also, hooray for God. God is a loving parent. His love is a very personal love. His nature is a very giving nature. His love never quits. 1. Thanks to Dr. Eric S. Ritz who credits Norman Neaves for this illustration. 2. James Dent in Charleston, W.Va. GAZETTE, 7/2/91 3. Arthur Fay Sueltz, LIFE AT CLOSE QUARTERS (Waco, Texas: Word Books, 1982). 4. Ray Bowman, First Baptist Church, Mantachie, MS 5. Arnold Prater, YOU CAN HAVE JOY! (Atlanta, Georgia: Lay Renewal Publications).

1769. Jesus Prays For Us

John 17:20-26

Sermon

King Duncan

... death will snatch us from Him or from those we love. 1. Harold S. Kushner, WHEN ALL YOU'VE EVER WANTED ISN'T ENOUGH (New York: Summit Books, 1986). 2. Jeff Scott Cook, ELEMENTS OF SPEECHWRITING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING (New York: Collier Books, 1991). 3. Contributed. Source: Keith L. Brooks, ILLUSTRATIONS FOR PREACHERS AND SPEAKERS, Zondervan Books 4. Carol Kent, SPEAK UP WITH CONFIDENCE (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1987).

1770. Change Is Possible

Galatians 1:11-24

Sermon

King Duncan

... Church," and submitted by Donald Brenneman in Circuit Rider 2. Source unknown. 3. Holzman and George S. Klein, "Motive and Style in Reality Contact," BULLETIN OF THE MENNINGER CLINIC 20 (1956): 181-91. Cited in Dr. Nelson Boswell, INNER PEACE, INNER POWER (New York: Ballantine Books, 1985). 4. AMERICAN HISTORY ILLUSTRATED, March/April 1992, p. 8.

1771. More Than Meets The Eye

Luke 17:1-10

Sermon

King Duncan

... this week knowing that you possess enough faith to do the seemingly impossible? Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, in his classic devotional book The Meaning of Faith, wrote: "Religious faith is a positive achievement, and whoever does not deliberately choose it, loses it." He illustrated this truth with the story of a man who rowed down the Niagara River. As he was rowing, the man debated with himself about whether or not to stop at Buffalo. If he cannot make a decision he has already decided. His indecision ...

1772. Visioning Or Vanishing?

Proverbs 29:1-27

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... TIME TO BE ALIVE. What a fantastic time it is to be used by God for something GREAT. Amen and Amen. 1. Robert Holmes of Helena, Montana, in "Catch The Spirit" booklet published by the United Methodist Committee on Communications. 2. Thanks to Gary Carver of Chattanooga, TN, for this illustration (this is my adaption of it.) 3. Herb Miller, FISHING ON THE ASPHALT, (St. Louis: CBP Press, 1987), pg. 4. IBID, pg. 158. 5. IBID, pg. 158. 6. Thanks to Bill Schwein for this story.

1773. Facing Up To The Giant Task Of Life

1 Samuel 17:1-58

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... like David to face the giant task of life and claim victory by His power and for His honor and glory. And to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Threefold Fountain both of Being and of Grace, We ascribe to praise. Thanks to Dr. Brian Harbour for this illustration found in his monthly publication, Brian's Lines, 1990. Thanks to Dr. James W. Moore for this insight found in a sermon preached at St. Luke's UMC, Houston, Texas. Walter L. Underwood, BEING HUMAN, BEING HOPEFUL (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1987), p. 73.

1774. "Say It Ain't So"

Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Sermon

King Duncan

... examine the importance of Sunday School training for our children and adult Christian Education for the entire journey of life. First, we are called to teach our children by example, and it must be authentic. Our actions have more influence than we know. Let me illustrate. When Sally was six years old, she was with her father when they were caught speeding. Her father handed the policeman a twenty-dollar bill along with his driver's license and the policeman did not give him a ticket. "It's all right, honey ...

1775. The Fourth King In The Christmas Story

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Eric Ritz

... come to the end of this year and as we prepare ourselves for a new year, we, too, need to look up. Bethlehem's star shines also for us. 1. Julia Boynton Green, CHRISTMAS ALMANAC, (New York: Doubleday Co., Inc., l979), page 284. 2. Thanks to Mark Trotter for this illustration. 3. Doug Peterson, MANY ARE CALLED, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992). 4. Bill Moyers, A WORLD OF IDEAS II. Alan W. Steier, Linton, North Dakota, LEADERSHIP, Summer 1995, p. 39.

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